cleaning Archives - Arrow Hill Cottage

Minimalism Game | Over 500 Items Decluttered

During the month of January, my family played the Minimalism game! Today, I want to share with you how this challenge works, and the results of our month long effort.

January seems to be the month that many people feel the urge to declutter and reset their homes. My family is no different. The calendar turned, and yet we found ourselves very much in the same spot. With quarantine restrictions, and not many entertainment venues open, we are spending a good portion of our time at home.

Don’t get me wrong. We absolutely love our home. But, even the most beautiful four walls can become mundane when they are all you see most of the time. We are ready for some changes!

I mentioned in my last post that we have big plans for this cottage. So many DIY projects are waiting to be completed! There is no better way, in my opinion, to gain a clear perspective on things than a good old fashioned declutter! That’s exactly what we did, in the form of a game.

What Is The Minimalism Game?

Near the end of December, my mom mentioned to me that she was planning to take on a decluttering challenge in January. After talking through it with her, I discovered the challenge is technically called ‘The Minimalism Game’. It was developed by none other than the Minimalists themselves, and is quite a simple concept.

Essentially, it works this way: Each day of the month you find one item per day to donate, sell or throw away. One item on the first day of the month. Eight on the eighth day, and so on. When all is said and done, at the end of the month, there will be 500+ fewer items of clutter in your home!

The idea is that the first few days of the month should be pretty easy to tackle. It seems like basically anyone can find one to five items of clutter in their home on any given day. These ‘easy’ days will give you the confidence to take on more difficult decisions. By the end of the month, you may be considering items that were off limits on day one.

Before + During Our Game

Going into the challenge, I was skeptical. Five hundred seemed like an awfully large number. After all, we have only been living in our home for one year. We did a major amount of decluttering before our move, and even hosted a huge garage sale.

In addition to that, we tend to keep a rather close eye on the items we allow into our cottage. We have been diligent about keeping only the possessions we use and love the most. Would I be able to find enough clutter to finish?

Yet, even with this question, the game seemed like an appealing way to take on the new year. My mom and I began the challenge together on January 1st. We vowed to be cheerleaders and accountability partners for each other throughout the month.

Games are always more fun when they aren’t played in isolation. There are other benefits too.

Having someone take on a challenge at the same time as you really does help keep a person honest! My mom and I sent each other messages and pictures nearly every day, discussing the items we had found.

Bouncing decluttering ideas off of each other was also a great benefit. For example, my mom mentioned she had cleaned out her spice cabinet and consolidated her spices into fewer jars. She was able to toss out quite a few small containers. Though I hadn’t considered checking in my own spice cabinet, you can bet I did just that after my mom told me about her success!

Watch Us Play The Minimalism Game

As an additional measure of accountability, I decided to capture my family’s experience on video. Although I didn’t pick up the camera every single day, I feel like the film compilation portrays our process quite well.

Minimalism Game Results

After an entire month of decluttering, the results are in. Much to my surprise, it was not difficult at all to find the 500 items! Mind you, there were probably only a handful of pieces that were visibly taking up space. Most everything else was packed away in tidy little spots throughout my home. Things looked neat and organized, but there was clutter lurking behind closed doors!

The biggest culprit for us? The garage!

Looking back, it makes perfect sense why so many items were found there. When we were packing to move, we put off the garage until last, thinking we would be able to throw out a bunch of things. In reality though, we ran out of time to sort. The contents of our old garage were thrown into boxes and moved to the new garage. A year passed, and organizing the garage just never seemed to become a priority project.

I’m guessing there may be a similar spot in your home. Perhaps the basement? A child’s playroom? Maybe even a closet. Go take a look! Ridding yourself of the clutter will be so freeing, I promise you!

The variety of items that were found during the game was also a surprise to me. I knew there would be some broken toys, ripped clothes, and paper clutter that could be thrown. However, I didn’t realize how many good, quality items we would decide to donate or sell. The kids were especially eager to go through their things. I’m so proud of them!

