I feel bad because I started going through my 'Christmas boxes' over a month ago and discovered two different mugs, each presented in its own container, that were given to me eons ago. I decided to keep one and to donate the other one in time for Xmas.... I still haven't got around to it! At least the one I'm keeping is getting some use!
I know people who keep a small number of disposable containers, but not for themselves. They use them when they have leftovers from a party which they gift to the leaving guests. Not because they don't have better reusable containers, but quite the opposite: they hated that their good reusable containers either took forever to come back or never returned at all. When those disposable ones don't come back, no big deal 🤷🏻♀️
I love to bake, so there's often a surplus of cookies etc. And I no longer hand them out in containers I want back. Because too many go missing, or come back in rough shape. Naw, you'll get my delicious oatmeal-chocolate chip-walnut cookies in a sour cream container :P
100% this. I can't keep track of how many people I've given or received leftovers/baked goods from this year and I'd hate to have someone's proper Tupperware and then not see them for 6 months and hold their good containers hostage until I see them again
I finally threw out a very decorative spice rack that was a wedding shower gift - in 1966. I actually had spices that pre-dated man walking on the moon. Not kidding 😅😅😅
Yes - PLEASE bring old linen to your local shelter!!! I've volunteered at shelters around the country, and they ALWAYS need more towels, blankets, rags, etc.
As a potter, the mug comment really got me 😂 yes get rid of your Starbucks mugs, but please don’t stop buying from local artisans, it really DOES make coffee taste better drinking out of a nice piece of art that also is a vessel for caffeine! ❤
I so agree , I always buy a mug or bowl at our Boardwalk Art Show and use them all the time. The energy from them definitely makes everything taste better! And what a nice vibe for your home. The pathetic ones i made in a long-ago workshop are useful to hold paintbrushes😂😂.
@@HappyPotter24 I totally agree with you and love your yt name! I love using the oversized handmade mugs and one of my favs is the little handmade pitcher that fits in the Keurig to fill the taller mugs.
OMG. I went home to visit my parents in Nov and needed some spices to cook. I'm pretty sure some of the ones in my mom's cupboard were there from when I moved in 2002. I quietly went to the supermarket and got some new ones.
OK, I'll admit I clicked the like button on the previous comment, but let's pause for a moment to understand what may be really going on here. I'm like 100% positive that I'm way older than Nick, but it is entirely possible that his mother grew up during the great depression, as mine did, and even though I "knew" this, it wasn't driven home until my mom passed and I had to clean out her house. Every pot holder, bread tie, plastic food container, mug, novelty glass, tea towel, kitchen towel, and pot and pan that my mother had ever met in her life was still living there, wondering where she had gone. Condiment packets were indeed lurking in the fridge. We threw out all items in the freezer, along with a lot of canned goods in the cabinets that were more than 5-10 years out of date. It was a different time back then, and I gained a whole new appreciation of my mother. Back in those hard economic times, people just didn't throw things out. There were no shot glass collections, but my mom didn't drink, but I can guarantee there were towels there that had been there since the 1960's and 1970's. The US and a lot of other countries have been living pretty well since after WWII, but if we should have another global depression, people may find themselves back in the same fix.
I have a cardboard box in a quiet corner of my house. Whenever I come across something in any room that I want to get rid of in other words, donate, I throw it in that box. Nothing ever comes back out of the box and when it is full, it goes to Goodwill or whatever other charity I decide to take it to. It has worked beautifully.
Take it to Salvation Army or other local non-profit organization thrift stores. Goodwill is big business, making millions with very little going to the people. Thanks, Nick, right on as always!
Me too. I have that Ikea acacia wood hamper for that purpose. I can sit on it or put trays on it. And when it's full, I put everything in the bag of shame that is also in that box, and drop it off on goodwill..
Good idea! My pet hate is seeing old filthy wooden chopping boards as ornaments, even hanging on walls. I just wouldn't buy a second hand chopping board, especially if it looks engrained with ashes . Grim!! 🤮😝
Yes, do more of these! We get so used to our own items that we don’t even see what we need to purge. I’m guilty of cookbooks, glass jars, and rubber bands. Love this-thanks Nick!
As someone from a country where it's polite and custom to give leftovers to your friends who stay over for dinner, the takeaway containers are great because they are pretty waterproof and it doesn't matter if you forgot who has whose Tupperware. We're all in an eternal cycle of having other people's containers and no idea when you'll see them again. Not giving friends I only see 3 times per year my good Tupperware and l'm definitely giving them leftovers because that's just how we roll.
came here to say this - takeaway containers are for giving away food! They are not as sturdy as Tupperware but they don't disintegrate, they split very noticeably. They are safe.
It was so hard for me to realize that my Le Cruset cooking set needed to go. Arthritis and chronic illness meant some of them were realistically too heavy to manage with one hand and I'd found more creative ways to make food (air fryer/bake/roast/Ninja cooker, Instant Pot small pressure cooker) that didn't involve possibly dropping a cast iron chonk onto my own foot and breaking it. But someone else will find them at the thrift store and absolutely squeal with joy and that makes my soul happy :)
Wow, wish I was at that thrift store! LeCreuset is heirloom quality cookware that should be passed down for generations. They last forever and nothing sticks. I only have one lidded oval casserole pan. I love it!
I love the sentiment here, but we have to remember that lots of thrift stores throw things straight into the trash because they can’t manage all that they get. If you can, give things away within your community or ask a relative to manage posting it for free on Facebook marketplace or a reselling app (you can still mark it for free). 😊
@ This is exactly what I do; there’s a thrift store that’s nearby that benefits the hospital in the neighbourhood and specifically serves the locals. They’ve even refused to sell to ‘upsellers’, to give those locally a shot at nicer items for cheap. I used to give away things on Craigslist and Facebook, but as a woman living alone, I’ve had a few of those turn bad very quickly. I can’t risk it.
@@mjevans199 It is, yeah. And it broke my heart to have to let them all go. The generational thing didn’t work out for me, but at least someone will inherit them still!
@@silver_crone - Yes, I never invite strangers to my place. No market place or craigslist for me. There are various thrift shops in my area, the SPCA is my favorite. I usually give them my best.
I think that washable rug in the kitchen is really useful. It can protect floors from damage if you drop something like a knife, especially if you have wooden or laminate floors.
I thought he was in my kitchen, especially when it came to magnets and cookie cutters. At least I purged my cookbooks a long time ago, but I still have too many. Maybe time to gift a few to charity.
I’m a kitchen designer and this video is so spot on! I want to send this to every one of my customers when we are space planning their kitchens and they think they have no storage but it’s filled with all THIS crap.
One of my besties needs this video and I wish I could send it to her. Gorgeous home and you can’t put a thing away in the kitchen because there’s so many mugs, glasses, towels…
One great tip for the holiday / rarely used baking stuff is that many libraries have things that you can borrow, like if you only want to make a bundt cake once, not worth buying and storing it! (or even ask friends if they have one to borrow). I love my starbucks mugs though because they have good memories for me, but I decluttered all my other mugs because I just didn't need that many
Recently threw out all our mismatched storage containers and replaced with all IKEA glass ones because the lids are interchangeable. If it is a square container, any of the square lids will fit. So satisfying!!!
Good, brilliant, we need more of your trash, because there are "mismatched" boxes in a room you don't even look at. Americans desperate to use any argument just to buy something.
That is nice to know. I bought Pyrex containers and the lids do not hold up as long as the containers, and the replacement lids in a set cost almost as much as buying a new set of bowls! The keeping of storage containers is one of my biggest gripes in my kitchen! I actually bought a 50 pack of the disposable ones early in the video and I can both send home leftovers with my adult kids and toss them guilt free. But I will consider the IKEA ones. There is little more frustrating than grabbing a container and not being able to find a lid that fits.
I use rubber bands constantly to reseal packages of frozen vegetables, popcorn, etc. More efficient and take up less space than "chip clips." I keep them - along with my kitchen matches and several other things in a beautiful handpainted russian saltbox mounted on the wall. What's the big deal about keeping rubber bands?! (And you need more than three, because they do self-destruct.)
I use rubber bands for all kinds of things - I probably have at least 15 deployed in my kitchen/dining area right now. Three? Only three? This is madness.
I’m the same way although I see Nick’s point. If I get a garage fridge I might move the magnets there, but until then I will display my magnets proudly in my kitchen.
