6 DECLUTTERING SECRETS You Have To Try!
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- Опубліковано 16 вер 2024
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We made a video not too long ago which covered some decluttering tips to help you live a more minimalist lifestyle. Well, you guys loved that video so we thought we would put together 6 more decluttering tips that we've been using around the CMS HQ to help us (and you) declutter your home. Enjoy!
COMMENT QUESTION: What's the hardest thing for you to declutter in your house?
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Your cat is probably thinking....Why would you throw away a perfectly good box? Hmmm, Humans.
Star Gazer I agree. I usually leave the box on the floor for awhile, let the cats play then recycle.
Right??? Poor kitty looked like he really wanted the box
Star Gazer exactly!!! 😂😂😂
LOL good one!!! Cheap toy!
Exactly! I think you owe your cat a box...it had plans for that box.
I was going to de-clutter my house today but I spent hours watching UA-cam videos about de-cluttering. Great video though! Thanks for helping me procrastinate! Hahaha!!! (I gave you a thumbs up)
Raymond, love your comment!
FYI when you're getting rid of old linens, take them to your local animal shelter. Ours is always happy to get old sheets and towels, and dogs and cats don't care about that crazy pattern you once thought was so cool
k8neville b I
Thanks for this tip! I had no idea what to do with my old comforters.
That’s a great idea
Awesome suggestion!!
k8neville @ Thank You so much....💛🐶🐱
My son passed away 5 years ago. It has been incredibly difficult to let go of his stuff. So what I've been doing is going in steps. Each year I've been going through the items that I've kept and evaluating if I really need to keep it. I've gone from a room full of things to a medium/large-sized bin. My goal this year is to fit it into a small bin. We'll see how it goes!.....
Kelley Williford so sorry for your loss, hugs and prayers. I am trying to purge my parents house, I can't even imagine how hard it is for you.
Kelley Williford So incredibly sorry for your loss! I can only imagine how unbelievably hard it must be for you to declutter his possesions! Taking small steps is a great idea, and maybe can you consider donating a few of his things that you intend to declutter, to someone in need? Maybe that will bring you little comfort....
That would be so hard. Sounds like you're doing a great job though if you are down to one bin.
Kids toys clutter so much
so sorry for your loss. May our Lord ease your pain and loss Ameen
I'm a tidy minimalist person but must say I'm happy I kept my extra linen because I ended up running a guesthouse later in life and boy did those come in handy and save me money in starting out, now I can't get enough as running a guesthouse you replace those a lot quicker. Secondly the manual thing is good but as someone who occasionally has a house-sitter I keep my manuals in an easy to reach organized spot. First it's easy for a house-sitter to refer to while away with out needing to go online or download a special file. Second I end up referring to them a lot more and then run my equipment smarter. People often don't read manuals and do things that often wear out their item faster. I read manuals! I know weird but it's made for keeping things in a good working order for a longer time than most. Just thought I'd throw those out as extra considerations.
Your cat would LOVE to climb in that box and chill.....jus sayen from experience...you would find him/her purring away...happier than ever ....and you can have a good laugh...it's Sooooo cute.
The local animal shelter would love old linens, especially towels.
I keep boxes for 1-2 months depending on the items. A lot of companies now say you have to include all original packaging to return an item.
They say that but according to consumer laws they can't refuse to accept items returned due to manufacturing flaws no matter what packaging you use. Probably easier for you to repack in original box than find another to fit something like a TV though.
I do, too, for the same reason.
Bingo. My thoughts exactly!
That cat was super not happy with the fact that you got rid of a perfectly good box.
I love shoeboxes for organizing. I cut off the flaps off Amazon boxes and use them as bins. I save larger boxes for long-term storage or moving. Also you can shred cardboard and use it in your compost pile.
I started sorting, cleaning and decluttering in April, 7 months ago. I couldn't afford a dumpster, so I made weekly trips to both the landfill and the Salvation Army. Now I only make those trips every 2-3 weeks. The hardest items to part with have been my fabrics and craft items. I like to sew and craft. I even use old sheets for making cloth books for the little ones in my family. My collection of fabrics seems to grow on its own. Weird. I was able to part with 3 kitchen trash bags of unused crafty things, I organized what remained, put everything in plastic totes, and used masking tape and a sharpie to list the contents of each tote. The whole shelf makes me smile every time I look at it. I also donated fleece and blankets to the local animal shelter.
