Dear Nancy : Sort Through the Clutter
by Nancy Van Pelt
Most people cannot live without their “stuff.” In fact, they rent (or buy) space just to store it. When they run out of living space, they go to the guy who owns all those ministorage places and is making a mint off people who run out of space to store their stuff at home. One man told me he had paid out $10,000 in the past couple years to house things his wife refuses to part with!
Why do we keep all this stuff? We have a million excuses: I might need it someday; it’s been in the family for years; I’ll get around to fixing it sometime. It’s still perfectly good. The two-year rule needs to be applied here: If you haven’t used it in two years, chances are 100 to 1 that you never will. Get rid of it!
Clutter addicts who want to save it all suffer from a new addiction. The sufferer grows blind to clutter. Clutter becomes a way of life because it is no longer seen. Some cases are particularly severe. The cesspool of junk mail on the table is no longer seen. Neither is the filthy sheet thrown over the couch to protect it from where the dog slept. (The dog died four months ago.)
So Much Stuff!
A normal household has more than 3,500 items in it, but we use fewer than 15 percent of them. Some of these items may come in handy from time to time, but most of the time they do little more than gather dust and get in our way.
It’s been estimated that one third of everything we own falls into the “clutter” category. Nowadays the average American family moves 14 times in a lifetime. So if a third of your stuff constitutes clutter, you could save the effort of loading eight moving vans by decluttering before moving! People spend literally thousands of hard-earned dollars by shuffling clutter around the country.
Think about what’s cluttering your home right now. It’s highly probable that you’re harboring a bunch of useless stuff. And once you have it, you have to store it. And feel obligated to use it. Sometimes you become sentimentally attached to it. And you never have time to go back and sort through all of it.
Clutter affects us negatively in many ways. It robs us of time in polishing, dusting, cleaning and moving it around. It cost money. Before you buy ask, Might this money be spent better elsewhere? A cluttered house takes more time and effort to clean as well as affecting our relationship with family members.
Many families want to be closer but can’t because clutter separates them from one another. A man attending a seminar spoke to this point when he said, “You encourage men to romance their wives. I’d like to try but I’d have to find her first! She’s buried in clutter!” I wouldn’t even venture an estimate regarding the number of marital arguments that focus on clutter and disorganization.
So What’s the Solution?
If you are in bondage to clutter, here are some solutions:
You can move to a smaller home. You’ll get rid of clutter by necessity. Friends of mine moved to an apartment while a larger home was being built. Most of their things were in storage while they lived with only bare essentials for a few months. The wife said she enjoyed the experience, because living was so carefree.
You could have your clutter cremated. Then take the ashes and place them in a lovely urn and display it on the mantle. This way it can always be with you, even though in condensed form.
You can take pictures of it. Take multiple pictures of all the clutter you have on display. Mount your collection of photographs in an album and display the album on the coffee table – then toss the clutter.
Humor aside, there’s a Scriptural reason for sorting through the clutter. Ecclesiastes 3:1 – 6 says: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:” then goes on to list all these activities. One is, “a time to keep and a time to throw away.”
Surface Clutter
It’s easier to tackle the problem when you have a defined plan.
Step 1. Begin at the front door. Begin decluttering the first room on your left – unless it is your kitchen. Kitchens are major clutter problems so we’ll tackle that when we’re experienced. Then proceed in clockwise fashion through your home, decluttering every room, closet, cupboard, and drawer as you proceed.
Step 2. Label four containers. Take with you boxes or garbage bags. Label one “Throw Away.” Label the second one “Give Away or Sell.” The third one is the “Put Away” container. And the last one is labeled “Store.”
Step 3: Work from the outside in. Clear visible clutter before going after clutter in drawers, cupboards, or closets. Clear out anything that doesn’t belong in that room – stacks of paper, boxes, piles of magazines and miscellaneous items. It you drag hidden clutter out of drawers and cupboards first, it will make a double mess and complicate decisions about whether to throw away, sell/giveaway, put away, or store. They you’ll likely get discouraged and quit.
