So. I haven’t been on the computer much lately. But I have been decluttering. Which is quite surprising.
Surprising? you ask. What’s the big deal about decluttering?
Well, the big deal is, I’m usually trying to find ways to avoid most forms of houswork. I’m uptight and particular about many things, but a spotless and clutter-free house is not one of them. So when it comes to housework, I procrastinate and rationalize and practice advanced avoidance techniques. It helps that I have a high tolerance for dust and concealed piles.
Yes, I said concealed piles. I like the kitchen counter to be cleared off. I don’t stack things on the coffee table. But give me a closet or a cupboard, or pretty much anything that closes, and I’m likely to stash stuff there with little concern for the number of items accumulating.
Until this week, apparently. This week, I was seized by the overwhelming urge to just clean some things out. Certainly not normal for me, but I went with it.
It all started with the hall closet.
When we moved to this house, I decided that in addition to coats, the hall closet would be used to store things like light bulbs and extra school supplies and board games — things that we might need at any given time, and wanted to have handy. I bought a little two-drawer organizer, set things up and kept it that way for the past four years.
But on Monday, I decided that I actually need the vacuum cleaner in the hall closet. At this point in our family’s development, it seems that I have to vacuum our main level twice-weekly daily constantly. (Apparently, my kids can generate more than their body weight in crumbs and itty bitty scraps of paper on a daily basis.) Currently, however, the vacuum lives upstairs, in our bedroom closet. And lugging it up and down the steps all the time makes me grouchy tired. Things would be so much easier if I had it readily available on the main level of the house.
Great. Problem solved.
Except it’s a small cloest, and there was no room for the vacuum.
Okay, so all the stuff in the closet had to move elsewhere. I quickly decided that the cabinets under the half-bath’s sink would be the perfect place for light bulbs and the other random household supplies that were currently in the closet. Perfect.
Except for the fact that those bathroom cabinets were full of…well, other stuff.
So I started there. Within an hour, the half-bath cabinets were streamlined and organized, ready to welcome my handy two-drawer organizer from the hall closet. Another hour or so later, the hall closet was happily housing the vacuum. In the process, I also generated a large garbage bag full of junk that could leave the house entirely.
But did I stop there? Oh no.
On to the storage room.The storage room is the half of our basement where I stash anything that doesn’t have a home, along with clothes from C. that I’m saving for L., books that don’t fit on the bookshelves, holiday decorations, and about a million other things. It is a scary place, because I’ve been somewhat less than organized in my stashing.
I’m currently in the process of going through every single item, storing like things together, and actually labeling containers. I started months ago, but I have a feeling it will never actually be done.
Monday night, I attacked seven more boxes, filled a bag of clothes for the local mission, set aside a basket of toys to give away, and produced another two garbage bags full of, well, garbage. Whew!
You’d think that would be enough for a housework-avoider like me, but oh no!
Last night saw me finally dealing with the “to-file pile.”
Confession: I hate filing. I like things to be filed, but I hate the process. So I tend to let the to-file pile grow. And grow. And grow. Until I literally cannot fit another item on it. It stays hidden in our computer armoire, where I can be careful to not look at it. But anyone who stops by our house is likely to see it, since the armoire doors are often open. So I’m perpetually embarrassed about it, but still manage to not do anything about it for months at a time.
Here’s what it looked like last night at 8:00 p.m. (And no, I can’t believe I’m posting this for all the world to see.)
And here’s what it looked like at 10:30 p.m.
Ah, much better. I love when it’s all cleaned up. So why don’t I file more often? I have no answer for that.
Not surprisingly, there’s no point to this post. Except: I’ve been decluttering. Which isn’t much of a point, if you ask me.
But I do have to admit that purging the closet and cabinets and storage pile and computer armoire has been — if not “enjoyable” — fulfilling. It feels good to know that the piles aren’t actually taking over my house, and that I’ve gotten rid of a whole bunch of stuff that was either expired or unnecessary or useless or extraneous. Who knows — with my new lightened load, maybe I’ll actually have room in my brain for blog posts.
