Decluttering Q&A: 2.27.24

[@kims3431]

I helped my son by watching the grandkids. He is this stay at home dad. Had him follow your five step process and explained it along the way. First he needed to be able to just walk into his good sized pantry that was stuffed full. Took an hour and fifteen minutes but he could walk from front to back when he was done. I took his trash home with me. I wasn’t completely sure what he thought of the whole process. Told his dad he didn’t know why I was so interested in helping him do this. (Just want him to be able to enjoy his family a little more). I didn’t say anything but a week or so later I took one of the grandkids kids to my house for the day and my son used the time to declutter half of the pantry. He was very excited to tell me. After that, he began decluttering the toys in the play room and living room that they were drowning in and rearranged his furniture. He told me I don’t know why I was fighting this so much. Thank you for providing so much non judgmental inspiration! ❤ ps … I tell both my son and daughter in law all the time … Five minutes matters! Think they are beginning to believe me 😀

[@daisybuchanan5378]

They may find it helpful to cycle toys - where you put some out but put others away for a month or season, then change. That way it’s much easier to pick up, and kids tend to appreciate and have more fun with fewer toys. When they outgrow toys, they can be shared with the local family shelter.

[@llllllllllilillii]

I just had my 9 month Danaversary!!! Time went by so fast! Changed my life!!! Not enough words in the universe to THANK YOU!!!!

[@SvayaG]

"the same people that questioned my decluttering tended to be the same people that were critical of my inability to keep my house under control" Wow these are words I had to hear several times over. Part of me knew for some of them, it was projection on their part, but this helped clear out some of the others too. Thank you Dana!

[@selah5792]

I love how you repeat your process - to be clear to the questioner- every single time. We are truely all kindergardeners on this subject of stuff. For real. 😂 Repeating the steps they always sound like a new novel revelation❤to me.

[@nordicnisse]

I’ve solidified a 5 minute pickup while my coffee is brewing instead of just standing there and waiting. Most likely kitchen counters, dining table, mail, returns to car etc. A lot gets done in that very short time.

[@sherylmccrystal3804]

That’s a good idea! I don’t drink coffee but I drink tea: same difference (it takes at least 5 minutes by the time you boil the water and then steep the tea)!

[@llllllllllilillii]

@@sherylmccrystal3804 Try coffee, you get more done 😂

[@sherryhudson9075]

Those entertainment centers can’t even be given away. The Salvation Army is full of them, and they don’t move. I recently helped a friend move into a new home. Her mother was an artist and she had tons of artwork. We hung pictures, placed painted China in a China cabinet and other areas where she wanted touches. Then she asked her friends to pick out anything they would enjoy having in their homes. It was a lovely gesture and the items were beautiful and desirable to own. It made her happy to know her dear mother’s things would be loved.

[@mwgrover]

I've been following you for a while and I can really appreciate anything that keeps me from making my environment worse when I start "decluttering". I could never understand, even as a kid, why my cleaning marathons only meant pulling things out from under my bed, heaping them in a pile, then not having a place to sleep at the end of the day because I couldn't get it all put away again. These marathons carried over into my adulthood. I've always felt like a slob who was incapable of organizing my stuff and always used a lack of storage closets (or proper furniture, storage bins, drawers, etc.) as an excuse why it would never get better. LIttle did I know, I was just approaching it in an all-or-nothing fashion that was doomed from that start. You've shown me a better way! Thanks for that! I've ordered two of your books so that I can grasp the full process and can't wait to read them.

[@vra6759]

It’s all fun and cute to say “just take care of your stuff”. The frustration of having to do it all is real. Out of total exasperation, I’ve trashed or donated a bunch of stuff that didn’t belong to me that was serving no purpose. In 99 percent of cases, nobody even realized it was missing.

[@joannehudson9737]

The lady with the paintings could donate to assisted living or care homes as they are in UK. My neighbour did that when his Mother passed. They brighten the corridors up and not going to landfill.😊

[@elizabethsokol2545]

Just catching up. The "awkward pauses" are really helping me with decluttering and cleaning. I'm a fan.

[@karenpowers2225]

The "okay, what did I just say?" is so relatable! 😂 Thanks for this video! 😊

[@daisybuchanan5378]

Dana your method is so sensible and I love using it. No more making a mess to clean up. Im teaching my kids the 5 steps and we now never have trash, boxes are broken down and taken to the garage immediately, and duh clutter doesn’t happen because we take it there now ! And everything is in its container or it’s one in one out. Thank-you so much !

[@marlenebowers7181]

I do a 4 minute pickup while my breakfast is in the broiler warming up. Usually I put dishes that were drying away. It’s fun to see what else I can do. I know I know it’s not 5 minutes. Because my toast would be burnt by then 😅

[@CookingwithCatLover0330]

Dana, I love your method. I do this at home and where I work. "Where would I look for this first?" I have put stuff where I would look for it and My Golly! When I went there, the magnifying glasses or whatever was there! It works. I have made a small bin for my husband for "Rod's Papers". When mail comes that he needs to look at it will sit on the counter forever. One day I threw things away and he needed it. It was an "action piece of mail". Well, I didn't know that. So now that is in the kitchen by the coffee pot. He makes a decision and puts it where it goes, sometimes trash. Thank you!!

