Last spring, my husband needed something from the storage room, so he started rummaging through tubs. I heard sounds of frustration continuing to grow…you know, the gruff that husbands get when they can’t find something?! An hour later, he came up with an old yellow lamp with ‘SHS Dance’ in green puff paint from my high school years (cue tears of laughter). That’s when reality hit. I gritted my teeth because I knew we had to do something about the piles of junk in this house. I mean, why on EARTH do I still have tubs of stuff from high school?! With “the look” from my husband, I decided it was time to purge our home.
Disclaimer :: those high school tubs were dumped on me by my mother who no longer wanted them. I just never did anything with them, so into the storage room they went (with a million other junk collections).
I knew that this would not be an overnight fix. In fact, I’ve been purging our home for 6 months now, and am still making my way through it all, little by little.
I’m one that MUST do things in steps, so here is how I purge on my own time:
Make A Master List
Prioritize what areas you need to clean out. Some are large tasks, others are quick and simple. Whatever you need to purge, write it down.
So far, I’ve crossed off girl’s clothing tubs (that was a HUGE one), my closet (again…HUGE task), baby items, pantry, master bath cabinets/drawers, guest bath cabinet, and toy closet.
Tackle One at a Time
Lists are daunting. Instead, focus on one area at at time. When it’s done, cross it off the list. Because of life (and the simple fact that I burn out quickly), I tell myself to tackle one every week. If it’s a large task (aka closets), I give myself 2-3 weeks and work on it a little each day.
Those high school tubs I mentioned before? I literally threw those out with trash in one fell swoop! The tubs of girl’s clothing? It took me a month to sort, organize, sell, and donate all of those. When I needed a break from working one afternoon, I walked into my bathroom and cleaned out the cabinets. My kids helped me organize the toy closet one weekend, and we now have a routine of putting things back every night. Slowly but surely, I’m tackling our home one area at a time!
Trash Items
If it’s not worth selling or donating, trash it!
Sell Items
This is where my OCD kicks in. Many items are worth something, while most of it isn’t. But why not try to make a little money while cleaning out your home?!
Host a Garage Sale :: If you’re quick with cleaning, do it! I am not, and the thought of hosting a garage sale makes me nauseous.
Utilize BUY/SELL/TRADE Groups :: For single items, Facebook groups are great! There are large community groups AND also smaller, private groups for specific items that you’re trying to sell so that items don’t get lost in large groups. I find that children’s clothing sells quick and easy in the small groups, but large items (electronics, furniture, etc) sell best in the large groups.
Create Your Own Sell Group :: When you have SO MUCH stuff to sell when purging, the buy/sell/trade pages can get overwhelming. I decided to create my own private “sell group” on Facebook, and one on Instagram. By doing so, you have control over who can join/follow these groups. You can also control the posts, which you cannot do in the marketplace groups. Any items that are worth selling, I post first in my private groups. If things don’t sell, I then determine if they are worth trying to sell on the public pages, or if it’s time to donate.
Donate Items
I am big on donating to charities that need the items. Goodwill is great, but there are so many local charities that are focused on specific groups in need within our community. Depending on what category of items you have to donate, be sure to check out our Guide on Where to Donate Items in Wichita to find the perfect fit for your donations!
What have you found helpful when purging & organizing your own home?
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