Space, like time, is finite. Well, as long as we are here on earth anyway! De-cluttering is a great way to ensure that we use our space efficiently.
More people = More space needed
With a larger than normal family size, space is a premium product in this house! Many friends have commented that our house is large by average standards. Yes it is, but we do not have an average sized family. Lol! So we will still end up with “no space” if we do not declutter our house periodically. And with each child growing up, they will physically take up more space in time to come!
De-cluttering is cathartic
To some, de-cluttering is a painful exercise. For me, it is cathartic When I see the amount of stuff we have bought which have ended up as white elephants, it really makes me more wary and careful the next time I purchase something.
Secondhand things not popular
I had previously tried to offload the items on auction sites like eBay. But I have found out that Singaporeans are generally not keen on second hand items unless they are dirt cheap. Also if they are purchasing items for their children, they would prefer to purchase them new.
It really wasn’t worth my time taking pictures, loading them, writing out descriptions, wrapping them carefully, going to the post office, etc to find my item selling for $2.00 or $5.00. And meanwhile, the items sit in my house, taking up valuable space while I wait for buyers. I’d rather bless someone else who needs the item and will use it. That’s just my opinion of course.
How to de-clutter?
So how and where does one start decluttering? If you have never done this before, it would be too overwhelming to do the whole house all at one go.
As Flylady says, 15 minutes a day is good! This means you choose one room or area and just declutter it for just 15 minutes. Just once a day or twice. Of course if you can devote the whole day to this exercise without interruptions, then you go girl! But most of us with young children can’t.
So, 15 minutes a day or better still, 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes in the afternoon and 15 minutes in the evening can accomplish much.
Bedrooms first
I usually do the bedrooms first. Firstly, it is a smaller area to declutter. Secondly, I can then see what space I have released in these rooms in case I need to store stuff from the living room in there. Then I work on the living room and then the kitchen. We also have a balcony so I would have to work on that too.
Do not transfer clutter
Decluttering doesn’t mean moving stuff from room to another OR pushing everything into the storeroom! It means throwing out!
Flylady has another tip that I like – throw out whatever you do not like!
But this is easier said than done. Sometimes we keep things out of sentimental reasons even though the item is really ugly!!! Or keep it in the hopes that one day we will use it. My friends, this is called hoarding! If you haven’t used it in 6 months, you probably won’t ever use it.
Hoarding
We usually hoard out of fear. The fear that keeps us thinking “Maybe one day I will…..” We need to trust that God will provide everything we need it. There’s no need to hoard.
If you are quiverful like us, then you’ll need to keep some baby clothes, toys and books in the house longer than most people. But babies don’t need a lot of stuff to keep them happy. So please don’t keep them by the boxes!
Toys, clothes and books
Toys to me are easy to declutter. Anything that occupies the children’s attention for all of 10 minutes is not a keeper in this house. Toys with missing or broken parts also get tossed out.
Clothes that don’t fit anymore or are not in line with our standards of modesty also get booted out.
Books however are my downfall I find it extremely difficult to pare them down, especially my own books! But as space is tight, I have slowly released my books. It gets easier over time.
Children’s books are a little easier to declutter. Books that promote backtalking, puts friends above parents, and/or deal with the occult are of course weeded out.
Some books are held in storage as they are not meant for younger readers. But when the children mature, we will be releasing these books to them so that we can have a dialogue on the topics the books deal with.
Kitchen
By the time I get to the kitchen, I often lose steam. So once in a while, I start decluttering the kitchen first. Storage containers with no covers are obviously to be thrown out unless they make good toys for the beach or for playing masak-masak. If that is the case, they then go into the toy basket. Appliances that no longer work for us are also tossed out.
Regular decluttering lessens stress
If done regularly, decluttering does not need to be a major affair. But as with all things, the first time is always the most difficult.
Decluttering release space and makes it easier to clean the house.
Up to it? Here are some more posts to help you along.
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