As a person who lives alone, I like having a lot of towels. I use up one, set it aside and repeat that until I have dirtied enough towels that I can fill up the washing machine with a load of towels. Like this, I don't have to wash towels often and I'm not wasting energy and water on washing a load that is not full.
I do this and I’ve also (living short term abroad) had just two towels but I washed those with my clothes each time I did laundry. I only had enough clothes with me for one weekly or biweekly load, so it made more sense! Back home I totally agree with you. Esp bc my partner often like to change out his towel. Nice to know there’s others like us bc I was feeling silly thinking about our huge set “for two”!
I feel people in the USA generally have A LOT of stuff. The houses are much bigger than in most of Europe and people tend to fill up the space they own 😅 I’m by no means a minimalist but I could not even accommodate all those chairs, tables pillows, towels and linens, and I live in a home that is considered quite spacious for my country.
Pillow covers for holiday decor are definitely my favorite space saving hack. So easy to store and much less expensive than individual decorative pillows.
Extra sheet sets all the way, but really at most 2 per person. Esp if you have multiple beds of the same size. I recently purged my sheets and got so much room back. For kiddo, ya, sometimes there are accidents (even just night time water cups), nosebleeds, etc. I keep an extra waterproof mattress cover as well, but just one. An extra sheet set for all also helps because sometimes I can get the laundry done in time to change the same day. I make my own pillow covers and love it. Easy to wash all of them at once as well if you need to regularly clean them for stains etc. but don't want to wash the whole pillow. They make really fun playtime floor mats as well. For towels, having two groups has been important for me. Regular towels for shower etc., two is great. But then (and likely somewhere else in the house) a few towels for guests, emergency cleanup (washer or dishwasher leaks), pet stuff, messy/staining projects, moving stuff, etc. A group of towels that can be sacrificed as needed or ones you don't mind sending to swim lessons/camps etc. and may never get back. I also use some for painting dropcloths. But these don't need to live in the bathroom.
I use our grater a LOT. To grate cheese for pizza and mac n cheese, carrots for salad, lemons for zest. Here's a tip: grate shortening instead of cutting it in to flour for biscuits etc.--instead of cutting off the required portion, score a line and grate the fat into the dry ingredients. (This is one single use tool that doesn't have a substitute that I can think of.)
Same here! Also I use my pizza cutter for things other than pizza. Like pancakes 😅 We are a big family so we make pancakes in the oven instead of batches on the stovetop. Less time in front of the stove and then it’s all ready at the same time!
We used to do it by just making the pancake batter, pouring it onto a greased (butter) sheet pan and baking it in the oven 350 degree for 20ish minutes comes out as 1 big sheet pan pancake then just slice it up in squares.@@MyFocusVaries
Having a nice clock on the wall can be delightful. I find it very time saving (pun) just being able to look up at the wall for the time instead of going to look for my phone and turn it on to find out or walk over to the stove.
Interesting what you said about clocks. I actually find the sound sort of comforting in an old-fashioned way, and have several. One near the dining table, and one in the entryway, both help me keep track of time in the morning without having to reach for my phone. I also wear an analogue watch to work for the same reason, and find it helps as one in many strategies to use my smartphone less. 😉
Agree - I want to use the phone less and I like clocks. I have one from my Mom - Sears in the 1960s and a bread board clock from Tru Value Stamps I like analog much better than digital
Definitely need clocks, though agree that loud ticking is distracting. Rarely use a phone for checking the time as I wear a watch, but a clock is must in the kitchen for checking cooking times, dog feeding times, time to take medications etc.
I really struggle with time and numbers, so having lots of analogue clocks (and a watch) is a must for me. It sounds weird, but if a clock says '8.28' it doesn't give me any sense of how much time I have before I need to leave at 9.00. But seeing the hands move round an analogue clock give me a much better grasp of how time is passing. (I literally have no sense of time without looking at a clock. People tell me 'oh, if you need to start cooking dinner at 5, just get into the habit of checking the time near 5, and they don't get that you have to have a rough idea of what time it is to KNOW that it is getting near 5!)
@@pippas5808A very good argument that kids need to learn analogue clocks to understand time. A lot of young people now only know digital clocks and I think they are missing something.
We got a few nice folding chairs from Costco which we bring out when we have people over. That way our dining area is not overwhelmed with chairs the rest of the time.
Since watching your videos I have realized that I have many things that I don't use and I have given them away and sold them. and I have become more thoughtful when it comes to buying something. thank you. the house breathes now.
Trying to incorporate minimalist approaches as they mesh with what works well for our family. We got rid of our coffee table many years ago and love the extra floor space that opened up. But we do have clocks galore. I don't always have my phone with me and love being able to glance up and see the time. Also, we don't keep our phones in our rooms overnight, so alarm clocks in each bedroom are a necessity. Two sets of bed linens per bed work well for us. Though, when one son had accidents almost nightly for 6+ years, we had way more sets of sheets than that. Just couldn't keep up with the constant loads of laundry and wanted him to always be able to access clean sheets in the middle of the night as he needed them. Towels...we have way too many, but using the container method, they fit neatly and easily in our linen closet. So, even though our home inventory tips the scale opposite most minimalist standards, it is helpful to watch these types of videos to constantly review where we are at, and if there are things we could cut back on as life seasons change.
In my house, we keep a set of flannel sheets, a set of cotton sheets, a quilt and a waffle weave blanket for each bed. Between those items, we're perfectly fine whether the house is 10c or 35c.
I had moved permanently to Spain, like you to Germany and now unexpectedly life is forcing me to go back to the U.K. so I’m paying close attention to your current videos for advice on that subject. I will be going to an unfurnished place for a year so instead of being upset I’m going to use it as an opportunity to up my minimalist game by not preemptively buying things, I’ll only get what I need, when I need it.
I have 3 set of sheets, but I don't have dryer. And 1 set is for guests. I am happy with that amount of sheets, it is working for me. And it is practical. I don't have to worry if my sheets dry before I go to bed. 😊
@@KnineFeline Me too. I have been doing this for many, many years and it's never been a problem. It takes very little time to dry sheets in the dryer so even if I forget to dry them until just before bed, it only delays me about 20 minutes.
I have summer sheets and winter sheets. I have two sets of each. In the summer I use linen and cotton. In the winter I have flannel. We spend more time in our beds than any other single place. I started prioritizing my bed/bedding many years ago. If I think something will make me more comfortable while I sleep I buy it..
My ideal number is three sets per bed/duvet (so three sheets and six duvet covers as my partner and I both have our own), because I also do not have a dryer and in the wet season it can take 24+ hours for the sheets to dry. One extra set for when life gets crazy and we forget to wash straight away saves some stress. I love summer when I can wash the sheets in the morning, hang them on the balcony and put them back on the bed late afternoon! For towels about 4 per person, so that we can wash them all together in a full load, plus two extra for guests. We have way more than this though so that's something to sort out in soon :)
My sister bought the bulky ones that are wooden and quite expensive (from IKEA) and she was furious when she found It made holes in her expensive clothes. I use the cheapest plastic hangers from IKEA because nothing slips off them and they are also that flat. I am actually proud of myself I didn't order velvet ones, that you recommended. Because in the end, if something works for me, why would I ever change it, right?
Velvet just attracts dirt and wears out. White plastic will eventually turn yellowish. I prefer nicely anodized metal ones, lasts you a lifetime. Buy once and don't look back.
There are much nicer (and more expensive) wooden hangers than the IKEA ones. They may be more expensive than some materials, but it's one of those cases where the IKEA product isn't made to the same standard and can cause problems. (There's tons of great stuff at IKEA, but you do have to assess the quality of each product line individually.)
We use plastic hangers with rubbery grips. That way, we can hang our damp clothes on them to dry and then just carry things to our closets. (Things that would stretch or are long get hung with the bottom part supported by another hanger to take the weight off.) (Valerie)
I love this episode!! If this country would start "re-distributing" all their stuff (instead of continuing to make & buy more and more new stuff), we could save the planet and the economy overnight! No one would do without anything, and no one would have to be a minimalist that did not want to. If we don't do this voluntarily now, we will soon be forced to do so against our will.
@@AtoZenLife I think there is a real opportunity for many people to start businesses, and provide employment, doing that very re-distribution! In our community, several of us are looking at all the vacant buildings (ones that went belly-up during covid) and thinking it is time to give it a try....hope others do the same! Our kids and grandkids will thank us...😍
There are groups/organizations around that do something similar to this. One organization/group that I frequent for gives to recycle items with neighbors is called "Buy Nothing." They have groups all over the US and it is organized through FB. People give and ask for items that other people have to give up or even borrow.
