99 Problems but an iron ain't one
November 3, 2010 5:40 AM Subscribe
I absolutely suck at keeping organised, clean and tidy. I can't go on living in a mess until the moment when I snap and spend two days cleaning everything. Any tips that have helped former messy people, stuff accumulators or those who just can't be bothered stay on top of everything?
I have tried Flylady, but I found her a bit...not me. It was the mention of prayer and the notion that each morning one should weigh oneself that irritated a bit.
I live in a shared house so i have to keep most of my stuff in one room. Obviously the answer is to have less stuff, but while I'm working on that, I'd like to know what systems worked for you to keep on top of things. Also: how to 'use up' ingredients/freezer stuff would be handy. I can mend and wash clothes and bake bread, but my knowledge of housekeeping is minimal at best
i am away many weekends and often get home about 7.30 at night, so I want to have a place to relax.
I have tried Flylady, but I found her a bit...not me. It was the mention of prayer and the notion that each morning one should weigh oneself that irritated a bit.
I live in a shared house so i have to keep most of my stuff in one room. Obviously the answer is to have less stuff, but while I'm working on that, I'd like to know what systems worked for you to keep on top of things. Also: how to 'use up' ingredients/freezer stuff would be handy. I can mend and wash clothes and bake bread, but my knowledge of housekeeping is minimal at best
i am away many weekends and often get home about 7.30 at night, so I want to have a place to relax.
Well, FlyLady's email-based system is based on the Sidetracked Home Executives system, which revolved around the use of 3x5 index cards. So you can just set up your own system of reminders using those and rotate through the cards.
posted by Jacqueline at 5:55 AM on November 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Jacqueline at 5:55 AM on November 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
I used to have a list of 30 things* that needed doing, split into daily & weekly & monthly. Checkboxes for the gratification of checking things off. When I actually was using it, I was *AMAZED* by how productive (and how relatively easy) most of the stuff was. I made sure to include a few "gimmes" that were easy enough to do no matter how unmotivated I felt. Should probably jump start that again...
*big jobs had got chopped into itty bitty digestible pieces, like (1) find all dirty dishes & transport to sink (2) empty dishdrain (3) wash dishes (4) rinse sink.
posted by Ys at 6:02 AM on November 3, 2010
*big jobs had got chopped into itty bitty digestible pieces, like (1) find all dirty dishes & transport to sink (2) empty dishdrain (3) wash dishes (4) rinse sink.
posted by Ys at 6:02 AM on November 3, 2010
For clutter, Don't put it down, put it away. For papers in particular, get a filing cabinet and some folders and a label maker and learn to use them.
For dirt, either establish a routine of doing particular tasks on a fairly rigid schedule, or periodically spend a fixed amount of time cleaning whatever looks dirty.
For leftovers, just work at becoming a better cook. That, or resign yourself to muddy survival stews of random ingredients.
posted by jon1270 at 6:05 AM on November 3, 2010
For dirt, either establish a routine of doing particular tasks on a fairly rigid schedule, or periodically spend a fixed amount of time cleaning whatever looks dirty.
For leftovers, just work at becoming a better cook. That, or resign yourself to muddy survival stews of random ingredients.
posted by jon1270 at 6:05 AM on November 3, 2010
I have a rule that I cannot make a pot of tea without using the 6-7 minutes brewing time to work in the kitchen and it's surprising how much you can achieve in those short blocks - unload the dishwasher, wipe the counter tops, wipe inside the microwave, sweep the floor, etc. and it means that the kitchen at least is usually clean and tidy. I do make a lot of tea though ;-)
The rest of the house? I'll be reading this thread with interest.
posted by ceri richard at 6:10 AM on November 3, 2010 [6 favorites]
The rest of the house? I'll be reading this thread with interest.
posted by ceri richard at 6:10 AM on November 3, 2010 [6 favorites]
I know I've suggested this here before, but the psychological concept of chunking has always worked for me. Don't think about having to straighten up everything. Instead, just target putting away three things. Once three things are put away, you're done. Easy. If you should decide (and I usually did) that the progress is so noticeable that it seems like putting away another three things would be fun, then put away another three things.
The key is to set small, easily-attainable goals, then meet them without any obligation to go further.
posted by DrGail at 6:17 AM on November 3, 2010 [4 favorites]
The key is to set small, easily-attainable goals, then meet them without any obligation to go further.
posted by DrGail at 6:17 AM on November 3, 2010 [4 favorites]
I too can't stand Flylady's platitudes, but there are a few things from her system that you can adapt without all the extra stuff:
--You can do anything for 15 minutes. Set a timer and straighten up for 15 minutes every day. Every. Day. You will be truly amazed at what a difference this makes in your life. If you can do 15 minutes in the morning and 15 in the afternoon, even better.
--Routines. Figure out what would make your life easiest and work out a routine for it. For me, I need to pick my clothes out the night before, gather my purse and anything I need to take with me for the next day, floss and do the dishes every night. Those four steps give me peace. It means that I've checked the weather (in order to know what to wear) and my schedule (in order to know what to bring). It means that the kitchen stays cleaner, because a kitchen with no sinkful of dishes to face is easy to enter and easier to wipe up those stray crumbs automatically. The whole routine takes me -- guess what -- 15 minutes.
--For decluttering, try the 15 minute rule as well. That limits you from tackling all the dressers and closets all at once, or every bin and bag under the bed, and getting overwhelmed. Just declutter for 15 minutes (maybe one drawer, maybe two, maybe half a box), then put everything away and go do something fun. It actually makes a huge difference, expecially since you don't have an entire house to maintain.
In terms of specific housekeeping, the Queen of Clean might have some interesting stuff for you. Real Simple also has some cleaning checklists.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 6:30 AM on November 3, 2010 [6 favorites]
--You can do anything for 15 minutes. Set a timer and straighten up for 15 minutes every day. Every. Day. You will be truly amazed at what a difference this makes in your life. If you can do 15 minutes in the morning and 15 in the afternoon, even better.
--Routines. Figure out what would make your life easiest and work out a routine for it. For me, I need to pick my clothes out the night before, gather my purse and anything I need to take with me for the next day, floss and do the dishes every night. Those four steps give me peace. It means that I've checked the weather (in order to know what to wear) and my schedule (in order to know what to bring). It means that the kitchen stays cleaner, because a kitchen with no sinkful of dishes to face is easy to enter and easier to wipe up those stray crumbs automatically. The whole routine takes me -- guess what -- 15 minutes.
