You may have already started this while you were purging, but what the heck, I wanted to keep the blog post strategy “organized” too. If you’re like me, you binged watched Get Organized with The Home Edit on Netflix. It was awesome, but not always super attainable for folks who can’t spend hundreds of dollars on clear plastic containers. Also, they didn’t emphasize the purge enough, in my opinion. Go back and read my post from Day 2 to make sure you’ve eliminated all that you can.

Your goal will be this: have a *place* for everything. Ideally, in a box or container of some sort. This makes it easier to consistently return items to their place and to seriously evaluate whether you have room for new items when the desire hits. You can use shoeboxes (lids too), moving boxes, old mismatched Tupperware or bins. As we discussed in the purging post, don’t go run out and buy new containers the day of your purge. If you think you do need containers because you don’t have enough at home, sit on this thought for a few days and ensure you really need them and can’t actually just purge a bit more or relocate some items. Some previously occupied bins may become freed up as you complete your purge, too.

Once you’ve determined you do indeed need a new container, and your budget allows, go for it. If you can afford to be picky, clear containers are always preferred so that you can see what you have. If your budget does not allow, join your local Buy Nothing group on Facebook (mentioned in yesterday’s donation post) and make a post asking for boxes and containers. You will be surprised with how generous the community can be.

Common visible places that you may want to create:

• A small drop zone for keys, mail, wallet, and your spouse’s pager. Ideally, this is out of sight, but that is usually rare for most folks. Make sure it’s very close to your door or else it won’t be used.
• A pretty container for the items that live next to your sinks (in the bathroom, this may be soap, lotion, and a room spray; in the kitchen, this may be hand soap, dish soap, sponge, and your all-purpose cleaner if you use it daily for your countertops).
• Bins as-needed for children’s toys that you have elected to keep in sight (Melissa and Doug wooden crates are great for this). This is only for toys that genuinely need to be contained, like legos, not a pile of 20 vehicles. Display four or five current favorite vehicles, and put the rest out of “rotation” in storage or get rid of them.
  
  

Common hidden places that you may want to create:

• A small drop zone for mail and bills to be handled (visit the purge post section on papers when considering this).
• A box of stationery (thank you notes and birthday/baby/wedding cards that you stock up on from Home Goods or Trader Joe’s… or is that just me)
• Storage bins for Tupperware, snacks, spices, nuts/dried fruits, etc if you think you can keep up with it
• Medicine/first aid bins
• Bins for your regularly used toiletries under your sink
• Low-sided containers for makeup and jewelry (there are some awesome stackable jewelry kits at The Container Store if you’re ready for a splurge).
• Cleaning product bins (I recommend one for under the sink, one for above the washing machine, and one for the garage).
• Backstock boxes (if you truly need a backstock area). This may include one for guest and travel toiletries, cleaning supplies, food, paper towels and toilet paper. However, there is no need to create these spaces if you don’t truly need them.
• Shoe storage. Ugh. I hate dealing with shoe storage, but it’s a necessary evil. We keep our in-season shoes in the coat closet, and out-of-season shoes in bedroom closets. I have made an exception and put one basket out and visible for my kids’ shoes (two pairs for each kid) so they are more likely to put them away by themselves.
• Large storage bins for your basement storage. In my basement, we have the following storage bins:
  • One for each family member’s sentimentals
  • Three bins of kids clothes in soon-to-be-used sizes
  • One bin of baby items (bottles, swaddles, toys, etc.)
  • Three bins of Christmas décor
  • One bin of non-Christmas holiday décor
  • One bin for currently unused home décor that I 100% intend to use in our next home
  • One bin for summer toys to live in the winter
  • Smaller bin for pictures
  • Smaller bin for party supplies
  • Smaller bins (4) for craft supplies (I’m a crafter; you may not need this at all)
• A box that lives in the corner of your closet for you to dump future items that you decide to purge.

