Hi everyone. I'm Ronnie.
And I'm Jessica. And you're listening to Clean
with me. The podcast where we walk you
through cleaning your house. Thanks for joining me in today's
episode. I'm going to talk.
You through. Doing at least a little bit of
decluttering in every single room of your house.
So this is going to be different than our usual decluttering
episodes. Where Jessica or I focus.
In on a. Specific area like let's.
Clean out your closet or let's deep clean your master bedroom.
As far as decluttering to prepare to clean.
Surfaces or. Even just our general
decluttering. Episodes we're going to.
Talk about what to declutter. In each room, and this isn't
necessarily the time to make those hard decisions, but we're
going to get your. Whole house picked up.
And we're going to get rid of some things in the process and
we're also going to get things relocated that are in the.
Wrong rooms. So let's.
Get right into the episode. It's time to gear up for your
decluttering session. Maybe there are some glaring
problems you want to take. Care of first.
Maybe you don't. Feel ready for the day.
And you want to freshen yourself up.
Maybe you want to wash? Your face put.
Your hair in a ponytail? Change clothes.
Or maybe you want to get your house smelling.
Fresh by putting some fresh. Wax in the wax warmer or
lighting a couple candles. Or.
Maybe you need? To quickly do an empty.
Reload and run of your dishwasher or straighten up
your. Front entrance.
Whichever of those things resonated.
With you I. Want you to take care.
Of that before we dive. Into the decluttering portion,
which is most. Of the episode because.
I want you to feel. Relaxed and I don't want you to
feel like you're. Behind or anything like that.
While you're. Working on it, so I'm.
Going to give you a couple more minutes.
To do whatever it is. You need to do to.
Gear up for your. Decluttering session and then
I'll. Talk about the.
Supplies you're going to need. Another thing you might want to
do during this time is start a load of laundry.
Obviously you're not going to do everything I mentioned, but
you're going to. Pick something you're either.
Going to freshen yourself up. You're going to straighten your
front entrance. You're going to do an empty
reload and run of the. Dishwasher to make sure that.
You know you've got that machine running and.
You don't have, you know, the sink full of dishes weighing
heavily on your mind. Or maybe.
All you care about in this episode is decluttering.
You could of. Course be just walking around.
Your house. Kind of looking at things that
you might want to declutter, but we're going to talk about some
common items in every. Room.
That you could declutter. And the important thing is I'm
going to have you switch rooms. I read something recently that
was talking about when you need to.
Get your house. Clean in a short time.
You've got. To figure out what needs to be
done and then divide it up and determine.
How long you're going to spend in each room and set a.
Timer Now sometimes we just do a job until it's done and we move
on to the next room. I get that if you have the
whole. Day or something, but if.
You have a deadline like. You want to get.
Something done within an hour or two, an effective tactic.
Is to. Divide it up and determine how
many how many minutes you're going to spend on each task.
That way you don't hyper focus on something and you don't.
You know, get the whole house cleaned before you're
self-imposed deadline. So.
This show kind of does the same thing because when I'm talking
you through. Cleaning your house?
I'm having you switch. Rooms that way you're not.
Hyper focusing on one room. But if you do need.
To hyper focus on one room, of course you can always listen to
an episode that is. Specific to that.
Room so for example. When we get.
Through this episode. You will have done some.
Decluttering in your bedroom? But you might think well my
bedroom still a disaster, I need to hyper focus on my bedroom.
In that case, you could Scroll down and find an episode about
deep cleaning your bedroom, which is probably going to
involve some decluttering, or just a general decluttering
episode. I have a few of those.
It's almost time to. Gather up supplies so just.
Finish up on whatever you felt like you.
Needed. To do to gear up.
For the cleaning session, whether it was freshening?
Up getting your machines running.
Or straightening up an area taking out your trash.
Whatever that was. Let's wrap that up.
Because it's time to gather. Up your decluttering supplies.
Now, this is customizable, but in general, you're going to need
at least three containers, and I want it to be something.
I want these containers to be something that you can easily
move from room to room between segments.
OK, for. Example we're going to be.
Starting in a bedroom. And then we're going to go into.
A bathroom so. This could be a black trash bag,
a white trash. Bag and a laundry.