--For decluttering, try the 15 minute rule as well. That limits you from tackling all the dressers and closets all at once, or every bin and bag under the bed, and getting overwhelmed. Just declutter for 15 minutes (maybe one drawer, maybe two, maybe half a box), then put everything away and go do something fun. It actually makes a huge difference, expecially since you don't have an entire house to maintain.
In terms of specific housekeeping, the Queen of Clean might have some interesting stuff for you. Real Simple also has some cleaning checklists.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 6:30 AM on November 3, 2010 [6 favorites]
Erin Rooney Doland used to be one of us, but now she's a professional organizer and runs Unclutterer.com See if you can find a copy of her book at a library. I read half of the first chapter and was able to let go of four boxes of crap that same evening. Her lists are really helpful and she's not as annoying as FlyLady.
Once you shovel out and organize, I guess habit and routine are key to keeping it clean. I'm still shoveling, so can't help you there.
posted by motsque at 6:40 AM on November 3, 2010
Once you shovel out and organize, I guess habit and routine are key to keeping it clean. I'm still shoveling, so can't help you there.
posted by motsque at 6:40 AM on November 3, 2010
Could you get a cleaner? The benefits may outweigh the cost.
posted by idiomatika at 6:40 AM on November 3, 2010
posted by idiomatika at 6:40 AM on November 3, 2010
Less stuff. I am like you and still like you but the results are far less terrible with less stuff. Moving back home from college and then overseas after that meant a lot of things got thrown/ given away. Even after breaking down all my possessions to fit in a Honda Fit on the way home, I still found things to give/throw away once getting home. This isn't to say that my life now fits in 3 cardboard boxes and "oh how free i feel." This isn't the case in the slightest- but when a room is messy with 10 shirts instead of 20 it's a lot more manageable (same thing goes for desks when all extra papers are recycled)
I found the big-clean and go through EVERYTHING to be much easier. Up until then I had even more piles of- oh, have to head to Goodwill sometime, oh maybe this friend will want this, oh I could come up with a use for that! Nope, get a weekend and get it gone. If your friends really wnt it they'll buy the item for 2 dollars at goodwill.
Good luck!
posted by raccoon409 at 7:05 AM on November 3, 2010
I found the big-clean and go through EVERYTHING to be much easier. Up until then I had even more piles of- oh, have to head to Goodwill sometime, oh maybe this friend will want this, oh I could come up with a use for that! Nope, get a weekend and get it gone. If your friends really wnt it they'll buy the item for 2 dollars at goodwill.
Good luck!
posted by raccoon409 at 7:05 AM on November 3, 2010
Single most effect method if to reduce the amount of stuff you have.
Throw things away unless you need them. A good acid test for whether or not you really need something is to put small stickers on everything you own. When you use it remove the sticker. After a certain period of time do a review of the things which still have stickers, these are prime suspects for dumping! Be tough!
posted by therubettes at 7:16 AM on November 3, 2010
Throw things away unless you need them. A good acid test for whether or not you really need something is to put small stickers on everything you own. When you use it remove the sticker. After a certain period of time do a review of the things which still have stickers, these are prime suspects for dumping! Be tough!
posted by therubettes at 7:16 AM on November 3, 2010
I'm a naturally messy one, myself. BUT, I feel like my life sort of changed when I started repeating in my head "be nice to your future self."
Now when I want to just throw something down on the floor, I think about myself in the future having to pick it up. It actually works. Probably weird. But it works for me.
posted by smirkyfodder at 7:32 AM on November 3, 2010 [15 favorites]
Now when I want to just throw something down on the floor, I think about myself in the future having to pick it up. It actually works. Probably weird. But it works for me.
posted by smirkyfodder at 7:32 AM on November 3, 2010 [15 favorites]
Oh, and about the stuff in the freezer: There was some small plotline in a random novel I don't remember anything else about where the family cooked everything they didn't want in the freezer all at once and had a weird feast for them and their friends. It seemed fun. Maybe you could do that once in a while?
posted by smirkyfodder at 7:35 AM on November 3, 2010
posted by smirkyfodder at 7:35 AM on November 3, 2010
I have found Apartment Therapy's "20/20 Home Cure" project to be incredibly helpful, entertaining, and manageable. There are brief videos to accompany each day's task, the overarching principle being that you can get a home cleaning/organization system in place by taking 20 minutes per day for 20 days. http://cure.apartmenttherapy.com/2010/fall
posted by thenewbrunette at 7:46 AM on November 3, 2010
posted by thenewbrunette at 7:46 AM on November 3, 2010
Set a timer and GO. It'll feel like a challenge and get you motivated.
I used to feel completely overwhelmed by piled up dishes (no dishwasher here), until one time I said "Screw it, let's just do dishes for 10 minutes and see how much I get done." I got them all done with time to spare! Now I know I just need to take ten minutes out of my morning or evening and I can get them out of the way.
If you're a phone talker, that's a good time to mindlessly do chores as well. My long phone calls with my parents are now also the time when I sweep the floors and dust windowsills and shelves.
posted by cadge at 7:47 AM on November 3, 2010
I used to feel completely overwhelmed by piled up dishes (no dishwasher here), until one time I said "Screw it, let's just do dishes for 10 minutes and see how much I get done." I got them all done with time to spare! Now I know I just need to take ten minutes out of my morning or evening and I can get them out of the way.
If you're a phone talker, that's a good time to mindlessly do chores as well. My long phone calls with my parents are now also the time when I sweep the floors and dust windowsills and shelves.
posted by cadge at 7:47 AM on November 3, 2010
I have the most amazing in-laws. Every time they come to visit from Europe, they reorganize our house.
I’ve observed their approach:
1. sort into piles,
2. throw out obsolete items,
3. put away the rest.
This is how they deal for example with the mountain of stuff in our home office: they go through every single item and sort it into logical piles. Then we look through each pile to identify anything we no longer need. If it’s papers, then each pile - kids’ health records, auto insurance, real estate tax, whatever - goes into a hanging folder like this, gets labeled, and goes into the folder cabinet. If it’s stationery, the long items like pens go into a long box, the little items like paper clips and rubber bands go into smaller boxes. (The boxes can be repurposed from whatever packaging is lying around the house. It’s up to us to replace them eventually with something more durable.) If it’s computer equipment, if it’s not being used it goes into a dedicated deep drawer, if it’s being used, then it is tidied up and remains where it is.
