Decrapification

[StraightForward]

If I find a shirt that I really don't wear - my go to answer is - I'll use it to clean in....and I do...but, I have too many clothes that I can clean in! LOL For some reason, I seem to find a reason to repurpose items, sometimes they actually get used and sometimes not!

That's a perfect example of the reason for putting things of a certain category together and deciding what a reasonable amount to keep is. I had the exact same thing going on with old t-shirts and sweats for painting and other grubby jobs. I retired too many t-shirts to my grubby clothes drawer, and I MIGHT wear that stuff once a week, so I don't need 5 pairs of pants and 10 t-shirts, so I donated ones that were still fit for someone else to wear rather than add to the already excessive cache of grubby clothes.

[PhoenixRising]

I needed this thread. I have been avoiding a lot of "cleaning up" that really needs done, and this thread got me motivated. I started with paperwork. Everything has been sorted, filed away, and shredded as necessary. Three bags of shredded paper later, I'm done with that part. Next I'm tackling clothes!

[Canyon]

I just cleaned out my big gardening cabinet in the garage. I had an amazing amount of plastic nursery pots, cracked terra cotta pots, and miscellaneous bits and pieces that were easy to put in the trash. I put the decent glass vases, pots, and extra bird feeders in a box to go to Goodwill.

Now, the cabinet is organized; I have plenty of room in there, even after I consolidated more stuff from another part of the garage!

[Canyon]

I'm reviving this thread to add something I received in an email today:

"I tried the Japanese method of decluttering where you hold every object that you own and if it does not bring you joy, you throw it away. So far I've thrown out all of the vegetables, my bra, the electric bill, the scale, a mirror, and my treadmill."

[PaulaO]

So true!

[goldhorse]

I am revisiting this subject as anxiety has set in. I'm having a total knee replacement on July 8 and my time honored method of dealing with stress is to houseclean. So I'm at it again. But thankfully, there's very little purging left. I even purged 21 pounds off of me this year!!!!!
I have found the cleaner house to be much more peaceful and relaxing. The only thing that I can't bring myself to purge is tack. I've given some stuff away to friends but I can't throw anything away. And I've been too lazy to list things. But if you're still reading, I have a black Micklem bridle, horse sized (the cheapest one) and a pair of Jerrys' extra long synthetic reins with hand stops. And 2 pairs of slanted western stirrups. If interested, pm me. Some day I'll get around to listing them on the tack for sale forum....

[PaulaO]

Gold horse, best wishes, jingles, white light, and prayers for an uneventful surgery. Yes, clean and uncluttered is peaceful. Clean out a drawer if your mobility is limited.

[kande50]

I want to get rid of all the tack and horse gear I won't be needing, but first I have to decide what I might just possibly need and what I will never ever use again, and since I have been wrong before, this will take probably a year to figure out.

My approach to decrapifying is to keep things until I need the space to store something else. So 2 years ago I sold one of my saddles, an AP, because I wasn't planning to jump any more so decided to keep the extra dressage saddles instead. Then, shortly after I sold it I hired a trainer to ride a mule we'd just gotten, and could have used the saddle I sold. So that just reconfirmed my original idea that I should just find more storage space instead of getting rid of stuff I might want later.

I also feel a certain responsibility to help keep stuff out of the landfills, so try to recycle everything I do get rid of. Freecycle helps a lot with that, because there are often others who can use what I can't.

[Hayburner]

I did participate in our community garage sale. It was really way more work than I expected! I went thru my storage room, and all my closets, drawers and kitchen cabinets. Anything that was too nice and new, I sent pics to my sister and she picked what she wanted first.

The weather sucked so the turnout was not great. I was proud of the fact that the things I did not sell, I immediately put in my suv and took to the local Goodwill!

Do I still have more to purge? YES... But I did put a dent in my "stuff" and nothing came back into my house!

[kande50]

I did participate in our community garage sale. It was really way more work than I expected!

Agreed, as are Ebay, Freecycle, and Craigslist. We live next to a busy highway though, so I can usually get rid of some stuff by setting it out there with a free sign.

[fergusnc]

I'm reviving this thread to add something I received in an email today:

"I tried the Japanese method of decluttering where you hold every object that you own and if it does not bring you joy, you throw it away. So far I've thrown out all of the vegetables, my bra, the electric bill, the scale, a mirror, and my treadmill."

[PaulaO]

I'm contemplating my 2 car garage which houses one car, and a second car size bunch o stuff. I'd love to make room for a second car. I'd love to lease the new Jag XE but that's another story.

I have Bob's 20 year old stable blanket which he wore less than 5 times. It is in perfect condition but I think the idea of stable blankets is quite old fashioned. Does anyone still use them? I'm toying with the idea of giving it to the rescue. I think my attachment to it has faded. I still have his wool cooler which I will never part with.