Are you decluttering your home, too? I’d love to be able to share your success story with the KOAB community! Please submit the before & after pictures of your decluttering project.
I want you to know something. I share these (frankly embarrassing) before pictures as an act of love. Which is weird, because if we were friends in real life, there’s no way I’d invite you into the messiest recesses of my house and say, “Here! Look! I love you!”
And yet, that’s what I do on the Internet: I show you my dirty laundry (quite literally) because I want you to know that no matter where you’re starting, you can always improve. And you’re most certainly not alone.
Today’s project is one of two closets in our master bedroom. The other closet belongs to my husband — and although he loves you, too, he’s definitely not okay with me showing off his dirty laundry on the Internet. Which I can totally respect.
My closet isn’t *that* bad – when you look at the top half. But then you look down at the bottom half — aka the FLOOR — and you can clearly see where my problems lie.
Those piles were of clothing (and other assorted items) that had been rotated out of my family’s closets over the past 7 months. Clothing meant to be donated. For 7 months, that pile has grown and grown until I literally could not close my closet door.
I started the decluttering by attacking the worst culprit: The pile. I scooped up all the items and tossed them on my bed, so I could sort thru everything at once. I made piles for friends, piles to give away on a Facebook group, and piles for donating. Before bagging it all up, I went thru my own hanging and folded clothes and pulled out another dozen pieces that don’t fit or don’t look good on me.
Finally, I went thru my laundry basket. My CLEAN laundry basket. Lest you think I’m some perfect put-away-my-clean-laundry-as-soon-as-it’s-done type, let me disavow you of that notion right now. But yesterday, I turned over a new leaf, emptying out that whole basket, folding and putting away pajamas and work-out clothes and hanging up my skirts and blouses.
My clothes are hung up from left to right by skirts, short-sleeve tops, long-sleeve tops, sweaters and finally dresses (since they need the extra long hanging room past the shoe organizer).
I love having all the same hangers – it makes everything look much more uniform. And I especially adore those black velvet ones. I picked them up at Costco on a whim two years ago and have not regretted the purchase. (You can get similar ones at Amazon – $24.99 for a box of 50.) Not only does the velvet “hang on” to your clothes – so your blouses aren’t going to slide off like on the plastic hangers – they also are very thin, so you can get more into your closet, without it looking all jumbled.
Finally, I vacuumed the closet floor, and thoroughly wiped down each shelf. You know, because chametz might be lurking in there. 😉 Oh, and for the record, I also went thru all my pockets and purses, to check for any chametz. (Remember when I said I’d rather clean than cook? I wasn’t kidding. It’s a sickness.)
The whole thing took me about an hour — including sorting all the donation items and making a list of them for tax purposes.
Now that this closet is done, it has joined the ranks of my home’s happy places. You know, like my desk drawers, or my linen closet, or the kids’ toy storage. Those places that are so clean, tidy and streamlined that every time I look at them, I can’t help but smile.
And now I really must stop decluttering and go to the grocery store – because despite my denial, Passover really is coming. But before I go, how about one last before & after shot – since who doesn’t love one of those?
Do you feel the need to get a better handle on the stuff in your house? Please join me for the 31 Days of Decluttering challenge! Everyone is welcome!
Day One: Decluttering the Toy Storage Closet
Day Two: Decluttering the Top of a Bedroom Dresser (Finish What You Start!)
Day Three & Four: Decluttering the Master Bathroom
Day Five: Decluttering My Desk
Day Six: Join the Decluttering Challenge
Day Seven: Decluttering the Computer
Day Eight: Decluttering the Night Stand
Day Nine: Decluttering a Kitchen Counter in Less than 10 Minutes
Day 10: Decluttering a Bedroom Closet
Day 11: Taming the Paper Clutter
Day 12: Decluttering the Coat Closet
Day 13: Decluttering the Linen Closet
Day 14: Reader Share: Decluttering the Play Room
Day 15: Reader Share: Decluttering the Front Hall Table
Day 16: Is Clutter a Sensory Issue?
Day 17: Decluttering the Kitchen Cupboard (Food Storage)
Day 18: Clutter & Decision Fatigue
Day 19: Decluttering the Kitchen Pantry
Day 20: Reader Share: Keeping a Decluttered Pantry
Day 21: Decluttering the Spice Drawer
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