I just found out how tidy people keep tidy!!!!!

[MrsBobDylan]

I have not felt this excited since I discovered sanitary towels can prevent new boot blisters.

You had better sit down.

Tidy people have less stuff. That's how they stay tidy.

No one bothered to tell me this life changing information. Bastards.

We are downsizing to a flat from a four bed house with a garage. I reckon I have donated/taken to the tip, at least half of the contents of our house.

We didn't need all that shit. I don't think I liked most of it.

Turns out, two mixing bowls is fine, 3 pans, 10 mugs, one duvet cover/pillowcase for each bed, no spare bedding for guests since they can bring their own, 6 bath towels, one coat each, three pairs of shoes each...I could go on.

Since decanting half of my house, it is lovely and tidy. I move a few things from room to room each day and clear the kitchen at the end of day. All manageable. I even have time for a nap on the sofa fgs.

Now my cupboards are not filled to the brim, I can PUT THINGS IN THEM.

The easiest and most satisfying clear out, was the knick knack cull. Photo frame we got for our wedding? Gone. Glass vase from my Uncle Harry? Gone. Mini collection of ornamental owls? Get in there!

It is easier to clean a house with less stuff in it. Surfaces get a quick wipe, floors are mopped without have to slalom round tables, chairs and plant stands.

If you have a friend who feels overwhelmed by keeping house, please pass this on.

You're welcome

@elp30

I would never consider myself a tidy person but I do have very little amounts of things. I suppose moving often does that to you. That's why my house is very easy to clean and it's done, top to bottom, within an hour. That's impressive to me as I live in Texas so my house is quite large.

My real problem is digital.
I have thousands of emails, too many apps, too many files on my computer, etc... I just make folders to put them all in and I can't seem to get rid of them. I'd love to have only the most important files on my computer, the most important apps and no unread emails. 😔

Use Dropbox. Get everything uploaded automatically. Keep the absolute minimum on your actual computer.

@YanTanTetheraPetheraPimp

We’re about to downsize and I am dreading the culling before we pack (I absolutely refuse to pay for DH’s crap to be moved across the country!) He stuffed the attic full when we moved here 23 years ago and has never looked at the contents since 😡

I am going to radically thin out all my stuff - any ideas on what to do with 200 paperbacks needing a new home?

Phone your nearest nursing homes. They frequently want more books for the residents.

I've just gone and watched Dana K White's video on the container concept and it really is mind-blowing so thank you whoever posted about that! Also just watched her video about getting rid of 'the chair' in your bedroom and using a few hooks instead, as you can't cram such a huge amount of stuff onto hooks. This might actually be a game-changer for tackling DP's huge pile of on-the-go clothes and I can fit hooks closer to his side of the bed than the chair so might even stop so much stuff going on the floor as well!

the container concept is interesting and I have used it instinctively on many occasions without knowing it was a thing.
it certainly has merits

but "a container" is not a unit of measurement and so picking a random size without prior consideration of needs (and allowing for any changes in the future) seems short sighted

yes, when you go on vacation you are given a maximum allowance for weight & size of your cabin bag. fill it up as you wish, sure.
the container concept works here because you make temporary choices.
so I think there should be an attitude of "let's see if this size/shape arrangement works; if not we'll try another"

Also evaluation of what to keep based purely on emotions is flawed.
I have no feelings about my tapemeasure either way, yet I keep it because it's a tool I use.

I like her style though, thanks for mentioning it!

@Practicebeingpatient

I haven’t got to the end of the thread yet, but your post about emptying your mum’s house struck a chord. I had to do that when my mum became ill and I absolutely feel your pain. It was horrific. You have my sincere respect and compassion

I do think that naturally tidy people just automatically find that extra minute or two to put things away. E.g. they will come in and hang their coat up, so the first thing they do in a new house is make sure that there is a place to hang coats. Naturally untidy ones throw their coats over the back of a chair, and then whine that they can't hang them up, because there is nowhere to hang them.

my house is very easy to clean and it's done, top to bottom, within an hour. That's impressive to me as I live in Texas so my house is quite large.

