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So with all my de-cluttering and organising I have been thinking about just how much rubbish we accumulate in our homes!!!
On Monday I cleaned out the cupboard in my laundry – another black bag full of stuff was thrown out with a box of stuff heading to the Hospice shop!! This cupboard was filled with broken oil lamps, empty cleaning bottles and general crap.
So far between the craft room, the toy room and the laundry – that is 5 black bags of stuff that has either been thrown away or given away!!! Isn’t that mad?
I cleaned my kitchen out last year and there wasn’t much to throw out but there is a fair amount of stuff that needs to finds it’s way to the Hospice shop when David isn’t looking – it is stuff we haven’t used since we moved in here so really we do not need it.
The boys room is pretty organised and clutter free and Kiara has about a box full of rubbish (including old clothes) that needs to go and the same in our room.
I suspect though that if someone super organised like Marcia and even Fiona had to come into the house they would probably de-clutter a few more black bags 🙂
I actually said to David during the holidays that I was given everything away except our beds! We don’t need anything else because we just seem to be accumulating stuff left right and centre!!!!
My new rule now is – if it is to throw out – if the lamps are broken and WILL be fixed asap then keep them otherwise they get tossed. I am not keeping spray bottles any more in case we may need them. Kids stuff that is broken gets thrown away immediately – not put in the “to fix” pile only to never ever be fixed. I am not allowing our space to be invaded by STUFF any more!!!!
Do you also find yourself keeping stuff to maybe use in the future? Do your cupboards become cluttered? How do you prevent you home from the clutter especially with kids?
15 Responses
Not so much that is true rubbish other than in the bins, but there is a LOT of stuff that is unused and stuff and needs to make it to the charity shop. Part of the issue, though, is that we’ve got my in-laws living with us for the moment and as such it’s very difficult to have time or space to go through things.
But as a general rule, we go through dressers/closets at least every 6 months, toys and stuff whenever it seems needed but at least annually (about January and occasionally just after a birthday when new things have made less room), and other things we try to kind of do one room at a time at least one room a year, if that makes sense.
I’m one step away from becoming a hoarder. I just feel guilty whenever I throw anything out. And my biggest problem is kids toys. 90% of it were gifts, and that I feel very guilty to throw away or give away. And I just can’t seem to get rid of anything with sentimental value (and that seems to be everything).
My Mom tried to throw some toys out for me, a pile in the dustbin, a pile for charity, and then the rest to keep. But going through the dustbin pile I found puzzle pieces (the rest of the puzzle still in the cupboard) and building blocks etc, so most of that were taken back, and then the charity pile were almost everything that my Mother In Law gave as gifts, so that went back as well.
David & I did a massive de-kluge of our entire house just before we went on holiday. It was wonderful to come back to a clean & tidy house after our holiday!
We’ve also just started applying the rule that broken stuff gets thrown out immediately. Only valuable stuff that can be fixed gets to stay – and then it has to be fixed right away wherever possible.
The biggest challenge for me is my office, which still needs a fair amount of sorting out, although we’ve thrown out most of the junk already. I really need a filing cabinet or system, and I want to put in two floating shelves along the length of the longest wall for a “time machine” for my sales prospect and marketing campaign files…
We also did a massive clear up over the holidays and I was horrified by how much stuff we had! We had 3 car loads (and we have a combi) of rubbish to the tip and 1 full load of stuff that we donated to various charities. And that was only from the garage, linen cupboard and clothes.
I dont’ even want to think about the kitchen, Little OL’s toys or rest of the house! I do not feel that it has made one little bit of difference and it is still to cluttered, but my mom walked in and said “wow, your house is looking clean!” so it must have done something.
This was our 3rd attempt in 6 months though – each time we get more brave and throw out stuff that we had previously kept. My only problem now is lack of clothes – I got a bit over enthusiastic and seeing as I hate shopping I now really don’t have much to wear.
Oor house is totally overflowing with clutter. I did a major decluttering in A’s room the past week and two and sent two black bags to PE for underpriviledge kids. The rest to follow
My house is too small to keep unnecessary stuff, so if there is nowhere to keep it, it gets tossed!
I try do a de-clutter and clean out every 6 months so keep it moderately under control. However I do find that as fast as I try clean and keep it under control we gain more stuff too. I can’t understand WHERE it all comes from!!!
xxx
I am also on a massive declutter drive. So far there has been six black bags of rubbish thrown out. Two black bags just with Bianca’s clothes and the maid took a lot of the crockery I discarded. So far the diningroom, craft room, guest room and B’s room is done. My grocery cupboard and bedroom will be next. I feel lighter already 😀
I think we all accumulate things over time, some more than others. I need to declutter too but so not in the mood though.
I have often wondered if I would have so many little corners of crap if I lived in a round house! 😉
Good for you L. That’s such a huge step. I try to declutter regularly . Actually who am I deceiving, I think I am becoming a hoarder. I intend to declutter, (and tell myself, if I have not looked at something in 2 years or more, I probably don’t need it) so pack up the stuff, but they all end up in black bin bags in my study and then little by little, they find their way back to where they started life in various spaces in my house. A horrible cycle 🙁
Goodness me. LOTS!
I can easily fill up a black bag AT LEAST every month with rubbish. My DH and I get most of our stuff electronically so the schools are the main culprits. Circulars, statements, artworks. Also adverts, brochures, magazines (which I don’t even buy btw – somehow they end up in my home) and packaging. I try to buy items with re-usable packaging but it’s not always possible because these items are often more expensive. And sometimes, I don’t have something to fill the re-usable packaging with. So it has to wait around until I find something for it. And so it all accumulates. I have made lists of ALL the broken stuff that can be fixed and we are working on them. Other stuff I throw away. Including toys.
How do you do it? I shuffle stuff. It takes a move to get me to declutter. That’s an idea… We need to move! Kloof, here I come.
As you know, I love decluttering. My house is very organised but still between Christmas and New Year, I managed to declutter 2 boxes (Pampers boxes) of kitchen stuff. Nanny S and Nester took most of it.
My biggest tip that really works is this – keep a permanent donation station somewhere where everyone knows. Every week the nanny knows she can help herself to anything there but come Friday morning, out it all goes in the rubbish if no one wanted it. I love my little system – it works perfectly and has for the last 7 years 🙂
My Husband is the hoarder. He refuses to throw anything away that is broken, it drives me completely insane. I’m the same as you, I don’t want “stuff”. You have inspired me so much with your cleaning out I have done 2 big cupboards (when Etienne was at work) and chucked out the biggest load of crap ever.
Next up is the playroom, but it will take quite a few hours as I need to move things around. But there will be much dumped, without or without Husband’s “consent”.