14 Simple Tasks to Complete By The End of the Year
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No excuses. None of these take very long to do.
1. Schedule a donation pickup for after the holiday season.
Get rid of outdated clothes you don’t wear and some of the orphaned toys littering your basement to make room for your new gifts. Pencil this on the calendar, so there’s no room for procrastinating. Having it planned will prod you to scan over your donation-worthy goods objectionably.
2. Clean your dishwasher.
Most dishwashers have a filter on the bottom that should be periodically cleared of food debris and gunk. If the inside of your dishwasher looks dirty or has mineral buildup, fill a dishwasher-safe bowl with 2 cups of white vinegar, place it on the top rack, and run it with no detergent. Easy peasy.
3. Recycle old shopping bags and Amazon boxes.
You probably have gobs of paper and plastic bags or cardboard remnants from your IRL or online spending exploits. Make a short trip to a recycling center or stuff them into your bin for pickup. It’s not like you won’t get more the next time you shop.
4. Check your fridge’s temperature.
Before you cram it full of holiday goodies, use a thermometer to see if the temperature display in your fridge is valid. The max temp that’s acceptable is 40 degrees, but you probably want it lower. If the temp is too high, hop onto YouTube and learn how to clean your refrigerator’s condenser coils.
5. Get rid of broken electronics and their cords/accessories.
Check that drawer or bin — you know the one — and keep it real. Will you really use that charger for a phone you longer own? Do you still want those headphones with the tangled cords and the left earpiece that pops out? Throw what you can in the trash, but also take care to dispose of the rest properly. Don’t declutter at the expense of Mother Earth.