When they first did this we had to buy the hanging folders and cabinet, as well as several storage boxes with lids in different sizes. We also bought a wall-shelf on which to put the boxes. We picked everything up at West Elm, rather than Staples, so they don’t look unattractive.
Having to do all of this yourself takes some major determination. Good luck!
posted by Dragonness at 7:50 AM on November 3, 2010
I’ve observed their approach:
1. sort into piles,
2. throw out obsolete items,
3. put away the rest.
This is how they deal for example with the mountain of stuff in our home office: they go through every single item and sort it into logical piles. Then we look through each pile to identify anything we no longer need. If it’s papers, then each pile - kids’ health records, auto insurance, real estate tax, whatever - goes into a hanging folder like this, gets labeled, and goes into the folder cabinet. If it’s stationery, the long items like pens go into a long box, the little items like paper clips and rubber bands go into smaller boxes. (The boxes can be repurposed from whatever packaging is lying around the house. It’s up to us to replace them eventually with something more durable.) If it’s computer equipment, if it’s not being used it goes into a dedicated deep drawer, if it’s being used, then it is tidied up and remains where it is.
When they first did this we had to buy the hanging folders and cabinet, as well as several storage boxes with lids in different sizes. We also bought a wall-shelf on which to put the boxes. We picked everything up at West Elm, rather than Staples, so they don’t look unattractive.
Having to do all of this yourself takes some major determination. Good luck!
posted by Dragonness at 7:50 AM on November 3, 2010
Oh, and inevitably you'll end up with a 'miscellaneous' pile: that goes into a box labelled 'miscellaneous', and your problem is solved.
posted by Dragonness at 7:52 AM on November 3, 2010
posted by Dragonness at 7:52 AM on November 3, 2010
I find that the more time I spend on the internet, the harder it is for me to keep up with shit around the house.
It's not just that the internet kills time. If I blow a lot of time cooking something fun, for instance, it doesn't have the same effect. I think it's that it "takes you out" of your physical surroundings. The more hours a day I'm online, the fewer hours a day I'm even really aware of the mess, much less thinking about the details ("Where should this book live?" etc).
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:18 AM on November 3, 2010 [4 favorites]
It's not just that the internet kills time. If I blow a lot of time cooking something fun, for instance, it doesn't have the same effect. I think it's that it "takes you out" of your physical surroundings. The more hours a day I'm online, the fewer hours a day I'm even really aware of the mess, much less thinking about the details ("Where should this book live?" etc).
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:18 AM on November 3, 2010 [4 favorites]
Find a show(s) that you like but don't have to really watch it get enjoyment out of it. Penn and Teller's Bullshit, Pawn Stars, Hell's Kitchen, they all do it for me. Clean while it's on.
Bonus points if you can find it online somewhere so you can watch it when you want to and not just when someone else decides it should be on.
posted by theichibun at 8:35 AM on November 3, 2010
Bonus points if you can find it online somewhere so you can watch it when you want to and not just when someone else decides it should be on.
posted by theichibun at 8:35 AM on November 3, 2010
"A place for everything and everything in it's place" is so annoying/cheezy but it works. You have to have places for everything or you have no choice but to let it pile up!
I am a total mess but when I moved into my new apartment I got inspired to organize when i saw all these cute plastic bins and containers at the dollar stores. Container Store-esque but on my budget! The two shelves of my closet have a bunch of large-ish bins that hold a lot of miscellany - dance shoes, fancy purses, stockings, etc.
Also don't be afraid to be unconventional about your storage. I didn't have space for both hampers on the closet floor anymore but I like the separation. So I bought a plastic laundry basket and put it on the shelf in the closet, and it's easy to toss my socks, etc in there.
Think vertical about storage. When I bought a desk I got one with a big ole hutch. And on top of the hutch I have 15" canvas cubes for storing some random items.
The other trick is to realize that you need a space for your purse, etc, and also a place to keep current projects. I usually do needlework in the living room in the evenings and my fiance hates when I leave it out, so I have a little bin for whatever I'm working on that tucks on the bottom shelf of the side table. It's not hard to put away when it's right there.
posted by radioamy at 8:35 AM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
I am a total mess but when I moved into my new apartment I got inspired to organize when i saw all these cute plastic bins and containers at the dollar stores. Container Store-esque but on my budget! The two shelves of my closet have a bunch of large-ish bins that hold a lot of miscellany - dance shoes, fancy purses, stockings, etc.
Also don't be afraid to be unconventional about your storage. I didn't have space for both hampers on the closet floor anymore but I like the separation. So I bought a plastic laundry basket and put it on the shelf in the closet, and it's easy to toss my socks, etc in there.
Think vertical about storage. When I bought a desk I got one with a big ole hutch. And on top of the hutch I have 15" canvas cubes for storing some random items.
The other trick is to realize that you need a space for your purse, etc, and also a place to keep current projects. I usually do needlework in the living room in the evenings and my fiance hates when I leave it out, so I have a little bin for whatever I'm working on that tucks on the bottom shelf of the side table. It's not hard to put away when it's right there.
posted by radioamy at 8:35 AM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
You know how to declutter and clean, the real issue is when. What you need to do is form a new habit of daily tidying for 5 - 10 minutes. * Zenhabits * Dumb Little Man * Ask.Me
posted by theora55 at 8:50 AM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 8:50 AM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
I am currently suffering through a messy phase, but here's what I did when I was in a period of cleanliness. I had three rules:
1. All cupboards and drawers must be closed. I walked through my house every day at noon and before bed and made sure this was true.
2. No dirty dishes anywhere but the kitchen sink. I checked this every night before bed, as well, relocating dirty dishes as necessary.
3. Spend 15 minutes a day cleaning ... something.
I didn't feel a need to create a complex rota of cleaning task given the 15 minute a day rule. When I started from a fairly messy house, I might spend those 15 minutes a day sorting papers on my desk and filing, shredding or recycling them as appropriate, or picking up laundry and sorting it into loads, or whatever. Once my house was basically tidy, and there wasn't 15 minutes worth of making it tidier to do, I moved on to things like vacuuming, washing floors, bathtub scrubbing and all those other cleaning tasks I tended to neglect because my place was messy anyway.
