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Where do you begin to unclutter?

798 views 14 replies 10 participants last post by  rainyday 
#1 ·
Our house is so cluttered I don't even know where to begin.
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#2 ·
Pick one room at a time, it's baby steps at first. For me, I'd pick a closet or a drawer in one room, and start there, and then slowly work my way out. Once I get that room under control then I move to another. Don't worry if you fall back some, that is common and it takes time. Sometimes we still end up having our problem areas, but instead of letting them go months or years, we'll tackle it in a matter of weeks or less.

Good luck.
 
#3 ·
Same as Peony, I started small. I decided to work from upstairs to down, tackling one drawer or closet at a time. It's way less overwhelming if you set small goals. Once you've started, it gets kind of addictive, and you become more ruthless. One night I got really warmed up and went bonkers on my wardrobe. I tried on all of my clothes, and got rid of anything that didn't fit (unless it was maternity clothes, which fit now!), or anything that just didn't look right, or anything I didn't wear regularly. My clothes used to take up half of our hanging closet, more than half of our small closet (which has four shelves), half of my DD's closet, and a short but wide dresser. After the purge, all of my clothes fit into half of the hanging closet and half of the shelves. DD got her closet back and I donated the dresser to St. Vincent de Paul. It felt great!

I have to make sure I keep going back to areas I'd previously decluttered since there are usually a few things that escaped a prior sweep that get cleared out the next time.

Hope this made sense...I'm talking to DH while typing!
 
#7 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by oliveoildog View Post
Thanks for the encouragement. I have the urge to box up everything I see on the floor and give it away. I think as I declutter I really need to get rid of anything that isn't really necessary.
Yes! That's the spirit!

I agree with the PP's who suggested that you pick a room, any room, and do that first. Start small. Start with a section or a dresser or a bookcase. Do what they do on those de-clutter TV shows and make three piles: throw away; donate; keep. Your keep pile should be small - ONLY keep something in your home that you love and must have. Not something you "should" keep or "should" like ... think of the clutter as taking up valuable space and valuable energy in your home. Have this room be your project until it's decluttered. Once you have finished with it, I guarantee, you'll have the itch to continue.

Good luck! Clearing clutter is so healing and cathartic.
 
#9 ·
Definitely start with one room. Living rooms or family rooms often offer a lot of bank for the work because usually they're full of stuff that doesn't belong there! I'd take a laundry basket and a couple of paper grocery sacks or boxes into the chosen room. Your laundry basket is for stuff to keep and put away. Label one box or bag "Donate" and one "Trash."

Walk through the room and pick up all the trash you see. Then, go back through with your basket and bags and start picking everything up that doesn't belong there, and put it in the appropriate spot. Be ruthless and realistic about what needs to be kept. Often, the stuff that's out that you're picking up will be what you need to keep because that's why it's out - it's what you use regularly. When you stop for that decluttering session, take the trash straight outside, and put the donate bag (or bags!) in your car. Drop them off at the nearest charity the next time you're out.

Now you'll have a big pile of stuff to put away. Go around and put stuff away, but as you go, take two empty bags with you (label them-trash and donate). As you're putting stuff away, you'll probably see things that go in the two bags. I always find outgrown toys and clothes, broken things, and all sorts of random scraps of paper.

After the first big run through of the main rooms, you'll probably have to start cleaning out closets so that you can do more organizing. Closets often have lots of stuff that is ready to be donated because that's where we stuff things we don't use all the time! Once you've decluttered the closets, there will be room for some of the stuff that you need to put away!

Good luck! It really is a neverending process for most of us, I think, but it definitely gets much more manageable. And there's something really exhilerating about clearing the clutter and making a serene space!
 
#10 ·
We are lucky in that clutter isn't a HUGE issue for us. We have other organizing and cleaning dilemmas, but I think this one is an okay area for us b/c we are a bit obsessive about getting rid of paper clutter and mail or organizing the rest. Literally, when the mail comes I stand over the trash or recycling area and toss, toss, toss. We ask for email updates vs. paper updates or statements whenever possible. If you have kids backpacks coming home, we do the same thing. Decide what's important right away. That way it doesn't sit. Bills and other important stuff should go into one area. Cutting down on paper clutter can make a huge diference. A difference that you can see pretty quickly that might inspire you to move on to other rooms of your house.
 
#13 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by rainyday View Post
Did you start?
I did! Wednesday I spent the whole afternoon sorting, reorganizing, and pitching kids toys.
This morning I cleared the office desk. This decluttering is very time consuming, but I feel much more peaceful when there is less clutter kwim?
 
#15 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by oliveoildog View Post
I did! Wednesday I spent the whole afternoon sorting, reorganizing, and pitching kids toys.
This morning I cleared the office desk. This decluttering is very time consuming, but I feel much more peaceful when there is less clutter kwim?
I know exactly what you mean! I smile when I walk into a part of my house that was cluttered but is now decluttered and clean. It really changes the energy of the house for me, and it makes me like my house a whole lot more than before!

Good for you on starting! (Now the trick is to take a couple of minutes each day to keep the desk cleared off while you work on new areas!)
 
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