[@SamCurtis-yk8cv]

I love your method and advice. My awkward pauses often happen while I’m cooking and thankful for your comments. Now I take advantage of these by declutterring a drawer , small space or “get ahead” with something to benefit me the next morning 🙌🏼💜. I also have 2 of your books on audible 🙌🏼🥰💜

[@neon.neutral]

Same! When I'm cooking dinner is when I unload and reload the dishwasher.

[@deniseharwood9521]

@@neon.neutral Me Too!

[@valeriekravette787]

For the lady who inherited the paintings....I have a favorite painting that I acquired from the local Watercolor association that was part of a collection donated by a family member. I love it, it was quite reasonable, and all the money went to the association. Consider donating to someone who can exhibit them, and use them in a fundraiser.

[@laurenswift9368]

I just really like you. When I see your videos, I can tell you’re a normal person like me. Thanks for helping me (us - my family) with your videos! There’s so many “yeah, right” eye roll videos out there. But I can actually execute what you say

[@HomesteadingChicks]

My husband came around. It took years. He lost a small item in the house. He looked all the places and decluttered his way through it. I used your process to gently work through the questionable stuff.

[@djb1164]

I just set a huge entertainment center out on my sidewalk with a FREE sign on it and in two days someone had hauled it away. I had called a pickup place and they were going to charge me $150 to haul it away!! It's gone! I was so thrilled to see that empty spot out there. I don't have anyone insisting that I sell anything though. So I see the complication this person has. What joy, though, to have it hauled away for free!!

[@sallygy4815]

Thanks, Dana. I just listened as I decluttered. You are so helpful. ❤

[@vickiuridge3375]

I love your method and often hear you in my head saying 5 minutes matters, take it there now 😊😊

[@dianel2726]

We had an entertainment center too. I asked a few places, including Restore. So we sat it out for the garbage.

[@kristinphillips3650]

My big take away after this vid and also listening to you on Mel Robbins(?) is that FIRST YOU DE-CLUTTER! And then you can worry about organizing later on. While I feel I knew this inherently, I needed to hear it loud and clear. Going to take this aspect seriously now. After two deaths in the family (at virtually the same time) I inherited many precious heirlooms and “stuff.” Time to move most of it along…

[@louisedillon6797]

I moved my entertainment center to the spare bedroom and am using the inside of the cabinet for comforters and bedspreads for our master bedroom. I am so glad I kept it.

[@debbiev.1311]

Grateful, once again, for your replay!!! ❤️🤗

[@jenniferbatson8570]

I jump up during tv commercial breaks and declutter/put away stuff. I take pictures of the kid’s art projects then don’t feel bad about throwing them away.

[@exflybabydeeann392]

Just wanted to say that I appreciate your 5 step method! Also I'm just finishing up your book which I recently got, Decluttering At the Speed of Life. I LOVED it and I know it will help me in the future as I refer back to it. Hugs to you and all you ladies and men who are working on sending clutter out of our homes, to make our lives better and easier!!!

[@SoMagicalMichele]

I did actually get to listen live. I'm not really a chat live kind of gal so I just listened. Thanks for another great week.

[@rpb638183]

I like to listen to your lives while I declutter. I don’t feel like it’s been a hour.

[@brg2743]

Cleaned up an end table today that had gotten messy, cleanes litchen countertops and that little bit made the space look sp nice. Just made something better today.

[@Chrissy-Jay]

Catching the replay but I’m excited to catch these gems

[@marygeorge3853]

I just declutterred quite a bit from two closets. Sooo proud of myself. Gonna put them in the car to be donated!!!

[@6hZCBpMy]

Thank you Dana!

[@jenniferpearce1052]

Everyone is saying entertainment centers are not sellable or donatable. What about putting one in a garage or basement for shelving? Maybe it's too nice of a finish for that scruffy use, but it's better than it being trash.

[@ashleym9502]

For my husband's things, I use a box or tote and put his stuff in there and put them somewhere for him. He can deal with the box/tote when he has a chance.

[@louisedillon6797]

I did the same thing.

[@fabienneclavier5984]

I did a similar thing a while back, and the stuff hasn’t moved. If my husband doesn’t see things, they just don’t exist (he is a visual person).

[@SamCurtis-yk8cv]

If Sara Amaya has a friend or relative with a baby maybe she could loan the big items to her then by the time she needs them, the friend would be ready to return them. Just a thought

[@Susq15]

"I'm fifty!" 😂 Oh yeah. I'm just like that meme that says, "I was going to do that, but then you told me to." And that goes for myself as much as anyone else.

[@katsspace4688]

For the lady with the cardboard vending machine that your daughter made, simple, don’t get rid of it. And if you don’t want to display it, pack it away. Just remember to use the container concept when packing kids arts and craft so it doesn’t get out of control. The container concept in conjunction with the 5 step process is 🙌🙌🙌🙌

[@ashleym9502]

I listen to your videos when at work. Thanks for keeping me company :) Love hearing the motivation for when I get home and can tidy up.

