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Next month, thousands of people from around the world will celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year that marks the beginning of spring.
The festival will be commemorated on March 21, on the day of the vernal equinox, and it symbolises rebirth and renewal.
Families tend to decorate their homes for the special occasion, as well as set up a space for a Haft Seen table with seven elements that signify hope, health and happiness. However, in the lead up to the event, people start to spring clean homes ridding themselves of clutter gathered over the past year.
It may be a dirty job but somebody has to do it. Experts suggest starting the cleansing process three weeks in advance. That way, by the time that special day arrives, the house will not only be spotless but neater too.
Professional organisers of all things interior, such as Sharon Lowenheim and Standolyn Robertson, are offering a series of tips.
Find a home for every item: New Yorker Sharon suggests making sure that everything lives somewhere.
Cut the clutter: Stop collecting items or freebies that you really won’t use. Do you really need that extra mug or baseball cap? Are the magazines and take-out menus piling up on the coffee table? Either create a binder or dedicate a drawer for all the paperwork … or simply dispose of it all in a recycling bin.
Don’t get caught up in nostalgia: This is particularly difficult for parents that want to hold onto every art piece, award and clothing their children have produced. However, fellow American Standolyn said: “What would you rather have in 30 years - a photo of that castle or the mouse-infested castle itself? If your child creates something truly special to you then, by all means, find a place for it, or even frame it. Otherwise, grab a tissue and start saying goodbye. Your home will thank you.”
Get organised with kits: Snap up some clear plastic shoebox-sized containers and use them to create kits to store all the items needed for a particular task. For example, create a shoeshine kit, a bill-paying kit, a stitching kit and so forth. That way tasks will be made simpler and quicker.
