Kinda OT... Cleaning/Decluttering?

Yikes! Where do I start??

Anyone have any tips or ideas? I have this urge (that I've had for sooo
long) to just clean, clean, clean and get rid of ALL the clutter. This
place is a disaster, not because it's so dirty, but because there's just way
too much stuff... Toys, clothes, you name it, we have way too much of it...
Does anyone have any suggestions? I've sorted through some boxes in the
basement that have been filled with toys - probably about 10 medium-large
boxes, and I was able to give away, so far, a big box full of random toys.

I know my style is The Hoarder... "This might come in handy some day!"
(found a bit of info on one page about trying to declutter)
I have all kinds, for example, of kitchen gadgets - sandwitch/snack maker,
hand chopper, blender, coffee pot, kettle, toaster, electric mixer, small
grill, rice cooker, crock pot (x2), etc, and I don't think I've ever once
used this snack/sandwitch maker, the hand chopper, either crock pot, and so
many more... I use my blender all the time (mainly for baby food and milk
shakes every now and then, and I've been known to mix puddings in the
blender rather than the mixer because it's easier to clean the blender) and
some of this stuff that I've never even used, I just can't seem to part with
it. I know some stuff like crock pots can be handy, but I never use them,
and I know they can get kind of expensive, especially when I was given them
for my birthday, Xmas, whatever... I just can't part with junk I don't want,
need or use.

Also, the toys... We have so many toys that no one even looks at. Some have
been packed in boxes for months and months, some even for a year or two, but
I sort through it and *I* want to keep it because I remember it, or someone
pipes up that this is their favorite toy, or they missed it so much... Any
ideas on how I can part with my junk and how I can get little ones to part
with theirs? Should I just get down to it when I'm home alone and no one
would know the difference? That then leaves the question of my household
junk... I seem to keep it all... Is this something that the kids can help
out with? Something DH can help with? I should do on my own? With a
friend or family member?

Spring is here... Perfect excuse for "Spring Cleaning" and it's not the
cleaning I have problems with, it's the darn clutter!

I know this is fairly off topic, but still... Maybe someone here has an
idea?

In article E4WTf.8824$A4.862@clgrps12, xkatx says...

Yikes! Where do I start??

Anyone have any tips or ideas? I have this urge (that I've had for sooo
long) to just clean, clean, clean and get rid of ALL the clutter. This
place is a disaster, not because it's so dirty, but because there's just way
too much stuff... Toys, clothes, you name it, we have way too much of it...
Does anyone have any suggestions? I've sorted through some boxes in the
basement that have been filled with toys - probably about 10 medium-large
boxes, and I was able to give away, so far, a big box full of random toys.

I know my style is The Hoarder... "This might come in handy some day!"
(found a bit of info on one page about trying to declutter)
I have all kinds, for example, of kitchen gadgets - sandwitch/snack maker,
hand chopper, blender, coffee pot, kettle, toaster, electric mixer, small
grill, rice cooker, crock pot (x2), etc, and I don't think I've ever once
used this snack/sandwitch maker, the hand chopper, either crock pot, and so
many more... I use my blender all the time (mainly for baby food and milk
shakes every now and then, and I've been known to mix puddings in the
blender rather than the mixer because it's easier to clean the blender) and
some of this stuff that I've never even used, I just can't seem to part with
it. I know some stuff like crock pots can be handy, but I never use them,
and I know they can get kind of expensive, especially when I was given them
for my birthday, Xmas, whatever... I just can't part with junk I don't want,
need or use.

Also, the toys... We have so many toys that no one even looks at. Some have
been packed in boxes for months and months, some even for a year or two, but
I sort through it and *I* want to keep it because I remember it, or someone
pipes up that this is their favorite toy, or they missed it so much... Any
ideas on how I can part with my junk and how I can get little ones to part
with theirs? Should I just get down to it when I'm home alone and no one
would know the difference? That then leaves the question of my household
junk... I seem to keep it all... Is this something that the kids can help
out with? Something DH can help with? I should do on my own? With a
friend or family member?

Spring is here... Perfect excuse for "Spring Cleaning" and it's not the
cleaning I have problems with, it's the darn clutter!

