Spring cleaning hacks to help de-clutter your life

(BPT) - Spring always inspires a fresh start, but in today's busy, connected lives it can sometimes be difficult to find the time to re-organize and recharge. These spring cleaning hacks will help you de-clutter and greet spring refreshed and ready to go:

1. Follow the 80/20 rule.
The 80/20 rule suggests people only actually use about 20 percent of the stuff they own. When deciding what to keep and what to toss, ask yourself what items you would replace right away if they were ever lost or stolen - this will help you discover your 20 percent.

2. Donate – and schedule a pickup.
Everyone knows that part of purging involves the “donate” pile, but many people never get these items out of their home. Schedule a pickup online to make sure the donating part gets done.

3. Use vinegar on practically everything.
Once you’ve taken stock of your belongings and are ready to get cleaning, vinegar is a wonderful all-purpose cleanser. One easy hack is to tie a bag of vinegar around your showerhead and let it sit over night to easily clean up grime and gunk. You’ll find doing this also improves the water pressure too.

4. Coffee filters and cola make great cleaners, too.
Coffee filters can be used to dust off television screens in a pinch. Cola? You can actually use that to clean the toilet – pour in the bowl, let sit for an hour, flush and you’re done.

5. Do a digital purge as well as a physical one.
From your desktop to the photos on your phone, your digital clutter could probably use a good scrub. Take an hour or so to get rid of duplicates and any files you don’t need – then empty that recycle bin.

6. Cut your contract.
Your physical space may be in order, but what if your digital world is still an absolute mess? One way to get rid of digital clutter is by cutting your long-term mobile contract. Consider a wireless provider like Net10 Wireless, offering LTE plans starting at just $40 per month, with no airtime contract. Net10 Wireless allows you to pay for what you do need and nothing else, so you won’t waste any data or money.

7. Update your passwords.
Secure your accounts with new passwords that include upper and lower case letters and numbers. Have trouble remembering them all? Consider a password manager that stores them in an encrypted database for you.

These tips and tricks should make your annual spring cleaning a little bit easier without taking up too much time – leaving you ready to tackle whatever the rest of the year will bring. Want more easy lifestyle and spring cleaning hacks? Visit the Net10 Tumblr page, net10collegehacks.tumblr.com, where you can also enter for a chance to win a new smartphone.