I totally get you on the reminiscing part and I also love buying trinkets on vacation. I love trinket shops and stalls... but then both I and my husband hate the clutter in the home, be it on the fridge or anywhere else. It's too distracting and often wouldn't match the decor. So I had a brilliant idea, which I later learned many people also had: getting christmas tree ornaments form all our trips. Or stuff that can pass for an ornament. Quite a few magnets got strings glued to them and their backsides covered with fabric. Because while we dislake chaos in most cases, a chaotic, mismatched decor on a christmas tree is something that I actually love (and my husband doesn't care either way). It looks homey. It means that we would be remembering the trips once a year, but I feel it is more meaningfull to us this way.
Actually, anyone anywhere in the world raised in a tiny village in a remote countryside with spare access to store goods will see any piece of junk as a treasure. This environnement can even alter the DNA and create generations of rubber bands, bags and plastic containers collectors.
This entire day I’ve been working on a couple of rooms in my house. Trying to be orderly. Needing a break, UA-cam delivered me this video. You are just my kind of humor...oh, how I needed this both for function and entertainment! Thank you!
I have a mug addiction. I just reshuffled my cabinet to fit more. Some have a graphic, some have a nice feel, some are just beautiful pottery. I love them all.
I’m with you Nick on the mismatched glasses and mugs, but… In defense of those who are, they make big get togethers much easier for knowing which drink is yours! ❤
Our daughter loved stickers. Apparently, the very best place to display them was my big side-by-side fridge/freezer. Its doors were covered with stickers. Stickers on top of stickers. Okay, we bought the stickers, so are responsible for this blight, but, she loved them, right? Then, she grew out of this fetish around the time I gutted my kitchen and installed a fridge/freezer with custom cabinet door fronts. Despite her disinterest in her old stickers, my husband felt compelled to carefully remove each sticker and glue it into a scrap book. Hundreds of stickers. It was a true labour of love. Happy New Year, Nick.
@ Fetish: “an inanimate object worshiped for its supposed magical powers or because it is considered to be inhabited by a spirit.” When a two-year-old talks to her Mickey Mouse sticker and tells it she’ll see him in Disney World, what would you call it? It was Disney all the time. Hell, she even ended up working in Finance for the Walt Disney Company! There really is such a thing as “Disney Magic”!
So y'all sit around and look at the sticker scrapbook or what? Will she even want it when she moves out or will she take it and shove it in a closet to not hurt your feelings? Look up Swedish death cleaning.
I'm in a mood and have never accomplished so much during a video!!!! I paused this video to go through water bottles before Nick said water bottles; paused to go through tupperware/plastic containers (which led to pitchers, ice cube trays, etc..); paused to go through cute kiddy cups/mugs (grandsons are now 10 & 13); then paused to throw out old frozen food. Tomorrow I'll get to the spices.
My tip for any unneeded/leftover utensils, sauces, napkins, and cleaned takeout containers (even the bag if it’s clean) is to save them and bring the entire thing to the next CASUAL outdoor BBQ/cookout. That way, things won’t get wasted and people can take home food in bags afterwards. I try to ask for no sauce, napkins, or utensils if I’m going to be taking food home, but it’s hard to remember.
"Though food will be safe indefinitely at 0° F, quality will decrease the longer the food is in the freezer." From the FDA. "Food stored constantly at 0 °F will always be safe. Only the quality suffers with lengthy freezer storage." From the USDA. I would include the links but I think UA-cam still removes comments with links Almost everyone is going to be better of chucking old nasty food to get the freezer space back, but it is still safe to eat if there are no other options.
You did this topic better than anyone else who specializes in decluttering here on YT. Thoroughly enjoyed this one. It was spot-on, and you had me laughing out loud several times. Thanks, Nick. I'm sure I will be re-watching this one soon.
All of my perishables (canned goods, flour etc) are clearly marked with their best by or use by date. Makes it easy to just glance at items and see if I need to use them. Did this for my mom’s pantry when I found a jar of maraschino cherries that was 10 years past date! It’s often hard for older folks to see the small print so a large expiration date written on the front is a great help. We don’t grab condiment packages unless we will immediately use them. Little things add up to big piles of clutter 😊
Love this kind of video! Recently I took my 47 reuseable bags and gave them to the church thrift store: they were thrilled. Also realized I'll never have 14 people over for coffee, so donated a ton of mugs. This video just made me ruthless about my spice cupboard, LOL.
That’s awesome! He’s so right about this stuff. I did once go to use one of my saved ketchup packets and it was brown. So I finally threw them out. Every time my husband tries to save ketchup and hot sauce packets from takeout I just throw them away.
Re cutting boards, according to one of my fave teaching chefs, Sohla El-Waylly, real wood (not particle board glued) is actually anti-bacterial, and one of the most long-lasting tools in the kitchen if you choose wisely. Plastic is actually bad because as time goes on and it gets grooves, bacteria hide out in there.
I changed to 8 white pottery barn mugs and got rid of all of my souvenir mugs. It’s nice to just grab a mug and not have to put any thought into it because they are all the same. It’s the little things. 😂
A few years ago, i went through rvery cabinet and drawer and pulled everything I could not recall using in the past year. Even in my small kitchen, filled 6 boxes and haven't missed any of it. Could have got rid of more, but hubby insisted on holding on to some stuff. My biggest kitchen regret is the usual big over-the-stove microwave, cost about $700. For what I use it for, could have got by with a smaller countertop one for less than half that.
Glass jars (new or used jam, jelly, sauce, and pickle) have been a lifesaver for me, reusing them to seal spices and such after initial use. Great way to save things from bugs and to slow oxidation.
I came across your video quite by accident, about decluttering the kitchen and you’ve inspired me. Every thing you mentioned from spices to shopping bags, plastic containers, etc, I am definitely guilty of hoarding. I’ve been wanting to declutter, and the way you explained it makes a lot of sense. One item at the time. Today t towels, tomorrow plastics, etc. not about new year new me, at 70 I’m past that. More about making more room and more sense in my home. Thank you, I’ve subscribed to your channel. Maybe another time you may help us crafters declutter our craft / sewing rooms as well. 🤗🤗🤗
Tea towels become softer and more absorbent the longer they are used, and the more times they have been washed. That makes the old worn ones the most effective and the most valuable. If you have let your (new or old) towels become mouldy, then you have a serious problem with hygiene, not a problem with the age of the towels.
It took a while but now I’m a pro at always keeping my shopping bag with me. Haven’t bought a bag of shame in years. Always keeping two in my backpack, and 6 in the car.
I went with my old plastic bag to the store of origin. The shop assistant yelled: 'John, come here, we haven't seen this bag design for a very long time!'
I've been using reusable bags since the late '90s. When animal organizations used to send you a good quality one for a donation. I have most of them to this day. I carry them in the back seat. It took me 6 months of going back to my vehicle to pull them out to get used to bringing them in right away. I would go back out to the car to force myself to remember them eventually. Now it's as automatic as brushing my teeth in the morning.
When tea towels dont come clean again , no matter how you wash them , tear them in half and use them as cleaning rags . Once used, rinse them , tear them into strips and put them in your garden composter . All cotten and linen tea towels will break down into compost .
I don't use paper towels---I use my old dish towels to wipe up spills. I wash them over and over again and when they get really thin, they become dust rags.
@@charlottekylin4169 Charlotte, I’ve got one up in you. I didn’t need to get old to be clumsy. I practiced at it all my life. I have always reused linens for cleaning up after myself. It’s a money saver and works as long as I don’t cut myself with the scissors as I cut up the material.
Yep, they also come in assorted sizes. It’s what I use for most bags. I also like wire bag ties. They are good for frozen veggies and also for putting through a zipper hole so I can zip up my jeans and boots when I have on long finger nails. 😁
When I was in my late 20s I bought 2 sets of glass Snapwear, I'm in my 40s and I have never lost a lid. I think when you have nice things you generally take care of them. That being said, I do have some plastic containers for guests and for my child to take to school, the school stuff gets lost all the time 🤦
Hahaha I thought you wrote mitts! Here I was trying to figure out how they help, does she wear or stand on them. My goodness…matts yes they are a huge foot/ back saver!
