When you do a major clean out around the house....

Do you stick with it daily until you get rid of anything and everything you don't want any more? Do you go through paperwork and have a bonfire on the paperwork? Good will is your best friend for you majorily want to unload your items? One man's junk another man's treasure.  The garbage man knows you too at the major recycling garbage dump, for you majorily unload things. A yard sale is sooner or later in the plans for somethings have to be worth something around the house.

I have been on a major clean out around here since May. I took a two week break. But have started again, and wondered why in the world did I keep a few things. Good will has seen somethings. A church give away of free  clothing recieved somethings. The garbage recycling seen one load and if I can "ever" get someone to go through their junk; there will be another major load go again. I would get rid of the items myself in a heartbeat. But I need the family member  to go through things, so I don't throw out something that shouldn't be thrown away.

What is astonishing is this isn't the first time I have done a clean out over the years. But I want a major clean out this time. 

I hate clutter. And there has been somethings cluttered. Because life has had me turned other avenues. I guess I have hit the age too, where I could live with much less. An elderly person once told me you hit a point in life where you want to get rid, give away, and learn to live with less. Because it is less work to clean up daily. I guess I have hit that age this year. I want tons of things gone.  Anyone else ever feel this way?

enjoynature

I hate clutter. And there has been somethings cluttered. Because life has had me turned other avenues. I guess I have hit the age too, where I could live with much less. An elderly person once told me you hit a point in life where you want to get rid, give away, and learn to live with less. Because it is less work to clean up daily. I guess I have hit that age this year. I want tons of things gone.  Anyone else ever feel this way?

Oh my yes!  For me it's exhilarating to know that I do not have anything in my home that I don't need and do not want!  I have found that less is better!  However, I must agree that it seems more important as I age.  In the back of my mind, I'm thinking what if something happen to me and someone came in here and had to go through my stuff! LOL  When we moved from the country to town we really down sized and the kids told us this..." If we see you pull up in front of our house with one more box we are going to pull the drapes and hide!" LOL 

the things I have collected I love...and won't part with them...like my big vintage pottery collection and the vintage linens I love...so I am willing to keep them clean...

paperwork...that is not something I worry about, that is husbands job...and he keeps it in check...my house is full of the things we love....but it's neat and tidy...I do go though things every couple on months and take a trip to Good Will...like I should go soon....lol

I keep up with the "paperwork" clutter on a daily basis.  We were self employed for many many years and had to keep a lot of it.  Now only DH is self employed so its slightly easier but as soon as something comes in I file it right away.  Before I would be buried in piles right before taxes were due.  LOL  Never again!

We have a lot of "collections" but they are things were are not going to part with.  Since moving last yr into a much larger house we have more areas to display and store.

The Salvation Army has a truck that goes thru our neighborhood every month during the summer so its really easy to just put out things at the street and have them take it away.  

So I try to keep up with things as we go.  

I usually have a list going for summer chores I want to accomplish during my 10 wks. off from school. however, since I retired in may I find I still have a summer to-do list  of items needing attention before the cold winter arrives again but mostly  i am concentrating on a room at a time going thru cupboards, drawers, closets, boxes & so forth. I have made about 4 donation  trips to Savers already in the past week. funny how you no longer feel the need to do SOMETHING with that THING you've been saving.  I too feel a sense of relief when letting it go whether  it be to the trash or the junk store.  I don't have enough of anything to have a garage sale so I think that is a good sign. I have quite a few things belonging to my parents etc . that i intend to pass on to my nieces & nephews & their children this year. hope they will enjoy knowing it belonged to their great grandparents , aunts & uncles one day.   the older I get the more basics are suddenly more important that all those little doo-dads  & fancy  decorations. Life is good.

I hate clutter too and have it pretty much under control, for now. lol I started earlier this year by cleaning out 'junk drawers' and just finished up by going through my closet. I give to freecycle the majority of the time.

One thing I wish I hadn't done, I went through all our movies, asked Bob what he really wanted to keep and I kept a few that I really liked and love watching over, then listed the rest on freecycle. Now I wish there were a few I had kept. Same with my utility drawer, I had so many knives, forks, small graters, etc., now there are some I wish I hadn't given away.

I need to get rid of some of the small kitchen appliances that I very seldom use but I'm afraid if I do, I'll need one of them. lol

I did a really big clean out when I moved...sure glad I had the help of my two DDs, or it would have taken much longer than it did.

