January is the perfect time for spring cleaning and getting the house straight, so I thought I'd start off this year with some great ideas for decluttering. I know I for one still have the odd Christmas present sitting in my lounge waiting to be found a home!
So here are my three-and-a-half easy ways to cut down on clutter:
1. Odd socks. Set aside time to empty your sock drawer. Only put back matching pairs without holes. Any that have holes, decide whether you're going to mend them - if not, a clothing bank will make more use of them than your sock drawer. Any odd socks - check through your laundry basket for matching ones. No joy? Try the airing cupboard, clothes line or wait for the washing machine to finish. Any odd socks left standing can go straight to the clothing bank.
If you managed that, there's no reason you can't do the same sort of thing with your other drawers!
2. Papers. Ooh, this is one of my personal gremlins. I once sorted through a box of papers to find a solicitor's letter about completing the purchase of my house. OK, that's not too bad, you might say... but I sold that house ten years ago!
So what papers do you actually need? Probably nothing over a year old (unless it's the deeds to your house of course). Get some folders, label them, and file what you need where you can easily find it again.
For everything you don't need, there's the recycling bin, or if it's got personal details on, bung it through the shredder. Once you've got your existing papers in order, be ruthless about any new paper that enters your house - beware the postman! I've heard this saying before, and it works for me: Once you open a piece of mail, only allow yourself to do one of three things with it: deal with it, file it or bin (recycle) it. If you can stick to this rule, paper clutter will never be a problem again!
3. Sentimental items. Another toughie. Some things are worth keeping, I admit it. For these things it's maybe worth setting aside a shelf or a box so that you keep them in good condition for nostalgic afternoons, or for passing on as heirlooms or for showing to the grandchildren when they're old enough.
But I also have to admit that half the stuff in my loft... well, aren't worth keeping. There, I've said it. But how to face up to parting with things that you don't need, you don't use and you'll never look at again till you next move house...? Well, my sister came up with a great idea for this. In my parents' attic she found some miniature toys we used to love when we were little. Neither of us really wanted to keep them but it was so hard throwing them away. So she lined them up and took a photo of them, and sent me a copy! Now they've gone to a charity shop for someone else to love, and the only space they take up is a small amount of disk space on our computers. Next time I've got a free weekend I'm going to do this on a bigger scale – photograph the contents of my attic then have a large bonfire...
3½. eBay This is just a half, as it's sort of part of the last bit. Instead of throwing things away, especially if they're in good nick, why not give eBay a go and sell them instead? I don't know about you, but if I realised that I was effectively going to be paid for tidying my house, it would seem a lot more appealing! And as long as you don't make a profit, you're not going to get into trouble with the tax man. If you've never used eBay before, don't worry - it's pretty easy to use, as long as you have access to the internet. Have a look at the website: www.ebay.co.uk and see how easy it is to get started!
For more tips on de-cluttering, Sue Kay has quite a lot of useful tips on her website: www.myhouseandgarden.com/declutter.htm
Oh, and by the way, I'd like to say a big congratulations to Linda Gibbons of East Yorkshire for winning our Christmas Quiz, with a grand total of 92½%! Well done Linda!
That's it for this time – see you next month!
Alexander Newton
Nuggets and Scribblings
All the above © Tim Wakeling 2008
A note about these emails: I am not a doctor – I’m not qualified to give proper medical advice. These emails tell you various uses for natural and household ingredients that other people have found helpful. Above all, these emails should not replace getting advice from your doctor on any serious problems, and pregnant women should always talk to their doctor before changing their diet while pregnant. I cannot accept legal responsibility for any problems caused by trying out the methods, recommendations or suggestions in these emails.