A few of my favorite tips

In no particular order, for your consideration:

• Organizing items in rainbow order (like The Home Edit does) is surprisingly pleasing. I think it is most useful in two spaces: in your closet, and for children’s books. Once making this change in your closet, it is easy to maintain because you see easily where a recently used/washed item fits back in. I was worried when I hung my husband’s navy hoodie next to his navy polo instead of with his other hoodies and sweatshirts, but it actually has helped him really assess his whole wardrobe and he wears a much bigger variety of his clothes now. In terms of the children’s book suggestion, I think it helps them more easily find books they like and return them during clean-up time.
• Aim to hang as many clothing items in your closet as possible. This lets you see what you have most readily, and depending on your closet size and quantity of clothes, you may be able to get rid of your dresser entirely (in this case, you'll need a couple shelves and sets of containers in your closet for items that can't be hung).
• It is your choice whether you choose to display all seasons of clothes in your closets/drawers. I made a goal to purge enough that I could comfortably display all seasons, but I could see how that would be annoying to some people to have a bunch of things in their closet that they won’t be wearing for six months. Choose what works for you, but if you do choose to keep your out of season items out of sight, don’t let it become an excuse for keeping more than you need.
• If you have to have paper towels and toilet paper in a visible spot (I do, because my laundry room is also my main floor bathroom), display them unwrapped. It’s surprisingly pretty.
• Beautiful pantry pictures are super trendy right now, but consider how active you will truly be in moving items out of their bags, etc, and into a new bin. You may totally embrace this and do it when you get home from the store every time, and you might not. Again, make sure you choose something that fits in to your lifestyle. I suggest starting out small by getting two or three bins for your pantry to hold your bags of fruits/nuts, small snacks, etc. Also consider choosing some produce savers to keep in your fridge, if you think you’ll be good about washing and moving your produce into them when you come home from the store (otherwise, you never will). I did really enjoy moving some of my lesser used dry items (beans, grains, pasta) into large mason jars. They can be super cheap at garage sales, and I scored a ton for 50 cents each at the Crowded Closet thrift shop in Iowa City.

Fun items to consider 
Remember, this is only for when you’ve taken some time to confirm you need them and/or they will bring you joy, and for when your budget allows:
​

• Clear organizers for craft products
• Small lazy susans for your spices and baking products
• Separators for your pans and bakeware (you can place them vertically or horizontally depending on your space)
• Jewelry organizers (preferably the little velvety ones with a square spot for every piece)
• Mesh toy bags to hold sets of toys rather than having to keep boxes for everything
• Paper towel holder
• Glass spray bottle for your most frequently used all-purpose product (this may be worth storing in sight, on the counter)
• Specialized holiday storage bins like those for wreaths, lights, ornaments, and wrapping paper
• For when you’re really all-in and you know you’ll keep up with it, you can do the full kitchen splurge and get clear containers for everything. If you want to start smaller, begin with mason jars from thrift stores (I prefer wide mouth mason jars), move to just a couple clear bins, and then to produce keepers before going all-out.

 
Sign up for a time to have some donations brought to the Shelter House if you so choose. Please sign up before Oct 23rd. We will come get them from your door Oct 25th and 26th. The link also has a list of eligible items, as does yesterday’s blog post and our FB event. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0444A4AD2FA2FF2-shelter
 
Tomorrow, we’re on to cleaning!

Now that you have tons of boxes in your garage of things to get rid of, get rid of them quickly before you or a family member dig back into them and second guess yourself. I’m going to cover our philanthropy event to donate items to The Shelter House, and then walk through some local sale, consignment and donation options.

The Shelter House IMP Event Pickup
I ask that you first consider which of those items might be suitable for donation to The Shelter House in Iowa City and sign up for a time slot to have them picked up from your front porch. You can sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0444A4AD2FA2FF2-shelter

We also have an IMP Facebook event and Evite floating around where you can find the above link, and post about how your process is going!