There was "stuff" that went in the trash, or used for rags. Then there was stuff that was good enough to give to Goodwill.

I did pack a lot of things that I thought I'd want at my new house, but you know what? After living here for two years, there are still a lot of boxes in the garage that I haven't unpacked yet...but I have everything I need here in the house, so I'll get around to those boxes "some time."

Souchef

Now I wish there were a few I had kept. Same with my utility drawer, I had so many knives, forks, small graters, etc., now there are some I wish I hadn't given away.

I need to get rid of some of the small kitchen appliances that I very seldom use but I'm afraid if I do, I'll need one of them

It seems like that's the way it goes at my house...get rid of something, and that's when you discover you needed it after all, so go buy one to replace it.

enjoy....you are a flylady dream girl!  That is what she advocates!  good for you...you could teach us all a thing or two.

alphy...I don't know about teaching us all a thing or two.

I once heard a speaker say your house is a reflection on how you feel about yourself. If you care about yourself you care about how your house looks too. It shows that it is a reflection on how you feel about different things in your life. If you take the time and make your home a wonderful atmosphere for your family and friends to feel happy, loved, and a place they want to even come home to. Because your home is a clean place to sit down or lay down comfortable in. It shows how you also feel about yourself personally. Clutter is reflection of things you still have to let go in your life. Pack rats, show that you feel you can't let things go for some reason. A house that is to spotless, is a shrine and not a home to sit down and feel comfortable in and have a good time in. The scenerio can go on and on for what I once heard the speaker say in reflection to you and your home.

The only time I wished I hadn't got rid of something was when I cleaned out an estate. There was a couple family things I wished I hadn't let go. But there is no going back. As for getting rid of things in my own home and wishing I hadn't....there hasn't been anything I have left go that I wished I had back.

I haven't started another round of clean out yet today. I want to get out and water the gardens. Then start cleaning out some more paperwork and the library. I go through books every year. I get rid of books that just sit on the shelf for long periods of time. If there gathering dust, and not being read or used, then the books can get going to be enjoyed by someone else.They may be better for someone else to read, then gathering dust for years on a shelf and taking up room. 

enjoy, that was a beautiful response...would you mind if I shared it with the flyladies?  I could just direct them to this site, but would be easier if you didn't mind if I copied it to our site.  I am going to save that...read it every day.  what a nice thought.  thanks for sharing.

Which response you talking about?

I moved last year into my new home.  9 years earlier I had also moved.  I cleaned everything, plainly marked boxes to go to shelters, Goodwill and trash.  My son's dad, whom I never married nor lived with, carefully brought all that stuff back to me.  Twice! 

The stuff I attempted to get rid of  honestly came back to my fresh newly decorated nice and neat uncluttered home.

I knew is intentions were good,  I looked at my partner and said , "keep only photos   I may have missed there is nothing I want any more, I have all I need . " She went right to it, next day it was all gone.  What a relief!

My house and mind were cluttered, I could not take a step or sit down with out having to move something.  I could not even invite folk over, no place to sit down.

Now I have free, clean open space, my boys can have friends over, we have patio parties, we have enjoyed many guests, even have an extra room, with a place to rest uncluttered. 

All is family friendly.  It is my dream come true.  Took years.  I went through my study last week, burned several years worth of whatever, it felt so good!     Just restarted in my kitchen.  We are a blended family now. Not the dad.

Me and my mate and boys, so we have duplicates of many things.  Time to reduce. 

I've given away bunches of stuff on FreeCycle.  That's how I get rid of most of the things I don't want or need anymore.  I figure if I can't use it someone else probably does.  I need to clean out my closet.  Since I don't work anymore I don't need most of what's in there.  I've got some very nice clothes for work that someone definitely will want.  I also have some kitchen stuff to give away.  If I can't get rid of it through FreeCycle, I'll give it to Goodwill or a local charity that operates a thrift shop.

I don't do major clean outs any longer because I started getting rid of things on a regular basis.  My husband is a hoarder and I now refuse to let him bring into the house all the crap he drags home.

It can go anywhere in the garage, except where my car is parked, or into one of the outbuildings, but it cannot be in the yard or in the house.

So now I have an almost stark home and it's heaven for me.  I keep all excess cleaned out and I am amazed at how easily I can live with very little.