Last weekend we had the BIGGEST clear out EVER. I can’t stress enough how big this decluttering life session was. It was all hands on deck and it took the entire weekend. Not a cupboard was left closed, not a shelf left unscrutinised, not a dream left undiscovered, not a leaf left unturned.
The kids hated every minute of it, of course. They ranged from spending three hours going through all their toys to produce a single Barbie doll for charity to piling everything into their cupboard and announcing that “it fits, it stays.” I definitely have three hoarders on my hands.
I’m not a hoarder, but I have a lot of stuff. I think when you are a creative-type, you just naturally have a lot of stuff. It’s on your shelves, it’s on your mind. Over the years I’ve collected a pile of things that I use for projects and gatherings and dabbling. It just doesn’t make sense to get rid of it because I know I’ll use it again. I recycle everything into different projects and very rarely need to buy new pieces of anything. That’s just the way I like it.
Clutter scratches at my mind. I’m not a minimalist by any stretch of the imagination (see above), but without clear horizontal surfaces, I go a little crazy (Bart would probably tell you, a lot crazy). Luckily I’m a very neat and organised kind of person — or at the very least, I’m good at faking that I am. However many times I’ve wondered if I’m simply spending time organising clutter.
Every time I feel like life is getting out-of-control and I’m cranky and twitchy, my natural instinct is to throw shit out. You basically know when it’s time for a good clean out when you start to refer to your things as shit.
So last weekend, it went – to charity, to friends or out to the kerb to await the big council truck.
There’s something really confronting about seeing all of a household’s off-cuts presented on the front lawn for the neighbours’ viewing pleasure (and random white utes who seem to trawl the streets looking for stuff). I love a kerbside find myself, so I totally get it, but I felt terribly guilty that there was such a big, big pile of landfill waiting out there, rather than anything even remotely worth collecting. It had been at least a couple of years since our last big clear out, and much of it was broken stuff (like our cheap Adirondack chairs that seemed to melt in the rain) and, ironically, our own kerbside pick-ups that we really didn’t need, but still. It went against my three important rules for stuff.
3 important rules for stuff
- Don’t buy clutter in the first place
- Have a daily routine for keeping on top of it
- Recycle as much as you can
If you’re feeling cranky and twitchy yourself right now, I’ve found five great articles about clutter and getting rid of it that might help you get your own sunshine back. I can’t stress enough that a cluttered home results in a cluttered mind. I’ve felt free as a bird all week in my pristine home, surrounded by stuff I love, use and can’t be without.
5 thoughts on: Decluttering
- Zen Habits: The Minimalist’s Guide to Fighting (and Beating) Clutter Entropy
- The Art of Simple: The Powerful Difference Between Organising and Decluttering
- Unclutterer: Strategies For Seeing Clutter
- Zen Habits: Love Life, Not Stuff
- Slow Your Home: D is for Decluttering: A-Z of Simple Living
You’ll note a complete absence of any Kon Mari references. I read the book and I just thought it was taking itself far too seriously. See thought 4 above.
Can you live with clutter? Do you want to?
Raychael Case says
23 moves means I thought I was pretty good with keeping the clutter in check. The last move though, we’d stayed in the one place a little too long and my girls seemed to have all developed hoarding tendencies due to the constant moves.
Moving into smaller temporary accommodation while we find our dream house, has certainly helped. It was pretty easy to donate and fill a skip or three. When I say three skips… it was basically the one that we would fill and arrive and overnight people would dumpster dive and retrieve our junk, so we could start to refill again. We had to rescue one woman who couldn’t get out of the skip. LOL
Maxabella says
Too funny! I love stories like that. I can just picture her getting caught in the skip. The desperation.
Moving house definitely helps keep clutter at bay. We’ve been in our current home for EIGHT YEARS. It was diabolical. Every couple of years I just PRETEND we are moving out, just to keep on top of it all. x
Jo @ CountryLifeExperiment says
I am an avid fan of decluttering, and try to do something every school holidays just to stay on top of it. We don’t have a lot of stuff, but we have a small house with no cupboards, which makes storing what we have difficult. I also think Kon Mari takes herself way too seriously. My motto that I aim for is “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”. William Morris got it right in my book!
Maxabella says
Important point, Jo. So many people just think they need more storage when really they just need less stuff. And William Morris is spot on. x
Shannon @ Oh Creative Day says
It must have been the weekend for it, Bron! We did the exact same thing last weekend too. And you’re right, I feel so much lighter. For me, it’s a total control thing- if I’m in control of my immediate surrounds (ie everything has a place) I feel in control of my life in general. Humans are weird. But wonderful.
And WHERE do those white Utes come from? We often order a council clean-up, but by the time the council guys rock up, the white ute guys have taken away all our trash and treasure!
Maxabella says
I ever thought of it as a control thing, but you are absolutely right.