Your rules might need to be different since you're mostly concerned with your personal space and not the whole house. So, for you, maybe your rules are 1. Nothing on the floor except furniture, 2. No dishes in the room, 3. 15 minutes spent cleaning on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Or something else that feels right for your situation.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:50 AM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
1. All cupboards and drawers must be closed. I walked through my house every day at noon and before bed and made sure this was true.
2. No dirty dishes anywhere but the kitchen sink. I checked this every night before bed, as well, relocating dirty dishes as necessary.
3. Spend 15 minutes a day cleaning ... something.
I didn't feel a need to create a complex rota of cleaning task given the 15 minute a day rule. When I started from a fairly messy house, I might spend those 15 minutes a day sorting papers on my desk and filing, shredding or recycling them as appropriate, or picking up laundry and sorting it into loads, or whatever. Once my house was basically tidy, and there wasn't 15 minutes worth of making it tidier to do, I moved on to things like vacuuming, washing floors, bathtub scrubbing and all those other cleaning tasks I tended to neglect because my place was messy anyway.
Your rules might need to be different since you're mostly concerned with your personal space and not the whole house. So, for you, maybe your rules are 1. Nothing on the floor except furniture, 2. No dishes in the room, 3. 15 minutes spent cleaning on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Or something else that feels right for your situation.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:50 AM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
Motivational tip: One of the things that helped motivate me (aside from having kids) was to find a selfish goal to go along with the 'sense of duty' thoughts that I used to rely on exclusively. For me the selfish goal was to find (and refine) the absolute easiest, quickest or most efficient way I could to get particular chores done.
This 'wisdom' of course didn't accrue right away and sometimes led to sidetracks that didn't help, but each time that I found some new better way to do things it was a needed ego boost. And of course things gradually started getting done in less time, with less stress.
With time the efficient way of doing things becomes a pleasant kind of autopilot; it's not so bad doing a chore when you've found the easier way. Finding those easy ways was for me an enjoyable challenge.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 8:59 AM on November 3, 2010
This 'wisdom' of course didn't accrue right away and sometimes led to sidetracks that didn't help, but each time that I found some new better way to do things it was a needed ego boost. And of course things gradually started getting done in less time, with less stress.
With time the efficient way of doing things becomes a pleasant kind of autopilot; it's not so bad doing a chore when you've found the easier way. Finding those easy ways was for me an enjoyable challenge.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 8:59 AM on November 3, 2010
In my experience, apart from less stuff: scheduled straighten-up times. No matter how still-not-messy it all looks, use fixed times to unclutter your environment. On top of that, I do allow some areas in my life to pile up until the pain threshold is passed; this applies especially to empty boxes in not-so-empty storage spaces. I feel that the amount of paper we're showered with on a daily basis is one of the injustices of the universe, so I reserve the right not to look when I'm not in the mood of facing injustice.
About leftover food management, if you are a foodie, you might like to read this blog post (self link alert). Otherwise, I make it a routine to shift stuff in the fridge from back to front really often; I discard everything immediately that I know I won't ever eat again, and my freezer...well, my freezer, yeah.
posted by Namlit at 8:59 AM on November 3, 2010
About leftover food management, if you are a foodie, you might like to read this blog post (self link alert). Otherwise, I make it a routine to shift stuff in the fridge from back to front really often; I discard everything immediately that I know I won't ever eat again, and my freezer...well, my freezer, yeah.
posted by Namlit at 8:59 AM on November 3, 2010
I'm trying something different this time, as I try to throw away 3/4 of the clutter and get organized again.
Assigning a place to things doesn't do any good if I never actually put them away. If it's too inconvenient or annoying (or painful, with my bad back), then it'll never get put away; it'll just stay wherever I last used it.
So. Clearly, I need to make "its place" somewhere where I will be putting it ANYWAY. I need to be practical in assigning "away" spaces to things that will otherwise never actually get put away. With two clutterers in the home, we need usable organization, not organization for its own sake.
So. If Thing X always ends up on the coffee table, then it needs a home somewhere near the coffee table (put a small bookcase in the living room? maybe get a storage ottoman? maybe get a coffee table with drawers?), not in the spare bedroom. If Thing Y technically goes in a cabinet under the kitchen counter but I can't bend over to put it there, then I need somewhere else to put it that I can actually use (maybe put in a drying rack shelf above the sink? hanging pot rack? hooks on the wall?). If thing Z migrates around, never getting used but never getting put away because I don't know where to put it, maybe I don't even need it and can throw it away.
posted by galadriel at 9:11 AM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
Assigning a place to things doesn't do any good if I never actually put them away. If it's too inconvenient or annoying (or painful, with my bad back), then it'll never get put away; it'll just stay wherever I last used it.
So. Clearly, I need to make "its place" somewhere where I will be putting it ANYWAY. I need to be practical in assigning "away" spaces to things that will otherwise never actually get put away. With two clutterers in the home, we need usable organization, not organization for its own sake.
So. If Thing X always ends up on the coffee table, then it needs a home somewhere near the coffee table (put a small bookcase in the living room? maybe get a storage ottoman? maybe get a coffee table with drawers?), not in the spare bedroom. If Thing Y technically goes in a cabinet under the kitchen counter but I can't bend over to put it there, then I need somewhere else to put it that I can actually use (maybe put in a drying rack shelf above the sink? hanging pot rack? hooks on the wall?). If thing Z migrates around, never getting used but never getting put away because I don't know where to put it, maybe I don't even need it and can throw it away.
posted by galadriel at 9:11 AM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
We are in the process of getting rid of our bedroom dressers. We will have open cubicles to the ceiling to tuck our clothes into. The dressers were too small and the drawers too awkward to open so our clothes ended up piled all around the dressers. Now there will be room for everything, and actually putting things where they belong will take virtually no effort. (Yes, I said "virtually" no effort. We'll see how this goes.....)
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 9:22 AM on November 3, 2010
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 9:22 AM on November 3, 2010
I'll admit, somewhat guiltily, that I'm a neat freak and a minimalist, so perhaps this is too easy. "A place for everything and everything in its place," is GOLDEN, and the foundation for anything. But what really helps me keep things nice more or less automatically is aesthetics. I have a pretty firm mental picture of how the house should look, how I want it to look. Plants watered, surfaces gleaming, a few decorative objects just so.... When reality matches that picture, I feel so GOOD. And it's (for me) really easy to just do things more or less on autopilot to keep that running smoothly.
posted by cyndigo at 9:48 AM on November 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by cyndigo at 9:48 AM on November 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
1. All cupboards and drawers must be closed. I walked through my house every day at noon and before bed and made sure this was true.
