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Did you clear off a kitchen surface? What did you choose to declutter? Has it stayed clear or is it an area like our desk that will constantly need attention? I’ve added the desk to my Office Day task list since it’s usually filled with papers, books, and other office type items. I’m attempting to only save items that are actually needed rather than simply throwing things there to get them out of the way.
If you are just joining us, here’s the deal:
I still had this mindset of decluttering being a big ol’ chore up until a few months ago when I read this fantastic post from Nony at A Slob Comes Clean. It was like a huge light went off in my brain! Decluttering is simply the act of getting rid of what doesn’t belong, isn’t needed, or belongs in the trash. It doesn’t mean buying a whole slew of new bins for your things to go in or coming up with some type of system that you hope will change your life – that’s organizing. It’s a whole different ball game. Right now, I’m in the game of decluttering. I just want things GONE.
When there’s less stuff, especially less of what has no purpose in your home anymore, organizing can often happen naturally. You won’t be cramming thirty towels into the closet because you only need ten and they fit nicely. You don’t need to dig through a tub of medicines to find what you need only to keep coming across bottles that are long since expired.
Here’s my challenge: Each week, take on ONE area of your home. I’ve already made the list for you so that part is done. Go to the area, throw away trash, put items that you no longer need but are still in good condition into a donation box, and put other items where they belong. Simple!
You can read more about the challenge on the week one post.
Week 14: Cleaning Supplies
How is it possible to accumulate so many cleaning supplies but never actually use them up? We have cleaning supplies stashed in several spots around the house but I’m going to focus on two main areas where we store the majority of the items – under the kitchen sink and in the laundry room.
We keep the basics under the sink – all purpose cleaner, cleaner with bleach, dishwasher soap, sponges, floor cleaner, etc. I knew that we also had some things under that sink that have NEVER been used in this house. As in they came with us on our move and I’m not sure the last time they were used ever, let alone in this house.
Here’s the before picture:
It’s not terrible but I know there are items we don’t need or use so why keep them? Plus a lot of the stuff is simply shoved in there rather than easily accessed.
Um, why do I have melted rubber gloves?
I found these to get rid of from under the sink. I honestly cannot remember the last time we used any of these. If ever since I’ve been around. There is a good chance they were from Micah’s roommates before we got married and we simply inherited them… almost 11 years ago!
I checked out Earth911 for tips on how to dispose of cleaning products and followed their directions. Now under the sink looks much better!
My next spot is on top of the water heater in the laundry room. We used to have all the cleaning products up high on a shelf… then that shelf fell out of the wall because it was too heavy and not secured to studs. Pulled right out of the drywall! We stacked them all on the water heater to keep them out of the way but it’s not the best place.
Thankfully we have another shelf that I could move these too. And I threw away the random garbage, put the cat food in her food bucket, put away the rope lights, and put the clothes pins away.
The new shelf doesn’t fit everything that was on the old shelf because it’s about a third of the size but it’s much more secure so I’ll take it. I put the harshest items up there, out of the reach of the kids, and left some of the less dangerous cleaners on the water heater for easy access.
Okay, so obviously the bleach is still not great so I’ll probably move that again to the other shelf above the dryer. It’s still out of reach of the kids and has the safety cap but those kids can be crafty buggers and I don’t want to risk that.
What cleaning products did you find to get rid of this week? Did you properly dispose of them or were you able to give them away to someone who could use them? How do you store your cleaning products so your kids can’t access them?
Share a picture in the comments or on social media with the hashtag #clutterbusterchallenge of what you found to declutter.
Come back next week for week 15 of the Clutter Buster Challenge when we go through our master bedroom nightstands. I know my drawer has become a complete dumping ground for items I’m not sure what to do with plus random stuff from the last nearly 11 years we’ve been married. I’m ready to get rid of nearly everything in it!
If you are looking for a better way of keeping on top of your homemaking tasks now that you are steamrolling through all this decluttering you might be interested in a new course from Humorous Homemaking. Home Management How To: A Guide to Daily Success is open now! I’ve got a post about my experience with this course here but this is a great course for you to take control of all the household tasks in a way that is tailored specifically to your family and life.