Bags! I collect bags like crazy. Reusable, nice paper bags from a store, plastic bags (which I do tend to reuse), birthday bags. I love having a variety of bags, but it also makes me feel like a hoarder.
shutterbug424 I threw away a lot of plastic bags. I just kept collecting them
My mom had a box fettish!! She was always sorting! I made multiple trips to shoe stores, and then I had to throw them all out when she went into the nursing home!!
Eva Ramirez. I seen your bag
collector on decluttering on UTube today i have the same issue what advice did u get to do about it
Me Too!!! Once when I moved from a 2,000 square foot home, I found plastic bags in every drawer, closet, cabinet, shelf, nook and cranny in the place. I'm better now, but I still have that tendency.
Same here
When I worked in childcare I saw how many special crafts and project were sent home with the children each week. So when I had my own kids I was extremely conscious to choose only a few truly important pieces (displaying a developmental skill or milestone) or I would let the kids choose 1 or two pieces they were really proud of from that month to keep. At the end of the year I would go through and cull through these things again. I do the same with school work. I have them choose any projects they are really proud of and we keep those. This has made our collection of kid stuff much smaller than the boxes we received from our parents. Some people can’t believe how much of my kids’ stuff I dispose of, but nobody needs every fingerpainting and clay punch pot they ever made!
AL Smith My own children’s projects were sorted. I sent everything home with the children I cared for in childcare. I sent home arm loads of projects every week. Apparently that wasn’t clear. I would never deprive children the chance to show off their creations with pride and let them decide with their families how best to save and display them. I had my own children choose the things that were special to them, that brought them joy, I also choose pieces that were special to me or displayed milestones in their development. I learned a lot letting my children decide. Things that the adults put a lot of importance to were often not what my children gave importance to.
my kitchen is the hardest for me to keep decluttered. I hate cleaning at night when I am so tired, but I have tried it a couple of times and feel really good about it. Still something to work on. And it's so easy to lay things on the counters...when we go to model homes, that's what always gets me....the counters are so clean (and that's kind of the point but why have all that space if you have to keep it clean.) The more space I have, the more clutter piles up.
I always leave the boxes some days around the house for my kitties to play with. They are part of the family, I enjoy what the box contained, they enjoy the box.
I can't get rid of my books , photografs or my son's baby stuff. I've purged some of his things but I don't want to let go everything. I also keep my collections, stickers, rubbers o erasers, stamps. I have them in pretty boxes, and they don't take that much space. I like to go see them from time to time and I enjoy remembering.
Cat at 1:16 : Hello darkness my old friend... 😢
The cat's like: "Wait a minute! I wanted to play in that box!"
I enjoyed your simple & clear video.It was nice to see the gentleman participating.It's hard for me to get rid of papers,books,clothing,plastic bags & junk.You are right,the cleaner your desk is,the more productive you are.I need to recycle manuals & instructions also.
For me, Books are the hardest to declutter.
That's one we hear a lot :) Thanks for watching!
Hajra Alvi
That was my problem. It took me years but I stopped buying books and started going to the library to check out books. Then I finally gave in and started using the kindle. The funny thing is, when clients found out I love to read, they started bringing me books. I have a huge collection of books again because I don't want to hurt there feelings by telling them to not bring me books.😂
After moving to another country I started to miss all the books that I couldn't take with me. So I decided to buy an electronic reader and find electronic versions of all the books that I love. I read the majority of my books with my ereader. When I want to read a printed book, I go to the city library. Now my library is inside a USB key.
E. L. Williams You could always donate the read-but-not-going-to-reread books to schools, libraries, and charity thrift stores. Little free libraries and bookcrossing are also options. Trade with friends (Jolabokaflod is an Icelandic Christmas tradition.) I would think that the spirit of the gift was to provide you with a good, free reading opportunity, not to overwhelm you with lifelong clutter.
I have the same problem. My mom was an avid reader and would constantly pass her books to me and then when she died, I ended up with ALL of them. I now can't bring myself to get rid of them. It's been 6 1/2 yrs, I need to find a way to make this happen.
It's hard to get rid of things given to you by a loved one who has passed. I'm now glad I saved all those greeting cards and wish I'd saved even more.
Susan Koop you should put them in a shadow box! I loved saving cards too but they took up so much space.
Smart move. Also, sorry for your loss.
Poor kitty! She’s saying “Mom! Mom! Moooom! Wait, where are you going with my new box?”
Lol
Yes, you've seen that right! It's a bit like destroying the new toy your kid just received. Only this time it's a fur kid. Such a waste of a perfectly fine box.
