“Unnecessary possessions are unnecessary burdens. If you have them, you have to take care of them!” – Peace Pilgrim
Note: Scroll down to the bottom for a links to all of the Clean Up the Clutter posts.
Happy New Year! And, welcome to my January Clean Up the Clutter Challenge.
As I am writing this Mr. SH and I have just finished cleaning out my parent’s home of 30 years after moving them into a senior apartment near my sister. Their home is typical of homes built in the 80’s. Three bedrooms, two baths, two living areas, two eating areas and a nice grassy backyard.
And every closest, cabinet, and cubby-hole is filled with stuff. Stuff, stuff, stuff. As in 20-year-old-floral-foam-under-the-wet-bar-stuff. It’s as though my parents moved into this house in 1980 and filled it with stuff. What they failed to do was the occasional purge.
If you read this blog regularly you will know that a little over three years ago we downsized and purchased a smaller home. It took me months to purge things that we had collected over the years. It was a little painful at times, but I can honestly say there isn’t one thing I have missed.
While getting rid of things is difficult I can say that today my house is free of the type of clutter that steals away peace and harmony. In it’s place is order and rest.
And that is why I am issuing a Clean Up the Clutter Challenge to all of you in hopes that you will be able to achieve this no matter how much clutter you’ve accumulated. There is no oath to take, but I do have a form on the sidebar if you’d like to commit. This is a personal challenge from me to you that will help put you on the path to taking back your life.
This is a self-motivated challenge. Here’s how it works. Every Monday log into this post, scroll down, and choose one of the different areas of your home to Clean Up the Clutter. For some of you this might be a weekly task; for others, it may take the entire month to complete. Oh, and I’m also giving you a couple of options: The Easy Way and The Thorough Way. Which ever way you choose, the end result will be the same. A clutter-free home.
I also highly recommend reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up* by Marie Kondo. This book will inspire you to look at your clutter in a whole new way. It will also help you let go of possessions that might be robbing you of your peace. (*affiliate)
Here are four steps to follow through the entire process.
1. Take the First Step and Believe in the End Result
Perhaps your home is a haven for clutter and you have no idea where to begin. Like walking on a tight rope, taking the first step can be very scary. For you, the first step is believing that this can be accomplished. Begin by taking small steps in the right direction. Take one step, then another, then another ~ all the while picturing in your mind how your home will look and feel with all of the clutter gone. And remember, it is impossible to live a completely clutter-free life. It’s really a matter of limiting the amount of clutter and getting rid of the excess.
2. Excess, Waste, and Too Much of a Good Thing
The second step to a clutter-free life is to remove excess possessions. Here’s how I define what needs to go.
- When was the last time I used this? A year? Longer?
- Does it work? If not, can it be repaired?
- Do I like it?
- Do I have more than one? Do I need more than one?
- Is this something I can find on the internet or at the library?
- If I keep it, where will it be stored?
Keep in mind ~ Some things will take a little more time and thought.
- Sentimental items may need to be passed down to family members or shared with a friend.
- Books (I could write an entire series on getting rid of books) – this will require that you determine if you will ever read/study the book in the future. Also, can it be easily gotten at a library should you decide you want to read it again.
- Inherited items – these things may require checking with family members to see if someone else wants them.
The key to mastering this step is to be patient and take your time. Start with a small project first. After a few minor victories, move on to the family momentos.
I find that this is the place where many people get stalled. Rather than stopping altogether try this. Get some cardboard or plastic storage boxes and sort through the things you have trouble parting with. Label them, date them, and go back to them later.
Above all, remember that this is a process and not a race. Some of this will take time. Remember to believe in the end result.
3. Managing Future Clutter
Staying ahead of the clutter and managing incoming clutter requires that Steps #1 & #2 have taken place. You cannot develop methods to manage new clutter unless you have first cleaned up the old clutter.
Assuming that you have managed to clean up and get rid of unnecessary items then a system of managing clutter must be developed. Otherwise you will be right back where you started in no time at all.
Here are a few examples of managing clutter on a daily basis.
- In the kitchen – Clean after every meal and put away the dishes.
- Living Areas – Put things back after they are used ~ video games, throws, etc.
- Play Areas – Have children put their toys away into designated storage areas.
- Laundry – Fold and put away laundry.
Be prepared for additional clutter which sometimes occurs after a particular event or seasons.
- Birthdays and holidays can create an abundance of stuff. Have a plan BEFORE the event.
- Life events like a new baby, new home, or new job will require some readjustment.
The key here is to stay on top of the clutter. Have a plan and, if necessary, create a new plan if circumstances change.
4. Evaluate Before You Buy
We live in a consumer-driven culture and accumulation is part of our daily lives. If you want a clutter-free home then the key is to slow down the amount of possessions you accumulate.