I have been doing the exact same thing in my house. It seems like a good year to get that done.
You would love the book The House That Cleans Itself. It helped me set about decluttering my house in a systematic way and set up an easy cleaning schedule to keep it clean! (Just don’t go in my basement – I have yet to apply to book’s wonders to it. I blame my knee!)
I’ve been working on trying to do decluttering too. Here’s to the both of us.
I dubbed 2008 as the Year of Peace & Simplicity…and one of my goals was to declutter. I accomplished a lot (and blogged about it quite often). It DOES feel good to get rid of junk, doesn’t it?
As for filing, that’s a chore I hate, too. So, I developed a simple system that works for me. I blogged about that here…maybe that would work for you, too.
Good for you. I’m right there with you. We used to tease my mom when we were kids because this is how her cleaning often looked – started with a closet and suddenly it all needed tackled! Me – I just ignore it as long as I can, then toss as much as I can. Twice a year whether I need to or not!
You need a vacation now. lol.
We could use some help decluttering. Apparently the moving truck was large enough to postpone that activity… but the new place is not.
I really enjoyed this post! I think beacause I could have written all of it myself. I have never been brave enough to show before and after pictures though.
I like your 10:30 p.m. pile. Good job! You’ve inspired me to do some more decluttering. I started great guns but have sort of fizzled out.
I am proud of you! My mother has piles of clothes that she does not wear for the most part she will not go through and get rid of any of them. I have been begging for years. Most of the stuff that needs to be decluttered and some trashed at my house does not belong to me.
It IS fulfilling, and I also find that getting some clear space physically really does clear up some space mentally.
WOW! Good on you…you’ve been busy! I need to start doing this…well, actually more “unpacking”. We moved into our house a month ago, and after I got it to a “livable” state, I quit unpacking… I don’t even have wall decorations up yet, and my mom keeps at me about it. Maybe you will be my inspiration!
ahh yes the spring purge! I have been doing a good bit of that lately as well! Looks like you made some great progress
Yay! you! This sort of thing hits me about once a month. I literally can’t stop because one thing leads to another. It feels GOOD to see things organized…and you know me, I’m not a neat freak.
Oh my goodness, birds of a feather! I’m a piler and a clutter person as long as there’s a drawer or cabinet or closet to hide it in. I, however, have NOT been in a decluttering mood lately. Until this morning, when my husband threw a pile of HIS clothes on our bed and asked me to bag them up for Goodwill. Then he had the audacity to say “don’t you want to clean out your side of the closet now?” ACK! So, I guess he wants me to get in that mood!
Oh my. I’ve written a post or two very similar to this because I.am.exactly.like.you. Especially about the filing. It feels so incredibly rewarding to accomplish these tasks that I don’t know why I don’t stay on top of it on a daily basis.
Please just let me say, though, that if that is as big as your filing pile is, then you’re a much more organized person than me. You know those boxes that diapers are sold in? I’ve filled one before with filing. I filed every single paper right before I was due to give birth, and of course then didn’t file again until months later. It’s crazy. I wish someone would fix me!
The funny thing is, at work, I always had one of the neatest and most organized desks. Hmmm.
Unfortunately my need to declutter is equal to my desire not to actually do it. Internal conflict, ha.
Wow, impressive.
I’m not a clutter queen, my husband is and it makes me twitch. But then again, as I sit here perusing and enjoying your blog, he’s downstairs cleaning.
So, he’s the clean freak–dust is his enemy, and I’m the organization freak.
Guess I’ll surprise him and go make the bed…
I am impressed. My house could be considered one huge decluttering project, one that remains TO BE DONE, if you know what I mean. Maybe one day…
Congrats, Katrina! It feels good, doesn’t it?
I’ve been decluttering, too (Peter Walsh’s book, “It’s All Too Much” inspired me!), and am now done! I did the garage, first, and then tackled each room of the house (except the kids’ bedrooms, as that was a chore for another day).
If you wanna see pictures, I’ve been blogging my progress:
Simplify Me
MizB of Should Be Reading