Basket the black trash bag would be for stuff you're.
Throwing away the white. Trash bag could be for stuff
you're. Donating and then the laundry.
Basket could be for. Items that need.
To be redistributed or just. Things you need to think.
About for a little. Longer before you make the
decision on what to do with them, OK?
So those are kind of. The three categories if you
were. Going to be staying in a room,
you might just have a keep pile somewhere, but since this is
kind of a speed declutter. Where we go through?
Your entire house. The laundry.
Basket would be a great way to. Have items that you're
redistributing and then when you come to a room and something
goes there, you can. Quickly put it away.
When you get to that. Room and actually.
Do some of the redistributing during the episode so.
And I'll allow a little. Time at the end for whatever
didn't get redistributed along the way.
So hopefully that makes sense. Of course, you don't have to
have a black trash bag. A white trash bag.
And a laundry basket. You could have three boxes.
And label them. But I like.
The three categories to look super different just because I
get distracted easily especially.
If I'm listening. To a podcast or something?
While I'm decluttering and. For example, if I see.
Clothing in a pile I might. Forget.
Was that the keep? Pile or the donate pile?
So. Just get your 3 containers.
Ready but. In general, you need a.
Category for. Donating, trashing, and and you
could. Also, you know, have a separate
recycling. One if you recycle separately in
your area if. You know your area provides.
Bins for that or something. We just have one type of bin
where. We live.
That's a trash SO. You you may have more
categories, but I'm going to talk you through this under the
assumption that. You've got just three items and
if I say. Bag and you're using a box.
You'll understand, but I might. Say that the trash bag the.
Donate bag and the redistribute. Basket, but of course.
Your containers could be different.
Than mine. So now that we've gotten that
out. Of the way.
And you know what? To do.
Let's jump right in and start decluttering your bedroom and
what I want you to do is check your night stand for any obvious
trash. Donatables you know, which could
be a. Book you've already read.
Now don't get too emotional on me here if.
You like to collect books? And you have bookshelves and you
want to be able to. Say I've read all these books or
whatever, I get that. That's fine, but some of us are.
Ready to donate a book? When we're done reading it.
And by donate, it's kind of a loose category because let's say
that you're putting things into the donation bag and some of
them you're going to donate. To, let's say, the salvation.
Army or. Goodwill or whatever your
favorite charity with the thrift store.
In the area is. But some items you might donate
to a. Friend or family member?
Well, you can pull out items at the end and.
Create a fourth category. At the end if you have too many.
Categories during the process. It's not going.
To be a speed declutter. But let's say there was.
A book on your night stand and just be decluttering your.
Room. You know, putting things into
your three containers. While I talk, but let's.
Say you were decluttering your night stand.
There was a. Book you'd already read and.
You really? Want to pass that book?
On to your cousin. Well, it would still.
Go in the donation bag for now, because you're going to be.
Going through the whole house. With these.
Bags and you might have other cousin items in that donation
bag by the end of the episode. So at the end I'll mention
pulling things out. That are for a specific.
Person and putting them in a different.
Place, but the important. Thing is.
That you know the difference between your donation bag and
your trash. Bag OK.
So declutter. Your night stand, I mentioned.
Books. You might have books elsewhere.
In your room magazines, that's another thing.
You can declutter papers. Sometimes I compulsively.
Print a bunch of stuff. Just because I want to look at
it. But I don't.
Necessarily need to keep those items that I printed.
So that could go in. Your trash slash recycling bag.
You could also. That's another.
Bag you could sort through at the end if if you separate
things based on recyclability, OK, but.
For intensive. Purposes of this session I'm.
Going to call papers trash because they're going into that
bag initially and no judgment here if they stay there.
OK, the next thing could. Be.
Looking quickly, looking through your wardrobe and decluttering
items that you. Obviously want to get rid.
Of I'm not talking about super hard decisions, but if there's a
maybe it could go into that redistribution basket, OK.
Just as a temporary holding. Area OK, the basket.
Is for things that you're holding temporarily because you
don't know if. They're trash.
Donate. Or just need to be.
Re restrict redistributed so maybe you have T-shirts that
advertise. Something that you're no.
