Do you declutter/tidy regularly?

Oldeagle66 said:
I almost became a hoarder with Smuckers jelly jars. It wasn't till I looked under the sink and seen rows and rows of cleaned out jars. I threw most of them out and kept a few for drinking jars and junk.
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I think that used to be a thing, collecting Smucker's jars, didn't it? Like baby food jars.

Good for you for cleaning them out. (y):)
 

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Last year I was going to clean out my kitchen junk drawer - it has all the appliance manuals, both major appliances and ridiculous little things like the manual for a battery cat toy - plus all the little tools and extra screws that came with items that required assembly. And also misc hooks, Velcro hangers, measuring tape, little tools.

Well I dumped it all out on the dining room table and then it sat there for months until I finally simply put it all back in the drawer (except one small item that fell off the back of the table and I've been too lazy to get back there and pick it up) (I was almost motivated to go pick it up right now, but the cat has jumped up into my lap, so, oh well).
 

Oldeagle66 said:
The kitchen 'Junk' drawer might get sorted every two years.
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actually I just did that quite recently.. well probably the last 3months or so....

Kitchen junk drawer...

kitchen-drawer.jpg

one of the sideboard drawers for tech...

sideboard-tech-drawer.jpg

..and one of the drawers in my dresser...

dresser-drawer.jpg
 
HoneyNut said:
Last year I was going to clean out my kitchen junk drawer - it has all the appliance manuals, both major appliances and ridiculous little things like the manual for a battery cat toy - plus all the little tools and extra screws that came with items that required assembly. And also misc hooks, Velcro hangers, measuring tape, little tools.

Well I dumped it all out on the dining room table and then it sat there for months until I finally simply put it all back in the drawer (except one small item that fell off the back of the table and I've been too lazy to get back there and pick it up) (I was almost motivated to go pick it up right now, but the cat has jumped up into my lap, so, oh well).
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I don't keep manuals in the drawer they would take up too much space I keep them in a file box here in the office room..
 
We keep everything clutter free all the time, just because we like that light airy feeling. So if we buy something new, then something old goes away. I straighten closets and drawers as I put the clean laundry away. Same with kitchen cabinets as I unload the dishwasher.

We've found that most of the paper work people keep really isn't needed anymore. We don't have a desk or a filing cabinet, just a small box in the bottom dresser door for passports and wills. Cancelled checks? Receipts? If you have to prove you paid for something your bank will print you a statement with the check or card payments on it. Manuals? Throw them out. If you really want to try and fix that thing, the manuals are all online.

When you say to yourself, "But what if I need it someday?" Remember Home Depot and Walmart will have the item all ready, new, and found for you and they won't charge you a storage fee, just the cost of the item. Well worth it.
 
Della said:
We keep everything clutter free all the time, just because we like that light airy feeling. So if we buy something new, then something old goes away. I straighten closets and drawers as I put the clean laundry away. Same with kitchen cabinets as I unload the dishwasher.

We've found that most of the paper work people keep really isn't needed anymore. We don't have a desk or a filing cabinet, just a small box in the bottom dresser door for passports and wills. Cancelled checks? Receipts? If you have to prove you paid for something your bank will print you a statement with the check or card payments on it. Manuals? Throw them out. If you really want to try and fix that thing, the manuals are all online.

When you say to yourself, "But what if I need it someday?" Remember Home Depot and Walmart will have the item all ready, new, and found for you and they won't charge you a storage fee, just the cost of the item. Well worth it.
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you can move into my house if you like, Della....:D
 
@Della , my house is the same as yours. Someone could pack my condo in less than one day. There was a point in my life when I had much access stuff. After my kids left home I gradually started to downsize.

I used to entertain and have sitdown dinners for 25–30 people. Now the most I ever have for dinner is nine other people. I have downsized all my kitchenware to reflect that size.

I read that most people only wear 20% of their clothing. When I downsized to my condo, I took the 20% of my clothes that I love. Anytime I buy new clothes old clothes must leave and the same for any other items.

I actually hate the minimalist look and I don’t have that at all. You look around my home and it’s nicely furnished and decorated without having an excess of stuff. Everything is in its place and extremely easy for me to find. It really makes for easy living.

When I was raising my family, I wasn’t interested in being lean and mean as five people have very different interests and activities and need to have the freedom to pursue them and express themselves. However, once the kids were gone, then it was definitely time to downsize.
 
Teacher Terry said:
@Della , my house is the same as yours. Someone could pack my condo in less than one day. There was a point in my life when I had much access stuff. After my kids left home I gradually started to downsize.

I used to entertain and have sitdown dinners for 25–30 people. Now the most I ever have for dinner is nine other people. I have downsized all my kitchenware to reflect that size.

I read that most people only wear 20% of their clothing. When I downsized to my condo, I took the 20% of my clothes that I love. Anytime I buy new clothes old clothes must leave and the same for any other items.

I actually hate the minimalist look and I don’t have that at all. You look around my home and it’s nicely furnished and decorated without having an excess of stuff. Everything is in its place and extremely easy for me to find. It really makes for easy living.