The items that The Shelter House has requested most recently include:

CLOTHING

• Jackets
• Rain jackets
• Gloves
• Hoodies and sweatshirts
• Men’s/Women’s sweatpants
• Leggings
• T-shirts
• Flannel shirts
• Tennis shoes
• Jeans sizes 30-38
• White socks
• Boxers and underwear (new only)
  
  

OTHER SUPPLIES

• Umbrellas
• Adult backpacks
• Wash cloths
• Towels
• Body wash
• Shaving cream/razors
• Travel size shampoo/conditioner
• Twin size sheets/blankets
• Pillows
• Chapstick
• Cleaning supplies
• Toilet paper
• Can openers

Selling 

Nothing novel here. Craigslist or Facebook marketplace if you want to sell items. Consider resale items that require shipping (like Ebay or various clothing shops) only if you are tech savvy enough to actually follow through with it. Be selective about how many items you try to sell, as it’s a lot of logistics to field inquiries, set up pickup times, mail things, etc. You don’t want to burn out and have random stuff sitting in your garage that still needs to be sold.

Consignment

I love Stuff Etc. They have locations in Iowa City and Coralville. You can walk in and open a consignment account whenever you’d like (though they do not accept consignment on Sundays). Note that both locations have a separate consignor area with its own entrance doors, so don’t go to their regular checkout. Currently (October 2020), they allow you to consign one tub of items a day, and up to five large items that don’t fit in the tub. The tub is theirs – you move your stuff into their tubs and head out. Because of the influx of business they’re getting, they will look through your items quickly with you as you or they fill up your tub.

Every time I have gone lately, both locations have had a wait for an empty tub to be available. In the Iowa City location, the wait tends to be around 15-20 mins, and they let you wander the store and call you over the speaker when it’s your turn. The Coralville location is much busier; the wait tends to be more like 30-60 mins, and you can’t leave your spot in line, so prepare accordingly. 

At Stuff, your account makes money when your item is sold. You can check your account balance online once you open an account. This is also true for KidWorks, a kids consignment shop on the south side. KidWorks also has a partner shop right behind it, HouseWorks (for home items). I have not consigned with them yet, but it could be worth a stop if you have too much to dump at Stuff. The Second Act is over near the KidWorks, HouseWorks, and Iowa City Stuff location, and is an adult clothing consignment shop. I am not familiar with their consigning process, but it could be worth a stop while you are in the direction (all on the south side, near Terry Trueblood, Big Grove, and the Waterfront Hy-Vee).

Once Upon A Child (children's clothing and toys) and Plato's Closet (adult/juniors clothing), both in Coralville, though they are more selective in the items they choose.

Please comment on this blog post if you know of any more consignment options that I have missed.

Donate

For items that don’t seem suitable for The Shelter House, consider donating at one of several Goodwill locations, or the Crowded Closet thrift shop right next to the Iowa City Stuff Etc location. Some things are better off in your trash, and that’s ok, too. Better to get them out of your house than hang on to the guilt of not being able to repurpose absolutely everything.
​
Iowa City also has a great Buy Nothing group presence on Facebook. There are various groups for each neighborhood, so join one and enjoy! Someone literally gave away a gallon of milk on my Buy Nothing group yesterday. There are sometimes hidden gems in there too, like nice furniture or a Kitchen Aid stand mixer (that I didn't dibs fast enough... ugh). 
 
Tomorrow we’re back to some fun stuff… organizing! Get all your empty bins and boxes out and ready! 

I’m excited about this one because this is the newest home maintenance component that I’ve jumped into. Our dear friend Kelsey Sprowell told me to follow @gocleanco on Instagram, and I spent hours watching her videos and audibly gasping alone in bed. Go do that right now.

Let me add, I’m not really a clean freak. I’ve always said I can tidy all day but I hate to clean. Still, though, my eye notices tiny spots and corners that aren’t clean, and then I think about them and they make me frustrated. So, I needed to get better about cleaning. And I really didn’t know how to start. My mother was not really a clean-as-you-go person. She would clean in fits and spurts, so there were days where it was far from orderly. She also had the habit, as many of us do, of avoiding a cleaning task once it got too dirty and gross, which only made it worse (this is where gloves come to the rescue). One time, mushrooms grew the bathroom tile next to the bathtub. Legit mushrooms. Two of them. I have a picture. Another trait she handed down to me is the tendency to focus on a “project”, like organizing some bizarre out-of-sight storage shelf in the garage, and neglecting to do the regular upkeep like put my dishes in the dishwasher. I’m still working on that.