Hah. I removed closet and cupboard doors in our kitchen and bedroom. Problem SOLVED.
I've got a manufacturing engineering background, so I tend to approach these things a little weirdly. Some of this doesn't apply to a single room dweller, but the general principles do.
FIFO. First in, first out. If you need to deal with something in your mail pile, first you deal with everything that came before it. Don't let stuff skip ahead in the queue or you'll have crap piling up.
Point of use storage. Store stuff absolutely as close to where you use it as possible. Better yet, nail it in place and use it where it is.
Kinda a corollary to the POUS above, but minimize how much you have to walk around to get stuff done. Get a second laundry hamper and put it wherever laundry naturally piles up on the floor. Put trash cans wherever trash piles up (ie, one at the front door for junk mail). In our 1200SF house, there are at least six trash cans. Store as many dishes and cooking utensils physically between the dishwashing and cooking area as possible. Store as much food between the stove and food prep area as possible. Store cleaning chemicals somewhere between the kitchen and bathroom. Shoes near the door. Blah blah blah. No sense fighting your own lazy nature.
Put some roadblocks in your way. Pare down your wardrobe to 7 days worth of clothes (with some reserved in storage) so you NEED to do laundry. Only have one or two sets of silverware, plates, bowls, cups, etc so that you need to wash stuff before eating again. Obviously, keep extra in storage for company.
Get shit off the floor. Don't store anything on the floor that could be on a wall or table or whatever. It makes getting to the vacuuming/mopping/sweeping WAY faster. No efficient factory has a lot of stuff on the floor.
Minimize inventory. Get some milk crates or bins and put stuff in 'em. If you find you haven't touched the crate in six months, ruthlessly empty it into the trash.
As for food..... Leftovers get easier as you get more proficient in the kitchen. Most stuff can become the filling for a fritter or quiche, the start of a stew or egg hash, or be chopped up and maybe pan fried and tossed into a salad. The key is to think of leftovers as sorta premade flavor packets that allow you to dress up simpler dishes AND to have a well stocked pantry of shelf-stable items that are very flexible (good tomatoes, lots of vinegars and oils, small fishes, baking supplies, grains and pasta, canned beans, and so on). Get Ruhlman's "Ratio" cookbook, 'cause it really helps you think more creatively.
posted by pjaust at 10:12 AM on November 3, 2010 [4 favorites]
Hah. I removed closet and cupboard doors in our kitchen and bedroom. Problem SOLVED.
I've got a manufacturing engineering background, so I tend to approach these things a little weirdly. Some of this doesn't apply to a single room dweller, but the general principles do.
FIFO. First in, first out. If you need to deal with something in your mail pile, first you deal with everything that came before it. Don't let stuff skip ahead in the queue or you'll have crap piling up.
Point of use storage. Store stuff absolutely as close to where you use it as possible. Better yet, nail it in place and use it where it is.
Kinda a corollary to the POUS above, but minimize how much you have to walk around to get stuff done. Get a second laundry hamper and put it wherever laundry naturally piles up on the floor. Put trash cans wherever trash piles up (ie, one at the front door for junk mail). In our 1200SF house, there are at least six trash cans. Store as many dishes and cooking utensils physically between the dishwashing and cooking area as possible. Store as much food between the stove and food prep area as possible. Store cleaning chemicals somewhere between the kitchen and bathroom. Shoes near the door. Blah blah blah. No sense fighting your own lazy nature.
Put some roadblocks in your way. Pare down your wardrobe to 7 days worth of clothes (with some reserved in storage) so you NEED to do laundry. Only have one or two sets of silverware, plates, bowls, cups, etc so that you need to wash stuff before eating again. Obviously, keep extra in storage for company.
Get shit off the floor. Don't store anything on the floor that could be on a wall or table or whatever. It makes getting to the vacuuming/mopping/sweeping WAY faster. No efficient factory has a lot of stuff on the floor.
Minimize inventory. Get some milk crates or bins and put stuff in 'em. If you find you haven't touched the crate in six months, ruthlessly empty it into the trash.
As for food..... Leftovers get easier as you get more proficient in the kitchen. Most stuff can become the filling for a fritter or quiche, the start of a stew or egg hash, or be chopped up and maybe pan fried and tossed into a salad. The key is to think of leftovers as sorta premade flavor packets that allow you to dress up simpler dishes AND to have a well stocked pantry of shelf-stable items that are very flexible (good tomatoes, lots of vinegars and oils, small fishes, baking supplies, grains and pasta, canned beans, and so on). Get Ruhlman's "Ratio" cookbook, 'cause it really helps you think more creatively.
posted by pjaust at 10:12 AM on November 3, 2010 [4 favorites]
Tons of good tips here that I used to transition from being sorta messy to relatively organized.
One of the things that helps maintain it once you get to a point of organization that is functional (i.e., you have created a situation in which everything has a home) is to get in the habit of taking something with you every time you leave a room to go into another room. For example, you're about the leave the living room to go into the kitchen or dining room or bathroom -- glance around to see what you can take with you as you do. Empty coffee cup to go in the dishwasher? Empty packaging to go in the recycle bin? Roll of wrapping paper to go in the linen closet? There's almost always something small you can take with you to put back in its place, which helps to avoid the steady clutter that can build up one small task/object at a time.
posted by scody at 10:57 AM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
One of the things that helps maintain it once you get to a point of organization that is functional (i.e., you have created a situation in which everything has a home) is to get in the habit of taking something with you every time you leave a room to go into another room. For example, you're about the leave the living room to go into the kitchen or dining room or bathroom -- glance around to see what you can take with you as you do. Empty coffee cup to go in the dishwasher? Empty packaging to go in the recycle bin? Roll of wrapping paper to go in the linen closet? There's almost always something small you can take with you to put back in its place, which helps to avoid the steady clutter that can build up one small task/object at a time.
posted by scody at 10:57 AM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
I have some time-saving methods for myself that have become habits:
1. Never leave a room empty-handed. Every time I go into a different room, I grab something from my current area that belongs in that other room and take it with me. This saves a lot of clean-up trips later.
