Decluttering: Getting started (keeping things simple)

Today, we'll be concentrating on the basics for simple decluttering, on a small scale, perhaps a bedroom or a closet. :) I'll have another blog post for taking on big projects like taking on an entire cluttered basement, attic, or garage, where other obstacles and even some nasty hazards may lurk; that's a slightly different can of worms.

First things first, you'll need some garbage bags. Contractor bags are the best option since they're the largest, strongest, and hold the most stuff. Starting with a brand new box of bags if possible is encouraged. You probably have a LOT more stuff than you think you do, and running out of bags can put a problematic kink in the flow of your decluttering. Also, get a notepad or a couple pieces of paper, a pen/pencil, and a bit of tape.


You'll be concentrating on making four categories: the "Keep", "Toss", "Donate", and "Unsure". This is the main ingredient for decluttering projects of any size.  If you want to get really wild and crazy, you can devote a fifth bag for things that you intend on selling.

Step #1:

 Choose a small area to tackle first, and stick with it until it's finished before moving on to work somewhere else. First pick a room, then a smaller section if it, a closet, dresser, plastic storage bins, or even a single drawer to start with. Don't try to do your entire house in one session, you'll get exhausted and burnt out. Decluttering takes a lot of time and effort, and the first purge is always the hardest and the longest.

  The trick for most people is to pick a pre-determined amount of time to devote to it, usually two to three hours, depending on the size of the project, and commit to it. Remind yourself that this time is for decluttering only and don't get distracted. Feel free to put on music or something to listen to, but really commit to the task at hand. Take a break halfway though if you need it. If two to three hours sounds too daunting to you, try trimming it down to an hour a day.

Step #2

  Designate a contractor bag to represent each category, open them up, and make each bag a sign that specifies which is which. This helps by labeling what to do with each individual bag once they're all tied up and all look pretty much the same.  It also helps set the focus for what goes where, and really drives the message home to your brain.  

Step #3 

  Take the small area you've picked to declutter, your closet, storage bin, dresser, whatever, and completely empty it out. Make a pile out of all the stuff to sort through. 

Step #4

  This is where the meat of the task sets in, where you begin to sort things from the pile to your four bags. 

  To start, sort through and search for any trash that goes directly the "Toss" bag. Once you've cleared out obvious garbage like wrappers, crumpled paper towels, and old candy, look for more discreet trash. Look for anything that is broken, torn up, or heavily stained. If it isn't important enough to you to spend the time, effort, and potential cost to fix it, throw it in the Toss bag.

  If a broken or otherwise unusable item has enough significance for you to want to keep it, despite its condition, put it in the "Unsure" bag to deal with later. This also applies to things that could be fixed but haven't been yet.

  While it's understandable that you'd much rather donate an item of yours than see it go in the trash, if it's in bad condition to the point where it's unusable, (broken beyond repair, heavily stained up or torn, moldy, ect), please don't donate it. The charity volunteers and employees at thrift stores have to sort through everything that's sent in, and if it's in bad condition, they'll throw it away anyway. Please save them some time by biting the bullet and throwing away your own unusable things. It can be hard to see your stuff going in the trash, but if it's to the point where it cannot be used, there's no point in hanging on to it or donating it, where it will just be thrown away by someone else. 

Step #5

  Now that you've got the obvious trash cleared out of the way, you can finally start sorting in further detail. It's a pretty simple concept, but it can be difficult to make decisions. This part is all about mental preparation. As you pick up every item, seriously consider if it's worth keeping. Look it over, ask yourself many questions about it, interrogate each item and its purpose, and its usefulness to you. Get objective, question why or why not, get to the bottom of why you do or don't want to keep something.

  "I might use/need it one day", especially if you haven't ever used it, is not an excuse.  This is the most common excuse hoarders give for keeping clutter.  There are some exceptions, (which we will get into later) but for most common items, you haven't used it within the past two years, even three years, there's virtually no chance you'll need it in the future. Don't make excuses for clutter you don't need. You have more than enough stuff.

 Remember, you need to go into this with your mind open to get rid of things. You're decluttering for a reason. You don't need everything, and there are plenty of people out there who could benefit from your unneeded things, or you might even be able to make some spending money by selling them. You'll reap many benefits from having a less cluttered life as well!

 Here's a flowchart to break it down and make it a little easier :)

If you aren't planning on selling anything, just ignore that part.

CLICK FOR FULL SIZE

   A good way to deal with some of the items in the "Unsure" bag:  If you really want to keep something that you haven't used in a very long time, make an effort to use it. If you don't get around to doing this within a reasonable amount of time (1, 3, 6, even 12 months, it's up to you and varies with the item), the thing doesn't mean as much to you as you think it does, or else you'd find time to use it. Consider that with things you've only used once or twice (or never!) in the first place, and think about cutting them out of your life.

Another tip for things in the "Unsure" bag: Depending on the item, you might also be able to re-purpose things that mean a lot to you that are currently unusable. I'll have a post about this in the future.

Well, that's about it for now. :) That's the basics! Good luck, declutterers!

-Queen Werandra