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[Cleaning & Decluttering] Tips, Tricks, and Dismantling Our Depression Nests

MimMim I prefer my lovers…dead.Registered User regular
edited October 2022 in Social Entropy++
Hello all!

Hope you don't mind but a few folks and I discussed making a Cleaning/Decluttering/Organizing thread for Before and Afters, tips, tricks and solidarity. Especially for routines to help us keep things going as the year(s) progress.

No judgement for depression nests (if you decide to post one), we're all here to support one another.

I do like motivational videos to watch so here's a couple I've found that help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HI1idlltq0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWi8F86A4Vs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD_ts5KJ3Yk (IDK why car detailing does it for me, but it revs me up to get to cleaning)

Let's start 2022 clean, organized and decluttered! A clean house can help lead to a turn around in life!

Mim on
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Posts

  • Blake TBlake T Do you have enemies then? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered User regular
    We Marie Kondo’d our clothes two? Years ago. It was good. We still fold using her method as well.

    If you are looking to do a big declutter I would recommend watching her show.

  • Shazkar ShadowstormShazkar Shadowstorm Registered User regular
    Maybe this thread will help me get a move on this

    I did a big closet purge with my friend a few years ago (she did that as a side business, that was her gift to me)

    Since then I’ve also bought way too many clothes

    And not just that I just have too much stuff and make bad use of my closet space

    So

    Gonna try to address this

    poo
  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    Everyone at this point should know how I'm trying to declutter. Yet for a year now, I've barely actually gotten rid of my collection.

    Still, it's coming close. I've been inventorying all my toys, and seeing what I have and what is missing. It's given me an opportunity to touch and hold every toy I have. I'm up to 620 items.

    I feel like I'm close. I probably have about 50 more to go in the current batch, though there's still a lot to do. Gaps and holes are appearing, and places where I need to dust. It's.. actually feeling good!

    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    Purging unwanted clothing has gotten a little harder recently since donation sites like Goodwill are both overloaded and wary of taking donations due to infection risk (though I haven't checked on their status in a while, maybe they're back in gear). I've been putting it off, even though I barely wear like 60% of the clothing I own.

    However, my pandemic hobby (woodworking) does need a fair number of disposable rags from time to time, so I've been using old socks and t-shirts for that. Just have to make sure they're stored safely (I finally understand what all those fire-safety videos were talking about when they'd go on about piles of oily rags).

  • HerrCronHerrCron It that wickedly supports taxation Registered User regular
    FWIW, and as clichéd as it is, I've found the way that works for me when it comes to cleaning a flat (apartment, house, whatever) is to ignore the entire job and just pick a room. big one, small one, doesn't matter.
    Now in that room figure out what you need to do to make this clean, pick one of those sub tasks.
    Then get to work.
    The smaller tasks flow into each other and before you know it, the room is done.
    Great. Next room.

    And now you've a place that's clean, so if you need to move items from areas you are cleaning, say chairs or a table, then put them in the space you just cleared.
    Seems a bit counter-intuitive , but it means you're not just moving stuff into a mess you've not cleared, making it seem worse, and it sticks out like a sore thumb, so you'll move them back when there's space for them.

    And finally, give yourself a whole day, don't try and do it all after work on a Wednesday. You'll not achieve anything, and get disheartened. Get rest the night before, get up early, and go at it. You'll be surprised what you can do.

    sig.gif
  • knitdanknitdan In ur base Killin ur guysRegistered User regular
    I try and focus on as small a task as i can and finish it before I move on to something else because I know at some point I’ll either run out of steam or lose interest. If I can break it down into steps so much the better.

    Also I’ve started making lists so I have a visual reminder of what I want to accomplish.

    “I was quick when I came in here, I’m twice as quick now”
    -Indiana Solo, runner of blades
  • japanjapan Registered User regular
    I think the appeal of the car detailing stuff is that the scope of the task is much more clear cut

    Like, in principle you can clean and declutter every inch of a vehicle in a way that you can't necessarily for a living space which is in constant use, and may not have adequate storage space for their to actually be a place for everything

  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    I have a four year old and a one year old so "clean" is a moving target. The best thing we did is they have their own areas as in their rooms and their play spot in the basement. That's their domain. We maintain a level of hygiene but of they want all their toys on the ground well...it's their house too so, go with God.

