The New Year has officially begun, and we cannot wait to see what it brings. John Elliott Interiors loves new beginnings and helping people make their house feel more like home. We are the best interior design company at the Lake of the Ozarks for a reason! To kick-off 2020, we have great tips to help you freshen your home for a clean start to the year. Read on to learn more!

1) Clear the Clutter

Clutter can make a home feel dirty and claustrophobic even when it is perfectly clean. If you have accumulated excessive decor items and knick-knacks that never quite go together and just take up space, it could be time to purge the house of all the unnecessary stuff.

Some people choose to tackle their home room by room, while others choose to sort by category. One categorical method is the KonMari Method, developed by Marie Kondo. Her philosophy is that only items that spark joy should have a place in your home. Hold each item in your hands and ask yourself, "Does this spark joy?" If the answer is "no", then you gratefully let it go and out of your life. Go through your home by category in this order: Clothing, Books, Papers, Miscellaneous, and then Sentimental. Sorting by category instead of by room allows you to see how much you really have, and gives you the opportunity to find the proper place for each item when you're finished.

2) Deep Clean

Cleaning sounds like an obvious tip to help reset in the New Year, but there are a few places in the home that often get neglected that could probably use a deep clean.

Refrigerator

One of these areas is your refrigerator and freezer. Throwing away expired or frost-bitten items is a good habit, but cleaning the refrigerator thoroughly is a task that people often avoid because it can feel monotonous. The benefits of deep cleaning your fridge could be tremendous. Just think about the fact that your food is touching the refrigerator shelves and drawers all year, potentially without being cleaned... And then you are eating it. If you don't regularly clean out your refrigerator, then there could be bacteria growing on its surfaces and infecting your food. Remove everything from the refrigerator (move sensitive items like dairy to a cooler while you clean) and use a food-safe cleaning product to thoroughly scrub the entire interior. Allow the cleaner to dry before replacing your groceries.   

Cabinets

Another important area to clean is your kitchen drawers and cabinets. This is another area that, if dirty, could be negatively affecting your health. Most households have enough dishes to feed 12 people at once, but only regularly use and rotate the same 4-6 pieces. That means the other several dishes are sitting there, collecting dust and potentially growing bacteria. Use food-safe cleaner to wipe out all your cabinets and drawers and run all dishes through the dishwasher for a truly deep clean of your kitchen cabinets and drawers.

Soft Surfaces

It can be easy to thoroughly clean hard surfaces with antibacterial cleaning products, but what do you do when it comes to soft surfaces? For curtains and throw blankets that are washing-machine safe, the solution is relatively easy. But for items like carpeting, upholstery, and rugs it can be more difficult to clean. The best option is hiring a professional carpet and upholstery cleaning company to thoroughly clean these areas. Cleaning them on your own could leave behind grimy residue or moisture that will lead to mildew and mold growth, making the problem even worse.

3) Hire an Interior Designer

Designing a beautiful space that has intrigue while also maintaining a cohesive look can be very difficult on your own. Combining furniture, patterns, colors, and textures is an art form, and John Elliott Interiors is the best in the business. Hiring an interior designer takes the stress out of the home decor process and creates an amazing space in your home that both you and your guests will love. Call today to learn more and set up a meeting with our designers for your home in 2020!