Decluttering

Yesterday on the Oprah show the guest was an organization person (and author) and talked about decluttering your home-how to do it etc....
The show presented a case of decluttering that needed it badly.
The guest suggested rather than go bit by bit in a room to take everything out and sort whether to keep or not have storage containers ready and then put back. And of of the rule say for instance if you buy a new article of clothing (like my 3 sweaters Tues) I have to "get rid" of 3 articles of clothing (I found one for sure ) If you haven't used an item in 12 months toss it-YIKES!!
After the show I did go to one of the drawers in the kitchen -its the drawer that holds the less used kitchen gadgets I tossed at least have the drawer!!
I could possible have a large yard sale this spring!!

What do you need to get rid of in your house???

Old clothes that don't fit. There are a lot of things in the garage I would toss becasue they don't get used. We had 2 outdoor fireplaces Lee got from Char-Broil before he left. One was a wood burning one and the other runs off propane. Had them atleast 2 years and never use them. Not one. We gave one to my parents for christmas but the other one is just sitting in there taking up space. We have 4 bikes that don't get used. The only one that is used anymore is my Trek. one was used for parts and the other has no seat. Other than that we don't have a whole lot of clutter.

Originally Posted by GailC

Yesterday on the Oprah show the guest was an organization person (and author) and talked about decluttering your home-how to do it etc....
The show presented a case of decluttering that needed it badly.
The guest suggested rather than go bit by bit in a room to take everything out and sort whether to keep or not have storage containers ready and then put back. And of of the rule say for instance if you buy a new article of clothing (like my 3 sweaters Tues) I have to "get rid" of 3 articles of clothing (I found one for sure

) If you haven't used an item in 12 months toss it-YIKES!!
After the show I did go to one of the drawers in the kitchen -its the drawer that holds the less used kitchen gadgets I tossed at least have the drawer!!
I could possible have a large yard sale this spring!!

What do you need to get rid of in your house???

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DH and I are really good at this. The only thing I can think that we have to go through is our hall closet. We have some table runners and stuff in there that we really need to toss, but on a normal basis we don't have a problem getting rid of stuff we don't need.

I have tonz of kitchen stuff that I inherited from my grandmother, pots, pans, corningware, wisks, grinders, sives, muffin and cake tins. I havn't used half the stuff. And since I never have anyone over I could stand to loose my kitchen table and get a small little 2 seater. I like everyone have a bunch of clothes that don't fit... but I have high hopes of squeezing into them soon.

I don't have anything really?. I just moved to a new house the end of october so i decluttered before i left

Originally Posted by Rosiemac

I don't have anything really?. I just moved to a new house the end of october so i decluttered before i left

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I'm working on taking my clutter with me! I'd feel nudie without it!

Originally Posted by Sar

I'm working on taking my clutter with me!

I'd feel nudie without it!

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What are you like! Sarah if you came to mine you'd think i was a minimalist

I could happily be a minimalist. My hubby on the other hand wants to keep everything (except any of my things that he thinks I should toss). He says he might "need" whatever it is someday. I don't have a problem with having "stuff" as long as you have a place to store it neatly. Being a neat freak is my problem.

Originally Posted by Rosiemac

What are you like!

Sarah if you came to mine you'd think i was a minimalist

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My place generally looks minimalist-ish ( ) because I'm an expert at hiding my clutter!

Originally Posted by Yosemite

IHe says he might "need" whatever it is someday.

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But that is so true!

Originally Posted by Sar

My place generally looks minimalist-ish (

) because I'm an expert at hiding my clutter!

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I bet your so pleased you have a garage at the new house now

Originally Posted by Rosiemac

I bet your so pleased you have a garage at the new house now

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I was until we discovered that the roof is now not attached after the winds last month! It's all damp and rotten in there now! Definitely not a safe place to keep my 'goodies'

Looks like the cupboards are going to get a thorough working!

I'm pretty organized right now because I moved into a new apartment last year. In the process of moving, I threw/gave away LOTS of stuff. The 12-month rule is good- I had some boxes that I hadn't opened in three years! ALL that stuff got tossed, LOL!

I am a clutter-a -holic but, I also have a neat freak inside screaming to get out . That is my project this year- to get organized to the point that it is easy to keep up (I've already started in the kitchen- installed sliding baskets in the pantry, so I don't lose so many things in the back and bottom of it and have one to install in the tupperware cabinet). I'm good at organizing other people's stuff, just not keeping my own up on a day to day basis .

I don't think I've really cleaned out a closet since I was pregnant (she's 3 now ) except the kiddo's

I have SO much junk I need to get rid of... My bedroom is covered in stuff I have never used! All sorts of clothes and junk.. yuck! Anyone want to help? lol

My big one is clothing..I still have clothes from high school I don't wear them, but I have a compulsive need to keep everything just incase I will need it someday

I am not too bad with other types of clutter. I keep a ship shape apartment, except for the closet..

Originally Posted by Yosemite

I could happily be a minimalist. My hubby on the other hand wants to keep everything (except any of my things that he thinks I should toss). He says he might "need" whatever it is someday. I don't have a problem with having "stuff" as long as you have a place to store it neatly. Being a neat freak is my problem.

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except for the neat freak part.

Too bad we can't have a TCS rummage sale-there would be vast amounts of new stuff for our homes!!

We are packrats. No getting away from it.

Until 2002 my Dad had the studio apartment that adjoins our place at ground level. When he went into extended care, we had to move all his stuff out of there in a relative hurry, so that the place could be made ready for a new tenant. We paid for one extra month, but decided we could manage with that, so Dad's stuff went in two directions: through one door into our family room, or through the other door into our garage. On top of the pre-existing clutter, it has become mind-numbingly "impossible". One of these days...one of these days...

Clothes are not SO bad, because a number of charitable agencies do pickups fairly frequently, and almost every time they call to say, "We're going to be in your neighbourhood on...", our answer is "YES", and there's at least a garbage bag or two for them. Where does it all come from???

It's funny you started this thread! Last Mon I started cleaning "my room". DH and have a 3 bedroom with no kids. So we created a Masterbed, office for him, dressing room for me. I'm a bad packrat too. I decided this time, instead of the "quick fix clean" AKA shove it in the closet, I took everything out, and started sorting. Whatever I didn't have a home for, I tossed. I'm still working on it, but almost done!