    The communal areas they help clean.

    The four year old is starting to figure out how important it is to keep your favorite toys organized when she can't find them and I shrug and asked her where she put them.

    Okay that's too much about kids.

    We did the Kondo stuff which really helped make me feel it was okay to get rid of stuff, especially old collections and gifts.

    One question I have for the thread is I've bought a bunch of board games to save to hopefully play with the kids when they get older. Anyone have storage suggestions?

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • QuantumTurkQuantumTurk Registered User regular
    The only real board game storage that isn't a box in the attic/basement is an Ikea kallax (or knockoff), it's literally a consideration for how big to make the game box at this point.

    For the kondo, it was also hugely helpful in letting me say, "yes my mother sent me this, but it is just garbage I don't look at or use, and she won't know I tossed it." As well as "books are for reading, not talismans or proof to others I read, only keep that which will get re read within....five years. (I barely re read books, this sent a LOT to the used book store). So since I didn't read the words off, off they go to hopefully be read again by someone new! I look at my dad's huge collection of books now and see it for the status/mild hoarding thing it is, and am glad I broke away from lugging boxes and boxes for no reason house to house of things that other people could use again.

    Bout time we hit our attic though, having one at the current place has been TERRIBLE for, "well I can just delay this decision using the attic...."

  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    Hey that Ikea kallax looks perfect and it's larger and cheaper than similar things I got from Target. Thank you so much

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    MegaMan001 wrote: »
    Hey that Ikea kallax looks perfect and it's larger and cheaper than similar things I got from Target. Thank you so much

    I know everyone rags on Ikea, but truth be told.. I really, REALLY wish the nearest one wasn't 2 hours away. I know their stuff is just hex cells made of cardboard inside, but it's been incredibly durable for me and looks nice.

    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • QuantumTurkQuantumTurk Registered User regular
    Athenor wrote: »
    MegaMan001 wrote: »
    Hey that Ikea kallax looks perfect and it's larger and cheaper than similar things I got from Target. Thank you so much

    I know everyone rags on Ikea, but truth be told.. I really, REALLY wish the nearest one wasn't 2 hours away. I know their stuff is just hex cells made of cardboard inside, but it's been incredibly durable for me and looks nice.

    They ship too, and it's flat pack anyway so it ships fine.

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited January 2022
    Athenor wrote: »
    MegaMan001 wrote: »
    Hey that Ikea kallax looks perfect and it's larger and cheaper than similar things I got from Target. Thank you so much

    I know everyone rags on Ikea, but truth be told.. I really, REALLY wish the nearest one wasn't 2 hours away. I know their stuff is just hex cells made of cardboard inside, but it's been incredibly durable for me and looks nice.

    Ikea is much better quality flat pack than pretty much any other company.

    Every time I've gone with non Ikea self assembly it's been worse engineered, worse quality, and more expensive. So my furniture policy now is either it's an heirloom piece intended to be passed down for generations, or it's Ikea. Nothing in between.

    Edit: also i don't think anything they do is cardboard hex, the cheaper stuff is mostly composite. Their mid range tends to be solid wood.

    tynic on
  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    Athenor wrote: »
    MegaMan001 wrote: »
    Hey that Ikea kallax looks perfect and it's larger and cheaper than similar things I got from Target. Thank you so much

    I know everyone rags on Ikea, but truth be told.. I really, REALLY wish the nearest one wasn't 2 hours away. I know their stuff is just hex cells made of cardboard inside, but it's been incredibly durable for me and looks nice.

    They ship too, and it's flat pack anyway so it ships fine.

    They didn't a while ago when I looked into it. But again, a trip to Chicago isn't too bad.

