For example I have a pair of shoes I only wear to fancy events like weddings, which I maybe go to once a year. Or an umbrella I haven't used in like 5 years but anticipate needing at some point. Do you keep these things? Get rid of them?

My mom saved a lot of my old stuff and even some stuff from her childhood. She is trying to bring it out of her house and give it to me for my kids- some of it they like but some they don’t play with as much. But between what we buy them, that stuff and stuff from Grandparents and hand me downs from friends there is just too much stuff

Since it had memories for me I am having trouble getting rid of it , also knowing that my mom wanted us to use it. And if I give it back to her her house is just overloaded which is going to be our problem some day…

At what point do I get rid of my grandmas dolls that are looking ragged? They hold so many memories etc it is just really hard.

Any advice on this stuff?

Grab a trash bag. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Go as fast as you can around your home, picking up trash (envelopes from mail you've opened, food containers, random napkins, packaging, scraps, you know the drill). When the timer rings, take the bag directly to the collection bin.

While you're at it, notice where you (or your family) tend to generate trash. A dollar-store waste basket can save you a lot of trouble in the future.

Please share in the comments your best tips for reducing trash in your home!

I have many sweaters hand knitted by my mom and grandmother. Some of them don’t fit me anymore, some aren’t the style I wear, and a few look old/ not nice though they’re intact. Thus making most of them unwearable. However, I just do not have the heart to give them away. (Lost my mom when I was a kid, was brought up by my grandmother who died during my residency).

So every year, I take them out, but am unable to give them away and just keep them back to be dealt with later. Seeking advice on what I should do with them.

Edit: Thank you all for the fabulous suggestions and advice. I love this community. I was stuck in my decluttering and within 2 hours of posting I’ve received loads of brilliant ideas.

I share a house with my sister. We have a 3 car garage with a workshop and office area that is just full of junk. I think a lot of it is left from the previous owners. There's sooo much wood, leftover ceramic tiles, and other stuff for home improvement. There's doors, screens, rolls of carpet and other junk.

I've been removing some little by little. I set some out each trash day. Like the first trash day this week I removed an old door, random junk from the shelves, and something else I've already forgotten. Today I'm removing the carpet rolls. My sister could care less and doesn't use the garage, so it's all me. I don't really mind as it gives me something to do and I like decluttering.

But this is a big project and sometimes Idk where to start. Like is there another way other than little by little to clear it out? My other option is having our dad help clear this crap out when he visits. I know I could rent a bin to clear it out en masse or hire a junk removal company, but I rather not spend $.

I dont even know where to begin, I'm always moving shit around. I have way too many clothes and I can't let go because I wonder if I would one day finally need them and i can't afford to buy myself anything more. So I have boxes in the basement... plus I have boxes of memory clothes which I can't seem to part with. I want to but I can't bring myself to just let them go. Im talking 3-5 big bins of clothes. Don't get me started on my kids' stuff. They have so many old toys but I also can't bring myself to throw them out. My eldest often wants to find them years later, i can't tell what's important to him and I should hold onto but If I get him involved in deciding what stays and goes, he wants to keep it all minus like 3 things. I recently moved from a bigger house to a smaller one so it's even worse. I have way too much furniture than there is space in the house. I got rid of a lot but there are some I dont want to but they also don't fit or suit the vibe. I could put them in the basement but then it's unused clutter vs places to put stuff. I tried to declutter the living room which went really well but now that stuffs piled in my horribly messy basement. Im not sure anyone can help me but venting feels validating that I need to chuck some stuff. Ugh!

So today I went into my daughter’s room (she’s two), and I was so determined to declutter her closet. She has so many clothes, more than she’ll ever be able to wear before she sizes up.
My husband and I both enjoy buying her things. When we go into a store, we just buy everything we like and never stop to think about whether she actually needs it. And believe me when I tell you that this ends now because we really need to learn to live with less.
Anyway, I failed. I only decluttered what doesn’t fit. But I know she doesn’t need 50 jackets, for example. I go back and forth about getting rid of things that fit and are new or almost new, but I never gravitate toward them when I’m getting her dressed. I also feel a huge amount of guilt thinking about the money I spent on those items.

I realized I run out of hangers and refuse to buy more, so the clothes just start piling up.

Any ideas on how to make this easier?

I have finally done it. Last night I worked until 2.30 am doing one of the biggest declutters in my kitchen.

I have gotten rid of every single out of date packet, can or jar (there was A LOT!!). It took me about 4hrs all in and there were so many bin bags filled.

