Becoming a minimalist due to messy/unorganized tendencies. Help?

[mykdsmomy]

At the risk of sounding like the stereotypical mom sporting the button down shirt and mom jeans blowing the stray piece of hair out of her eyes out of frustration (as seen on any tv informercial), YES, I'M TIRED OF DOING THINGS THE OLD WAY!!!

 

I'm getting better and I've made some significant strides lately in the organizing dept but, I'm still falling into old patterns. I still can't seem to KEEP my laundry folded and put away. My bedroom is full of DH's stuff (guitars, tools, electrical stuff) that needs a home! I have curriculum that needs to get shipped back to K12, my kitchen is in need of some "deep cleaning" (mostly the fronts of the cabinets and a good old fashioned floor scrubbing....as Swiffering only goes so far)., The bathrooms need some extra help too. Nothing is ever organized. The drawers wind up filled with junk. My dining room/school room is as organized as a toy store on Xmas Eve and the cats and dog are driving me NUTS. (they track dirt in, the litter box grosses me out to no end and we have been having a heck of a time getting rid of their fleas!!!)

Our garage is out of commission at the moment because we had a skunk spray in there a while back and now basically need to throw everything away (lots of open boxes in there ...thanks kids :glare: )

So I can't box things up and put them in there as we need to get a huge dumpster to clean it out (and they are a few hundred dollars to rent :( )

So basically I am wanting to simplify my house to an extreme (except for DH's stuff because it's garage/fix the house type stuff). Any suggestions? Any BTDT? I can't do FlyLady because she overwhelms me :confused: Do I make lists? I want it all done TODAY and that's part of my problem. I would like to devise a plan here. Thanks in advance :bigear:

[JoyfulMama]

I know you want it all done today, but it won't get completed in one day.

Me? If I really wanted to start tossing, hard-core, I'd list the # of rooms I had, and take that number of weeks to attack. Why? Because life gets in the way. (You could also assign a room/weekend, but I like to give myself more flexibility.) I could make sure I got one room done, while still maintaining the rest, and make sure at the end of the week that all boxes got dropped at Goodwill, trash, post-office, etc. (Schedule this in, so you are sure to do it.) Get done early one week? Celebrate! Attack a closet, or something smaller, if you like, or do more maintenance.

[bookfiend]

Are you able to hire some help? Set aside a week, work elbow to elbow with a hardworking, homeschool teen. Do one room, one cabinet at a time. Buy garbage bages in bulk and be ruthless. Then check out the lists from Motivated Moms to stay on top of it all.

[BMW]

Another "one room at a time" adviser here.

 

I really wanted the clutter to be handled. But couldn't think of the entire house at once. I made a list of everything to do in each room... cupboards, closets, horizontal spaces topped with "things".

 

I took a target date. For me, I started early October with a target date to finish by Nov. 5th. I took the number of days to complete this, subtracted one day per week to have "off", the divided up the tasks on my list into the number of days to complete it.

 

After that mathematical experience, I got to it! I know enough from past fly-lady and sidetracked home executive books to have bags for trash and bags for donating with me and I handled whatever was on the list for the day. Got rid of the trash right away and took loads to goodwill once a week.

 

That worked for me because I could handle "kitchen cupboards" one day. I could not have handled kitchen cupboards and the upright desk and book shelves one day.

 

Breaking it down helped.

 

And I took before and after pictures and blogged about it... that kept me motivated. I simply pretended that my hundreds of readers were following along, simultaneously working away in their homes, keeping me company, just waiting to see my progress.... (I really only have 15 followers... but, pretending helps sometimes!)

 

Best wishes for you! I totally know how frustrating these things are. Our garage was on my list to tackle this week... I will work in there tomorrow morning. It wont get done. Tomorrow's my target date and now my kitchen is a mess... and my desk got cluttered again. But, I made a lot of progress and many things did get done!

[mykdsmomy]

Thank you :) I think the one room at a time is going to have to be the way to go. I was sort of doing that this summer but then got sick and everything was put on hold...then school started and well.....here we are ;)

 

I'm finding lately that making lists seems to help me out a lot. I tend to have a very difficult time staying on task...most of the time it's due to ds6 and his needs but I also get bored easy and wind up doing something different instead of finishing the task at hand.

