Archives for February 2011

Three strategies to help you achieve sorting success

Sorting through your items is an essential stage in the uncluttering process. It is also a stage where many people have difficulties and consider bailing on the entire process. It can be hard to look at your things and know if you should keep or get rid of them. What if you might need it one day? What if you lose weight? What if, what if, what if.

When sorting — even if you aren’t having much difficulty — keep the following three things in mind to help you speed through the process:

  1. Don’t touch it. Avoid touching items you anticipate are going to be difficult for you to sort. Instead, ask a friend, family member, or professional organizer to hold these objects up for you. When we touch objects, we form stronger emotional connections with these objects. You’re more likely to be reasonable and make rational decisions about objects if you don’t touch them.
  2. Post your goal. Draw a picture, write it down, or find an old photograph of the space when it was uncluttered and organized and post it where you can see it while you work. You can’t talk yourself into keeping objects you don’t need when you have a constant reminder of your goal staring you in the face.
  3. Be happy. Play upbeat music, listen to an audiobook with a positive message, have a friend with a good attitude keep you company, or do whatever you need to do to stay happy during the process. When you’re in a good mood, your stress levels decrease and you’re more creative, able to come up with alternatives, and be more hopeful about the future. Happiness is a terrific friend during the uncluttering process.

Good luck, and happy sorting.

Posted by Erin on Feb 10, 2011 | 24 Comments | Tweet This

Unitasker Wednesday: Shoe Bibs

All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!

Are you a messy eater? I mean, a really messy eater? Are you constantly having to replace your shoes because you can’t find your mouth? If so, then you must be the target market for Shoe Bibs!

If food isn’t your problem, but wood shavings are, Shoe Bibs could be for you. Sure, you could simply purchase work boots that would also protect your toes in case you accidentally dropped something on your feet. But, why do that when you can look incredibly silly instead?!

Thanks to reader Bob for introducing us to Shoe Bibs.

Posted by Erin on Feb 9, 2011 | 34 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

  • Why we hold on to sentimental clutter
    Sentimental clutter plagues our attics, basements, closets, garages, and desks. These sentimental trinkets can keep us from moving forward with our lives physically and emotionally. If there is so much of the past taking up space in the present, there isn’t room to grow.
  • Discover your style to keep clutter out of your closet
    I like to think of my wardrobe as being an exclusive club that only the best of the best can get into. I’m the bouncer, and I get to decide what items make it past the red velvet rope, and what items don’t.

2008

Posted by PJ on Feb 9, 2011 | Comments Off | Tweet This

Curing clutter problems in under-sink cabinets

Cabinets under sinks in kitchens and bathrooms are common places to find clutter. There are pipes, maybe a hose or two, and usually a lot of stuff that was stored there in hopes that it would just magically disappear. Additionally, having clutter in this space can quickly become disastrous if one of the pipes or hoses develops a leak or bursts. Then, not only do you have a clutter problem, but you also have a soggy clutter problem.

The first thing to do with these spaces is to clear everything out from this area. Inspect the cabinet and check for signs of leaks or pests. If your cabinet is leak and pest clear, give the cabinet a good cleaning. If you have a leak or pests, call a professional and have the problem resolved before it gets even more out of hand.

Once everything is out of the cabinet, sort through it and ask yourself a few questions:

  • Is this item expired or damaged?
  • Is this item a hazardous chemical?
  • Is under the sink the best place to store this item?

If the item is expired or damaged, get rid of it or have it repaired immediately. If the item is a hazardous chemical (like a cleaning supply), move it somewhere where small children and visitors to your home cannot easily get their hands on it (a locked cabinet is best for these materials). Finally, if you don’t use the item in the room near the sink, storing the object under the sink isn’t a good idea.

After sorting through your items, I strongly recommend installing a storage system that will get items up off the bottom of the cabinet and take advantage of the vertical space.

Under our sink, we have roll-out storage shelves similar to this:

We have items in small, clear, plastic storage boxes with lids on the pull-out shelves in kits. This makes it easier to pull out all the supplies we need for different tasks at once (pony tail holders, sponges). Also, if a pipe bursts or leaks, the plastic box provides a second level of protection from the water. What is nice about roll-out shelves is you don’t have to get down on your hands and knees whenever you want to reach something at the back of the cabinet.

If the pipes under your sink will work with it, adjustable under-sink shelves might also work well for your space:

Again, as with the roll-out shelves, we suggest using small, clear, plastic storage boxes with lids for your supplies when you return them to the cabinet, as an extra level of protection for you things from pipe and hose leaks.