My cupboard seems empty now (they’re not, they’re just not cluttered lol) and the hardest thing will be making sure I don’t reclutter them up.

I even had a small win today at the store today; I saw some items I’ve previously bought only for them to live in my store cupboard for years and then eventually get binned. I’ve done this so many times but absolutely no more.

The times they are a changing!!!

Im gradually decluttering a home . But lots of dust abound on items in the basement. Im coughing a lot and sinus. First thought, covid- nope. Next thought , I got a cold . Or maybe I should be wearing a mask when decluttering. Whats your practice to self protect? Gloves masks etc?

I want to declutter a bit and my jewelry box look more organized so its easier to pick. But i cannot make myself give away most of the items because i love all of them. Most of them were picked by me and I wear them occasionally to match my outfit. What do i do? I know I dont wear jewelry on a daily basis but on days when I want to feel good about myself or dress up i go for them.

Edit: Used my old shoe laces to hang all the pieces and it actually doesnt look that much when hanged haha. It filled a 4 little jewelry box drawer and now its all hanged.

https://imgur.com/a/7donSs0

I moved to uni in September, and had the first shot in years at curating a new space for myself that isn't haunted by my childhood items. When I say this, I mean I would love to change my childhood bedroom, but I can't bring myself to. I have a lot of collectibles that I don't resonate with anymore (anime figures, etc.), but I just don't have the strength to part with. What do I do in order to create a new space for myself when I come back from uni? Ty!

Edit: spelling

My wife and I do not see eye to eye when it comes to clutter in the house. It has definitely cause arguments in the past. I work a very stressful job and when I come home seeing the clutter that has accumulated around the house, it has given me so much anxiety that I just hang out in the office for most of the time before we go to bed. We also have a 3 year old. Our house is filled with alot of toys and books and it absolutely overflows throughout our house. Despite having drawers for clothes, our bedroom is just overflowing with my wife's clothes as well. It has gotten to a point where I feel so claustrophobic in my own home. It doesn't even feel like a house anymore. I try my best to clean up things, but sometimes I don't know where things should go according to my wife's wishes. Despite my pleading to my wife to help declutter, she seems to just ignore my concerns and anxiety. What would be the best approach to this? Having a toddler is already pretty tough and perhaps on my end I need to step it up.

Hi guys! I’m trying to work on changing my life style and my relationship with my belongings. I grew up in a very low income house-hold, that had 6 people in a very small space. My home was never clean and borderline a hoarding situation.

I am 21 now and trying to learn how to cope and change my life style in terms of cleaning and having a more minimalist space.

The issue is whenever I try to declutter I have an intense fear and guilt. I have a very hard time coping, and get very worn out quickly when trying to do this. It’s very irrational, but every item I have to decide what to do with, down to an old hair tie, feels like i’m making a life changing decision.

I was taught to hang onto EVERYTHING-just incase i’ll need it down the line or we won’t have enough money to buy it again.

It’s a loose loose situation as I feel guilt for getting rid of things and I feel guilt for living the way I do and having much stuff.

Another nuance is once I started having a little bit of my own money, I went crazy and fell into a hole of over consumption. So lots of the items I have gotten very little use out of. I have really been working on this though!

However, it feels like I cant make much progress because i’m being tortured by the items I still have.

I still live at home with my family, however now there’s only three of us, but we have 100 years of junk in the home as this is where my grandma and mom lived their entire lives, and they both have these bad habits.

While I can only do so much for the whole house, i really want to change my space and hope my mom will realize how great it is and want to do that for the house.

I have never really known what it’s like to have a clean and decluttered home, and I refuse to let this be my future.

Any advice, strategies, or success stories would be greatly appreciated! Also any advice on possibly helping family members, like my mom would also be really helpful. Thank you!

Hej everyone,

as we all do I have a bunch of small decisions to make every time I work on the stuff.

I am stuck on something - maybe you can offer input? It's such a small question, but the thing has been around for 2 years now and been deferred every time.

We moved out of shared housing 2 years ago and inherited a whole bunch of stuff from there. One of the things is a working hand-held kitchen mixer. The thing is - we also inherited some of the whisk things that those use - but they don't fit. So, a main body that works and the whisks that are also fine but they don't work with the body.

What do I do with this? Should I bring it to electronics recycling?

We also just ordered a new better and complete machine this week.

Hey friends,

I just wanted to share a win and some thoughts I've been having about the journey.