Well, they could start with me. I have towels galore to spread around. I think if anyone wants to pass them on, check out local charities that match one's values. One regret I have is that I know there are people suffering in poverty who are not receiving any help or support. I wish I could find them and pass my things to meet their needs.
With me, my husband, and our five kids ages 9-2, we have definitely been so thankful we didn’t declutter all our linen. I did downsize but we still have what might be seen as “too many” from a typical minimalist view. We’ve all gotten sick a few times within just this last year (right now being one) and having extra when one kid throws up on the sheet and blanket and right as you’re getting a new one on and setting up a blanket pile in the floor to sleep on instead of where they just threw up, someone else throws up right there too. We love blankets, they don’t take up too much room visually as we put them in an old toy chest. We have 3 fitted bedsheets (just for our big bed) as that’s all we use from the sheet sets. It has saved us so many times! Who wants to be going up and down stairs to wash blankets and sheets every few hours when you’re also sick as a dog. I’ve heard a lot of minimalist UA-camrs say something similar to you. And that’s WONDERFUL you’ve never experienced it happen. I think it’s a great testament that minimalism looks different for everyone and there is no cookie cutter “x amount of items” for everyone :) do what works for you and your family instead of feeling like a failure because you need more sheets or blankets than the next person. 💚💚
I love your tips & tricks for a more peaceful, smoother- running household! I've slowly been getting rid of decorative pillows, extra sheet sets & towels. It's amazing how they accumulate. Feels so good to open a closet & see that it has breathing room. I have more to declutter, so this is great inspiration - thank you!
I seem to remember you air-dried your bed linen in Germany. I'm not sure how you managed with one set. Here in the UK it feels like it's been raining for months and one set would not be dry in time to put back on the bed the same day. I don't have a dryer (not unusual here for small flats) and dry laundry on an airer in front of the radiator with a dehumidifier nearby. I know this method would probably shock most American viewers but it works. In summer laundry is put outside for the amazing anti-bacterial properties of the sun. Love your videos!
I live in the US and have used a folding clothing rack for years. Partly because I save a bit since the cost of laundry machines is a lot when one has kids. Often rentals don't come with a washer or dryer. So going out to do laundry is a pain, especially in winter!
That's interesting. We have two very different climates. The newer dehumidifiers have a laundry mode so even if they're on for a few hours, it really helps. I would love to visit the desert but my sinuses would rebel!
Do your towels get stiff and scratchy? That's the downside of not having a dryer. I live in west Texas so dirt is blowing all the time - no hanging our clothes in this area. I usually us "air dry" on our dryer
@@jandkhilbert there is some stiffness, but the towels are pretty soft to start with, so it isn't too bad at all. I used to love hanging laundry outside, on good days, but nowadays neighborhoods have restrictions that don't allow it. And I live in an urban area, so there's that.
Yeah, I don't think she "gets" graters." We zest oranges with them for recipes and grate cheese and nutmeg. Very hard to do well with a knife. Not buying that bit of minimalism at all.
I didn't find minimalism until my kids were grown, so they grew up with a plethora of sheets and towels. Rule of thumb in my place now that there's only me and one kid left is we each get two towels, with 4 put away in the linen closet for guests. Each person's towels are a color of their choice so it's easy to keep track of. The guest towels are all one color. Sheets are two sets per bed. Life, and especially laundry, has been made so much easier since we reduced to these numbers. Towels are one load per week, and it's about the same with sheets.
I have two sets of linens but once when I was staying with friends when my youngest son was about 5, he swallowed too much sea water while swimming and spent the entire night being ill, every time I changed the entire bed because he was not tidy! And then washed and dried everything and then an hour later I had to repeat the process, I went through every set of covers and sheets my friends had and was grateful they had so many sets, and luckily they slept through the whole episode so had no issue with their whole bed linen collection going through the washer and dryer xx
I have two sets of bedlinens for adult beds, but three for the kids for precisely this reason. I need two minimum because I do not have a dryer and I like to re-make the bed straight away. The kids need one extra set because they are more likely to get ill and if they do, also more likely to not reach the toilet or even bucket in time! You do not want to be doing emergency laundry in the middle of the night while the little one is calling out for you because they feel so bad.
I just purchased a stove without clock/timer on purpose. We do have a wall clock that my husband likes to use and it also helps the grandkids learn time the old fashioned way. Discovered the pillow cover idea and velvet hangers a few seasons ago-game changers! We keep 2 sets of sheets per bed-one for warmer weather, one for cooler weather. Got rid of most single use items, but kept the cheese grater-use it for sharp, mozzarella and parm. Years ago, we had televisions in almost every room. Down to one, but I really would prefer just using the laptop. Great video, as always. Thank you.
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I used to think 2 sets of sheets per bed was essential, but we've survived for three years with one set per bed. When my son was little, we used to put a beach towel over the top of his bed if he felt ill, just in case. I suppose if we had been minimalists then, a bath towel would do the trick in an emergency. I no longer stock my life for just in case situations. Now I make do .
Hi. I switched to velvet hangers when I downsized my housing. Much better. I have six sets of towels for me (inhale and read on). This is what give me a full load for the washer. My white socks, cleaning rags, steam mop pads, and dog towels all add up to a full bleach wash. Might not be a minimalist thing but it works and is cost effective. Thank you for your videos and have a nice day.
I must be an oddball. I prefer the plastic hangers. I like how rounded they are. I don't have an issue with clothes slipping off. I have some with grippers in them for wider neck items.
Marissa, I don't think I'm the only subscriber who would really appreciate a video about mental health and the link between clutter and our brains. I know you've been on your own healing journey as you have decluttered. Can you shed some light on how decluttering has helped you in this area? Some of us are struggling with mental health issues and I wonder if our cluttered homes and workspaces can actually increase those feelings? Thank you and much love!
Marissa, this is one of your most wonderful videos. Thank you for doing what you do to help everyone consider how to lighten their life. I applaud you and your husband, for removing the excess furniture, and TVs, especially. Simplifying is reducing stress. You have a wonderful way of presenting essential information. Bless you!
I totally agree on the pillows issue. I do think that up to 4 sheet sets (2 winter/2 summer) per bed is okay, assuming you live somewhere with highly variable temperatures, although I'd recommend both sets of sheets per season match whatever blanket or duvet is being used so that the heavier bedding items don't need to be duplicated (or live with them not matching). I switched to the lightweight Turkish peshtemal towels, which take up no space and dry immediately (great for long hair!). I have six large towels, rolled along with washcloths and hand towels in a 15" basket and don't need to use my linen closet for towel storage at all. For bed accidents, all the mattresses in my house have waterproof covers, and for small children and the elderly we've used washable waterproof pads either over or under the sheets (whichever made more sense at the time) to keep messes to a minimum and disturb sleep the least.
I use my cheese grater 5 to 6 times a week, and the pizza wheel at least 2 times a week…I love them. We have three towels and washers each + four extras if guests come, and two sets of sheets for each bed. It works great for us…👍🏽.
I switched to velvet hangers 15 years ago, and will never go back. But I also use wooden hangers for winter coats in the coat closet. They are more durable for something really heavy like that. We have two sets of linens for each bed, cotton for summer and cotton flannel for winter, and two sets of towels for each person. It's always enough, especially since I don't wash towels everyday. I figure you are drying a clean body, and if you hang them up afterwards they don't get yucky anyway.
Cleaning out the linen closet and keeping only 2 sets of towels and bed linen per person. We also have a clear plastic pizza cutter that doesn't scratch up the pans.
This was an interesting video - from your perspective recently returning to the States. When I minimized our linens years ago. I only kept 1 extra sheet set per each size bed. That was 1 extra set for our queen bed, and one extra twin set for our three sons' twin beds. This allowed for a quick change in the middle of the night if someone got sick - and yes, it happened a couple of times when our boys were little. Before that, each bed had its own extra set - kept under the mattresses. Easy, handy storage.
We needed a lot of extra linen and blankets when we had a toddler, because when she got sick it always happened at night and she would throw up over both her own bed and ours, every 90 minutes or so. Plus the fact that no diapers seem to be enough at night, if we don't wake her up there will be an accident. But if you don't have these problems...
Thanks for this video, I agree with so many of the things on your list! For the linens question, we have one set per bed plus one extra for emergencies, and two sets of towels per person, plus a set of 4 "beach" towels that can also help mop up messes, wash dog paws, etc. My one single-use kitchen gadget is a garlic press - we eat garlic pretty much every day and I prefer fresh garlic to minced in a jar or frozen. Thanks!