My mother is giving me baby/kid memorabilia every time I visit lately. We look at it, have a few laughs & either I keep it or one of us gets rid of it. Her explanation is that it’s a whole lot more fun to go through the memories together now rather than it being part of the awful chore of going through the items after she’s gone. She is right on with this one! Especially when I look back at a book I made her for Mother’s Day in 1st grade when I aspired to work in a burger joint. 😂😂 That dream never came into fruition, so now I am a school teacher instead. 🤣
Laura Robinson she is so correct, I am going through my parents home and found a box of pictures and Mother's Day cards I had given her, needless to say, after many tears, I just had to walk away after putting that box away. I will go back and finish that box, but it will be some time.
Laura Robinson KIDS are almost thirty and it was so sweet to see the drawing of me in a limousine ( sp. was great) going to church! 🤣
Kathi Stensland I am really sorry you had to go through your sentimental items like that! 😢 If you have children, you can spare them the grief you went through. I pray God will grant you the peace to resume the project, and hopefully you will find memorabilia that will put a smile on your face, and even a chuckle or two.
Laura Robinson Thank you, there have been some laughs and good tears from happy memories. I am purging much of my stuff as well. We had a flood under our house years ago and that purged so many things. I am still amazed how fast things accumulate, but I just keep chipping away.
Before breaking down the box, you should allow your kitty to play in it. 😻😻😻 Otherwise, they'll be sad. 😿😿😿
I agree, I leave empty boxes out til trash day and if they're really getting good use I may leave them an extra week, then it's time to toss, but I can't deny my cats their playtime lol
fromcraft2cure Cool idea! My kids are grown now, but after a major purchase, they’d play with the box for a week and ignore the big ticket item! 🤣
fromcraft2cure , cats very much value boxes it's true. If they could buy and sell boxes it would be real estate to them
I totally agree, I have three cats and when I have a box get emptied, usually make few holes on it and let it stay with the cats for few days,... then flatten the box and damp it to the recycling trash container.... win win.
Thank you for stating the obvious! Cat lovers unite.
I liked your cute cat.He,or she was curious about the box.Cats like to jump in & out of boxes.They scratch the boxes,also.I love cats & animals in general.
Books !! I have books that I read in grade 1 ...I’m finally donating them to a library nearby !!
Craft supplies, old pictures, old school books, blankets, picture frames, vases, purses...I feel like it's so many things!!! I have gotten rid of a lot of those items but still hold onto so many too!! You inspire me to declutter and clean! Thank you!!
My mother was so emotionally attached to stuff. After 21 years of losing her, I finally am able to part with stuff that she found so sacred. I'm completely no emotionally attached to this stuff. I would love to downsize home size, however, my sister moved in with me who has dementia. No downsizing any time soon, however, purging is big.
Dear Melissa and your viewers. I’ve always been a mess. Hated tidying! Always wished I had the tidy-gene. Knew I would never have a tidy house. Cleaning I actually liked (I even started a cleaning company in secondary high school!), but it was impossible to clean because it was untidy. I did a big haul once in a while when it came to a point I had no choice. It took all day. It felt great afterwards but ofcourse it never lasted.
A year ago my very tidy boyfriend moved in with me. It was a challenge in the beginning. But after a year I’ve slowly picked up his habits. Suddenly I’m finding myself decluttering, tidying and cleaning my home. It’s not just my boyfriend anymore. It’s also me!!
I watch you videos because they are an amazing motivation. And because you teach me how to make my own environmentally friendly cleaning stuff.
Then my mother came to visit. Before hand I had cleaned up basically everything. Washed the windows, dusting, shining the shower. I even moved the furniture to wash underneath. I told my boyfriend she would find something to complain over. But he said she wouldn’t have anything to complain over. She would see how great the place looks.
I said if that was the case he would get the praise, not me.
Well she arrived. First thing she does is complaining that my dresser had some dust on top of it. (Not were you put your clothes). Then she complains that my dishwasher is dirty (forgot the filter). One wall behind my parrots was dirty. I really needed to paint some stuff. And my son had spots on his clothes.
One day I could handle. Day 2 I started to get agressive. And day 3, I realised why I have hated cleaning my entire life. Nothing was EVER good enough!
Then one morning I realised that my “perfect” mother wasn’t all that tidy after all. I was cleaning up after her! My boyfriend said she was worse than I used to be with some things. And he couldn’t understand why she would complain over me all the time.
Now I realise that I’m not really a messy person. I’ve just learned that toxic people can make you think you are hopeless no matter what.
Growing up I learned that tidying and cleaning doesn’t matter. Because it was never good enough.
