Who doesn’t feel better after a good purge? I mean, do you see the junk in this picture (men, don’t mind the “lady items” LOL! And thank you in advance for not commenting anything rude 😉 )
Over the course of a year (or perhaps its longer for you) a person can accumulate a lot of “stuff”. So many things are disposable these days, and on top of that, you have a “fast fashion” trend, and products with shelf lives.
All of these things piling up can become overwhelming. You may not notice it at first, but as you start to dig for something in particular, you could easily come to find that you can’t seem to find anything because of the sheer amount of “things” you have held onto.
As an interior designer, many people ask me about getting help with organizing. One of my biggest tips, before finding a place for everything…is for the person to take a hard look at what they have, and get rid of what they don’t need. Then once they are down to what they need (or want), then its much easier to find the right place for it.
For example, my drawers have been piling up for months…in fact, my sock and underwear drawer was basically a lost cause – if I was missing a sock then, well, I wasn’t going to dig for it. It had been a long time since any attention was paid to my clothes, accessories, and beauty products so as part of my ritual for a fresh start to a new year – I commenced with my purge.
The clothes drawers were easy – I had so many things I hadn’t worn last year, and had bought something else that could take its place. While I try as much as possible to purchase items that can last through the trends – sometimes, tastes just change. Then there were some of my workout clothes. Did I really need 2 pairs of flashy crops that I didn’t really wear that much because the fit wasn’t perfect? Probably not. And it goes on. Incredibly enough, when you fold and place everything in the drawers instead of just throwing things in there, you get a lot more space!
Next up was our ensuite – and you will notice the damage from the picture. I double checked the expiry dates on the medication, sunscreens, etc. Got rid of old shampoos that I no longer use. Finally came the beauty products. So naturally, I get a TON of samples! So many that I don’t even get to try them all. But I always hang on to them because they are perfect for travelling, great for when I run out of a product and didn’t have time to pick more up or my order hasn’t arrived yet…OR…I need to switch up my products because they are causing me to breakout. I had a basket in a drawer, dedicated to make up samples. On top of that, small mascaras that I was saving for travelling, lotions that I had to stop using but didn’t get rid of. So many things! Would I use them…probably a 50-50 chance…did I need them anymore? ABSOLUTELY NOT! So out they went – and it felt sooo good!
Then I moved onto my walk-in closet. This was a challenge. We have a cleaner that comes every two weeks. Most times, we are able to clean everything up in time for her to actually clean our home. But other times, anything that didn’t get put away, will get piled up in our walk in closet (with the door closed of course). So over time, not everything was picked up and there was just everything EVERYWHERE. Gloves, hats, belts, shoes, slippers, picture, frames workout equipment. I went through it all and my the time I was done, I had moved from having stuff in corners and 3 junk/clothes baskets – to 1 basket with photos and items that we needed to keep. SUCCESS!!
See, its not that hard to do. Even if your like me and think that I could have a use for something eventually. In order to start fresh you have to purge – kind of like a detox – get rid of all the waste. Plus think of it as doing something good. Give your items to the poor or if you need some money, sell them. You could find a world of space that can then allow you to organize and keep neat they stuff you do want to keep.
Having trouble deciding what stays and what goes? Make 3 groups. “Keep”, “Toss/Give Away”, and “I don’t know”. Put everything that you are keeping away. Do you have any space left (without cluttering again)? If no, then Toss/Give Away/Sell. If yes, don’t put it back yet. Place it in a bin and put it in storage. If you don’t need it after 6 months – get rid of it. Anything you pull out during that time should be kept.
You may have heard this simple advice a thousand times – but that’s because its the best way to do it. And If you want to get off with a fresh home for 2017 – this is one of the keys to doing just that.
So while the weather outside is frightful – your home doesn’t have to be! Take the time before the warm weather comes to save your sanity and get rid of the excess!
Feel free to share any other purging tips in the comments section!
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