 

I wish I could hire someone to help me but finances are tight. If I could, I would just rent the dumpster and throw out EVERYTHING. I want to convert our garage into an extra family room because our living space in our home is small. We have four bedrooms but the front room is long and narrow....For now, I just need to concentrate on simplifying the house and minimizing everything as best as I can.

[SailorMom]

I can't even usually do one room - I've seriously had to start with "one thing" - ie - one closet, the desk, under a bed, etc. Some rooms are ok, but others I had to take one piece at a time.

 

You'll get there - but don't be hard on yourself about backtracking, or getting off schedule - life happens.

[keptwoman]

One room, or group of items and by the time you are finished, everything in that group/room needs to have a clearly defined home. Mess and chaos comes from not having a place to put things or not putting them back.

[anneofalamo]

one bucket of warm sudsy smell goody cleaner and a brand new sponge and 3 towels, a small ladder

start from the top and do all your cabinet doors outside and inside of the doors only...smiling in that what is wrong with mom smile the kids worry about.

 

Take two aspirin before, and two after, a long hot shower and order pizza. Smile and tomorrow something else!

[Jen in PA]

Flylady overwhelmed me when I got all the emails, but seemed much more manageable when I just made the effort of stopping in once or twice a week to stay on top of the zone work (I already had routines in place for daily stuff like the kitchen and the bathroom). I think you might want to take another look and tweak it to fit your needs so it seems less overwhelming.

[Jenny Piaaree]

This book helped me immensely. Even though I am still not an organized person, my house has stayed so much better after implementing these ideas almost 10 years ago!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Organized-Homemaker-Secrets-Uncluttering/dp/0760722293/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288913671&sr=8-1

[WTMCassandra]

I have a few additions to what other people have suggested:

 

1. Is it dumpster or nothing with the garage? Do you have other options? Are you allowed by your municipality to take items in a truck or van to a dump site? Perhaps the job could be done with 2-3 van/truck loads for much less than the renting of a dumpster. I would consider *another* way to get this done because it seems to really be getting on your nerves. Sometimes it's good to listen to our frustration and work first on the thing that bugs us--it can then make the rest of the tasks seem easier and more enjoyable.

 

2. Ask for help. The person who recommended the teen is on the right track, but I say, get at least two people involved--1) a "born organized" grownup to work with you and 2) a teen to entertain your children. If you can get a mother/daughter combo, that would be ideal. (I'm training my own daughter to work with me in that capacity.)

 

3. Take things one bite at a time. One room at a time works. Another way is to simply set a timer EVERY DAY for 30 minutes and do what you can. Those little bits of time WILL add up. You won't have to do the whole Fly-Lady routine, but the baby steps idea is a good one.

[coffeegal]

I agree with the others, go through the house one room at a time. Also, I like to practice maintaining the rooms I've cleaned. Another thought, I've found that I can't do it once and be done forever. I have to go through the house periodically and declutter all over again. :001_smile:

[lisamarie]

My mom came over a couple weeks ago and helped me tackle my storage room which had turned into a nightmare after our basement flooded 2 years ago and we just dumped 3 rooms worth of stuff in there so the carpet people could rip up the carpet and dry it out. The resulting mess was so overwhelming that we just left it and added to it.

 

So mom came and she filled her van with Goodwill donations, we filled up 3 garbage bags of trash, and organized a bunch. It wasn't completely done, but we did clear out the main floor area so you can actually walk in there again without tripping over things.

 

In the absence of getting someone to help you, I would tackle the room that bugs you the most first. For me that is my kitchen or office. Spend a set amount of time a day cleaning/purging/etc until you're done. Then move onto the next room. But as you clean and organize, make sure you organize well. Buy bins, boxes, or some sort of organization system and LABEL things so that any idiot (read: DH and kids) will know where to find things, but more importantly, where to PUT IT BACK when they are done with it. Many an organizing job on my part has been ruined within days because I live with 4 slobs. It's almost disheartening to really clean around here because I know it won't stay that way.

[mom2abcd]

Does anyone else have the issues I have... every pile of papers represents hours of work that only I can do.

 

Sigh...

[Nestof3]

I would start with either the smallest room or the one you use the most. Break each one down into a pattern: toss, organize, clean.

 

Let's say you start with the bathroom. Bring a trash bag, a donate bag, and a box.

