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How would you organize a MAJOR dejunking?


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I have decided that I MUST do a major dejunking and cleaning in the house and garage.

 

What are some tips on how to organize this the best?

 

I have a list of the rooms/areas in the house that need cleaning and an approximate time frame for each (ranging from 1/2 hour for a tiny linen closet that is almost empty to 6 hours for a kid's bedroom). I am going to be having a 22 year old young lady come and help me. I figure she can take bags to the trash, take out loads for our church's "free" garage sale, and then as I am done in a room/area do some basic cleaning there while I start on the next area.

 

Should I get boxes or are white and black trash bags OK? Any hints of which area of the house to start first---the easiest area? the worst? Any special supplies to have on hand? Do I sort through all of the clothes as we dejunk or save that for a different step?

 

This is going to cost me about $200 in helper fees BUT I think the weight loss my house will experience will be way less than $1/pound:lol:

 

Send me your ideas, tips, encouragement, etc. The hardest thing is going to be keeping the stuff away from my 2 girls. They will want everything back but they both have special needs and just can not handle keeping all of the stuff they have picked up/clean, etc.

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I don't have much advice; I need to do the same thing! I did want to comment on the clothes question- If you pick it up- make a decision to keep, toss, or donate. Only set it aside if you are unsure of fit. Your kids sound like mine- I need them to go away fro a month so I can get rid of their stuff, otherwise it ends up back in their rooms! Can you send them off somewhere while you work? Good luck! I'll be rooting for you to win the

de-junking battle!!

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When I'm decluttering, I like to empty out a whole room down to just furniture and then only put back what I'm keeping.

 

The down side is that to do it without really injuring someone you need a "staging area"... which means one room has to be pretty much clear already.

 

It might not be the most efficient, but it does get things out!

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When I'm doing a kids bedroom, I have three trash bags- garbage, donate, hand me downs (this bag is then passed onto a friend with a child one size smaller than the my kid). The things I am keeping usually get piled up on the bed or chair or sometimes even a large bag to be put away later. I start with the floor because that is what irks me most, then once everything is off the floor I work clockwise around the room, organizing as I go. When I get to a dresser or a toy chest, I dig in. Eventualy i've made it all the way around and then I deep clean and then put everything away from my "keep" pile.

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This has worked for me, maybe it will work for you, or at least help you think through the process.

 

I start with the garage first. True, it's the last place I *want* to be, but it helps to have a clear "staging" area. We have a big garage, so I bother with 2/3 of it and leave the 1/3 for bicycles, lawn stuff, etc. Cars have to stay out in the driveway for a while, not a problem for us this time of year. Would not work mid-winter. I use this space to set up a few areas. There's the Goodwill/giveaway pile, and the sell pile. Then there's a place for used books, things I am taking to Half Price Books.

 

Then I ask myself, what area do I need cleared first, so that I can use it as an organized storage space for the things I want to keep? For me, this has been my laundry room and a certain area of the basement (not the whole basement, that's too big to consider one room). I worked through those areas first, then went through my kitchen drawers and cabinets. Things were either kept & placed where I really wanted them to be, or set out into the proper spot in the garage. Reducing the clutter in an area I use every day - the kitchen - was an immediate mental load off.

 

Things I did want to keep, but still not sure where they need to be stored permanently, I put in boxes and sent to the basement. The basment will eventually require several days all its own...

 

The kids bedrooms were actually done earlier this year, because with summer camp I had a great opportunity to tackle them. Trash bags are your friend here! But what I found essential in this process was to have the kids completely removed from the house for a week. I know that may not be possible, but at least while you are working on a certain kid's room, it has to be off limits. Else you will lose your mind as they argue for you not to toss some beloved item they've not given a thought to for over a year. Arrange for a long play day or overnight with relatives, if possible.

 

After the kids' rooms are done, you must remain vigilant about what new junk they bring in. DD5 is now not allowed to bring up toys from the basement. There is a 5-critter limit on stuffed animals, and she can rotate. Until we are fully decluttered, I am like a prison warden. I do not want their bedrooms to get re-junked.

 

School area was next. That part of our home always becomes a major catch all for thousands of small items (books, papers, you know what I mean). I have a big file cabinet, but as I decluttered I did not stop to file. I took some paper-sized boxes (like from amazon.com) and just put in them paperwork I truly need to keep. I will actually file it later, but it is no longer scattered about the shelves. And I should have weighed what I threw away.... hundreds of pounds of books and papers, to be sure.

 

My next areas are the family space. I am going to seriously part with stuff. Then I will get to the basement as a whole entity. Again, use the staging area as you remove items.

