Let’s talk decluttering and change to comments guys.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted about decluttering, but it’s still a subject very close to my heart. An urge to get in the groove with decluttering was one of the reasons I first started blogging back in 2010.
But really decluttering can be a need to take control. I was feeling overwhelmed. Want to know why? You can find out more here.
Years have passed, decluttering has been a major part of my life. Interestingly the final push that really made all the difference was when we faced a major challenge as a family last year. A crisis and decluttering seem to go hand in hand here at Chez Wright.
It’s no surprise that my response to my youngest going on his first outdoor-centre residential with school, is to declutter his room while he is away.
I will be plugging into my iPhone and finding something educational and inspiring on YouTube to listen to while I declutter like only a Mum who misses her son can. I am wondering how much time will be spent reminiscing – it may not be the day to look through his baby keepsake box.
This is how I will be decluttering today. But I want to hear how YOU do it.
And because I always listen to what you have to say, the comments system on the blog is no longer Disqus.
(Huge shout out to Pixel Loop Ltd for sorting this for me)
Do leave a comment on how you approach decluttering for 3 reasons:
- Because I want to hear how you do it
- I’d like to check the comments system works okay
- It’s getting a little lonely here
Today I will also be decluttering my fridge and freezer in preparation for Food Waste Friday tomorrow. I’m thinking it’s time for a back to basics Food Waste Friday post. Hope to see you here.
Hope this works! Good luck decluttering your son’s room! I seem to be constantly decluttering, sometime I try to get rid of certain numbers of items, sometimes I try to make things fit into a certain space or keep a certain number of things. I’ve found the Marie Kondo book very helpful when it comes to actually getting rid of things, changing the mindset from choosing things to get rid of to choosing what to keep.
I read Marie Kondo’s book and really enjoyed it – and most definitely made me question some of the items that I keep!
I read Marie Kondo’s book and enjoyed it – it most certainly made me question why I keep some items!
Our approach is normally big bin bags. One for the actual rubbish and one for the recyclable / donatable toys etc. All clothes get sent to a local charity shop as do toys / games that are still workable but have been grown out of. I’ve also been known to use the foldable crates when it’s been a big clear out. We normally involve the boys in the decisions about which toys and games they keep or get rid of.
Sounds sensible!
Our approach is normally big bin bags. One for the actual rubbish and one for the recyclable / donatable toys etc. All clothes get sent to a local charity shop as do toys / games that are still workable but have been grown out of. I’ve also been known to use the foldable crates when it’s been a big clear out. We normally involve the boys in the decisions about which toys and games they keep or get rid of.
Ive been going through my kitchen and bathroom cabinets this week. My arthritis has been giving me grief the past month or so which i guess has caused me to feel like i need to get the stuff paired down and more manageable for those really tough days. Sometimes the clearing out is overwhelming and sometimes i have to give myself a talking to…….like ” how many spatulas do you really need?? I certainly dont think FIVE!!” (For some reason they are my weakness…no clue why…lol) I cant say there is any rhyme or reason to how im going about it….just that its a drawer here or a section of cabinet at a time. I might spend a half hour going through things or just a few seconds of getting up quick and pulling something out that i happen to think about while watching tv or someones declutter video on youtube or blog 🙂
Hope the new comment system works well for you!
Deb
Thanks Deb. Now why spatulas, that’s a very good question 😉 I struggle to thrown away baskets. Hope you feel better soon.
You have encouraged me to declutter again, when I read about your post about selling stuff to see how much money you could make (made nearly £160 on Ebay from end of July to end of December 2015).
I tend to declutter when a room needs decorating, when my children need new clothes or recently when my son came back living at home (asked him what he didn’t want that he had in his room).
I sort everything out in what I can pass on to friends etc, what I give away on Freecycle or the local charity shops and what I sell on Ebay or Preloved.
This year I have already made nearly £100 on Ebay. So thank you for your lovely site and all your lovely ideas.
Helga
Thanks Helga and well done! We had a major sell before Christmas and made quite a bit of cash – it’s amazing what you can actually sell.
Hey Jo, once again a well written column. It seems like all I have been doing lately is decluttering. We are doing major renovations to our kitchen, livingroom, computer room & laundry room which makes it very easy to declutter. I do not want to have a bunch of stuff I will never use put back in these areas. So far we have made several trips to our local second hand store, the recycle bins etc. That is how I am decluttering my main living areas. My husbands closet, I have to wait until he has a trip out of town for a major declutter. My own closet looks so empty compare to his. The spare room will also be cleaned with still more going to goodwill or given away. As I declutter, I find that I just love the final look, but there is always something else to go. But like I said a lot of this is done when my husband is at work or out of town. I am not really being sneaky, some of the clothes he has are 20 years old, and things that he doesn’t realize that he has. If I went through every item with him he would find a reason to keep it (I might fit into it one day, maybe it will come back into style etc.) Gone Gone Gone
He doesn’t realize that he doesn’t have this stuff anymore. I just keep at it. The bathroom still has to be done, and that is going to take a lot of work. Outdated products etc. will all be gone. But for now it is really one step at a time. Thanks for a well written article as usual. Keep up the good work.