Overall, I would definitely recommend this game. It is a great way to rid your home of un-needed items quickly. It’s not a difficult concept, and the pride you feel when those 500 items are out the door is worth all the effort!

More Decluttering Challenges

If the month long Minimalism Game seems like too much of a commitment, consider one of these other challenges. They can help you get into the groove of decluttering, by taking it on one bit at a time.

Create a Capsule Wardrobe

Control Magazine + Paper Clutter

Speed Clean: 60 in 60 Challenge

One Room Challenge: Deep Cleaning

Toy Room Refresh | Quick clean

Let’s be real. The rooms where kid’s play tend to get messed up faster than any other room in the house. Today, I am sharing a quick toy room refresh that I recently did at our rental home.

We have lived in this rental house for four years now. There is no basement here, and I can honestly say that I miss having a ‘kid zone’ space tremendously. While we definitely have a nice basement in the works for our new home, we have been making due, for now.

OUR TOY ROOM

The main level of the rental farmhouse has a small room that we have set up as a play space for the kids. It includes a tv with a gaming station, a couple of computers, a whole lot of Legos, and other miscellaneous toys. Brace yourself for a couple of pre-cleaning before photos.

This room is used on a daily basis. And, generally, we have the kids tidy it up every night before bed. However, the past couple of weeks have been beyond busy. With house building preparation in full swing, we haven’t always remembered to have the kids clean up. I walked into the toy room the other day and was horrified. It was an absolute mess!

In some weird way, cleaning is therapeutic for me. And so, this week I decided to use part of the afternoon, before picking the kids up from school, to get the job done.

WATCH ME CLEAN

I put on a pair of headphones, and my favorite Podcast (Young House Love Has A Podcast), and set to work. Listening to something entertaining while cleaning definitely keeps me going. Give it a try!

OUR TOY ROOM AFTER

With one hour of focused attention, I was able to get the play area tidy. You parents out there know that it isn’t likely to stay looking like this for long. But, I suppose that is just as it should be. After all, a toy room’s main purpose is to be played in!

I appreciate that the room has a bit of open floor space for the kids to sprawl out with their toys. The trampoline is also a hit with the girls. We are still debating if we will take it with us when we move.

The electronics section got a major cleaning. I made sure to use Clorox wipes on the controllers and computer mice. It’s doubtful that the kids would ever think to do that on their own!

The Lego area is ready for more creativity. Just in case you are wondering, yes. We do sort our Lego’s by color! Since this cheap shelving unit won’t be making the move with us, I will be searching for other ideas on how to store the collection.

TIPS FOR CONTROLLING TOY CLUTTER

At some point I will do a more in depth post about how to keep kid’s toys in check. But, for now I want to offer up a few quick tips.

ONLY KEEP WHAT THE KIDS USE

As I mentioned in this post about Kids + Minimalism, we have definitely seen that less is more when it comes to toys. We have decluttered our kid’s collection down to the basics. Their favorites include standard wooden blocks, a few dolls, matchbox cars, and, of course, Legos. All of these toy items allow for plenty of open ended playing.

STORE IN EASILY ACCESSIBLE BINS

Unless you want to be constantly supervising play time, it is essential that the toys themselves are accessible to the kids. Keeping them on low shelving and in durable bins is a good idea.

ESTABLISH SOME RULES

Teaching kids to clean up after themselves is an important life lesson. A great place to start is by making sure that they learn to put away any toys they are finished playing with. This is also one of the seven daily habits that can help you keep your house tidy without the stress!

PIN THIS POST

If you found anything in this post inspirational or helpful, share it! Or save it to read again later.

Speed Cleaning | Mudroom Spring Refresh

Today I want to share how I tackled the spring cleaning of our back entryway / mudroom space. With speed. This Spring speed cleaning means that we are now set up for the warmer weather ahead. Bring it on!

SPRING SPEED CLEANING

It’s that time of year. When transitioning from one season to the next, you are never quite sure which items to keep out. Will snow boots be necessary, or will flip flops suffice? How heavy of a coat will be needed? This questioning creates a major clutter problem, at least at our house. Essentially, everything is left out, ‘just in case’ it might be needed.

