Low Level Decluttering

Right now, there's a huge heatwave happening here in Australia, and so there's a low chance of getting any decluttering done, right? Wrong! 

What I do when this happens is what I like to call 'Low Level Decluttering'... as the title entails. This is where I tackle the tiny piles of crap around my house and work on the smaller detailed things.

For example:

Today, I'm going to pack up a 5kg bag of books to send off to Victoria for a Bookcrossing friend. This isn't a difficult thing to do, but the good thing for me is that I'll be doing this in the air-conditioned comfort of my home office... yay! 

Then, I'll quickly go into my bedroom and make the bed in the very warm part of the house. Unfortunately, that's all I'll be able to do in my master bedroom. I'll get my butt downstairs and collect together anything that belongs upstairs and make only 3 trips upstairs and put those things away. In this heat, I'm getting too exhausted.

For the rest of the afternoon, I'm going to make a roster of exactly what I have in my pantry. This is so I don't go out and buy too much of everything next shopping day. All I need to do is check what's on the roster and see what's crossed off and what's on there and I'll know how much to buy of what, and - bingo-bango - my shopping list goes down by around $40. This is a good thing! 

So, there's my jobs for the day. Nothing big or nasty, and I can get them done. So, what Low Level Decluttering are you going to get done in this horrible heat? 

And if you're from a part of the world where you're snowed in? Well, that's just as bad as having the head bug us too and make you as lazy. Try to do a similar thing as I am and tackle the small things around the place you've been putting off and get back to me with your results. 

Repairs After Storms

On Sunday evening, we had a huge storm hit Logan City and the electricity was knocked out for over 24 hours. We got it back on in the early hours of Monday morning, but it's Tuesday now, and we're expecting another storm tonight.

So, it might be as big and bad as the last one... we don't know yet.

I've had to do some small repairs to a fence and tie up my Frangipani in my yard as the side fence I worked on isn't as stable as it seems.

However, today, it's impossibly hot; and so the decluttering I was hoping to get done may have to wait until it cools off. I'll see how I go with the house when the storm arrives, but this afternoon, I might get in and do a bit of tidying up first, so I'm not tripping over things.

But that's the thing with decluttering around a house, or a townhouse, you have to remember that when you have a place, you're not just cleaning it up, you're caring for it. 
I've been caring for this place for 15 years and in the last decade, I've learned a lot about how to get in and care for it in much the same way as my Dad cares of his own home. It's very important to not only look after where you live - no matter whether you rent or own - as its appearance is a reflection of how you feel about your home. And the more you care for it over time, the less you have to spend on it in the long run when the time does come to sell it. 

So, what have you been doing to upkeep your home on the outside to keep it looking great? Seeing mine is in a townhouse complex, it's a simple matter of making sure it looks its best in the Winter months (as they're the best months to work on my place) and so when the Summer months come around, which is our storm season, the place is sound. 

The Main Key Things

I've found that when I start a clean-out, it's important to jump in on days when I'm ready and revved up to declutter to my heart's content.

However, there's also some small - yet important - things to get straight before decluttering or organising within reach first; and I thought to write a post about it so everyone remembers this one well.

Donation Box is the most important thing to have nearby. It's gotta be big enough to hold the bagged-up clothes and small enough to not get in the way of your everyday life. And remember to label it so it doesn't get tossed out with your regular rubbish on bin day.

Rubbish Bags are the next thing you really need to be able to lay your hands on. Now, they don't have to be expensive, just useful. I use medium-sized purple rubbish liners from Coles which only cost me $2.50 for 100. So, that's a good thing. And the best thing is that I line the bins upstairs with them as well - because they're small enough for those liners. 

Plastic Boxes are great for when you want to store things away. I have quite a few of them around my house and have been quietly storing away things for when I move. So, when I do this, I also have a Sharpie to write on the box what is inside it; so when the day does come to move, we can see on the lid and on the side what's inside the box instead of opening it up.

Anti-Bacterial Wipes are great to have on hand for a few reasons. When you're decluttering, you're bound to come across areas where it's dusty and dirty; and giving those areas a quick wipe over with one of these is a fast way to clean up and keep the dust to a minimum - as well as your sneezing - until you get the vacuum to it as well. The second use for these is to clean your hands after a good hour or so of decluttering a dusty and dirty area of your house... these will clean your hands off until you get to wash them properly. And the best thing about these wipes is that they're not expensive - yep, you can buy the cheaper version of them anywhere and pay only half the price. 