Helen K says
It is a good feeling, isn’t it? I’m trying to drum in a) for each item in, one item out, b) before buying anything, work out where it is going to go (I HATE seeing things cluttering because there is no room to put them away). But babe of my life is paperwork -back to school this week and 1-2 forms a day to be filled in. And then the kids leave them at home. Arrgghh!!
Maxabella says
I do that ‘immediate’ thing with all paper I come in touch with: action, bin, file. Every time. It’s the only way to keep the darn stuff moving. So much for our paperless world!!
stephanie@stephsjoy says
I have lived with clutter, and am very slowly (at our current season of life) removing things no longer used. loved or wanted. I totally need a daily routine with it, as I am totally hopeless at returning things to it’s rightful place and am working towards it, though it is a hard habit to break.
Maxabella says
I think the key is definitely having the daily routine, Steph. A little each day makes it all go away!! x
Jodi Gibson says
“Every time I feel like life is getting out-of-control and I’m cranky and twitchy, my natural instinct is to throw shit out.” —- This is me to a T!
I’m not a full on minimalist but I do love the theory behind the movement. I love space. Clean, organized, decluttered space. And I think I’m getting to appreciate the benefits of ‘less stuff’ the older I get.
I’ve been listening to The Minimalists Podcast lately, and so much of what they say resonates with me – not all of it, but a lot of it. I like that they cover all aspects of decluttering and living a simple life. I think you’d like some of the episodes Bron.
Maxabella says
I need to get into podcasts more, I think. I didn’t even know the Minimalist had one! I love the website. For me, I could never be a minimalist because I love stuff so much. BUT, I try to keep my stuff organised and I deeply, deeply appreciate clear benchtops and shelves. What Kelly Exeter calls “white space”. x
Sarah @sarahdipity says
I’m a bit of a clean freak- I hate clutter. Having said that I also think the Kon Mari method goes a bit too far; “if it doesn’t spark joy then chuck it” Well my potato peeler doesn’t exactly spark joy but I sure as hell need it! I love to have a good clean out every so often, it feels good doesn’t it?
Maxabella says
LOL potato peeler. Tweezers. Mouse pad. Nasal saline spray. I could go on… x
Kathy says
You are right! If you call it SHIT it has got to go – and I love the way you write about it. I cleaned out the office on Good Friday (well I could say the kids helped me but that would be a stretch, hubby was at work). I did get a bit lost in memories. Then I worked through Little Yang’s room. Hubby is painting the hall and I’m going through the linen/everything cupboard. From the living area, to the fridge, to the pantry we are in clean-up mode too and it feels good. I even have new IKEA storage, replacing an old timber cabinet, that has very little in it!
Maxabella says
I think as long as we give ourselves plenty of time to get it done, decluttering isn’t such a bad thing at all. It is so SATISFYING. x
Lauren @ Life at Number Five says
I think you’re already aquatinted with my love of the declutter!
I’m a reformed hoarder. I used to just be an organiser and my ‘stuff’ was very well organised but there was just so much unnecessary stuff. I think I’m getting a better balance between decluttering and organisation now. I still like organising but I try to only keep (and organise) things I actually want and need around as well as getting rid of the clutter. It’s very cathartic.
Lauren @ Life at Number Five says
Acquainted even. Damn autocorrect. Who uses the word ‘aquatinted’?!
Maxabella says
I am definitely guilty of keeping well -ordered clutter. Sometimes it’s hard to know the difference between ‘things I love to have around’ and ‘clutter’. I’m not a ‘save it for a rainy day’ type of person at all, but I do have a tendency to fall in love with objects. Not sure which is worse! x
Terri Lynn Hart says
What a fantastic blog entry. I am very much of the same mind, although I never have had enough stamina to do the entire house at once. I pick a room, maybe two, and I drag EVERYTHING out of all of it’s hiding spots, and put it on a large table, and then I sort through it. If I want to keep it, it goes in one pile, the other pile is trash or charity. I use soap and water, or alcohol spray, to scrub and clean all the cupboard shelves or drawers, and then I organize everything into some kind of logical order before I put it away. In many cases I will try to label it. I do this for two reasons. The biggest one is to help me remember what logic it was that I dreamt up when I organized it! The second reason is because I have a husband, a daughter, three employees and 14 children running around in my house, and it is easier to label things than it is to try and explain (and enforce?) my organizing logic to the masses. Labels make it self-evident.
Around here we joke that I am OCD. I don’t think I am, because when one part of my house might be organized, the other parts may very well not be. But I am like you in that if I don’t have clear horizontal space I get “scratchy”. I also like my “tools” for whatever project I am working on to be at my fingertips. It doesn’t matter wether I am working on my blog, homeschooling my daughter, making art, or cooking dinner. It irritates the crap out of me if I try to find something that I need to complete whatever task is at hand, and I can’t find it. I mean, I get really irritated!
It is a freeing experience to clear out the clutter of our life, and to organize our creative spaces in such a way that you can create without the interruption of trying to find tools or materials or to clear space. I don’t think all people feel the same way, but I surely do!
