STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

AllieGurl · Marc Jacobs

Clutter !!!

Kelly · Hermes

I have clutter, too - I hate throwing things out! But in my little apartment it builds up very quickly, so I have to purge occasionally. I do it in little spurts every few weeks and a real overhaul just a couple times a year.

I get some big trash bags, sit in a corner of the house, and go to town. Everything has to be picked up and sorted - one bag for trash, one bag for things to keep, and one bag for things to give away (to friends, charity, or on freecycle). The further along I get, the easier it gets to throw things away. And sometimes I'll have to go back to the same area a week later and do it again. I just pick things up piece by piece, and ask myself if I really need it, or if I'm just storing it because I'm afraid to throw it away or because it's "still good." It's amazing how little of my stuff I actually use, and how much is just sitting around because I'm too afraid to throw it out.

Okay, so I know that's nothing magical. I have a horrible packrat gene from my dad, so it's pretty hard sometimes!

cahabo · Kate Spade

I'm a minimalist so I get rid of everything that I won't use or wear within a reasonable amount of time. I regularly keep a "Goodwill Box" in a closet that I can just put stuff in that I don't want anymore. When it gets full I donate it. If I have some stuff that I think is worth selling, I usually ebay it. Most donation centers will pick up stuff at your home so you don't have to haul the stuff yourself. That seems like a good option for you since you mentioned that you have home furnishings and "way to much stuff".

NCshopper · Hermes

I think it was either alb or hotcocoa that posted about this website awhile ago and it's very helpful: http://www.flylady.net/ The lady has a lot of good ideas, the main one of which is not to spend more than 15 minutes a day decluttering, but to do some decluttering every day.

One thing that I've done that has helped me clear out my closet is to turn all my hangers around so they're facing in the wrong direction. When I wear and item and put it back on the hanger, I turn the hanger so it's facing the right direction. Make a note of when you did turned them all and in a year from now, you should be able to see all the items that you haven't worn in a year because they'll still be on the hangers facing the wrong direction. Make sense? It works wonders.

Cortney1982 · Chanel

I don't like a lot of stuff so it gets boxed up and sent to Goodwill. I really don't have any nic nacs lying around, very minimalist!

Get a couple of boxes, some for clothing and some for house stuff. Put stuff in it you no longer need. And then you actually have to get rid of the box full of stuff! I STILL need to make a trip to Goodwill and get two boxes and two large shopping bags full of stuff out of my closet. I hope to do that this week.

AllieGurl · Marc Jacobs

Well I started making progess yesterday. Cleaned out the closet, so thats a start. I am def going to make a big goodwill run, then I just have to get motivated to sell the rest on ebay.

I hate junk and clutter!!

Suasoria · Chanel

DH is a slob and I'm a Virgo with a deep and abiding hatred for disorder. I don't consider myself minimalist, I love my things and have a lot of them, but clutter is anything that isn't where it's SUPPOSED to be. So I declutter quite a bit. Every 2-3 weeks I get antsy, make piles of DH's stuff, and he either goes through it or it gets put in a box in the closet in our home office. Then when he dares ask me, "hey, where's my..." I get snitty and tell him to look in the closet. (Let me also add that most everything in the office is his, and he has a walk-in closet of his own and plenty of other nooks around the house. But he still leaves his crap anywhere he pleases.)

Your situation sounds overwhelming, more than clutter, really. I can understand not knowing where to begin. I don't know if 15 minutes a day is going to get you somewhere, but in the same spirit, can you break this down into somewhat manageable bites? Like just get the old clothes out of one closet into a box this week. Then do the clothes in another closet next week. When the clothes are under control, get them off to charity, and then move on to the household stuff, one closet at a time.

Wear decent workout clothes/shoes and don't forget your iPod (or just some talk radio) or any other gadgets that make chores more bearable.

I love NCshopper's tip about the hangers, and here are a couple of other tips from various people over the years - I haven't tested them all.

- Whenever you have some free time, box up clutter you don't know what to do with. Tape up the box and write the date on it, but not the contents. Put it in the attic or garage or wherever. As you do this over time, if you see a box that has a date of more than a year ago, THROW AWAY THE BOX and everything in it, without opening it. You won't miss whatever was in there. (Not recommended for important papers!)

- If decluttering the closet or garage or office files are too monumental, start somewhere else. Like the kitchen junk drawer. Or the medicine cabinet. Or the sheets and towels. Who doesn't have old sheets and towels that need to be thrown out or a linen closet that needs to be rearranged? The point is, you do something small and easy so you have a sense of accomplishment.

- Figure out why you typically save some things and find a mantra or affirmation to counteract it. If you're think you should keep old kitchen stuff for your little sister's future apartment, in case she needs it, just keep telling yourself she won't want your old crap, she wants her own shiny new crap so the cycle can continue. Or if you think you'll have a garage sale or learn to sell on eBay, get over it. Remind yourself that you're too busy to work that hard to make a few bucks. Or if it's just your grandmother's voice in your ear telling you how poor they were in the old country...get over it.

- Like Ttara said, usually the formula is keep/trash/give away. You may have a question mark pile when you're getting started. If it's broken, and it's been broken for more than a few months, fix it within a week or it's trash (don't give broken things to charity). If it's incomplete (like it needs a frame or a special lightbulb or whatnot), complete it within a week or it's a giveaway.

- Get help. Call an unsentimental friend, your mother, or hire a pro.

Suasoria · Chanel

Just saw your reply - GOOD FOR YOU!!

Disregard the eBay comment...hee.