This takes a little thought. After all, it is easier to go out and buy something; but it takes time and thought to determine if an item is needed or necessary. Taking the time to evaluate before you buy will actually save you time and energy in the long run.
Before purchasing ask yourself a few questions:
- Do I REALLY need this?
- Where will I put this?
- Will this purchase require more or less work from me?
- Why am I REALLY buying this?
While it is impossible to not accumulate new things it is possible to slow down the accumulation. When you become aware that purchasing new items has a cost beyond the price sticker then you will know the difference. And then you will be on the road to a clutter-free life.
Are you ready to Clean Up the Clutter? On Monday we are going to get started in the Entry and Home Office.
Week 1: Clean Up the Entry and Office
Week 2: Clean Up the Kitchen and Dining Area
Week 3: Clean Up the Living and Family Room
Week 4: Clean Up the Bedrooms and Bathrooms
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2015 might be known as the year of the purge … what I need to know is how one works around the spouse? My DH has a fit if I “dispose” of things. He does not like change – unless he executes it. Problem is it’s usually when I’m in the middle of something totally unrelated and he expects me to leap on his wagon 🙂
Great tips Leslie!
Well, I have so many books from my recent postgraduate studies – you have made it easy for me to get rid of those books. I will give them to my university library and help other students and, as an alumna, can borrow books still …
Then, I will have to go into the loft and get rid of some more unnecessary clutter.
Thank you 🙂
Thanks for sharing your excellent idea. Sharing what you don’t need with others who do. That’s the best cure for clutter.
We have been married for 35 years and have six children. Our home is a large five bedroom, where we have raised our family. I sew and upcycle items, which means this home is now filled with stuff! Stuff left over from a lifetime of living and saving for all kinds of events. There are memory things, kids things and more. I probably would have been good in the depression making due. Now is the time to begin uncluttering our life and our home. It is a little overwhelming but I am determined to make a difference and get started. Thanks for the encouragement. We are thinking about the possibility of moving to a home with a different kind of space, when our youngest is finished with college. But all this organizing and decluttering needs to happen and it is going to take awhile. No time like the present.
You sound like you are in a place where we were a couple of years ago. In reality, it took me two years to reframe my mindset about stuff. It began with the listing of our home for sale and then having to move things to storage (an expensive, but useful way to deal with years of stuff). It cost $200 per month to store stuff we eventually got rid of. After living without it for the better part of a year I found I never needed it to begin with. Lesson learned.
This is inspirational and I am going to try to follow along. I have been slowly doing this over the past month after reading about purging in another blog. A little bit at a time and it should get done! Thanks for this article.
Great. I hope I can inspire you to take the first steps. Each Challenge will have an easy way and a thorough way to declutter. Maybe the easy way will get you started.
For me, the cure for hanging on to less expensive, but significant sentimental things/stuff/memories is to take a photo of the item. You can pull out that photo at any time and just stare at it if you are in the mood. It brings back all those same emotions as the actual item does. It’s amazing how well this has worked in our household.
Excellent tip. Thanks for sharing this awesome idea. Get out your cameras, friends. That’s a great way to save kids papers, recipes, etc.
“declutter” is definitely the theme of our year – my husband and I had a good long talk about that yesterday. Great tips!
I would like to share how I kicked my clothes hoarding habit after years of failure every time I tried to purge. Once a year I turn all my hangers backwards. After I wear and wash something I put them in the right way. At the end of the year anything still on a backwards hanger goes to charity. Period. No sorting, agonizing, failure. After three years of doing this I had half the clothes and wear them all. And always a neat closet.
And I agree with Lynn. Before we moved I took lots of pictures of sentimental things and gave them all away. My new house has no basement and I keep nothing in the attic. I am using every thing I own.
This is such a great idea, Gloria. Thank you for sharing. I am definitely try this.
My motto for years has been ” use it or lose it”. I have been blessed with the gift of organization which has served me well over the years. I love to de-clutter because it provides the opportunity to organize! As you say, there will always be clutter to some degree, therefore, I am always interested in de-cluttering ideas and suggestions. I look forward to reading your blog and adding to my arsenal, preparing to do battle and conquer the “bulge” created by clutter; enjoying the victory, by organizing the necessities, and the peace and contentment that comes from “a place for everything and everything in it’s place”.
Great comments, Melanie! It really is ALL about bringing peace and order into our homes.
I call this “less stuff and more experiences”, meaning, instead of spending money on things I spend it on experiences (like sewing conferences). That helped me cut down on a lot of the spending.
With my mom’s death I now have more of her things and need to think about how I’m ultimately storing these things. I have heard of that “take a picture of it” idea before but haven’t committed to it yet. I live in a townhouse with no garage and no basement and the tiniest “shed” I have ever seen.
