Now that the holidays are behind us it’s nice to start the New Year clearing out the old to bring in the new. Many cultures use New Year’s Eve as a day to clean. In Japan, they call this tradition oosoji, which means extensive cleaning. Here in the U.S., we have spring cleaning, which traditionally starts in early March. If you are ready to get a head start on your cleaning and organizing here are a few titles to kickoff your cleaning frenzy!

Real Life Organizing by Cassandra Aarssen:

CassandraAarssen is well known in the YouTube world as Clutterbug. She has over 350,000 subscribers on her channel. In this book, she covers tips on how to keep your home clutter free in just 15 minutes a day. Included in the book are planner pages and checklists. This is essential to the plan she outlines to get your home in order. She reminds us in her book “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo:

This book was published in October of 2014, by November it was already a bestseller. Even though it has only been out for four years it is already a cleaning and organizing classic. Marie Kondo explains clearly that when it comes to clutter dealing with each category of items all at once is important. She does not subscribe to the “do a little at a time” way of thinking. She advises a 4 step plan for organizing. First clothes then books and miscellaneous items and last sentimental things. This book is most known for Marie Kondo’s philosophy of looking at every item you own and deciding if it brings you joy. If the answer is no then you toss it. Her style is not for the faint of heart but her results are undeniable.

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter  by Margareta Magnusson:

The title of this book definitely gives the idea that there will be some serious cleaning happening! What the title refers to is the way Swedes like to clean before they die as to not leave anything for friends or family to deal with.  The concept is very refreshing, the idea that you can free your family of the decision of what to keep or toss. The two major topics in the book are how to help your parent’s death clean and how to help yourself. She covers all the major categories of items and what to do with them. She teaches how to deal with personal items that you may not want to leave behind. Death awaits us all and this book helps us to enjoy living clutter free now while helping those we leave behind.

Clearing clutter and maintaining an efficient home can be daunting. Getting advice from experts in this field can be helpful in creating a space that feels relaxed and inviting.

Other titles that may be of interest:

• The Librarian’s Guide to Notable Nonfiction
• Managing Your Mental Health One Day at a Time 
• Ashley is history
• Coming Soon!
• Fun Finds on the Holds Shelf