Posted by Erin on Feb 8, 2011 | 27 Comments | Tweet This

Tool and hobby storage: Gerstner’s Hobby Roller Cabinet

Basements and garages are places where tools and hobby supplies can easily become overwhelming if proper storage doesn’t exist. My husband loves woodworking (he makes stringed instruments and large furniture), and his tools are starting to outgrow his current storage system. I’ve been searching for solutions that can best suit his needs, and I’ve fallen in love with the Gerstner GI-R530 Hobby Roller Cabinet:

From the GI-R530′s product description:

  • Removable locking bar on drawers
  • 2 Swivel locking wheels, 2 Stationary wheels
  • Metal, full extension drawer slides – rated for 60 lbs
  • Collapsible side work table
  • Polished chrome plated hardware
  • Felt lined drawers for cushioned storage

The cabinet retails for $569, so I haven’t yet ordered the unit. I feel that this cabinet is certainly worth its price, I just need to decide if it’s right for my budget. Valentine’s Day is on the horizon …

For smaller and larger storage chests, some rolling and some fixed location, check out Gerstner’s full inventory.

Posted by Erin on Feb 7, 2011 | 21 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2009

2008

Posted by PJ on Feb 6, 2011 | Comments Off | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Organizing photographs

Reader Mary submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

My parents both passed away before I was 30. My sister and I cleaned out our mom’s house and stored some items in Florida in separate units until we thought we could use them. After 10 years (!!), I finally realized I was never going to move that stuff out to California where I live, so I went back and cleaned out the unit and ended up keeping very little. One thing I did keep, however, is ALL of the family photos, and the envelopes of negatives. Some are in albums (all unmatched, of course) and some are still in their envelopes. Plus I have my own photos and negatives. I’m swimming in this stuff (about 2-3 large totes worth) and have no clue how best to organize, what to keep, what can I toss (the negatives??). Because it’s only me and my sister now, and these photos are all I have as “evidence” of the first three decades of my life.

My condolences about losing your parents. I realize it has been more than a decade, but I’m still sorry for your loss.

As far as the photographs are concerned, I’m of the belief that photographs aren’t clutter. Okay, so maybe that blurry one of the ground you accidentally took in the eighth grade doesn’t need to be in your collection, but the rest are of family, friends, places, and experiences you value. The majority of them likely bring you joy — and those are worth keeping.

However, I don’t think storing them in a large tote is the best way to show you value these images. Here’s how I would tackle the project:

  • Pick a Saturday on your calendar when you can sort through all of the photographs. Keep the day free of all other obligations. Wear comfortable clothes, have your favorite snacks on hand, and play your favorite music. Going through all of the pictures is going to take time and a lot of mental energy. Give yourself the day and don’t rush.
  • You’re going to want to sort the pictures into two groups: Trash and Keep. Obviously, you’ll throw out and/or shred the Trash pictures at the end of the sorting process. Get rid of any blurry ground shots or ones where the flash didn’t go off and you can’t identify anything in the photo. All black pictures from when you forgot to take off the lens cap can go into the Trash without a second thought. Duplicates, photographs you can’t stand, and anything else you don’t want to keep because it’s associated with a negative experience can go into the Trash pile, too.
  • The Keep pile will be the photographs you plan to store and look at from time-to-time. As you decide to keep them, lay them out onto a cleared floor or dining table. I suggest making piles by decade (1970s, 1980s) or life stage (elementary school, middle school, high school). When you put the photographs in albums, you can organize in more detail by months and years.
  • Once all of the images you have chosen to keep have been sorted, you may choose to bundle and box the photographs and have them professionally scanned. (ScanMyPhotos and ScanCafe are national companies that do this. However, many photo processing businesses offer this service, so check locally if you don’t wish to ship them across the U.S.) If you have the images scanned, I also recommend uploading a copy to a private Flickr or Picasa Web account. This way, you can easily share the images with your sister and friends, and you have a back up copy in case a fire, flood, or other disaster destroys the originals.
  • When you have the original images back from being scanned, you can sort them in more detail and put them into albums. You may decide that since you have digital copies of the photographs that you don’t want to keep the originals. If this is the case, I suggest giving your sister a call and offering them to her. She might prefer the originals to the digital version.
  • Write information about the images next to the photographs in the album, or type the information into the Notes field of the digital file. This way, you’ll know who is in the picture, when it was taken, and why you chose to keep the picture. These can be great reminders when, years from now, you have forgotten some of this information.
  • If you use photo albums, store them in a place where you can easily look at them and enjoy them whenever you want. Keeping them in a box in a closet or a basement makes it difficult to view these memories. Also, you may find a few favorites in the tote that you want to frame and enjoy every day.

As far as negatives are concerned, I don’t see anything wrong with ditching them if you have a good, quality digital copy of the image. Most photographic printers are digital these days, even at photo-processing businesses, so a good scan should be all you need if you want to make physical copies of an image.