I know this is fairly off topic, but still... Maybe someone here has an
idea?


First of all, try Flylady - www.flylady.net

They'll walk you right through it with reminders! Now, it's not for everyone,
it drove me batty and I quit within a week. But I did get ideas from it and
some folks swear by it. Worth trying even if it doesn't work for you
completely!

I've been slowly getting control of my house, too, some tips:
* Get control of one specific area (kitchen, say) and keep those areas clear
and clean from then on out to forever. Slowly expand the zone of ). Never
never let things backslide into clutter in any already established zone of
control. (Flylady starts with the kitchen sink - didn't work for me with my old
hard-to-clean kitchen sink, but the basic idea is very good!)

* A lot can be done in 15 minutes while you wait for a phone call or something
in the oven to finish.

* Assign yourself what the next area of control will be - even if it's a coupla
square feet to get rid of some piles. One of my problems is being torn between
three or four areas that distress me, then getting stuck about what to do next.

* You really need to get rid of the hoarding instinct. In every cleaning of
clutter, keep only one or two things of special import or sentimental value, and
make throw-away and give-away piles of all the rest. Be willing to buy
something again in the 0.05% of times you actually need somthing again.
Anything not worn in the last three years, for example, gets trashed or given
away.

* Simplify simplify simplify. IF you're not experienced in tag sales, don't do
a tag sale (garage sale, whatever you call it there). Don't make long lists of
give-away-to's (this to Aunt Maude, this to Sister Linda..) - you'll get bogged
down. Bag it all up and take it to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

* Work on developing habits of doing put-away tasks immediately. Deal with mail
daily. Hang clothes up right away (yes, the stuff that's just been laundered
too!.) Anything that's removed from your body goes into trash, laundry, or
away. Anything that's picked up goes back where it belongs. Anything used is
disposed of right away. When you get home, put that purse where the purse
belongs, go through the mail and throw away or put each peice wehre it belongs,
hang up the coat, put away groceries or anything else you're carrying, THEN do
something else.

* Learn to say "just a minute.." to those family members who get impatient with
the put-away tasks. "C'mon Mom..." (while you're sorting through the mail) "Just
a minute, hon." One of my roadblocks in the past has been feeling obliged to go
to on immediately whatever next thing the person I was with expected to happen
after I walked in the door, finshed a meal, whatever, then being bogged down in
all the left-over put-away stuff I have when I get back from whatever that was.
So don't get pulled around by that - learn to say "just a minute while I....".

* Assign put-away tasks to family members. Enforce with neglected put-away
items disappearing, permanently if necessary. Socks on floor? Retrievable, and
unpleasantly retrievable, and only if the city trash pickup hasn't arrived!

These are a few things that's worked for me.

Banty


--
NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth

xkatx wrote:
Yikes! Where do I start??

Anyone have any tips or ideas? I have this urge (that I've had for sooo
long) to just clean, clean, clean and get rid of ALL the clutter. This
place is a disaster, not because it's so dirty, but because there's just way
too much stuff... Toys, clothes, you name it, we have way too much of it...
Does anyone have any suggestions? I've sorted through some boxes in the
basement that have been filled with toys - probably about 10 medium-large
boxes, and I was able to give away, so far, a big box full of random toys.


I called a charity that picks up. They set a date. That morning, I put
all the (usable) stuff I don't want in the yard. In the afternoon, pouf!
the stuff is gone. Like magic.

If I hadn't used it in two years, it was gone. I didn't want to do a
yard sale because my goal is to get rid of these things, not to make
money on them. Stuffed animals, McDonald toys are thrown out. Toys that
are missing parts are tossed. Toys that I'm pretty sure the kids don't
even know exist are either tossed or donated.

Now if I can only convince DH to throw away his 25 year old textbooks
that haven't been opened in 24 years...