Now, critically examine everything left in the room. Each item should have a valid reason for being there, whether it’s for function or looks. Countertops or tables with too much stuff, even if it’s pretty, make a room look messy. Cleared surfaces give a room an immediate sense of order.
Scrutinize each room and every table, end table, nightstand, mantel, shelf, drawer, and wall in that room. Make a decision as you remove each item: throw away, give away or sell, put away, or store. If you aren’t sure about some things, store them in a box marked “Undecided” for a month. But get them out of sight. If you never miss them, or if you like the room without them, get rid of them.
Hidden Clutter
This second, more advanced step is to eliminate hidden clutter that lurks in drawers, cupboards, and closets. Getting rid of stashed stuff is almost a spiritual experience like finally forgiving someone who hurt you long ago. With clean drawers and cupboards comes a new sense of cleanliness and organization. Freedom! It feels good!
Step 1: Empty the contents of drawers/cupboards onto a plastic tablecloth. If there’s nothing breakable in the drawer, tip it upside down. Take everything out.
Step 2. Clean the drawer, cupboard, or shelf. Wipe the area with a cleaning cloth that’s been dampened with an all-purpose cleaner.
Step 3: Replace the drawer’s lining. Most drawers need some type of lining or paint. A good painted surface is easier to clean and straighten than fooling with shelf paper.
Step 4. Put back into the drawer or cupboard only what belongs there grouping like things together. Begin by grouping. Place sewing supplies in a specific drawer, closest to where they are needed. Store arts and crafts projects in boxes on specific shelves. Do the same with photos, tools, books, toys, stationery, and mending.
Step 5. Make a list of needed supplies. As you sort, group, and organize, you may notice missing supplies (Band-Aids, candles, napkins, cleansers, doormats) or needed repairs. Jot them down on a pad of self-stick notes. You can pick the supplies up on your next trip to town.
Step 6. Make decisions to throw away, give away or sell, put away, or store. As you complete each room, make a decision regarding what to do with the bags/boxes you have collected. Get the throwaway items to the garbage can immediately. Take the put-away items to their rightful places. Prepare a storage area in the basement or garage for your giveaway or yard sale items.
Step 7. Complete one room each week. This means that if you live in a six-room home, you can have things under control in six weeks. It doesn’t matter how long it takes. What matters is that you are getting it done, even if gradually.
Step 8. Do the kitchen last. Kitchens are major declutter projects. Knowing what you are doing raises your confidence level. Starting at the kitchen sink, work clockwise around the room. Group like things together. Think through what you need to have handy and the number of steps required to reach these items. Get rid of gadgets rarely or never used and replace old and battered items.
Kitchens should be pleasant workplaces where tasks at hand can be performed in a quick, easy manner in a pleasant environment. Kitchens are not storage areas for magazines, mail, keys, personal belongings, and other clutter. They need to be decluttered so you can focus on the task at hand.
If you need more help, get a book from the library on kitchen organization.
Step 9. Reward yourself. Every time you complete a room, reward yourself in some way. Add a decorator touch to the room, or go out to lunch with a friend.
Life Without Clutter
How long you want to deal with the issue of clutter is up to you. But it will hold you back from becoming the person you can and should be. Clutter has a price tag, both to acquire and to maintain. If you really want to live the life you should be living, the things that clutter your home and life need to be disposed of now. Once you experience the freedom of clutter-free living, it is almost like being “born again.”
Everything that clutters your home will also clutter your mind, depriving you of time and energy that could be directed toward more important things. Once we get rid of the clutter, we gain a sense of freedom and clarity of thinking.
Life doesn’t really begin at 40. Life begins when you declutter your home and establish a more carefree lifestyle. Getting a junk-free home raises your standard of living, gives you back time and energy that all this “stuff” stole from you. You’ll be more physically and emotionally healthy. There will be more harmony in your home, more time for loving and being loved, more time for sharing, serving, being satisfied, inspired, and joyful.