Spring is right around the corner! Before you know it, we’ll be listening to the sweet sound of birds chirping outside of our windows, feeling the warm sun beating down upon us, and breathing in the aroma of fresh flowers in bloom. But in the meantime, you may have been listening to the sweet sound of your children telling you none of their clothes fit, while feeling the baking pans fall out of the cabinet before you even open it, and simultaneously breathing in last Tuesday night’s dinner which just won’t come out of the carpet. We know life gets a little crazy sometimes, but we’re here to give you our best found tips and trick to get your home “spring clean” again in no time.

One of the easiest ways to get organized and stay organized is to reduce your clutter. Let’s start somewhere simple, like your closet! If you’re anything like us, you might wake up some mornings and think, “I have nothing to wear!”, yet when you take a step back, there are pieces of clothing you haven’t even touched in months. Are you trying to figure out what to keep and what to toss? Take 10 minutes of your time and turn every hanger in your closet backwards. When you wear a piece of clothing, turn the hanger to face the correct way again. After a few months, if a piece of clothing is still on a hanger that is still turned backward, it’s probably safe to say you no longer get the use out of it that someone else might.

Team Lucky Duck is Partnering with the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota for our Spring Cleaning Clothing drive. While you get your house into tip top shape, we encourage you to take all of those items from your closet that are no longer getting the use they once did, and pass them on to those who will bring them new life again. We will be collect donations up until Wednesday, March 23, 2015 at 5:00pm. We appreciate you helping us and helping give back to our community. Please drop off all donations at our office, located at:

14300 Nicollet Court, Suite 200
Burnsville, MN 55306

Now that the closet is taken care of, head on over to your kitchen! This is one space where storage solutions are key to keeping your space clean. Kitchen counters can often become overwhelmed with appliances, tools, and random clutter. Our first key tip, only have the essentials out on display. If there are items on your counter you don’t regularly use, store them away and out of sight. But keep in mind, just because those items are now behind closed doors, you still need to be able to easily access them! Containers, separators, hooks and dividers make a world of difference to use in your drawer spaces and pantries. Another helpful hint is to store your items close to where you use them in the kitchen. Pots and pans should be stored conveniently by the oven or stove; while dishes, glasses, and silverware can be closer to the refrigerator. Make your kitchen make sense for your life and easier to maneuver for everyone. With less on display, a quick daily wipe down of floors, counter tops, and appliances becomes easy, and will keep your home well maintained.

During the winter, our floors get more wear and tear then we like to admit with snow and slush being tracked in and out. For hardwood and laminate floors, do an initial sweep with a microfiber duster to pick up small dust, hair, and dirt. Next do a mix of half white vinegar, and half water with one squirt of Dawn as a floor cleaning solution. Feel free to add in a few drops of your favorite essential oil to make your house smell fresh. Mop your floors down with this solution, and all sight of stains should be gone in an instant! Quick tip: Laminate floors need less water, and excessive water can damage the product over time.For any carpet stains you might have, a simple mix of 1 cup of each of the following: water, white vinegar, and rubbing alcohol, accompanied by 3 drops of Dawn will lift stains easily.

The time is here, so get to cleaning! Throw on your favorite tunes and start sorting through those items in your house that no longer need to take up space. Be sure to keep an eye out for more tips and tricks to keeping your home organized and clean in future blog posts. And of course, help us give back if you can! We are so excited to give back to the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota. Remember to spread the word and make sure all clothing donations are dropped off by Wednesday March 23rd at 5:00pm.

Best Wishes and Happy Cleaning!