    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited January 2022
    Their shipping is expensive so i wouldn't bother unless you're getting a bunch of stuff. But 2hrs isn't bad. When i lived in the UK my nearest Ikea was 3-4hrs away, but every now and then I'd be like, fuck it, day trip.

    tynic on
  • Brovid HasselsmofBrovid Hasselsmof [Growling historic on the fury road] Registered User regular
    Most of my bedroom furniture is IKEA. They're very reliable.

  • useruser Registered User regular
    What is the best clothes hanger? I have long used a rather slim profile feltish textured hanger, but they're steadily breaking one by one -- and frankly I kinda am a bit peeved at how the felt is grippy and doesn't let me smoothly remove a garment from them.

  • mosssnackmosssnack Yeah right, man, Bishop should go! Good idea!Registered User regular
    Yeah, I think ikea stuff is just fine. We have plenty of it. I just hate making the trip to the place and walking through the store, especially with kids. It’s an exhausting half day at a minimum

    XBL: mosssnack12
    bnet: moss*1454
  • thatassemblyguythatassemblyguy Janitor of Technical Debt .Registered User regular
    A good cross-cut shredder has been a great tool for me over the years. This allows me to avoid clutter from dumb credit card spam mailers, really old tax returns, and other things with sensitive information that I dislike tossing willy-nilly.

    There are two effects - 1) I'm less likely to leave these kids of materials collecting because as soon as the bin is full it gets taken to the rubbish bin (though I have been curious about using it possibly for compost - haven't done any research on the efficacy of that idea).

    2) Papers that aren't shredded often mean they're important and require action.

    ----

    Right now my declutter mission has been to tackle things (like old video game boxes, little league trophies, original boxes for fragile things, etc) that are in various storage holes (like a closet in a guest room). It's stuff that basically is getting zero use, but also has been out of sight/out of mind for a while.

    I started during the holiday break, and have been chipping away at it during the return to work - slowly.

    The toughest part is that I had been fairly ruthless due to moving a lot for over a decade of my adult life, so the majority of items have sentimental value.

  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    As I continue to bag things... I'm revealing shelves that haven't been touched or dusted in YEARS. This is the room furthest from my bed, so it sees the least detritus buildup. And yet...

    Once the shelves are empty, I'm gonna dust and clean the hell out of them.

    qvYkp8rl.jpg

    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • MimMim I prefer my lovers… dead.Registered User regular
    So I accidentally slept all day…whoops

    But that means tomorrow is day 1. And day 1 consists of going through all my clothes and folding what I am keeping and donating the rest at a bin down the street next weekend when it won’t be raining/snowing.

    Also doing the dishes, because why not.

    Whatever else I end up doing will be a bonus.

    Will post when I get up (but after I walk the dog because she comes first)

  • Brovid HasselsmofBrovid Hasselsmof [Growling historic on the fury road] Registered User regular
    edited January 2022
    I tried to do a big tidy up of my room between Christmas and New year, so I could start the year feeling organised and decluttered. It didn't go great. My big tidy ups always involve making a lot more mess first, because I empty all my cupboards/shelves/drawers onto the floor to be organised and re-stored. But I usually lose interest halfway.

    I'm trying to form a habit of just doing a bit of tidying every day instead of waiting until my living space is a wreck and then having to do a massive job at once. It's hard though. I don't know why but it is.

    Brovid Hasselsmof on
  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    Instead of decluttering the sun room, we got a drum kit

    your move kondo

  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    I tried to do a big tidy up of my room between Christmas and New year, so I could start the year feeling organised and decluttered. It didn't go great. My big tidy ups always involve making a lot more mess first, because I empty all my cupboards/shelves/drawers onto the floor to be organised and re-stored. But I usually lose interest halfway.

    I'm trying to form a habit of just doing a bit of tidying every day instead of waiting until my living space is a wreck and then having to do a massive job at once. It's hard though. I don't know why but it is.

    This is what my mom affectionately calls "The wave." It's hard! It's what my apartment is currently going through.

    I will say, since getting ADHD meds, I've been a lot more consistent on working on it, even if I don't work on it every day.

    The bit of tidying every day is the best thing to do. There's no reward (or so it seems), but it makes it seem less intimidating.