 

Anytime a kid brings you something that no longer fits or you even see an item that you don't want to keep, march it out to your staging area and either put it in the proper pile.

 

I try to, on a very regular basis, list craigslist items, take my donate stash up to Goodwill, and run the books to Half Price whenever I am going that way. Just so you know, I have set up my staging area several times this year. I process everything, we settle into real life for a while, then I do it again. Every time it's gotten easier.

 

Sorry this got so long. In a nutshell, start with areas that will be your permanent storage spaces. Get them cleaned out and organized, and you will have made room for other things you really want to keep. It also helps you limit what you need to keep. For example, I don't need to keep and more extra bedding than actually fits in the linen closet. A dozen blankets can go to the homeless shelter for the upcoming winter distribution.

 

You will feel better when it's done. But get yourself some chocolate, because things can get really hairy when you're in the middle, "upheaval" stage!

Edited by AuntieM
Threatened a kitten
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Flylady says to declutter for 15 minutes per day.

Throw away 27 things daily.

Pull out as much stuff as you can sort in 15 minutes, separate it into 'keep, donate, or toss' piles and put away everything you decide to keep. The donate pile is to bless the world with, so that is a good motivation to place good but not your favorite kinds of items out there.

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When I'm decluttering, I like to empty out a whole room down to just furniture and then only put back what I'm keeping.

 

 

 

This is how we decluttered my son's room. He was hesitant, but once he saw how much room he had he didn't want to junk it up again.

 

As someone else said, touch things only once and make a decision. No waffling! (If you really can't decide, put it in a box and away. Then if you haven't needed or thought about it in a month, get rid of it.)

 

Start with a room you use often. It will motivate you when you see how great it looks.

 

Use your helper as an objective eye as well. My mil helped me declutter once. When I'd want to keep something useless, she let me know. :)

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Oh the joys of clearing a room of everything and only putting back what you really want!!

 

This is great for washing all the linens and curtains also!! Air out mattresses, scrub baseboards and get the any shelves that need a good scrubbing!!

 

We do this 3 times a year!! eek!! yeah!

 

1st one-After school starts we have one claim an in service day, and we swap rooms, or furniture with the kids!

 

2nd one, January, same thing and clears out toys that didn't make the cut!

 

3rd one is Spring Fever - opening the house and a scrub!

 

I have major ones in between for my room, living room, pantry, laundry room and kitchen, those are usually 2 times a year!!

the shed and closets get it as I open them and freak!!

 

Pull it all out!!! It becomes addicting!!

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I start with the garage first. True, it's the last place I *want* to be, but it helps to have a clear "staging" area.

 

~ Garage as staging area. Genius! Pure Genius!

 

DH is taking the big kids away this weekend and I am planning on doing "The great toy purge" while he is away. This will make my task much easier. No more *what-was-that-pile-again?* heaps to climb over in the playroom. Thanks!

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Well, we started today and WOW.

 

I started in the garage/loft area (loft is above garage but you can stand up in it). We have FILLED our trash dumpster already and it was EMPTY when we started. That is just trash. Anything burnable went to the burn pile and the donate stuff if piling up under the stairs.

 

Now to figure out what to do about the trash situation as the next trash pick up is NEXT Friday morning and the dumpster is FILL to over flowing.

 

The coats are hung up and I have 1 load of coats in the washer and 1 load waiting that will be donated.

 

The garage will need a final cleaning up after this is all done but it is ready for our staging area.

 

Oh, and while cleaning I found several WEDDING gifts we have never opened.........and we have been married for 17 years. A few will be donated but a few will be put to good use.

 

Right now I have the girl and my son outside washing out the rubber maid totes we have so I can store stuff, use to put donations, etc.

 

That will likely be it for the day as my girls come home at 3 and before that I need to get a flu shot and lawnmower parts and tonight is a local football game. At least we got a GOOD start today........the rabbits even got all fresh bedding.

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Well, we started today and WOW.

 

I started in the garage/loft area (loft is above garage but you can stand up in it). We have FILLED our trash dumpster already and it was EMPTY when we started. That is just trash. Anything burnable went to the burn pile and the donate stuff if piling up under the stairs.

 

Now to figure out what to do about the trash situation as the next trash pick up is NEXT Friday morning and the dumpster is FILL to over flowing.

 

The coats are hung up and I have 1 load of coats in the washer and 1 load waiting that will be donated.

 

The garage will need a final cleaning up after this is all done but it is ready for our staging area.

 

Oh, and while cleaning I found several WEDDING gifts we have never opened.........and we have been married for 17 years. A few will be donated but a few will be put to good use.

 

Right now I have the girl and my son outside washing out the rubber maid totes we have so I can store stuff, use to put donations, etc.

