How To Preserve Important Mementos While You're Spring Cleaning

The spring season brings about warmer weather, blooming flowers, and cleaning, as people look to refresh and declutter their homes. In fact, Statista found that 69% of respondents partake in spring cleaning – which can always benefit from this pretty useful method — each and every year.

For many, this process involves sorting belongings into three piles: things to donate, things to trash, and things to keep. However, for the kept possessions, it can still be hard to decide where and how to store them. Closets, garages, attics, spaces under the bed, and drawers quickly and easily can be filled with clothes, equipment, decorations, extra sets of things, and mementos, such as old toys, childhood artwork, and family photographs. But for possessions with so much sentimental value, it's important to keep them safe. 

When it comes to important keepsakes, there are several ways to preserve and even display them, all while cutting down on the clutter and the disorganization that can come about after years and years of saving them. After all, keepsakes are really meant to be enjoyed. 

Digitize, organize, and display family keepsakes

The Home Edit recommends organizing mementos into boxes. Doing this will allow you to keep everything in one place, all while protecting your treasured possessions and allowing loved ones to sort through them. A more modern idea from the company is to digitize what you can. For instance, Ancestry.com allows users to take and upload pictures, which can then be shared with connections who live in the same town, across the country, or on the other side of the world.

The really iconic pieces can be set out and hung up for all to see, for as The Home Edit says, "We love displaying them in a shadow box or frame — it can add a personal touch to any space!"

The idea of displaying keepsakes where they can be seen and enjoyed often is echoed by Real Simple. Two of their ideas include turning a child's art into a keychain, or piecing nostalgic shirts together in order to form a one-of-a-kind quilt. Just remember while you're spring cleaning this year that mementos and keepsakes are only collecting dust if they sit in a box. This is the year to get them out, put them on display, and enjoy your memories!