The old tea towels are really great for drying clean windows! They don’t leave lint and if they get nasty from that you can throw them out. The shelters often want any old bath towels & bedding you have like blankets & comforters, and that’s another thing that needs to get weeded out. Thanks for reminding us to get rid of the extra stuff we have….start the new year fresh!
We do a christmas collection every year for the SPCA. As well as pet food we ask for old blankets and towels. It's great because it's a cause everyone can support without costing too much. The best part is that when we turn up to donate all of the goodies, the staff there let us hold a kitten or puppy. So far I have not come home with any 😊
@@RebeccaHunt-wv8bcIf they have a charity shop (thrift store) they might accept sheets for resale. I don't know if that is common elsewhere but in the UK, many animal shelters also run one or more charity shops to raise funds. If anyone has sheets that are beyond reuse, they could also try putting word out, asking if anyone has some decorating planned, or some other messy project, as the sheets could perhaps be used as drop cloths or cleaning up rags.
Disposable containers are good for pasta/curry that stains other plastic containers. Or for raw chicken or fish, which can be difficult to clean out properly.
I feel SO called out. Every kitchen needs a rolling pin and cookie cutters, even if you never use them, or used them one time. I will die on this hill. lol
And WHO only uses gingerbread men (and gingerbread women!) cutters and the like, once a year?! I don't even have any grandchildren, but I make stuff like that at least once a month!
My local goodwill recycles cloth. It gets sorted by type, baled, and sold at auctions. Some of the bales become rags in machine shops, others become carpet padding.
I never use bags. I have a bin in my car and just put the groceries in the cart then into the bin. My mom keeps telling cashiers my daughter doesn’t use bags😂
Good tip. I recently switched the store where I get my grocery delivery because they still offer paper bags. It’s ridiculous for most grocery deliveries you need to buy new reusable bags EVERY time 😔
OMG- I got to this video late in the day because I was decluttering my kitchen! Excess stuff, including mugs, are out in the car to be donated. Another thing no one needs in the kitchen is a "junk drawer," in my humble opinion. Space is too limited to use a drawer as a trash bag. Happy New Year, and please continue this series! I need all the help I can get. 😱
So many of your tips I’ve been meaning to do but waiting until after Christmas. I’m going to throw out all my Rubbermaid containers. I have had them waaay too long and have bottoms with no tops and vice versa. I come across insulated cups in the back of the cupboards but can’t reach them to get rid of them. It will take a dedicated time to clean out the cupboard so I can get them gone. Along with other stuff I don’t use. My kids are adults and my granddaughter is a teenager so don’t need the zipper bag full of cookie cutters. You’ve convinced me. I’m going to go through my kitchen and go through everything over several months and clear out the stuff that I don’t need or are just too old. Thanks so much.❤️❤️
For things like the tea towels, I like to keep a hierarchy. Nice, new towels go in the kitchen; when they start to get a bit ratty they turn into cleaning cloths; if they get stained, they turn into rags for diy/painting; then they're out. Like, "I can't throw this away, there's still a lot of good use in it!" sure, totally true, but that use doesn't have to have to be in your kitchen, on display. Also, every time you run laundry, grab the hand towels from your kitchen and bathroom and throw them in. Most of us aren't doing a separate "towel laundry" often enough for how much use these get. Swap em out every time you think of it, basically.
Ex MIL took used dish towels to the laundry room following every meal. Picked up the habit and works great. Try to limit use of paper towels. Just have a small vented basket and throw in the towels - handy and ready for the next wash.
My old kitchen towels become cleaning rags as well. I PERSONALLY think that using them that way is much more responsible than buying paper towels. And I am pleased to say that they have a neat space in my pantry room.
I feel a bit called out. I’m keeping the mugs that I’ve been collecting for 40 years. Yes, all of them. Okay, maybe not the 6 ugly ones that people got me because it had a cat on it, but I’m keeping the rest. And I’m keeping all the glass jars because I make herbal salves & remedies, as well as do a lot of home canning. All your other points are valid. I’m tossing the 3 cutting boards I don’t like, the ugly stained tea towels, and all the extra travel mugs & water bottles. Can’t wait to see you tackle the other rooms! I’m moving 1500 miles (2400 km) in a few months and I need the motivation to get rid of stuff!!
Please do more of these!!! Years ago I purged my kitchen of just about all these items and I’ve never looked back! While my kitchen isn’t perfect, Im much happier in my space and can quickly identify issues creeping back and deal with it asap. Some of the best things I did was toss all my plastic containers and move to glass storage containers. I have just enough for our family and my cupboard is so much tidier. We also went down to one set of mugs. One holiday, my husband and I visited a local potter and picked out a set of handmade mugs. We toured the workshop and met one of the artisans. So it was a physical gift plus an experience. We absolutely love our mugs and are proud to display them in our kitchen! We do not hold onto other mugs because we don’t feel the need to clutter out something we love.
Re: glass jars! If you are canning, you can use a mason jar lid ONCE!!! They cannot be reused if you are canning with them, the second time you use the lid you can’t be sure that it will seal properly
My water bath canner holds nine pint-size jars; I think the pressure canner holds six. You almost have to do that many cans at a time for it to be worth the time and effort.
My mother and grandparents reused lids for decades with no issues. It's easy to tell that something is not sealed as the lid button pops up, and they have had almost the same bad luck with brand new lids not sealing. We're talking over 60 years of this habit. They did hot water bath canning mostly so there might be a difference for pressure-canning.
This is so funny! My mother was a child of The Depression and she would save everything!! From old plastic containers that food came in, to all kinds of mugs (she loved the various casino mugs) to condiment packets....nothing could be thrown out because that was considered "wasteful"!
My grandparents were the same way. Any kind of have to understand where they’re coming from. But the Cool Whip container almost never had Cool Whip in it, and the margarine container was the same way :-) you just knew that. When my grandmother passed away, we went and cleaned out her kitchen, and we had the kind of chuckle with the amount of containers like that that she had.
Recycling is a huge scam. There are a lot of types of plastic but only a couple that actually get recycled. The containers shown in this video are very likely the type that recyclers don’t want for various reasons. I’m not saying that none of it gets recycled but remember that recyclers are in a business. If they can’t make money on the product, they aren’t going to do it. A large amount of what we put in the recycle bin ends up in the land fill. That’s why I say it’s a scam.
Agree to a certain extent; it really depends where you are and what company is doing your recycling, which unfortunately can change all the time. So I’d rather err on the side of “keep it out of the landfill” if possible on the chance that it does actually get recycled into a new usable product.
I recommend glass containers with silicone lids such as AnchorHocking or Pyrex. These work for baking, microwaving, storage; I have not bought plastic containers for years.
I break some of these rules but still love that u are calling me out on it. I need 3 water bottles but that's so I will switch when I should but I'm too lazy to clean it out. 1 that's more secure but holds less that I use for activities
LOVE the clear glass mugs from Dollar Tree! They’re big enough, great shape, clear glass so nothing clashes, cheap enough to buy more if any break and don’t get like molten lava out of the microwave.
Really loved this video Nick!! I was born in 1960. I had a boy's and girl's cookbook that I started using when I was 6. I made my own cheese eggs before I went out to ride my bike without a helmet!!! Anyway I still have it. Memories!!😅😅
YES! The Betty Crocker Boys and Girls Cookbook. When my mother passed, I made sure I got it. And the coverless ring-bound cookbook she always cooked from. I'll never forget her My Success Cake, a simple butter cake that she made for strawberry shortcake or cupcakes.
@lynnbetts4332 I am so happy someone else remembers this book!! There is a chocolate soda recipe I still make today!! This book has special meaning for us both!!
Wonderful practical advice. I do a big tidy every year after Christmas starting with the kitchen and the spice cabinet so feeling inspired. Love the blue sweater BTW.
The idea of actually getting new potholders blew my mind. I've had mine since I first got married 11 years ago and there are definitely some burns and stains on them. 😆 It's just not something I have really thought about till now.
