2024 Organizing & Decluttering Thread

I cleaned out more junk from my storage closet. I got rid of some storage containers that don't work for me and are beat up, organized all the batteries into separate smaller containers to make it easier to grab what we need, and added a full box of stuff to donate to my Goodwill pile. I'd love to eventually have everything off the floor.

got the pile out of the basement to the goodwill!!

started a pile for the art supplies donation place.

I need to read a few pages of this thread to get myself motivated! My lower level is a huge mess!  There’s some of my scrapbooking stuff that never made the move upstairs, some of dd’s things that didn’t make the move to her new home, pictures and odds and ends that got cleared out for the big renovation project earlier in the year and haven’t made it back upstairs, old files to go through, and Christmas things to sort and organize. There will be things to throw away, send to dd’s house, put on Facebook Marketplace (free, I don’t even bother trying to sell, free gets it gone quickly!), and some to keep but organize better for storage. I have ds available and willing to help and I have five days off work. Oh, I filled ds’s closet with things during the renovations and need to clear that out as well!

Today’s decluttering project… I conquered the mending pile that’s been sitting in my scrap room forever. Apparently I didn’t lose my favorite light weight sweater after all. It was buried in the pile.

Hello! I dropped off the thread when I got really busy with school and work, but I'm on my summer break now so I've been working on my projects!

Some of the things I've gotten done: I got a heavy-duty plastic shelving unit from my in-law's home and bought another one which have been put in the garage and now hold various bins of things that I want to keep handy but don't need to be living in the house. I've got a couple of general decor bins, a bin for the air mattress, sheets, and pillows, and some other bins. I've also organized the shelf units in the garage so I have a place for all our paper stuff. Previously, the paper towels and kleenex were on top of a shelf unit in the house. They're wrapped so they can be put in the garage and stay clean. Their previous spot has now been claimed for a storage bag of blankets/quilts/decorative pillow forms so those things will stay clean and are easily accessible. I've gotten rid of things we don't need/don't want/don't use/don't fill-in-the-blank.

My current project is going through the safe and scanning all important documents so we have electronic copies. I'm also reorganizing so things are easily found--a hanging folder for each family member, with folders for vital documents, education documents, church documents, and other important documents.

Now, a question for you. I do have a fireproof safe where all these folders reside. I have been thinking that I need to get something like an accordion folder so all these important documents can be kept in there. Then I will have just one thing to grab in case of emergency, instead of trying to grab several folders and risk things falling out. What have you done with your important documents so they are easy to grab in case of emergency? Is there a product out there that organizes this stuff and is easily portable, or will my accordion folder idea be sufficient?

Thanks for any and all advice and ideas!

Grand Cleaning Plan - Kitchen week

Kitchen Closets: Empty them! Pull everything out. Use trash bags, boxes, etc to sort and redistribute your items. Remember-places would love donations of kitchen items. If you have not used something in a few months, chances are you just will not use it so donate it. Kill the clutter!
Kitchen Cabinets: Tackle one by one if the job seems overwhelming. Start above counters, on one side of the room and work in one direction & when done, tackle cabinets below the counter. Save the under-sink area for last, for me it was the hardest.
Get Rid Of:
Old, currently unused cleaners
Cans & Bottles of food over 6 months old unless there is a later expiration date.
Old cracker/cookie boxes probably stale
Pans & pots that you don’t use, have duplicates of, are in horrible shape, etc.
Extra serving dishes (store them elsewhere unless you have lots of room) until needed. Donate if you have not used them in the past six months.
Check any open boxes for bugs.
Don’t forget to wipe down empty shelves, re-line (if necessary).
If you store medicines in the cabinets, check expiration dates. Verify prescription items with your pharmacist. Throw out medicines that “didn’t work”, expired or tasted so horrible you won’t use them, etc.
Don’t forget to empty drawers, clean inside, then replace items. Get rid of duplicate items (utensils) if you can.
Clean all appliances inside and out (refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, microwave, toaster oven, coffee maker–use vinegar once through, followed by several rounds of water– stove vent, etc.)
Sink: Use a toothbrush to get rid of gritty dirt at faucet. Clean drains, disposal, etc Use favorite cleaner to make “shine”.
Pantry: Use same method as for the cabinets. don’t forget to wipe down while empty. Try to combine duplicate boxes of things to throw out that which you haven’t and probably won’t use.
When this is done, you will probably want to dust any appropriate items, vacuum from ceiling to floor, including vents/ a/c ducts, clean any windows, and sweep & wash the kitchen floor (I always do that last!) As far as I’m concerned this is probably one of the hardest rooms in the house. If you have tile on your counters or table, this is a good time to spray them down and clean and reseal the grout.
Be ruthless! Go through every drawer, cabinet, counter. Did you take time to do all that work and sell yourself short? Did your Mama tell you a job worth doing is worth doing well??? Well go ahead an “git”: make that kitchen shine. Go through the spices and the cookbooks again. I know there are things you still really need to do.