I definitely need to purge my scrap pile!! You would laugh if you saw it (and saw its location)!! I used to have an easy person to give my scraps to but she has declared “no more”.
Happy New Year Leslie!! btw, I was reading a novel this summer and there was the phrase “all hat and no cattle”. Immediately thought of you!!! Thanks for teaching me that phrase!
So sorry to hear about your Mom. This weekend I am going through my Mom’s sewing room. Treasures about! I’ll call this “All Thread, no needle”
I mean, it helped me cut down on a lot of the buying of physical items , not spending generally!
But, of course~
Looking forward to this challenge, Leslie. My husband and I had been purging our stuff in 2014, but we are continuing into the new year. It is a good feeling to be free of “stuff.”
It sounds like y’all are a couple of years behind us on the de-cluttering. It is so freeing!
Thank you for your ideas. Both of us retired and we are in the process of doing that right now. Its so nice to finally see shelves not stuffed with THINGS!! My rule has always been if you don’t use it after a year or so, out it goes. You never miss those things that you once thought you couldn’t live without. Goodwill has been our go to place to donate. We are always sure someone else will enjoy finding a treasure. Happy New Year and love your blog.
I am in the middle of “de-cluttering” my home. My husband & I are getting ready to put it up for sale as soon as I finish with clearing out the “stuff” in the basement. We have been married over 46 years & it is amazing what you can accumulate over the years. The last time it was cleared out was in 1998 when we moved out for two months. It was so nice to have an orderly house but the junk has slowly accumulated since that time. I also have two of my sons’ belongings & have been asking them to remove these things or I will. My husband is a pack rat like his mother & we have an argument every time I ask him to get rid of the excess tools & other paraphernalia. He also likes magazines about trains & has about fifty. I am not a collector & will give away or get rid of any extra things I do not use. Like Chris above, the “Goodwill” truck was here recently to haul away some furniture & other useful things we no long use. I am getting there slowly but surely.
This is great and I will look forward to following along. I had to clean out my mother’s house 2 years ago and I now have a storage room full of furniture and “stuff” that needs to go. I also have been trying to clean out my own stuff from 23 years of marriage. Recently, I am adding cleaning out my Dad’s home to the mix and there is a lt of random stuff making its way to my house that just needs to go. Look forward to tips, etc!! For clothing donations, especially work clothes, look for a local A Note in the Pocket organization. They are fantastic. And many local rescue missions and Interact organizations will take clothing as well.
I have been busy purging my home since Christmas. It makes you feel so much better to be organized. Thanks for the great tips!
I LOVE it! Count me in!
I think decluttering seems to be the project everyone is tackling this year! We are working on purging all the stuff we have collected – and that’s only after being married 3 years! I live in a smaller house and after having our daughter this year, my husband and I are looking forward to just having the necessities! My first project is to tackle clothing – I recently heard the idea of turning all your hangers the wrong way and when you wear the item, to put it back the right way. Whatever hasn’t been turned after 3-6 months (your choice), get rid of! I look forward to having a place for everything once decluttering!
I am totally overwhelmed by all that i have collected over the years and finding it very upsetting to realize that a change needs to be made …Have been married for 51 years and it has not always been an easy marriage.
I have had many loses in my life and am very insecure, at least i feel this is why i can not let go of things.
I lost my Mother at the age of 46, came from a broken home and not a pleasant experience growing up..In a nut shell i have many deep rooted problems !! I won’t go on because it would take me too long and i really don’t think this is what this is about.. I do need help so i am going to try what you are offering..
Thank you..
Mary,
I am in a similiar situation and know what your talking about with insecurities etc.! I’ve only been married 32 yrs but have collected a LOT of stuff! It’s tough letting go.. But the hardest part for me is going through stuff! I get so lost & before I know it the day is gone & I’ve only been through a tiny pile of stuff & have made a new pile of stuff to figure out what to do with. It’s a vicious cycle for me!
Mary: I get that too. The little things remind me of the experiences, and I am afraid of losing that memory for ever. And somehow I want to protect the memories for the future generations as well.
OH, NO!! Not the home office! I don’t know where to begin. It’s also my craft room and it’s filled with found glassware. Actually I’ve already started purging a few things from there and know I need to do a lot more as well as better organizing. You’ve encouraged me to get busy. Count me in.
Laura
I feel your pain. My sewing room and my office were the hardest places to clean.
We did a lot of cleaning out our home office last year, but it still has a long way to go. Can’t wait to join in on the challenges!!!
Great tips! I’m pretty organized, but I could always use more motivation to get rid of a few things. We plan on decluttering some and donating things to the local homeless shelter.
