14 Day Clutter Purge

[earlene]

I moved my dresser from the closet to the laundry room.

Great method!

I have a built-in table for folding laundry in my laundry room. Above it, a hanging rod to the hangers upon which the hanging clothes are put before I carry them to the bedroom closet. I love my laundry room, even though if I had designed it myself, I would have done a couple of things differently. But it's the best laundry room I have ever had except in my first house, where the laundry room had a utility sink that I found very useful, and the floor slanted slightly downward toward the door which led outside. So if & when there was an overflow of water (which unfortunately happened several times) I could just sweep the soapy water out the back door.

Almost have the dumpster full.

Great job on your sister's house. What a very nice brother you are.

I just keep a bag in the closet, and donate it when it is full.

I have the same system for donation, but I moved the bag from my closet to the laundry room a few years ago, as I tend to wash cothes before donating anyway. The bag is on a shelf by the door to the garage, so a very short distance from the laundry room to the car.

several boxes that she packed up to move - three moves ago - still packed. They just go to the dumpster.

Been there myself. I had so many shoes at one time (in a former life/lifestyle) that when my husband & I got married & moved into a house with a much smaller closet than I was used to having, almost all my shoes ended up stored in large boxes in the garage, for years. I learned to get along just fine with only a few pairs of shoes that fit in the closet. At one point I decided it was time to purge those shoes. Long-term garage storage of fine leather is really not a good idea. Sadly, many of them were not even good enough to donate after years of hot/cold/moisture changes that they had to endure in that environment.
~ ~ ~
Okay, I did a count of the soaps wrapped & labeled over the past few days, after finishing up with a few more this morning. Twelve dozen. I told my husband and he asked what I am going to do with all of them. I will be sending some to each of my brother's for fathers day and several to my Dad's widow. I haven't sent her any of my soaps yet, but I think she might like them. Or she can share them with her friends and family.

 

[lenarenee]

I've taken tomorrow and Friday off. Time to tackle the shed in the yard. I've lived in my house for 14 years. Some of the stuff in there has been boxed for 16 years, from when my mother moved in with me and I had to make room for her. She returned to live with my sister in 2009, so any of her stuff is going directly into the dumpster. I have to go through my stuff to pull out a the few mementos of my career that I want to keep and then dump the majority of the rest. I used to collect porcelain dolls. I have no idea what kind of condition they're in after being boxed up for 16 years, but there's no where in my house to put them even if they are in good condition. Kind of sad that I lost such a big part of myself. I guess that's why I've put the "big purge" off for so long. Getting rid of my mother's old stuff is going to be really cathartic. However, getting rid of MY old stuff is going to be like losing my identity all over again. Then again, that "girl" died a long time ago and was replaced by a strong independent woman. So, it's definitely time.

OK. Really TMI this time...

That sounds like the beginning of a really big but painful story Teresa.

If it really bothers you to lose that much identity, maybe keep one small box?

 

[TeresaT]

That sounds like the beginning of a really big but painful story Teresa.

If it really bothers you to lose that much identity, maybe keep one small box?

Thanks, lenarenee. I was just looking at the mess in there and don't even know where to begin. But I've got to go through it. There are a lot of memories in that shed. Many, probably most, are fond memories that have just been tucked away because there was no where to put them. I want to dig those out and give them a new life. However, there are going to be a lot of not so good memories, too. Those definitely need to be purged. The problem is, when I was packing them up, I didn't realize at the time I was mixing good with bad. Only time gave me that perspective.

I'm sure it's not going to be that bad. I always plan for the worst that can happen, hope for the best that can happen and usually end up somewhere quite happily in the middle. I just don't feel like taking a trip down memory lane and ending up junking up my newly purged house because, "Oh, that's where that is!! I remember when..." That would be just my luck having the entire contents of the shed transferred to the house.:shock:

 

[Susie]

When I sold my parents' house (48 years in the same house), I had to do the whole house purge. I was downsizing quite a bit. What I did for those things I really wanted to keep, but had no room, I just took pictures of the items. I kept the pictures, and sold the items. I have not regretted it one bit.