Jeanne

xkatx wrote:

I know my style is The Hoarder... "This might come in handy some day!"
(found a bit of info on one page about trying to declutter)
I have all kinds, for example, of kitchen gadgets - sandwitch/snack maker,
hand chopper, blender, coffee pot, kettle, toaster, electric mixer, small
grill, rice cooker, crock pot (x2), etc, and I don't think I've ever once
used this snack/sandwitch maker, the hand chopper, either crock pot, and so
many more... I use my blender all the time (mainly for baby food and milk
shakes every now and then, and I've been known to mix puddings in the
blender rather than the mixer because it's easier to clean the blender) and
some of this stuff that I've never even used, I just can't seem to part with
it. I know some stuff like crock pots can be handy, but I never use them,
and I know they can get kind of expensive, especially when I was given them
for my birthday, Xmas, whatever... I just can't part with junk I don't want,
need or use.

But what's the cost of keeping it? It may be harder to
quantify that cost, but it's there all the same. And are you so
very tight financially that if you decided next week that your
very life depended upon getting a crock pot, you couldn't afford
to get one? Keeping everything Just In Case is a penny wise,
pound foolish way of thinking.

Also, the toys... We have so many toys that no one even looks at. Some have
been packed in boxes for months and months, some even for a year or two, but
I sort through it and *I* want to keep it because I remember it, or someone
pipes up that this is their favorite toy, or they missed it so much... Any
ideas on how I can part with my junk and how I can get little ones to part
with theirs? Should I just get down to it when I'm home alone and no one
would know the difference? That then leaves the question of my household
junk... I seem to keep it all... Is this something that the kids can help
out with? Something DH can help with? I should do on my own? With a
friend or family member?

If you get attached to stuff (which I do, to some extent),
one thing that can help is to give things away to friends rather
than throwing it away or selling it. I have a hard time parting
with baby clothes, but I get great pleasure out of seeing it on
other neighborhood kids as they grow, so it's much easier to do
that for me. Same with toys.
Another thing that can help is if you volume limit yourself.
Decide how much space is reasonable to devote to keeping outgrown
toys for posterity, and then don't exceed that amount of space.
Eventually you'll get to the point where if you want to save
something new, you'll have to get rid of something else. This
works for the kids too.
I would also recommend starting slowly. If you take on
too big a project at once, you'll choke. Find one small area
where you are prepared to be ruthless and start chucking. Reward
yourself by doing what it takes to make the area nice when you're
done. For example, if you take on your desk, once you've gotten
rid of all the junk (including the eight zillion stubs of pencils
and dodgy pens) and absolutely everything that isn't a necessary
record or something you use regularly, then get some pretty
storage devices for what's left or some colorful file folders
or whatever. Purge 'til it hurts, but just in this small area.
Then, give it a rest for a bit while you enjoy the increased
utility and beauty of that space. Pretty soon, you'll get a
hankering to do it somewhere else so that you can have that
peace and beauty somewhere else, and this time it won't be
so hard to get rid of stuff because you'll have some idea
how nice it is to have less clutter. Eventually you'll be able
to tackle your closet and all the clothes in different sizes
and the things that aren't quite your style or color but You
Might Need Someday and the things that Might Come Back Into
Style and the shoes that are Too Small But Look Cute ;-)

Best wishes,
Ericka

"Michelle J. Haines" wrote in message
...
xkatx wrote:
Yikes! Where do I start??

Anyone have any tips or ideas? I have this urge (that I've had for sooo
long) to just clean, clean, clean and get rid of ALL the clutter. This
place is a disaster, not because it's so dirty, but because there's just
way too much stuff... Toys, clothes, you name it, we have way too much of
it...
Does anyone have any suggestions?

www.flylady.net

Michelle
Flutist

Since this is the second recommendation for this flylady site, I did go
there. I finished feeding DD her lunch, DSs went with my aunt and uncle for
the day, so it is just DD and I at home. Went to the site and yes, I did
start with the kitchen sink... I did, however, do both sinks at the same
time. I don't really have the time to allow each sink to sit an hour, and
since DD is having a nap, I really don't care for her to be sitting in the
kitchen with me when there's different cleaners being used.
The sink is soaking... Until 2pm - 45 minutes left! I read on, and skipped
the shoes part. We just don't wear shoes in our house - although it is
expected that you do get dressed properly every morning, unless, of course,
you're sick. In that case, you stay in bed, dressed for bed Never have
worn shoes in the house, never will, so on I will go to the next part!