Longer promoting, I guess you could say you know you were in
a. Phase where you were really.
Into a certain thing, but like right now, you're not going to
be caught. Dead in a T-shirt that.
Advertises that. Thing that you're no longer
into? OK.
If you know, you know long. Sleeve T-shirts?
What about Tank? Tops.
I know recently I have been decluttering tank tops and
camis, things that I wear underneath when I'm layering.
Because I've lost weight recently.
And. So I wear.
A smaller size I tend. To wear a smaller size when it
comes to tank tops and camis. Because those are more form.
Fitting. Items that I wear underneath.
Stuff so I. Definitely needed to go.
Down because I don't. Want something baggy when it's
the bottom layer? You see what I'm saying?
Like if I'm wearing a a tank. Top with a light wrap.
I want the tank top. To be form fitting, not.
Baggy so I've I'm definitely not.
Doing any type of 2X tank tops or camis at this point.
OK, those are out sweatshirts. I don't know if you.
Have excess sweatshirts but I. Don't I really?
Only have a. Couple of sweatshirts.
Because it's something I don't wear often when it comes to
like. Pullover sweatshirts because I
get hot so. I'm partial to zip zip up
hoodies. Just quickly.
Look in your drawers and. Closets.
I mean without me mentioning every possible category of
clothing, there may be some things that you.
Want to get rid of? One good time to declutter is
when you're folding clean laundry and you come across.
Something that's, you know, stained or has a hole.
In it usually. You can take out the stain A lot
of times I'll take that back to the laundry room, set it on top
of the washing. Machine and then you know.
Treat it based on its color, whether I need.
To just try a spot. Cleaner or if I can.
Use a bleach pen if it's a white.
Background item or light colored item, but sometimes.
You know if it's just an. Undershirt or whatever and it.
Looks like it's grease stained. You know one of my husband's
grease stained T. Shirts or whatever.
He wants me to toss. Those a lot.
Of times they get stains. In the.
Collar area because he's wearing.
Like button up shirt. With this T-shirt.
Underneath and then something gets on the T.
Shirt that was more the. Case when he was out on the
field more. Like actually, you know.
Operating the tracks as opposed to just going out to check on
jobs. But if?
You know, you know you. Might have a husband who has an
undershirt. Where the collar area is.
Getting stained and he wants you to toss those.
Maybe that's just something that was specific.
To us for a while, but you know the categories.
You've got blouses, jackets, Blazers, suits, skirts, dresses.
Jeans I am definitely. Thinking about selling some
jeans? On eBay.
But a lot of times. When you're in a state of
overwhelm, you don't want to fall.
Into the trap of. Kind of obsessing over like
listing things and selling. Them you may not.
Have time. It just depends.
Different. Points in life, you know.
Sometimes you have more. Time than money and sometimes.
It's vice versa. OK, so.
Sometimes it would be worth. It to sell.
Outgrown clothing, maybe to a consignment shop or on eBay
other times. It's easier to just.
Cut your losses and donate it and.
Let's face it, it feels good to help.
Others, and I've talked about it in many episodes, how much that
helps. When you donate clothing, OK,
maybe there are other items in your room.
Besides clothing, shoes I mean there.
There's shoes, there's purses, other bags.
Something I like to do. I tend to accumulate tote bags
and whatnot. Something I like.
To do with that is pass. Those on to my daughter's if I
need to. Send some items.
Home with them that maybe they left at my house I might put
them in a bag that they. Can keep and use.
Later, whether it's. Kind of a cheap shopping bag or
an actual tote bag that. Maybe just.
Doesn't match most of my. Stuff I like to provide.
Them with a bag that they can use.
Rather than just. Oh, let me put your stuff in a,
you know, plastic shopping bag or trash bag, something
disposable. So that is one way to downsize
on tote bags and shopping bags. If you tend to accumulate those,
you can give something to somebody and basically tell them
they can keep. The bag, whatever you're.
Bringing. Maybe you're, maybe you're
delivering, you know, a meal to someone.
Who's sick? And you're like.
Yeah, you can keep this bag. By the way, I have so many bags
or whatever. Just a just a little.
Rabbit trail there on tote. Bags and shopping bags, other
things that you can. Declutter if you have a.
