DIY “Sort your life out”?

[DeclutteringNewbie]

“Stuff” has taken over our home. Have been watching Sort your life out (the Stacey Solomon show) with DH and DC, who are keen to do something like this.

Probably not feasible to hire a warehouse and removals but wondering if anyone has successfully broken it down into a workable DIY approach? Not sure whether to do it room
by room or item type (eg clothes, toys, bedding etc). Where to do it etc. I feel like once stuff is laid out it will be easy to sort, but the practicality of the clear space needed to look at stuff is challenging me. We have a decent sized living room so I guess we could move furniture out of the way and use that?

Grateful for any ideas/experiences.

Jeez, who knew that having a good clear involved so much online chatter, time and methodology. The mind boggles at times.

OP, less time looking at this thread and more time just getting on with it, rocket science it ain’t.

If you can afford it then you can hire Dilly :)

otherwise start doing your stuff and hopefully they’ll follow suit.

https://www.optomen.com/sort-your-life-out - link to sign up for anyone keen. My husband wouldn’t like it either!

I’m on a train just now. This feels like.a more productive use of time than scrolling insta.

It may not be rocket science but we don’t all have the sort of brain/life skills where you can “just get on with it”.

(my parents had cleaners so in addition to a brain that knows what to do but not how to start, I have to actually learn some of this stuff)

OP we have done the emptying a room thing inspired by SYLO and it worked brilliantly as the site of a bare room was so inspiring after being overwhelmed with clutter. It made me much more decisive as the goal is to have some calming negative space and organisation so don’t keep losing things. It also made me want to lose a lot of furniture.
We moved all the furniture to other rooms, hall etc but you could just stack out if way if no spare space or use garage?
Then four big labelled bags charity bin recycling sell/give to other people.
If you need the reward I think it’s better to focus the whole family on a day or half day and then you will see results. Also bought a Dilly Carter recommended labeller! V satsifying. Go for it.

Step 1: Evaluate
Mentally (or physically) walk through your house and decide where everything needs to live. Where is the best place for stationery, or the tools etc etc. How do you use your house, what is the flow. no point having all shoes stored up stairs if not storage downstairs and people kick them off and leave them on the floor.
Step 2. Planning
Do you have enough storage? Do you need to add smaller storage inside cupboards and drawers? Do you want to label anything to help others put things away? Would some food be better decanted into jars? Coffee tables look better if all items in a bowl or tray rather than scatter across the top - its the same 'clutter' but somehow it being in a container just looks more organised.
Step 3: Sorting
Go through everything - either room by room or category or just pick a drawer and put everything into the designated places you have decided on. Rubbish into a black bag, tip stuff and charity stuff straight into car (or skip if you think you will have enough rubbish!)
Step 4: upkeep
You should now have a 'home' for everything so it is easier to tidy up. Only have 1 drawer/box for 'random' stuff that doesn't really have a home. No leaving stuff dumped on tables or in corners. Encourage the whole family to put stuff away - have 30 minutes run arounds where everyone tidies and puts things where they are supposed to go.

My friend trained with Dilly Carter and they do a space audit before doing anything. A declutter day has a couple of hours planning, buying new storage etc. Also you need a Dymo labelling machine. She got me onto that and I have labelled the shit out of everything.

I follow Clutter Bug who I like. She has a quiz on your organising style. I have ADHD and it changed my life.

Simple example - I am a butterfly style (basically means shit goes everywhere). Using this knowledge, I put the laundry basket in the middle of bedroom which is where I take clothes off.

Rather than thinking needs to be tucked neatly in corner and never get used. It's wedged between two things and it solved a floordrobe over night! Clothes go straight in it now.

It's a problem of modern life and age. You accumulate stuff in your 20s and 30s then want to rationalise it in your 40s and 50s so you can enjoy living an active life while still young and not be tripping over stuff and constantly having to manage it. It's completely liberating to declutter, not just mindless chat!

I also agree with categories approach. Also helps to start somewhere that has a big visual impact while chipping away at something harder.

Do you have a friend who is good at this sort of thing, OP, who would be happy to come and give you a hand? I love decluttering and organising, and have helped a couple of friends. I really enjoy it, it's not a chore for me. I have that kind of brain!

I've been doing this whilst my husband has been away, it's been a good thing for me to focus on. I do it a room at a time, it feels amazing, house is so much clearer and more organised, it's amazing how much stuff we amass.

Although we now have a very full (double) garage I now need to sort through to get rid of everything before DH gets back 🙈

Oh and the time period is 4 months, it would be very exhausting to do in a small window, I find I have to have lots of energy to be up for it. So have spaced it out.