I finally got tired of tripping over all the excess left out by our five children, and set to work on cleaning up our back entryway / mudroom space.

This is quite possibly the most awkward space I have ever been tasked to organize. It is small, and filled with stairs. The one little bit of flat floor space that it has just happens to be in the path of the door swing. Not a great setup for a functional mudroom; But we are renting this house, and there isn’t much we can do about it.

Thankfully, this should be the last season change we make here, and come next winter we will be able to utilize the mudroom at Arrow Hill Cottage!

MUDROOM SPACE BEFORE THE SPEED CLEANING

We have done our best to maximize what little space the mudroom has to offer, by putting up coat hooks and using a shelf as a shoe organizer. It seems to never fail though, after a few weeks, this space needs to be organized yet again.

Because have five small children who use this mudroom on a daily basis, I know full well that my efforts to clean and organize it will only last a limited amount of time. That is simply the nature of this type of space. Thankfully, it isn’t an area that guests typically see.

Instead of using an entire day to deep clean, as I have done in other rooms, I opted to practice speed cleaning. I set my timer for sixty minutes, and got to work.

SPEED CLEANING TIPS

For a successful speed cleaning in your own house, consider these valuable tips.

KNOW WHAT YOU ARE WALKING INTO

Survey the space you want to clean, and think about all of the tasks needed to get the job done. It might be helpful to write out a list, which you can reference while cleaning.

Understand that during a speed cleaning session, you may not be able to cross off every item that is on your list. Prioritize which are most important, and start with those first.

SET A TIME LIMIT

More importantly, be sure to stick to it! I recommend no more than one hour of efforts in any one space. It is quite motivating to know that once the timer rings, you can put away the cleaning supplies and be done. Having a time limit is also likely to keep you moving at a good pace. You may subconsciously try to ‘beat the clock’, so to speak.

STAY FOCUSED

Speed cleaning should aim to improve the overall appearance of the space, without fussing over minor issues and unnecessary details. For example, organizing shoes in a mudroom might be a good use of time. Removing dirt from the bottom of shoes, on the other hand, could stall your progress.

DON’T BE A PERFECTIONIST

Just as you can’t buy everything you might desire when you are living on a tight budget, you won’t be able to perfect a space that is cleaned in a short amount of time. Again, the point of speed cleaning is to do something, not everything. Even small improvements matter when it comes to cleaning, decluttering and organizing a space.

WATCH ME SPEED CLEANING

I recorded the process of changing our mudroom over for the season. Notice how important it is to make quick decisions. While cleaning and organizing the mudroom, I was also thinking about decluttering. There were plenty of items that I was able to toss or donate!

I came across rain boots with giant holes, gloves that looked like they had gone through a shredder, and outgrown snow pants.

Following my own advice, I stopped after my pre-determined hour had expired. That meant that I wasn’t able to get to everything I had hoped. The items that are left-over can be tackled easily on another day.

THE RESULTS (AFTER)

Considering only sixty minutes were invested in this space, I am quite pleased with the end results. My main objective was to free the steps of clutter. Gone are the boots that we constantly tripped on, as well as the box of snacks. Success!

The second priority I had was to switch out seasonal items. Winter snow pants, boots, hats, gloves, and ice skates were all cleaned quickly and packed away. The summer towels and swimming suits were brought out of storage, and each child’s rain boots were given a specific spot.

Shoes are now neatly placed on the shelf. As mentioned before, I am not fooled into thinking it will stay looking like this for long. I will, however, surely enjoy the clutter free space while I can!

Of course, I also did a quick sweep, and mopped the entire floor. In addition, the muddy parts of the walls got a spray down. The room has a nice, bright feeling to it now.

There was not enough time to tackle the shelf closest to the door. This shelf houses many partially used cans of paint. I have a feeling that most of them will need to be disposed of, when we move. And so, I feel comfortable leaving the task for later.

ADDITIONAL CLEANING RESOURCES

Do you need more motivation to get started on your own speed cleaning? These resources might be helpful.