2. Accept that it really doesn't take any longer to do something right than it does to half-ass it. Hanging my coat in the closet takes no more time or effort than hanging it on the closet doorknob. Loading my coffee cup in the dishwasher takes no more time or effort than leaving it on the counter. This habit makes my space look neater and saves me so much time - I don't have to take 15 minutes out to rinse & load today's dishes, because LOOK! there are no dirty dishes.
3. Make decisions. When I leave things laying around, it's usually because I haven't made a decision. I left my clothes on the dresser because I didn't want to be bothered deciding whether they were clean enough to wear again. Wrong! This is not a life-or-death decision; for gosh sakes, Self, just put them in the hamper.
4. Mail - all junk mailings and nearly all catalogs go into the trash/recycling immediately. I don't even sort through them or open them unless it's to destroy personal information. Bills get opened and looked over immediately. The envelopes, inserts, and reply envelopes go into the trash. The bill itself gets tucked into my purse so I can pay it through my bank's online billpay (I do 2 batches a month). You would not believe the stacks of mail I used to have, and number of payments I used to miss.
5. Realism about keeping things. (This includes old-but-still-good food.) When I take a look at something I haven't used in a while (or eaten in spite of being it in the freezer for weeks), I try to make a decision whether to keep it based on having the object or having the space the object occupies. Too often we make this decision based on having the object or not having the object. That is false. If it were true, keeping the object would win every time. When I get rid of something, I gain space. Seeing a formerly crowded space sit empty is a thing of beauty.
posted by Knowyournuts at 11:01 AM on November 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
1. Never leave a room empty-handed. Every time I go into a different room, I grab something from my current area that belongs in that other room and take it with me. This saves a lot of clean-up trips later.
2. Accept that it really doesn't take any longer to do something right than it does to half-ass it. Hanging my coat in the closet takes no more time or effort than hanging it on the closet doorknob. Loading my coffee cup in the dishwasher takes no more time or effort than leaving it on the counter. This habit makes my space look neater and saves me so much time - I don't have to take 15 minutes out to rinse & load today's dishes, because LOOK! there are no dirty dishes.
3. Make decisions. When I leave things laying around, it's usually because I haven't made a decision. I left my clothes on the dresser because I didn't want to be bothered deciding whether they were clean enough to wear again. Wrong! This is not a life-or-death decision; for gosh sakes, Self, just put them in the hamper.
4. Mail - all junk mailings and nearly all catalogs go into the trash/recycling immediately. I don't even sort through them or open them unless it's to destroy personal information. Bills get opened and looked over immediately. The envelopes, inserts, and reply envelopes go into the trash. The bill itself gets tucked into my purse so I can pay it through my bank's online billpay (I do 2 batches a month). You would not believe the stacks of mail I used to have, and number of payments I used to miss.
5. Realism about keeping things. (This includes old-but-still-good food.) When I take a look at something I haven't used in a while (or eaten in spite of being it in the freezer for weeks), I try to make a decision whether to keep it based on having the object or having the space the object occupies. Too often we make this decision based on having the object or not having the object. That is false. If it were true, keeping the object would win every time. When I get rid of something, I gain space. Seeing a formerly crowded space sit empty is a thing of beauty.
posted by Knowyournuts at 11:01 AM on November 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
Jinx, Scody, and you said it better than I did.
posted by Knowyournuts at 11:03 AM on November 3, 2010
posted by Knowyournuts at 11:03 AM on November 3, 2010
My rules to keep the house under control are:
1. Make the bed every morning. No need for perfect army corners- just throw the duvet on straight and leave it untucked.
2. Clear the desk every night. Not totally clear- just organize stuff into a workable pile so the centre of the desk is clear and inviting. Also keep the kitchen table and coffee table clear. Clear horizontal surfaces make a space feel much more sane.
3. Always wash or put away some dishes while the kettle or coffeemaker boils.
4. Keep a box of baby wipes in the kitchen to clean up spills. Much faster than mopping.
5. Wipe the bathroom sink and faucet with a wet hand every time I brush my teeth. Takes 3 seconds to wipe down all the water spots and then just wash my hand- fastest cleaning ever.
6. Keep the vacuum cleaner somewhere easy to access so vacuuming is easy. The hard part is setting up the vacuum; it only takes like 4 minutes to vacuum the centre of a room (ignore the dust bunnies deep under stuff, just get the stuff you can see)
7. Get 2 big hampers and keep them wherever you undress. One for lights, one for darks. If the hampers are easy to access the clothes end up there instead of on the floor. Also, put some hooks on the closet door for clothes you wore that aren't dirty yet (jeans, sweaters, stuff you don't wash every time you wear them).
8. Once a day put on a good, energetic, 5 minute song and tidy up til it's done.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 11:06 AM on November 3, 2010
1. Make the bed every morning. No need for perfect army corners- just throw the duvet on straight and leave it untucked.
2. Clear the desk every night. Not totally clear- just organize stuff into a workable pile so the centre of the desk is clear and inviting. Also keep the kitchen table and coffee table clear. Clear horizontal surfaces make a space feel much more sane.
3. Always wash or put away some dishes while the kettle or coffeemaker boils.
4. Keep a box of baby wipes in the kitchen to clean up spills. Much faster than mopping.
5. Wipe the bathroom sink and faucet with a wet hand every time I brush my teeth. Takes 3 seconds to wipe down all the water spots and then just wash my hand- fastest cleaning ever.
6. Keep the vacuum cleaner somewhere easy to access so vacuuming is easy. The hard part is setting up the vacuum; it only takes like 4 minutes to vacuum the centre of a room (ignore the dust bunnies deep under stuff, just get the stuff you can see)
7. Get 2 big hampers and keep them wherever you undress. One for lights, one for darks. If the hampers are easy to access the clothes end up there instead of on the floor. Also, put some hooks on the closet door for clothes you wore that aren't dirty yet (jeans, sweaters, stuff you don't wash every time you wear them).
8. Once a day put on a good, energetic, 5 minute song and tidy up til it's done.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 11:06 AM on November 3, 2010
Response by poster: Could you get a cleaner? The benefits may outweigh the cost.
As I said, I live in a shared house ('room-mates'). I tidy up after myself when cooking, because other people need to use the space, and they will be pissed off if I do not. (I'm also not so keen on paying someone to pick up after me, honestly.) My issue is with my own space, and lacking the motivation of someone nagging me to do this and that, and then it all becomes a big clutter/mess problem.