Vanity in your room. Maybe you need to?
Declutter makeup if you've had makeup for a long time and
you're not sure when you're going to use.
That specific product again. Toss it does have expiration.
Dates anyway, chances are you're using your makeup.
Past its expiration date, so to speak, I.
Definitely do, but if it's something that I've kind of
changed my mind about and it's getting.
Old. I'll toss it.
If it's something that I. Just got like, let's say you get
a lipstick. You put it on and you're like, I
don't love this color. You know, that might be the type
of thing that you could pass on to a.
Close family member, I realize you don't just.
Pass on lipsticks to anybody, it's just an example, but makeup
that doesn't work out immediately, you would donate to
someone, you know, makeup that. You've had for a.
While and you aren't. Using it anymore you would.
Toss or it's just old like I forgot I had this other.
Foundation. I've been using another.
Bottle forever? Who knows?
How old this is? You can toss that.
Some of you aren't. Going to be tossing makeup until
we get to the bathroom which is. Our next room, so just look
around. Do you have?
Extra bedding or throw blankets. That maybe you need to.
Redistribute. Sometimes I'll accumulate.
Several throw. Blankets in my room and realize
these could be in the linen. Closet.
I don't really need all of these.
In here I want one extra layer. In case I get cold in the middle
of the night. And don't want to like.
Go out to the hallway and change the thermostat.
Or just want to save? Money.
You know you need a blanket in your room that.
Maybe isn't always on your. Bed but.
You don't need a bunch of them. Those might need to get
relocated electronics and. Chargers that are obsolete.
You may want. To get rid of.
In some capacity, whether you're donating or tossing.
Let's move on to the bathroom. So of course when we're moving
on, you want to go ahead and grab.
Your three containers OK. My example was a white.
Trash bag a black. Trash bag and a laundry.
Basket for redistributables and items that you need time to
think about. OK, so let's.
Bring all that stuff to a bathroom that could be your
master bathroom it. Could be the other bathroom.
Maybe you have 3 bathrooms. You could actually declutter
all. 3 bathrooms in one fell. Swoop if you have.
That many bathrooms. Because.
This is not as involved. As deep cleaning a.
Bathroom where we just focus. On one bathroom, typically you
can be. Walking back and forth, you're
going to be moving a lot. During this episode so.
I mean things that you may have. Extra of brushes OK, here's an.
Example of something I decluttered a.
Brush where those little. Round balls on the ends.
Of the bristles. Were mostly gone.
To where the bristles? Kind of scratched my head.
I'm not super sensitive. But obviously the brush is.
Damaged and I have other brushes in better condition, you know,
even though I'm not tender. Headed or whatever my daughter.
Certainly doesn't want to brush her hair.
With a brush like that. So that was a brush.
That it was time to. Toss, OK.
Brushes, Combs, hair accessories, hair products.
When I try a shampoo or conditioner it doesn't really
work out for me. I'll be honest, I usually just
put it in the kids bathroom because I feel like they're not
as picky. Their hair is healthier,
smoother. Shiny or they're younger.
All the things. So they can really shampoo.
With whatever, especially the boys who their hair is.
Shorter, so they're not super picky if it says the word.
Shampoo on it. They're happy to.
Use it whereas my teenage. Daughter with long flowing hair.
Has her opinions about hair products just like I do so when
I say the kids can use them, I'm mainly talking about the boys
because. She does get her special
products, toothbrushes. I will.
Often call a family meeting. When I see.
Toothbrushes starting to pile up like.
OK, everybody tell me which. Toothbrushes are yours.
And then we're going to throw away the unidentified ones that
are remaining. I don't know if that's normal,
but it happens. At our house the other day, I
asked my. Husband.
What color is your toothbrush? He said.
Green, I said well there's 2 green ones and he goes.
Well, they're both mine. OK, that's fine, but sometimes
they're unclaimed ones. And I toss them.
So let's see razors sometimes. Some of what we're doing.
Is just removing surface clutter?
I mean, maybe. There are two or three.
Razors on your bathroom vanity and you know.
It's time to toss those. OK, let's see Nail.
Polishes. Those can dry out.
I don't know if you keep them in the bathroom.