Water And Food is another main key ingredient to keeping yourself focused on your few hours or whole day of decluttering. Make sure you are going to eat some great nutritious food - not fast food which will make you feel sluggish and thirsty. I find a nice home made meal always hits the spot and making sure you drink plenty of water will keep you from becoming dehydrated no matter what the weather; and it will help you take a breath and look around at what else you need to do as well. 

So, these are the main key things I find make that decluttering time around my place better and easier for me. How about you? Have you got any ideas which keep you focused? 

Art Area Clean-Up - Part 2

Yesterday, I got in and cleaned up the next part of my art area. Because it's so cluttered with junk, it's going to take a few rounds to get it done.

Well, this time, I attacked the bench itself. 

I took everything off it, storing it all in my kitchen, and pulled out the cleaners and scrubbed off as much paint and glue as I could with paper towel, Ajax All-Purpose Cleaner and Gumption. This took about 15 minutes because of the acrylic paint which had dried onto the countertop.

When I built this bench with Dad, we went to a proper kitchen-building company on Compton Road and got the pieces cut to order. This was so it all fitted together properly and we didn't have to do anything much to the parts - well, okay, we took a few inches off the feet because it turned out the bench was a little too tall for me. But it's turned out to be a great bench to store my art stuff. And because we got it laminated, it's made it so much easier to clean.

Once it was all cleaned up and I had tossed out a bag of rubbish - yep, another one! - I wiped down everything from the kitchen with an anti-bacterial wipe and looked at the bench. This was a good opportunity to get in and see where I could place the big things, the brushes, the bottles of tiny pegs and other items I used every day. And so, I went and sorted through it all and made sure I worked it all out well, and it was all organised so I could reach my brushes, get to my paint and find my furniture polish as well. 

This took me about 2 hours to get done, and the results were wonderful! 

Art Area Clean-Up - Part 1

Being an artist isn't a clean and tidy hobby - and being one in a townhouse, is even messier than you'd think. 

However, in 2015, my Dad and I built a workbench for me - one that I designed - and fitted it into my townhouse and it's serving me so well that once in a while I had to clean it up and make sure it stays functional.

And yesterday was the day I got in and started the first phase of the clean-up - yes part 1 of the mess I called my art area.

It took me around 3 hours - between 2pm and 5pm and I'm darned proud of how far I got with it. 

First off, I cleaned off the top shelf hanging over the bench itself and had a good look at what things I had stored in the two plastic containers - to see what needed throwing out.
Then, I put everything from the art area which could be moved easily into the living room or the kitchen. Then, I looked inside all the buckets and containers which were on the top shelf and found better homes for the items inside each one. 
Any ceramic plates, bits of plastic and other things I didn't recognise were thrown away - seeing the plates were chipped and unusable. Then, looking over the back of the three-set of drawers, I found there was a ton of space there, and I pushed them back against the wall and have found more space for me in front of it. 

Great!

Getting the ladder out, I cleaned off the empty shelf so I had a nice new surface to put away things and sort out what I needed to keep that shelf uncluttered with items and yet still be able to reach for what I needed when I needed it. 

I found I had over 200 sprung pegs to paint (yep, I overbought supply) and a huge amount of dolly pegs as well. And I also have a nice little collection of canvas boards of all sizes. I also have no need for new brushes - as I seem to have overbought on them as well; as a good artist does. 

Once I got it all pulled back together, put my easel back, the right things tossed into the Donation Box and ready to be sent off to the charity of my choice, it was almost 5pm and the vinyl I had been playing finished. 

What an afternoon! I had gone through 2 bottles of ice cold water and there was 1 large rubbish bag by the garage door to throw out. Yes, this was a great success for a first go at my art area - but will be another afternoon of me attacking it soon. 

Oh! Photos! How could I forget the photos! Here they are! 

In With The New...

In the last few months, I have begun to really refine the way I've been doing my decluttering. If I seriously don't need it, it gets donated or thrown in the bin. 

And yes, I feel so much better for it.

Yesterday was a great day for this. 

I posted off a 5kg bag of books to the Northern Territory! Yep, I parted with about 10 books and sent them away - and for a person who collects books that's a big deal. Next pay, I'll be getting another 5kg bag and sending it off to Victoria... same deal, fill the bag up as much as I can and then post it off! 