My mom always had a saying for how many linens one needs. One in the cabinet, one in the laundry and one in the bed. I must confess I really like the nr of three and use it for towels and other textiles I am dependent on a daily basis. I could make it work with two. But accidents do happen and then that third set is awesome.
I think 2 towels per person, 1 set of sheets per bed, and 1 tv in the living room! no one use gadgets and my household runs just fine. Less to me is way more!! Love your channel Merissa🤩
For furniture, I eliminated end tables because they just held lamps we didn't use and DUST. We find the big coffee table most useful because they're easier to reach and for use as footrests (we use two soft storage ottomans with trays on top).
When I was young, I had mostly lightweight, take-apart furniture that worked well and that I liked. But when I got older, I broke the bank buying heavy, expensive furniture, a lot of which I'm trying to get rid of! Ah, life's ironies :)!
I'm absolutely on board with everything you said except as a minimalist I do have clocks. I don't have a lot of artwork on the walls so I like the esthetic of them. They are quartz movement and therefore quiet. I don't want to have to pick up my phone every time I want to know what time it is.
About linens, specifically sheets. We love to line dry our sheets. In cooler weather it may take all day. So I rotate between two identical sets for each bed. I strip one bed and put on clean sheets and pillow cases and the bed is done and not unmade or stripped. Doing this frees me to wash the set I removed late in the day, and then hang it first thing in the morning. No one has to wait to get their sheets back. When there were babies in the house I had a lot more stuff to wash - those flannel pads were wonderful for putting between two crib sheets. Changing a baby crib after a mess while holding a screaming infant is much easier to just pull off the soiled top. I actually learned this as a waitress at a restaraunt where each table had as many as four table cloths. If need be they’d just take off the top one. We have no babies or even kids now. And we have just one set of bath towels which I wash weekly or even every two weeks. They don’t get smelly or sour. Hand towels though, the get multiple uses a day and I hang a clean one in each bath daily. Kitchen towels also. So that I am not constantly washing them I just have 7 of each no more or no less. Once a week they get washed. I don’t wash things used in the bathroom with things used in the preparation of food. I actually had to increase our clothing inventory after a drought forced conservative water use. I try to cram as much into a load at a time so the washing of hubby’s dirty cotton socks every three days got wasteful of water and energy. So we increased socks, undershirts and undershorts to a week supply.
A tv in every room is becoming standard in South African homes too now. (Affluent ones not rural). But devices are taking over. You'll find one person with two or three phones, a tablet, laptop and desktop at home... We live exactly how you've decribed in this video except we dont have a tv and I have a lot of kitchenware because I am an avid cook, canner, baker etc and I use it all. We are homesteaders. But when you scale down it's amazing how you adapt when you thought you would miss certain things!! I love your ideas and the way you present this channel. 💜🌻
I changed my hangers to velvet ones a few years ago, didn't realise how much plastic ones frustrated me every time I went in my wardrobe where the clothes would fall off one after another!
Im using velvet hanger for my clothes in wardrobe too and love how tidy they look. Though it can't be multipurpose such as airdrying my wet laundry. So I still own two sets of hangers.
For linens, my "rule" is 2 sets of sheets per bed. On my kids' beds, we have both sets layered. As in, on the mattress is a waterproof mattress cover with a fitted sheet over it, then another layer of waterproof mattress cover and fitted sheet. If a kid has an accident in the night or gets ill in bed, a clean set of sheets is ready and protected under the soiled set, so no one has to sleep on an unmade bed or a towel while the soiled set is laundered. This has come in handy a couple of times for us.
Aren‘t these waterproof mattress covers to „warm“? What I want to say is, they usually have these plastic feel and the air can not circulate trough it very well. So I noticed my girl is starting to sweat much faster and thats why we have removed them completly by now. But we have only used covers that cover only a part of the mattress, and we still had that issue, that is was to warm for her. I would be really interested to hear about your experiences.
I was shocked at the amount of linens provided in your townhouse. Wow! Even I think that's too much. I love linens. There was a time when I bought them, but didn't declutter them. It was one of the first things I was able to easily let go of when I began my decluttering journey. I purchased a new organic latex bed with organic cotton bedding and wool blanket. The quality of these items allowed me to let go of the extra items I owned. Also I gave 4 sets of towels (6 items per set) to my children. I have velvet hangers - they're marvelous! I love the look and nothing falls off the hanger. Furniture has been the most difficult to actually remove from my home. I live alone and own a small car, so I need help with the removal. Last weekend I removed 3 large items from my garage and 2 large items from my patio. Yay! I have an antique oak table and chairs in the garage but once they're gone, I will be able to park my car. Double Yay! I don't rely on my phone or any electronics to tell me the time, however I agree, the clocks I have can be loud. One actually has a swinging pendulum. Thanks for the look at "normal people".
Such great suggestions!! In regards to linens, I think one set on the bed and one in the closet is a great compromise, just in case (those are swear words in minimalism, aren't they? LOL).
Great video, it has good things to think about. We are empty nesters now and we realize how much stuff we have that is not used anymore Also we are RVing a lot and that helps us having a minimalist mindset
Bulky coffee tables are a pain if you have carpet and need to vacuum too. I have been debating what to do about that space. TV trays, a cart, bigger side tables or nothing. Great list.
I hate decorative pillows and am totally with you in minimizing them! However, with my ADHD, I find having lots of clocks really helpful since I lose track of time.
I heard about a specialty timer for folks with ADHD recently. It's a countdown timer that divides hours up by quarter hours to help you stay on track. They didn't name it, but you could probably Google it. I've been thinking of researching it.
As a family with two toddlers two sets of sheets for the kids beds are a must. I can’t imagine not having a back up set when one of the kids has an accident or gets sick in the middle of the night, it’s happened too frequently. But I’ve never understood the two towels per person thing. We have one per person and I take them all in the morning, wash them and have them back before bedtime…I guess using the dryer helps.
I love plastic hangers! Hang wet items to dry, then straight into closet after the clothes are dry. If your items are falling off, they're not being hung properly. Single use items: I was totally against these as well until I bought a rice cooker when ill to use as a fast crockpot. LOVE it! Also love the single serve coffee maker! Didn't realize I was a "minimalist" 😂 thought I just didn't like to waste money on items I don't need 🤣
I love the velvet hangers. Bought a few to try them out and just added to them. My only regret is that I didn’t buy them all at the same time so they would match. I also purchased wood hangers as I found them at the thrift store to use for coats. They don’t match either! Pillows: at one time I had decorative pillows for each season, then I discovered pillow covers. I change them for the seasons, fold and store them when I freshen up my space. I have three, two for the living room and one for the bedroom. Donated all those bulky old ones. What a difference that has made. Towels and linens are also pared down to two. I have a 12” cube for each season which holds everything I need to freshen up my apartment. It may not be “minimal “, but it is as close as I am so far. I enjoy your videos and look forward to your wisdom.
Great video! I gave my TV away in 2021 and wish I had done this sooner. When I had it for many years, I hardly watched it and paid a lot for the cable that came with nearly 200 channels. It was a total waste. Renting a home that comes with furniture certainly has its advantages as you can move easily and whenever you want. Since I own my home, I do have my own furniture, but just the essentials. I can do a little jogging inside my home.😊
I found a vintage rocker knife at an antique store. It has a stainless blade and cuts through pizza, brownies, anything really. It stores flat and is easier to clean than a pizza roller. And it can be sharpened.
I have a LOT of pillows but they’re not decorative, i have Chronic Back Pain when i sit & when i sleep so i keep pillows (Tons of them!!) in my home for my bed !!
We have one set of cotton sheets per bed for warmer weather and one set of flannel sheets for colder weather. I wash them and put them right back onto the bed the same day. Since I've been doing this, I only fold a fitted sheets twice each year when we switch seasons!
That’s funny - I swapped out my velvet hangers for the wood ones and like them better. They feel a lot sturdier to me. I’ve only ever had one TV, even when I had kids at home. It’s behind a curtain made of a cool tapestry fabric I bought in Argentina, so the living room doesn’t look TV focused. It also encourages more intentionality since you have to slide open the curtain to use the TV.
I have an old fashioned ticking wall clock in my kitchen and I find the tik tok comforting. What I don't get is those giant decorative clocks. Also, I own a regular alarm clock and a watch - things I don't trust my phone with. And in school we tell kids to have a watch for time because using their phone is forbidden
Cheese graters can not only be used for hard cheeses but also grating lemon zest, ginger, cucumber, potatoes and a lot more. They are a multipurpose tool.
