Have you ever come across something that you just weren’t sure if you should declutter? Enter Clutter Purgatory. In this post, I’ll explain what it is and why you should have one…
I love decluttering. I love the space, I love the satisfaction of getting rid of the unnecessary, and I love knowing that someone else can use what I can’t.
When I declutter, I usually start slow, going through small sections of rooms. But soon, I’m building up momentum, racing through bigger and bigger sections until—
Bam! Decluttering brick wall.
Something completely kills my jam, leaving me in an unsure, should-I-or-shouldn’t-I place. I stare at the item, oscillate as I weigh my wish for less with the possible ramifications of my next action.
If you live with other people, particularly a spouse and children, you’ve probably been in this situation. You are going through toys or old clothes or mementos from high school, and where you would be decisive with your own things, you have trouble making the ultimate choice with theirs.
What’s a decluttering mom to do?
What is a Clutter Purgatory?
When you are faced with a tough decision, the best thing to do is a dry run. This way, you can see the effect if you did donate or throw away something, with the chance to bring it back. Here’s an example from my own home.
My husband collects t-shirts—not intentionally, but after years of working in the service industry, he has brought home copious amounts of freebie and promo shirts. At one point, I counted 200!
So, during a decluttering session, I noticed that many of the shirts hadn’t moved in so long that they were gathering dust. I desperately wanted to get rid of all these extra, barely-worn shirts, but knew my husband would not be as enthusiastic.
As an experiment, I gathered the least-worn shirts and put them in a pile in the back of the closet. And waited. A day passed. A week. A year. Nothing. No questions like, “Where is such and such shirt?” or “Have you seen…?”
After a while, I donated those extra shirts to Goodwill and felt confident that it was not going to be a problem. And five years later, he still hasn’t asked.
Why You Need a Clutter Purgatory
Having a place where you can put items that you want to declutter, but aren’t sure of how it will go, will make your decluttering process so much easier. Instead of wasting valuable time going back and forth about something, put it in the purgatory and see if its absence is noticed.
This is especially helpful for kids’ toys. It’s amazing how a toy will languish for months, and the second it gets placed in a donation box, it suddenly becomes a new favorite. As I write this, I am staring across the room at a Winnie the Pooh chair that was literally saved from donation from the back of my van as I was getting ready to take it to Goodwill, like a last-minute death row pardon.
While sneaking trips to donation centers with discarded toys is an option, it also leads to some very uncomfortable moments when your kids start asking where this toy is or that one. Do you tell the truth or claim ignorance? Murky moral territory.
Having a clutter purgatory helps avoid these teary moments and also helps you declutter with a clear conscience.
Clutter Purgatory Pitfalls to Avoid
Nothing’s perfect, and neither is this solution. That’s because we can easily fall into the trap of doing the easy thing. Instead of making the choice to get rid of something that we aren’t sure of, we put it in the clutter purgatory instead. After a while, we have more “maybes” floating there than definitive “yeses” and “nos.”
If you find yourself adding to this purgatory more often than any other pile, go through it again and see where you might be able to make a decision instead of waiting. Don’t let it become a catch-all, no matter how tempting.
Also, keep your clutter purgatory out of sight. Many a plan has been derailed by a curious, passing child who suddenly sees a toy they “need.” So, put your clutter in an opaque container and somewhere not easily discovered. We use a moving box on a high shelf in our garage. The top of the fridge is a good place, too, especially for a quick drop-off that will later be moved.
How to Set up Your Clutter Purgatory
Choose a place that’s out of the way, but still accessible. An attached garage, master closet, attic, basement, or crawl space would all work.
You can get a storage container (like this one) or just use a packing box like we do. Even a garbage bag or big gift bag would work. Whatever fits your needs best.
Once you’ve got your clutter purgatory all set up, start thinking about what you can use it for. Is there any spot in the house or item that has been holding your decluttering project back? Stuffed animals? Old purses? A never-used kitchen appliance?
Now that you have a place to put these things and see the reaction (if any), go ahead and get started. You clutter purgatory will be one more tool in your decluttering toolbox.
Do you have a clutter purgatory? How does it help you declutter more efficiently? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Interested in more posts on decluttering? Try these:
How to Declutter Your Children’s Closets
Why Less Stuff Brings More Happiness
[Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post contains affiliate links. So, if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission, at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own and I never recommend anything I haven’t used myself and loved.]
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