Yep, this kind of decluttering of the house just makes me feel great! I'll have 20 less books to worry about and about 2 feet of space around the floor of my home office! Doesn't that sound wonderful?

Sure it does.

Well, I was online yesterday, chatting with a friend of mine and we came to the decision to go window-shopping at op-shops. So, we got ourselves organised and I picked her up (as she doesn't drive a car) and we were off! 

After a sight-seeing tour of a local historical house, we hit a Life Line Super-Store (these places have everything from clothes to beds, furniture to electrical goods - they're wonderful to go to) and she was looking for a small mixing bowl. However, she didn't find what she was searching for.

But I found a few small things for my place. I was mainly looking for a sandwich press; as mine has been making strange sounds since I dropped it accidentally last year (and I hesitate to use it). So, seeing I didn't find it, I thought it wouldn't hurt to look at other things. I came home with a lovely phone seat, a large flat-side bowl, and a teapot-cup with a matching saucer. 

Yeah, so much for window-shopping.

Anyway, we popped by my place for a cuppa and some water (as it's been hot here in Brisbane) and to drop off my goodies; and I wanted to get the phone seat installed into my house. Then, my friend asked what I was going to do with my old set of drawers I had, put to one side. I said I'd donate them... unless she wanted them? Squealing she said yes! So, after cleaning them up, we got the drawers into my car and relaxed a little.

Now, I told you this story because there's a great meaning behind it. When I buy something big - like I did with the hall stand - I make sure I get rid of the items it's replacing. The hall stand I bought replaced 3 pieces of furniture; that's right 3! The phone seat has made it easier for me to find my remotes and keep my lounge area tidier than it has been, plus it's lighter and easier to move around and clean. 

So, now for the weekend challenge:

Look around your house and find something you've bought to replace something. Have you given away or sold that other item? If not, now's the time to do that. Offer it up to family, friends and online... see if you get somebody wanting it. Or if you don't want to wait, take it to your local charity store and donate it. 

However, if you already do this? Here's another challenge: pick a sink in your house and get underneath it. Pull out everything there and figure out what isn't being used, what's out of date, what's a cleaner and what's not. Get in and clean the shelves properly; and then, put like items together and toss what needs to be tossed. Then the next time you go under that sink, you won't be wondering where that item is, you'll know. The best thing to do is to go and buy a cleaning caddy for your cleaning products and keep them in that caddy... I've done that and it's the best thing ever! I have also begun using a lazy susan under my kitchen sink; which keeps all my detergents in one spot as well.

So, there you go... two different challenges to have a go at. Do one, or both, and enjoy your weekend! 

Regular Housework

Today is Friday and I don't normally do much on this day. But today, I got in and washed some bathmats and two blankets which normally stay in the boot/trunk of my car. They're out on the clothesline right now drying in the hot sun.

But besides that I've cleaned the kitchen sink, swept the kitchen floor (so I can get in and wash it soon) and then folded and put away my shopping bags (I use re-usable ones - instead of the single-use ones from the store).
Then, I bumped out the major doormats from the front, back and side doors and put out the rubbish into the big bin after opening up the house completely.

Yes, today is the regular housework day. 

But I'm also going to be looking at doing out my drinking mug collection... there's so many I just no longer use! So, today, I'm going to be climbing up on a ladder and pulling down the ones I don't use anymore, wrapping them up and putting them into the Donation Box. 
Now, I do collect drinking mugs, but the collection has become a little too big and so it's time cull them back to the ones I love more than others; and this is a good thing for me. So, which thing have you collected to the biggest degree and have had to cull back lately? Doesn't it make you feel good that you've done that? Or is it something you regret doing later on? 

Well, onto the Weekend Challenge: 

Go through your shoes. Pull out all the pairs you have in your wardrobe and figure out which ones you wear all the time; which ones are your occasionals and which ones you don't wear at all - or only once or twice a year - and sort out the shoes you haven't worn in over 6 months. Then find the broken ones (you'll have some there, believe me!).
Put the unworn ones into the Donation Box - once you've cleaned them up - and bin the broken ones. Tidy up the rest of the shoes and make sure you can see all of them so you can wear them more; especially the ones you don't wear often enough, as you'll enjoy them more!