I only have two pillows on my bed, one set of bed linens and four sets of towels (I keep two sets for when my brother comes to visit). In the kitchen I got rid of all my single use gadgets years back. As for appliances the only ones I kept were the food processor and the blender. I use wooden hangers for my clothing. I live with a sibling that is not a minimalist and she has a wall clock and three tv sets. I have never owned a television as an adult because everyone I’ve ever shared space with has always had more than one.
Admittedly I do not use decorative pillows. I, too, am minimalist with towels and linens. Perhaps I am a bit more minimalist than I thought. I do not have clocks.
Clocks- we don't have a microwave, oven clock, or smart phone, so I have a wall clock that is visible from the living room and kitchen. I also have one in my bedroom. Hangers- I like to use the wider clear plastic hangers some of which have rubber pieces wrapped on the edges to prevent slipping. I like them for my nicer/thinner clothes to prevent bumps in the shoulders. Furniture- We don't even have a normal living room, so we don't have any living room furniture. We are not minimalist though. Kitchen- we use our shredder everyday for either potatoes and/or cheese. and when we lost our nice pizza cutter my daughters were not happy. Thanks Marissa
I do two sets of bed linens for the bed my husband and I share, and two sets of towels for each of us. We're too busy to wash and dry our bed linens within the day, so it helps to have a second set.
I love in Manhattan where the majority of people don't have personal washers and dryers. I would definitely recommend a second set of linens. As for coffee tables, I lived in an apartment that was too narrow to accommodate one but had to get side tables with storage. Modern televisions don't take up much space at all.
When my kids were small, I would have them sleep on a towel when they were sick. It was so much easier to toss a towel in the wash then to change sheets in the middle of the night.
I have pillows with decorative covers for Fall, Halloween and Christmas. The rest of the time the pillows are in vacuum sealed bags in the closet. They don't take up much room like that and I'm willing to have them out just for the Holidays. For sheets, I have 2 everyday sets and then one Fall and one Christmas. Can you tell decorating for certain seasons make me happy. LOL
Just cleaned out the linen closet this weekend! Funny how stuff creeps in. I do like end tables because we hang in the living room a lot and I like to have a place for my drink. We have a coffee table too, but I could do without it.
Pillow covers is the best hack. Easy for changing for the holidays. But also easy to change for a new look in your rooms. Also, I use to have two sets of sheets for each bed...one to use one to wash. But nit anymore, just one until they wear out. One towel and wash cloth per person.
Regarding towels and linens. I live in an RV, and do not have daily access to a washer and dryer. So, I find it easier to own more towels and linens, and underpants 😉 to cut down trips to the laundry mat and still have clean stuff. On the other hand I have no tv or tablet, I use my phone instead.
Yep, 2 sets of bedlinen per bed is enough for me. The general 'what if' question is surely the reason that people have way too much stuff. Too much stuff is a solution to a non-existing problem. And if accidents happen you borrow the spare set from another bed, and there's always the washing machine or the laundrette to solve your 'what if' problem. Love this episode.
I agree, 2 linens max. 👍 We currently have one fitted sheet and two comforters, in the future I might just stick with one comforter but for the baby years the comforter gets dirty pretty much every day or every two days 😅
We have two sets of linens each. That takes care of the "accident in bed" or "kid getting sick" situation. One set is always in use, while the other one is washed, dried and stored away as soon as we take it off. We recently potty trained our son and even in that difficult transition period when he was only starting sleeping wihtout a diaper we still didn't feel we needed more sets of linens. And we don't have a drier (I live in Poland and driers are not common here, we hang our laundry ideally outside)
With towels and linens, we have 2 sets per person. If there’s an accident, you wash them 😊 I switched to velvet hangers this summer! Soooo much better! All of my clothes fit more comfortably and the uniformity makes it feel like a boutique every time I open my closet doors. They’re available in different colours, so you can pick your favourite. I smile every time
My favorite kitchen gadget is my egg separator. I only like the yolks of the egg, so I use this very often. Also, I have 3sets of sheets for my bed. And I have 5 bath towels.
My mum was what we called thrifty. Had to be, in the 1960's, with dad on a basic office clerk job. She had one kitchen knife - she called it her potato knife, but it chopped anything needing cut ( though she did eventually acquire a bread knife) The only other knife used in food prep was one of our traditional bone handled cutlery knives ( that we used with matching forks to eat our dinner) which, because of the round end blade, also came in handy to smooth icing onto cakes ! Cakes were tested for readiness with one of her knitting needles. Butter wrappers were used to grease cake tins ( greaseproof paper not needed) and the christmas cake decorations ( a model swiss chalet a model Santa, and model chicken ( yellow and fluffy ,from an Easter item) and a Merry Christmas sign !) came out of their storage tub, for the home made ( and hand mixed) cake every year. She did not have any scales, but a rounded tablespoon weighes 1 ounce, of flour or sugar, and margarine divides into 1/2 or 4 ounce portions as a full one was half a pound. Never had an oven glove, just used the tea towel to protect her hands - a habit I still have. But we did have a cheese grater !!
Laundry baskets and clothes dryers... We don't have either one and people think we're crazy without a dryer. But it works, laundry is under control with a load a day already hung dry and put away each morning...and our utility bill is less too!
Regarding linens: You are really on to something here. I grew up with and have always owned way too many. I recently decided to downsize - what relief. I had SEVEN sets! I started to realize that I was usually just washing and remaking the bed with the same set - to avoid the folding of the fitted sheet nonsense. I still have 3 sets, but already feeling like I can breathe a bit easier.
As a cat owner who has had and has seen family experience the pain of a late night hairball or other accident, im definitely in favor of having one extra set of bed linens. I slept on a towel once when I didn't have spare sheets.... never again.
I can SO relate to all of this, and one thing about the towels and linens: When I was growing up, my mother prized their lovely towels and linens. They didn't have many, but they seemed to be valued. When I got older, I found several lovely towels and linens that I cherished. But when I got a much better paying job, and found great deals on towels and linens, I bought them to the EXTREME and ended up with way too many. I've been passing them on, and am still in the process. Sometimes I think, "Oh, to be that 20-something again, with her one set of bedclothes and towels!"
We have one tv. We didn’t have one for years and this one has only been used a couple dozen times in the last four years. We have one extra sets of bedsheets, one extra blanket each, one extra pillow and two towels each!
I prefer one set of sheets per bed. We have a baby and toddler and it’s fine. If they get sick, we put towels/blankets down (they’ll probably get sick again anyway). And for pee accidents especially in the days where it happened often, I just put a fleece blanket on top until the washing in the morning. Less disruption for the kid who already has to have wet pajamas changed!
As a person who lives alone, I like having a lot of towels. I use up one, set it aside and repeat that until I have dirtied enough towels that I can fill up the washing machine with a load of towels. Like this, I don't have to wash towels often and I'm not wasting energy and water on washing a load that is not full.
We’re 2 people at home and we do the same!
I much prefer having a few more and not having to do laundry every week then having one set I have to wash every Sunday...
I do this and I’ve also (living short term abroad) had just two towels but I washed those with my clothes each time I did laundry. I only had enough clothes with me for one weekly or biweekly load, so it made more sense! Back home I totally agree with you. Esp bc my partner often like to change out his towel.
Nice to know there’s others like us bc I was feeling silly thinking about our huge set “for two”!
You can use a small load setting plus most washers do not waste water
Um no that’s gross. Smelly damp towels for weeks? No thanks
I feel people in the USA generally have A LOT of stuff. The houses are much bigger than in most of Europe and people tend to fill up the space they own 😅
I’m by no means a minimalist but I could not even accommodate all those chairs, tables pillows, towels and linens, and I live in a home that is considered quite spacious for my country.
Pillow covers for holiday decor are definitely my favorite space saving hack. So easy to store and much less expensive than individual decorative pillows.
Extra sheet sets all the way, but really at most 2 per person. Esp if you have multiple beds of the same size. I recently purged my sheets and got so much room back. For kiddo, ya, sometimes there are accidents (even just night time water cups), nosebleeds, etc. I keep an extra waterproof mattress cover as well, but just one. An extra sheet set for all also helps because sometimes I can get the laundry done in time to change the same day.
I make my own pillow covers and love it. Easy to wash all of them at once as well if you need to regularly clean them for stains etc. but don't want to wash the whole pillow. They make really fun playtime floor mats as well.
For towels, having two groups has been important for me. Regular towels for shower etc., two is great. But then (and likely somewhere else in the house) a few towels for guests, emergency cleanup (washer or dishwasher leaks), pet stuff, messy/staining projects, moving stuff, etc. A group of towels that can be sacrificed as needed or ones you don't mind sending to swim lessons/camps etc. and may never get back. I also use some for painting dropcloths. But these don't need to live in the bathroom.
