The annual declutter and spring cleaning has begun... - Page 3

qualitygal · ‎10-04-2010

I mentioned a "garage sale" the other day and he said yes. Well he normally isn't in favor of it. So, #1 he'll wait until then and hope I change my mind or #2, he said yes, to get on to a new topic. I think it was a mixture.

I think it's time to get busy on the drawers in the kitchen.

Been successful with excess books. I'm filling my bag and every time we go in the area of the library, I drop off a load. My special dessert books......that I never use, are going and gone. I think I'll get rid of some Christmas ones too. I don't even crack those open any more. Now that we may be going out to Christmas dinner and not taking a dish (smaller group of family now), I have no need for those and someone else might.

magicmoodz · ‎03-16-2010

I feel I live a clean, uncluttered life--until we decided to move. Oh my goodness! We will be going from a home with tons of storage to a condo or loft with very limited storage.

Parting with my belongings is much like peeling an onion. I have to do it in layers or it becomes overwhelming. What I felt I simply couldn't part with yesterday might not have that same hold on me today.

Snoopp · ‎02-02-2015

I donate to a rummage sale and I'm just starting to get my boxes ready now. Hoping to get rid of a lot of stuff but I need to start getting it ready now or it won't go out in time for the sale. I try to declutter all year round but I wish I could do it once a year. I have too much stuff though.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

The trick to decluttering and spring cleaning is to not let it go. You have to go through at least once a year and declutter and clean. Since we have a home in the south and a trailer up north I get to do it twice.

VaBelle35 · ‎03-10-2010

I declutter on a regular basis, I would say quarterly. There is always something that can go to the donation pile or trash (or be moved to another place).

This snow storm gave me an opportunity to continue what I started when I put my holiday stuff away.

I need to do the curtains and wash the windows. I may start that tonight. I have on set of curtains that I'm not sure I can wash. They are roman shades with lots of strings. I may have to take them down and vacuum them.

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Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@151949 wrote:
My DH is a latent hoarder so he will never let me throw anything away. Thus I had to always spring clean when he wasn't around so the week his company would go to their national convention every spring was my opportunity. He would be gone usually 7 days and that was just enough. I would take a weeks vacation and do a room a day. girls at work would be totally amazed that I wasted a weeks vaca on this but it was worthwhile to me to be in a perfectly clean house, and the garbage all gone before DH got home and dragged it all back in. I even used to hire a girl in the neighborhood to walk the dog for me every day so I could work dawn to dusk. I was so dissappointed when she went away to college.

I'm sure many would scorn you or trivialize this situation, but I do understand totally. My husband is the same.

I make it a practice to clean things out on a regular basis so he doesn't have as much of a chance to notice they are missing. I have to bury old, tattered clothing in the middle of the trash, or he will see them and remove them.

I'm all for having work clothes, and we have more than most because of what my men do for a living and working around the woods and property here, but at some point, they are just beyond using. I used to give them to him to use as rags in his shop, but would find them back in the closet or on his body, so even that had to stop.

I do a pretty good job of dating and rotating our food, but every once in awhile I'll find a stray can or two of something on the basement shelves that got missed, and it will be several years expired (found something from 2003 on this year's reorganization!!!!) and if I don't hide it in the trash, he will try to eat it. I'm no ''use by date" freak by any means, but something that expired 10 years ago really needs to be gone.

I agree that the use of a week's vacation to get your house in order would be a very well spent week in my opinion. Just the peace and removal of the stress, knowing that all that junk was gone, would make it worth it to me.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@magicmoodz wrote:
I feel I live a clean, uncluttered life--until we decided to move. Oh my goodness! We will be going from a home with tons of storage to a condo or loft with very limited storage.

Parting with my belongings is much like peeling an onion. I have to do it in layers or it becomes overwhelming. What I felt I simply couldn't part with yesterday might not have that same hold on me today.

This is so true! I think some people make a mistake and over purge, then just rebuy many of the things they just got rid of.

It is something better done slowly and in stages, when possible. It seems to be a little less painful, when we see after the first purge, just how well we got along without so much, it makes it easier to dig deeper and do more.

Zhills · ‎11-15-2011

I do not accumulate "stuff" to cause a need to declutter. My silverware drawer simply does not change. Neither does my dishes or my pots and pans. I like what I have and use it every day.

I have only purchased a couple of items that I really do not use. Since I quit eating bread I do not use my panini press.

Same with my closets and other drawers.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@Zhills wrote:
I do not accumulate "stuff" to cause a need to declutter. My silverware drawer simply does not change. Neither does my dishes or my pots and pans. I like what I have and use it every day.
I have only purchased a couple of items that I really do not use. Since I quit eating bread I do not use my panini press.
Same with my closets and other drawers.

You are definitely in the minority, and to be admired!

Many people have a 'one in one out' philosophy, and unless one simply never buys new clothing, shoes, home decor, etc. things do have to go back out at some point, to make room for the new items.

I think some people leave it to all one time (every year, every time they move, or some other specified interval) and others do it as a routine thing. Buy three new sweaters, and three old ones go out, buy two new bras, two old ones go in the trash.

It is still a decluttering process, just much more managed and controlled.

Zhills · ‎11-15-2011

@Mominohio wrote:
@Zhills wrote:
I do not accumulate "stuff" to cause a need to declutter. My silverware drawer simply does not change. Neither does my dishes or my pots and pans. I like what I have and use it every day.
I have only purchased a couple of items that I really do not use. Since I quit eating bread I do not use my panini press.
Same with my closets and other drawers.
You are definitely in the minority, and to be admired!

Many people have a 'one in one out' philosophy, and unless one simply never buys new clothing, shoes, home decor, etc. things do have to go back out at some point, to make room for the new items.

I think some people leave it to all one time (every year, every time they move, or some other specified interval) and others do it as a routine thing. Buy three new sweaters, and three old ones go out, buy two new bras, two old ones go in the trash.

It is still a decluttering process, just much more managed and controlled.

Never thought of it that way, but I guess it is. I just enjoy the 'bare necssities' of life! I do keep a few cold weather items because we visit kin in other states, but that's about it.