Published: April 01. 2010 2:00AM

By Stephanie Trotter
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be.
No one else cares.
Why should you?”
— Erma Bombeck

They say no one notices how well you clean house until you stop cleaning it. Well guess what? It's that time of year to pull out the yellow latex gloves and go to town. April isn't just about welcoming the Easter bunny; it's about exorcising the dust bunnies.

“It makes you feel better. When your home is clean and smells good and you've gotten rid of things you don't need, you just feel better, you feel more in control,” says Robin Wilson, co-owner of Organize It, Inc. on Congaree Road. The family business has been helping the befuddled masses sort, store and stash for almost 25 years. The professional organizer recommends attacking seasonal cleaning; just dive right in. “Start small, with one room, or even one drawer. The satisfaction you feel will motivate you to keep going.”

Eastside mom Lisa Severin doesn't need motivation. She actually started spring cleaning back in winter. “I like to take the opportunity when it's still cold to start purging things,” she says. “I look at consigning things, start purging those old things that the kids grow out of. The less clutter you have, the less stressful life will be.”

Severin has an edge on keeping every ounce of household clutter in its appropriate place. The one-time Tupperware representative owns containers of every size and labels each with a Dymo gun. “My laundry room is completely labeled!” she says proudly. “In my cabinets you'll find Tupperware for buttons, thread, fabric paints. And my favorite inexpensive way to store things is empty Jiff peanut butter jars. They are see-through. I keep little screwdrivers in there, old batteries until I can recycle them. All kinds of things.”

Busy mom of two Lyn Edmonds is also highly driven to keep the house nice and tidy. “I love going through it and getting rid of old stuff,” she says. “I always feel like the less the kids have, the more they play with what they do have. When they have a ton of stuff, they don't know what to do and say they're bored.” She ropes her two boys into helping her straighten, reinforcing lessons in cleaning and good will. “We have friends we pass things down to. Davis and Hunter love to go through their clothes and pick out what they want to give to their cousins. And we give things to charity. I try to talk to them about ‘paying it forward.’”

No matter how often she works with her sons, they still provide some housekeeping surprises. “I went under Davis' bathroom sink to get a roll of toilet paper and found he had his own little kitchen up there. He'd hidden Swiss cake rolls, white powdered doughnuts, Pringles and a box of granola bars!” she says, laughing.

Both women avoid what Wilson calls the No. 1 trap in keeping a neat home. “We see so many people who don't want to throw anything away. They are just not friendly enough with the trash can. Others just don't know how to file, or where to put things.” The home efficiency expert recommends developing a system. Once you establish it, the entire family can help maintain it. Her tricks of the trade include stacking items floor to ceiling and using shelf dividers. By utilizing horizontal space, homeowners can sometimes double their square footage for storage. “Put your most-used items at eye level,” she advises. “Place things like winter blankets and extra pillows on top.”

Wilson thinks basements can provide great opportunities for safekeeping treasured goods, but she cautions against making the attic a dump zone. Before putting something up, consider throwing it out. Finally, Organize It sells color-coded bins for attic storage to keep like items together, while making them easier to find in dark corners.

Neither Edmonds nor Severin is intimidated by an April overhaul, because they've been tackling a little here and there all year long. “I love to clean. I love having everything in its place,” Severin says. “The more things are in order at home, the more peace of mind I have and I can volunteer my time elsewhere.” Edmonds seconds that thought, adding, “I think the big trick is not letting it get piled up. You just feel better and the family operates more smoothly around the house when everything is in its place.”

So let's put all of this talk into action. Step 1: Clear off the coffee table, leaving only a candy dish and this copy of Talk Greenville. Step 2: Roll up your sleeves. Step 3: Get busy and good luck!