Sometimes I watch shows were people get help cleaning up (like How Clean is Your Home?), because I love watching how emotional beat down people get praise for cleaning. They probably never got that. (Btw my mother have also watched those shows and tells me I’m as bad as them).
I know that my bad habits have made my children messy too, and I hope I can reverse that. Could it be an idea for later videos on how to teach kids to tidy and declutter? When we as adults may have trouble to get rid of a pair of jeans or shoelaces, I can imagine how it is for children to maybe give up some toys. But there are just too many toys. And birthdays are coming up!
"What kind of emergency is coming around for you to need extra linens?" Children!!
When you're changing the bed, for the second time, at 3am after a child's accident, you're gonna wish you had a third or fourth set of sheets. :)
Michelle Shull her kid probably has her own bed and probably washes them on the spot.
Me and my son were staying over at my cousin's house. He was a baby and went through her sheets. She didnt have extra
Forts! Not an emergency, but every kid loves making forts inside or out.
In 1987, my older sister(9), myself (5), and the neighbor kid (10) decided to camp out. They hung the sheets over the clothes line, used one as a wall between him, and us, and used a couple for the floor. To keep the sides down, the neighbor had the idea to use steak knives as anchors. I know! Right through the sheets! Everything was going good until it came a lightning storm, and we were made to go inside. When our mother discovered not only did we used the good sheets, but put holes in them she was not amused. 😂But coming from a family of sewers, my grandmother mended the holes virtually invisible. My sister, and I still have a laugh over that scene.
Ane, Yes forts! Haha! That's a great childhood memory! :D
Mom of 4 here. Never changed sheets at night...way too much production! Kids beds all have mattress pad until they are totally reliable. If an accident happens at night, a beach towel works fine til morning.
I made scrapbooks for my kids with photos, report cards, pictures they had drawn and gave it to them which they loved. For larger items ......school projects, Christmas tree ornaments etc. I bought memory boxes (Wal-Mart, Michaels) and gave them that. They were happy to get these and brought back memories for them.
Pictures are hard for me to declutter! Would love to see ideas on how to declutter those.
mrsfought
One suggestion would be to upload them into your computer.
My fabric for quilting and other hobby supplies are the hardest for me to downsize. I’ve purchased way more than I could do whIle working and now that I’m about to retire I have the fantasy that I will have time to use it all, yet I can’t walk in the sewing room and more is stored in the garage. But prices are going up, up, up on fabric and my income will be going down, down, down. A piece of fabric has unlimited possibilities until it is gone!
You could make some beautiful quilts and sell them!
@@AncientSecretz I make bras and underwear for 12 women besides myself I got kicked out of my sewing room when my son moved back home my sewing stuff is now in the living room. I am taking back my sewing table this year and leaving him with the folding one I have been sewing on it is too low and my sewing table has a self sealing grid on it.
Find a local artisan group or quilters who can use them. Facebook is a good place to search.
I had loads of yarn (I love to knit and crotchet) I've spent a couple of years stash busting ..... I got it all out, put it into piles, by colour, weight, fibre, one huge pile of oddments, I made two scrappy blankets, and they both look lovely, the rest I have been working through. Some has been made into stuff for myself, some xmas pressies, some stuff for various chatities - always checking that this is stuff they require, eg, toys and blankets for Battetsea cats & dogs, scarves for Barons court project, octopus' for octopus for a preemie, hats, fingerless mittens and scarves for my local
Homeless shelter, and some gifts for friends new baby, christening etc etc. I've had alot of fun destashing. Enjoy stash busting your fabric and craft supplies .....
I've gotten pretty good at decluttering, but one of my main sources of aggravation is electronic cords, connectors and chargers! I have a box filled with this junk, but somehow I never seem to have the right USB connector when I need one! 😣
Steve Ramsey - Woodworking for Mere Mortals true
One of those over the door shoe organizers with clear plastic compartments works great for storing cords. You can even label each compartment for a quick find. ☺️
Same here!!!! My hubby’s hobby is collecting cords and chargers !!! But I never can find the right charger for my camera or so... upto a point our children was arriving, I spent 2 full days to put all cables out and sort them out. I could find at least 15 microUSB around our house etc ! U know what, finally we threw away 10kg of cords which were all duplicated!!! Not 10 pieces! It’s 10kg !!!! 😂😂😂
Emei iii OMG that must have been mind blowing. 😯 I thought I read your comment wrong 😂
I bought a label maker and put tags on all the cords that come with various electronics and tools. It has helped me keep from throwing out what looks like a duplicate.
I'm 64 and I'm constantly decluttering after I read about Swedish death cleaning. It made so much sense.
