decluttering?

[Naomi]

I'm trying to/need to declutter the house but I have no idea where to start, it just seems to create more mess than it clears up, and I never seem to finish one room/task before I get caught up in the next one (ten).

Does anyone have any hints for me to get started or how to do it in some kind of organised way?

[Heather]

Run away......am doing the very same thing Naomi, am making more mess and the house looked aat least tidy before I started.

[Naomi]

That's what I'm really struggling with Heather, I feel like even a surface tidy up doesn't make it look any better because there are bits and pieces everywhere, but I feel like I haven't actually achieved anything :crying:

[Heather]

Seriously, keep at it.....all of a sudden it will come together and look great.

[Mad Old Cow]

i always say " if it has'nt been used or worn in the last 2 years throw it out" i don't always follow my own advice hehe

[Mesmereyes]

I am doing the same thing, I am a bit of a hoarder and am being firm out with the things I really dont need, I just start on one thing like the kitchen cupboards now once they are done then I will do the draws, ( allready done the pantry), then move on to the dining area, will eventually work my way through the house Good luck with it

[jenr]

Just concentrate on one room at a time Naomi!
It can become overwhelming if you get sidetracked just plan one room and stick to it until happy then move on!

[Alexa]

Naomi, instead of doing a whole room at a time, just do each storage area etc, ie do one cupboard first, then the bookcase, then the toy box, etc, etc.

Make 3 piles, one to keep, one to think about or give to charity and one to go in the rubbish bin.

Well this is how I sorted things when I moved.

Good luck

[lucyloo]

This web site might be helpful Naomi.
http://www.oprah.com/foodhome/home/home_housekeeping_landing.jhtml
It seemed to have some useful hints in there.:)

[kezabelle]

I invested in some 'sorting' tubs for the kids - they/I go around the house picking up things that go in their room. Maybe you could have a box for each room - sort out the bits and pieces in to each box. Then you've got them in their correct rooms. Now, work on one room at a time - start with one that no-one really uses - that way it won't get undone and you'll feel you've succeeded. :) Having said that, I'm forever decluttering our house - with kids it's an ongoing process.

[Naomi]

Ok ... what about craft? We are prolific at home, and Hugo also does heaps at preschool. I know I can't keep it all but it feels wrong to throw it :hehe: I will have to be ruthless :crying:

Tubs is a good idea Kezabelle, I might hit the reject shop for some big cheap ones tomorrow. I hear you on "ongoing process" :headh:

Lucyloo, thanks for the link, I will check it out this evening and see if it can help me. Good old Oprah :hehe: I bet she hasn't decluttered for herself for many years!

I *do* try to concentrate on one thing at a time but end up being distracted. With the children during the day it's hard to get a good chunk of time to do it (and they are *so* helpful too :brow:).

[Di Nana]

I am great at de cluttering, I actually have panic attacks when things start building up, I blame my mother for this as she lives amongst clutter , sometimes I go to see them and I can't find my dad,
I just get a clean sac and go for it, I am ruthless and sometimes the kids have she'd a tear on there return to home but hells teeth, I can not stand clutter.
I find if you do it regular you dont have such a build up
and as for the kindy stuff, I picked out a few little paintings, out went the glued up egg cartons and cereal boxes, put them in a safe bag and stored in the garage, actually is really great when they turn 21 and you can do a memory box for them,

[Kekka]

I have a book on this very subject somewhere (serious).....

I can't find it because there's sh*t everywhere!! LMAO (True...just had a look for it.)

[kezabelle]

LMAO @ Di

Naomi, I read somewhere to take photos of collections of craft from kids and then throw it. Keep the special pieces but photograph the rest.

[redrobyn]

I had my house sort of organised then my d.d. and g.s. moved back in and being a small house didn't take long to become unorganised I'm going to have a major tidy up when she moves out. We are all magpies at our place so I'm going to try and be ruthless, trouble is I get too sentimental over everything even the crap.

[miss kiki]

DF has been cleaning out the attic for the past couple weeks. i honestly don't even want to know the last time he cleaned up there. it honestly looks like he hasn't even cleaned, but i can't say anything. he'll just put more stuff on the side, not put things away, won't throw the garbage out right away, or put the garage sale items in the garage for when we do have our sale this summer. AHH!

for me, i start in one corner and work my way around the room. i do that, and then i get the center of the room last. :yes: i'll go through everything and put things away first and then i'll start the deeper cleaning, like cleaning stuff out, throwing stuff away, etc.

[Rachel]

sometimes I go to see them and I can't find my dad,

LMAO LMAO
Naomi- how about some of those folders with the clear pockets in the middle to put the art into.. then just pop them onto a bookcase... aah.. advice from a hopeless horder.. I am always looking for excuses to keep things, probably not what you need :hehe:

I really need to declutter too and am finding this thread very useful :yes:

[crashtestwoman]

I am a serious, serious declutterer (is that a word):). I think that would be the BEST job in the world for me cause I love it and am ruthless and totally organised when I do it.
First thing I do is get a couple of those big stripy bags from a cheap shop (about 2 bucks each) and then go from room to room or cupboard to cupboard filling them up. Once I fill them I take them to the charity shop and I start straightening up drawers, cupboards etc. When I don't have time to do it all in one hit I just sit the bags at the front door and as I'm doing general cleaning I just pop things into them that need to go, that way I'm decluttering without even realiseing that I'm doing it.
Good luck with it and I wish I was there helping you out.:)

[Naomi]

Thanks everyone - Deb, what's your going rate? Although, this is a big job, could take a few days ... weeks ... months :P

I think having containters/bags is going to help ... my 'sorted' piles end up being additional messiness so hopefully this will keep a lid on the actual mess and I'll feel like I'm getting somewhere.