I feel very proud of my space and relaxed when my home is truly clean. I want to achieve this regularly. Let’s do it together.

I drafted this post largely based on my recent learnings from gocleanco, and also had a few friends review who I think are innately better at cleaning than I am, to make sure we cover all the bases.

Let’s start with recommended cleaning items. Don’t throw away everything you have that isn’t these items, but maybe consider moving in this direction as you use up what you have. Streamline the number of cleaning products you have, again, in favor of simplicity and tidiness. I have some Amazon links here so you can see what I'm talking about, but check the grocery store or Wal-Mart/Target first because some of these items are pricey on Amazon right now.
​
Solid materials

• Brooms (one for in your home, one for outside)
• Vacuum with a brush attachment (here is the recommended list from gocleanco)
• Mop (This is what gocleanco recommends, and I plan to get it eventually, but honestly, I like to just use a rag and make my way through on hands and knees. Swiffers are popular and certainly a viable option, but I don’t love how expensive their replacement cleaner is, and I honestly don’t love their floor cleaners because they leave a residue. Steam mops are wonderful but not ok for wood floors.)
• Duster (I grew up with a reusable one where you just tap the dust off outside, but many people love the disposable Swiffer one)
• Gloves (I prefer medical gloves, but cleaning gloves from the store are fine too)
• Scrubbing brushes (a small one, and a larger one. In my new deep cleaning journey I realized that toothbrushes do not do the job, because the bristles don’t stick out beyond the plastic head so you can never quite get in to a corner)
• Toilet brush
• Pail for your cleaning concoctions, if your mop doesn’t come with one
• Optional: Squeegee for your windows
• Optional: Small dust buster for little messes, or to vacuum your sweeping pile
  
  

Textiles

• Paper towels
• Microfiber cloths, or if you’re like me and you hate how they feel on your fingers, rags are fine
• Optional: Coffee filters for wiping windows and mirrors – they don’t leave little fuzzies like paper towels do (a trick I learned working in food service)
  
  

Cleaning products

• A non-toxic all-purpose cleaner you enjoy for countertops and simple messes. My favorite is Mrs. Meyers basil scent. A homemade combination of water, white vinegar, and a citrus essential oil or blend such as thieves oil is also a great choice.
• Bar Keepers Friend (liquid preferred over powder because its less of a hassle; for sinks, tubs, and even wall scuffs)
• Easy-Off (for ovens and stovetop)
• Weimans stainless steel products (for stainless steel appliances)
• Mr Clean (for cutting greasy areas; I prefer their “Clean Freak” spray product)
• Bona (for hardwoods – I’m obsessed)
• Dawn Dish Soap (the classic blue one. They also have a fun spray type now)
• Windex (for windows, mirrors, screens)
• Liquid bleach (they make splashless options that are a little thicker, which I prefer)
• Tide powdered laundry detergent (this will make your laundry machine way less grimy than a liquid detergent, and it’s recommended as a main cleaning agent for nearly all of gocleanco’s recipes. Tide+hot water and you’re good to go. It is also the ONLY product that is safe to mix with bleach if needed).
• White vinegar
• Optional: Magic Erasers (white cast iron and wall scuffs)
• Optional: Dreft stain remover spray
• Optional: Toilet tablets
  
  

On to your major cleaning spaces. I’ll do a quick recap of the stuff you are probably already cleaning and should keep cleaning, and the gross stuff you haven’t been paying attention to. Some true clean freaks may criticize the infrequency at which I have some of these tasks, but I'm trying to make this attainable for even us dirty savages.