Greetings from India.
agree with star gazer, the cat was wanting to play with that box! :)
Melissa you hit it right on the head. I am going through this right now. Both of my parents are deceased and I have all this stuff from high school pictures memory books and I don't want them. I also have too much linen for one person. I use the same two to three sets over and over again in addition to using the same 5 towels over and over again. This vlog is what I needed, thank you so much!
Poor Malee! She was not amused her box was destroyed so easily. I’m sure Paislee got an earful. 😂My “kids” _have_ to have every box that comes into the house. I give in, for a week, then I have to ditch it. By then, it’s full of fur, and covered in bite marks.
Clutter is truly magnetic! I agree that it’s important to tidy spaces daily.
Sentimental items and convincing my husband decluttering is GOOD are my toughest areas. Although he is a wonderful husband, he loves to hang on to things for "we might need it someday."
@ Chris - you’re blessed to be married and to someone who is wonderful. However, I know exactly how your husband feels and can say that items I have kept, eventually became of great use down the road. I’m very good at organizing, do not like clutter but finding the need for a specific item and remembering I had it on hand, is a great feeling. I don’t know why but when it comes to say reorganizing the garage and I come across an item that most people would easily discard, my instincts tell me otherwise. Note....this does not apply to everything in the garage since my goal is to simplify my life. 😀 I’ve never once regretted my decision to keep certain items. Hope this is helpful.
Melissa, I recently started recycling old greeting cards to use in my junk journals. This craft, however, brings with it a whole lot of stuff! Even though I have paired down my closing a lot due to weight loss I still have things to take up space in my closet or drawers. So clothing is my answer to your question of what is the hardest thing for me to declutter. Thanks for your tips. ☘️💚🌿🍏🌱💚
Great video as always! Just a suggestion for some of the paper items that r sentimental like those cards, school papers that you received 100 or art work. There is bookbinding store that’s been in business for over 50 years called LoGatto Bookbinding located in East Rutherford New Jersey USA. They can consolidate all ur sentimental papers into a beautiful book that you can display! It’s amazing! It was done for me every year from my first year of school. I even had my dissertation done there. They even bound books for past Presidents and past Popes from Italy! Just a thought.
Thank you for that info about the book binding. Doing that would make great yes to family members or loved ones
Sandra Samia-Sabahia - love your idea! Thank you!! 💖
Hi Melissa! Hope you and your family are well. You will never know how much you have helped us. We are SO decluttering!! And its all thanks to you. My problem is with decluttering everything. I am such a hoarder, my Husband not so much. By the way, if you need to declutter your cat, we can help you out by looking after him for you!!! Thanks again. Love Deb, Almeria, Spain xx
It is very hard to declutter craft supplies. I did this recently and several of the items I realized I should not have let go because....now I want to use them. Maybe I wasn't quite prepared to let go of them, but then, I never am. It is really, really challenging!!
It helps to have a system. I do a lot of crafts When I shop I either use a list of items I need for a particular craft and use it immediately. My husband makes me get rid of something if I buy something then something else has to leave the house he does not care how it leaves the house I can give it away, I can sell, I can recycle.
Fantastic idea about downloading manuals into a folder!!! I’m all over that! Thanks for sharing!
My kids artwork! Gah its painful to get rid of those! Theyre so proud of it, they give it you with that cute look on their face and it means so much to them! I did manage to find a system that works (i got sketch books and glue them in there and pick their favorites at the end of the year and voila!) Takes the guilt off of me for getting rid of some and we know its really their proudest gems that stay!
regarding cardboard box I let my cat to play with it a day or two because he just goes crazy with this boxes. then I throw out what’s left of it 😂
Your kitty is so crushed, why would you crush a play box. Why?
Thank you!
Hardest thing to get rid of are handmade items from someone who has passed away-for me knitted or sewn baby/kids items my mom made my children. For years there were no other grandkids. My kids are adults but now my brother is having his first baby, late in life. The things I have kept will be passed to him, and the rest I do not regret giving away because he doesn’t want tons of baby clothes that remind him of our mom all the time, and the few good items I kept will be more special that way. I have also found that the things I kept initially after my mom passed away are easier to part with now, five years later. Some things just take time so no one should rush themselves.
I have an issue with people giving me stuff. I have a half dozen family members who think I need the junk they don't want. And then some get mad at me for getting rid of the stuff they gave me when I don't want it.
