Bykofsky Sheree - Declutter anything: a room-by-room guide to cleaning your home and simplifying your life

Copyright 2010 by Ed Morrow, Sheree Bykofsky, and Rita Rosenkranz

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The Library of Congress has cataloged the earlier printing as follows:

Morrow, Ed.

10,001 ways to declutter your home on a small budget / Ed Morrow, Shree Bykofsky, and Rita Rosenkranz.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-60239-952-5 (pbk. : alk. paper)

1. House cleaning. 2. Orderliness. 3. Storage in the home. I. Bykofsky, Sheree. II. Rosenkranz, Rita. III. Title. IV. Title: Ten thousand and one ways to declutter your home on a small budget.

TX324.M66 2010

648.5--dc22

2009048766

Cover design by Owen Corrigan

Print ISBN: 978-1-63220-271-0

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63450-136-1

Printed in China

In memory of my parents, Ed Sr. and Emma; Helen Smith Powers, the worlds greatest mother-in-law; and my aunt Irene Halpin, who kept the prettiest garden in Lunenburg, Vermont. And with loving thanks for the friendship of JoAnn and Art Rasmussen.

ED MORROW

To my mother and father. I will always strive to live a life that would make you proud.

SHEREE BYKOFSKY

To Sol and Sally Rosenkranz, my first and finest influence.

RITA ROSENKRANZ

Notice

The writers and editors who compiled this book have tried to make all the contents as accurate and correct as possible. The text has been carefully checked and cross-checked. However, due to the variability of personal skill, tools, materials, and so on, neither the writers nor the publisher assume any responsibility for any injuries suffered or for damages or other losses that result from the material presented herein. All instructions should be carefully studied and clearly understood before beginning any project. Mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities in this book does not imply endorsement by the publisher, nor does mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities imply that they endorse this book.

Contents

Introduction

A Cluttered House Is Like an Overweight Body

I s your house fat? Can it barely squeeze itself into that new coat of aluminum siding you purchased last summer? Is it more likely to be featured in a Richard Simmons video than a Bob Vila video? Houses can get overweight. We overfeed them with clutter. Each day, we go out to work to earn money to buy stuff that we bring home and cram into every cupboard, drawer, and closet till one day, when we leave, we cant shut the door behind us.

The house cramming process is much like what happens to our bodies if we overindulge in food while under-indulging in exercise. They become a burden and a source of unhappiness. Health-minded people turn to dieting and exercise to regain control of their bodies, and in the same way you can put your home on a diet.

Home dieting consists of buying less and getting rid of things you dont need. Home exercise involves organizing those possessions you do need so that they dont interfere with your life. Declutter Anything offers practical, room-by-room advice on how to combine both into an anticlutter diet and exercise plan.

There is a need for this book because, in America the Bountiful, we can acquire so much stuff. Indeed, theres a whole industryadvertisingdevoted to convincing us that we need as much of that stuff as we can possibly afford, plus a little more. Ads appear on everything from park benches to barn roofs. It has been estimated that the average American reaching the age of 80 will have watched 2.5 million television commercials. From home shopping networks to online sites, we can shop 24 hours a dayand we do! Sometimes we buy because we legitimately need the item, but all too often we buy to satisfy a psychological need.

As is true for overeating, we tend to use shopping as self-reward, as recreation, as a diversion to relieve boredom, or to fill vague longings hidden in a remote corner of our souls. How often have you purchased something, brought it home, and wondered, What was I thinking? Probably about as often as youve eaten something when you werent hungry.

Clutter is more than an inconvenience that can trip you as you go from room to room. A house with too much stuff is physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining. Every extraneous object becomes a psychological hurdle that you have to jump over to accomplish anything.

Like being overweight, clutter isnt just a matter of appearances. Once you bring possessions home, your work has only begun. You have to maintain them. You have to clean them. You have to pay rent or a mortgage to put a roof over them. You have to protect them. You have to organize them. Eventually, you may have to pole vault over them.

It doesnt have to be this way. You can fight against the rising tide of clutter that threatens to engulf your home, disrupt your life, and deplete your energy. Declutter Anything can help you establish a balance of beauty, comfort, practicality, and well-being for your home. Youll find tips on what to save, what to forsake, and what to do to reclaim the harmony in your householdand your life. From regifting to online auctions to innovative charitable outlets, this book will show you many clever guilt- and regret-free ways to rid your home of excess pounds of ugly clutter. While youre streamlining, set a goal of losing 7 to 10 items an hour and youll be well on your way. Remember: inside every jam packed home is a svelte House Beautiful centerfold just waiting to get out!

As you uncover your slimmed down new home, youll enjoy a sense of freedom, spiritual vigor, and pride. Youll feel and act lighter. If this is hard to imagine, picture yourself with the energetic step of a newly thin person carrying bags full of old fat clothes to the Salvation Army. Once youve done the equivalent with your home clutter, youll free up both room and time for new inspirations, more meaningful and more carefully chosen belongings, and maybe even new relationships. When you relieve yourself of burdens, the whole world becomes a lighter, if not enlightened, place to live.

Our Fat Houses

A typical Southern California home is now approaching 3,000 square feet in size, with two-car garages standard and three-car garages common. By contrast, a typical home from the 1950s and 1960s was about 1,000 square feet, with a one-car garage. According to the National Association of Home Builders, this trend can be seen across the country. Our bloated homes arent explained by growing families. The average household fell from about 3 people in the 1960s to just 2.59 in 2000, and it is still shrinking. Homebuilders attribute the increase in home size to a greater demand for both living area and storage space for our stuff.