When I was raising my family, I wasn’t interested in being lean and mean as five people have very different interests and activities and need to have the freedom to pursue them and express themselves. However, once the kids were gone, then it was definitely time to downsize.
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Same! I like having my paintings and crystal and even a few decorative items my brother thinks are tacky. I just don't have any excess and my closets are as tidy as the open areas. Like you, I don't like to inflict myself on the others too much, so my son's room is packed with books and cd's and probably weighs more than the rest of the house put together.
 
Ruthanne said:
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I can identify lol! I'm currently in the process of a much needed massive decluttering because I haven't regularly decluttered through the years. I'm using a system for those of us who struggle with attention span. The author of the system says clutter is a series of delayed decisions (and the more you delay, the more mentally paralyzed you feel) and has an excellent method for attacking years of accumulated mess that works for the neurodivergent brain.
 
hollydolly said:
I have a Hiatus Hernia...( yes it hiatus before someone tells me it's hiatal).... I take PPi for it.... the rantidine was there for my husbands' use occasionally..
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I have the same.
Some of these posts are making me really depressed!
Think Holly is the only one who is vaguely like me….only she’s tidier. I’m another cupboard shover,out of sight, out of mind.
The houses I really hate to visit are ones like a friend who used to live down the lane. She lived in a newly built bungalow, moved area now.
I was SO nervous of even sitting on the sofa in case (God forbid) I squashed a cushion, so I perched on the edge & used to nurse the cup of tea she gave me for fear of it leaving a mark on a surface. Not a sign of anything….anywhere. No newspaper, books, knitting….nothing.!!!
I was too ashamed to ask her round to my old cottage full of books, plants, pictures, squashy old sofas covered in throws because of the DOGS……heaven forbid she got a dog hair. 😳

So no, I rarely declutter, the thought is enough 🙄
 
I clean out our clothes with every season change, so the closets aren't too bad.

My neighbor is going to have a yard sale around early fall & I said I'd help her with it. I'm going to go through a lot of things again & will put them on it. If I don't think it will sell, it will go in the trash. What doesn't sell will be donated to the local church for their thrift store. Another neighbor lady said she would help & add to the pile.
 
Pendle said:
I have the same.
Some of these posts are making me really depressed!
Think Holly is the only one who is vaguely like me….only she’s tidier. I’m another cupboard shover,out of sight, out of mind.
The houses I really hate to visit are ones like a friend who used to live down the lane. She lived in a newly built bungalow, moved area now.
I was SO nervous of even sitting on the sofa in case (God forbid) I squashed a cushion, so I perched on the edge & used to nurse the cup of tea she gave me for fear of it leaving a mark on a surface. Not a sign of anything….anywhere. No newspaper, books, knitting….nothing.!!!
I was too ashamed to ask her round to my old cottage full of books, plants, pictures, squashy old sofas covered in throws because of the DOGS……heaven forbid she got a dog hair. 😳

So no, I rarely declutter, the thought is enough 🙄
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just a serious post for a second. I had a great aunt, my Aunt jeannie, my grandads sister... who lived alone in a ground floor tenement flat... she was absolutely the most freakishly tidy person ever. Not a thing out of place.. if we sat on the sofa, we'd be sitting for 30 seconds before she'd push us forward to plump the cushions.. she'd serve tea, and biscuits and get the carper sweeper out while people were still having their tea... Immaculate....

The irony was that Glasgow had an Earthquake in the 60's , and the old tenement building she lived in collapsed, and she was killed.... all that hard work keeping the flat immaculate only for it to be destroyed in an instant :(
 
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Lilac said:
I clean out our clothes with every season change, so the closets aren't too bad.

My neighbor is going to have a yard sale around early fall & I said I'd help her with it. I'm going to go through a lot of things again & will put them on it. If I don't think it will sell, it will go in the trash. What doesn't sell will be donated to the local church for their thrift store. Another neighbor lady said she would help & add to the pile.
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I don't change my clothes with the seasons... I have clothes I've had for years and still love... but I do regularly about every 6 to 8 weeks give a lot to charity in donations of clothes and Bric-a brac.... in fact I did so just 4 days ago.... handbags, clothes, shoes, kitchen paraphernalia some of it never been used
 
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Pendle said:
I have the same.
Some of these posts are making me really depressed!
Think Holly is the only one who is vaguely like me….only she’s tidier. I’m another cupboard shover,out of sight, out of mind.
The houses I really hate to visit are ones like a friend who used to live down the lane. She lived in a newly built bungalow, moved area now.
I was SO nervous of even sitting on the sofa in case (God forbid) I squashed a cushion, so I perched on the edge & used to nurse the cup of tea she gave me for fear of it leaving a mark on a surface. Not a sign of anything….anywhere. No newspaper, books, knitting….nothing.!!!
I was too ashamed to ask her round to my old cottage full of books, plants, pictures, squashy old sofas covered in throws because of the DOGS……heaven forbid she got a dog hair. 😳

So no, I rarely declutter, the thought is enough 🙄
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LOL You can still come to my house, Pendle. I might be a clean freak, but I make a huge, broad exception for dogs. You can sit back on my white sofa while my dog jumps all over you and showers you with kisses and short black hair.
 

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