For your “regular upkeep” items, I recommend setting a timer and going to town, at least until you get yourself into the habit. For my home, 15 minutes covers the upstairs (bedrooms and bathrooms), 20 for the main level (kitchen, living room, play room), and 10 for the basement (play room). Most days, it’s less than this, especially if I’m keeping up regularly. 

For your “every one to two weeks” items, try to think of a time when you are generally available, like Sunday afternoons while you’re having lazy family time. If you have kids, I firmly believe in letting them see you clean so that they don’t associate it with something cumbersome and mysterious. It’s a part of the day like everything else.

For your “every one to two months” items, try to block off special time for yourself to accomplish this. Put on a playlist, clean with your sneakers on (my mom always said that having shoes on keeps you motivated), and go to town. If you have kids, this is a job for naptime or screentime, or you can ask your partner to take them to the park if they are home.


General Home
Regular upkeep

• Tidy all of your newly purged and organized items
• Fluff pillows, folding and draping throw blankets
• Make beds
• Sweep floors and wipe small messes
• Light a candle daily for all the feels
• Water houseplants as they require

Every 1-2 weeks

• Floors (I prefer Bona, but gocleanco says you can use the Tide+hot water mixture of 1/2 tsp tide with 4 cups of hot water)
• Vacuum carpets, sprinkle baking soda before vacuuming to freshen up if desired
• Light fixtures with Windex
• Windows, TV screen, mirrors with Windex
• Wash linens including bed sheets, throw blankets, hand towels

Every 1-2 months

• Door tracks with Mr. Clean
• Walls and light switches with Tide powder and hot water (1/2 tsp tide with 4 cups of hot water); liquid Barkeepers Friend or Magic Eraser for big scuffs
• Baseboards, window sills, doors, door frames and handrails with above Tide mixture
• Wipe down toys with above Tide mixture
• Blinds (dust and wipe with above Tide mixture)
• Trash cans (bleach)
• Throw pillows (remove cover if possible) and bed pillows by soaking in your tub with Tide. Many of these are surprisingly machine washable on the gentle setting, so take a look at your tags
• Remove couch cushions and vacuum furniture
  
  

Kitchen/Dining
Regular upkeep

• Keeping up with dishes
• Countertops and tables
• Transferring purchased food into containers if appropriate

Every 1-2 weeks

• Stovetop with Bar Keepers Friend first; then Easy Off for anything still stuck on
• Inside microwave (1c water +2tbsp white vinegar in a bowl. Microwave 3 to 5 mins. Wipe out.)
• Bar Keepers Friend for your sink and drain; throw a few slices of frozen lemons in your disposal and grind away. A splash of bleach down the disposal isn’t a bad idea, either, if you’re noticing a smell.
• Stainless steel appliances including your range hood with Weimans stainless steel products (after getting any grime off)

Every 1-2 months

• Oven interior with Easy-Off; racks can soak in your tub overnight in hot water and a few dishwasher tabs, then a bit of scrubbing the next day
• Fridge and pantry interior using powdered Tide and hot water (1/2 tsp tide with 4 cups of hot water; 4 tsp bleach if you’d like as well)
• Cabinet surfaces, tops, and handles using the above Tide mixture
• Chairs and chair legs, table legs using above Tide mixture
• Range hood vent (yes, this comes out, look it up)
• Dishwasher (you have a filter in there, take it out and rinse it. Then, pour ½ c bleach in the bottom of your dishwasher and run a hot cycle. No foaming cleaning products or else you will have suds halfway down your hall. Speaking from experience.)
• Backsplash, first with Mr. Clean to cut grease, then Windex for shine

 
Bathrooms
Regular upkeep

• Wipe toothpaste drips and rogue hairs
• Hang/replace towels as-needed
• Declutter countertop

Every 1-2 weeks

• Toilet with Bar Keepers Friend (after you’ve used your toilet brush, you can let it sit over the toilet to drip/air dry and use the seat to hold it down; this prevents buildup of mold on your brush)
• Bath with Bar Keepers Friend
• Counters with powdered Tide and hot water (1/2 tsp tide with 4 cups of hot water; 4 tsp bleach if you’d like as well – recommended in bathrooms)
• Add toothbrush holder to your next dishwasher load
• Tiles and shower doors by spraying vinegar and a drop of Dawn dish soap; let sit; squeegee. Polish with Windex.

