Ten Ways to Tackle Clutter in February

Including the crap inherited from relatives

A cold February feels like the longest month despite it having the fewest days. While anticipating the March thaw, I can’t think of a better time to declutter basements, attics, closets, and other living spaces. It is not unusual to experience a burst of energy after decluttering a closet, office desk, or just a golf bag. The bigger the decluttering project, the better I feel when it is completed. While decluttering can be therapeutic for some people it’s not always easy for everyone to just throw away “stuff.” This week, we’re going to discuss strategies for decluttering spaces, even if it’s not a favorite pastime.

I was raised by a clutter bug. Mom kept a hand-me-down collection of coats, prom dresses, and Reader’s Digest magazines. She saved EVERYTHING. When she moved into a smaller home she was forced to purge. We would voluntarily ask her for outdated items that we didn’t really want, just to have a chance to throw them away. Despite the downsizing, there would still be more clutter to tackle after she died in 2015.

Among her belongings were old receipts for things she no longer owned, including a “paid” slip for bedroom furniture she purchased in 1947.  She kept Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church bulletins, PTA memos and school letters at least a half-century old. I found about a hundred Sacred Heart Jesus photos and Holy Mass cards from one of the many Catholic Charities requesting donations. Newspapers and junk mail were piled on top of a plant stand, which was minus any plant. But the most unusual collection was in the stand-alone freezer that she never used for food. Piles of manila envelopes filled the freezer. They contained utility statements from her previous house, dating back to 1984. She had organized each envelope by utility and year. My mom had a “keep this just in case” philosophy which was the root cause of this organized clutter.

This is exactly how clutter accumulates, and at some point, everyone has to deal with it. Preferably, don’t leave it for the kids, siblings, or next home buyer.

Mom grew up during the Depression Era. It influenced her “saving” habits which extended to recycling Country Crock margarine containers for leftovers and refilling 2-liter plastic soda bottles with water in case we had an apocalypse. This rubbed off on my brother who currently hoards old VCRs, remote controls, and bike tires. He’s on the Autism Spectrum, so perhaps it is part of his disability, but he certainly picked up some visual clues from Mom.

As for me, growing up with all that clutter had the opposite effect. Ten minutes into the show Hoarders is enough to bring on an anxiety attack. Visiting my brother has the same effect, but worse it is like a bad Smellavision show where all my senses get offended at the same time. I find clutter to be draining, distracting, and a waste of space. Even so, I do have to get motivated to go through the organized clutter neatly packed away on storage shelves. Thankfully, my husband also despises clutter, so cleaning cabinets, closets, and storage rooms is a winter event.

But one person’s clutter is another person’s something. Mom had a lot of something. Despite this, I appreciated about 10% of what she kept. I chuckled at the birthday cards I made her when I could barely form a sentence. I enjoyed reading the hand-written letters from Dad when he was stationed on the USS Markab at the end of WWII. He wrote them to Mom when they were first dating, and just a couple of years before they were married.  I appreciated knowing what my parents were like when they were in their twenties while being in their twenties. Usually, we just got the “when I was a kid blah blah blah” filtered story that lacked any interesting detail. Hand-written letters are a lost art and are great to pass on to loved-ones. Decades-old Polio vaccination notices from the school nurse are not.

I also inherited her 75-year-old wedding dress that had yellowed over the years. Unsure of what to do with it I searched for ideas online and found a perfect solution. I opted to remove the lace and make necklaces for the daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters. It was a way to share something that belonged to her while removing the dress, guilt-free, from storage. Personal or sentimental items are the most challenging things to part with when decluttering.

Going through Mom’s stuff made me realize I needed to organize my collection of things the kids might not find so interesting. A sentimental collection of sports trophies, college journalism awards, employee recognition awards, and other career-accomplishment mementos gathered dust in storage or on a shelf.  A friend of mine suggested removing the award plates and putting them together in a picture frame or shadow box. What a great idea!

I took her advice and added a couple other items to reflect who I was as a person outside of being someone’s mother, wife, and sister. I selected items representing accomplishments (big and small) to include in the storyboard. All items had sentimental value which is essentially why I held on to them for decades. Doing this made it easy to recycle the trophies and plaques without pitching the happy memories.

The easiest clutter to get rid of should be the stuff hiding under beds, in freezers, or plain sight ( e.g., on top of the dresser, etc.). Sometimes clutter is neatly organized in the storage room (like my awards). Clutter can be disguised as a “collection” of stuff gathered over the years (furniture, books, etc.). Or perhaps it’s a hobby that has become an addiction (collecting sports cards, shot glasses, magazines, toys, etc.).  We all have clutter that needs to be dealt with at some point. Remember, we can’t take a U-Haul to heaven, and children appreciate parents who deal with it before they make that journey.

Set a goal for February to tackle some clutter. Schedule a day and time for decluttering, but don’t be afraid to take advantage of bad weather days to start the process.

Here’s some advice on how to do it:

1. If decluttering seems overwhelming, choose a manageable space, like a small closet, bookshelf, a photo box, or tackle the surface spaces of the bedroom. Create a small chance to experience the feeling of a declutter accomplishment. It can give you the energy and motivation to tackle the next space. Once complete, schedule the next date and cluttered space to keep the momentum going.

2. Prioritize a space that creates daily chaos. Where do you waste most of your time looking for stuff? Is it the kitchen, living area, bedroom, or closet? Pick a spot to immediately benefit from clearing the space. Part of decluttering is a partner of organizing. Everything has a place and sometimes it is a room, a drawer, or the trash can.