Various mugs and glasses are a MUST for everyone to keep track of their own beverage! We use them for weekly family dinners, neighbors over, music jams, book club. Seriously it’s very practical for anyone who entertains at all. Kids cups: they each had their own (character or color as they grew up it changed) & were responsible for putting it in dishwasher after meals. Your cup isn’t clean? You wash it. Less dishes pile up that way! - Mother of 5 kids 😊
I was feeling all superior thinking, "I don't do that. I don't have those." But dang, if he didn't call me out with the water bottles and freezer goods!!! And he did NOT go there with my glass jars!!! 💀💀💀 This might be Nick's all time funniest video ever. I'm rolling. 😂😅😂😅😂😅
I was in that exact same superior frame of mind until he got to cutting boards. 😆Up to that point I felt completely justified keeping old tea towels to use when I oil all the wood cutting boards. Now I'm too ashamed to even count them...the boards and the tea towels. 😮
I love my magnets too! One door only holds ones from my European trips. On the other side are ones from around the US. They cannot go on my fridge unless I've actually been there. Love to see them when I open the doors. None are on the freezer drawer
I need more water bottles to put stickers on 😅 they're, like, the only thing I can bring myself to spend stickers on. But they have specific uses! Upstairs bottle, downstairs bottle, travel bottle, and work bottle!
Mine go from the kitchen to the cleaning rag pile to the garage to the trash so they live a long useful life. And it’s always nice to have some rags around that. You know that you can completely destroy and then throw away.
Ok, we almost passed! We have none of the “no no’s” except old dish towels! We save a few to use as rags and in case there is a major spill! They’re so absorbent and have come in very handy when we’ve spilled something big time! Everything else on your list - we passed with flying colors! Of course, it greatly helps that the 2 of us live in a 550 sq Ft cottage … so we own what we need/use frequently or dearly love, that we have room for! When we downsized, we eliminated about 90% of our possessions several years ago. One of the best things we ever did! We don’t miss a thing! Happy clutter-free new year!
I feel called out LOL but this is so true and such good advice! After our whole house flooded while we were on vacation, and 30 years of “stuff” (crap) was packed out (by someone else - bless them) and then brought back in (over 800 boxes worth!), we did this kind of declutter as we unpacked the boxes, trying really hard to be brutally honest about what we needed and didn’t need. I think I related to just about every item he mentioned… We’re not quite as perfect as Nick (HAHA) but our kitchen (and other areas) are so much less cluttered now and function much better without the excess stuff that we don’t really use. But I’m really just here for Nick’s commentary! ❤
I feel seen. Got out of bed, went to the kitchen, and cleaned out my recycled "good" jars. I had upgraded to canning jars but kept a few just in case. Recycling now. Thanks Nick.
You clocked me so hard with the eclectic mug collection. 😂😂 Luckily, I DO keep a lid on how many I have, but my parents, who are artists and have a lot of artist friends and connections, have dozens and dozens of unique mugs on display in their house. I like it, but I don't want that for my house
I only keep a handful of plastic containers around, and they're specifically for sending guests home with leftovers, because we all know those containers aren't coming back
Good video! I think people need reminders to purge. It’s so easy to hold onto everything. The proliferation of self storage places is making a mint off people’s old and forgotten items.
Agree and love these tips! There is bamboo wheat cutting boards, looks and cleans like plastic but has no plastic! All I use is one large and one small wood board and one large and one small bamboo wheat cutting boards 👌🏽
Nick you crack me up! I was just thinking today I need to do a thrift shop sweep and get rid of a pile of stuff! I usually do this once a year, it cleanses my spirit and makes me happy. 😊
What's really happening here is Nick went home for Christmas and he wants to call out his entire family 😅
Hysterical 😂
You read my mind!
He says he filmed before Christmas, so he was probably pre-judging 😂😂😂
100%! Apparently, I am in his family. Not needing shot glasses because you are not 21, was a knife in my back 😂😂😂
Hahaha!!
Let's all give Nick a special mug for Christmas!
And some open shelves so that he can display them 😂
I feel bad because I started going through my 'Christmas boxes' over a month ago and discovered two different mugs, each presented in its own container, that were given to me eons ago. I decided to keep one and to donate the other one in time for Xmas.... I still haven't got around to it! At least the one I'm keeping is getting some use!
@@shelm-b8p Oh, wicked! Then he'll have to dust them all 😂
😂😂😂😂
novelty glasses sent! ✈️
I know people who keep a small number of disposable containers, but not for themselves. They use them when they have leftovers from a party which they gift to the leaving guests. Not because they don't have better reusable containers, but quite the opposite: they hated that their good reusable containers either took forever to come back or never returned at all. When those disposable ones don't come back, no big deal 🤷🏻♀️
YES like I get Nick's point lol but this is exactly why I always keep a few takeout containers on hand
People will keep the good stuff but will very carefully return the plastic crap.
I love to bake, so there's often a surplus of cookies etc.
And I no longer hand them out in containers I want back. Because too many go missing, or come back in rough shape.
Naw, you'll get my delicious oatmeal-chocolate chip-walnut cookies in a sour cream container :P
THIS
100% this. I can't keep track of how many people I've given or received leftovers/baked goods from this year and I'd hate to have someone's proper Tupperware and then not see them for 6 months and hold their good containers hostage until I see them again
I finally threw out a very decorative spice rack that was a wedding shower gift - in 1966. I actually had spices that pre-dated man walking on the moon. Not kidding 😅😅😅
so, at least five presidents ago... 😂😂
I think I just met my spirit animal. 😂
😂
Hahahaha!
I did that
Yes - PLEASE bring old linen to your local shelter!!! I've volunteered at shelters around the country, and they ALWAYS need more towels, blankets, rags, etc.
Or just keep it and use as rags.
As a potter, the mug comment really got me 😂 yes get rid of your Starbucks mugs, but please don’t stop buying from local artisans, it really DOES make coffee taste better drinking out of a nice piece of art that also is a vessel for caffeine! ❤
I so agree , I always buy a mug or bowl at our Boardwalk Art Show and use them all the time. The energy from them definitely makes everything taste better! And what a nice vibe for your home. The pathetic ones i made in a long-ago workshop are useful to hold paintbrushes😂😂.
I love mugs. I buy mugs and magnets as souvenirs.
@@HappyPotter24 I totally agree with you and love your yt name! I love using the oversized handmade mugs and one of my favs is the little handmade pitcher that fits in the Keurig to fill the taller mugs.
yes, I hate mass produced crap. I like handmade, unique items.
I constantly have to purge the novelty mugs. I love my handmade mugs! They each have stories and artists and conversations that go with them
“I don’t judge”. When you said this I HOWLED! You’re too good at this.
is there anyone more judgemental
Lol….only Nick makes you happy and feel good when he judges 🙌🏻❤️
@@suzycharto3655 Yep…me!!😉
@@suzycharto3655 He just says what most of us are thinking.
Nick raised his eyebrows and gave an audibly disdainful huff, "I don't judge," he lied below eyebrows which literally belied him.
"Three presidents ago" 🤣
I think this channel was suggested to me for interior design but I stay for the comedy. 😂
All of us, lol.
OMG. I went home to visit my parents in Nov and needed some spices to cook. I'm pretty sure some of the ones in my mom's cupboard were there from when I moved in 2002. I quietly went to the supermarket and got some new ones.
Same here
Same. He shames me but I love it. 😅
I'm addicted to this channel! I love Nick's no-nonsense approach and dry sense of humor!
OK, I'll admit I clicked the like button on the previous comment, but let's pause for a moment to understand what may be really going on here. I'm like 100% positive that I'm way older than Nick, but it is entirely possible that his mother grew up during the great depression, as mine did, and even though I "knew" this, it wasn't driven home until my mom passed and I had to clean out her house. Every pot holder, bread tie, plastic food container, mug, novelty glass, tea towel, kitchen towel, and pot and pan that my mother had ever met in her life was still living there, wondering where she had gone. Condiment packets were indeed lurking in the fridge. We threw out all items in the freezer, along with a lot of canned goods in the cabinets that were more than 5-10 years out of date. It was a different time back then, and I gained a whole new appreciation of my mother. Back in those hard economic times, people just didn't throw things out. There were no shot glass collections, but my mom didn't drink, but I can guarantee there were towels there that had been there since the 1960's and 1970's. The US and a lot of other countries have been living pretty well since after WWII, but if we should have another global depression, people may find themselves back in the same fix.
Good point. My grandmother had a stash of used baggies and bread bags under her bed.
I had a sock 🧦 come back one time. The amount of joy I experienced was overwhelming.
Hahaha! Congrats! My sock came back to me lately as well!
They hide in other things like sheets and pants, then in fall when you pull out your long pants or put the flannel sheets on, eureka! sock found!
