If you’re going to clear your house of clutter, now’s the time to do so—because let’s be honest, spring cleaning is not really a thing. January is the only time of the year we feel both motivated and bored enough to want to spend our spare time organizing. To aid you in the endeavor of transforming your home into one you’re not ashamed of, we’ve created a week-by-week guide for easily exorcising excess while also catching up on all the new must-see shows of 2017.
How To Netflix And KonMari In 4 Weeks
You're probably going to try sober January at least through the end of this week, so we suggest making good use of your newfound downtime by going home each night, dumping your clothing in a pile in the middle of your living room and pulling out the items that bring you joy, KonMari-style, while binge-watching TV. To avoid getting overwhelmed, sort by category—start with dresses and work your way down to socks—and strive to do one to two per night. If you need a refresher on how to fold the clothing you decide to keep, watch this. Then, over the weekend, donate or sell your discards. (Note: It's important you do this immediately, or the bags will sit in your car for the rest of 2017.)
What to watch: If you haven't yet seen Search Party (TBS, Amazon), we promise it'll keep you on the edge of your seat through tasks that otherwise feel laborious. You'll also want to catch season premieres of Nashville, It's Always Sunny and newbie sitcom The Mick. Plus, the Golden Globes air Sunday, so you'll have plenty of material to get you all the way through your college T-shirt collection and beyond.
Why, oh why, do we hold onto beauty products that expired a decade ago? Dump it all, without exception. Kitchen cabinets can be a bit trickier to clear out, however, as it may feel wasteful to throw away old dishes, pots, pans and the like; however, remember that you can always donate kitchenware to Goodwill, where it's likely to find a new home.
What to watch: We suggest you do the bulk of your purging on Sunday, when The Young Pope and Homeland premiere.
First, sweep your home for the bric-a-brac you've shoved onto your shelves and various other surfaces. If the shot glass your uncle brought you back from Cancun brings you joy, keep it. If not, donate it. Do the same with your books—everyone is different when it comes to their affinity for the printed word (and some of you may use your novels as decor), but our rule of thumb is that if we don't want to reread it, it should be donated. (Note: We said want to reread it. None of us actually have time to read anything, obviously. Let alone twice.) Here is some detailed advice on how to sell your books, if you feel so motivated.
What to watch: You'll have Homeland and The Young Pope again this week, plus the season premiere of Scandal. Oh, and the inauguration, if you're into that sort of thing.
If you have a garage, you may want to add closets into week three so you can dedicate a full seven days to clearing out the jungle meant to house your car but instead housing all the things you've deemed unworthy of your actual home throughout the years. In either case (garage or closet), most items can go. Think about it—these are the places you stow things for which you have no regular use, and in many cases you have no use for them at all. Be ruthless, as these areas tend to shelter the most superfluous of possessions.
What to watch: The full season of Z: The Beginning of Everything, which is about Zelda Fitzgerald and stars Christina Ricci, comes to Amazon January 27 and will undoubtedly be worth a binge.