    Here's where my current wave is.

    ycjBac5l.jpg

    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • MimMim I prefer my lovers… dead.Registered User regular
    I am awake! The dog has been walked! I am eating cold butter chicken and have taken my ADHD meds.

    After stuffing my face, I shall get down to business and also hope the elevator gets fixed today because walking up 7 flights is a nightmare.

  • MimMim I prefer my lovers… dead.Registered User regular
    I tried to do a big tidy up of my room between Christmas and New year, so I could start the year feeling organised and decluttered. It didn't go great. My big tidy ups always involve making a lot more mess first, because I empty all my cupboards/shelves/drawers onto the floor to be organised and re-stored. But I usually lose interest halfway.

    I'm trying to form a habit of just doing a bit of tidying every day instead of waiting until my living space is a wreck and then having to do a massive job at once. It's hard though. I don't know why but it is.

    Yes, I pull everything out and think “woo, gonna put it back in an organized fashion!” But it never happens (except like the top of a dresser).

    It’s a curse and I don’t know why my brain thinks this is acceptable. I do it even with my adhd meds. I’m actually known for it in my family. As soon as I say I’m cleaning someone will quip “oh so taking everything out and then walking away?”

    It’s not my favorite attribute.

  • MimMim I prefer my lovers… dead.Registered User regular
    Blake T wrote: »
    We Marie Kondo’d our clothes two? Years ago. It was good. We still fold using her method as well.

    If you are looking to do a big declutter I would recommend watching her show.

    I like some of her folding methods, and I prefer some of the methods I learned in Naval bootcamp. So I do a mix.

    But I’m not a big fan of her decluttering methods only because decor wise I am definitely a maximalist and not a minimalist. And she’s definitely about minimalism where as I’m trying to be a maximalist but with intention.

    Going through my clothes, I am getting rid of clothes I feel don’t make me feel good. Stuff definitely too tight or where the shirt is cut in a way I wouldn’t like OR the material doesn’t make me feel good against my body (too cold or too hot).

    Ahhhhh so much.

  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    the pandemic has definitely taken away most of any desire I had to vary my wardrobe. I feel like a bit of a tool wearing the same thing every day like I'm Zuckerberg or something, but it's such a weight off my mind to know what specific T-shirt is comfortable, buy like 8 of them and not have to think about it again. And then do the same for socks, underwear, pants etc.

    so basically the next time I purge out my clothes, a LOT of stuff is getting tossed out.

    (also I've put on some weight so it doesn't all fit anymore)

  • MimMim I prefer my lovers… dead.Registered User regular
    KalTorak wrote: »
    the pandemic has definitely taken away most of any desire I had to vary my wardrobe. I feel like a bit of a tool wearing the same thing every day like I'm Zuckerberg or something, but it's such a weight off my mind to know what specific T-shirt is comfortable, buy like 8 of them and not have to think about it again. And then do the same for socks, underwear, pants etc.

    so basically the next time I purge out my clothes, a LOT of stuff is getting tossed out.

    (also I've put on some weight so it doesn't all fit anymore)

    I’m trying to not get rid of everything and slowly replace items as time goes on. Like I know I need new dress pants, but I’m also trying to get fit to see where my new pants size will fall.

    Also the skirts I have that do not have pockets have to go! A WOMAN NEEDS POCKETS

  • MimMim I prefer my lovers… dead.Registered User regular
    So, I got the clothes done but didn’t manage to get to the dishes like I wanted to. I mean, there’s still time but I do have to get ready for work tomorrow. But the I got a lot done clothes wise

    Before:
    yinei7bljqdr.jpeg
    6ah8dtdu996a.jpeg

    After:
    yug5fbduhmkf.jpeg
    ixqtfp89sj0k.jpeg
    tchip60rlee2.jpeg

    All my underwear/socks currently fit in a duffle bag, but I expect that to change after I do laundry. Which I couldn’t do because the elevator was out this weekend, but now it works.

    Woo, I didn’t expect it to take me all day but it did and my clothes are a lot neater for it. Onward and upward!

