I'm a huge fan of Whole Living magazine, so each month I scour it for jewels of information and healthy living tips. When I read the article Cleaning House, I knew there were a few tidbits I would want to share with Re-Nest readers. It's that time of year. Spring cleaning has arrived. The following questions will help you rid your shelves and coffee table of clutter and determine how to deal with what remains.
Are you trying to determine whether an item is clutter? Or establish its value? If so, consider the following questions. They'll help you answer these questions and more.
Questions to Help You Decide: To Toss or Not to Toss?
- Is it broken?
- Should it be fixed?
- Does it belong to someone else? If yes, return it!
- Does it have negative associations?
- Do you like it?
- Does it have value? If it has negative associations or you don't like it but it has value, donate it!
- Do you use it?
- Do you use it regularly?
- When was the last time you used it?
- Again, does it have value? If it has value but you don't use it regularly, donate it! Or if it doesn't have value and you don't use it regularly, recycle or responsibly dispose of it!
(Image: Liz Fabry)
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I have one question that helps me with all my decluttering: If I were moving to a Greek island (replace with the remote fantasy location of your choice) would I take this with me? Obviously the "yes's" stay and the "absolutely not's" go. While it doesn't give me a clear cut answer on the in-betweens, the "I wouldn't take it but would miss it" items, it does help me get perspective on them and where they fit in the spectrum. I feel myself letting go of them just by picturing me letting go of them, and my possessions that are really important to me stand out. This removes a lot of the emotional reasons I have for holding on to stuff and allows me to cull a lot more of it.
The problem I tend to run into around my house is when I answer "nope! toss it!" to all of the above...and then remember that this particularly hideous fill-in-the blank was given to me by one of my 9 aunts "for when I got a home of my own", and that they're coming over next christmas, sure to be looking for that set of ridiculous tea towels or whatever. This has lead me to the annoying position of schleping around a rubbermaid tub full of absolute crap I feel too guilty to get rid of. I'd love to hear a solution for that dilemma, cause I sure don't have one. ):
My suggestion, get rid of it if you don't want/have a use for it. You'll have less guilt by telling them that although thoughtful, you just didn't have the space to hold onto it so you donated it to someone who was in need. The guilt is usually more of a burden than the truth. If they want to get you things for your "future" home, suggest gift cards to a department store so that you can upgrade items that you use everyday. That way you can buy something that is top quality once and it will last you for years to come.
Orrrrr... break out your duster and keep that box clean ;)
Thanks for checking in, commenters! I'm loving this thread.
@neverheidae, my suggestion: tell the truth. You don't have space for it and you're not in your future home yet. Try becoming a 'no gifts please person' for a year and see if that helps. Ask for experiences rather than things. Gift cards, sewing lessons and such are a great way for people to feel like they're contributing! Keep us posted!
I would tell the person before I got rid of it that I needed to do so and offer it back to them. If they don't want it back off it goes. It is surprising what people form emotional attachments to.
The one question that helps me decide to give away or toss something is: what situation will make me use this again?
For the longest time I held on to clothes and things that were in great condition, simply because they were just that. In the example of the clothes, the reality was that I was not going to wear them again because the activity I bought them for was no longer something I did.
I kept thinking 'but one day I might just need them'...when I finally asked myself the question above it was easy to find a new home for them.
I use the William Morris believe to be beautiful or know to be useful. Plus is it a book?
We've sadly (ha), "lost" quite a few items in our various moves - movers are so hopeless, and the box with the stuff we cant stand always seems to vanish along the way...(& the giver rarely ask anyway)
The problem I run into is that my wife wants to hold on to every little (and not so little) nick-nack we ever bought. There is just not enough room. Any suggestions on how to talk her into letting go of some things?