Comments on: Oprah’s Clean Your Messy House Tour

By: gypsy packer

gypsy packer — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:07:39 +0000

Sometimes the comments mean more to me than the articles. Thank you for the post from Suze Orman. Last week, I was discussing the “ugly coats” the stepmonster forced me to wear through childhood when my classmates had pretty purchases.
I just realized that I own 5 beautiful coats, none of which I wear more than once or twice a winter…and yes, an ugly down jacket for the dirty work.
Time for me to grow up and get rid of some of those coats.

By: Joy (from Just Plain Joy)

Joy (from Just Plain Joy) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 04:26:07 +0000

I use the hanger trick to remind me not to wear the same outfit to work for the third Monday in a row…just kidding (sort of). I have a limited work wardrobe, so I use a variation of the trick to rotate through my professional clothing.

By: Jennifer Wilson (StarXLR8)

Jennifer Wilson (StarXLR8) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:24:32 +0000

Am I the only one that could ‘hear’ Peter Walsh offer the tips in this post? I just love him!

There is something about an Australian accent that makes we want to say ‘thank you, may I have another?’

By: Another Deb

Another Deb — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:09:41 +0000

The one year rule should automatically exclude specialty items that you would not want to rent.

I have a wetsuit that I don’t use each year, but I don’t mind storing it. It’s in a spare closet and I don’t have to play “closet Tetris” with it.

However, there are at least five shirts in the closet that I pass over every day because they aren’t the right color of green, have a stain or they make my arms look fat(ter).

I have realized that it is not worth saving them to paint, camp or change the oil in. I will not be buying a blazer to wear over them. After a year I am ready to release these items to the wild.

By: Krisha

Krisha — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:54:01 +0000

@sharon/erin, due to the demand, they actually extended the offer through the end of the month. the coupon (same link as before) reflects the change.

By: Adrienne

Adrienne — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:25:23 +0000

I just got an email from the Container Store saying that the promotional discount has been extended to November 30th.

http://www.oprah.com/slideshow.....syhouse/21

By: Sue

Sue — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:54:05 +0000

@someone – I agree. Even the “1 year” guideline for clothing doesn’t work on some items. I have a long down coat that I can only wear if the weather is well below freezing. The last couple of winters were mild, so I never wore that coat. If I applied the 1 year rule, I’d give away the coat only to find I desperately need it the next time we have a really cold day.

As for duplicate items, I find keeping multiples of certain items is better for me than having one. Scissors, for example – I keep a pair in kitchen, a pair in my office, and a couple with my rubber stamping stuff. I’m very bad at putting things away if their home isn’t near the place where I use them. If I had to walk across the house to put a pair of scissors away, they’d never get back to their proper home. And the next time I needed scissors I’d be looking all over for them. Same with tape, notepads, and pens.

By: someone

someone — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:35:38 +0000

I’m always amused when I see suggestions to get rid of clothing you haven’t worn in “6 months”. Haven’t these people ever heard of SEASONS? If I followed that advice, I’d probably have to get rid of almost everything except for half my underwear.

@whyioughtta– a good rule of thumb is “whichever option works best in practice”. Or looked at the other way around, “whichever option will be less annoying”

By: Tabitha (From Single to Married)

Tabitha (From Single to Married) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:12:23 +0000

what great tips! I really like the one about the hangers because I tend to let close stay in my closet for way too long!

By: Sky

Sky — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:06:05 +0000

Peter Walsh and his book “It’s All Too Much” are wonderful. He and Erin need to team up and unclutter the world!
I find when I keep “like” things together I realize I don’t need multiples of items. I used to keep tape, stapler, etc. in a kitchen drawer as well as my desk. Now everything is in my desk and I freed up a kitchen drawer. Same with tools, now they are all in the garage. It’s easier to walk out there when I need a hammer than to have a separate tool box in the house.
HMR….you must have a big oven! Ha!
whyioughtta….dishes with dishes, food with food.

By: Chris | Quote Addict

Chris | Quote Addict — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:28:50 +0000

Thanks, great tips!

A quote than came to mind:

“The things you own end up owning you.”
- Tyler Durden, Fight Club

By: HMR

HMR — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:25:59 +0000

@whyioughtta – I feel your pain. I have a similar problem. I have no trouble deciding “like with like,” but I can’t ever decide how to divvy up frequently used items, with rarely used items.

For example, I own six cookie sheets for baking. I only bake enough cookies for six cookies sheets worth a few times a year. Do I store away four cookie sheets and split up the “like” items, or do I leave them all together and potentially waste valuable space.

Sadly, I have this debate every time I open the cabinet to take out a cookie sheet.

By: whyioughtta

whyioughtta — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:24:45 +0000

Missed that episode of Oprah, so I appreciate the update! I love the carpet tile idea and I think the hanger idea is totally brilliant.

My struggle is always with the ’store like with like’ concept…e.g. do I store my baby’s dishes with our dishes or with her baby food? Do I store coin rollers and our coin jars together or do I store coin rollers with stationery supplies? These are the questions that clutter my mind and paralyze me with indecision…

I think I think too much.

By: Erin Doland

Erin Doland — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:13:03 +0000

@sharon — Thanks for the catch! We removed the coupon mention from the article.

By: Shanel Yang

Shanel Yang — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:12:13 +0000

Great tips! Clutter is costly in so many ways that I hadn’t even realized till I saw Suze Orman’s “The Courage to Be Rich.” I highly recommend it. I also summarized parts of it at http://shanelyang.com/2008/06/.....o-be-rich/

By: sharon

sharon — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:55:15 +0000

FYI, the coupon expired last night.