I keep them in a bathroom drawer and sometimes.
They're dried out. There are ways to I guess.
Revitalize them. Some people put a little remover
in it. I'm not an expert on that.
But I give you. Permission to tosh your crusty
nail Polish. Yeah, travel toiletries.
I definitely don't toss those but what I like to.
Do with them is put them in a little decorative dish in my
guest bathroom so that someone who's visiting could kind of
take their pick on which travel shampoo and conditioner they
want to use. They can open up a.
Fresh bar of soap. And so on that.
Said I do, usually. Make sure I have.
Body wash when I have company in the shower so.
You know if people have even been using a bar.
But my kids. Like to have body wash?
Anyway, nowadays. People just don't want to share
that same bar of soap. With the whole family like we
did. Back in the day, so you know
body wash is a. Thing, but definitely sometimes.
You know you're being frugal. And the bar of soap is the way
to go. I get it.
And in that case, people could each have their own bar of soap,
so. Lately.
My husband travels a lot. And so we do keep.
The bars of soap, The brand. New bars of soap that he's
bringing home from the hotel rooms and we use them.
So especially like if I. Run out of hand soap and one of
the bathroom. Sinks.
I mean, I've got dual. Sinks in my bathroom.
It's OK if one of them has a bar of soap and not the pump because
we tend to wash our hands at the sink.
That's right. By the.
Bathroom stall where? The toilet.
You know, the little room with the toilet?
We tend to, you know, we. Come out of the.
Bathroom we. Wash our hands right there.
It's OK to have a bar of soap at the other sink.
Where I might be just washing my face and it's like a facial bar
that came from the hotel and they're nice hotels, so the
soap's nice, so. That's a little rabbit.
Trail there but. I want you to look at things you
can declutter. Of.
Course you're going to pick up your bathroom.
Floor, of course. You're going to clear things.
Off the vanity that don't belong, but you're going to be.
Doing it with the mindset of what?
Can I get rid of? OK, I'm just going to give you
a. Minute longer on that because
bathrooms are small. But if you haven't switched
bathrooms. Yet or under your other.
Bathroom and declutter some obvious.
Trash, of course. Look for.
Empty shampoo or conditioner. Bottles or body wash bottles?
In the showers, OK. Throw those away.
Again, old makeup. And some bathrooms won't have
much to. Declutter if it's just like 1/2
bath. Or there's just a sink.
And a toilet for. Guests to use.
I mean, you may have virtually nothing in there.
But a little hand towel and a soap pump that might be.
It so you may not need to. Declutter in a bathroom like.
That but you. May have more than one bathroom
that need decluttering. My guest.
Bathroom and kids bathroom are one in the same.
So I often have to open the. Cupboard under the sink and
declutter. That area and sometimes.
You have to question other people.
Does anybody use this makeup? Whose makeup?
Is this or whatever right? Because some of it could.
Be from. Someone who doesn't even live in
our house anymore and. We could bag that up.
For her in a tote bag or shopping bag like I was just.
Talking about SO anyway, by now you've decluttered a bathroom.
Let's. Move on to.
Your. Kitchen slash dining room Your
kitchen and dining. Room might not be connected like
mine are, however I'm going to put.
Them in the same. Category You may not have a lot
to declutter in your dining room, but you never know.
I mean, if you're like me, you might have.
A little. Tray on your table.
That has a few miscellaneous items in it.
You know, it's kind of a centerpiece.
But people have stuck. Some things there there might.
Be some items that need to go in that relocation basket, for
example. Same with the kitchen.
Definitely when you're in a kitchen, they're going to be
items to relocate and maybe. When you were cleaning your
room, there was something that belonged.
In the kitchen and went into the relocation basket.
OK, maybe you put a coffee. Mug in that basket.
Now you're putting it. In the sink.
So don't forget to relocate. Things as you transfer that
relocation basket to the next room, OK.
Hopefully you've. Brought your containers into
your dining room or kitchen, or maybe a central location where
you can kind of go back and forth from the dining room and
kitchen to those containers. You may.
Have duplicates of things. This is a great opportunity.
To donate and the some of the things that you donate that are
in the kitchen. Category might be pulled out of
your. General donation bag at the end
of the episode because anyone who's just getting their own
place needs. That stuff, OK.
