How many days are you planning on or do you just keep going until you feel you're done?

I just finished the redo of my master bed and en suite.  I love it!  I keep walking by and looking at it.  It so nice to be back in it. I did do some decluttering as I went emptying drawers but I could do more.

I should mention the declutter challenge to my mom. She is having a bit of a hard time getting motivated and dealing with all the stuff of my dads.  She told me today that the bank cut her credit line down by more than half as my dad died.  Their mortgage free house is the collateral nothing changed there, they have no idea what her income will be and there is nothing owed on it.  Strange.  She also said to me that she was feeling abandoned, said the Alzheimer's group said it happens.  I wasn't sure at first what she meant but she says you've got all this support, dad died and then poof it's all gone. Says my brother never calls, my sister doesn't either, but that has always been the case.  I still call her almost every day. But I do feel bad for her, she went from purpose in her days to none.

Last edited by oscar66 (May 14, 2017 6:00 pm)

Oscar...Maybe your mom could find a grief support group in her area.

Tirama...With all the experience you are getting decluttering, you'll be able to open up your own decluttering consultants workshop when you are done.  I have trouble getting rid of tax returns, myself.  Mine go back to my first job from the eighties. 

I have a yard sale each year to keep the clutter down and I take things to the consignment shop.  Books I put in those free library boxes.  Clothes get donated.  I also like to go to yard sales to find neat stuff for me and the house and I also like bargains, so maybe in the end it just comes out as a draw. 

I did get paid once for helping somebody declutter.  Unfortunately, this woman had psychological issues that she never got help for, and when she died, her home was filled to over-flowing again.

There can be a lot of baggage attached to clutter.  For example, a person could regard getting rid of clothes that are too small as admitting that they will never lose weight.  Getting rid of unfinished craft projects can cause a person t feel like a failure because they started something they couldn't finish.  Disposing of a deceased person's belonging is accepting that they really are gone.

When you declutter, I think it's important not to try and do it all at once.  Start small.  If you're decluttering the kitchen, do it one drawer or cabinet at a time.  Do NOT empty all your cabinets at once, you will just be overwhelmed with the amount of stuff.  And don't make it a full-time job unless for some reason you have a deadline as to when you have to be done. Work for a bit, take a break, repeat.  When you find that you're having trouble making decisions on what to do with stuff, it's time to quit for the day.

I found it easiest to go through things and concentrate on finding the obvious garbage and get rid of it.  While doing this, you will also find items that are obvious keepers. There will be stuff that you just can't make a decision on the first time you look at it.  That's okay, put it aside.  When you finish making your first pass through everything and start going through things the second time, you'll be amazed at how much stuff you will be shaking your head at and wondering why you didn't throw it out sooner.

It can be very liberating getting rid of your clutter. 



 

Oscar ... so sorry to hear your mum's having a tough time coping.  I can totally understand it.  I've never thought about how all the support suddenly leaves once a loved one has gone but it makes sense.  But that's when someone needs support the most.  And I'm sure it's hard for you being so far away from her.  But I can't understand the bank cutting her credit line down by half! 

Tirama ... I sure wish you were here to declutter my house!  I'd pay you whatever you wanted!  I have boxes from 2 containers that I've had sent from Australia and my house ... attic, cellar, plus quite a few on the ground and first floors ... is full of boxes that I just haven't been able to unpack due to my health.  The spirit is so willing but the flesh is, unfortunately, so weak.  Oh well, maybe one day I'll feel well enough to start tackling it again ... or maybe I'll wake up one morning and a whole lot of elves will have done it for me!  LOL.  Well, a girl can dream, can't she????

And Tirama, I'm sorry you've found out things you'd rather not have known.  What a tough job you've had to do several times now.  Fortunately for us, my mum had time to go through all her stuff and she threw so much out!  She was always a super organised person but, knowing she wouldn't need anything where she was going, got rid of everything she didn't need to keep, just leaving those things she still wanted or needed around her.  She also got everything she needed to sorted out, even organising and paying for her funeral, so we were super lucky.

Lily ... maybe getting rid of your going away suit would be a place to start.  To clean my house ready for my sis and BIL, I just put a whole heap of clothes I have to sort out and work out which to keep and which ones to recycle ... although I've just found out that they don't actually recycle clothing for people, but rather use all the clothes put in the bins to make felt that they use to put in cars, in the doors, in the seats, etc, so I'm not so thrilled about recycling my clothes now as a lot of them are really good clothes ... anyway, I just put a whole lot in boxes that I'll get around to looking at when I feel up to it.  Just some more boxes.  LOL.

And it's finally warmed up here!!!!!!!!  

It only took until the last few weeks of spring for the warmth and sunshine ... well, a little ... to arrive!  We also had snow a few weeks ago (just a little, not enough to stay on the ground) and I still had the heating on and was still wearing all my winter woollies but now I've packed all that away and I have the fan on right now.  It's not so hot but it's SO humid!  The whole north of Germany where I am is on marshland so it's always humid but we've also had quite a bit of rain so it's really bad.  But at least I no longer have to get all rugged up like I was just a couple of weeks ago!  Freedom!!!!


 

Does anyone green clean?  Meaning using baking soda, vinegar and what not to clean their house.  How is working for you?  Is it better or not as good as commercial products?