Some background:

I grew up in the double negative of parents who clutter/ don't clean as they go/ don't do preventative maintainence AND not any storage.

I've come to realize these are the main factors outside of mental health that lead to clutter.

I've been trying to do better since I moved out 25 years ago. But it's hard when you aren't raised that way. As many of you know.

When my husband and I moved 3 years ago, I've been very strict with myself. I tried to only move in what we needed and have been going through the rest. So many storage bins!! I've managed to get rid of a lot, get things organized, add storage, and keep improving 👍

A few weeks ago I organized under all 4 sinks. I'm getting really good at putting only the right things back, but then I end up with a pile to go through later in the garage.

It's a journey that need to continue or I just fall back into bad habits.

The win:

So I need more wall art. I was looking at some online and realized I could just make some. Instead of going shopping I used another picture frame that I was storing and some fabric to create a duplicate!

All the supplies were right where I looked the first time. It was fun and I'm using the stuff I decided to keep and organize!!!!!

The tips:

Here's some of the things I've realized about myself, if you're still reading:

1. I have to clean as i go when i cook or do projects. It's hard, I just keep trying to rinse that dish and put away that hammer.

2. Every project has phases and needs to be broken up. I need to be realistic and do things in bulk. Get all the dishes from all the rooms and just put them in the sink.

3. Maintain it if you own it. When the knob breaks on the stove order iI need to order it asap. Find the part number and put it in the cart. It is so much better than a bunch of stuff and it motivates me when it looks good. Broken stuff is depressing.

4. Shop my house first. Make sure I don't own what I am about to buy. If I do, then I need to use it or purge it.

5. Store smart: Use clear storage bins if you must have bins and label them. Label cords for new electronics so in the future you'll know what it's for. Same with accessories and extra parts. Put it in a zip lock and write on the bag.

I hadn't done anything around the house in a long time, and it looked like it. Tonight, I decided to take 15 minutes out of my evening to declutter my apartment a little. At first, I wasn't feeling it, but as time went on, I got into it. I did so much that I took out two garbage bags worth of stuff, and it felt really good. What do you do to get motivated to declutter besides music?

Edit #1 I think I'm really liking the 15 minute cleaning sessions I'm having. This morning after I got up I started cleaning some more not 15 minutes but ten maybe. When I get home tonight I have an area ready to work on and I'm exited to do it.

Edit #2 This is the second day doing the 15-minute declutter sprints and its still working. Tonight I threw out three bags of garbage and an airfryer and I still have time for dinner and video games.

Edit #3 Today I start mopping up the area where I picked up the garage. I haven't mopped in months unfortunately.

Edit #4 Mopping went great and the floor looks good. Now to do the rest of the apartment.

I've found that a lot of decluttering advice falls into either the (1) apartment or (2) house categories, and I've used ALL the methods to successfully progress (so I'm not new to decluttering and don't need basic newbie help), and so far I've been able to use a lot of this general advice (including most of the r/konmari method up to miscellaneous where this issue comes up).

However, I've noticed that it's hard to find examples of what to do with a large miscellaneous category for condo owners in my situation. Apartment renters don't need to worry about fixing things since they don't own the place they live in, thus most renters don't need to own home maintenance tools and other related supplies such as touch up paint. House-owners have so much storage space in their garages, attics, and other storage areas (perhaps a shed in their backyards), but condo owners don't have backyards and generally aren't allowed to store things including storage furniture to make it look nicer on the balconies (HOA rule).

I live in a suburb with limited useful public transportation so I need a car to get to/from work and thus I need a lot of car stuff. I also store my road bike in my home so it won't get stolen but it's an eyesore (no way to hide it, since it's so big)...

We're given a little cage in the shared garage area where we can use a combination lock and store a small number of stuff but the other residents who have used those all got their tools and other stuff stolen (suitcases, kids bikes, etc.). The residents who thought we were in a safe suburb and left stuff in their cars got their car windows smashed and trunks rifled through. This has been a problem for the >10 years that I've lived here.

I'm a homeowner, but it's a modern condo, so I don't have the storage or closet space for homeowner specific stuff. I do have a storage coffee table which can hold a pillow and blanket in case I have a guest... but nothing more. I also got a laundry storage pedestal for my dryer which I found super helpful in easily accessing necessary laundry stuff (I'm short so I don't like having to use a step stool to reach up for routine stuff) while keeping the machine tops decluttered. I've tried to look into getting a new couch that has storage but it seems the good brands only do that for the ottoman portion so it won't help substantially as a standalone improvement.

