How is the De-Cluttering Going?

Are you purging stuff? Have you emptied out a closet? The refrigerator? Have you thrown away the junk on the top of your desk that you don't need? What about the lint collecting on the top of the drier?

It feels good, right? It feels like work, but it's nice to feel that weight of junk being lifted off of your shoulders and into the trash (or the donation bin!).


I have a guide that I use when purging my house: 10-20% of space in my closets should be empty. This rule helps me know to keep on purging!

"Do I really need 10 old towels sitting in the closet just in case my house floods, or would 4 probably be enough? Hmmm.....I don't have 10-20% of empty closet space yet.......4 will probably be enough." That's what goes through my head when I'm purging.

Other tips: 
1. Tackle one space at a time. Purge just one closet over the weekend, not every closet in your house.
2. Don't worry about cleaning at the same time. Yes, it's great to purge and clean together, but it's way more overwhelming. For me, this is especially true of the refrigerator: I do a great job emptying it out each week, but I'm horrible at cleaning it. We really only clean it before company comes over :)
3. Make a list of the spaces that bother you the most and start at the top. Once you feel the positive result of purging a room that's been bothering you, you'll feel more motivation to continue purging the rest of your house!
4. Make designated boxes//bins with big labels: Trash, Donate, Keep. You're looking to make the purging as easy as possible so give yourself big boxes to collect the stuff you're sorting through. Then, everything is ready to take to the curb or charity when the purging is complete!
5. Be very choosy who helps you purge. Kids don't purge well so don't have your five-year-old help you. If your best friend is a collector, she's not going to be very helpful in encouraging you to get rid of stuff. If your husband believes in the "You just never know when we might need it" approach to life, then please don't ask him for help. Find a friend to help you that when you walk in her house you feel a spaciousness, even if she lives in 450 square feet! That's the friend who knows how to purge!

1 comment:

DandW said...

If you have something of family significance that you are considering giving away, check with other family members first to see if anyone else would like to have the item. There are also wonderful charities who welcome heirloom items like wedding dresses -- see Angel Gowns NICU Helping Hands in TX.