11 speed cleaning tools for epic results | show me suburban

How to spring clean your home | shannon torrens

7 daily habits for a tidy house | arrow hill cottage

Speed cleaning checklist | living well spending less

The secret to speed cleaning like a pro | practically perfect meg

PIN THIS POST

KITCHEN CLEANING CHECKLIST + TIPS

Kitchen cleaning can really be a chore. Though keeping the kitchen clean is something that is ongoing, a deep clean session is required every so often. This article provides a kitchen cleaning checklist, plus tips on how to get the job done well. Be sure to read until the end to see a video of my own personal kitchen cleaning and declutter!

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

If you plan to do a major kitchen cleaning in one day, be sure to get plenty of rest and to drink enough water during the process. It can be tiring work! Gather your favorite music, or download a few of your favorite podcasts to listen to. This really will help the time be more enjoyable! Be sure to think about what your ultimate goals are for your kitchen. If you want to cook more, every decision should be driven by that. If it is a calming space you’re after, keep that in mind while you work.

DECLUTTER THE DISHES/ CUPS AND COOKING ITEMS

In order to truly see how many of any given type of item you own, Marie Kondo suggests to lay them all out in one place. When it comes to dishes and cooking items, it is really easy to collect more than we actually need or use.

Think carefully about which items you use often. Are there small appliances or serving dishes that can do double duty? Which is the one coffee cup you tend to gravitate toward? Are the others in the cabinet really serving you well just sitting there taking up space? Trust that the items you decide to part with will likely be useful for someone else.

Once you have sorted through the items and begin to put things back, don’t automatically assume that the place it was before is the best option. Really think about where the items will be most useful.

RETHINK THE ‘EVERYTHING’ DRAWER

If you are like me, you have a drawer in your kitchen that is dedicated to cutlery – knives, forks and spoons. Then you have a drawer that is for everything else. I’m embarrassed to show you what mine looked like before my deep clean declutter. It was basically a tangled mess of serving spoons, spatulas and other random items. In my mind, I justified this scenario saying that at least everything was in one spot. However, because the drawer was so full, it was still overly difficult to find items when I needed them.

I emptied out the entire drawer and eliminated all of the items that we rarely used. I decided to place the most regularly used items in a large ceramic container I had purchased on sale a few months ago. Items were positioned standing up for easy accessibility. A few odd things, such as a potato masher and apple slicer, did not fit comfortably. They were given a spot in the cutlery drawer instead.

This solution looks nice and is functional!

SORT THROUGH THE PANTRY / FOOD STORAGE PLACES

Go through all the areas where food is stored. That may be in a large walk in pantry, or in simple cabinets and drawers. While kitchen cleaning, remove any expired canned or boxed goods. Remember that you can not donate expired items. Though it will seem like a waste to dump all of this food into the trashcan, it may serve as a good reminder to only purchase items that you can use quickly.

I will admit that our Lazy Susan cabinet, which holds most of our dry and canned goods, was filled with expired product. Most of these items had been gifted to us by someone who didn’t want to throw them out herself. We thought we might eat the food, but never did. And now, it has made it’s way to the trash anyway. Lesson learned.

TAKE CARE OF THE WORK HORSES

The appliances and sink are the work horses of the kitchen. They work hard so that, in some cases, you don’t have to. You can respect their help by cleaning them regularly.

FRIDGE

A fridge is likely the most overlooked appliance in the entire kitchen. It silently does it’s job, acting much like a storage cabinet. But, the fridge has a step up on the standard cupboard in that it keeps our food fresh. If it were to break down, we really would miss it’s function!

Fridges can benefit from a regular cleaning. Remove any sauces that are basically empty, throw out any questionable food, and wash the crisper drawers and shelves.

OVEN

The oven has to be one of the most dreaded items to clean in the entire house. It is large, grimy, and downright awkward to sanitize. That may be the reason why many of us put off the task until the grossness has gotten well out of control.