It has been known to happen 😂
Hilarious! I hunt mine down on the day they’re lost, but my daughter has at least 7 waiting to be reunited at any one time😂😂
I just found a sock that's been missing eight months! True joy.
Yessss!! Please do more room by room videos! Your hilarious "no-judgment/ totally judging" has inspired me to declutter my whole life!! 😅🙌🏼
I have a cardboard box in a quiet corner of my house. Whenever I come across something in any room that I want to get rid of in other words, donate, I throw it in that box. Nothing ever comes back out of the box and when it is full, it goes to Goodwill or whatever other charity I decide to take it to. It has worked beautifully.
Take it to Salvation Army or other local non-profit organization thrift stores. Goodwill is big business, making millions with very little going to the people. Thanks, Nick, right on as always!
Me too. I have that Ikea acacia wood hamper for that purpose. I can sit on it or put trays on it. And when it's full, I put everything in the bag of shame that is also in that box, and drop it off on goodwill..
@ellenryan127 Goodwill is a 501(c)3 charity, despite the hoax posted about it.
Good idea! My pet hate is seeing old filthy wooden chopping boards as ornaments, even hanging on walls. I just wouldn't buy a second hand chopping board, especially if it looks engrained with ashes . Grim!! 🤮😝
I do that too with a bag in the closet so no one else in the family sees what’s going bye-bye.
Yes, do more of these! We get so used to our own items that we don’t even see what we need to purge. I’m guilty of cookbooks, glass jars, and rubber bands. Love this-thanks Nick!
I collect wire bag ties. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Currently helping my dad declutter. 3 days in. Is the end in sight? Not yet. Very appropriate video for my present moment.
As someone from a country where it's polite and custom to give leftovers to your friends who stay over for dinner, the takeaway containers are great because they are pretty waterproof and it doesn't matter if you forgot who has whose Tupperware. We're all in an eternal cycle of having other people's containers and no idea when you'll see them again. Not giving friends I only see 3 times per year my good Tupperware and l'm definitely giving them leftovers because that's just how we roll.
I like that custom. Just curious... What country are you from?
We do this too in Poland
came here to say this - takeaway containers are for giving away food! They are not as sturdy as Tupperware but they don't disintegrate, they split very noticeably. They are safe.
@@karenlampe5426 Belgium
OK, but maybe not the single-use clamshells. And don't reheat anything in them; that's when the chemicals leach out the most.
It was so hard for me to realize that my Le Cruset cooking set needed to go. Arthritis and chronic illness meant some of them were realistically too heavy to manage with one hand and I'd found more creative ways to make food (air fryer/bake/roast/Ninja cooker, Instant Pot small pressure cooker) that didn't involve possibly dropping a cast iron chonk onto my own foot and breaking it.
But someone else will find them at the thrift store and absolutely squeal with joy and that makes my soul happy :)
Wow, wish I was at that thrift store! LeCreuset is heirloom quality cookware that should be passed down for generations. They last forever and nothing sticks. I only have one lidded oval casserole pan. I love it!
I love the sentiment here, but we have to remember that lots of thrift stores throw things straight into the trash because they can’t manage all that they get.
If you can, give things away within your community or ask a relative to manage posting it for free on Facebook marketplace or a reselling app (you can still mark it for free). 😊
@ This is exactly what I do; there’s a thrift store that’s nearby that benefits the hospital in the neighbourhood and specifically serves the locals. They’ve even refused to sell to ‘upsellers’, to give those locally a shot at nicer items for cheap.
I used to give away things on Craigslist and Facebook, but as a woman living alone, I’ve had a few of those turn bad very quickly. I can’t risk it.
@@mjevans199 It is, yeah. And it broke my heart to have to let them all go. The generational thing didn’t work out for me, but at least someone will inherit them still!
@@silver_crone - Yes, I never invite strangers to my place. No market place or craigslist for me. There are various thrift shops in my area, the SPCA is my favorite. I usually give them my best.
"Put it on Facebook marketplace and let somebody else make a mistake." Best line of the year.
My favorite line as well. Hahaha!!!!
I think that washable rug in the kitchen is really useful. It can protect floors from damage if you drop something like a knife, especially if you have wooden or laminate floors.
or help absorb a spill!
Thank you for not attacking my junk drawer, I was dreading it coming up next lol
I appreciate that my kitchen inspired your video; thanks for not actually using video evidence.
I thought he was in my kitchen, especially when it came to magnets and cookie cutters. At least I purged my cookbooks a long time ago, but I still have too many. Maybe time to gift a few to charity.
😂
I’m a kitchen designer and this video is so spot on! I want to send this to every one of my customers when we are space planning their kitchens and they think they have no storage but it’s filled with all THIS crap.
One of my besties needs this video and I wish I could send it to her. Gorgeous home and you can’t put a thing away in the kitchen because there’s so many mugs, glasses, towels…
Amen, sister! I don’t want to offend them but it says everything I’m thinking as I look at the abomination they call they’re kitchen 😂
One great tip for the holiday / rarely used baking stuff is that many libraries have things that you can borrow, like if you only want to make a bundt cake once, not worth buying and storing it! (or even ask friends if they have one to borrow). I love my starbucks mugs though because they have good memories for me, but I decluttered all my other mugs because I just didn't need that many
Recently threw out all our mismatched storage containers and replaced with all IKEA glass ones because the lids are interchangeable. If it is a square container, any of the square lids will fit. So satisfying!!!
That is good to know! Love that idea because losing lids is the worst
Sounds like a step-down program
Good, brilliant, we need more of your trash, because there are "mismatched" boxes in a room you don't even look at.
Americans desperate to use any argument just to buy something.
That is nice to know. I bought Pyrex containers and the lids do not hold up as long as the containers, and the replacement lids in a set cost almost as much as buying a new set of bowls! The keeping of storage containers is one of my biggest gripes in my kitchen! I actually bought a 50 pack of the disposable ones early in the video and I can both send home leftovers with my adult kids and toss them guilt free. But I will consider the IKEA ones. There is little more frustrating than grabbing a container and not being able to find a lid that fits.
I am moving towards glass as well.
Also, I use rubber bands all the time. Not for "crafts", but for everyday stuff like keeping packages of food shut after they have been opened.
I use rubber bands constantly to reseal packages of frozen vegetables, popcorn, etc. More efficient and take up less space than "chip clips." I keep them - along with my kitchen matches and several other things in a beautiful handpainted russian saltbox mounted on the wall. What's the big deal about keeping rubber bands?! (And you need more than three, because they do self-destruct.)
I use rubber bands for all kinds of things - I probably have at least 15 deployed in my kitchen/dining area right now. Three? Only three? This is madness.
If you use them, it isn't a big deal. 😀 I guess if you have a bunch and don't use them, it's not that big of a deal, either! 😅
Before you throw away Tupperware containers without lids, consider using them as drawer organizers
Before you throw out extra lids, makes sure you aren’t using the containers as drawer organizers!
@ajrockne307 🤣🤣🤣 imagine
I use them for many things around the house.
I use my mom's old aluminum loaf pans to store my underwear! 😄
I put the lid under the container when I use them as drawer organizers - just saves my sanity later.
I love my magnets. It’s the only souvenir I ever get from my vacations. Whenever I open my refrigerator, I think of all the places I’ve been.😊.
I love the magnets too! But they do not even stick to my new fridge 😢, so I bought metal board
I’m the same way although I see Nick’s point. If I get a garage fridge I might move the magnets there, but until then I will display my magnets proudly in my kitchen.
I have a few select magnets. One of my favorites is "Don't make me come down there!" signed God.
@@matthewthibert4562 that is where I keep mine, on my garage fridge.
I totally get you on the reminiscing part and I also love buying trinkets on vacation. I love trinket shops and stalls... but then both I and my husband hate the clutter in the home, be it on the fridge or anywhere else. It's too distracting and often wouldn't match the decor. So I had a brilliant idea, which I later learned many people also had: getting christmas tree ornaments form all our trips. Or stuff that can pass for an ornament. Quite a few magnets got strings glued to them and their backsides covered with fabric. Because while we dislake chaos in most cases, a chaotic, mismatched decor on a christmas tree is something that I actually love (and my husband doesn't care either way). It looks homey. It means that we would be remembering the trips once a year, but I feel it is more meaningfull to us this way.
Marie Kondo, look out!
My mother drilled into me to keep everything that might be useful. Depression era habits die hard!