 

First, toss what you'll never use in the trash bag. Condense what you can. If you're the kind of person who keeps bottles with bits of shampoo or handwash, either toss them or condense them into one container of shampoo, one of hand wash, etc. Unless it's a first aid item, if you haven't used it in a year, toss it. Toss everything that shouldn't be in the bathroom in a box. Then, clean the bathroom from top to bottom.

 

For the kitchen, toss/donate anything you really don't use. Condense what you can. Organize what's left, and then clean.

 

On top of that, do one immediate thing a day, like:

 

recycle catalogs (they're online these days), old magazines, junk mail

file insurance and other paperwork that is on your desk

ship everything you need to ship

 

Just try to do at least one random thing a day on top of working on a room.

[Nestof3]

I am the only person who deals with the paperwork in the house. I love filing cabinets and file folders. I also toss anything I don't need. Old insurance paperwork and old tax papers are stored in bankers boxes in the garage.

 

I try to deal with the paperwork the moment it comes in the house. So, when going through the mail, I toss the recyclable in the recycle bin, shred stuff with our information on it that I don't want to save, file away what I need to save, etc.

 

I have three envelopes in my drawer for the three upcoming months. When I get a bill, it goes in the envelope. I have folders for things like health insurance, property insurance, life insurance, takeout coupons, bank statements, etc. Try to clip coupons immediately.

 

Does anyone else have the issues I have... every pile of papers represents hours of work that only I can do.

 

Sigh...

[Peela]

I tend to go really gung ho at decluttering when I am in the mood- and I will be quite radical about it. So...while it is important to realise that baby steps are best....if you have the time and energy, a burst of enthusiasm can also get a lot done in my experience.

 

Also....enjoy the process! Instead of beating yourself up about your messiness or disorganisation- which can be more paralyzing than helpful...how about getting enthusiastic and excited about decluttering a closet? I guess its not everyone's cup of tea but I actually enjoy it.

Focus on what you CAN do right now, or today..rather than the mess. Play some fun music. Keep your sense of humour. Attack the mess! :)

[mykdsmomy]

Thanks everyone :) The tips and encouragement really help a lot! Peela, I actually do get excited about decluttering....I love purging because it feels like a fresh beginning. I just can't seem to stay organized or keep a system.

 

In the past I have worked one room at a time but by the time I get to the last room, I've accumulated things that didn't "fit" into the categories of items in any of the closets/drawers/spaces so I wind up with misfit items that have no home. They wind up going into a closet where they don't belong and the cycle starts all over again. This is why I need to be ruthless with the minimizing. I'm imagining all of the areas of my house that have shelves or drawers that started out as one purpose but then became a sort of catch all.

 

I love the idea of having someone come help but honestly there is no one right now able to do it. My dd's can help some but dd15's negativity sometimes just brings me down. She has seen my binge and purge tendencies (as far as organization) and she tends to get critical of my efforts instead of just helping :001_huh:

 

I really do appreciate all of the support here. :grouphug:

[Food4Thought]

Do you like music? I ask because I have found that if I turn on some good music (I listen through my earbuds on my MP3 player), then it gives me the energy to get going. I have to move because I want to dance, so I'll clean. Otherwise, it's a total drag looking at everything I have to do and not knowing WHERE to start and being totally overwhelmed by the whole process.

 

A few years back, I got in on one of the Flylady challenges where you WEIGH everything you get rid of (either trash or donate). I loved the challenge and threw away over 500 lbs of stuff, from just our little apartment at the time! You could always try something like that, if it works for you.

 

I love all the suggestions you've had to take it slowly. Another idea that I've kept from FlyLady is the thing she calls the 23 fling boogie (or something like that). Anyway, pick an arbitrary number, like 23, and find that many things to throw away. And... go! Really easy, really effective with kids helping, and if you do it two or three times a day, you'll start seeing results soon. Best of luck to you!

[Rosie_0801]

Feed crushed garlic tablets to the animals. Fleas don't like that.

 

 

Rosie

[Peela]

In the past I have worked one room at a time but by the time I get to the last room, I've accumulated things that didn't "fit" into the categories of items in any of the closets/drawers/spaces so I wind up with misfit items that have no home. They wind up going into a closet where they don't belong and the cycle starts all over again. This is why I need to be ruthless with the minimizing. I'm imagining all of the areas of my house that have shelves or drawers that started out as one purpose but then became a sort of catch all.

 

 

I wonder if you are looking for a permanent state of tidy, uncluttered home? Where it just never gets messy again?

