Dear Heloise: It’s the time of year when people start spring-cleaning and adding fresh touches to their homes. One of the best things that you can do to improve your home is to declutter. When I say “declutter,” I don’t mean throwing things out and replacing them with new clutter. I mean getting rid of items that you don’t love, gifts that you don’t like, and all the craft materials for that one hobby you’re going to do … someday. These hints might be of help to you as you go through your home:

— Don’t do the whole house at once. Take it one room at a time, but get busy and dig in! You might do your closet today, and two or three days later, you can tackle the rest of the room. You’ll avoid burnout this way.

— Don’t say, “I might need this in the future.” It’s clutter, so get rid of it and remember that you might never need it!

— You live in a home, not a storage unit. Stop saving stuff that you don’t use or like. If you haven’t worn that party dress in two years, you probably never will again.

— Donate items to charity or have a garage sale, but don’t box up clutter and then store it in your attic, basement or garage. Get it out of your home and off of your prperty.

— Before you buy anything new to replace what you parted with, ask yourself, “Do I really need this? How will this make my life better?”

— Once you get rid of all the clutter, your home will be easier to clean. You’ll improve its appearance, and it’s a wonderful sense of accomplishment to open up the kitchen junk drawer and see it organized beautifully. Many people experience a sense of freedom once all the clutter is gone.

Good luck, and remember to be ruthless when decluttering! — Jessica L., New Bedford, Massachusetts

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KEY PROBLEMS

Dear Heloise: My house key keeps getting stuck in the lock, and sometimes it’s even hard to insert the key into the lock. What can I do? I live in an old Victorian house, and I’d like to keep the locks the same as when it was built. — Randall J., New Orleans

Randall, take a half sheet of clean paper and fold it in half. Then fold it in half again. Get a nice sharp crease along the middle of the paper. Next, take a knife and shave a graphite pencil, getting as much graphite as possible in the crease. You only need enough to help lubricate the lock.

Once you have your small pile of graphite, hold the paper up to the lock’s opening, keeping the centerfold level with the lock’s opening. Then gently blow the graphite into the key hole. Insert your key, and it should make it easier to insert and remove it. — Heloise

BRIDAL SHOWER CENTERPIECE

Dear Heloise: I was hosting a bridal shower for a dear friend of mine, and I wanted something to serve as a centerpiece for each table that would reflect the woodland theme the bride had chosen. My husband took the trunk of a tree that we had cut down, sawed off 1-inch rounds and varnished them. Then I placed mason jars filled with flowers in the center. I finished it off by scattering acorns and pine cones on the rounds, which made for the perfect centerpiece. — C.P., in Michigan

WRITE IN WITH YOUR HINTS

Dear Readers: Here at Heloise Centeral, we’d love to hear from you with your favorite hints or experiences. Just contact us at Heloise@Heloise.com. — Heloise

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