Actually, anyone anywhere in the world raised in a tiny village in a remote countryside with spare access to store goods will see any piece of junk as a treasure. This environnement can even alter the DNA and create generations of rubber bands, bags and plastic containers collectors.
This entire day I’ve been working on a couple of rooms in my house. Trying to be orderly. Needing a break, UA-cam delivered me this video. You are just my kind of humor...oh, how I needed this both for function and entertainment! Thank you!
I have a mug addiction. I just reshuffled my cabinet to fit more. Some have a graphic, some have a nice feel, some are just beautiful pottery. I love them all.
I’m with you Nick on the mismatched glasses and mugs, but… In defense of those who are, they make big get togethers much easier for knowing which drink is yours! ❤
Excellent point
And those of us who love this but have big families
Wine charms work on mug handles, too. 😉
I know! I can store my Christmas cookie cutters in my plastic takeout containers with the burnt oven mitts as packing material! Oooof, thanks Nick!
Invest in silicon mitts, they don't burn
😂
Congrats! You are well on your way to hoarding! 😂
Ok will throw out my burnt oven square… just don’t tell the other one what happened to his buddy.
Brilliant plan! 🤣
Our daughter loved stickers. Apparently, the very best place to display them was my big side-by-side fridge/freezer. Its doors were covered with stickers. Stickers on top of stickers. Okay, we bought the stickers, so are responsible for this blight, but, she loved them, right? Then, she grew out of this fetish around the time I gutted my kitchen and installed a fridge/freezer with custom cabinet door fronts. Despite her disinterest in her old stickers, my husband felt compelled to carefully remove each sticker and glue it into a scrap book. Hundreds of stickers. It was a true labour of love. Happy New Year, Nick.
Thats so sweet ❤
did you have to call it a fetish 😭😭
@ Fetish: “an inanimate object worshiped for its supposed magical powers or because it is considered to be inhabited by a spirit.” When a two-year-old talks to her Mickey Mouse sticker and tells it she’ll see him in Disney World, what would you call it? It was Disney all the time. Hell, she even ended up working in Finance for the Walt Disney Company! There really is such a thing as “Disney Magic”!
OMG that's adorable and that was me when I was a kid. I destroyed everything with stickers LOL
So y'all sit around and look at the sticker scrapbook or what? Will she even want it when she moves out or will she take it and shove it in a closet to not hurt your feelings? Look up Swedish death cleaning.
I'm in a mood and have never accomplished so much during a video!!!! I paused this video to go through water bottles before Nick said water bottles; paused to go through tupperware/plastic containers (which led to pitchers, ice cube trays, etc..); paused to go through cute kiddy cups/mugs (grandsons are now 10 & 13); then paused to throw out old frozen food. Tomorrow I'll get to the spices.
My tip for any unneeded/leftover utensils, sauces, napkins, and cleaned takeout containers (even the bag if it’s clean) is to save them and bring the entire thing to the next CASUAL outdoor BBQ/cookout. That way, things won’t get wasted and people can take home food in bags afterwards.
I try to ask for no sauce, napkins, or utensils if I’m going to be taking food home, but it’s hard to remember.
Awe look, Nick made a video about my kitchen ♥️! Thanks, man 👍! Happy New Year!
😂
Love that t
‘The freezer does NOT stop time ‘ !!! You are so so right !
"Though food will be safe indefinitely at 0° F, quality will decrease the longer the food is in the freezer."
From the FDA.
"Food stored constantly at 0 °F will always be safe. Only the quality suffers with lengthy freezer storage."
From the USDA.
I would include the links but I think UA-cam still removes comments with links
Almost everyone is going to be better of chucking old nasty food to get the freezer space back, but it is still safe to eat if there are no other options.
You did this topic better than anyone else who specializes in decluttering here on YT. Thoroughly enjoyed this one. It was spot-on, and you had me laughing out loud several times. Thanks, Nick. I'm sure I will be re-watching this one soon.
could not agree more; this has actually both inspired me and given me permission to THROW IT OUT
Oh please more of this! I need your ruthless room-by-room breakdown in my life 😁
All of my perishables (canned goods, flour etc) are clearly marked with their best by or use by date. Makes it easy to just glance at items and see if I need to use them. Did this for my mom’s pantry when I found a jar of maraschino cherries that was 10 years past date! It’s often hard for older folks to see the small print so a large expiration date written on the front is a great help.
We don’t grab condiment packages unless we will immediately use them.
Little things add up to big piles of clutter 😊
"You know they sell it at the grocery store? They do, it's just like, right there."
Howling!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Love this kind of video! Recently I took my 47 reuseable bags and gave them to the church thrift store: they were thrilled. Also realized I'll never have 14 people over for coffee, so donated a ton of mugs. This video just made me ruthless about my spice cupboard, LOL.
That’s awesome! He’s so right about this stuff. I did once go to use one of my saved ketchup packets and it was brown. So I finally threw them out. Every time my husband tries to save ketchup and hot sauce packets from takeout I just throw them away.
Also donate bags to the food bank
😂
Re cutting boards, according to one of my fave teaching chefs, Sohla El-Waylly, real wood (not particle board glued) is actually anti-bacterial, and one of the most long-lasting tools in the kitchen if you choose wisely. Plastic is actually bad because as time goes on and it gets grooves, bacteria hide out in there.
And, plastic boards dull knives faster.
I changed to 8 white pottery barn mugs and got rid of all of my souvenir mugs. It’s nice to just grab a mug and not have to put any thought into it because they are all the same. It’s the little things. 😂
A few years ago, i went through rvery cabinet and drawer and pulled everything I could not recall using in the past year. Even in my small kitchen, filled 6 boxes and haven't missed any of it. Could have got rid of more, but hubby insisted on holding on to some stuff. My biggest kitchen regret is the usual big over-the-stove microwave, cost about $700. For what I use it for, could have got by with a smaller countertop one for less than half that.
"Okay, new year same you but maybe with a little less crap"😂😂😂❤❤❤❤❤
I feel this in my soul…
Love this.
😂😂😂
Glass jars (new or used jam, jelly, sauce, and pickle) have been a lifesaver for me, reusing them to seal spices and such after initial use. Great way to save things from bugs and to slow oxidation.
And you can buy replacement lids. I have about 500. I haven't bought a vegetable since the Clinton Administration
best for nuts!
**wiping eyes** Nick, you outdid yourself on this one. The burnt souffle on the ancient oven mitts 😂 Thank you for the lighthearted reminders. 😂❤
I came across your video quite by accident, about decluttering the kitchen and you’ve inspired me. Every thing you mentioned from spices to shopping bags, plastic containers, etc, I am definitely guilty of hoarding. I’ve been wanting to declutter, and the way you explained it makes a lot of sense. One item at the time. Today t towels, tomorrow plastics, etc. not about new year new me, at 70 I’m past that. More about making more room and more sense in my home. Thank you, I’ve subscribed to your channel. Maybe another time you may help us crafters declutter our craft / sewing rooms as well. 🤗🤗🤗
Tea towels become softer and more absorbent the longer they are used, and the more times they have been washed. That makes the old worn ones the most effective and the most valuable. If you have let your (new or old) towels become mouldy, then you have a serious problem with hygiene, not a problem with the age of the towels.
It took a while but now I’m a pro at always keeping my shopping bag with me. Haven’t bought a bag of shame in years. Always keeping two in my backpack, and 6 in the car.
Yeah - storing them in the car is top tier here.
Impressive!
I went with my old plastic bag to the store of origin. The shop assistant yelled: 'John, come here, we haven't seen this bag design for a very long time!'
I've been using reusable bags since the late '90s. When animal organizations used to send you a good quality one for a donation. I have most of them to this day. I carry them in the back seat. It took me 6 months of going back to my vehicle to pull them out to get used to bringing them in right away. I would go back out to the car to force myself to remember them eventually. Now it's as automatic as brushing my teeth in the morning.
@@naomihepworth1642
When tea towels dont come clean again , no matter how you wash them , tear them in half and use them as cleaning rags . Once used, rinse them , tear them into strips and put them in your garden composter . All cotten and linen tea towels will break down into compost .
Can turn them into rugs and mats for the needy too.
I don't use paper towels---I use my old dish towels to wipe up spills. I wash them over and over again and when they get really thin, they become dust rags.