Can people who've figured out some solutions share what's worked for you? TIA.

I’m a bit of a hoarder and recently quit my job due to stress. I have an in home office connected to my bedroom. I have multiple spiral notebooks that I want to get rid of. How do you go about throwing these away? Especially if there is potentially confidential information in them from clients.

Preferably a quick way because if it takes long I will likely not want to finish it once I’ve started it. Is it wrong to just throw them in the trash?

I’ve been following her method and really like it but two questions:

1. when decluttering a space and you come across someone else’s stuff (that has no home you know of), where do you put it? This is a different question than the FAQ of “how do I convince my husband to declutter” which I’ve seen her answer. It’s practically speaking what do you do with that item when you are actively decluttering? What works for you?

2. visibility rule: I like this rule but when I follow it I never have time for decluttering the closets, drawers, master bedroom. Anyone else dealt with this and what did you do?

Thanks!!!

tagged as motivation but also kinda advice

• I have a ton of aquariums.
• I have a 55 g with an axolotl
• I have a 36 gal bowfront that houses a single plecko and a billion ramshorn snails. (it was axolotls home until we could get the big one, and then i cleaned it out and someone randomly gave us their plecko that outgrew their 10 gal.)
• I have a 20 gal with 3 mollies and an apple snail
• I have a 40 gal with a variety of fish.
• I have a 1 gal nano for shrimps
• Metal Fish Computer with shrimps

It is too many and too much. I only want the axolotl, the 40gal, and the MetalFish. I want to find homes for the rest, but have had some of them posted online so long that some of the fish legit died of old age!!! How do I find homes for these fish!!! and their tanks!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Also, how do I convince my partner that this is too many tanks? And how do I fight my urge to buy a betta for the empty 20 g that has been sitting unpurchased for 6 months now!?!

# first world problems

I sometimes feel bad about only decluttering a small amount of items, especially when I see shows and videos and books demonstrating a huge purge.

Well, you know what... even if you only find a few things a day to declutter and get them out of your house... that is still a win.

I found 2 large cookbooks yesterday that I never used because they really don't suit my style of cooking even though they are nice books. I also went through my cookie cutters and found some really cute, never used animal shapes that I know I will never, ever get around to using or decorating with. I found a few dishes and pans I am not using but kept for a long time just because they were nice.

My declutter pile this week was tiny but it is still a bunch of stuff I don't need and more space for the things I do need.

This week, I found evidence of moths in some of my wool and cashmere—some hats and scarves that were completely destroyed, and sweaters covered in little holes. I read online that the only way to get rid of them is to go full scorched earth: take everything out of your closet, dry clean every single piece of wool/cashmere/fur/leather, run everything else through the laundry on the hottest cycle, vacuum and wipe down every surface before putting everything back.

My husband and I are getting our apartment ready for our first baby, so the timing was not ideal—I was already so stressed about everything else we had to do. But the experience ended up being so clarifying. As I was going through all my sweaters, tossing the ones with damage and putting aside what to bring to the dry cleaner, it became so obvious how many of these things I don’t wear or need. It just clicked for me that the more stuff I buy, the more stuff I have to take care of—every item I acquire requires additional labor, expense and space. And that I was holding onto certain things not because they served me but because they had once meant something to a different version of me, or even for reasons as silly as having gotten it for next to nothing at a thrift store. I also realized how many clothes were simply taking up space in drawers—things that haven’t fit for a while or are worn out or that I just don’t particularly like anymore. I usually do a closet clean out once or twice a year, but this was a whole other level of ruthlessness that I didn’t know I needed.

I got rid of so many garbage bags filled with clothes. I still have an insanely high dry cleaning bill to pay, but I know that the things I brought there are things that I genuinely love and wear often. And now I have a much more manageable amount of stuff to care for in my freshly lavender scented and pheromone-trapped closet.

Anyway—don’t recommend getting a moth infestation. But taking every single item out of your closet and forcing yourself to reckon with the actual immediate cost and work involved in keeping it is an extremely effective way to declutter. It felt like a revelation.

No seriously, I’d prefer it if I didn’t get anything physical for Christmas. This year for Christmas we opted not to get each other gifts and we split the cost of a vacation for the two of us without the kids. It was awesome.

