Wow @HoofHearted! Great you tackle your son’s room. Outdated, broken toys are such space robbers. I remember when I adressed my own hoarding decades ago … ugh, I threw out everything exept my 2 beloved teddybears and my barbie collection. Still proud of me, because this was one of the first successful tasks on the mission: declutter behind your family and yourself As it was the early 90s there are no before-after pictures which makes me a bit sad. I took before-after pictures for the last 20 years and still like to view them
@Cairon23 Thank you for the reminder: I have to work through my summer wardrobe in detail. I’m very proud I’ve been throwing away every textile which doesn’t fit, is uncomfortable or too shabby since I moved into the new house. It becomes apparent that I already have a better overwiew and order in the cupboard
Thank you for this thread, @HoofHearted! Just discovered it and love it! I have been gearing up to declutter my home as well. I live overseas with my hubby and two kiddos, 10 and 13, and want to make space in the spare room so at the end of the year my teen boy can have his own room. The house is ok and cozy, but all closets are bursting at the seams. After the long lockdown we had here, the spare room (used to be a nice guest room) became "“the storage room for anything and everything we don’t know what to do with and for stacking up on staples in case the world ends” It’s a massive task. Working full time at a really intense job, I feel like I have no energy to do it at the end of the day. In the weekends, I’d much rather enjoy the time with the family and friends than clean the awful mess. But it has to be done, I really need it if only to reward myself with a clean space for my 45 days clean (and counting). My question is: how do you all find the time and energy to start (and finish)? I feel like this will make a big difference for me and the family
So, I heard this podcast recently and it’s kind of goofy but there were some really good tips. It’s specific to making the most of kitchen space, but the method works more generally, I think. The guest has YouTube videos, also, but I haven’t watched them yet. Here’s the link through Apple podcasts but you can probably find it elsewhere. It’s called The Next Right Thing and it’s episode 224.
When my first wife asked me to leave the house, like 14 years ago, I took a bag of clothes, 10 CDs and lived in a one room apartment for a few monthes. Soon I realized I wasn’t missing any of my stuff.
It changed my perspective on accumulation.
I finally moved in a new bigger apartment and lived a simpler life, just bought what I really needed.
In a few years I sold or gave 3/4 of my 3000 dvds (I used to be a movie freak), CDs, shirts, whatever.
Spotify, streaming platforms and downloadings finished the job.
I also watched the minimalist documentaries on Netflix
Then I get married and had another beautiful daughter, with all the stuffs that come with it.
Two years ago, here we go again, another separation, a new house, furnitures and all. I still keep it simple. I don’t care about stuffs, just bought what I really need.
And you know what, I dont even have this bowl in ly hall, full of useless things ! I got a box of old letters and traces of my past. And every year I take my pile of shirts and get rid of what I haven’t worn.
The simpler the better.
My next declutter project involves the paintings and posters for the walls. I have a collection stored in a closet which takes up space that could be used for my new quilting hobby.
Where do I get the time? Well, I tend to get laser focused on these projects and once I start I go go go until it’s done to my level of satisfaction, so basically, I neglect other responsibilities. lol
I think the more you declutter, the easier and faster it is. The first closet I did took over a week! Now, I can do a whole room in a few days. I start with a mental inventory of what I can see on the surface. Then separate the like items: clothes, bedding, trash are the big 3 I start with. As I take clothes/bedding out, I throw in the wash. If it’s likely donation, I use the short wash cycle to save time and use little detergent. I try keep the wash/dry going all the time so I can keep things from piling up in other rooms (that’s the worst, moving junk from one room to only have it end up in another, been guilty of that).
Once the big three is out of the way, whatever left is what needs to be filtered, I like to sweep it into a big pile so it’s in one spot and the rest of the area looks clean (makes you feel like you’re making progress), then begin filtering: Do you love it? Is it one of a kind? Is it valuable? - if No, can someone else use it? If yes, donate, if not, trash.
I think the more you practice filtering (as I call it) the more efficient you become and the less overwhelmed you get. So, eventually, it won’t require 6 weeks of weekends to finish, maybe like 3.
Welcome!
I think it doesn’t matter where you start. Of course you can follow strategies like Marie Kondo but for me it has been very simple for the last decades
Start. Wherever, just start.
Leading questions:
I can’t live without it / use it regularly / heartfelt wanna keep it for emotional reasons? - Stays
Where do I store it? - No storage then out with it or something else to make space
Is it broken/shabby? Garbage
Is it still good and someone can use it? - Donation
Have 3 big bags and 1 box. The box is for: Stays here. The bags are for: garbage, donation, must check/have a look in detail.
Don’t think, do. Sort into the bags & box.
Out with garbage and donation on fixed days (e.g. saturday) or on the same day. Have a fixed place to put the bags and box!
Every day 10 minutes just doing summ up to a huge effort within one month, I promise!
When you take out the garbage and donation bags make sure you take the have a second look bag too. Give the things a glimpse. 9 out of 10 times you don’t really want to keep them.
Good luck
lol!
I envy your laser focus. I’m known for getting distracted by the “awesome forgotten treasures” in any closet to be organized, and for taking things off the pile my husband tries to set aside to get rid of.
I’ll set a small goal for this weekend - one closet. And try to get the family to help out. I’ll have less unwanted stuff in the house, hubby will have my commitment to get rid of those, and the kids will potentially have each their own room in Dec (something I never had in my life!) Everyone wins.
Today I woke up early, ran a load to the dump and picked up a carpet cleaner. I’ve been cleaning the carpets, using a urine neutralizer spray first, then a pet stain solution for carpet machines. Hopefully it will get rid of the lingering cat odors in Mt son’s room.
Cleaning carpets is a lot of work! Moving everything to one-side of the room to the other.
I’m hoping to be done by tomorrow, maybe even paint the walls.
Good for you! I need to go through some clothes myself.
This thread has great timing as I’m getting ready to tackle my home gym, where I sort of just threw everything so that I could get some carpets cleaned. When you have a 20 year old cat, there is some dribbling on the carpet that has to be taken care of by carpet specialists.
As it was the early 90s there are no before-after pictures which makes me a bit sad. I took before-after pictures for the last 20 years and still like to view them 
When you have a 20 year old cat, there is some dribbling on the carpet that has to be taken care of by carpet specialists. 