Definitely keepers. I've gotten more clumsy as I age and always need rags for spills. Also good for cleaning up the cat who hates baths.
@@charlottekylin4169
Charlotte, I’ve got one up in you. I didn’t need to get old to be clumsy. I practiced at it all my life. I have always reused linens for cleaning up after myself. It’s a money saver and works as long as I don’t cut myself with the scissors as I cut up the material.
Same here. We use them as serviettes and for cleaning. No more disposables.
The best bag clips are binder clips; way stronger than regular ones, and don’t disintegrate like rubber bands 😉
Yep, they also come in assorted sizes. It’s what I use for most bags. I also like wire bag ties. They are good for frozen veggies and also for putting through a zipper hole so I can zip up my jeans and boots when I have on long finger nails. 😁
clothes pins too
Large paperclips work too!
When I was in my late 20s I bought 2 sets of glass Snapwear, I'm in my 40s and I have never lost a lid. I think when you have nice things you generally take care of them. That being said, I do have some plastic containers for guests and for my child to take to school, the school stuff gets lost all the time 🤦
Reading through all these comments is as fun as listening to Nick! Thanks everyone for the giggles! 🤣😂🤣
One of your best videos. You called all of us out😂
Some of us are over here thanking Nick for using his platform to express what some of us have been saying for decades.
including himself!
Due to foot problems, the padded kitchen matts are a life saver while I cook. Its not a stylistic choice, but a necessity.
yes, I use those too. Back savers for sure.
Saaaame
Same
Hahaha I thought you wrote mitts! Here I was trying to figure out how they help, does she wear or stand on them. My goodness…matts yes they are a huge foot/ back saver!
The old tea towels are really great for drying clean windows! They don’t leave lint and if they get nasty from that you can throw them out.
The shelters often want any old bath towels & bedding you have like blankets & comforters, and that’s another thing that needs to get weeded out.
Thanks for reminding us to get rid of the extra stuff we have….start the new year fresh!
One thing they don't need, however, is sheets. Towels and blankets are great, comforters can be too big sometimes, but sheets are useless.
We do a christmas collection every year for the SPCA. As well as pet food we ask for old blankets and towels. It's great because it's a cause everyone can support without costing too much.
The best part is that when we turn up to donate all of the goodies, the staff there let us hold a kitten or puppy. So far I have not come home with any 😊
There is nothing better than special microfiber cloth. Period.
@@RebeccaHunt-wv8bcIf they have a charity shop (thrift store) they might accept sheets for resale. I don't know if that is common elsewhere but in the UK, many animal shelters also run one or more charity shops to raise funds.
If anyone has sheets that are beyond reuse, they could also try putting word out, asking if anyone has some decorating planned, or some other messy project, as the sheets could perhaps be used as drop cloths or cleaning up rags.
@@RebeccaHunt-wv8bccomforters pretty useless, too, unless they can be washed in a shelter washing machine.
Disposable containers are good for pasta/curry that stains other plastic containers.
Or for raw chicken or fish, which can be difficult to clean out properly.
Wow. Super sarcastic and witty at the same time. It was a blast watching you as usual. You took a mundane topic and made it fun.
I feel SO called out. Every kitchen needs a rolling pin and cookie cutters, even if you never use them, or used them one time. I will die on this hill. lol
😆 lol....
Same here with the refrigerator magnets!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
😂
😂😂😂
And WHO only uses gingerbread men (and gingerbread women!) cutters and the like, once a year?! I don't even have any grandchildren, but I make stuff like that at least once a month!
I am literally using this as a guide in real time to go through my house and cull the crap. Thank you, Nick, for your guidance!
Donate your reusable bags to second hand (clothing) shops. They will use them for their clientele.
Some food banks will also take them to pack food in for recipients
My local goodwill recycles cloth. It gets sorted by type, baled, and sold at auctions. Some of the bales become rags in machine shops, others become carpet padding.
I never use bags. I have a bin in my car and just put the groceries in the cart then into the bin. My mom keeps telling cashiers my daughter doesn’t use bags😂
Also people who sell at markets often like to get bags.
Good tip. I recently switched the store where I get my grocery delivery because they still offer paper bags. It’s ridiculous for most grocery deliveries you need to buy new reusable bags EVERY time 😔
OMG- I got to this video late in the day because I was decluttering my kitchen! Excess stuff, including mugs, are out in the car to be donated. Another thing no one needs in the kitchen is a "junk drawer," in my humble opinion. Space is too limited to use a drawer as a trash bag. Happy New Year, and please continue this series! I need all the help I can get. 😱
I disagree with you on that one. I have a junk drawer that contains rarely used cooking implements but I still use them and they are good to have.
So many of your tips I’ve been meaning to do but waiting until after Christmas. I’m going to throw out all my Rubbermaid containers. I have had them waaay too long and have bottoms with no tops and vice versa.
I come across insulated cups in the back of the cupboards but can’t reach them to get rid of them. It will take a dedicated time to clean out the cupboard so I can get them gone. Along with other stuff I don’t use.
My kids are adults and my granddaughter is a teenager so don’t need the zipper bag full of cookie cutters.
You’ve convinced me. I’m going to go through my kitchen and go through everything over several months and clear out the stuff that I don’t need or are just too old. Thanks so much.❤️❤️
“The shelf life on these is probably shorter than the 35 years that you think it is “ 🤣🤣🤣 14:50
For things like the tea towels, I like to keep a hierarchy. Nice, new towels go in the kitchen; when they start to get a bit ratty they turn into cleaning cloths; if they get stained, they turn into rags for diy/painting; then they're out. Like, "I can't throw this away, there's still a lot of good use in it!" sure, totally true, but that use doesn't have to have to be in your kitchen, on display.
Also, every time you run laundry, grab the hand towels from your kitchen and bathroom and throw them in. Most of us aren't doing a separate "towel laundry" often enough for how much use these get. Swap em out every time you think of it, basically.
YES!
I have same system
Ex MIL took used dish towels to the laundry room following every meal. Picked up the habit and works great. Try to limit use of paper towels. Just have a small vented basket and throw in the towels - handy and ready for the next wash.
My old kitchen towels become cleaning rags as well. I PERSONALLY think that using them that way is much more responsible than buying paper towels. And I am pleased to say that they have a neat space in my pantry room.
Exactly. Anything to alleviate paper towels. Been using cloth dinner napkins, too.
Nick’s mom is all of us 😅
I feel a bit called out. I’m keeping the mugs that I’ve been collecting for 40 years. Yes, all of them. Okay, maybe not the 6 ugly ones that people got me because it had a cat on it, but I’m keeping the rest.
And I’m keeping all the glass jars because I make herbal salves & remedies, as well as do a lot of home canning.
All your other points are valid. I’m tossing the 3 cutting boards I don’t like, the ugly stained tea towels, and all the extra travel mugs & water bottles.
Can’t wait to see you tackle the other rooms! I’m moving 1500 miles (2400 km) in a few months and I need the motivation to get rid of stuff!!
Please do more of these!!! Years ago I purged my kitchen of just about all these items and I’ve never looked back! While my kitchen isn’t perfect, Im much happier in my space and can quickly identify issues creeping back and deal with it asap. Some of the best things I did was toss all my plastic containers and move to glass storage containers. I have just enough for our family and my cupboard is so much tidier.
We also went down to one set of mugs. One holiday, my husband and I visited a local potter and picked out a set of handmade mugs. We toured the workshop and met one of the artisans. So it was a physical gift plus an experience. We absolutely love our mugs and are proud to display them in our kitchen! We do not hold onto other mugs because we don’t feel the need to clutter out something we love.
Re: glass jars!
If you are canning, you can use a mason jar lid ONCE!!! They cannot be reused if you are canning with them, the second time you use the lid you can’t be sure that it will seal properly
"Keep a couple of mason jars for canning purposes"
🤔🤔🤔 😉😉😂😄😆😄🤣😆😃
Oh I did not know this 😮 though I haven't had much luck with preserving pickles. I make quick pickles now that are delicious
But you can freeze things with used lids, like broth.
My water bath canner holds nine pint-size jars; I think the pressure canner holds six. You almost have to do that many cans at a time for it to be worth the time and effort.
My mother and grandparents reused lids for decades with no issues. It's easy to tell that something is not sealed as the lid button pops up, and they have had almost the same bad luck with brand new lids not sealing. We're talking over 60 years of this habit. They did hot water bath canning mostly so there might be a difference for pressure-canning.