Every 1-2 months

• Replace toilet tablets in the toilet basin (be mindful to choose a product that is nontoxic if you have dogs or children who may touch the water)
• Polish towel racks and toilet paper holder with Windex
• Vacuum ceiling fan cover
• Cabinet surfaces, tops, and handles using above Tide mixture
• Showerhead by filling a Ziploc with vinegar and water in a plastic bag and using a rubber band to tie it on, let sit
• Tile grout with Tide and hot water as above, slightly increasing the quantity of bleach if needed. Use your little scrubber brush.
  
  

Laundry Room
I recommend aiming to have one “laundry day” a week. It is exhausting to constantly have various loads in rotation and have clothes to fold every day. I realize I sound gross saying this – but resist the urge to throw everything straight into the dirty clothes pile. Unless it’s dirty, smelly, or overly stretched out, give it another wear or two. This will greatly reduce your laundry burden. Also, simply reducing your total number of clothes as you did in the purge phase reduces the load (pun intended). If you stick to this plan, there is no “regular upkeep” section, other than spot cleaning any big clothing stains that pop up (by the way, I love Dreft stain remover spray for all clothing stains, not just baby clothes).

Every 1-2 weeks

• Laundry weekly with powdered Tide (Free & Clear if you or your family has sensitive skin)
• Windex exterior of washer and dryer
• It gets dustier in here than in other rooms; consider a quick once-over with your vacuum hose while you’re doing your carpets
  
  

Every 1-2 months

• Vacuum lint trap of dryer
• Clean sink with Barkeepers Friend (if you have one)
• In washing machines, most of the spots to dump in your liquid bleach, fabric softener, and detergent can be removed. If it’s super nasty, let it soak in hot water with a generous glug of bleach in it. Otherwise, use your scrubber brush w/ bleach to scrub the area.
• Front loading machines: that rubber seal is NASTY and it always has standing water in it. Dump in straight bleach and scrub with a scrub brush. From now on, leave the door open at all times to air out.
• Front loading machines; You also have a filter somewhere down lower on your machine. Wear gloves or you will never have the guts to accomplish this. Remove the cover and you will see a little black hose. Remove the cap and empty the water into a bowl. It will smell. Then twist off the filter cap, wipe it out, and bleach that thing. Re-seal the hose and filter tightly. Gocleanco has a great tutorial on this in Instagram stories.
• Top loading machines: you may not have a rubber seal. If not, just wipe it all down, and thank your lucky stars. If there’s a cap in the middle for fabric softener, dislodge it and let it sit in super hot water with a bit of bleach to loosen it up, then scrub clean with a scrub brush and return
  
  

Special emphasis goes to a few areas that I totally neglected until recently. That includes window tracks, blinds, wall vents (vacuum those), filters for washing machines, dishwashers, and oven hood vents. My backsplash is dark and therefore very easy to neglect. Baseboards are also underattended. Some of these may be true for you, and if they are, you should look up some satisfying before-and-after tutorials.

As I mentioned earlier in this series, I truly believe that once your home contains only items you need and love, cleaning can be simple and even joyful. I hope you find the same thing.

I also wanted to make space in these posts to account for a concern that I had in the beginning of this process, and you may have as well. I was concerned that I would lose the warmth in my home by emptying it too much, and that I wouldn’t be able to “decorate” like I like and switch out different pieces of décor… basically… I wouldn’t be able to buy stuff, which I like to do, TBH. Let’s be real here.

Here are three remedies that have completely changed my perspective on this.