When I give people the Information of Who I Am, including What I Do NOT want (because we are all separate, individual human beings), I am being Honest, honoring my Self AND Them. When I accept stuff I do not want/that does not fit my life, I am being dishonest with them: they do NOT have the opportunity to take responsibility for their own stuff and they do NOT have the choice to STOP making you responsibile for their Stuff AND for their Feelings about how you deal with their Stuff. Being Honest is NOT being Rude or Hurting other people's feelings!!!
You are right to take issue with it. You are not the town dump. You have the RIGHT to refuse to take stuff or throw it out - if they wanted a permanent investment in its future, they shouldn't have given it away in the first place. Being mad that you threw out what is now YOUR stuff! The nerve... the mind boggles.
Well gee, what a tough problem to have. Be glad you have such resources and generous people. If you do not want the "stuff", then simply say as much. #gratitude
You can always donate the bedding to the red crosser salvation army. People whose houses burned may need them. Homeless shelters also need them. I'm sure
children would like to sleep on Mickey mouse or other children's sheets.
Or
Your cat was so sad when you took that box away, it was like you were taking away it's home hehe
Great stuff...loved this video
“Give me that box, lady!” - Cat
You can almost hear the cat thinking " why would you do such a thing!" I'm not sure that I shouldn't report you to the ASPCA for mental cruelty!
I’m addicted to getting rid of stuff so like 😂 i don’t need this video cause i dont have any stuff other than whats absolutely necessary but im still watching it 🤷🏼♀️
Decluttering takes a great deal longer than people expect. I'm finally a minimalist and it took me 7. Short. Years. No fooling.
MJ T....I hear you!!! It has taken me FOREVER!!! Ugh!
MJ T as
Minimalism is highly overrated.
Great Video...with old linens and some clothes with stain which cannot be donated l wash them cut them in paper towel size and use them to wipe down toilets, bathroom use them once n trash them.
Aww the cat would love to climb in and out of there. A bit of fun is important.
You should peel the plastic shipping tape off the cardboard before you recycle it, they cannot recycle plastic.
That was my thought right away, too
Jesus. Can't they do it at the factory
Makeup, kids School papers and jewelry. And for a long time I was keeping alot of clothes that I was going to" lose weight" and squeeze into lol
I love ur videos and find them so inspirational. I have gotten rid of so much stuff. Plus my husband is happy lol
Books!!!!! I "might" read them again or want to reference them someday.
Don't declutter books,a home with books is a home,without books it is the lair of a beast
But you can download them on kindle!
I found that a lot of books I had were 'guilt' books. Ones that were given to me, and felt I should hang on to for no other reason than a family member or friend gave them to me, or ones that I spent decent money on because of an interest I once had (and no longer have; or if I do, there's the internet). Then there are the informational books that carried over from the early days of the internet when it was harder to find relevant info. Getting down to the core collection feels good and I still have the comfort that books bring to a home.
I'm 35. I finally decluttered books recently. I almost bought more book shelves but decided to go through them. It tooks weeks. Any books I know I won't want to read again I donated. I culled around 150 books. Feels so good. There were some really weird ones in there haha
I would never discard books.
We have binders full of our kids cute school stuff in sheet protectors. Their preschool collected and organized, and gave them to us as an end-of-year gift. I kept that up as they moved into elementary school. I’ve added extra photos and awards as well. Now that they are older, we have fewer things to add to the binders, so they span multiple years.
You are a parent now. You will find those extra linens will be needed when the stomach bug reaches your house! There are times that I have had to change sheets and blankets 4 to 5 times a night! Not fun but it's part of being a parent!
sparkie8278 I stay up all night with my little ones when they are sick with trash can in hand so they can vomit, wash cloths to clean their little faces after so I hopefully have 1 bedding change, I figure I will be up most of the night anyway😉
sparkie8278 yes. In my case, I was single when I came down with a bad case of walking pneumonia- severe night sweats - an extra sheet or two for emergencies worth keeping in my opinion.
I bought a couple packs of disposable bed liners for this exact reason, both kids are "bucket trained" (3 &7) even if they don't make it the first time they kinda hold on to the bucket until the sickness has passed.
You have helped me so much. The amount of stress that I had because of clutter was so overwhleming!! Thank you so much for your inspiration to DECLUTTER!!!