That astounds me. You must work like a demon. Even if my house was entirely empty it would still take me at very least two hours to vacuum, dust, mop, polish, wipe it all down and it's probably smaller than yours.

@ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba it definitely works better for some things than others. I think it works quite well for eg books and clothes as you have a certain amount of shelf/wardrobe and drawer space. But you are right that for pens or whatever where you don’t have an obvious container of a specific size it’s more difficult.

@Peregrina my DP must be in a category of his own, as he walks past the place in the hallway to hang his coat and leave his shoes, in favour of leaving them somewhere random in the living room/dining room 🤦‍♀️

@secretbookcase

my house is very easy to clean and it's done, top to bottom, within an hour. That's impressive to me as I live in Texas so my house is quite large.

That astounds me. You must work like a demon. Even if my house was entirely empty it would still take me at very least two hours to vacuum, dust, mop, polish, wipe it all down and it's probably smaller than yours.

I have a one bedroom flat. It would take me a couple of hours to dust, vacuum and mop. Not including detailed cleaning of the bathroom and the surfaces in the kitchen. I don't polish (what for?) and I only wipe the bathroom and kitchen.

@MerryPumpkinmas

I've just gone and watched Dana K White's video on the container concept and it really is mind-blowing so thank you whoever posted about that! Also just watched her video about getting rid of 'the chair' in your bedroom and using a few hooks instead, as you can't cram such a huge amount of stuff onto hooks. This might actually be a game-changer for tackling DP's huge pile of on-the-go clothes and I can fit hooks closer to his side of the bed than the chair so might even stop so much stuff going on the floor as well!

What is it with the 'on the go' clothes? DH has a floordrobe pile of these. When questioned, they can't be put away because he's 'wearing them'. He really isn't. He either wears work clothes or pyjamas. But if he wears a t shirt once it seems to go in the 'being worn' pile for months. Drives me mental!

Won't have room for it when we swap room, maybe I'll get him some hooks!

@MerryPumpkinmas

loving the seasonal NC btw!

SIL3 is absolute champion at the container rule.
"you have this box to fill up with the toys you want, the rest is out" etc.
she doesn't believe in excess and dozens of spares and she's quite strict when it comes to limiting stuff that goes in the house.

We are on the decluttering sprint, and storage building.
It feels so liberating!
We have also changed floors downstairs for wood, so easily and quickly cleaned. It saves a lot of time!
Next I am going to declutter bathroom storage. Then wardrobes, but those should not take long. I do keep all the clothes within boxes in the wardrobe, as shelves, so they are easy to get to, similar to what ikea has for some of their desings. Instead of never using the ones that made it to the bottom pile or the back of the shelf, which it was my problem for years. Now I just pull the box out and have a little rumble around.
I have seen a hack to roll tshirts as the army does. Easy and neat, no wrinkles really. So I may try, but I am not sure what happens if you are looking for a particular pattern tshirt.

I cleared out a drawer today! This container idea is working wonders for me.
As soon as Halloween is over I’m going on a decluttering binge!!

I watched some of the Dana K White videos while on my exercise bike earlier. I liked Marie Kondo, but what I like about DKW is that she doesn't make a huge mess while decluttering/tidying. MK makes you gather everything in one place and deal with every single item, which is great if you've got all day and know you will finish, but not so good for small bursts of time or people who get easily distracted! MK is definitely a do it once method, while DKW is ongoing, but I realise I don't have the will or stamina to MK my entire house so I should probably allow myself to just make it a bit better, instead.

@RagzReturnsRebooted

I like to pick & mix the best part of different approaches. some of what MK suggests I had always done instinctively, some or ideas are just bonkers - no , I ain't thanking my shoes🤣

I like this book because it goes beyond the mechanics of tidying.
It helps you understand what factors contribute to your own personal chaos, what you can do to improve your living conditions by accepting who you are, what drives you, what's important to you.
it helps you tweak certain circumstances so you don't have to fundamentally change your comfort, just adjust a few things.