I mean.....I figured it was normal to end up with stuff that doesnt belong anywhere, and kind of stuff it somewhere for now. And that by the time I finished decluttering all my rooms and areas of my life....it was time to start back at the beginning again. I dont think there is ever an end point. Is there? (am I missing something? :) )

I jsut figured for people who arent Born Organised (and i most certainly am not BO) it is an ongoing thing for the rest of my life. Collect clutter (I love garage sales). Release clutter. Enjoy the release process. ENjoy the empy cupboard for a while. Enjoy buying the next thing at swap meet/garage sale. Start process over again. Thats how it works for me, anyway :)

 

Recently I have been through a binge of decluttering and completely terrified my packrat husband. I actually got rid of about 3/4 of my wardrobe. I cleaned out the kitchen cupboards, and made $800 on selling books. It was huge. But now that all that has gone...there is so much more to do! And...I am slowly buying more clothes and books. At least there is space for them!

 

I am not sure there is a solution other than to get very, very disciplined (which is no fun if you enjoy stuff) or get poor and not be able to afford even op shop clothes and stuff. I tihnk thats why teh Flylady thing works...it is forming a habit of decluttering regularly. 15 minutes a day. But it never actually finishes.

 

I love organisational systems. Have you read Getting Things Done? The Zen Habits website? I love things like these. I often only get one thing out of each website or book that I devour, but its always worth it for some spark of an idea of how to organise my stuff.

[Blueridge]

one bucket of warm sudsy smell goody cleaner and a brand new sponge and 3 towels, a small ladder

start from the top and do all your cabinet doors outside and inside of the doors only...smiling in that 'what is wrong with mom' smile the kids worry about.

 

Take two aspirin before, and two after, a long hot shower and order pizza. Smile and tomorrow something else!

 

What an encouraging suggestion. I'm going to do this myself today!

[Sherry in OH]

I wonder if you are looking for a permanent state of tidy, uncluttered home? Where it just never gets messy again?

I mean.....I figured it was normal to end up with stuff that doesnt belong anywhere, and kind of stuff it somewhere for now. And that by the time I finished decluttering all my rooms and areas of my life....it was time to start back at the beginning again. I dont think there is ever an end point. Is there? (am I missing something? :) )

I jsut figured for people who arent Born Organised (and i most certainly am not BO) it is an ongoing thing for the rest of my life. Collect clutter (I love garage sales). Release clutter. Enjoy the release process. ENjoy the empy cupboard for a while. Enjoy buying the next thing at swap meet/garage sale. Start process over again. Thats how it works for me, anyway :)

 

Recently I have been through a binge of decluttering and completely terrified my packrat husband. I actually got rid of about 3/4 of my wardrobe. I cleaned out the kitchen cupboards, and made $800 on selling books. It was huge. But now that all that has gone...there is so much more to do! And...I am slowly buying more clothes and books. At least there is space for them!

 

I am not sure there is a solution other than to get very, very disciplined (which is no fun if you enjoy stuff) or get poor and not be able to afford even op shop clothes and stuff. I tihnk thats why teh Flylady thing works...it is forming a habit of decluttering regularly. 15 minutes a day. But it never actually finishes.

 

I love organisational systems. Have you read Getting Things Done? The Zen Habits website? I love things like these. I often only get one thing out of each website or book that I devour, but its always worth it for some spark of an idea of how to organise my stuff.

 

The battle is never-ending. It helps if you follow the mantra "one thing in, one thing out". Buy a new shirt, an old shirt has to leave. My closet and the children's closets are under control. Even DH (the family packrat) accumulates less under this mantra.

[mykdsmomy]

I know I'm going to still have to cycle things in and out and my decluttering days will never be over, BUT, I think living as a minimalist while I work at keeping a bare minimum organized and clean is where I need to start.

 

That said, I need to go buy some supplies :rofl:

 

Any suggestions on "must haves" for cleaning? I have rags, a mop, bucket, vacuum, swiffer, scrub brush and various cleaners but I'm not sure what kind of cleaners do all of you use?

 

Also, for anyone who hasn't gotten sick of me yet, :tongue_smilie:, any advice on laundry from start to finish? I'm sick of wet towels on the bathroom floor getting mixed up with the dirty laundry. There isn't enough room in the bathroom for a hamper but it's right outside the door and yet the kids STILL have a hard time getting their clothes in the hamper before they get water on the floor :001_huh:

[Peela]

I know I'm going to still have to cycle things in and out and my decluttering days will never be over, BUT, I think living as a minimalist while I work at keeping a bare minimum organized and clean is where I need to start.