Thank you, Mary, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Do you have a question relating to organizing, cleaning, home and office projects, productivity, or any problems you think the Unclutterer team could help you solve? To submit your questions to Ask Unclutterer, go to our contact page and type your question in the content field. Please list the subject of your e-mail as “Ask Unclutterer.” If you feel comfortable sharing images of the spaces that trouble you, let us know about them. The more information we have about your specific issue, the better.

Posted by Erin on Feb 4, 2011 | 68 Comments | Tweet This

Workspace of the Week: Built-in beauty

This week’s Workspace of the Week is JWhelan’s custom-fitted home office:

The ample storage supply in this office is breathtaking. The glass on the cabinet doors lets objects be seen, but without having to dust. The monitors mounted directly to the wall is a wonderful idea for freeing up the worksurface.

More details from JWhelan’s photo description:

My home office in my new house. It features a hidden desktop PC (left hand cabinet, along with HP printer) with wall-mounted dual 22″ widescreen monitors with custom in-wall wiring, under-cabinet lighting over the monitors and desk and plenty of shelves for my growing collection of books. The recliner in the corner admittedly doesn’t match the color decor – I am awaiting a slipcover to bring it more in-line with the color scheme.

A wonderfully designed and clutter-free space. Thank you, JWhelan, for sharing it with our Flickr us.

Want to have your own workspace featured in Workspace of the Week? Submit a picture to the Unclutterer flickr pool. Check it out because we have a nice little community brewing there. Also, don’t forget that workspaces aren’t just desks. If you’re a cook, it’s a kitchen; if you’re a carpenter, it’s your workbench.

Posted by Erin on Feb 4, 2011 | 14 Comments | Tweet This

Who should be an unclutterer?

A common question reporters ask during interviews is, “Why do you think everyone should be organized?”

My response usually takes them by surprise when I answer, “I don’t think everyone should be organized.”

I’m not trying to avoid confrontation with reporters when I say this. I sincerely don’t believe that an uncluttered and organized life is for everyone. It’s only when clutter and disorganization become dangerous to a person or others that I would even consider using the word should. And, as is the case with hoarders, I think getting licensed medical treatment for the disorder is what is most important — clearing the clutter is a secondary priority and is only effective once progress is occurring with mental health treatment.

My belief is that clutter and disorganization aren’t distracting to some people. I don’t know how these things aren’t distracting, but they truly aren’t to some people. There are people who can pursue the life they desire without thinking twice about their stuff or without a need to adopt organizing systems.

The only people who should be unclutterers are people who want to be unclutterers.

Personally, I find clutter and disorganization very distracting. I cannot achieve the life I want when I’m tripping over my son’s toys or stressing out about all of the things I need to do. Being an unclutterer is what is best for me.

If you’re reading this post, clutter and disorganization are probably distractions to you, too. (Why would someone read a website called Unclutterer if he has no interest in being an unclutterer?) We need to remember, though, clutter and disorganization aren’t distractions for everyone. Our desire to pursue an uncluttered life is our choice, but it’s not the best or a necessary choice for everyone to achieve a remarkable life.

In fact, thinking everyone should be an unclutterer is an easy way to clutter up your time and mental energy.

Posted by Erin on Feb 3, 2011 | 32 Comments | Tweet This

Unitasker Wednesday: Watermelon knife

All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!

The nasty cold winter weather has me dreaming of summer. I’m imagining scenes of walking outside without a coat, hat, gloves, scarf, and boots. I keep standing next to the window, hoping to feel the warm sun on my face, but dense clouds threatening snow are keeping that from happening.

One of my favorite summer foods is watermelon. I’ve been especially missing its cold and crisp texture, and sweet juice that always seems to find its way down my chin. Unfortunately, since I can’t enjoy it now, I’ve had to think about my future with watermelon and how the chef’s knife I use to cut it likely offends the fruit.

“How dare you cut me with a knife you use on other foods!” it thinks, in judgment of me.

This year, I vow to impress watermelons! I shall no longer feel shame about using a multi-functional knife. Instead, I will win the watermelons’ affections as I pull out my dedicated Stainless Steel Watermelon Knife:

All watermelons will know they are being sliced by a knife created just for them when they see the stamp on the blade identifying the knife’s very specific purpose:

Summer needs to hurry up and get here so I can use the knife that won’t offend watermelons!

Thanks to reader Swilde for introducing us to this fun unitasker.

Posted by Erin on Feb 2, 2011 | 19 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2010

  • Evaluate your household routines
    Do you have a routine chart for household chores? Is everyone in the house taking responsibility for and completing their duties? Do you need to evaluate your routines to make sure they’re meeting the demands of your home and fit with your schedule? With the start of the new month, now might be a good time to make sure you have a functioning system in place.