It also hugely emphasises on what I have long practiced: mess is not a lack of having what would be visually pleasing or logical to others!
mess is when you have a set up that doesn't work for you.
I like to keep things where I use them based on what's logical and practical for me - I like efficiency and default systems that eliminates stress, arguing, searching for stuff etc.
for example, we don't keep our teaspoons in a drawer, like many people do. for us it's not efficient.
we have it on the windowsill in a flower pot so they are where they will be most useful to reach, next to the kettle.
I've had both criticism and praise for this idea, MIL even copied it.
It might look messy to others but it works for us and I don't care where they "should be" (ie the drawer).

Little stuff like that can make a huge difference overall so when I notice a "stress spot" I observe, analyse why that area isn't working and find a way to improve the situation.

This book really echoes that approach.

I have rolled all of my daughter's tshirts today! So she shall not make a jolly mess of her draws when she gets dessed. I am tired of folding things, because they just go through their draws/ boxes and pull everything out!. Hopefully it will work.
You can still see the design in most of them, by the way, so you can find indeed the one you are looking for.
Not sure I will do mine in rolls, as I do keep them tidy when folded. I have rolled some, just to check if they are more wrinkle free that way.

I do use containers, usually boxes or deep trays, to keep most of the staff that is meant to be kept together.
Seasonings in the kitchen, rice packages. Tooth paste and brushes in the bathroom, shampoos, soaps, creams and so on.
I find it really good because if you need anything you just pull the box out and it is easy to get. No packages and boxes fallung all over!

I shall get into the coat issue next month. Not looking forward to that one!

You all inspired me to do a mini kitchen sort out yesterday. I had cupboards brimming over but they were so much better when I’d finished. It seems so much more manageable doing a cupboard or drawer at a time.

@Whatliesbeneath707

You all inspired me to do a mini kitchen sort out yesterday. I had cupboards brimming over but they were so much better when I’d finished. It seems so much more manageable doing a cupboard or drawer at a time.

Totally agree about doing it gradually to seem more manageable.

We did a month long experiment with our overflowing utensil drawer (this is based on The Minamilists packing party idea, but a bit less hard core than doing your whole house!).

Stuck everything in a box in the utility room, only got stuff out when we needed it. If it was used, then it went back in the drawer. Went through the box at the end of the month and rescued a handful of things we know we need, just very infrequently (looking at you, tin opener!).

Everything else got binned or will go on Freebay. The used infrequently items went in a box in a high cupboard because we don't need easy access to them. Anything used frequently but worn out will get replaced with a new one (which I now feel justified in doing, because I know it will be used). My utensil drawer is now lovely .

I saw this ones on an ad the other day and I thought I needed to give it a go.
Definitively for the week school shirts! I can even hung 5 of the door hook, and they can be used throughout the week with no issue.
I just ordered them.

I just ordered and I will report back on how they perform!

Was Dana K W on the life Laundry programme in the late 90s and the Holding Co.

Great programme

It was Dawna Walter on the Life Laundry - which was early 2000s.
She used to try to get to the reasons why people hoarded, otherwise once one hoard had been cleared, there was a danger that they would start again.

Her big thing was a big green machine called The Crusher, which they brought along and crushed up stuff which wasn't even good enough for the Charity shop.

@Learningstill, I think there's a balance. I would sadly dispose of the wood worm wooden chest (it has woodworm). This time of year a bonfire of the old can be a nice way to bid farewell to the old. The knitting patterns I would send the same way, to knitting Valhalla.

I would save one tin of buttons, your favourites. Use the ribbons as book marks if you really want to keep. Do something with them if they still make you feel happy, so you're in contact with them .

When I find out how to stop myself from cutting off buttons from old shirts and saving them I will let you know.