I use our grater a LOT. To grate cheese for pizza and mac n cheese, carrots for salad, lemons for zest. Here's a tip: grate shortening instead of cutting it in to flour for biscuits etc.--instead of cutting off the required portion, score a line and grate the fat into the dry ingredients. (This is one single use tool that doesn't have a substitute that I can think of.)
I use my grater all the time. For me, it’s a must-have item.
Same here! Also I use my pizza cutter for things other than pizza. Like pancakes 😅 We are a big family so we make pancakes in the oven instead of batches on the stovetop. Less time in front of the stove and then it’s all ready at the same time!
@@lilyc649 what's your oven method for pancakes?
We used to do it by just making the pancake batter, pouring it onto a greased (butter) sheet pan and baking it in the oven 350 degree for 20ish minutes comes out as 1 big sheet pan pancake then just slice it up in squares.@@MyFocusVaries
@@TraceyBergumgee that's a lot easier!!
Having a nice clock on the wall can be delightful. I find it very time saving (pun) just being able to look up at the wall for the time instead of going to look for my phone and turn it on to find out or walk over to the stove.
Interesting what you said about clocks. I actually find the sound sort of comforting in an old-fashioned way, and have several. One near the dining table, and one in the entryway, both help me keep track of time in the morning without having to reach for my phone. I also wear an analogue watch to work for the same reason, and find it helps as one in many strategies to use my smartphone less. 😉
Agree - I want to use the phone less and I like clocks. I have one from my Mom - Sears in the 1960s and a bread board clock from Tru Value Stamps I like analog much better than digital
We still have clocks also. Including alarm clocks. They force you out of bed and if you forget to charge your phone, your alarm still goes off
Definitely need clocks, though agree that loud ticking is distracting. Rarely use a phone for checking the time as I wear a watch, but a clock is must in the kitchen for checking cooking times, dog feeding times, time to take medications etc.
I really struggle with time and numbers, so having lots of analogue clocks (and a watch) is a must for me. It sounds weird, but if a clock says '8.28' it doesn't give me any sense of how much time I have before I need to leave at 9.00. But seeing the hands move round an analogue clock give me a much better grasp of how time is passing. (I literally have no sense of time without looking at a clock. People tell me 'oh, if you need to start cooking dinner at 5, just get into the habit of checking the time near 5, and they don't get that you have to have a rough idea of what time it is to KNOW that it is getting near 5!)
@@pippas5808A very good argument that kids need to learn analogue clocks to understand time. A lot of young people now only know digital clocks and I think they are missing something.
We got a few nice folding chairs from Costco which we bring out when we have people over. That way our dining area is not overwhelmed with chairs the rest of the time.
Referring to the bed linen (?) you mentioned: One on the bed, one on the clothes line; that's enough for my opinion.
Since watching your videos I have realized that I have many things that I don't use and I have given them away and sold them. and I have become more thoughtful when it comes to buying something. thank you. the house breathes now.
Trying to incorporate minimalist approaches as they mesh with what works well for our family. We got rid of our coffee table many years ago and love the extra floor space that opened up. But we do have clocks galore. I don't always have my phone with me and love being able to glance up and see the time. Also, we don't keep our phones in our rooms overnight, so alarm clocks in each bedroom are a necessity. Two sets of bed linens per bed work well for us. Though, when one son had accidents almost nightly for 6+ years, we had way more sets of sheets than that. Just couldn't keep up with the constant loads of laundry and wanted him to always be able to access clean sheets in the middle of the night as he needed them. Towels...we have way too many, but using the container method, they fit neatly and easily in our linen closet. So, even though our home inventory tips the scale opposite most minimalist standards, it is helpful to watch these types of videos to constantly review where we are at, and if there are things we could cut back on as life seasons change.
In my house, we keep a set of flannel sheets, a set of cotton sheets, a quilt and a waffle weave blanket for each bed. Between those items, we're perfectly fine whether the house is 10c or 35c.
I had moved permanently to Spain, like you to Germany and now unexpectedly life is forcing me to go back to the U.K. so I’m paying close attention to your current videos for advice on that subject. I will be going to an unfurnished place for a year so instead of being upset I’m going to use it as an opportunity to up my minimalist game by not preemptively buying things, I’ll only get what I need, when I need it.
I do find having an extra set of sheets for each bed efficient, practical, and time saving.
Alternatively, I like that after washing, I just put the same sheets back on the bed. Aka avoid folding the sheets. >.
I have 3 set of sheets, but I don't have dryer. And 1 set is for guests. I am happy with that amount of sheets, it is working for me. And it is practical. I don't have to worry if my sheets dry before I go to bed. 😊
@@KnineFeline Me too. I have been doing this for many, many years and it's never been a problem. It takes very little time to dry sheets in the dryer so even if I forget to dry them until just before bed, it only delays me about 20 minutes.
I have summer sheets and winter sheets. I have two sets of each. In the summer I use linen and cotton. In the winter I have flannel. We spend more time in our beds than any other single place. I started prioritizing my bed/bedding many years ago. If I think something will make me more comfortable while I sleep I buy it..
My ideal number is three sets per bed/duvet (so three sheets and six duvet covers as my partner and I both have our own), because I also do not have a dryer and in the wet season it can take 24+ hours for the sheets to dry. One extra set for when life gets crazy and we forget to wash straight away saves some stress. I love summer when I can wash the sheets in the morning, hang them on the balcony and put them back on the bed late afternoon! For towels about 4 per person, so that we can wash them all together in a full load, plus two extra for guests. We have way more than this though so that's something to sort out in soon :)
My sister bought the bulky ones that are wooden and quite expensive (from IKEA) and she was furious when she found It made holes in her expensive clothes. I use the cheapest plastic hangers from IKEA because nothing slips off them and they are also that flat. I am actually proud of myself I didn't order velvet ones, that you recommended. Because in the end, if something works for me, why would I ever change it, right?
Agree! 👏
Velvet hangers are a GAME changer! I will never go back
Velvet just attracts dirt and wears out.
White plastic will eventually turn yellowish.
I prefer nicely anodized metal ones, lasts you a lifetime.
Buy once and don't look back.
@@QoraxAudio everyone has its favourites I guess 😅
There are much nicer (and more expensive) wooden hangers than the IKEA ones. They may be more expensive than some materials, but it's one of those cases where the IKEA product isn't made to the same standard and can cause problems. (There's tons of great stuff at IKEA, but you do have to assess the quality of each product line individually.)
We use plastic hangers with rubbery grips. That way, we can hang our damp clothes on them to dry and then just carry things to our closets. (Things that would stretch or are long get hung with the bottom part supported by another hanger to take the weight off.) (Valerie)
Same here.
I love this episode!!
If this country would start "re-distributing" all their stuff (instead of continuing to make & buy more and more new stuff), we could save the planet and the economy overnight! No one would do without anything, and no one would have to be a minimalist that did not want to.
If we don't do this voluntarily now, we will soon be forced to do so against our will.
So true! It’s a real distribution problem not being able to get unwanted stuff to exactly the people who need/want it.
@@AtoZenLife I think there is a real opportunity for many people to start businesses, and provide employment, doing that very re-distribution! In our community, several of us are looking at all the vacant buildings (ones that went belly-up during covid) and thinking it is time to give it a try....hope others do the same!
Our kids and grandkids will thank us...😍
There are groups/organizations around that do something similar to this. One organization/group that I frequent for gives to recycle items with neighbors is called "Buy Nothing." They have groups all over the US and it is organized through FB. People give and ask for items that other people have to give up or even borrow.
Well, they could start with me. I have towels galore to spread around. I think if anyone wants to pass them on, check out local charities that match one's values. One regret I have is that I know there are people suffering in poverty who are not receiving any help or support. I wish I could find them and pass my things to meet their needs.
Against our will ?? Sounds a bit paranoid imho..lol
With me, my husband, and our five kids ages 9-2, we have definitely been so thankful we didn’t declutter all our linen. I did downsize but we still have what might be seen as “too many” from a typical minimalist view. We’ve all gotten sick a few times within just this last year (right now being one) and having extra when one kid throws up on the sheet and blanket and right as you’re getting a new one on and setting up a blanket pile in the floor to sleep on instead of where they just threw up, someone else throws up right there too. We love blankets, they don’t take up too much room visually as we put them in an old toy chest. We have 3 fitted bedsheets (just for our big bed) as that’s all we use from the sheet sets. It has saved us so many times! Who wants to be going up and down stairs to wash blankets and sheets every few hours when you’re also sick as a dog.