2008

Posted by PJ on Feb 2, 2011 | Comments Off | Tweet This

January resolution wrap up, and introduction of February resolution

In 2011, I’m trying out small, monthly resolutions instead of large, annual New Year’s resolutions. My public resolution for January was to be more organized in the kitchen, and create and use more nutritious meal plans for my family. If you read SimpliFried, then you know I even made one of my meal plans downloadable for anyone who wants it.

The small goal worked well for me, and I’ll try to continue it into February along with my new resolution for the second month. I think the first resolution was successful because it was:

  • Scheduled. Every Monday I had “Meal Planning,” written on my calendar between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. The block of time on the calendar helped me to commit to it.
  • Prepared. I had the Harvard Medical School’s guide to healthy eating Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy as my nutrition guide, a blank meal planning worksheet, a pen, a stack of cookbooks, and my favorite recipes from the internet with me every time I made the plan.
  • Concrete. My goal to make and follow a weekly meal plan wasn’t lofty or ambiguous. What needed to happen was clear from the beginning and it was easy to break into action items.
  • Achievable. I knew it was possible to achieve the resolution, I just had to take the time and invest the energy to make it happen. Additionally, with fresh food in the house, I knew if I didn’t stick to the plans I would be wasting my money.
  • Accountable. By telling my family and the readers of this website that this was my resolution, I felt a greater sense of responsibility to carry out the goal. I’m not sure this was necessary since I wanted to do it, but it certainly didn’t hurt.

My plan had been to make February my Super Simple Month again this year, but it unfortunately looks like it’s not going to work. I’ll have to rearrange things on the calendar to try for it in March or April. One of my extended family members is very ill and I need to do some traveling this month related to her.

As an alternative, my public resolution for February will be to go through everything — absolutely everything — in my office. There will be uncluttering, organizing, rearranging, and a lot of paper processing. I spend the vast majority of my day in about 150 square feet of space, and this room needs my attention. To a visitor, my office doesn’t look cluttered, but I know what lies beneath. I know how stuffed my filing cabinet is and how many things are ready to go from this space.

Tonight, I’ll kick off my monthly resolution by splitting the room into zones and scheduling when I will address these zones on my calendar. One shelf a day, followed by one drawer a day, and so-on-and-so-forth until I’ve tackled the entire room.

Do you have resolutions? What are you doing to achieving them? Can you do something today to get one step closer to your goal?

Posted by Erin on Feb 2, 2011 | 15 Comments | Tweet This

Five steps to reclaim your living room

Your living room or family room is supposed to be the place in your home where people gather. However, if this space is constantly cluttered and uninviting, the people in your house might find somewhere less convenient to congregate (like your office), or, even worse, they’ll retreat to their bedrooms and start to act like strangers under the same roof. At the very least, you might be annoyed by tripping over shoes in the middle of the floor or having to pick up a pile of clutter and move it to an end table whenever you want to have a seat.

Your living room doesn’t have to be a constant source of stress, and rescuing it from the clutches of clutter doesn’t have to be an overwhelming chore. These five steps can help you to reclaim your living room and make it a relaxing and fun space for the people in your home.

  1. Identify what you and the other people in your home do in the space. Is your living room a place where you watch television, play board or video games, and read? Do you store blankets, books, and your butterfly collection in this room? What are your needs for this space?
  2. Remove items unrelated to the purposes of your living room. Kitchen items shouldn’t be stored in your living room, and neither should clothes that belong in your clothes or hallway closet.
  3. Have a place for everything. If your possessions don’t have a storage place, they will always be out of place. Find a home for all of your things that belong in this room, and remember to store things in the room where you use them. It’s easier to put things back into their storage place when you don’t have to stand up and walk across the room to do it.
  4. Keep decorative items in check. You probably have a lot of items stored in this space, so don’t let decorative items run amok. Only use decorative objects that you love with a passion and find truly inspiring.
  5. Create and follow maintenance routines to care for the living space. Set a timer for five minutes every night before bed to pick up around the room — return food items to the kitchen, put toys and items back in their storage space, and do whatever you need to do to make the room inviting for the next day. Weekly (or more often if necessary), run the vacuum cleaner, dust, and take care of more intense chores for the room. Seasonally, do the major cleaning responsibilities for the space — polish wood floors, clean vents and screens, etc. Weekly and seasonal chores should be scheduled on the calendar, same as all important events, and everyone in the home should participate in caring for the space.

You’ll have to invest some time initially in the room to get it up to your standards, but then it’s only five minutes an evening to keep it clutter free.

Posted by Erin on Feb 1, 2011 | 22 Comments | Tweet This