 

That will likely be it for the day as my girls come home at 3 and before that I need to get a flu shot and lawnmower parts and tonight is a local football game. At least we got a GOOD start today........the rabbits even got all fresh bedding.

 

Wow! You are off to a terrific start! Doesn't it feel great?!!

 

See if you can find out the location of the nearest dump/landfill. We have resorted to that for a few large items (rusty old bed frames).

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Well, we started today and WOW.

 

I started in the garage/loft area (loft is above garage but you can stand up in it). We have FILLED our trash dumpster already and it was EMPTY when we started. That is just trash. Anything burnable went to the burn pile and the donate stuff if piling up under the stairs.

 

Now to figure out what to do about the trash situation as the next trash pick up is NEXT Friday morning and the dumpster is FILL to over flowing.

 

The coats are hung up and I have 1 load of coats in the washer and 1 load waiting that will be donated.

 

The garage will need a final cleaning up after this is all done but it is ready for our staging area.

 

Oh, and while cleaning I found several WEDDING gifts we have never opened.........and we have been married for 17 years. A few will be donated but a few will be put to good use.

 

Right now I have the girl and my son outside washing out the rubber maid totes we have so I can store stuff, use to put donations, etc.

 

That will likely be it for the day as my girls come home at 3 and before that I need to get a flu shot and lawnmower parts and tonight is a local football game. At least we got a GOOD start today........the rabbits even got all fresh bedding.

 

YOU ARE INSPIRING!! Way to GOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo!!!

just a reminder...drink lots of fluids, and I always take a tylenol, before the pain from bending and pulling kick in!

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It is getting so bad around here that my son just called me to see if I had started on his room yet:glare: Then the girls are BEGGING me not to "Texas Tornado" their stuff---this is what dh calls it when he just grabs things and tosses them.

 

Friday we got the garage and loft area done in 2 hours. We FILLED the garage dumpster (big can on wheels) and had 4 loads for dh to burn. I had 2-3 bags for our great give away at church and then the rest put away nicely. I even had my ds and the girl helping me scrub out 10 rubbermaid totes so I have more room to put stuff, etc.

 

Today I had the girl (22 year old unemployed girl looking for work) come and we worked for 3 hours. We did the spare bedroom (which can become a junk room), the closet under the stairs, the basement bathroom (which hasn't been this clean since we put it in years ago) and 1/2 of the laundry area.

 

I have 3 loads for the great give away, the trash dumpster is full again, and several items were "rehomed" to other areas of the house where they can be put to good use.

 

The washing machine is a humming as I am washing all of the bedding from the spare room in addition to the reg. Monday laundry. The spare room was used for foster kids so it has a crib and then a double/twin bunk--so 3 sets of bedding.

 

We have a 6 yard dumpster coming later today or tomorrow morning. Yes, it will cost us some money but we can keep it until it is filled for one price. I am having them put it right outside the front door for easy access to dump things and then I will be motivated to hurry and finish so that I won't have that in the front yard.

 

On a positive note I found a few wedding gifts we had never used---and we have been married for 17 years. I now have a "new" 4 qt. casserole dish and my cupboard is back to having nice glasses in it instead of fast food plastic ones:001_smile:

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It is getting so bad around here that my son just called me to see if I had started on his room yet:glare:

 

On a positive note I found a few wedding gifts we had never used---and we have been married for 17 years. I now have a "new" 4 qt. casserole dish and my cupboard is back to having nice glasses in it instead of fast food plastic ones:001_smile:

 

This sounds so much fun. It is even more fun when you have someone helping you. Every time I visist my mom, we do this. We take a room apart & wipe it completely & put back only stuff we need.

 

Unfortunately I have't been able to do this at my house. No help. Then the girls! thay want to keep all things trash as toys.

 

Couple of times I have done it, I have found old forgotten goodies. A gold ring, a bracelet & recently a brand new dress...

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Here's a hint:

 

Use your digital camera to take pictures of "special" things your daughter's might "miss." I did this recently with my 4 yo's school papers from last year. He was very willing to depart with the physical item knowing he could see a picture of it on the computer.

 

You can do this with sentimental items you've kept, but know you need to part with to further your desires for a decluttered lifestyle.

 

HTH

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The thing they are most worried about are their plastic horse toys. THey have HUNDREDS of plastic horses and I want to cut it back to the ones that are the quality ones, not the dollar store or cheaper junk one that are missing a leg or won't stand up, etc.

 

They are hoarder type (not that bad but still........) but can't keep up with their stuff so I need to really pare it down so it is managable. I remember the days when all of the toys could be picked up and put into 1 tote and we were done.

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