Now I realize some people get married.
They have a bridal shower, they get all these.
Wedding gifts and. They they basically get.
Everything that they could ever want for the house as wedding
gifts. But a lot of people establish
households. And I'm not just talking about
living together as boyfriend and girlfriend.
My nephew bought a house before he got married, so on the
wedding. Invitation it mentioned that it.
Was already an established household.
And they didn't need. Household stuff so that people.
Wouldn't be giving him, you know, the proverbial toaster or
whatever. You know, our wedding was kind
of small. It was.
Kind of an elopement. With just a few.
People there and we. Had a small reception.
At my in laws. But it wasn't like we just had
this registry. And got to pick out a.
Bunch of stuff. We definitely were.
Accepting things from family members like hey, do you need
this? You know my mom.
Hey, do you? Need this at your house or
whatever. Even after we were married.
So yeah, be. Decluttering.
I mean, you may have too much flatware serving, you might may
have too many. Serving pieces and trivets or.
Party supplies, you know, maybe. You want to put.
You know your party supplies in kind of an.
Out of reach cupboard. When decluttering the kitchen I
definitely put things like. Party supplies out of reach.
Because if I'm throwing a party, I'll stand.
Up on a chair to. Access that that stuff the.
Streamers and candles and whatnot.
Maybe you have? You know too many candle
holders, you know. In your kitchen, I mean we.
Basically have two candle holders.
For the. Candlesticks we use at.
The table. That's all we.
Need and then we buy the replacement candles for those
centerpieces. Maybe you are storing
centerpieces? In your kitchen.
And you need to relocate. Those for example.
I do keep my Christmas. Centerpiece just up on a.
Top shelf in my kitchen, but if. You have a different centerpiece
for virtually every season. And you're short on kitchen
cabinet space that may. Need to be relocated to.
Maybe a shelf in your linen? Closet where you keep.
Seasonal stuff or maybe a Rubbermaid?
Tub out in the garage. Where you keep your.
Seasonal decorations. We talked about that in another
episode that, you know, some people buy like the red and
green plastic containers, Rubbermaid, Sterilite, whatever
the brand is and keep their seasonal decorations out there.
You know, it just depends on. Space.
Some houses have a lot of cabinet.
Space in the kitchen. We are not really short on.
Cabinet space. So we're.
Fine with just putting the seasonal items.
Up. Higher, you know, Turkey
Platter. A certain.
Thing that I take to. Potlucks a container that's
insulated. Or whatever those are, just like
up. On a high.
Shelf above my refrigerator. Because they're not easy to get
to. But I don't pull.
Them out very often. So that could.
Be something to think of. If there are certain.
Things that are always coming up missing though.
Like a pizza cutter, don't throw away the duplicate.
I just had to buy. Another pizza cutter.
Is what it is. Some things just disappear at
your house and you don't even know why but.
There definitely might be things.
That you need to relocate. That were just plopped.
Down on the kitchen counter, so your relocation basket might be
filling up at this point. Maybe your donation basket too.
And of course there if you haven't cleaned your.
Kitchen Yet today there may be some obvious trash in your
kitchen if if you're like me and people are opening packages and
sometimes leaving the empty package and, you know,
forgetting to toss that in the moment.
So let's gather up our stuff. Once again, and let's move it to
a central location because in this next segment, you're going
to be decluttering. Your.
Living areas. Office or.
Guest room and laundry room. This one, you're going to be
running around a lot. I'm running out of time, and so
I want you to just start decluttering and I'm going to
give you some ideas. Maybe you have an excess.
Of staplers and staples I've. Noticed that I'm finding.
Staplers in a lot of different places.
In my house I have to confess and most of them are out of.
Staples. I need to gather those.
Up put them in logical. Places where I would go to look.
For them there's. Definitely one on my desk.
Which is a good place? And I.
Think I'll add a. Small 1 to my junk.
Drawer in the kitchen. Just that's a place.
Somebody might look for one and then maybe the extra.
Ones will just go in a drawer. I don't want to get rid of them,
but they're. Probably just go in a.
Drawer of my desk, but I'll. Probably stock them with staples
and then if somebody asks for a stapler they're ready so.