[@diannalaubenberg7532]

I'm planning to scan the pages from my yearbooks that show me and my friends and put them on a cd. Then I will toss the yearbooks.

[@alenescoblete5540]

Both Lupus and Big Brothers Big Sisters will pick up donations from your doorstep. Just schedule the pickup on their websites and follow their rules. I’ve donated scores of boxes that way.

[@deborahalana8027]

12:40 I could not finish the live bc I got Taylor Swift's Anti-Hero stuck on my head😂 Anyways tysm as always for your wonderful advise, Dana. You are helping a lot of us!!!

[@creativelycountry1617]

Here I thought I was gonna make the live for once 😢 But love the replay too!

[@SassySue67]

For those looking to recycle textiles of any kind check to see if “Simple Recycling” is in your area. They do curbside pick up.

[@Blankenshipable]

❓❓❓My husband is filling our back yard with materials left over from jobs. He’s a carpenter. The garage is full too. To me, the priority is clearing the yard for our kids to play. Is there an answer?

[@olivemaycards]

I listened while folding stacks and stacks of laundry from an older relative’s home, clothes to donate to a free closet in our community. So many duh donations. Thanks for distracting me from asking why she bought so much stuff in the first place. It doesn’t matter, it just needs to go.

[@user-ll1bh8zp4h]

Hi there, a question to the crowd following Dana: My mom is 70 yrs old and lives in a 3-room-appartment. She has an office where it's almost not possible to step into because it's full of stuff. She stores her wool in there because she likes to knit. She stores lots of book, she received for free, but rarely ever reads... I offered my help, using Danas process, promised I won't judge/ argue over her decisions, since it's her stuff. She won't start, because she says she first needs to replace some furniture in that office (a huge sideboard which she already tried to sell, but noone wanted needs to leave the room and a desk and a shelf needs to go in that office. Unfortunately the desk and the shelf are in the basement which is also almost stuffed to the ceiling). I think she already realized, that stuff needs to go, but she's almost getting mad with me, when she hears/ sees that I took (our) stuff to the thriftstore as donations. Since her dad loved flea market (to buy, not to sell), she thinks everything is worth taking there (she now sells 2-3 Sundays/ month during spring to fall). She sometimes picks up "free stuff" from eBay, to sell at the flea market, as well. She sometimes takes our stuff too, before I give it away and because she enjoys doing that I let her take ours. But I made her promise, 3x not sold, goes to the thriftstore... because I don't want to see my stuff again in 5 or 10 years time.... Now, following Danas steps in the office as described: first look for trash, that's easy. But when it comes to easy stuff, give a permanent home, she argues that won't work, because of the "wrong" furniture in that room. Any suggestions, how to start?! Thankful for any advice.

[@jenniferpearce1052]

Do you have anyone who has the brawn to swap out the sideboard to the basement and bring the shelf and desk up to the office? It seems like that is her step one. Can the sideboard go to the flea market? Someone might find that an awesome find! What kind of things does she usually sell? (Edit: Autocorrect changed "brawn" to "brain" which is awfully rude)

[@scara1859]

Get ten boxes and help her box up everything in office. Take a picture of the sideboard and anything else she wants to sell and display their pictures and price at the flea market. Move the shelf up from the basement to the office and fill with favorites first. She will see too many items to put back in office hopefully and give them to charities that help clothe and feed the poor.

[@sarahfournier2657]

I'm listening to my mother complain about all the extras but when I make time to come help with other family members she gets frustrated or finds every reason to keep the extras. Such as dvds that nobody watches anymore. A couch she wants to get rid of, tote bags from shopping stores such as tjmaxx,goodwill.the issue is now she has two rooms that are now occupied with family members and everything is now in the garage and basement. She is highly overwhelmed and as her daughter I am clueless how to help her understand this clutter is not only in the way physically but it's also mentally blocking . now she can spend time with her grand kids n sons but she is always shifting around her stuff. Too much stuff for her container.

[@jenniferpearce1052]

If she wants to get rid of the couch, could you lookup a junk removal place? Or how much it would cost to take it to the dump? (Do you have the help to load it in the 19.99 pickup rental from Home Depot, if there is one close to you? Or does she want to list it on Craigslist? Maybe help her find that info and write it all on a list for her. Removing a couch will free up a lot of space and if she already wants to be rid of it, that's a huge hurdle!

[@elizabethdavis5]

The Entertainment Center will not sell- you can’t even GIVE IT AWAY! Donation companies won’t accept because they take up so much room…

[@sarahwbs]

Baby gear - you may be able to lend some items to a friend for a year or so, then you don't have to store everything.

[@user-wo4dh4qo3f]

what do I do with the big frame's with baby pictures of my daughter, I don't like them on the wall any more, my daughter is 27 now and she herself does not want them either ...?

[@SuperBcoastsimpson]

Shorter video will be great. Allot of us tend to repeat ourselves

[@jenniferpearce1052]

Noooooo! The video length is the length of time in decluttering! It doesn't matter if she repeats. Every video is a repeat. Doesn't matter! The new personal questions is what keeps it interesting. The answer is always the 5 steps.

[@niccic.]

Thank you Dana!