Spring is upon us and, if you haven’t already begun, join me for a month of eradicating dust bunnies, clearing cluttered spaces, and finding new homes for old stuff. Every Friday, I’ll be posting about tips, tricks, methods, and my own journey to tame the mess. Catch up with Week One and Week Two, then grab your spray bottle and a garbage bag and let’s get started!
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So it is week three and we’ve been cleaning and decluttering our hearts out… or at least as much as we can manage amidst the never-ending interruptions that make up real life. If you’re like me, you’ve probably already grabbed all the low-hanging fruit. The front closets, the medicine cabinet, the DVD collection. You’ve used the confidence boosts and cleared spaces to push yourself forward toward the tougher tasks. (Or, if you’ve already conquered your worst area, congratulations… ya big show-off).
But the reason some of those tasks are harder is because they are usually accompanied by problems and complications that just don’t appear when you’re culling the Gladware. These issues can be either practical or emotional, but they tend to slow down the process of decluttering and melt away some of our motivation. Luckily, with a little planning and forethought, we can sidestep those pitfalls.
Here’s how to avoid the most common problems when clearing away your clutter:
- Problem – Your “keep” pile is getting bigger and bigger. You’re no longer sure if you’re decluttering or just reorganizing.
– Solution – There are two basic reasons why we can’t let go of what we have. One is emotional, such as when we are too attached to something to let it go. The other is practical, such as when we worry we may need something in the future and don’t want to get rid of it when it still could be useful. I admit to struggling with both of these on an almost daily basis.
If you’re having trouble letting go of something because of who gave it to you or the memory attached, you don’t need to keep it to remember that feeling. Marie Kondo does a nice job of explaining that we should remember the joy we had when we were given the gift and the joy the giver had making or buying it. I use this rationale when I give up one of the thousands of drawings my children have made for me.
If you’re holding onto things because you might need them in the future, you need to curb that mentality. Hoarding unnecessary things because you might need them is not going to give you the security you’re craving. At one time, I was keeping every to-go coffee cup I got, just in case I needed one. But how many to-go cups does anyone need? I limit myself to one now because they can be useful, but they don’t need to overtake my cabinets.
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Photo by Sangre-La.com Problem – What do you do with all the stuff you want to get rid of when it’s still perfectly good, even brand new?
-Solution – Depending on time and energy, you can either try to recoup some of the money you spent on the things that you no longer need by selling them, or you can donate them. For more expensive items, I recommend going through Craigslist or eBay to get the best price, but this also requires you to hang onto those things a little longer while you wait for them to sell. If you go this route, place the things you are selling somewhere where you won’t see them constantly, tempting you to keep them after all.
If you have a ton of stuff, and the time, consider a yard sale. I’ve never been able to put one of these together myself, but I have known plenty of people who made a tidy profit off of their decluttering efforts. Just make sure to do your research. Find out when the best days to host a sale are, what sells well in your neighborhood (doing a little recon of other yard sales around would be helpful), price everything to avoid confusion, and place easy to follow signs on nearby roads.
And if you have neither the time nor the energy, and you just want the stuff gone before you change your mind (yup, I know how that feels), drop everything off at your nearest Goodwill or call for a pickup. The only things they usually don’t take (at least by me) are bed linens and old TVs.
- Problem – You’re getting some push back from your family on the things you want to get rid of.
-Solution – Your family probably indulged you in the beginning, happy to see some of the clutter disappearing. But as you got closer to the things that they called “theirs” or couldn’t find something that you accidentally gave away (hey, it happens to everyone), they became less supportive. I experience this mostly with my children, but I’ve also donated some rarely used kitchen items that my husband suddenly needed. Oops.
One of the best ways to head off this type of situation is to include the entire family. Explain to them why you’re decluttering and cleaning out the house. Point to areas that you’ve already done and that everyone likes. Include them in the process, especially as it pertains to their stuff or favorite areas. And listen to their concerns. As easy as it might be to steamroll through, your home will be happier with everyone on board.
Good luck! I hope these ideas have helped you get back on track and finish up your spring cleaning. It’s been a long process but well worth it when you see the final result. Nothing is as relaxing as sitting down to enjoy the fruits of your labor in the form of a peaceful and calm home. Until the kids come home from school, that is.
What are some problems that you’ve encountered during your spring cleaning and decluttering? How do you handle them? Let me know in the comments!
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