There are plenty of techniques people swear by when it comes to oven cleanliness. Bren, from the blog Bren Did, has a wonderful post that compares all of the homemade and natural oven cleaning methods. And she found a clear winner! One tip I have found to be helpful is to place aluminum foil on the bottom of the oven. It will catch splatters and spills, making cleaning up a lot faster!

MICROWAVE

If your microwave is set above your oven/stove, as ours is, it is likely to see it’s fair share of grease. A simple spray of white vinegar and a hot rag rinse can do wonders. Make sure to remove the turntable and give it a thorough washing as well.

DISHWASHER

I personally have very little experience with a dishwasher, since we don’t own one and don’t plan on installing one in the new house. However, I do know that even this little cleaning machine needs a good clean of it’s own on occasion. 101 Days of Organizing has a great post on how to keep your dishwasher running smoothly and grime free.

SINK

Give your sink a good scrub with a natural scouring product, such as baking soda. Spraying a stainless steel sink with vinegar and rubbing with a damp rag can help to remove any pesky water spots. Be sure to clean the faucet handles and nozzle with natural products.

CLEAN ALL THE FLAT SURFACES

Kitchens have likely the largest amount of surface area that needs cleaning. Where you can get by in a bedroom without needing to clean the walls for many years, for example, the same is not true for a kitchen. Look at each and every surface as an opportunity to really make the room shine.

FLOORS

If your kitchen has any area rugs, now is a good time to shake them out or throw them in the washing machine. Sweep the entire floor, then mop with warm soapy water.

COUNTERS

It is important to keep counters as clear as possible. After all, they are intended to be working space! By keeping them clear and clean, your kitchen will be more efficient, and look a lot less cluttered. This is one of the seven daily habits I believe to be most important for a tidy house, and a clear mind.

WALLS AND CABINET DOORS

When deep cleaning, be sure to spray down walls and cabinets doors. Pay special attention to the cabinets that are near the oven, as they are most likely to have grease build up.

Walls should be painted in a satin or semi gloss finish, to ensure a wipe-able surface and easy clean up.

Give the back splash extra care, checking grout lines for signs of mildew and wear.

CABINET INTERIORS + TOPS

While you are sorting through your dishware, remove everything from your cabinets and drawers and give them a quick wash. Add shelf and drawer liners for an easy clean surface. They come in many fun styles and are relatively inexpensive. This post from Salvaged Inspiration has great tips on how to fit the liners perfectly.

Don’t forget to clean on top of any cabinets that don’t reach the ceiling. This soffit space can collect plenty of dust, especially if you use it for decor display!

MY KITCHEN CLEANING VIDEO

I recently went through this exact same process with the kitchen in our rental home. And though it was an exhausting long day of hard work, the reward was worth the effort!

SAVE THESE KITCHEN CLEANING TIPS

Not ready to start your major kitchen cleaning and declutter yet? Save this checklist and tips for later!

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE : DEEP CLEANING

Join me for the third installation of the December Declutter series. This week I attempted a One Room Challenge, deep cleaning one room in our home. Read on to see how I did!

Welcome to Week #3 of the December Declutter challenge. During this month, I am tackling various challenges to help us sort through our household belongings. Our end goal is to bring only those with great value and purpose to our new home, Arrow Hill Cottage.

I have previously taken on a KonMari declutter of our family’s Christmas decorations, and performed a speed declutter – finding 60 items in 60 minutes to either donate or sell. While both of these techniques were effective and freeing, neither provided a radical visual improvement to any one space. The One Room Challenge is different.

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE PRINCIPLES

The basic idea behind the One Room Challenge is to, obviously, focus on one room only. Decluttering and cleaning efforts should be concentrated in that space to create an environment that is functional and pleasing to look at. Because the entire room will be sorted through, decluttered and organized, it is also a great time to do a deep cleaning.

OUR ROOM CHOICE

Of all the rooms in our rental farmhouse, the mudroom is by far the one that becomes cluttered most often. In actuality, it is a multi purpose space. It is the entrance point into our home, as well as a laundry room. And, because our only bathroom on the main floor is very small and located on the other side of the house, we also use the space to get ready in the morning.