 

[snappyllama]

I went through the same thing when my Mom died. I took a good last look around and then donated pretty much everything that another relative didn't want.

I kept a candlestick set that had special memories and one small clock. When my husband's grandparents and father died, we ended up keeping a set of glasses, amazing cast iron pot, nice china, and one ancient green-stamp measuring cup. If I couldn't use it and didn't have a particular spot for it, I didn't bring it home. It would be too hard to part with more things once I felt responsible for them...

This weekend I watched my sister in law anguish over moving boxes and boxes of mementos that have been moved between Austin, Houston, Colorado, back to Houston, back to Colorado and now are on their way to North Carolina - lamps that need rewiring, souvenirs from trips she didn't take, large furniture, wedding dresses... all of it is stuff she feels compelled to hang onto even though there really isn't room/any need for it. Watching it get dinged and broken in all the moves is excruciating for her. It's like she is losing them all over again when she loses their things.

For my own stuff... I move fairly often. So I just don't become attached to anything. When we were evacuated for a forest fire a while back, I grabbed kids, pets, laptop (so I could work), one photo book that I hadn't gotten around to digitizing yet, and our important documents. It made my priorities pretty apparent. Everything else was already kept in my mind's eye...

 

[Steve85569]

It really is, isn't it? And your sis may have collected all this stuff, but kudos to her for being able to sort and discard so much of it!

Piles. When an area got so full of mail you lost the path they moved to another part of the house. Hoarders or just not able to make a decision on what to toss and what to keep.
That and she's been working full time up til last September AND taking care of an invalid husband.
36 hour day. The book is about alzheimers but he has had strokes.

We are down to one closet and the kitchen. There's a light at the end of the tunnel and it's NOT an oncoming train! YAY!!!

 

[lenarenee]

For my own stuff... I move fairly often. So I just don't become attached to anything. When we were evacuated for a forest fire a while back, I grabbed kids, pets, laptop (so I could work), one photo book that I hadn't gotten around to digitizing yet, and our important documents. It made my priorities pretty apparent. Everything else was already kept in my mind's eye...

Absolutely!

When that black smoke starts rolling through your neighborhood it's amazing what items lose all importance while you run through the house tossing things into suitcases. Purse with ID, pets, clean clothes, favorite toy, computers. (little one was safe at school) Anything else is gravy and count yourself lucky if you got time for more.

Shoot that reminds me. We have two guinea pigs now; need to make another portable emergency cage for the new one.

 

[TeresaT]

I can now fit two cars into my two car garage. Too bad I only have one. I have gotten rid of the junk on the front porch and the back porch. I never realized they were so big! I have also gotten rid of the leaves accumulating up against the front of the house and the junk in the ditch on the side of the house that my neighbor tossed in there. (RANT: I have never thrown crap in my yard; I have over an acre and a half. I may let it go to seed, literally, and annoy the neighbors with my jungle, but I do not throw stuff in my yard. My neighbors, however, find it perfectly acceptable to toss their empties and butts in my yard.) Tomorrow, I will get into the shed. That is actually the last thing I need to do and I will have purged my home of 99.99% of the junk I've accumulated. There are some things I found in the garage (videos, CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes) that I need to look at and disinfect then check to see if they actually are worth saving. They were in a box on the garage floor. My garage leaks during heavy rain. Lots of water damage. Most of them were in plastic cases; however, my LoTR extended DVD trilogy was the "collector's" edition. The cardboard decorative cases are ruined and they smell funky. I thought that stuff was in the shed. So much for my ability to think... I am exhausted. I need to go get Max from the doggy sitter and try to get Chase and Ivy to come in the house. They're getting a little too used to this "freedom" thing.

ETA: I found an Ace Hardware "welded steel" 5 gallon paint mixer in my garage. Do you know if this will be safe to use with lye solution for mixing large batches of soap batter? If not, I'll toss the mixer. My painting days are long over.

 

[nsmar4211]

Went through part of the closet and made up for missing a few days. How many old socks do you really need?

Bought a rack for the collection of fragrance oils that is taking over my bookcases...hrm moving stuff counts right?

Planning on looking through the test soaps and seeing what is donatable and what needs to go...and then tackling one drawer of the file cabinet.

