spring cleaning

When was the last time you synced your smartphone in order to backup your data, photos, music, and videos? Whether you have an iPhone, Android, or Windows phone, syncing and backing up your information and files will save you grief if by chance you lose your device, douse it in water, or drop it face down on the pavement, sending shards flying. Back up your phone's contents weekly, or more often if you take a lot of photos and video.

Keep up with all of our Spring cleaning tech tips here or at our 31 Days of Spring Cleaning Pinterest board!

It might be overwhelming to just look at your clutter, but there are some very simple steps you can take to declutter your place in no time. All you need to do is just start. We talked to Peter Walsh, a celebrity organization expert, who gave two very simple tips to start tackling your mess:

• The trash bag technique: "The very first thing you should do if you're feeling overwhelmed in your space is to set aside 10 minutes a day." Walsh says. Give everyone in your household two trash bags and have them fill them up during that 10-minute window every day. Fill one up with things to trash and the other up with things to donate or sell. If you live with someone else and the two of you use this simple technique for one week, you'll end up with 14 bags of trash and 14 bags of stuff going to donation at the end of the week. "That's a really simple technique — 10 minutes a day that will make a massive change," he says.
• Back-to-front clothes: Walsh says we all wear "20 percent of [our] clothes 80 percent of the time." The best way to check what you don't need is to use the back-to-front method. Turn the clothes that are hanging in your closet so that the hangers are facing back to front. For the next six months, every time you wear a piece of clothing, hang it back up the correct way. "At the end of six months, whatever is still hanging back to front, chances are you are never going to wear. Send it off to Goodwill."

Keep the paper and junk mail in check — start tracking your finances and paying your bills online instead. Opting to get your statements via email (for your bank and other utilities) can keep clutter and paper waste at bay. Plus, online monitoring services allow you to set budgets, get alerts when you've gone over your limit, and track where your spare cash is going so you can save a few bucks. Get your financial life organized with help from the free websites listed below!

• Mint — The leader of financial management sites, Mint charts every expense, transaction, and asset with easy-to-read charts, budget progress, and weekly financial summaries.
• LearnVest — Similar to Mint, LearnVest presents financial planning from a woman's point of view. Beyond budget and finance tracking, the site provides editorial content such as money tips and the option to connect with in-house financial experts.

See the rest of the list after the break.

Who says you have to stay connected 24/7? Taking some time off to detox from your digital life may be hard, but it could also be good for your health and well-being. While some people use Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media to stay in touch with friends, others can't step away for five minutes without losing their minds. Are you one of them? Daniel Sieberg, author of The Digital Diet, offers up tips on how to break your tech addiction, below.

• Avoid tech turds — One of our own favorite tech etiquette tips says that, as a rule of thumb, you shouldn't leave your phone out on the table. Sieberg has a more colorful way of saying it, calling these situations "tech turds": "Don't just dump your smartphone on the table at a restaurant or at home. Keep it in your pocket or purse unless it’s critical to have it out. If you must have it out, acknowledge its presence and inform your companions that you’ll check it only in an emergency. It's a courtesy that you'd appreciate, too."

See more tips after the break.

Your kids will probably go through dozens of pairs of shoes before they ever hit their first day of school, and as most parents quickly find out, little sneakers and sandals don't necessarily mean small price tags. (I swear, these days my daughter's shoe wardrobe is worth almost as much as mine is!) Unfortunately, puddles, mud, water, food spills, and, yes, even potty accidents can turn those kicks into stinky, sticky messes. Want to know how to clean them up? Follow these simple methods.

1. Soak them. You can take those kids' Crocs and jellies and hose them down outside, but for sneakers, a good old soak in a bucket of water can remove caked-on mud. Change the water regularly, and after the majority of the dirt is gone, use an old rag or toothbrush (consider a wooden or metal skewer if the shoes have deep, dirty grooves) to remove the rest. Rinse in cold water, and let air-dry.
2. Use a cleaning agent. Enlist the help of a kid-friendly stain-fighting tool to remove tougher stains (grass, blood, and other bodily fluids). A paste of baking soda and water also works well. Apply directly to stains, let soak, rinse well, and air-dry in a shady spot (any excess stain fighter could bleach out fabrics in the sun).
3. Try the Magic Eraser. That magical eraser you use all over your house also does a pretty great job of cleaning rubber soles. Use one to remove mud and other unknown substances.
4. Try toothpaste. Toothpaste, an old toothbrush, and a good scrub can make soles and even canvas look brand spanking new (and smell minty fresh). After a good scrub, rinse the shoes thoroughly and let them air-dry.
5. Enlist the help of your washing machine. Most sneakers and canvas shoes (like those oh-so-cute little Toms) are safe to throw directly in the washing machine. Just be sure to avoid the dryer, since it can cause shrinking. Instead, air-dry either outside, inside over a vent, or in front of your refrigerator to soak up that motor heat. If you're afraid of fading, then you want to avoid direct sunlight. Need some additional odor control? A little baking soda in the wash cycle or sprinkled on those wet shoes should help.

There may be some stylish ways to wrangle your remote controls, but the question that begs to be asked is — "Do you really need all those remotes in the first place?" If you've been keeping those remotes around because you didn't think you had an alternative, may I introduce you to the universal remote. Buying and programming a universal remote can rid your coffee table of clutter and help you streamline your viewing experience. The Logitech Harmony Touch ($214) has been invaluable in my house since it controls all of my components — from my TV to sound system, DVD player, even my PS3 — and comes with an easy-to-use touchscreen. If you already have a universal remote, let this serve as a reminder to program it already. It'll make your life so much easier.