1. Candles. I am slowly working through all the candles I already had, and then when they’re gone, I’ll enjoy grabbing a new one at the store as I need it. Plus, I’m really loving using a candle daily to make my home feel warm. (My favorite splurge: Voluspa)
2. Greens and flowers. I am taking better care of my houseplants and have added a couple more to the mix (folks on my Buy Nothing group on Facebook give away little plants all the time). I also buy some at Trader Joe’s every now and then. I will cut greens from around my house and neighborhood to beef up the Trader Joe’s arrangements and make them look super big and glamorous! (My favorite splurges: flowers from Willow and Stock on the Northside, a bouquet delivery from Farmgirl Flowers, or a dried arrangement from Roxanne's Dried Flowers)
3. Create a swap-out décor spot. For me, this is a rectangular wire basket that I hang vertically on my wall (kind of like this, but all wire; I've seen some cute bamboo ones, too). It is always there, and I can swap out décor and plop it on the basket for display as often as I’d like without ever getting out a hammer. I rotate several different décor pieces through here based on the season, and it gives me the freedom to mix things up without cluttering my space or busting out the toolbox.
   
   

This is the last day of our blog post series. I hope you enjoyed this process, and that you will revisit it in the future when you start to feel restless in your home, as will inevitably happen to all of us even after a successful home cleanse. Please send along ideas for more posts, if you felt that something was left unsaid.

Let’s actively discuss our projects and progress with each other in the Facebook event page. Don’t forget to sign up for a time to have any donations to the Shelter House picked up from your porch On Oct 25th or Oct 26th. Please sign up by Oct 23rd. The link has a list of eligible items. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0444A4AD2FA2FF2-shelter
 
Thank you for joining me!

This year, spending more time at home, especially with winter approaching, necessitates creating a space that brings you peace and comfort. Cue the PROJECTS! This doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It can be gratifying and freeing. Here’s the plan for this blog post series. Check in every day for a new guide to spur your progress, and then sign up for a time slot for some of your no-longer-needed items to be picked up from your porch and donated to The Shelter House.

1. Motivate – I’m going to make you want to do this. Starting TODAY.
2. Purge – Tips for processing your items.
3. Donate – Ideas for locally selling, consigning, and donating through IMP’s Shelter House pickup and elsewhere.
4. Organize – A place for everything and everything in its place.
5. Clean – The stuff you know you need to do, and the stuff you didn’t know you need to do.

​After making many attempts over the years to clear out the clutter, I never felt like I quite got there. Thanks to pregnancy nesting, (aka the only good thing about pregnancy), I’ve fully embraced a complete home purge in the past couple weeks, and only had to stop when my husband put his foot down and said I need to stop selling furniture that we still use. 

Along the way I donated and sold MANY items that are perfectly useful to other families. Isn’t it convenient that we can turn this into a philanthropy event! I’m going to make you want to purge, accomplish the purge, DONATE the most useful items (without leaving your home, because you’ll sign up for a time and we’ll come get it from your porch – more on that later), and then organize, clean, and maintain.

I want to emphasize that though I give occasional examples related to children’s toys and clothes, this is in no way targeted exclusively to families with children. I have tried to keep discussion of toys and kids clothes fairly separate so you can skip on by if it doesn’t apply to you. Now, let's get on with it. 

Do you ever “finish” cleaning up and take a look around only to feel that your house still looks cluttered? Me too. There are multiple reasons for this. First of all, YOU HAVE TOO MANY THINGS. I don’t know you and I don’t know your house but I am sure you have too many things. Secondly, you have too many things you don’t care about, which retracts from your motivation to care for them. This seems to be especially common in medical families like us, where, during the many moves and living within the margins of a training salary, we have accepted cheap items or hand-me-downs from family that we don’t truly love. Thirdly, you haven’t had time to optimize your space, but with enough motivation, you will want to make time.