It is a hard working room, to say the least. So it isn’t a huge surprise that it gets cluttered easily.

THE CLUTTER PROBLEM (BEFORE)

Keep in mind that we are renting this farmhouse. It was built in the 1920’s and later remodeled in the 1960’s. The style of finishes isn’t what we would have chosen, nor is the layout of the rooms. As renters, we have no ability to change these features. However, we don’t have a great excuse as to why the clutter has gotten so bad, except that we haven’t kept on top of it.

You can see a video tour of what the space looked like before the cleaning, later in this post. First though, I will share a couple of the more difficult aspects I was facing when starting the One Room Challenge.

LOW THRESHOLD

The floor in the front entry has been built up over the years with layer upon layer of linoleum, meaning that there is very little threshold. Because of this, there is no way that a welcome mat can be placed in front of the door. This becomes a problem in the winter months when the Midwestern skies open up in all of their snowy glory.

We have, at times, resorted to throwing a few bath towels down so that we don’t immediately slip when walking through the door. Tacky, yes. Functional, kind of. We are looking for a more permanent and eye pleasing solution.

LAUNDRY SHELF

Flat spaces seem to be a magnet for clutter. As you can see, our laundry shelf is no exception. While I had Craig add this soon after we moved in, as a place to temporarily set folded clothes, it has become a catchall. It seems that any random knickknack that didn’t have a place anywhere else found a home here.

Worse yet, our family’s toothbrushes were also stored here because it is the most convenient and accessible space to brush our teeth.

WATCH ME DEEP CLEAN AND DECLUTTER

The room needed a lot of work, and an entire afternoon of focused concentration. Take a look at what it looked like before, and watch me whip it into shape!

THE RESULTS (AFTER)

I am absolutely thrilled with the way the room looks now. More importantly, our entire family is happy with the way the space now functions.

The entryway rug, pulled away from the door a bit, is a place where we can step while we take off our shoes. It is simple, yet pretty. Goodbye old towels!

The drawers were thoroughly decluttered, and then organized with our everyday essentials. An inexpensive cutlery tray was the perfect fit for the top drawer, which now is a clean and safe spot for our toothbrushes. Each family member, besides the girls who do all of their brushing upstairs with help, has their own divided space. The perfect size for a toothbrush, flosser, and personal chap-stick.

The second drawer was emptied of the many reusable and disposable plastic bags that it housed. Smaller bins were placed in the drawer, and organized with personal care products.

Perhaps the greatest visual improvement is the open shelf. With all of the clutter gone, the vintage clothes wringer and steam iron take center stage. Two houseplants serve to soften the space, as well as camouflage oddly placed outlets. And my antique window adds a bit of charm.

The room is bright and clutter free, and I think it seems larger than before!

WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS CHALLENGE

I have to say that it feels great to have this one room cleaned top to bottom. Even though the rest of the house has a lot of decluttering left to do, this room is like a breath of fresh air. Because it is the first space we enter in our home, the impact is even greater. It now brings a smile to my face rather than anxiety. That’s a great ‘welcome home’ feeling.

I do have a few words of advice if you would like to take on the One Room Challenge for yourself.

Depending on the size of the room you take on, this may be an all day or multiple day exercise. In order to achieve a true deep clean, you want to allocate enough time.

Also, know that when items are removed from one room they may make their way into another. In our case, most items that I didn’t want to keep in the space were put into the garbage or a donation bin. But there were a few things that we have yet to decide the fate on. They were moved into another room, for now.

I definitely appreciated the finality of this challenge. I could see using the same technique on other rooms in the future, until each has been gone through. The Spruce has some great tips on how to tackle each type of room. Until then, we are going to focus on keeping this one room clutter free and organized, because it feels great!

PIN THIS FOR LATER

If you are thinking about taking on your own One Room Challenge, but aren’t quite ready to dive in quite yet, pin this image as a reminder!

SPEED DECLUTTER: 60 IN 60 CHALLENGE

It’s Week TWO of my December Declutter Challenge! Follow along as I attempt to speed declutter my house using the 60 in 60 technique!