3. When coming across “sentimental” items, create a separate pile so that it can be dealt with on another day. People hold on to stuff because of the memories (good and bad), or guilt. Maybe you inherited stuff you don’t want but feel guilty if you get rid of it—like Mom’s wedding dress. The necklaces I made were a creative solution I found online. Even though I super-glued my fingers together more than once, it was worth it!  If Fluffy died two years ago and her bed is still at home, consider donating it to a shelter (or throwing it away if in bad shape). Holding on to painful memories can make us stuck in the misery of that pain. Letting go is a way to heal those wounds and move on in life.

4. Parents keep sentimental clutter connected to their children. This includes baby books, ornaments, crafts and an overabundance of school photos and videos (usually with no way to watch them). Create bins for each child and start placing these items in them. I suggest holding on to these bins until it’s time for them to “inherit” the mess because they will appreciate the collection of memories when they are far removed from their own childhood days. They can choose to throw away what they don’t want.

5. As parents, we also inherit our kids’ stuff after they leave home. Set a date for them to come over and go through it. And if they won’t respond after multiple requests, start throwing away the junk…dry art kits, ripped posters, key chains, etc. Organize the rest into items like piles ( i.e. stuffed animals, Xbox games, DVDs, clothes, etc.). Take a pic and text it to them to ask if they want to keep or donate. No response? Let them know it’s going to charity. If there is stuff they want to keep, then organize, put away, and count down the days when they get their own place. By then they’ll either be willing to throw it away or store it at their own place. Remember. possession is nine-tenths of the law so feel free to throw it away after it has become your problem to store, clean or move.

6. Re-purposing can be a great way to save money in sparse times, but often it is just a reason for holding on to things we never use. Holding on to something because one day you might use it is borderline selfish. Someone less fortunate could make use of stored furniture, clothes, or electronics.  If you no longer use it, LOSE IT! (But please, do not give electronics to my brother. His kitchen already looks like NASA launch control.)

7. Get rid of organized clutter. In my storage area, there are large, clear containers sorted by the contents: plumbing parts, paint tools, electrical, cables, costumes, etc. Many of these also were moved from our previous house over a decade ago. I’m sure those wall plates in the electrical box do not match anything in my current house. Lean manufacturing has the phrase “just in case equals waste”. If the excuse to keep stuff is “just in case” then it’s likely clutter.  (Not to pick on my bro again, but he has three lawnmowers just in case one breaks. He mows a 12 x 14-foot patch of grass.)

8. Donate or sell clothes that no longer fit. A friend of mine had a highly organized closet. Her arrangement included ensembles of multiple different sizes.  She vacuum-sealed very expensive shirts, dresses, and suits. She had lost and gained weight multiple times over the years. She kept them to wear again once she lost weight. But these clothes were out of style and took up valuable closet space. Not to mention, they were a painful reminder of failed diets. The best value would have been removing the clothes while they still held value to resell online or at a local second-hand consignment store. But getting rid of them and freeing up space is still better than clinging to the past “hot mamma” days. A good rule of thumb for clothes is to donate a piece of clothing before buying something new. Instant closet Carma!

9. If you can’t tackle clutter alone, recruit a friend or relative. But choose wisely. Getting an objective view helps with the process of letting go. Preferably, recruit someone who lives in an organized, clutter-free space. The last thing needed is another clutter bug to justify keeping the crap that needs to go. Or, having them adopt the crap for their own cluttered space. Clutter-free people know how to get it done and get a thrill from helping others do the same. They can help create the extra energy boost needed to tackle an overwhelming space. And, they may have some good ideas for dealing with those hard-to-let-go items.

10. Another way to view clutter is to view the cost of space it consumes. Go onto Zillow or any site that gives home values and divide it by the home’s square footage. Multiply the square foot value by the space size storing the clutter. If the items are worth less than the space that stores them, it’s likely time to get rid of the stuff. Also, something is only worth money if there is a willing buyer. Otherwise, it isn’t worth jack squat. If it can be sold online, make sure it is worth the effort (especially if you have never done it before). Was it worth the $12.00 I made on that Looney Toon figurine collection after holding on to it for thirty years? No. It was not. Are garage sales worth the nightmare of labeling and having strangers judge your junk at 6 am on a Saturday? Nope. Chances are more than half the stuff will get dragged to Goodwill when it’s over.

Consider a therapist if it’s really out of control. Some people suffer from Hoarding Disorder. According to the American Psychiatric Association:  “People with hoarding disorder excessively save items that others may view as worthless. They have persistent difficulty getting rid of or parting with possessions, leading to clutter that disrupts their ability to use their living or workspaces. Hoarding disorder can cause problems in relationships, social and work activities, and other important areas of functioning.” It can become a health and safety problem for the occupants. Less than 6% of the population have a hoarding disorder, so chances are you can tackle the clutter without a psychiatrist.

But do not rule out therapy to let go of the more sentimental clutter. It’s okay to set aside things that hold special memories, just organize them together. Ask for ideas on how to utilize these items. Mark family photos with names and keep guest-registry books from grandma’s funeral or wedding because the family genealogist (or future family genealogist) will appreciate the ancestral clues they contain. (Speaking from experience on this suggestion.)

If anything, getting rid of the old creates an opportunity to bring new things into one’s life, a perfect use for February.  But if you are tempted to keep hordes of utility statements, outdated RCA cables, or PTA memos—don’t. Recycle or trash the clutter, just don’t leave it for someone else to clean up.