  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    edited January 2022
    Toy collecting: Not even once.

    I think the sheer act of going through all these toys is making me kind of despise them. I've had a couple that I've been like "ooh, that's cool," or "I'm definitely keeping that one." But most are just... no, why are you such a pain?

    I spent a good 7 hours today, maybe more, working through things. I'm taking the time to properly transform them, make sure I find the bits, all that fun stuff. My day just ended with 20+ minutes spent on one of the most evil transformers I have -- one that I will be selling and not looking back.

    If you were to walk into my apartment right now, you'd be like... You're "Decluttering?" ... but in actuality, I really am. Because I'm doing all this inventory work, my plan is to do a sort on the spreadsheet when I'm done and then group like things together.

    I'm up to 730+ items on this list. And I know that's just manuals and such, as I still have a hundred or so that I need to find and bag. It just keeps coming.

    The black bags in the back are from my recycling, which I did today. The full one is full of bubble wrap, that I've kept around from my moves. Takes up more room than my toys, surprisingly, but I need to donate it.


    tlVumLoh.jpg

    Athenor on
    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • sarukunsarukun RIESLING OCEANRegistered User regular
    That is so many toys.

  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    edited January 2022
    sarukun wrote: »
    That is so many toys.

    It is WAY TOO MANY TOYS.

    Edit: Here's the reverse view, for context. The really sad part is that as much as I was telling myself that this was covered by my insurance, I don't think I would have been able to recreate / list this...

    6haDS6ch.jpg

    Athenor on
    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • sarukunsarukun RIESLING OCEANRegistered User regular
    That is so fucking many toys.

  • RT800RT800 Registered User regular
    Where does dust even come from?

    We may never know.

  • Brovid HasselsmofBrovid Hasselsmof [Growling historic on the fury road] Registered User regular
    This thread inspired me to continue my efforts. Now I can barely walk across my floor because of all the stuff that has vomitted from every storage space in my room. So thanks a bunch I guess.

  • Shazkar ShadowstormShazkar Shadowstorm Registered User regular
    trying to decide what the best things to get for the top shelf of my closets are for organization

    that is space that i could use a lot more efficiently but i'm not sure what - bins? more shelves? hmm

    poo
  • TofystedethTofystedeth Registered User regular
    tynic wrote: »
    Their shipping is expensive so i wouldn't bother unless you're getting a bunch of stuff. But 2hrs isn't bad. When i lived in the UK my nearest Ikea was 3-4hrs away, but every now and then I'd be like, fuck it, day trip.

    Yeah, the closest Ikea to me is like 3-4 hours away. But when I decided to buy my current computer desk from them, I was also about a month away from visiting my parents in Dallas. So I just bought it there and hauled it back myself in my car since it fit in the back with the seats down.

    steam_sig.png
  • TofystedethTofystedeth Registered User regular
    edited January 2022
    I do need to do some decluttering, though it's not as bad as it could be since I try to prevent clutter as much as possible. My parents are borderline hoarders and I just remember how much stuff they accrued while I was in middle school and highschool and the useable space in our house got smaller and smaller. So many books never read again, if once. So many records that nobody'd listened to in 20 years. Just a ton of stuff my mom got cause it was on sale and might be useful.

    I did go through my bags of assorted cables'n'stuff for the first time in like... 15 years and got rid of a crapton of power cables, and network cables of varying lengths and reliability, and USB adapters for devices that I didn't even remember what they were.

    Tofystedeth on
    steam_sig.png
  • DoodmannDoodmann Registered User regular
    Athenor wrote: »
    sarukun wrote: »
    That is so many toys.

    It is WAY TOO MANY TOYS.

    Edit: Here's the reverse view, for context. The really sad part is that as much as I was telling myself that this was covered by my insurance, I don't think I would have been able to recreate / list this...

    6haDS6ch.jpg

    Athenor, lets both figure out how to sell stuff.

    I have 2 flat files full of posters and there is no reason for me to be holding all of them.

    Whippy wrote: »
    nope nope nope nope abort abort talk about anime
    Sometimes I sell my stuff on Ebay
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