I have the table packed now with things in the kitchen that I have never
used, don't know how to use or haven't used in ages... I will be heading
upstairs to take pictures and post them on the local freecycle group (place
where you can giveaway and get free stuff to keep still usefull stuff out of
the landfills, for those who might not have a freecycle in their area!) and
whatever is not picked up before the week is done, I'll box it up, toss it
in the back of my car and haul it off to the goodwill donation drop off 2
blocks away.
I think I am starting to make some progress, but I'm worried this will only
last until I get bored with it, hopefully more than a few hours, and I won't
get back at it Better take advantage of actually *wanting* to do it
right now, and with DD sleeping, who knows how long that will last.

"xkatx" wrote in message
news:E4WTf.8824$A4.862@clgrps12...
Yikes! Where do I start??

Anyone have any tips or ideas? I have this urge (that I've had for sooo
long) to just clean, clean, clean and get rid of ALL the clutter. This
place is a disaster, not because it's so dirty, but because there's just
way too much stuff... Toys, clothes, you name it, we have way too much of
it...
Does anyone have any suggestions? I've sorted through some boxes in the
basement that have been filled with toys - probably about 10 medium-large
boxes, and I was able to give away, so far, a big box full of random toys.

I know my style is The Hoarder... "This might come in handy some day!"
(found a bit of info on one page about trying to declutter)
I have all kinds, for example, of kitchen gadgets - sandwitch/snack maker,
hand chopper, blender, coffee pot, kettle, toaster, electric mixer, small
grill, rice cooker, crock pot (x2), etc, and I don't think I've ever once
used this snack/sandwitch maker, the hand chopper, either crock pot, and
so many more... I use my blender all the time (mainly for baby food and
milk shakes every now and then, and I've been known to mix puddings in the
blender rather than the mixer because it's easier to clean the blender)
and some of this stuff that I've never even used, I just can't seem to
part with it. I know some stuff like crock pots can be handy, but I never
use them, and I know they can get kind of expensive, especially when I was
given them for my birthday, Xmas, whatever... I just can't part with junk
I don't want, need or use.

Also, the toys... We have so many toys that no one even looks at. Some
have been packed in boxes for months and months, some even for a year or
two, but I sort through it and *I* want to keep it because I remember it,
or someone pipes up that this is their favorite toy, or they missed it so
much... Any ideas on how I can part with my junk and how I can get little
ones to part with theirs? Should I just get down to it when I'm home
alone and no one would know the difference? That then leaves the question
of my household junk... I seem to keep it all... Is this something that
the kids can help out with? Something DH can help with? I should do on
my own? With a friend or family member?

Spring is here... Perfect excuse for "Spring Cleaning" and it's not the
cleaning I have problems with, it's the darn clutter!

I know this is fairly off topic, but still... Maybe someone here has an
idea?




www.flylady.net

In article , Ericka Kammerer
says...


I would also recommend starting slowly. If you take on
too big a project at once, you'll choke. Find one small area
where you are prepared to be ruthless and start chucking. Reward
yourself by doing what it takes to make the area nice when you're
done. For example, if you take on your desk, once you've gotten
rid of all the junk (including the eight zillion stubs of pencils
and dodgy pens) and absolutely everything that isn't a necessary
record or something you use regularly, then get some pretty
storage devices for what's left or some colorful file folders
or whatever. Purge 'til it hurts, but just in this small area.
Then, give it a rest for a bit while you enjoy the increased
utility and beauty of that space.

And, once you do that, plant your stake! hold that hill! Never ever ever ever
let it get cluttered again. Pens in place. Anything less than truly currently
useful is chucked into the round can. Toss any other family members' leavings
into their respective bedrooms or favorite room (e.g. den for DH's leavings).

Slowly expand zone of order.

Banty


--
NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth

In article 9bZTf.7429$_Q.4508@edtnps89, xkatx says...


"Michelle J. Haines" wrote in message
...
xkatx wrote:
Yikes! Where do I start??