[Naomi]

Further encouragement (if I'd needed it) ... I just rang to sort out Sophie's vaccination record and couldn't find my medicare card. What remaining floor space I had is now covered in everything I tipped out, threw around, sorted through in an effort to find it.

I found it, folded into a receipt, on the recycling pile :blush:

Oh. And MIL is coming over tomorrow night for Sophie's birthday so I *really* need to clean up :hehe:

[kezabelle]

1 tomorrow Naomi? What a huge day for you - very emotional too :) I know that feeling - always misplacing something in a pile somewhere :D And you just reminded me to organise bub's immunisation for next week!

[Heather]

Well your Mother is there....would you want her to help?

[Naomi]

No, she just dropped in literally, was here about half an hour then went on her merry way.

[Heather]

Sorry.....can't help but :hehe:

[Naomi]

:hehe: that's ok, makes me laugh too.

[Kekka]

Naomi....this could be a book for you:

http://www.scb.com.au/cgi-bin/clearconnect.cgi?pagename=view_details.html&webpageopt=P&stk_id=3117&username=&userinfo=

Footnote: This book is from a mob in a suburb of Melbourne. I'm ordering something else....if you want me to order and post to you do let me know via PM. Cheers.

:D

[Rachel]

Oh. And MIL is coming over tomorrow night for Sophie's birthday so I *really* need to clean up :hehe:
Happy Birthday Sophia :cupcake:
I hope everything is sorted in anticipation of MIL's visit! Have a lovely night and enjoy the milestone :)

[Alexa]

I find papers are the worst kind of "stuff to sort", I have this huge pile to put into my filling cabinet, but then I need new hanging things for the stuff to go in...


Have a lovely night tomorrow night Naomi, gosh a year has gone fast. I remember's Leigh' excitement when she found out...

[Stormy]

Good old Oprah :hehe: I bet she hasn't decluttered for herself for many years!
Yes, I suspect she has someone like Deb to do that for her. LMAO

Naomi, I read somewhere to take photos of collections of craft from kids and then throw it. Keep the special pieces but photograph the rest.
You know, I've always just binned it after the kids have left when presented with their "masterpieces". :blush:

Oh. And MIL is coming over tomorrow night for Sophie's birthday so I *really* need to clean up :hehe:
That really snuck up on me....I knew she was turning one soon but so soon?? It really doesn't seem that long ago she was born! :O Hope you are all having a wonderful time tonight. :berry:

[Naomi]

My sister came over today for birthday celebrations and she took away some of my de-cluttering efforts YAY!! Condition of taking them was SHE ISN'T ALLOWED TO RETURN THEM :hehe:

[miss kiki]

happy birthday to your little one. :)
gotta love sisters! :hehe:

[lizisme]

I use to be a severe hoarder, a "maybe i'll use that one day" type. The cupboards were always overflowing and i had no idea what was in there - if i did need something i'd spend hours searching and usually not find it anyway. I was always a clean person so it use to worry me terribly that i never seem to find time to dust and that was because i had way too much stuff to dust. It became such a drain on my life and i realised that a lot of my free time was spent looking for things, cleaning (it's a lot of effort to move half a truckload of items to be able to wipe down a counter top) or worrying that i didn't have time to clean or that i misplaced something important. I started with my walk in robe and went from there - ruthlessly. I took lots and lots of bags to St Vinnies, found things that i forgot i had (was like Christmas), sold a lot of stuff on ebay, got dh to drop loads at the tip and gave a lot away to family. We now live in a totally clutter free home, quite a minimalist look - i have loads more free time, everything is clean, tidy, has a place to call its own. More importantly I feel calm, serene and relaxed and at home - until i walk into my teenagers room LMAO

[LoveMyFamily]

I took 3 huge garbage bags into my room, one for "keeps" one for "donations or garage sale" and one for "rubbish" and cleared off the top of my wardrobe, then did each section of the wardrobe and moved onto the tall boy, then the book shelf and all the boxes under the bed. Did that for each room, cleaned up the floor so there was nothing on it, then started from the wardrobes and moved through the room. The kitchen was the hardest part. I haven't donated anything as there's enough for a garage sale with the furniture I want to get rid of as well.

[susiq]

Good luck Naomi. I think toys do most of the cluttering. A couple of good toy boxes will do the trick.

I not a real hoarder and throw things pretty much as I go along.

As for the art. I collect everything for the year. Stuff that's not worthwhile I chuck straight away.

At the end of the year, I stick the good stuff into a scrapbook. So, I have a scrapbook for each of the kids each year.

[miss kiki]

susiq-that's actually a good idea! i should do that for the kids. :) i'm sure they'd appreciate it when they get older. i still get mad at my mom at times, she threw all of our things out from when we were young..except a couple of our science fair projects that had to do with the medical field. :) we always won. :)

[susiq]

Glad you liked the idea Kiki. A scrap book doesn't take up that much room was my theory.

You'll only end up with about 15 each anyway and they'll (hopefully) thank you for keeping something!