Spring has arrived and it’s time to clean!! I promise that I don’t just clean in Spring, but this time of year is when my husband and I start going through the file cabinets and shredding. Going through papers and shredding has to be one of my least favorite things when it comes to Spring cleaning. It’s so time consuming and on top of that the shredder that we have used for about five years fights me every second.
For the past few weeks, we have been testing out the Fellowes P-12C shredder and hands down it has put my old shredder to shame. Sure, it runs a little louder than our old one, but it does an amazing job! It has really cut the time we spend on shredding down.
Not only has the Fellowes P-12C sped up my spring cleaning but I love the safety features on it. When using our old one, we didn’t dare to leave it plugged up if we stepped out of the room. Sure it had a little flap that covered the paper insert but that didn’t make me feel 100% even to leave it unattended for a second with the kids. The Fellowes P-12 has three steps in order to get it to shred.
- Unlock feature on the top
- Slide the button to shred
- cut it on near the back
Now obviously this isn’t fool-proof and with kids in the house, we can never be too careful. With the three-steps in order to get it to shred, I don’t mind running out of the room for a second with them in there. I just flip everything to off.
I also love the SafeSense technology that it delivers. I can’t tell you how many times my kiddos have came up to watch me shred and their fingers start heading towards the shredder (even though they know they aren’t suppose to have hands near it). With the Fellowes P-12C if hands touch the paper opening, the shredder immediately stops.
- Cross-Cut blades that destroy 12 sheets of paper per pass
- Patented SafeSense technology which automatically disables the shredder when hands touch the paper opening
- The ability to shred credit cards, paper clips, staples and junk mail for added convenience
- Shreds for 5 minutes before automatic cool down
Now along with cleaning out the file cabinets, I also start going through toys, closets and drawers. This job seems to get worse before it gets better. Here is a great three-step formula from Laura Stack, aka The Productivity Pro.
1. Get ready… Before you begin cleaning, be ready to tackle the clutter.
• Prepare for a spring cleaning spree. Start by labeling five large boxes: Put Away, Give Away, Store Away, Shred, and Trash. Select an area, such as a drawer, desk, or room to organize first.
• Use a timer. Don’t view spring cleaning as an all-day task. Take an hour here and there to get the job done over several weekends. When you’re ready to begin, set your timer for 50 minutes. When it buzzes, use the last ten minutes of your organization session to handle the boxes: put things away, place charity items in the car, put items in storage, shred and toss out the trash.
• Focus. Concentrate on organizing one area at a time. If you don’t focus, you’ll end up with multiple “half-organized” areas.
2. Get Set…Set a plan in place to stay productive as you spring clean all year long.
• Innovative storage. Anything that goes together should be stored together. Find attractive boxes, baskets, toolboxes and totes to organize common items such as batteries, make-up, tools, cleaning supplies or gift-wrap. Use duffel bags to store sports equipment – one sport per bag per person.
• One in, one out. As you group similar items together, avoid keeping too many of the same items. Do you really need five spatulas or dozens of sweaters? The next time you think about purchasing something you already own, give serious thought as to what are willing to give up.
3. Go…! Your clothing is put away and your sports equipment is tidy. Now that you have a good idea what you need to get rid of, let go of all the clutter!
• Shred sensitive documents. Paper piles can stack up fast around the house so shred sensitive documents with a reliable Fellowes shredder. For large shredding jobs, the Fellowes 79Ci is the ultimate shredding machine. With its Patented 100% Jam Proof technology and ability to cross-cut up to 16 sheets per pass and an extended 20 minute run time, your paper piles will disappear in no time! Or, for smaller shredding jobs, try Fellowes P-12C that destroys 12 sheets per pass with a 5 minute run time.
• Tag items. If you’re still having a hard time parting with certain things such as clothing or kitchen gadgets, place a tag on each item with the date one year from now. If you use the item, take the tag off. When that date arrives, anything that still has a tag goes.
• Donate. For items you want to get rid of that are still in good condition, consider donating to charity. While it can be tough for your little one to donate toys or for your husband to let go of his beloved CD collection, they’ll feel good knowing someone will benefit from these items.
All in all we are loving the Fellowes P-12C shredder. It can be purchased at Walmart Stores nationwide and at Walmart.com. It has a SRP of $89.97. For more information on this product, visit Fellowes online.