Flipping through paper is so 80’s....lol....what? Guess what....when your computer crashes, that paper flipping will still work! ❤️
Amen and when the computer crashes you'll be wishing you hadn't been so STERILE with all your STUFF
I'm just now working on the "linen" issue. Donating a queen bed to my brother-in law and going to give him 1 or 2 sets of sheets along with it. We have another queen bed in our spare room... but seriously... how many sheets to you need for a bed that is barely used!!!! Your video's make me happy!
when decluttering linens - sheets, blankets, comforters , pillow cases, towels, hand towels- please donate them to your local animal shelter or animal rescue. thank you!
great idea!! I will do that....it's also where I got my awesome cat Charlie from. thanks for the tip:)
that is what everyone should do! Animal shelters are always in need of linen, blankets, towels... all sorts of stuff. When I refurbished my bathroom I had to change the washing mashine with a narrow one and I donated the old one, perfectly functional, to an animal shelter. They were so happy and grateful to take it! Always think about places like these when you donate stuff.
Fantastic idea! Thank you for sharing! I volunteer at the shelter we adopted our dog and in the colder months it’s so essential.
I feel inspired to declutter now, which will be my Sunday fun. Nothing is safe xx
The things I have trouble decluttering is anything from past generations. I had to deal with this only a week or so back. We, meaning my 24 year old daughter and myself are soon shifting and it is time to go through our current home and declutter. I had, notice the word HAD, a camphor box full of crocheted dollies, mats, tablecloths, baby Mattinee jackets and various other stuff. My daughter informed me that was so outdated and she would never use them so I had to donate. Can’t see the point in keeping them knowing they will forever hold space in the camphor box never to grace our home again. It was hard and I reminisced as they were packed up to donate but I did it.
Great ideas. Declutter is SO difficult when you live in a SMALL space!
Malee can't believe you took her toy away!... the coveted cardboard box! My cats get many of the boxes, but yeah, many of them have to go before they become cardboard mountains.
In our family, the childhood memories are so much fun as my girs created the craziest notes and drawings. Every once in awhile I bring the box of saved memories out and we have many laughs. That one box from the past will not be tossed out by me.
The hardest things for me to get rid of are old notebooks. I always wrote short stories or journals and they meant so much to me.
Keep them if they still mean alot to you. Scan them and store them digitally.
Yes! Perfect timing since de-cluttering is my primary task this weekend. Thanks again!
Office supplies - pens, notebooks, post-it notes etc... I love office supplies.
I always watch your videos before I start cleaning... it gives me an energy boost and I'm like a cleaning tornado!
Tools are the hardest thing for me to declutter. I am not very handy and don’t use tools on a regular basis. So knowing what I need is difficult. Some things were left at our home by the previous homeowner. Other things were “gifts” from my father. A lot of things have never been used in the 12+ years I’ve lived in the home, but you never know what you need until you need it. I’m trying to declutter the basement and sheds now and its been difficult knowing what to get rid of.
Might I suggest definitely holding on to any manuals pertaining to heat and light sources (i.e., generators, gas stoves/BBQs, etc.) because those can come in handy when there's a power outage!!!!
Yes, I came on here for the cat. She wanted that box. At least a few minutes. She was upset that you threw it right out, and she tried to tell you. She just wanted a box, at least for a few minutes.
Looks like a pretty boring house for a cat.
Cats LOVE boxes! Any box. A new box = best toy ever. Lol🐈🐱❤
I know that cats love boxes, but if you notice the box was labelled keep frozen, the cat was probably smelling the food that it once contained.
@@patrickwall8517 Cats are not able to smell food, contained in plastic bags (which probably were in the box). Cats do however love boxes. Any box will do.
Not only does the cat want the box it want its human to sprinkle some cat nip in it. Lol. It is difficult to train us humans. Eventually wrapped around its paws.
The most difficult thing for me to declutter was some university reference books. I eventually did it and it felt good to get rid of them! 😊
Lol cats like "mom let me in the box!'
RECOVERING HOARDER HERE! Melissa thank you! for a couple of years now I have been using your videos to help de clutter and organize. I'm happy to say the slow process of being okay with throwing things out and keeping only necessities, has made me a life long believer in minimalism. 4 boxes of Baking Soda and 3 Bottles of White Vinegar (I have 2 cats) later I'm not only cleaner but more organized today. (PS on the linens subject a friend of mine once said "these aren't towels they are surrender flags") TY!
I recycle all paper. My recycle trash is way more than regular trash. Makes me feel so much better to recycle. Monday’s are recycle day and Wednesday is trash day. Plus every two weeks I have a charity truck pick up stuff I don’t need. I get rid of like six bags of stuff to make it twelve bags a month. I don’t purchase things unless it’s totally needed. Eventually my trash will be less and my charity bags will be less too. But slowly I’m moving to the minimalist lifestyle. Working now on becoming paperless.....and stuff off the floors and off the counters and tables.
Me too
LOVE THIS!! Would you come over and set up my life to be organized like yours? I'll cook you dinner :-D
But why......? Sounds like an OCD thing to me.