I'll get there!

 

[Steve85569]

Went through part of the closet and made up for missing a few days. How many old socks do you really need?

Bought a rack for the collection of fragrance oils that is taking over my bookcases...hrm moving stuff counts right?

Planning on looking through the test soaps and seeing what is donatable and what needs to go...and then tackling one drawer of the file cabinet.

I'll get there!

Organizing counts!
We finished filling the 30 yard dumpster at sister's old house and got her moved. Then DW and I celebrated by going through our kitchen pantry closet. Made a carload trip to Goodwill and half filled our garbage can.

Now I can get more cake mixes and chocolate chips!:mrgreen:

 

[LisaAnne]

I've taken tomorrow and Friday off. Time to tackle the shed in the yard. I've lived in my house for 14 years. Some of the stuff in there has been boxed for 16 years, from when my mother moved in with me and I had to make room for her. She returned to live with my sister in 2009, so any of her stuff is going directly into the dumpster. I have to go through my stuff to pull out a the few mementos of my career that I want to keep and then dump the majority of the rest. I used to collect porcelain dolls. I have no idea what kind of condition they're in after being boxed up for 16 years, but there's no where in my house to put them even if they are in good condition. Kind of sad that I lost such a big part of myself. I guess that's why I've put the "big purge" off for so long. Getting rid of my mother's old stuff is going to be really cathartic. However, getting rid of MY old stuff is going to be like losing my identity all over again. Then again, that "girl" died a long time ago and was replaced by a strong independent woman. So, it's definitely time.

OK. Really TMI this time...

you might be surprised. I can't imagine you anything but the strong and funny women I see when you write. The final goodbye.

 

[snappyllama]

I'm rebelling tonight. No de-cluttering for me... I had an insane week at work, cooked a scratch dinner, and still have to pick up my nephew from work. For the rest of the night, I'm going to veg and plan tomorrow's adventures.

Tomorrow is my birthday (a big one - blech). I plan on soaping in the morning and then making a list of all the supplies I'll be treating myself with - after my move. I cannot believe I haven't bought anything fun since Christmas - the list is getting very long.

 

[Steve85569]

Tomorrow is my birthday (a big one - blech). I plan on soaping in the morning and then making a list of all the supplies I'll be treating myself with - after my move. I cannot believe I haven't bought anything fun since Christmas - the list is getting very long.

62 for me in the morning.

How did this happen!?!?

 

[Susie]

62 for me in the morning.

How did this happen!?!?

I'm not quite there, yet, and I still ask myself the same thing. I think they (the time doctors) add a year every time I sleep.

 

[dibbles]

Tomorrow is my birthday (a big one - blech).

Happy Birthday snappy!

Day 14 - the last day of my clutter purge. Still much to be done, but I have made a start, and this seems to be a method that works for me. I'm ready to go put 14 things in the donation bag!

Thanks to those of you who played along with me. Steve and Theresa - kudos to you! Huge effort and so much accomplished.

 

[nsmar4211]

Last day?!?!? OH no!

Ok, today will be clean out a drawer. That'll easily be the rest of what I needed.

We should do this again soon!

 

[penelopejane]

Tomorrow is my birthday (a big one - blech). I plan on soaping in the morning and then making a list of all the supplies I'll be treating myself with - after my move. I cannot believe I haven't bought anything fun since Christmas - the list is getting very long.

Happy Birthday, snappy!
I hope you have a great day and a fantastic year!

 

[penelopejane]

62 for me in the morning.

How did this happen!?!?

Happy Birthday, Steve!
I hope you have a great day and a fantastic year!

 

[penelopejane]

Happy Birthday snappy!

Day 14 - the last day of my clutter purge. Still much to be done, but I have made a start, and this seems to be a method that works for me. I'm ready to go put 14 things in the donation bag!

Thanks to those of you who played along with me. Steve and Theresa - kudos to you! Huge effort and so much accomplished.

I can't give up now, I've inly just begun!
Thanks for the impetus to start me on my journey.

 

[dibbles]

62 for me in the morning.

How did this happen!?!?

Happy Birthday Steve!