I’ve heard a lot of minimalist UA-camrs say something similar to you. And that’s WONDERFUL you’ve never experienced it happen. I think it’s a great testament that minimalism looks different for everyone and there is no cookie cutter “x amount of items” for everyone :) do what works for you and your family instead of feeling like a failure because you need more sheets or blankets than the next person. 💚💚
You can use a cheese grater for mincing garlic and other things. Because I have a cheese grater I don’t have a garlic press.
That’s a good way to use it! I mince garlic with a knife as well 👍
I love your tips & tricks for a more peaceful, smoother- running household! I've slowly been getting rid of decorative pillows, extra sheet sets & towels. It's amazing how they accumulate. Feels so good to open a closet & see that it has breathing room. I have more to declutter, so this is great inspiration - thank you!
I seem to remember you air-dried your bed linen in Germany. I'm not sure how you managed with one set. Here in the UK it feels like it's been raining for months and one set would not be dry in time to put back on the bed the same day. I don't have a dryer (not unusual here for small flats) and dry laundry on an airer in front of the radiator with a dehumidifier nearby. I know this method would probably shock most American viewers but it works. In summer laundry is put outside for the amazing anti-bacterial properties of the sun. Love your videos!
I live in the US and have used a folding clothing rack for years. Partly because I save a bit since the cost of laundry machines is a lot when one has kids. Often rentals don't come with a washer or dryer. So going out to do laundry is a pain, especially in winter!
Oh and since I live in a desert area the humidity is welcome!
That's interesting. We have two very different climates. The newer dehumidifiers have a laundry mode so even if they're on for a few hours, it really helps. I would love to visit the desert but my sinuses would rebel!
Do your towels get stiff and scratchy? That's the downside of not having a dryer. I live in west Texas so dirt is blowing all the time - no hanging our clothes in this area. I usually us "air dry" on our dryer
@@jandkhilbert there is some stiffness, but the towels are pretty soft to start with, so it isn't too bad at all. I used to love hanging laundry outside, on good days, but nowadays neighborhoods have restrictions that don't allow it. And I live in an urban area, so there's that.
I highly suggest getting a table with leaves. We can go from a table for 4 all the way up to a table for 8. It makes it so versatile!
Yeah, but then what do you do with all the leaf litter?
I don’t think my household could function without the cheese grater! We use it EVERY day! 😂
Me too…🧀
Essential in our house, too. She must not grate cheese!
Yeah, I don't think she "gets" graters." We zest oranges with them for recipes and grate cheese and nutmeg. Very hard to do well with a knife. Not buying that bit of minimalism at all.
Same here!
But I don`t even own a TV for over 20 years now. And I don`t miss it at all. ;-)
We watch everything on our laptops too.
I didn't find minimalism until my kids were grown, so they grew up with a plethora of sheets and towels. Rule of thumb in my place now that there's only me and one kid left is we each get two towels, with 4 put away in the linen closet for guests. Each person's towels are a color of their choice so it's easy to keep track of. The guest towels are all one color. Sheets are two sets per bed. Life, and especially laundry, has been made so much easier since we reduced to these numbers. Towels are one load per week, and it's about the same with sheets.
I have two sets of linens but once when I was staying with friends when my youngest son was about 5, he swallowed too much sea water while swimming and spent the entire night being ill, every time I changed the entire bed because he was not tidy! And then washed and dried everything and then an hour later I had to repeat the process, I went through every set of covers and sheets my friends had and was grateful they had so many sets, and luckily they slept through the whole episode so had no issue with their whole bed linen collection going through the washer and dryer xx
I have two sets of bedlinens for adult beds, but three for the kids for precisely this reason. I need two minimum because I do not have a dryer and I like to re-make the bed straight away. The kids need one extra set because they are more likely to get ill and if they do, also more likely to not reach the toilet or even bucket in time! You do not want to be doing emergency laundry in the middle of the night while the little one is calling out for you because they feel so bad.
I just purchased a stove without clock/timer on purpose. We do have a wall clock that my husband likes to use and it also helps the grandkids learn time the old fashioned way. Discovered the pillow cover idea and velvet hangers a few seasons ago-game changers! We keep 2 sets of sheets per bed-one for warmer weather, one for cooler weather. Got rid of most single use items, but kept the cheese grater-use it for sharp, mozzarella and parm. Years ago, we had televisions in almost every room. Down to one, but I really would prefer just using the laptop. Great video, as always. Thank you.
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I used to think 2 sets of sheets per bed was essential, but we've survived for three years with one set per bed. When my son was little, we used to put a beach towel over the top of his bed if he felt ill, just in case. I suppose if we had been minimalists then, a bath towel would do the trick in an emergency. I no longer stock my life for just in case situations. Now I make do .
6:27 we use to have so many bed sheets. We finally downsized to 2 sets and we donated the rest. It felt so good to declutter our linen closet 😊.
Hi. I switched to velvet hangers when I downsized my housing. Much better. I have six sets of towels for me (inhale and read on). This is what give me a full load for the washer. My white socks, cleaning rags, steam mop pads, and dog towels all add up to a full bleach wash. Might not be a minimalist thing but it works and is cost effective. Thank you for your videos and have a nice day.
I agree. Capacity of washing machine is a variable to consider!
My husband and I also use one towel each when going to the gym so we need several extra sets
I must be an oddball. I prefer the plastic hangers. I like how rounded they are. I don't have an issue with clothes slipping off. I have some with grippers in them for wider neck items.
Me too!
Same here!
I don't like the felt ones. It is too much trouble trying to get my clothes off. I think it's just a preference.
@@dianasimplifies I agree with you!
Marissa, I don't think I'm the only subscriber who
would really appreciate a video about mental health and the link between clutter and our brains. I know you've been on your own healing journey as you have decluttered.
Can you shed some light on how decluttering has helped you in this area? Some of us are struggling with mental health issues and I wonder if our cluttered homes and workspaces can actually increase those feelings?
Thank you and much love!
Marissa, this is one of your most wonderful videos. Thank you for doing what you do to help everyone consider how to lighten their life. I applaud you and your husband, for removing the excess furniture, and TVs, especially. Simplifying is reducing stress. You have a wonderful way of presenting essential information. Bless you!
I totally agree on the pillows issue. I do think that up to 4 sheet sets (2 winter/2 summer) per bed is okay, assuming you live somewhere with highly variable temperatures, although I'd recommend both sets of sheets per season match whatever blanket or duvet is being used so that the heavier bedding items don't need to be duplicated (or live with them not matching). I switched to the lightweight Turkish peshtemal towels, which take up no space and dry immediately (great for long hair!). I have six large towels, rolled along with washcloths and hand towels in a 15" basket and don't need to use my linen closet for towel storage at all. For bed accidents, all the mattresses in my house have waterproof covers, and for small children and the elderly we've used washable waterproof pads either over or under the sheets (whichever made more sense at the time) to keep messes to a minimum and disturb sleep the least.
I have only 1 each 😂😱🫣 It has bit us in the butt before though!
I use my cheese grater 5 to 6 times a week, and the pizza wheel at least 2 times a week…I love them. We have three towels and washers each + four extras if guests come, and two sets of sheets for each bed. It works great for us…👍🏽.
I switched to velvet hangers 15 years ago, and will never go back. But I also use wooden hangers for winter coats in the coat closet. They are more durable for something really heavy like that. We have two sets of linens for each bed, cotton for summer and cotton flannel for winter, and two sets of towels for each person. It's always enough, especially since I don't wash towels everyday. I figure you are drying a clean body, and if you hang them up afterwards they don't get yucky anyway.
Cleaning out the linen closet and keeping only 2 sets of towels and bed linen per person. We also have a clear plastic pizza cutter that doesn't scratch up the pans.
This was an interesting video - from your perspective recently returning to the States. When I minimized our linens years ago. I only kept 1 extra sheet set per each size bed. That was 1 extra set for our queen bed, and one extra twin set for our three sons' twin beds. This allowed for a quick change in the middle of the night if someone got sick - and yes, it happened a couple of times when our boys were little. Before that, each bed had its own extra set - kept under the mattresses. Easy, handy storage.
We needed a lot of extra linen and blankets when we had a toddler, because when she got sick it always happened at night and she would throw up over both her own bed and ours, every 90 minutes or so. Plus the fact that no diapers seem to be enough at night, if we don't wake her up there will be an accident. But if you don't have these problems...