Maxabella says
A metaphor for life, really.We need to clear away the noise in order to be able to live well. Especially when we live as busy life as you do, Terri. I can’t imagine trying to work or create in a messy, disordered environment. although many people do. Like you, I can’t think clearly when there is too much junk around. x
sarah@Tomfo says
I love this… we moved and it was the best way to finally clear the clutter, I think the op shop knows us very well here. It’s great to only use what you need and love. So much less cleaning and packing away.
I’m with you, it’s a freeing experience once you finally get it done and you think why didn’t I do that years ago.
We have a council clean up coming and I think I might even do one more layer.
Maxabella says
I feel like we need ‘one more layer’ too. It’s not until you clear away the really rubbishy bits that you can see that there are some things in your home that really aren’t that loved. We haven’t moved house in nearly 9 years now, so you can imagine how much we have accumulated. I don’t want to get to the point where we are buried alive!! x
Erin says
Oh love this type of chat 🙂
Really important to train our children not to be pack rats, their future spouses will thank you;-)
I’ve managed to retrain some who were that way inclined 🙂
Relate to your feelings, so get it. Well done, great job.
We’ve got our kerbside pick up due soon, I want to clean out husband’s shed!! dare I venture, rocky shores of marriage. I’ve planted the idea that pickup is soon and I’m happy to help! 😉
Will check out links, interested about your thoughts on Kon Mari, after cleaning via Kon Mari hype I finally read her books, actually skimmed the first, boring, reading second now, read to my husband and son (16) last night how they could colour code their underwear. General consensus by all is she needs to get a life.
Maxabella says
Ooooh, I don’ know if I would ever dare tackle the hub’s shed, Erin. But I would definitely threaten to do it unless he got in there and did it first.
I’ve actually come to the conclusion that the kids aren’t really hoarders, they are just really lazy. I don’t know which is worse!!! Help! x
Karin @ Calm to Conniption says
I have been having big declutter myself of late. I have a lot of stuff too. I am better off doing it while the Mr is away because he has a tendency to start talking me out of getting rid of things. I just cleaned up one of my prams to sell which I really should get on Gumtree before he gets home, hahaha.
Maxabella says
Yep, best get it moving before he knows it’s happening, Karin. x
Jo @ You had us at hello says
I’m constantly decluttering but I feel a big haul is due! I’m easily distracted when I take on the big jobs and I get so annoyed at myself!! Perhaps baby steps would be a better approach. Love that you got the kids involved too – high 5!
Maxabella says
It’s so important to allocate enough time to the project, Jo. Time to reminisce, time to phaff, time to do the actual job. Otherwise it’s just a chore, rather than something we can relish. x
Julie says
Last year I gave each section of the house a month. The main bedroom was January. So i went through every single item in the room and divided into three. Keep, Donate. Throw. Each month I did this in each room. Doesn’t feel too overwhelming that way. This year I wish I had done the same. But after reading your post motivated to start a room a month again.
Maxabella says
Such a good idea, Julie. I think I will do room by room next time as doing it all at once took an entire weekend and then some. x
kit@lifethroughthehaze says
This is a great list. I am slowly but deliberately going through each room and cupboard in the house to declutter surfaces especially! We have a terrible habit when things don’t fit in the cupboards of putting them on top of the cupboards which is really not great at all. So now if it doesn’t fit in the cupboard and it is important enough to want to keep then something has to go from inside to keep it.
I remember years ago reading a blog from a lady called flylady and her thing was the 15min fling, along similar lines spend 15mins deliberately going through one area to throw things out, or to clean a room. She said don’t move something from one place to another unless that other place is it’s forever home. I really try to do this in my main living areas like the kitchen and dining table so that clutter doesn’t build up!
Maxabella says
That’s a good method. A bit like the ‘touch it once’ method for paperwork.
A good friend once told me that most people don’t have a ‘lack of storage’ problem, they have a ‘too many things’ problem. She’s so right. If things don’t fit, we need to reasses. x
Sam Stone says
I love decluttering!!!
Maxabella says
Good on you, Sam. I can’t say I ‘love’ it, but I love the end result! x
Bec @ The Plumbette says
I decluttered Esther’s room this morning while she was at swimming. I think these early years with kids you accumulate so much baby stuff and we have so many toys to cater to baby, toddler and young child ages. I try and do a regular cull because I find it therapeutic. Sadly my girls don’t share my love of organising. Maybe they will when they’re older.
Maxabella says
When the kids are little and their needs (and wardrobes!) are constantly changing, decluttering needs to be an ‘all the time’ kind of thing to stay on top of it. I fond it hard to keep organising the different stages of toys and the different sizes of clothes, but that’s the only way to preserve them properly for the next child. x
Rach aka stinkb0mb says
I have a major declutter every 6 months and then apply a 6 + 6 rule.
What is the 6 + 6 rule? It’s easy – if I haven’t used it for the last 6 months and I won’t use it for the next 6 months, then it goes, very ruthless but always effective!
I’m not a fan of crap or stuff and prefer a life without it.