Helpme get this decluttering underway!

[geogirl]

Hi I have a baby coming in March and I feel a strong urge to purge. Ok that rhymes but wasn't planned. LOL. Do any of you super declutters have ideas on getting it done or a plan of action that I can modify? My biggest things are clothing, weeding out mine and the boys, as well as some of the baby stuff that won't be used. I also have a ton of books, craft and homeschool stuff. Pretty much every room has a box of "junk" or a pile of stuff that I feel needs to be gone.

Please help! Any ideas? Anybody else trying to make this sort of headway?


Rebecca

[nitemarehippygirl]

my baby is due in may, and i am trying to do the same thing. i went through the house the other day, and made a specific list of all the decluttering tasks that need to be done (like the top nightstand drawer, under the bathroom sink, the coat closet, etc). i'm now trying to pick a specific thing to do when i have time.it sort of eliminates the hmmm, i'm not sure where to start...maybe i'll just do it later tendencies. also, one box at a time is easier to manage than dumping everything out of all the boxes and trying to do them all at once. that way, if you get tired after one box, you don't have to leave everything in worse shape than it was.

[Amys1st]

Okay ladies first- congrats on your upcoming babies! Also great nesting instincts - urge to purge love it!

To start- Make a call to a charity that will come to your house for a pick up. Find out what they won't take first in case you have to call another. Also tell you neighbors, maybe they need to do this as well and the truck is here and they can load their stuff as well. Also the comradie is fun. Once you have apickup scheduled, a deadline is in place and that helps you.

Next- baby steps. Someone mentioned a junk box in every room. Start smaller. Start with one thing first and once you get an idea what works for you, the rest will be easy. I suggest start with outgrown clothes for kids.

Have 3 large containers or boxes labeled KEEP DONATE TOSS
Have an open area and put all of the outgrown stuff there. Start going thru the large pile and set a timer for 30 minutes. Start doing a quick sort into the containers.

If you second guess an item put it in the keep container for now.

Anything stained, worn out, or ripped, missing a button etc toss. The charity dosent want it either.

After the timer goes off- see you results. You might have a larger keep pile.
In the TOSS box, put those in a garbage bag and put it somewhere else- garage, outside etc to add to later.

For the DONATE box, also start a garbage bag labeled DONATE. Put all the donate in there. Put that in the other room for now.

Now take the keep pile and dump it on the ground. Do another sort. Ask yourself- Do I love this? Do I like this? will I use this again? Does it bless my home? If any answers are no, donate it.

This whole process should take about 1 -2 hours. When you are finished put the keep pile in its proper place- dresser, storage for the next child where ever it goes. If there is no place for it, you should not keep it. This is the only way you will dig out of this mess that you are speaking of. It works and its easy. Once you do this, you will get really good at it and it should take less time.

Once you have a donate pile- do you have a friend with boys younger? Offer the clothes to them and then donate it if no one wants them.

For the toss bag- get it out with the next garbage cycle so you don't change your mind.

This also works with linen closets, kitchen cabinets, storage areas, and garages. But limit it to 2 hour stretches over a few days time and you will find space in your house you did not know you had.

Happy decluttering!

[LoveBeads]

I'm a declutter freak!

I agree with the great advice that you already got. But a lot of decluttering is mental as well as physical. You cannot get yourself overwhelmed, you cannot be distracted. Start very small (as Amy suggested) but start with something that will make a difference in how you *feel*.

What I mean is - if you use the desk in your kitchen every day but it has become overrun with clutter, start with that. Then you will feel good every time you open that drawer.

If you have mountains of clothes in a room that you go into and it upsets you, start there.

Once you start, do not let yourself be interrupted. Don't answer the phone. It is easy to talk yourself out of decluttering if you are resistant to it.

It feels sooooooo good to purge! You'll be amazed! Good luck!

[Amys1st]

Originally Posted by LoveBeads

I'm a declutter freak!

I agree with the great advice that you already got. But a lot of decluttering is mental as well as physical. You cannot get yourself overwhelmed, you cannot be distracted. Start very small (as Amy suggested) but start with something that will make a difference in how you *feel*.

What I mean is - if you use the desk in your kitchen every day but it has become overrun with clutter, start with that. Then you will feel good every time you open that drawer.
If you have mountains of clothes in a room that you go into and it upsets you, start there.
Once you start, do not let yourself be interrupted. Don't answer the phone. It is easy to talk yourself out of decluttering if you are resistant to it.
It feels sooooooo good to purge! You'll be amazed! Good luck!

This is also good advice. You can do all this with the 3 containers I suggested. I thought the lcothes would be easiest- but its true, a piled up desk or a pile of stuff is a good start as well

[kytheria]

I second everything you've been told so far. My only piece of advice is this: Only take out what you can put back in 5 minutes time. No more. DON'T empty your whole closet and then start sorting, because you *will* be interrupted, and it will be a huge mess. Sort and declutter as you go, and it won't be such a huge daunting task.

Good luck, and congrats on the babies!

[Amys1st]

Originally Posted by kytheria

I second everything you've been told so far. My only piece of advice is this: Only take out what you can put back in 5 minutes time. No more. DON'T empty your whole closet and then start sorting, because you *will* be interrupted, and it will be a huge mess. Sort and declutter as you go, and it won't be such a huge daunting task.

Good luck, and congrats on the babies!

this is one reason I suggest the outgrown clothes first since they were most likely in a place that could be put back in a moments notice and/or put aside for interuptions.

[geogirl]

Wow guys, Thanks for all the good advice. I'm just trying to get some regular housework done so that I can really start tackling this stuff. Thanks again. Keep me posted on what you are working on, those of you decluttering along with me!

Rebecca

[MonTana Mama]

I have been working on decluttering for months. It IS mental, especially when the WHOLE house seems so daunting. Baby steps is best. I made a list of specifics and it is my goal to cross one off each week. Good luck!

[mightymoo]

..

Originally Posted by Amys1st

Anything stained, worn out, or ripped, missing a button etc toss. The charity dosent want it either.

Consider Freecycling anything you can't sell or donate - there isn't much that someone else can't use!

http://www.freecycle.org

I am feeling the same way - need to organize for the new baby! I am not worrying right away about getting everything clean, I'm attacking things I know can get out - by trying to sell them or donate them or freecycle them. I figure once I've purged everything obvious, then I'll start actually organizing what's left! (Or if I can't, purging even more to simplify!)

[boysrus]

i have to say, though. I understand the baby step idea, and not pulling out more than you can do, but I do it in the opposite way!! Cuz, for me, okay I get teh desk done, wonderful. But, the rest of the room still needs decluttering, and so guess what? crap ends up right back on the desk. My boys are getting older, so they can play while mom cleans in another room. I have also just done it when dh is home. I just say I am off limits for the next few hours. And go in, put in a fiction book on tape(the trashy the better!!) and go to work. I have lots of trash bags around me. Using this method, I got my entire house crazy, massively decluttered and really really clean in just under a month. ANd it has stayed that way!!

[pixiexto]

: great ideas here! (another decluttering Mama in the works)