That’s very interesting – because yes a lot of items decluttered you would never know they have gone! Decluttering seems to me a bit like peeling back layers – it’s hard to do a major cull all at once!
Do this kids have a say in this decluttering? IE for me, decluttering while the kids away, says no. My mother once decided that my twin and I’s room was too messy and she threw some of our stuff out and I still hold that grudge some.
He does know about the declutter – mainly clothes (which are being handed down to a friend) and a lot of old books which he is too old for. Oh plus drawings etc that he doesn’t want to keep. I did promise him a tidier room for when he returns 🙂
Hey Jo, Decluttering big time here in our home due to some major renovations.
(kitchen, livingroom, laundry room, and office area.) We have given bags of stuff to charity, recycled a lot and given to other family members). I am sure once I start putting all the things we have left, we will still have a lot to get rid of. One step at a time. My closet has been purged of all clothes and accessories that I have not used in a long while. The purge has been relatively painless until we get to my husband’s closet. The man has clothes in his closet that are 20 plus years and he has not worn them in 19 years. Still he wants to hang on to them. So my solution is to get rid of a few things at a time. Whenever he is going to be out of time out comes the bags etc. and a few things disappear that he will not notice. Baby steps here.
He doesn’t even realize the clothes are gone. One small step at a time. Next will be the bathroom, this will be a job in itself, getting rid of a lot of products that we don’t use, that are old and outdated. Will sure give us some much needed storage. (small house, no real storage). Thanks for the inspiration from your columns and hopefully soon once I have everything back in order, I will be able to do my happy dance.
About 5 years ago I went through my entire house and got rid of or sold anything that I didn’t use/need/want anymore. I was aiming for a modified minimalist life. Since then, I just do it when I come across the same item over and over that I haven’t used in a certain amount of time. If I can’t even remember the last time I used it then I get rid of it or put it in the garage sale closet right then. Sometimes one item can spark a need to declutter a cabinet, drawer, or even room and I’ll take the time to go through it. I didn’t really stick to that minimalist lifestyle because consumerism grabbed me, but I’m slowly getting back to it and realizing I don’t need all this stuff again.
Decluttering is a bit like healthy eating – it’s a daily thing and a mindset rather than all or nothing – else the clutter just keeps creeping back in. Like you say one thing can spark a declutter – it was packing for the trip and realising I couldn’t find a pair of walking trousers that sparked this – it was time to get rid of all the outgrown clothing so i could find things more easily!
I love decultering! I always break the room down into smaller bitesize chunks, as I can find just thinking about it quite overwhelming. I’ll start with draws first, for example, then sort through them and make a pile for charity and a pile for the bin. I’ve thought of selling stuff on e-bay but by the time I’ve started decutlerring I just want rid of it asap. I always have regular breaks, treating myself to coffee n biscuits. I put on some uplifting music and try not to get too sentimental about items. I have to be quite harsh with myself and think if I’ve not used something for a year then it’s out. Although at the time it can be quite painful, after a period of time I realise that I didn’t actually need the thing I was upset about and don’t even think about it anymore! I always find I’m relieved after a good sort out. Be kind to yourself and harsh to objects! Good luck.
Pen
It’s always a weight off your shoulders to have a good declutter isn’t it? But you’re right it can be overwhelming! Sounds like you have it down to a tee 🙂
I am always decluttering, we have a donation box in a (empty) cupboard under the stairs that’s constantly being filled. This works best as when i go on a a major fling i usually get rid of stuff other people want to keep (Dont mention the harry potter collection or the north face hat..) Then this way its their decsion for it to go. DS1 (20) needs a little more encouragement than the other 3..
I remember when ds1 first went on a school trip he was 10 my house was scrubbed within an inch of its life to keep me distracted 🙁
Sharron x
My comment has disappeared 🙁
Having a few teething issues with comments – I’m looking into it! 🙂
Thanks for continuing to talk about this subject! I’ve been working on decluttering my papers from work & home including my mom’s and my mom’s items I want to keep now that she’s in a care home with dementia and doesn’t even recognize pictures anymore. I’m pretty good with other items but papers and the worst because there are so many. I saw a post from minimalist mom that you only need to keep a small amount of important papers so that’s my goal! One small file pouch and shred shred shred 🙂
Paper just mounts up! I know! Keep going!
I’m also currently on a decluttering mission. I’m getting there slowly but it seems to be an ongoing process. I like the idea of a bag a day!
Little and often! 🙂