You know, maybe you're like me and you have too many staplers
and maybe you actually want to donate some of them.
That's fine. I don't want to give up any of
my staplers. Chargers for electronics, cords
and cables. You know, sometimes you need to.
Put those in a temporary home just.
So that you can show your significant other.
These items and be like. What do I do with these?
Printer. Supplies a lot of stuff.
You know you no longer. Use because maybe you've changed
printers or something and you've.
Got supplies for the old? Printer so be mindful of
obsolete electronics. It's definitely a thing nowadays
that. Everything is changing so fast
that items you buy become. Obsolete.
For example, I have a webcam. That.
I bought because the camera broke.
On the. Computer I was using for work a
while back. And I needed.
To be able to do. Zoom meetings.
But now we have. Three laptops in our house and
they all. Have a built in camera and I'm
not sure that I'll ever need that.
Webcam again. OK, so that's something I would
probably donate. Yeah, picture frames, art and
wall decor. Sometimes we have these.
Things sitting around. They're not hanging on our.
Walls and we don't. Want to hang them up?
It's time to donate those. And you know, this time of year
you when you're going through your room, you might find some
greeting cards and gift wrap supplies from last.
Year. Take those to your.
Wrapping Station I I'm a firm believer.
If you're if you. Wrap and give out gifts this
time of year to definitely have a wrapping station.
It's just temporary, OK, Christmas will be over soon.
But our wrapping station. Is my desk.
And so and people wrap in other. Places, but that's.
When you're straightening up the house, you've got to know where
to put. These.
Rolls of wrapping paper tape. Ribbons labels if you use them,
you know frugal tip is. You just cut a little square.
Of the wrapping paper, fold it in half right in it tape.
That on but. The labels are pretty cheap too,
yeah. You can.
Get them at a dollar store. The cute.
Little labels that you stick. On I usually get those.
You put all that stuff. In an area where you want to
wrap gifts and it's it's just a temporary setup.
And it's good for a wrapping station to be in a bedroom.
Somebody comes over and they're like.
I need to wrap something. Perfect if the wrapping station.
Is. In a bedroom or office.
Where they can go in, close the door.
And wrap their gifts. So just a thought.
There and I always find. Leftover Christmas cards.
I don't send if you're listening and you're like, I don't get.
A Christmas card from you? I don't just.
Send out Christmas. Cards to everyone.
But what I do is. When I'm sending someone a.
Gift card. For Christmas and they live.
Out of state I that's why I buy the Christmas cards.
I put the card. In there so the only people who.
Get a Christmas card. Are the people who are getting a
gift card? Is what it is.
That's a shortcut I take nowadays, but thank you if
you've sent me a Christmas. Card I usually do a post of.
A family picture around. Christmas and say consider this
the you know your Christmas card from us or whatever and so.
Maybe I'll do that again. So again.
Hopefully you're gathering up. Clutter.
Whether it's just typical surface clutter.
Or you're going. Deeper and you're opening up
drawers, but clutter from your office, laundry room and living
areas, meaning your living room and family room.
OK, I'm going to. Give you a couple.
More minutes to finish that and then we're going to.
Talk about what to do with what you've got.
In those containers at the end of the episode.
So let's make sure that you've decluttered your.
Office. Laundry room and living areas,
you know, Do you have magazines in the living room?
Do you have furniture that opens up and has junk accumulating in
it like? We have a pop up coffee table.
And. Sometimes we stick things
inside. Of that from time to.
Time we open it. Up and remove that stuff.
OK, You might have a storage Ottoman that opens up.
You might have a drawer on your end table or your piece of
furniture that serves as ATV stand.
If you don't have a wall mount, we've got a thing with drawers.
In living room sometimes. There's a tendency to stash.
Things out of sight. Especially if it's the front.
Room of your. House because you're quickly.
Straightening up so you can vacuum in preparation for.
Company or you just. Don't.
You know. Feel like organizing because it
seems like it's fine to just put a few items.
Inside the coffee. Table or inside the storage?
Item in it and before you know that.
Stuff starting to build up. So don't forget to declutter
that. Stuff now, I said we were going
to. Declutter.