I’ve only been in my falt fora little over a year and I can’t believe how much I have amassed already! I’ve already started in a declutter, but my biggest challenge is my craft room – I don’t really want to get rid of anything as I never know what might come in handy… but I really, really need to get it tamed and organised so I don’t have to rummage through boxes and baskets to find what I want each time I make anything!
Decluttering is something I’ve always struggled with. I have a hard time letting go of things, because I’m so afraid once I let it go, I’ll need it!
I just moved into my first home just before Christmas, so I’m very slowly decorating and am working on decluttering as I unpack.
I spent most of my Christmas holiday going through my in laws home. Took a lot of pictures, and agonized over leaving every item. I tried to keep in mind: do I have room for it, and does it bring me joy when I look at it, and is it something that my children will appreciate that we kept from their grandparents.
At the same time, I look at this house and wonder why is it all here.
We have been doing the same thing, too. So far, we haven’t gotten rid of anything that wasn’t garbage. It’s organized, but still there. We’re hoping to hold onto some things because a my nieces and nephew are nearing college age. I think I could start a whole blog just about Taking Care of Aging Parents.
We have been doing this process for about six months now, and it feels great! Part of our motivation was to give family items to who we wanted to give them to, as we are a blended family. We hope to avoid conflict with married step-children when one or both of us are gone!
Way to get a handle on all of this. My grandmother labeled everything before in advance. It made it really easy to know where things went.
I agree! I’ve been intentionally decluttering in 2015 and it has been such a relief! There’s still much to do, but one step at a time!
We live in a mid size 3 BR home. No children at home. We had a major purge this past year and it is an unbelievable good feeling! Great to know someone is using all the things I was not!
I am pretty good at keeping organised but I get so mad with my husband, the problem is mainly in my large kitchen which we spend most of our time In. Despite givong him his own “tidy” draw to put all his bits and bobs in and a chest to keep wires chargers etc in, his own draw for music cd’s etc, I still continually find little piles of his STUFF cluttering up every surface in the room. HELP BEFORE I CHUCK IT ALL IN THE BIN !!!!!!
Leslie, this is so great! I love Marie’s book too! I sent your blog link to my gals in the office. One fun thing I tried a year ago was removing EVERYTHING from the kitchen counters and operating that what for a while. Glenn asked if we were moving LOL, so I put a few things back up that we use regularly, but I’m so pleased we have a clutter free kitchen.
You’re too funny! But it’s true – a clutter-free kitchen is wonderful to work in…..
The question about the additional work struck a chord with me. I need to remember to not bring things into the house that cause additional work.
I have spent the last 18 months helping empty the house of my best friend who died suddenly. She kept everything! No one really needs over 300 extra drink glasses stored in cabinets in the basement!!
It became one lot easier to get rid of my own stuff as this process went on. I never want a family member or friend to have to go through that!
So now is the time to really get my stuff organized, I really just want to be able to find the thing I am looking for a little more easily.
Looking forward to this challenge.
I’m so sorry you suddenly lost your friend. I know how difficult this must’ve been for you to have to clean out years of clutter. Not only does clutter keep us from achieving things it also can leave a very difficult burden behind for loved ones. Over the last year my husband and I have continued to create systems that insure we won’t become mired down in clutter again. I really recommend the book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up mainly for dealing with the emotional side of clutter. Most libraries carry this book and it is an easy read!
Great suggestions that are not overwhelming. Thanks. Yeah.
We’ve been married 29 years, and there were things from the ’80s we were still hanging on to. Then we decided to move in with my MIL and become her live-in caregivers. We had to go from 2000 sq ft to a couple small bedrooms. It was a purge-a-thon and it was purgerific! At first I had knots in my stomach, parting with things from my (late) parents’ home and things I had kept because they might come in handy someday – but once I got started I started to feel light and free!
We moved about 6 months ago and having parted with over 90% of our possessions there has been exactly one time I’ve wished I had something I gave away – and now I can’t remember what it was. Having extremely limited space has kept me from re-cluttering, which has always been my downfall – open space actually doesn’t need to be filled. Wonderful life lesson.
I absolutely know what you’ve been through. Between our own purge-a-thon and the one at my parent’s home, I can now easily keep myself from decluttering. Thanks for sharing your story.
Thank you for linking up at “A Little Bird Told Me” Wednesday link party! You have been featured on Mama’s Happy Hive blog! 🙂
I just “stumbled” into your blog from Tatertots and Jello. I found your advice about de-cluttering quite helpful. Even though it is January 9th, I will participate in your January 2016 challenge. Also, I have read several of the readers’ comments. The comments have helped me not feel as alone regarding the issue of clutter. Also, I am impressed that you have taken the time to respond to so many of the comments. I have subscribed to your blog and am looking forward to future posts! Happy New Year! Wishing you the best!
Good luck with your decluttering! Once you’ve won the clutter battle you will feel amazing!