So what does this have to do with decluttering? Well in addition to not adding any clutter to the house, I just spent the last 90 minutes going through the kids old toys and decluttering them. I got rid of 10 reasonable sized Amazon boxes of crap that the kids don’t play with anymore (or toys that I absolutely hate because they are obnoxious or break easily and one of my biggest pet peeves is being asked to put together the toy that they have broken for the 5th time in the last 3 minutes). I had to give up for the night because I ran out of boxes!

Once the kids wake up tomorrow, I can empty the pull-ups box and stash them in various bins and continue getting rid of stuff!

Hey all any ideas on how to declutter or re use grocery bags (The ones like Walmart and Dollarama)?

I have over 30 bags and I don't know what to do with them, they kinda populated on their own in my kitchen

Edit: sorry for not being clear enough, I meant the fabric ones that are sturdy

Also great ideas shared that I never thought of, thank you 👍♥️🌷

Edit 2: So many great suggestions. I appreciate each piece of advice shared here ♥️♥️

Before you suggest the library, I live somewhere very rural and the closest library to me is one not very good into a pain in the ass to get to.

I’m an avid reader and I did recently purchased a Kindle but the truth is I just prefer tangible books and I’m selective in what I read this results in me purchasing quite a lot of books and anyone who’s trying to declutter knows almost nobody will take them. You can put them in the little library, but beyond that don’t know what to do with them.

I have already Decluttered most of the books that I have no intention on keeping, but going forward does anyone have any ideas on how I can keep from accumulating new books?

Hi! This is more of a general question since I am torn, but generally for decluttering.. if you think something is of "value", would you sell it, even it takes more effort and time, or just toss out/donate?

I'm working on a full declutter of everything I own, and looking to get rid of 50% of it at the least. This includes clothing, collector toys/items, designer bags, and other miscellaneous items. The thing is, I'm impatient and want to get rid of it all NOW, but I am sometimes worried about the loss of money and if it is worthwhile to sell, even if those items just take up space until they're gone.

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

(I also knowledge just giving things away, and I only do if I know that the person I'm giving it to would appreciate it.)

I have no issue getting rid of baby clothes. I am keeping a few items as sentimental to me but everything else I am okay with donating or selling. The problem is that my sister-in-law has a kid who is two years younger than my kid and there is feeling of obligation that I have to keep clothes to give to her when she is ready for that size. I really don't want to because I want that space back! In the past, I have offered baby things to and she would deny them every time. Which is totally fine but why should I keep things that she is probably going to say no to? Does anyone have any tips on how to handle this situation?

Edit: A couple people have asked where the feeling is coming from and it is coming from the mother-in-law the most. In the past she has said to me that her "other kids kept clothes for future cousins and you should do the same" Which this post was really the confirmation that I needed to just get rid of them and stop saving them for her. I agree with all of you! I personally just don't want to rock the boat with my any of my in-laws.

Edit 2: I want to thank you all for your advice and comments! I thought that it was expected of me to store it for them. I just believed what my in-laws told me and didn't question it till the storage boxes got overwhelming. Ya'll are amazing! ❤️

Spent ALL DAY yesterday mucking out our kids' playroom. They are aging out of many of their toys - and struggle to keep the thing from becoming a total wreck and staying that way. My gift to myself in 2025 is going to be less STUFF in our house, and I am starting early! I was able to sell $120 of stuff already, and have more listed. I'm going to donate anything that doesn't sell by Wednesday. I feel lighter already!

College student moving back home soon and realizing I have wayyyy too much stuff. I think the issue I'm having is that I'm reluctant to get rid of stuff because I feel like I'll wear/use it again eventually, even though I never do. u__u. Biggest groups of things I need to get rid of are art supplies and clothes:

Clothes - I've gotten a bit bigger since I started college, both muscle and weight-wise. I'm still hanging on to clothes from freshman year that do not fit me anymore, but I just can't bring myself to get rid of them because I'm hoping to lose a bit of weight.

Art supplies - I hobbyhopped as a kid, so I've got like 50 different kinds of art supplies. I put a lot of money and time into them as a kid, so I've hung onto them for a long time, but some of them I haven't used in years.

Hopefully this is enough info? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Not looking to do a full purge here, but definitely need to start clearing out. Thanks! :]

I follow a TikTok of someone who recommends daily “little acts of decluttering” so that phrase is often in my brain. Quite handy when the amount to do is overwhelming.

Today’s Little Act of Decluttering was Christmas jewellery and accessories: am allergic to half of it so most of it has gone in the bin!