Yes, greeting cards! Ive started scanning the flat, non-decorated cards, that helps a bit. My dad made me go through my moms belongings (shes still alive, but my dads a prepper). I find it hard to get rid of her...antiques. she has many old avon containers and used to be a huge stamp and seashell collector. My house is now cluttered with her memories.
Thank You,You really inspired me! God Bless!
Cindy Falos AMEN!
Thanks for watching Cindy!
Oh your manual tip just saved me from going to buy another binder and folders to manage the manuals! Excellent!
I'm having the opposite issue with my mom. She's 85 and basically an "organized hoarder." She's got so much clutter in her home and can't seem to let loose with anything and my bro & I don't want to be burdened with the stuff when the time comes. I have to get the de-cluttering process started with her...sooner rather than later.
You can just hire a professional organizer or downsizer or estate clearer when the time comes so you and your "bro" don't have to be "burdened". Geeze.
I used to have to flatten boxes at work and a key works great if you need an alternative.
Kitty says... Hey...that's my box!
Oooh, look at that kittiest-kitty! She wanted that box, haha...
Yes!! to rolling clothes! I actually roll all our towels. So much easier to pull one out without the whole stack falling over. I have NO problem decluttering anything. My hubby, however,.....😏
I never thought to roll the towels! I love that! :)
naturalNstylish I fold in half first, then roll. Got tired of the teenagers grabbing a fav towel from the middle. My nicely folded towels never stayed that way. In tight rolls, things seem to stay in place better.👍
We have gone through decluttering and I’m
So glad. My teenager has helped me so much with it
I now leave all my books and magazines at the library! Donated craft supplies and most fabrics. Getting less sentimental, trashed any photo duplicates taking a good hard look at everything, putting stuff out on the curb with a free sign has worked, extra furniture, tools and random stuff is scooped up by someone who wants it. I now make a game of it, what is next, out the door.
I got a lot of great info here and was not a bit side tracked with the assumed need of your cat to play with the cardboard box before you tossed it. Really appreciate the good ideas that really help me live smarter and not harder.
AMEN! I’m throwing away almost everything!!!
🎶FREEDOM🎶
Love this!
You're just going to buy more soon.
And you know thisss, MAN! 🤣
I am pretty much of an expert at purging. I do have some difficulties with purging my crafting supplies, but I do it nonetheless. I suspect I could get rid of more, but every year I do a major purge in the craft room and it's great! As for getting rid of your kids' stuff once they're grown, I have 4 kids and when we were doing a major move (3 of them were moving to their dad's and the youngest and I were moving to a different home), I found boxes and sorted things with them. This included their personal photos, school work, baby books, the outfit they wore home from the hospital when they were born, a couple of pieces of 'special' clothing, some family heirloom china and crystal pieces, etc. That way they had what they wanted to keep that had special meaning for them, and I had less to move and relocate in the new place. Worked great!
It's always so hard for me to declutter magazines. It always seems to take me a while to read them so I seem to hold on to them for months and months.
Loved your video! Thank you. I am a mother of four grown children and I just moved and realized I have about 12 boxes full of my children’s pictures, art work, books, first blankets I knitted, first drawings (and several after that), etc... you name it, I have it... Help !! Need to downsize, but need a room just to keep their keepsakes. There has to be a better way... any suggestions are welcome 🙏.
I am guilty of keeping manuals to everything. When I rehome the item, the manual goes with it. It’s more convenient for me to pull the manual out of the drawer in my kitchen that is designated for all manuals, each in its own zipper food bag, pull it and take to wherever that item is I the house..or outside..and find what needs to be done. I can’t drag my desktop or laptop around with me when I need immediate help. I also have found that online manuals are not always complete with drawings and schematics..where my paper manuals are.
Carole Harden Taylor also don’t the manuals have the warranty usually?
Exactly! Do online manuals include things such as serial numbers? Doubtful.
@@DinFL Mine do because I record that information on them for quick reference.
@@heyhil3979 Sorry for the LONG delay in response. Yes, they have warranty info, usually along with phone numbers to call for service, etc.
Ohhhh Melissa I've had your videos going through my wireless headphones for the last few hours because I needed that extra motivation, thankyou much.
Some time ago asked my mum why she's keeping all of my old junk and she said 'oh, I thought you need this'... so we ended up throwing everything away (exept one doll and one tedy ber that I've taken cause I loved it so much) and we don't miss anything.
You might be more practical than sentimental and that seems like a good thing. :)
Great vlog Melissa. You are such a natural in front of the camera.