Thanks for this video, I agree with so many of the things on your list! For the linens question, we have one set per bed plus one extra for emergencies, and two sets of towels per person, plus a set of 4 "beach" towels that can also help mop up messes, wash dog paws, etc. My one single-use kitchen gadget is a garlic press - we eat garlic pretty much every day and I prefer fresh garlic to minced in a jar or frozen. Thanks!
I so agree with you!! One set of linens for each bed, and one towel for each person.
My mom always had a saying for how many linens one needs. One in the cabinet, one in the laundry and one in the bed. I must confess I really like the nr of three and use it for towels and other textiles I am dependent on a daily basis. I could make it work with two. But accidents do happen and then that third set is awesome.
I think 2 towels per person, 1 set of sheets per bed, and 1 tv in the living room! no one use gadgets and my household runs just fine. Less to me is way more!! Love your channel Merissa🤩
For furniture, I eliminated end tables because they just held lamps we didn't use and DUST. We find the big coffee table most useful because they're easier to reach and for use as footrests (we use two soft storage ottomans with trays on top).
When I was young, I had mostly lightweight, take-apart furniture that worked well and that I liked. But when I got older, I broke the bank buying heavy, expensive furniture, a lot of which I'm trying to get rid of! Ah, life's ironies :)!
I'm absolutely on board with everything you said except as a minimalist I do have clocks. I don't have a lot of artwork on the walls so I like the esthetic of them. They are quartz movement and therefore quiet. I don't want to have to pick up my phone every time I want to know what time it is.
About linens, specifically sheets. We love to line dry our sheets. In cooler weather it may take all day. So I rotate between two identical sets for each bed. I strip one bed and put on clean sheets and pillow cases and the bed is done and not unmade or stripped. Doing this frees me to wash the set I removed late in the day, and then hang it first thing in the morning. No one has to wait to get their sheets back. When there were babies in the house I had a lot more stuff to wash - those flannel pads were wonderful for putting between two crib sheets. Changing a baby crib after a mess while holding a screaming infant is much easier to just pull off the soiled top. I actually learned this as a waitress at a restaraunt where each table had as many as four table cloths. If need be they’d just take off the top one. We have no babies or even kids now. And we have just one set of bath towels which I wash weekly or even every two weeks. They don’t get smelly or sour. Hand towels though, the get multiple uses a day and I hang a clean one in each bath daily. Kitchen towels also. So that I am not constantly washing them I just have 7 of each no more or no less. Once a week they get washed. I don’t wash things used in the bathroom with things used in the preparation of food. I actually had to increase our clothing inventory after a drought forced conservative water use. I try to cram as much into a load at a time so the washing of hubby’s dirty cotton socks every three days got wasteful of water and energy. So we increased socks, undershirts and undershorts to a week supply.
A tv in every room is becoming standard in South African homes too now. (Affluent ones not rural).
But devices are taking over. You'll find one person with two or three phones, a tablet, laptop and desktop at home...
We live exactly how you've decribed in this video except we dont have a tv and I have a lot of kitchenware because I am an avid cook, canner, baker etc and I use it all. We are homesteaders.
But when you scale down it's amazing how you adapt when you thought you would miss certain things!!
I love your ideas and the way you present this channel. 💜🌻
I changed my hangers to velvet ones a few years ago, didn't realise how much plastic ones frustrated me every time I went in my wardrobe where the clothes would fall off one after another!
I own four sets. Two normal ones (the linens need 3 days to dry…) obe set especially for summer and one set for winter.
Im using velvet hanger for my clothes in wardrobe too and love how tidy they look. Though it can't be multipurpose such as airdrying my wet laundry. So I still own two sets of hangers.
For linens, my "rule" is 2 sets of sheets per bed. On my kids' beds, we have both sets layered. As in, on the mattress is a waterproof mattress cover with a fitted sheet over it, then another layer of waterproof mattress cover and fitted sheet. If a kid has an accident in the night or gets ill in bed, a clean set of sheets is ready and protected under the soiled set, so no one has to sleep on an unmade bed or a towel while the soiled set is laundered. This has come in handy a couple of times for us.
Aren‘t these waterproof mattress covers to „warm“? What I want to say is, they usually have these plastic feel and the air can not circulate trough it very well. So I noticed my girl is starting to sweat much faster and thats why we have removed them completly by now. But we have only used covers that cover only a part of the mattress, and we still had that issue, that is was to warm for her. I would be really interested to hear about your experiences.
@@Koreleine sounds like your sheets may be polyester instead of cotton
I just bought wooden coat hangers and knitted my own covers for them that protected clothing and prevented them from shipping off 😊
I was shocked at the amount of linens provided in your townhouse. Wow! Even I think that's too much. I love linens. There was a time when I bought them, but didn't declutter them. It was one of the first things I was able to easily let go of when I began my decluttering journey. I purchased a new organic latex bed with organic cotton bedding and wool blanket. The quality of these items allowed me to let go of the extra items I owned. Also I gave 4 sets of towels (6 items per set) to my children. I have velvet hangers - they're marvelous! I love the look and nothing falls off the hanger. Furniture has been the most difficult to actually remove from my home. I live alone and own a small car, so I need help with the removal. Last weekend I removed 3 large items from my garage and 2 large items from my patio. Yay! I have an antique oak table and chairs in the garage but once they're gone, I will be able to park my car. Double Yay! I don't rely on my phone or any electronics to tell me the time, however I agree, the clocks I have can be loud. One actually has a swinging pendulum. Thanks for the look at "normal people".
Such great suggestions!!
In regards to linens, I think one set on the bed and one in the closet is a great compromise, just in case (those are swear words in minimalism, aren't they? LOL).
Great video, it has good things to think about. We are empty nesters now and we realize how much stuff we have that is not used anymore
Also we are RVing a lot and that helps us having a minimalist mindset
I have 4 cats so I do need a few extra linens & towels & they do get used. But most people don't have 4 cats
Bulky coffee tables are a pain if you have carpet and need to vacuum too. I have been debating what to do about that space. TV trays, a cart, bigger side tables or nothing. Great list.
I hate decorative pillows and am totally with you in minimizing them! However, with my ADHD, I find having lots of clocks really helpful since I lose track of time.
I heard about a specialty timer for folks with ADHD recently. It's a countdown timer that divides hours up by quarter hours to help you stay on track. They didn't name it, but you could probably Google it. I've been thinking of researching it.
Yes. Clocks in every room are a must for me. A huge part of my ADHD is time blindness.
My issue is that I like unusual clocks. 😅 but yes I like having a clock in each room.
As a family with two toddlers two sets of sheets for the kids beds are a must. I can’t imagine not having a back up set when one of the kids has an accident or gets sick in the middle of the night, it’s happened too frequently. But I’ve never understood the two towels per person thing. We have one per person and I take them all in the morning, wash them and have them back before bedtime…I guess using the dryer helps.
I love plastic hangers!
Hang wet items to dry, then straight into closet after the clothes are dry.
If your items are falling off, they're not being hung properly.
Single use items: I was totally against these as well until I bought a rice cooker when ill to use as a fast crockpot. LOVE it!
Also love the single serve coffee maker!
Didn't realize I was a "minimalist" 😂 thought I just didn't like to waste money on items I don't need 🤣
I love the velvet hangers. Bought a few to try them out and just added to them. My only regret is that I didn’t buy them all at the same time so they would match. I also purchased wood hangers as I found them at the thrift store to use for coats. They don’t match either! Pillows: at one time I had decorative pillows for each season, then I discovered pillow covers. I change them for the seasons, fold and store them when I freshen up my space. I have three, two for the living room and one for the bedroom. Donated all those bulky old ones. What a difference that has made. Towels and linens are also pared down to two. I have a 12” cube for each season which holds everything I need to freshen up my apartment. It may not be “minimal “, but it is as close as I am so far.
I enjoy your videos and look forward to your wisdom.
Great video! I gave my TV away in 2021 and wish I had done this sooner. When I had it for many years, I hardly watched it and paid a lot for the cable that came with nearly 200 channels. It was a total waste. Renting a home that comes with furniture certainly has its advantages as you can move easily and whenever you want. Since I own my home, I do have my own furniture, but just the essentials. I can do a little jogging inside my home.😊
I keep 2 sets of linens and towels. I am relocating to another part of Costa Rica. I’m excited I found you. ❤❤❤
I found a vintage rocker knife at an antique store. It has a stainless blade and cuts through pizza, brownies, anything really. It stores flat and is easier to clean than a pizza roller. And it can be sharpened.
I have a LOT of pillows but they’re not decorative, i have Chronic Back Pain when i sit & when i sleep so i keep pillows (Tons of them!!) in my home for my bed !!