Here are some concepts that I have mulled over and feel are important to accept. Accepting these principles has helped me get rid of things and also choose not to buy more things that I didn’t need. Am I an expert on this? No. But I did read a lot of Marie Kondo, The Home Edit, and endless minimalist and housekeeping blogs, and I write ~ScIeNce~ for a living so I know how to be REALLY entertaining and not dry at all (just kidding, science is not entertaining, except to me and probably your spouse). In no particular order:

• Release yourself of any obligation to keep an item you don’t love and need. This is a derivative of Marie Kondo’s “thank it and let it go”. You can be thankful for a gift you received at the time and still say goodbye to it. The giver felt the joy of giving it to you, you felt the love of receiving a gift, and now let’s move the heck on. Better to say goodbye than to think about how you don’t love the item and you “should” keep it every time you see it. Same for items that you bought fairly recently but realistically don't use. It's bringing guilt into your life, and guilt is a burdensome feeling. It is also completely self-inflicted. The guilt is a "you" problem. I give you permission to let it go.
  
  
• Too many of ANY item is unnecessary. You do not live in a third world country where there is true scarcity and things cannot be replaced. For clothes, think about the circumstance under which you would wear an item. It’s time to pick a sweater – are you always choosing sweater A over sweater B, even if you like sweater B “just fine” and you bought it recently and… and… and…? Yes? Then goodbye, sweater B. For toiletries, do you always reach for one lotion over another? Out it goes. There really is no reason for more than one sheet set per bed, but two is allowable. More than that… not necessary. This concept even applies to sentimentals. I had a box of sentimental Christmas items that my mom used to display and she ended up giving them to me (cue guilt, see above). I kept two or three of them because they give me good feels when I see them. The rest? Out. The. Door. Same for your own (and dare I say… your children’s) childhood pictures and schoolwork – keep a few report cards, pictures, and writing samples to bring up those good feels. Fifty variations of them taking up space? No thanks.
  
  
• When sorting through items, take them all out of their space, and only put back in what you are keeping. Do not leave them in their space and only take out what you are eliminating. It is much more impactful to see all your crap in a pile, and selectively re-introduce only what you truly need and like.
  
  
• Evaluate an item’s worth in many ways. Firstly, of course, its monetary cost to you (assuming it is an item you either need or are likely to need to replace shortly after discarding it). Also, though, the cost to your storage space, the cost in your time to clean and maintain it, and honestly, the space it occupies in your brain. I had five bins of baby clothes. Even though I have another on the way and they would probably use some, the amount of space they took up, the weight on my shoulders of holding on to a ton of crap, and the inexpensive cost to replace them helped me ditch more than half of them. Let’s be real, children’s clothes on consignment aren’t that expensive, and you’re always going to be gifted new clothes and make a few new clothing purchases for a new baby.
  
  
• Realize how valuable your time is. That pile of toy cars your kids dump out every day just for the sake of dumping out adds one minute to your cleaning schedule that you could use doing something else. Your time is valuable. Save your time. Also apply this logic to the time investments you make in your purging/organizing/cleaning. If a four-hour closet purge reduces your overall laundry burden, saves you time shopping for things you didn’t need, and creates more breathing room (which translates to joy, which translates to energy, which translates to making time for things you love), those four hours are time well spent.
  
  

Tomorrow, I’ll post concrete suggestions for working through it all, section by section. If you can’t wait and you’re feeling the itch NOW, don’t wait. Capitalize on your motivation. You may go through this full cycle several times before really feeling satisfied. Once you are satisfied, though, your house will be much easier to keep up and actually a pleasure to tidy and clean.

I am crossing my fingers that this project will spur lots of chatter on our blog, Facebook invite page, and everywhere else. Please liberally comment with updates and suggestions! 

If you already know you’re “in”, sign up to have some of your items donated to The Shelter House. We will pick up your donations from your doorstep. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0444A4AD2FA2FF2-shelter

While you anxiously await tomorrow's post, why don't you visit some favorite inspirational folks on their blogs and Instagram? 

The Home Edit BLOG and INSTAGRAM 
Marie Kondo BLOG and INSTAGRAM 
Real Simple SITE and INSTAGRAM
Go Clean Co INSTAGRAM 
Julie Blanner BLOG and INSTAGRAM
​Allie Casazza BLOG and INSTAGRAM