 

That said, I need to go buy some supplies :rofl:

 

Any suggestions on "must haves" for cleaning? I have rags, a mop, bucket, vacuum, swiffer, scrub brush and various cleaners but I'm not sure what kind of cleaners do all of you use?

 

Also, for anyone who hasn't gotten sick of me yet, :tongue_smilie:, any advice on laundry from start to finish? I'm sick of wet towels on the bathroom floor getting mixed up with the dirty laundry. There isn't enough room in the bathroom for a hamper but it's right outside the door and yet the kids STILL have a hard time getting their clothes in the hamper before they get water on the floor :001_huh:

 

I really think cleaners and such are where we can get realyly hung up. They don't actually do the cleaning- you do. Just use whatever you have. I prefer low impact environmental cleaners but do have a bleach based cleaner for the shower which is used ocasionally. Other than that...its vinegar for the toilet and one simple orange oil based spray bottle for everything else- kitchen and bathrooms.

 

Laundry- I wash by the person. That way I skip a whole laundry job- sorting. I have an abundance of wash baskets and everyone has one in their bedrooms and puts their own dirty clothes in them. Then either they, or I, do a wash when the basket is full- about once a week per person. We wash on cold and just wash everything together unless there is a special item we know runs or is white.

I will do loads of towels or sheets separately about once a week.

We hang on racks in the laundry- don't even have a dryer. Each rack will hold about one load of washing, and there are 3 racks. In winter, clothes take 2 days to dry. in summer- 1.

There are 4 of us and laundry works well here. Everyone is responsible for their own clothes (since about age 12) but I do supervise and oversee. I go and gather towels about once a week.

[Garga]

When we had the bedbugs, we had to throw away a LOT of stuff that was stored under or near the bed. It's been a month and a half and I don't miss any of it. I'm glad it's gone. I'd say be ruthless about what you can toss.

 

 

For papers: When it was time to put our stuff back in the bedroom (we had to clear it all out for the exterminator), I bought bins to put things in. The pile of filing papers are now in a bin. I didn't take the time to go through them, but they're in the bin, away from my eyes (I don't like visual clutter), and are accessible for when I need them or have time to sort them. In the meanwhile, I'm being VERY aggressive about handling all papers that come into the house.

 

 

Also, as part of the bedbug extermination process, my house was turned upside down for 2 weeks. After the bugs were gone, I took a week off of homeschooling to clean out the house room by room. ALL DAY LONG I worked on each room. I picked certain rooms for certain days and just did it. I broke it down, piece of furniture by piece of furniture, and then the floor. It took a full 7 days, but it's done. If it had taken 14 days, I would have still done it. (I might have given the kids some worksheets or something to keep them up to speed.)

 

You might need to take time off of school. But you might then have to make it up at the end of the school year. It was worth it for me.

 

 

Once you're done: if anything doesn't have a home, can it be stored in stackable bins in an attic or basement? If they are bigger items, can you buy some sort of cheap plastic shelving for the basement to put it on? Or in a cheap cupboard in the basement or garage?

[Nestof3]

I agree. I am using Mrs. Meyers (I think that's the name. Vinegar, ammonia and bleach give me a headache). I just use an all-purpose cleaner in a spray bottle. I do have window cleaner for glass.

 

I also love Magic Erasers.

 

I really think cleaners and such are where we can get realyly hung up. They don't actually do the cleaning- you do. Just use whatever you have. I prefer low impact environmental cleaners but do have a bleach based cleaner for the shower which is used ocasionally. Other than that...its vinegar for the toilet and one simple orange oil based spray bottle for everything else- kitchen and bathrooms.

 

 

[Sherry in OH]

Use up whatever you have. Excessive cleaning supplies contribute to clutter. Then buy or make what you like best. I use vinegar water for a lot of routine cleaning - floors, windows, woodwork and a home-made vinegar-based spray cleaner in the bathroom.

[Lucy in Australia]

Recently I have been through a binge of decluttering and completely terrified my packrat husband. I actually got rid of about 3/4 of my wardrobe. I cleaned out the kitchen cupboards, and made $800 on selling books.

 

I just have to ask... did you sell on eBay? I have too many books (all kinds) and it's time to get rid of them.