Every room of your house. So if there's a room that I
didn't mention, pause the episode and do it.
Maybe you need to declutter a child's room at this point.
But I feel like I. Touched on the major.
Categories you. Know the bedroom.
You're responsible. For the the.
Bathrooms, kitchen and dining office, laundry room and living
areas. I mean, let's face it, there's
not clutter in your hallways. If there is that, definitely.
Needs to be dealt with. Don't be storing things on the
floor. So anyway, at this point in the.
Episode you've you've picked up stuff.
From around your house and put it into these containers.
It's time to make some decisions.
One of them's trash if you have to separate.
It and put it into different bins, recyclables and the non
recyclables. Now's the time to go out and do
that. OK, and you may need to pause
the. Episode if that's.
Going to take you a minute and then you know that way you can
come back and do the other things but.
The other bag is your. Donatables.
You might be giving that. Entire bag to a charity.
Or you might. Be separating some things.
Out. OK.
Maybe you? Have a box for.
When you're a teenager or young adult moves out or for someone
who you know who's getting. Married soon and might not.
Get that many gifts or. Whatever.
OK. There's that or.
Maybe you have a specific? Family member who?
You give books to or a specific friend or.
Maybe the clothes that you put in that donation bag.
There's a sweater. In there.
That would be perfect for your sister and you want to put that
in her little pile. Or whatever, wherever you put.
Stuff. I definitely have permanent
places for things, usually things that are going to go to.
Jessica's house go inside the pop up coffee table or if I've
started a tote bag for her. They go into that bag.
And it's like hanging in my closet.
There is a little hanging canvas shelf thing that's designed for
shoes. In my hall.
Cloak, Coat, closet. And I put things in there.
They're different categories. Some of them are.
For things that are getting. Passed.
On from one of my kids to a younger one.
Or things that are going to my sister or nephews definitely
have these permanent. Spots if you if there's.
Kind of a constant. Flow of things to someone's
house. Things that you're going to take
somewhere immediately you can put.
The back of your car. So once you've pulled out
anything that's for a specific person, you can take.
The the rest of that. Donate, bag and put it.
In the back. Of your car.
And of course, I'm not talking about just giving people your
unwanted clutter. It's.
Stuff that you know that they
truly want obviously. And most people welcome hand me
downs. That are kids clothes for sure.
Yeah, their style might be different than yours, but you
know they need those basics for their kids.
That winter coat for their small toddler who doesn't care.
What the coat looks. Like or whatever.
OK. And then of course.
The redistribution. Basket.
Maybe there was something? In there that doesn't.
Need to be redistributed, but you needed to think.
About it, you know, maybe. Just make the decision right now
what you're going to do with it. Does it need to be?
Trashed. Donated.
Or does it need? To go on that top.
Shelf of your bedroom closet. Where the jeans are that you're
going to be selling on eBay? Is it something?
You want to sell on eBay? Maybe you have maybe if.
You're like me, you have a shelf for that.
OK for me. It's one of the top shelves of
my closet. And I can always change my mind
and just put it in the donation bag, but it's stuff I'm thinking
about selling. So it's on that particular
shelf, OK, so maybe. You want to move something to
another spot? But a lot of the.
Stuff in the basket. Just needs to be redistributed.
OK, maybe you. Found something in your room
that's a toy? It needs to go in the toy.
Box. Whether the toy box?
Is in your living room or a child's room maybe some cat and
dog toys need to go into your pet toy box.
Maybe some tools need to go out to the toolbox in the garage.
It's just. Time to redistribute.
So basically you're you sort through your.
Donation bag and whatever is just a general donation should
be taken out to your. Cart.
You might drive around with a bag of donations in the back.
Of your car for a couple weeks, but at least it's out of your
house. And you'll probably think of it.
When you're at the charity drop off station.
OK, so. That's the thing.
Gotten some. Trash out of your house.
And. You've redistributed some stuff.
I hope you got a lot. Done during this.
Episode Special Special. Thanks to my financial
supporters. Who support the show either?
On Apple. Podcasts, which is the purple.
App, Patreon or Spreaker or. Even through a Venmo or Cash App
donation. DME if you want to know about
that. As always, happy cleaning.
I'll talk to you soon.