Last week, I decluttered our entire Christmas decoration collection, using the KonMari method. That was an effective technique, and we were left with only our favorites, which made decorating a breeze! This week I am trying a brand new method of decluttering, one that involves quick decisions. It is called the 60 in 60 challenge.

60 IN 60 BASIC PRINCIPLE

Essentially, this is a speed declutter challenge. The idea is to set a timer for 60 minutes, then use that time to find 60 (or more) items to donate or sell. While doing this challenge, do not look for items that could be thrown. That would be too easy! Instead, find items that you are no longer using, but might have value to somebody else.

WHAT YOU NEED

There are only two things you will need to complete this speed declutter challenge. A timer, or a clock, and a basket or box to put your found items in. I personally chose an egg timer to count down my minutes. This allowed me to pause the task if I was interrupted, which I was. Several times.

SPEED DECLUTTER TECHNIQUE

While the KonMari method suggests that you pull similar items out of their storage spots before you begin sorting, this challenge is almost the opposite. Drawers are to be opened, closets rummaged through. Honestly, it feels like a bit of a scavenger hunt! Decisions are to be made quickly and on the spot.

My speed declutter challenge found me digging through bins in our storage closet, drawers in my kitchen, and our shoe rack, among other spots.

WATCH ME SPEED DECLUTTER

It’s amazing how quickly a person can make decluttering decisions when a time limit is involved! Check out all the items that made it into my basket!

ITEMS THAT WILL BE DONATED

The basket filled up pretty quickly. As a result, I eventually needed to start setting items on my bed. Though I didn’t count as I went through the process, I was surprised to find that I had set aside exactly 60 items! That could not have been planned any better if I tried! Here are a few of the items that will be sold or donated.

This high quality Pottery Barn bedding has been taking up space in our linen closet since we moved into the rental farmhouse. Because we do not currently have a guest bedroom, and do not have plans for one at Arrow Hill Cottage, it is time this bedding becomes useful for someone else.

We are a large family of seven, and this smaller crock pot just doesn’t get much use. To make meals for our crew, we need the jumbo sized version, which we already own.

As our youngest child grows, I am steadily going through the clothing that no longer fits her. These shoes, for example, still have a lot of life in them. For another little girl.

WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS CHALLENGE

I will admit that I was a bit nervous starting this challenge. We have been decluttering our home over the past few months. We even have an entire storage closet dedicated to items for our upcoming summer garage sale. Because of this, I was worried that it would be difficult to find 60 items that we could easily part with.

I was wrong! Once I started to open cabinet doors and drawers, I was finding items that I didn’t even remember existed. If they had been hiding for months, or in some cases even years, it was obvious that they were not necessary to keep. Into the basket they went!

Perhaps the greatest obstacle to this challenge was that I couldn’t finish what I started. Because this is a speed declutter, there was not time for me to thoroughly sort through each space I looked. In some ways, that aspect was hard on my brain. For example, it is a bit of mental burden knowing that my kitchen is still filled with many items that we don’t need.

Certainly though, this feeling will help me remember to go back and finish, which is a good thing!

In conclusion, I feel that this speed declutter challenge was a quick win toward my overall simplifying goals. I would definitely recommend that you give it a try!

Join me next week, when I take on a new challenge for the December Declutter!

PIN THIS CHALLENGE FOR LATER

Try it for yourself!

SEVEN DAILY HABITS FOR A TIDY HOUSE

It isn’t always easy to keep a tidy house. Unless you employ a daily housekeeper, chances are you will need to take matters into your own hands. Sadly, a house isn’t going to keep itself clean!

The truth is, with busy life schedules, work, kids, and other priorities, a house can get out of sorts quickly and seem overwhelming if you try to tackle it all at once.

By picking up these seven simple daily habits, you can keep your house tidy and clean – and guest ready – with minimal stress.

If this list seems overwhelming to take on all at once, consider choosing just one habit to include in your every day routine, then add the others through time. A little bit of effort can go a long way in keeping a house organized and running smoothly.