Until I get a place to myself, I don't want to feel like a teenager in penance tidying my room, but I want a nice space of my own to make the not-quite-grown-up feelings easier. To give you an idea, previously everything I owned bar food had to fit into a 48 sq ft place. Now it's a bit bigger (I have space for a chair! I can change the sheets without standing on the bed!) and the idea of 'but I won't be living like a kid forever and one day I'll have space for x/y/z' is a hard one to let go of.
What do you do with all the stuff that has no home? Instantly decide it is useless? What do you do with things as they come in?
posted by mippy at 11:36 AM on November 3, 2010
As I said, I live in a shared house ('room-mates'). I tidy up after myself when cooking, because other people need to use the space, and they will be pissed off if I do not. (I'm also not so keen on paying someone to pick up after me, honestly.) My issue is with my own space, and lacking the motivation of someone nagging me to do this and that, and then it all becomes a big clutter/mess problem.
Until I get a place to myself, I don't want to feel like a teenager in penance tidying my room, but I want a nice space of my own to make the not-quite-grown-up feelings easier. To give you an idea, previously everything I owned bar food had to fit into a 48 sq ft place. Now it's a bit bigger (I have space for a chair! I can change the sheets without standing on the bed!) and the idea of 'but I won't be living like a kid forever and one day I'll have space for x/y/z' is a hard one to let go of.
What do you do with all the stuff that has no home? Instantly decide it is useless? What do you do with things as they come in?
posted by mippy at 11:36 AM on November 3, 2010
For semi-fungible things, make it a rule that buying a new one means getting rid of an old one. Buy new underwear? Throw out your oldest, most ratty pair. But a new book? Give an old book to a friend with strict instructions not to give it back to you.
For other things, think about where you're going to put them before you buy them. Ask yourself where it will fit in your space. If the answer is 'nowhere', then figure out how to borrow or rent the item rather than buying it. Or realize that you probably don't really need it.
One day, when you're not a kid and you have space for x/y/z, you'll likely also have the money to purchase x/y/z. Get them then.
posted by jacquilynne at 11:42 AM on November 3, 2010
For other things, think about where you're going to put them before you buy them. Ask yourself where it will fit in your space. If the answer is 'nowhere', then figure out how to borrow or rent the item rather than buying it. Or realize that you probably don't really need it.
One day, when you're not a kid and you have space for x/y/z, you'll likely also have the money to purchase x/y/z. Get them then.
posted by jacquilynne at 11:42 AM on November 3, 2010
I record those hoarders tv shows. After watching the first few minutes, I'm ready to clean.
posted by ducktape at 12:17 PM on November 3, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by ducktape at 12:17 PM on November 3, 2010 [3 favorites]
What do you do with all the stuff that has no home?
Sometimes, it works to think about things that can be grouped together, which can help you to actually create homes for them. For example -- and this is just off the top of my head -- if you have some extension cords and a spare power strip and some various packs of light bulbs that are always just kind of randomly laying around, you can think of them as your "spare electrical stuff" group. Then all you need is to get an appropriate container (nothing fancy) and to create a relatively convenient/logical space for that container.
Thinking of objects-in-categories this way lets you acquire containers/organizers/etc. strategically and specifically, rather than just going into Target or Ikea or wherever and buying a bunch of random containers with the vague hope that they'll just magically transform your space (which is what I used to do).
posted by scody at 5:52 PM on November 3, 2010
Sometimes, it works to think about things that can be grouped together, which can help you to actually create homes for them. For example -- and this is just off the top of my head -- if you have some extension cords and a spare power strip and some various packs of light bulbs that are always just kind of randomly laying around, you can think of them as your "spare electrical stuff" group. Then all you need is to get an appropriate container (nothing fancy) and to create a relatively convenient/logical space for that container.
Thinking of objects-in-categories this way lets you acquire containers/organizers/etc. strategically and specifically, rather than just going into Target or Ikea or wherever and buying a bunch of random containers with the vague hope that they'll just magically transform your space (which is what I used to do).
posted by scody at 5:52 PM on November 3, 2010
Something that works well for me (when I remember to follow the principle) is that every day you should make a point of doing at least one thing to clean each room in the house.
Typically, you start off with the most obvious "low-hanging fruit" - whatever is the biggest eyesore, like clearing all the old newspapers off the coffee table, or washing up the dishes. Instant improvement! Next time around, you'll hit something a bit lower down on the scale.
There's a kind of 80-20 rule going on here: you can clean 80% of the mess in about 20% of the time, just by targeting the biggest issues first.
Doing a bit day by day helps prevent buildup, so eventually you find that there's nothing major to do, so maybe you dust the windowsills or rearrange the bottles in the bathroom cabinet.
This can also be extended to other areas, like courtyards, balconies, even the car.
(also, scody's tip above, about carrying misplaced items from the wrong room to their proper home, whenever you move about the house)
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:31 PM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
Typically, you start off with the most obvious "low-hanging fruit" - whatever is the biggest eyesore, like clearing all the old newspapers off the coffee table, or washing up the dishes. Instant improvement! Next time around, you'll hit something a bit lower down on the scale.
There's a kind of 80-20 rule going on here: you can clean 80% of the mess in about 20% of the time, just by targeting the biggest issues first.
Doing a bit day by day helps prevent buildup, so eventually you find that there's nothing major to do, so maybe you dust the windowsills or rearrange the bottles in the bathroom cabinet.
This can also be extended to other areas, like courtyards, balconies, even the car.
(also, scody's tip above, about carrying misplaced items from the wrong room to their proper home, whenever you move about the house)
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:31 PM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
I tidy up after myself when cooking, because other people need to use the space, and they will be pissed off if I do not. [...] My issue is with my own space, and lacking the motivation of someone nagging me to do this and that, and then it all becomes a big clutter/mess problem.
You need social motivation, not a magic cleaning system. Try shifting some of that social pressure by bringing people into your filthy little cave regularly.
Every Tuesday without fail you have a drink in your room with so and so you know from back home before going out somewhere, every Thursday you have tea and biscuits for your visiting mother/aunt/sister who have come up on the train before you go out walking or shopping or dancing together, every Sunday afternoon you get a visit from old Mrs Something, etc. Make up some rituals involving real people in your room.