This is so funny! My mother was a child of The Depression and she would save everything!! From old plastic containers that food came in, to all kinds of mugs (she loved the various casino mugs) to condiment packets....nothing could be thrown out because that was considered "wasteful"!
My mom is 87. Same deal.
I am now cleaning out my mom's house, and she was exactly this person. It's taking forever !
She never learnt to share 😒 one can donate the excess
@@Amira_Phoenix my mom also
My grandparents were the same way. Any kind of have to understand where they’re coming from. But the Cool Whip container almost never had Cool Whip in it, and the margarine container was the same way :-) you just knew that. When my grandmother passed away, we went and cleaned out her kitchen, and we had the kind of chuckle with the amount of containers like that that she had.
Recycling is a huge scam. There are a lot of types of plastic but only a couple that actually get recycled. The containers shown in this video are very likely the type that recyclers don’t want for various reasons. I’m not saying that none of it gets recycled but remember that recyclers are in a business. If they can’t make money on the product, they aren’t going to do it. A large amount of what we put in the recycle bin ends up in the land fill. That’s why I say it’s a scam.
I tend to agree. Only plastic bottles are being bought from the local waste company
Agree to a certain extent; it really depends where you are and what company is doing your recycling, which unfortunately can change all the time. So I’d rather err on the side of “keep it out of the landfill” if possible on the chance that it does actually get recycled into a new usable product.
I recommend glass containers with silicone lids such as AnchorHocking or Pyrex. These work for baking, microwaving, storage; I have not bought plastic containers for years.
@@Wrenlinn If you must buy plastic, I recommend sistema, they stack with each other and they're made in New Zealand from straw-derived plastic.
Watch “Trash Inc” documentary. The real story is very interesting.
I break some of these rules but still love that u are calling me out on it.
I need 3 water bottles but that's so I will switch when I should but I'm too lazy to clean it out. 1 that's more secure but holds less that I use for activities
I've decided that what makes your videos so funny is that what you say is SO true!
This is the first time in my life that I have laughed out loud over kitchen mitts. Perfect!
Those extra shopping bags are great for taking all those extra coffee mugs and appliances to a second hand shop
lol😂
Nick brings joy.
LOVE the clear glass mugs from Dollar Tree! They’re big enough, great shape, clear glass so nothing clashes, cheap enough to buy more if any break and don’t get like molten lava out of the microwave.
I must say this is my favorite video of the year.
Really loved this video Nick!! I was born in 1960. I had a boy's and girl's cookbook that I started using when I was 6. I made my own cheese eggs before I went out to ride my bike without a helmet!!! Anyway I still have it. Memories!!😅😅
YES! The Betty Crocker Boys and Girls Cookbook. When my mother passed, I made sure I got it. And the coverless ring-bound cookbook she always cooked from. I'll never forget her My Success Cake, a simple butter cake that she made for strawberry shortcake or cupcakes.
@lynnbetts4332 I am so happy someone else remembers this book!! There is a chocolate soda recipe I still make today!! This book has special meaning for us both!!
@@gatrgurlfl3980 My favorite was the Mulligan Stew. So many stains on that page now.
Great video! Last spring when I downsized my mom I used most of her shopping bags to donate all of the clutter!
You downsized your mum? Ha ha
Freezer burn is not microbiological contamination. It’s unpalatable, but in a pinch you can still eat it.
For Christmas, I used a Quorn roast I put in the freezer in January. It was fine.
exactly.
The price of all food nowadays, trim the freezer burned part off and prepare as usual.
YOU can still eat it, honey.
They’re barely palatable and def not at all tasty
Wonderful practical advice. I do a big tidy every year after Christmas starting with the kitchen and the spice cabinet so feeling inspired. Love the blue sweater BTW.
The idea of actually getting new potholders blew my mind. I've had mine since I first got married 11 years ago and there are definitely some burns and stains on them. 😆 It's just not something I have really thought about till now.
I think this is the first time, I have agreed with EVERYTHING Nick has said! And in my decluttering journey, I have gotten rid of ALL of these things!
Various mugs and glasses are a MUST for everyone to keep track of their own beverage! We use them for weekly family dinners, neighbors over, music jams, book club. Seriously it’s very practical for anyone who entertains at all.
Kids cups: they each had their own (character or color as they grew up it changed) & were responsible for putting it in dishwasher after meals. Your cup isn’t clean? You wash it. Less dishes pile up that way!
- Mother of 5 kids 😊
@@grateful7420 Exactly. I hate it when my kids drink my vodka.
I host people regularly and I have a pack of glass markers that each guest can use to write their names on the glass.
@@deetgeluidthat is so funny!!!😂😂😂
I was feeling all superior thinking, "I don't do that. I don't have those." But dang, if he didn't call me out with the water bottles and freezer goods!!! And he did NOT go there with my glass jars!!! 💀💀💀
This might be Nick's all time funniest video ever. I'm rolling. 😂😅😂😅😂😅
I was in that exact same superior frame of mind until he got to cutting boards. 😆Up to that point I felt completely justified keeping old tea towels to use when I oil all the wood cutting boards. Now I'm too ashamed to even count them...the boards and the tea towels. 😮
Freezer goods and plastic containers for me. 😂😂😂
I love my magnets too! One door only holds ones from my European trips. On the other side are ones from around the US. They cannot go on my fridge unless I've actually been there. Love to see them when I open the doors. None are on the freezer drawer
I need more water bottles to put stickers on 😅 they're, like, the only thing I can bring myself to spend stickers on. But they have specific uses! Upstairs bottle, downstairs bottle, travel bottle, and work bottle!
Towels go from kitchen to studio to cleaning rags to burn barrel. They never are wasted.
Mine go from the kitchen to the cleaning rag pile to the garage to the trash so they live a long useful life. And it’s always nice to have some rags around that. You know that you can completely destroy and then throw away.
Ok, we almost passed! We have none of the “no no’s” except old dish towels! We save a few to use as rags and in case there is a major spill! They’re so absorbent and have come in very handy when we’ve spilled something big time!
Everything else on your list - we passed with flying colors! Of course, it greatly helps that the 2 of us live in a 550 sq Ft cottage … so we own what we need/use frequently or dearly love, that we have room for! When we downsized, we eliminated about 90% of our possessions several years ago. One of the best things we ever did! We don’t miss a thing!
Happy clutter-free new year!
I’m with you about old dish towels! I use them for drying fruit and veggies after washing them, and you need lots for prepping fruits for jam making
I feel called out LOL but this is so true and such good advice! After our whole house flooded while we were on vacation, and 30 years of “stuff” (crap) was packed out (by someone else - bless them) and then brought back in (over 800 boxes worth!), we did this kind of declutter as we unpacked the boxes, trying really hard to be brutally honest about what we needed and didn’t need. I think I related to just about every item he mentioned… We’re not quite as perfect as Nick (HAHA) but our kitchen (and other areas) are so much less cluttered now and function much better without the excess stuff that we don’t really use. But I’m really just here for Nick’s commentary! ❤
You're terrific at what you do, know, say, teach, Nick! Great help for many and you are influencing us in a great way!!!
I feel seen. Got out of bed, went to the kitchen, and cleaned out my recycled "good" jars. I had upgraded to canning jars but kept a few just in case.
Recycling now. Thanks Nick.
You clocked me so hard with the eclectic mug collection. 😂😂 Luckily, I DO keep a lid on how many I have, but my parents, who are artists and have a lot of artist friends and connections, have dozens and dozens of unique mugs on display in their house. I like it, but I don't want that for my house
I only keep a handful of plastic containers around, and they're specifically for sending guests home with leftovers, because we all know those containers aren't coming back
Good video! I think people need reminders to purge. It’s so easy to hold onto everything. The proliferation of self storage places is making a mint off people’s old and forgotten items.
People need reminders to not buy crap they don’t need in the first place!
Agree and love these tips!
There is bamboo wheat cutting boards, looks and cleans like plastic but has no plastic! All I use is one large and one small wood board and one large and one small bamboo wheat cutting boards 👌🏽
Nick you crack me up! I was just thinking today I need to do a thrift shop sweep and get rid of a pile of stuff! I usually do this once a year, it cleanses my spirit and makes me happy. 😊