MAKE THE BEDS

If one of the first things you do in the morning is make your bed, your day will be set up for productivity. The small win of checking off one item from the daily to-do list can make a huge difference in your perception of being able to take on the remaining items.

The great news is that making your bed is quick and easy. It should not take more than a few minutes to accomplish. A bed is typically one of the largest visible surface areas in a bedroom. Because of this, it can have a big impact. A made bed will give the illusion that the rest of the room is pretty tidy as well.

Take some time to teach your children to make their beds. Even if not done perfectly, the routine task will give them pride of ownership and a feeling of accomplishment.

KEEP COUNTER SURFACES CLEAR

Visual clutter can immediately add stress to your day. Just as the bed is a large surface area in the bedroom, tables and counter space represent a large area in other rooms. The kitchen, for example. If they become dumping grounds for papers, clothing, and knick knacks, they lose the functionality they were designed for.

Of course, most counters will never be 100 percent clear all of the time. That is unrealistic. The goal is to work to keep the surface as clear as possible. If you use the counter to prepare dinner, for example, clear it up afterwards. After the meal has been eaten, remove the dishes from the table.

SORT THE MAIL

One of the biggest counter-clutter culprits is the daily mail. Consider installing a file sorter, or placing a small basket near the entry door. Then, as soon as you enter your home, sort through the mail you bring in. Important papers can be placed in the sorter to be tackled later, and junk mail moved directly to the recycle bin.

Further this technique for other papers as well – receipts, work papers, even school art projects. Sort them straight away and you won’t find yourself with a massive pile to dig through later.

LEAVE SHOES AT THE DOOR

Consider all of the surfaces your shoes touch in a given day. Grass, pavement, gravel… even public restroom floors. It goes without saying that the potential for germs and debris on their soles is high. The last thing you want to do is spread that throughout your home. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happens if you leave your shoes on.

Make it a habit to remove your shoes at the door, and encourage the same of your guests. In doing so, you won’t need to clean your floors and carpets as often, and you will always know where they are. No searching for a missing shoe when you are running late!

IF YOU TAKE OUT, PUT IT BACK

Each item in your home should have a place to rest – whether that is in a basket, bin, closet or cabinet. Once that ‘home base’ is established, be mindful that if it is taken out to be used it will be put back after.

Books will be read and placed back on the shelf, blankets in the basket near the fireplace.

Clothing should follow the same rule. When you change into your pjs in the evening, determine if the outfit you were wearing during the day is clean enough to be stored in the closet again. If not, it should make it’s way into the laundry bin No clothes should end up on the floor or the back of the chair.

This technique not only helps to keep the home tidy, but makes it easier to find items when they are needed. It helps if your children see you practicing this behavior. With enough modeling, they will learn to pick up and put away their toys after each use – meaning less work for you in the long run.

CLEAN THE KITCHEN EVERY NIGHT

You don’t need a two hour deep clean session each day. Something as simple as making sure the dishes are washed and put away (or stored in the dishwasher) can have a big impact. The kitchen is likely to be one of the first rooms you encounter upon waking in the morning. Seeing it tidy acts like a breath of fresh air and can give you peace at the start of each day.

A clean kitchen has the added benefit of making you want to use it. Many people admit that they feel the urge to cook more often when their kitchen is organized with everything in it’s place.

BE GENEROUS

Chances are if you were to take inventory of all the items you own and store in your home, you would realize that you use only a portion of them on a regular basis. Keep a donation bin handy, and toss those rarely used clothes, books, toys, and other miscellaneous items in it. Donate regularly to a local thrift store, or hold a garage sale.

The truth is: The less you have, the less you need to maintain. Less maintaining means less cleaning and more time for other things.

Your house is your haven, and when kept clean it offers a sense of peace to all inhabitants and visitors. Adopting these seven habits will start you on your journey to a tidy house. To further your knowledge of how to simplify your home, consider reading these books:

Enough: Finding More By Living With Less

The Joy of Less: A Minimalist Guide to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

This post contains affiliate links to products for your convenience. If you purchase via my links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Arrow Hill Cottage!