We have one set of cotton sheets per bed for warmer weather and one set of flannel sheets for colder weather. I wash them and put them right back onto the bed the same day. Since I've been doing this, I only fold a fitted sheets twice each year when we switch seasons!
That’s funny - I swapped out my velvet hangers for the wood ones and like them better. They feel a lot sturdier to me. I’ve only ever had one TV, even when I had kids at home. It’s behind a curtain made of a cool tapestry fabric I bought in Argentina, so the living room doesn’t look TV focused. It also encourages more intentionality since you have to slide open the curtain to use the TV.
I have an old fashioned ticking wall clock in my kitchen and I find the tik tok comforting. What I don't get is those giant decorative clocks. Also, I own a regular alarm clock and a watch - things I don't trust my phone with. And in school we tell kids to have a watch for time because using their phone is forbidden
Cheese graters can not only be used for hard cheeses but also grating lemon zest, ginger, cucumber, potatoes and a lot more. They are a multipurpose tool.
Clocks are pretty ,i love them....as kids we never played in our living room,no one did...
I like two sets of sheets per bed. My bed has three currently. But the third is flannel and only used for a month or so each year.
I only have two pillows on my bed, one set of bed linens and four sets of towels (I keep two sets for when my brother comes to visit). In the kitchen I got rid of all my single use gadgets years back. As for appliances the only ones I kept were the food processor and the blender. I use wooden hangers for my clothing. I live with a sibling that is not a minimalist and she has a wall clock and three tv sets. I have never owned a television as an adult because everyone I’ve ever shared space with has always had more than one.
I prefer 2 sets of bed sheets so if I’m too tired to wait on the dryer, we can still get the bed ready. I have a lot of towels though… 😂
Admittedly I do not use decorative pillows. I, too, am minimalist with towels and linens. Perhaps I am a bit more minimalist than I thought. I do not have clocks.
Clocks- we don't have a microwave, oven clock, or smart phone, so I have a wall clock that is visible from the living room and kitchen. I also have one in my bedroom. Hangers- I like to use the wider clear plastic hangers some of which have rubber pieces wrapped on the edges to prevent slipping. I like them for my nicer/thinner clothes to prevent bumps in the shoulders. Furniture- We don't even have a normal living room, so we don't have any living room furniture. We are not minimalist though. Kitchen- we use our shredder everyday for either potatoes and/or cheese. and when we lost our nice pizza cutter my daughters were not happy. Thanks Marissa
I have two sets of sheets and towels. I try to make sure to just keep the minimum. I do like the idea of changing the covers of throw pillows
I do two sets of bed linens for the bed my husband and I share, and two sets of towels for each of us. We're too busy to wash and dry our bed linens within the day, so it helps to have a second set.
I love in Manhattan where the majority of people don't have personal washers and dryers. I would definitely recommend a second set of linens. As for coffee tables, I lived in an apartment that was too narrow to accommodate one but had to get side tables with storage.
Modern televisions don't take up much space at all.
When my kids were small, I would have them sleep on a towel when they were sick. It was so much easier to toss a towel in the wash then to change sheets in the middle of the night.
I have pillows with decorative covers for Fall, Halloween and Christmas. The rest of the time the pillows are in vacuum sealed bags in the closet. They don't take up much room like that and I'm willing to have them out just for the Holidays. For sheets, I have 2 everyday sets and then one Fall and one Christmas. Can you tell decorating for certain seasons make me happy. LOL
Just cleaned out the linen closet this weekend! Funny how stuff creeps in. I do like end tables because we hang in the living room a lot and I like to have a place for my drink. We have a coffee table too, but I could do without it.
I like end tables too. Don't like floor lamps.
Pillow covers is the best hack. Easy for changing for the holidays. But also easy to change for a new look in your rooms. Also, I use to have two sets of sheets for each bed...one to use one to wash. But nit anymore, just one until they wear out. One towel and wash cloth per person.
Regarding towels and linens. I live in an RV, and do not have daily access to a washer and dryer. So, I find it easier to own more towels and linens, and underpants 😉 to cut down trips to the laundry mat and still have clean stuff. On the other hand I have no tv or tablet, I use my phone instead.
Thank you for the video
I love that plant in the background
Yep, 2 sets of bedlinen per bed is enough for me. The general 'what if' question is surely the reason that people have way too much stuff. Too much stuff is a solution to a non-existing problem. And if accidents happen you borrow the spare set from another bed, and there's always the washing machine or the laundrette to solve your 'what if' problem. Love this episode.
I agree, 2 linens max. 👍 We currently have one fitted sheet and two comforters, in the future I might just stick with one comforter but for the baby years the comforter gets dirty pretty much every day or every two days 😅
We have two sets of linens each. That takes care of the "accident in bed" or "kid getting sick" situation. One set is always in use, while the other one is washed, dried and stored away as soon as we take it off. We recently potty trained our son and even in that difficult transition period when he was only starting sleeping wihtout a diaper we still didn't feel we needed more sets of linens.
And we don't have a drier (I live in Poland and driers are not common here, we hang our laundry ideally outside)
I have 1 set of sheets for my bed, that are soft and comfortable and I love them. I wash them once a week and put them right back on.
With towels and linens, we have 2 sets per person. If there’s an accident, you wash them 😊
I switched to velvet hangers this summer! Soooo much better! All of my clothes fit more comfortably and the uniformity makes it feel like a boutique every time I open my closet doors. They’re available in different colours, so you can pick your favourite. I smile every time
That’s awesome, glad you are loving the velvet hangers! 👏
My favorite kitchen gadget is my egg separator. I only like the yolks of the egg, so I use this very often. Also, I have 3sets of sheets for my bed. And I have 5 bath towels.
My mum was what we called thrifty. Had to be, in the 1960's, with dad on a basic office clerk job. She had one kitchen knife - she called it her potato knife, but it chopped anything needing cut ( though she did eventually acquire a bread knife) The only other knife used in food prep was one of our traditional bone handled cutlery knives ( that we used with matching forks to eat our dinner) which, because of the round end blade, also came in handy to smooth icing onto cakes ! Cakes were tested for readiness with one of her knitting needles. Butter wrappers were used to grease cake tins ( greaseproof paper not needed) and the christmas cake decorations ( a model swiss chalet a model Santa, and model chicken ( yellow and fluffy ,from an Easter item) and a Merry Christmas sign !) came out of their storage tub, for the home made ( and hand mixed) cake every year. She did not have any scales, but a rounded tablespoon weighes 1 ounce, of flour or sugar, and margarine divides into 1/2 or 4 ounce portions as a full one was half a pound.
Never had an oven glove, just used the tea towel to protect her hands - a habit I still have. But we did have a cheese grater !!
Laundry baskets and clothes dryers... We don't have either one and people think we're crazy without a dryer. But it works, laundry is under control with a load a day already hung dry and put away each morning...and our utility bill is less too!
Regarding linens: You are really on to something here. I grew up with and have always owned way too many. I recently decided to downsize - what relief. I had SEVEN sets! I started to realize that I was usually just washing and remaking the bed with the same set - to avoid the folding of the fitted sheet nonsense. I still have 3 sets, but already feeling like I can breathe a bit easier.
That’s fantastic progress 👏
One set of sheets here. Take them off once a week to wash, then put them back on. Super simple. 😊
As a cat owner who has had and has seen family experience the pain of a late night hairball or other accident, im definitely in favor of having one extra set of bed linens. I slept on a towel once when I didn't have spare sheets.... never again.
I can SO relate to all of this, and one thing about the towels and linens: When I was growing up, my mother prized their lovely towels and linens. They didn't have many, but they seemed to be valued. When I got older, I found several lovely towels and linens that I cherished. But when I got a much better paying job, and found great deals on towels and linens, I bought them to the EXTREME and ended up with way too many. I've been passing them on, and am still in the process. Sometimes I think, "Oh, to be that 20-something again, with her one set of bedclothes and towels!"
We have one tv. We didn’t have one for years and this one has only been used a couple dozen times in the last four years. We have one extra sets of bedsheets, one extra blanket each, one extra pillow and two towels each!
I use my grater for all kinds of thing. Just this weekend I used it to zest limes for a recipe. I do not have a separate zester tool.
1 have 4 sets of linens because we airdry everything, so sometimes we have 2 to be washed at the same time, and we change it every week :)
I prefer one set of sheets per bed. We have a baby and toddler and it’s fine. If they get sick, we put towels/blankets down (they’ll probably get sick again anyway). And for pee accidents especially in the days where it happened often, I just put a fleece blanket on top until the washing in the morning. Less disruption for the kid who already has to have wet pajamas changed!