@SaltyChocolate really interesting to read your post. My DS has ADHD and his bedroom looks like a bomb site (or it was before I cleared it last month) he can never find anything, things go unused for months/ever. And the thing is I feel bad for him because I know he loves it tidy, he just doesn't seem capable, maybe we need to try this test and see if a different approach works for him because I organise it how I would want it.

When tackling a category like linen or kitchenware, decide in advance how much is enough. Write it down. Stick to it. So, say you decide that you need two sets of bedding, you then decide which two (out of current six) to keep. If you start by going through the linen then maybe you decide you like four and cant decide so you only donate two.

With clothes I put everything that hasn't been worn for a year to one side - if it doesn't fit it goes in a bag- if it still doesn't fit in 6 months then it goes to charity because what's going to change? Everything else in the "unworn for a year" pile goes to charity unless I can make a clear case why I didn't wear it and why I will in future that isn't pure fantasy. Otherwise you end up keeping stuff that belonged to a different life stage.

Labelling what?

Going to check out all of this! Thank you!

So much this.

We were long distance in our 20s so had 6 bedrooms worth of stuff before we moved in together. And it’s gone from there.

I have the world’s most OCD sister but one of us would have stabbed the other within an hour. 😂

I don’t think external help would help. I need the people I live with to do their share.

Worst thing I could do. A) it makes it my problem to sort and B) DH would go mental if I got rid of anything of his. Because it’s his responsibility to sort his stuff.

Definitely think we need a team effort on this.

Following

Ooh I have tips galore!

Adhers are often systems thinkers so if the system doesn't quite work and it's not a priority to fix it, we don't bother. So it's worth looking at the system.

What is the mess, categorise it.

Find places for everything. Try and have one category of item in one container. Get rid of stuff and buy more storage if needed. Folding can be easier than hanging. Only hang what needs to be hung.

Wear it once and it goes in the laundry. Buy multiples of same item.

If clothes get dumped in bathroom have a laundry basket in bathroom.

Simple rules : Bed is made when you get out of it. Bed area is for sleeping (not devices).

Laundry is folded straight off the dryer so when it enters the bedroom the only step is putting it away.

Bedroom (every room!) Has a dumping basket of items that don't belong in that room and need to go to another one or need a home.

If and when it gets messy (it will) the chaos plan only has these steps:

• laundry scooped up
• anything that doesn't belong is put in the basket (or bin)
• bed is made

Own 2 sets of bed linen so bed can be changed instantly.

Over door hangers are useful.

Adhd is out of sight out of mind so anything that you need - wire baskets are good. Labelled boxes. Never store things on the floor or create piles - wall storage is better.

I did this during Covid.

And got rid of all the clothes I would later need to wear to work functions and weddings.

I can gain and lose 3+ stone in a year due to other things (meds etc) so I do need different sizes of things, especially if I’m giving stuff away and then have to re-buy it!

There was a program called Life Laundry (I think) when I was a kid that did the Sort Your Life Out thing in the cheap.

They just put tarps on the lawn and chose a few days of good weather.

I absolutely agree it is the way to do it, seeing everything in one place will shock you. I did similar in my conservatory with just clothes and shoes and I needed the whole room for it.

It is a huge undertaking though, I'm sure they have loads of staff on the program. Probably better off doing it by category then room.

What worked for me was, taking three empty bin bags. One for charity, one for the recycling center and one for the bin. I told myself I wasn't allowed to sleep until I filled them up and taken the bags to their new home.

It was self imposed and come to think off I need to do another one.

This is an amazing post. Thank you.

DD was struggling with hangers so we divided her wardrobe up with plastic drawers for her stuff. There are still loads of clothes on the floor though and she can never find the thing she needs. (There’s a slot for PE kit and another one for uniform but if the stuff is on the floor it doesn’t work!)

Not so bothered about beds being made, just don’t want them having other stuff in them. (DD used my hairdryer yesterday. I woke up with my hairbrush in my back at 3am.)

We have overdoor hangers on most doors but she lost something last week and looked “everywhere” for it. Because the door was open and the hooks out of sight she didn’t think to look there.

We have so much storage but you’re right about things that are out of sight.

We have 2 sets of bedding plus winter and summer duvet per bed but they tend to get messed up because I do that thing of putting the set inside a pillow case and everyone else just shoves it all loose in the cupboard.

Maybe I need an electric shock wand and to try some aversion therapy on them all!

Our time slots would be after those places close but we could get into a routine of filling one car boot for the charity shop and another for the tip and then take them a couple of days later.