Anyone have any tips or ideas? I have this urge (that I've had for sooo
long) to just clean, clean, clean and get rid of ALL the clutter. This
place is a disaster, not because it's so dirty, but because there's just
way too much stuff... Toys, clothes, you name it, we have way too much of
it...
Does anyone have any suggestions?

www.flylady.net

Michelle
Flutist

Since this is the second recommendation for this flylady site, I did go
there. I finished feeding DD her lunch, DSs went with my aunt and uncle for
the day, so it is just DD and I at home. Went to the site and yes, I did
start with the kitchen sink... I did, however, do both sinks at the same
time. I don't really have the time to allow each sink to sit an hour, and
since DD is having a nap, I really don't care for her to be sitting in the
kitchen with me when there's different cleaners being used.
The sink is soaking... Until 2pm - 45 minutes left! I read on, and skipped
the shoes part. We just don't wear shoes in our house - although it is
expected that you do get dressed properly every morning, unless, of course,
you're sick. In that case, you stay in bed, dressed for bed Never have
worn shoes in the house, never will, so on I will go to the next part!

I have the table packed now with things in the kitchen that I have never
used, don't know how to use or haven't used in ages... I will be heading
upstairs to take pictures and post them on the local freecycle group (place
where you can giveaway and get free stuff to keep still usefull stuff out of
the landfills, for those who might not have a freecycle in their area!) and
whatever is not picked up before the week is done, I'll box it up, toss it
in the back of my car and haul it off to the goodwill donation drop off 2
blocks away.

Yeah - the shoe thang doesn't work in our house, either.

But, again, it's the *idea* behind it. Getting oneself totally together. For
Ms. Flylady whoever she is....the process must cap off with getting her shoes
on. It's the attitude thang, hard to be organized when flopping around at 2pm
in fluffy slippers It's not the slippers, it's the not-together-for-the-day
attitude.


Banty


--
NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth

Ericka Kammerer wrote:

xkatx wrote:

I know my style is The Hoarder... "This might come in handy some day!"
(found a bit of info on one page about trying to declutter)
I have all kinds, for example, of kitchen gadgets - sandwitch/snack maker,
hand chopper, blender, coffee pot, kettle, toaster, electric mixer, small
grill, rice cooker, crock pot (x2), etc, and I don't think I've ever once
used this snack/sandwitch maker, the hand chopper, either crock pot, and so
many more... I use my blender all the time (mainly for baby food and milk
shakes every now and then, and I've been known to mix puddings in the
blender rather than the mixer because it's easier to clean the blender) and
some of this stuff that I've never even used, I just can't seem to part with
it. I know some stuff like crock pots can be handy, but I never use them,
and I know they can get kind of expensive, especially when I was given them
for my birthday, Xmas, whatever... I just can't part with junk I don't want,
need or use.

But what's the cost of keeping it? It may be harder to
quantify that cost, but it's there all the same. And are you so
very tight financially that if you decided next week that your
very life depended upon getting a crock pot, you couldn't afford
to get one? Keeping everything Just In Case is a penny wise,
pound foolish way of thinking.


In general, a lot of the stuff that I've kept HAS come in handy.

Part of this is not getting any more stuff. It seems impossible to
wean my mom from the Wall Street Journal, and she doesn't have the
time to read it and won't throw it away until she's read it.
Fortunately she doesn't get a daily local paper anymore.

So I've severely pared down the magazine subscriptions that *I* get
and also try to throw out the papers the same day they arrive - only
touch it once. And I've been getting rid of National Geographic and a
whole bunch of other magazines that I've saved -- plus there are some
that I don't save (AARP, and AAA for instance).

Also, the toys... We have so many toys that no one even looks at. Some have
been packed in boxes for months and months, some even for a year or two, but
I sort through it and *I* want to keep it because I remember it, or someone
pipes up that this is their favorite toy, or they missed it so much... Any
ideas on how I can part with my junk and how I can get little ones to part
with theirs? Should I just get down to it when I'm home alone and no one
would know the difference? That then leaves the question of my household
junk... I seem to keep it all... Is this something that the kids can help
out with? Something DH can help with? I should do on my own? With a
friend or family member?