When you have to clean up the worst stuff -- you just can't leave dirty underwear and socks, crusty dinner plates from three days ago, etc., for them to sit next to -- you might very well clean up a little more.
(And the most effective method to destroy clutter, as you already know, is to throw stuff out and stop acquiring unneeded things. Just bung the junk.)
posted by pracowity at 4:18 AM on November 4, 2010
You need social motivation, not a magic cleaning system. Try shifting some of that social pressure by bringing people into your filthy little cave regularly.
Every Tuesday without fail you have a drink in your room with so and so you know from back home before going out somewhere, every Thursday you have tea and biscuits for your visiting mother/aunt/sister who have come up on the train before you go out walking or shopping or dancing together, every Sunday afternoon you get a visit from old Mrs Something, etc. Make up some rituals involving real people in your room.
When you have to clean up the worst stuff -- you just can't leave dirty underwear and socks, crusty dinner plates from three days ago, etc., for them to sit next to -- you might very well clean up a little more.
(And the most effective method to destroy clutter, as you already know, is to throw stuff out and stop acquiring unneeded things. Just bung the junk.)
posted by pracowity at 4:18 AM on November 4, 2010
Try shifting some of that social pressure by bringing people into your filthy little cave regularly.
As the OP's boyfriend, I object to this suggestion. Sleeping around isn't the answer.
posted by liquidindian at 7:42 AM on November 4, 2010 [7 favorites]
As the OP's boyfriend, I object to this suggestion. Sleeping around isn't the answer.
posted by liquidindian at 7:42 AM on November 4, 2010 [7 favorites]
For the home office, I have an holiday time / end-of-year files clean out that I do. Usually in front of a holiday movie or something I've seen a million times, I pull all my paper files into the middle of the living room and sort out what's no longer relevant. I also go through my Taxes file, get receipts in order for filing in a few months. If I have the time and energy I go through every drawer in the office. This is only once a year, at a time when I'm relaxed, that helps me prep for my taxes and keep my records in order and current. Makes the start of the new year feel lighter and organized.
I love the 'be kind to your future self' philosophy above. That's a great way to recondition the way you think about keeping things in order.
posted by dog food sugar at 9:41 AM on November 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
I love the 'be kind to your future self' philosophy above. That's a great way to recondition the way you think about keeping things in order.
posted by dog food sugar at 9:41 AM on November 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
I have this exact problem. I live in a dorm-like setting, barracks to be exact, with a roommate, a shared kitchen (with a pantry/closet) and bathroom....except I also have inspections twice a month to check for cleanliness and the ever-evil dust.
Therefore, I have to keep everything in my room and closet; clothes, too many books, DVDs, computer games, electronics, and all the little random things one picks up in life as well as things one buys occasionally to "make it more homey", like a standing lamp or some such.
I've utilized the timer for 15 minutes game plan, which really works. I've found it's even easier while I watch DVD reruns of some favorite show or listen to a book on tape. You just have to make sure -not- to stop during those 15 minutes to watch the movie, or pause the movie for 15 minutes instead. I'll do 15 per every episode of, let's say, Dexter, and actually really put my mind to it. Then, while I'm watching the show, anything I set aside to be organized is put in it's place (lights n darks for laundry, dividing up movies, games and music, etc.)
It's also really helps to put things back in the same place every time. I'm putting my books in two areas, and the DVDs and other discs always go on my other shelf. Papers go in my file box or my catchall drawer (but I soon realize they're difficult to find, so I organize them too). Laundry is folded or in the hamper. If I plan to wear it tomorrow, it's hung over the hamper. Favorite magazine articles are pinned to the wall in one area, photos and little notes over my desk, etc. Electronics either go in the drawer, or as with my computer system, on my desk. If I unplug anything to make way for something else, it goes back in the drawer.
I also do my best to stay realistic about my amount of stuff. Only so many books for how much room I have, so I have to donate at least 2 books for every 1 book I buy; therefore, I only buy books maybe once a month. If I've never read the book after maybe 3 months, it's donated. Clothing - assess the wardrobe at the end of the season, and if someone hasn't been worn, especially if it was an everyday item, toss it. A special occasion item, you sort of have to judge on a case by case basis.
The hardest part is putting something down "to put away later", then something else, and something else, and one more thing, and well I'll clean this evening, but oh I got invited out, well..........................Stop. It's there. Right there. Pick it up. Put it away. Done.
So difficult, but so worth it.
posted by DisreputableDog at 3:20 PM on November 4, 2010
Therefore, I have to keep everything in my room and closet; clothes, too many books, DVDs, computer games, electronics, and all the little random things one picks up in life as well as things one buys occasionally to "make it more homey", like a standing lamp or some such.
I've utilized the timer for 15 minutes game plan, which really works. I've found it's even easier while I watch DVD reruns of some favorite show or listen to a book on tape. You just have to make sure -not- to stop during those 15 minutes to watch the movie, or pause the movie for 15 minutes instead. I'll do 15 per every episode of, let's say, Dexter, and actually really put my mind to it. Then, while I'm watching the show, anything I set aside to be organized is put in it's place (lights n darks for laundry, dividing up movies, games and music, etc.)
It's also really helps to put things back in the same place every time. I'm putting my books in two areas, and the DVDs and other discs always go on my other shelf. Papers go in my file box or my catchall drawer (but I soon realize they're difficult to find, so I organize them too). Laundry is folded or in the hamper. If I plan to wear it tomorrow, it's hung over the hamper. Favorite magazine articles are pinned to the wall in one area, photos and little notes over my desk, etc. Electronics either go in the drawer, or as with my computer system, on my desk. If I unplug anything to make way for something else, it goes back in the drawer.
I also do my best to stay realistic about my amount of stuff. Only so many books for how much room I have, so I have to donate at least 2 books for every 1 book I buy; therefore, I only buy books maybe once a month. If I've never read the book after maybe 3 months, it's donated. Clothing - assess the wardrobe at the end of the season, and if someone hasn't been worn, especially if it was an everyday item, toss it. A special occasion item, you sort of have to judge on a case by case basis.
The hardest part is putting something down "to put away later", then something else, and something else, and one more thing, and well I'll clean this evening, but oh I got invited out, well..........................Stop. It's there. Right there. Pick it up. Put it away. Done.
So difficult, but so worth it.
posted by DisreputableDog at 3:20 PM on November 4, 2010
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posted by gadha at 5:49 AM on November 3, 2010 [2 favorites]