I have almost cleaned off some piles in the hallway upstairs. and found a iphone original model!!

dh will be gone a few days and now you have encourage me to clean out the pantry and freezer..
(my pantry is two small shelves in the kitchen.)

I moved some camping gear from bedroom to basement, put some quilts/baby blankets in bags and put away in upper shelves, hung up some of my dh's shirts and hoodies since. now there is space in the closet. I also did a hour of cleaning up my craft area.. not perfect, but more organized.

because of medical appts, I can't go with my dh on trip to our second home, so have great hopes of doing some massive cleanout. I was going to work in basement yesterday, but it was just too cold.

Grand Cleaning Plan

Since the Family Room is much like the Living Room, consult the notes from that week as well, to be sure we haven’t missed anything! Here goes!
Start by washing the outside of your windows.
Take everything down off the walls, take down curtains etc. Wash, vacuum or dry clean as needed.
Sweep ceiling corners and other nooks in the room – tops of doorways, windows, arches, bookcases, etc.
Wash inside of windows and sills. Polish and touch-up stain on wood.
Re-hang window coverings.
Take cushions off furniture, vacuum thoroughly. Vacuum cushions, checking for wear and turning as needed. Spot treat any stains or shampoo furniture as needed.
Wooden furniture and anything with drawers: Empty, sort, and throw away what you don’t really need. Put the rest where it really belongs. Dust/Polish the piece you’re finished with, repeat as necessary. Do shelves the same way.
Baseboards – dust or wash as needed touch up scuffs on wood or touch up paint on painted surfaces.
Clean the TV screen. Dig out and sort all the accumulated electronic equipment–games, tapes, camera parts, wires, connectors, etc. Put everything where it belongs and get rid of the rest. (I stash things for a few months in the attic and if they don’t miss it then I can dispose of it as I please!) If something doesn’t work, take action–if it is worth getting fixed then decide when it can be done. Otherwise just liquidate it now.
Vacuum the entire room. Use a whisk broom to get into those hard to reach areas and around the baseboards if your vacuum doesn’t clean close enough. Yes, get help and move the furniture. There may be a wealth of lost treasures hiding under the sofa right now!
Clean/change silk flower arrangements for the season. It is also a good time to clean, trim, and/or repot live plants. They can’t absorb CO2 and light through a layer of dust!
Other items needing attention if you have them are: Fireplace/mantel/chimney/glass doors Lamps – cleaning and/or replacing shade/bulb/wiring Light switches (clean)
Mirrors and anything framed under glass clean it.
Door handles–and the area around them– if you have little sticky fingers be sure to get the area below them clean too with an appropriate cleaner. Polish the wooden doors and retouch scuffs.
Clean shake/wash/vacuum/take to professional– any area rugs.
Now is a good time to reorganize the video tapes and CDs ,Cassettes etc. If you have not viewed or listened to them in a while, donate or take to a consignment shop or a second hand music store and swap meet.

did more yesterday sorting through my dad's photos.. ready for the scrapbook.. threw away a lot of stuff. today I am sick and feel horrible.. and I sit and wish I had the energy to complete my project.

my new file cabinet arrived and when I hire someone to take the bed and dresser downstairs, they can haul it up the stairs. I am trying to clean up all my papers in the kitchen, and some of my genealogy files.

I was just thinking about her today! I hope she is doing well.

I'm getting a little concerned tbh - she hasn't posted since Jun 11th. I know the heat negatively impacts her health.

so I made the first steps to doing my big project.. I scheduled the lugg movers to come sat afternoon and take my bedframe, mattress, and big dresser to the dump..

and move my elfa shelves and my new file cabinet up stairs

this afternoon, I started moving everything out of the room into my bedroom (about 1/3 done). think piles and piles and piles of stuff.


dh went to the storage unit and did not go through everything, he grabbed three boxes with dishes in them, and when he arrived at the condo and unpacked the boxes, there were many dishes but almost none of the bowls. there must be another box stashed away.. I told him it is a process!! the storage unit with dishes and the condo are 11 hours apart driving and not near where we live..

I'm making slow progress, but it's still progress!! I found another coat - I washed it tonight. It's a little big, but I imagine it will be fine with a couple layers on underneath. I need to get all of my jackets together and see how many I really need.

ETA on Friday night - I found ANOTHER winter coat today, meaning I have at least 3 in size XL. Two are black Michael Kors coats (one with a faux fur lined hood and one without the faux fur) and one navy Talbots coat with a fauz fur lined hood. I'm going to try them on tomorrow, but as of right now, I think I'm going to get rid of the black MK coat with the faux fur lined hood. I'm not sure what size I'll be wearing during the winter, but as of right now, the XLs are a bit roomy. They'll work, though, so hopefully I won't have to buy any new coats this winter.