If you get attached to stuff (which I do, to some extent),
one thing that can help is to give things away to friends rather
than throwing it away or selling it. I have a hard time parting
with baby clothes, but I get great pleasure out of seeing it on
other neighborhood kids as they grow, so it's much easier to do
that for me. Same with toys.

You might think of using Freecycle, which is less work than eBay, but
a little more work than just giving stuff to the Salvation Army or
someone like that.

Another thing that can help is if you volume limit yourself.
Decide how much space is reasonable to devote to keeping outgrown
toys for posterity, and then don't exceed that amount of space.
Eventually you'll get to the point where if you want to save
something new, you'll have to get rid of something else. This
works for the kids too.
I would also recommend starting slowly. If you take on
too big a project at once, you'll choke. Find one small area
where you are prepared to be ruthless and start chucking. Reward
yourself by doing what it takes to make the area nice when you're
done. For example, if you take on your desk, once you've gotten
rid of all the junk (including the eight zillion stubs of pencils
and dodgy pens) and absolutely everything that isn't a necessary
record or something you use regularly, then get some pretty
storage devices for what's left or some colorful file folders
or whatever. Purge 'til it hurts, but just in this small area.
Then, give it a rest for a bit while you enjoy the increased
utility and beauty of that space. Pretty soon, you'll get a
hankering to do it somewhere else so that you can have that
peace and beauty somewhere else, and this time it won't be
so hard to get rid of stuff because you'll have some idea
how nice it is to have less clutter. Eventually you'll be able
to tackle your closet and all the clothes in different sizes
and the things that aren't quite your style or color but You
Might Need Someday and the things that Might Come Back Into
Style and the shoes that are Too Small But Look Cute ;-)

Best wishes,
Ericka

grandma Rosalie

"xkatx" wrote in message
news:E4WTf.8824$A4.862@clgrps12...
Yikes! Where do I start??

I would start w/ alt.recovery.clutter it has been a huge help to me.
Flylady is good, but she can be a bit of a dominatrix . LOL, don't let those
pink wings fool ya.
I do a lot of things by the timer, 15 min at a time. I try to pick times
that I think my kids will be busy w/ something and they won't 'need' me
right then and there. They have started using the timer as well, it's not
perfect, but works most of the time.





Anyone have any tips or ideas? I have this urge (that I've had for sooo
long) to just clean, clean, clean and get rid of ALL the clutter. This
place is a disaster, not because it's so dirty, but because there's just
way too much stuff... Toys, clothes, you name it, we have way too much of
it...
Does anyone have any suggestions? I've sorted through some boxes in the
basement that have been filled with toys - probably about 10 medium-large
boxes, and I was able to give away, so far, a big box full of random toys.

I know my style is The Hoarder... "This might come in handy some day!"
(found a bit of info on one page about trying to declutter)
I have all kinds, for example, of kitchen gadgets - sandwitch/snack maker,
hand chopper, blender, coffee pot, kettle, toaster, electric mixer, small
grill, rice cooker, crock pot (x2), etc, and I don't think I've ever once
used this snack/sandwitch maker, the hand chopper, either crock pot, and
so many more... I use my blender all the time (mainly for baby food and
milk shakes every now and then, and I've been known to mix puddings in the
blender rather than the mixer because it's easier to clean the blender)
and some of this stuff that I've never even used, I just can't seem to
part with it. I know some stuff like crock pots can be handy, but I never
use them, and I know they can get kind of expensive, especially when I was
given them for my birthday, Xmas, whatever... I just can't part with junk
I don't want, need or use.

Also, the toys... We have so many toys that no one even looks at. Some
have been packed in boxes for months and months, some even for a year or
two, but I sort through it and *I* want to keep it because I remember it,
or someone pipes up that this is their favorite toy, or they missed it so
much... Any ideas on how I can part with my junk and how I can get little
ones to part with theirs? Should I just get down to it when I'm home
alone and no one would know the difference? That then leaves the question
of my household junk... I seem to keep it all... Is this something that
the kids can help out with? Something DH can help with? I should do on
my own? With a friend or family member?

Spring is here... Perfect excuse for "Spring Cleaning" and it's not the
cleaning I have problems with, it's the darn clutter!

I know this is fairly off topic, but still... Maybe someone here has an
idea?