The Follow Through Declutter | Clear the Clutter for Good!

[@redcoatwins]

As someone who used to post a lot of things (and acquired!) from Buy Nothing and other local Facebook giving pages, I am in awe of the effort you go to to constantly post and coordinate pickups every week. I just can’t imagine the time and energy you invest in this (especially when people bail and you are stuck with the item!). The new way that I’ve started giving things away on these pages is I will have a “free sale” - I collect all my things in a few bins over the course of a couple of months and on a nice Saturday morning I will haul everything to the curb and put them out on a blanket or some tables. I take a bunch of photos of the items and post them “free! Come to this address and please take them” and I usually get cleared out within a few hours. It is WILDLY more efficient than listing individual items, and you know that they are likely going to good homes (vs goodwill, which I hate donating to). Something to consider?

[@mooseyourbody]

Follow through friday has a nice ring to it. I definitely need a do it today thursday (that's my day off). Thanks for the inspiration. And I'm sure your new baskets will be of great help!

[@Stephanie_UM_Wife]

I like the idea of Follow Through Friday. It’s a nice way to finish the week and enjoy one’s progress.

[@allioakley3372]

I know you've heard this a million times but when you're making a tossy tossi pile maybe do it in sections of donate recycle and trash so you'll have three tossy tossy piles next to each other and you won't have to sort later

[@jennybird2770]

that's a great idea- think i'll try that myself- thanks :)

[@hellskells26]

That is a really useful idea. Unfortunately since this is online it may provoke the commenters that just have to shame declutter/cleaning channels about not perfectly disposing of every item.

[@lizziehutchins]

I'm so proud of you Miss Heart!! This is great! Love "follow through Friday" and want to adopt it myself. :)

[@tngirlz4622]

So glad Tyler is home and feeling better! Great idea to use the colourful baskets to sort outgoing items in your laundry room - if your basement still has moisture problems, the wicker and/or fabric might get mouldy. And I LOVE the follow-through Friday concept - I have the same problem, working hard to declutter and then letting the stuff hang around rather than getting it out the door.

[@carypolakowski4817]

I did not know how much I needed this! Thank you for the method to actually get stuff out of the house. That is the trickiest part for me. Never too old to learn. 😊

Ms Pepper inspecting the end result at the end 🥰🥰🥰

[@fianorian]

I'm with Ms Pepper. I want to hibernate for the winter too.

[@doreenhayden-cote553]

I love the idea of Friday Follow Through. This is where I've been stuck. I identify things I am willing to declutter and move them to another location and that location gets cluttered. I often post things on our local Buy Nothing but haven't done it recently because the weather has been terrible and I couldn't put the items out for pick up. Since today is Friday and the weather looks good for tomorrow, I am going to post things as soon as I finish watching this video!! I am also going to label a box for donations to the Thrift Store and move it to my car as soon as it is ready. Also today. We are getting snow in our area on Sunday so today is the day! Thank you for the motivation.

[@greatauntlizbethg9137]

Dana k white's method is to have your donatable donate box and trash bag with you when you declutter. That system may be helpful to you.

[@JaniceIsLearning]

I like the colorful baskets in the laundry room as follow-through baskets with bigger bins in the basement.

[@aileenreynolds5604]

I have a similar system in my home. I keep several pretty TJ Maxx reusable bags near the coat rack/door, each with a different purpose. It changes, but one might be donations, another returns, a third could be things I need to give back to a friend, or take to work. I add items one at a time during most days or all at once on decluttering days, using as many or few bags as needed. Then every time I head out the door, I automatically check to see if one goes where I am going. That's been a game changer for me. We all can find a system that works for our unique homes and situations. Thanks, as always, for the inspo and motivation! xo

[@jennybird2770]

Miss Heart- I just gotta say I just like you so much. Your videos inspire me and I always get so happy when there is a new one. Also Miss Pepper is the cutest little helper. Have a beautiful day- oh and SO happy to hear Tyler is better- yahooo!!!! :)

[@NemoOurName4ever]

I can relate soooo much to the difficulty to just trash good things. Just as you, I always try to find new homes for them, but that takes time. It shows that the best we can do is minimizing the influx. Thanks for being such a mindful person and walking the extra mile!!

[@marium1866]

I also struggle with the follow through. Getting it out the door is the hardest part for me. Thank you so much for sharing this. 💞

[@jeno264]

I'm all about the zones! Yes, at the end of each week i have a tidy up, returning all the stray stuff to it's home, before i start cleaning 💖

[@koributtorff]

Great job! Follow through is so hard, especially for us with ADHD. Glad you're making steps for a brighter and more organized life and home.

[@gweldrod8849]

I think this why “take it there now…Dana K White” is helps me so much!

[@Anikai88]

Friendly advise: Flatten the boxes before putting it into the recycling bin. You'll get so much more stuff in the bin :)

[@DistanceTraveled]

I love this video! I have an idea. I would add to your the basement AND your laundry book shelf into an empty four bin sort spot. I think having a station for relocate, trash, recycling, and yard sale/facebook would let your ADHD catch up so you walk to the room and where you naturally put the stuff down is where you sort. If sorting is as easy as putting it down, it becomes easy to organize. Because you sort recycling and trash in your garage but you dont have the time in your ADHD brain to make it to the garage every time. It could be 4 empty totes or 4 laundry hampers, but just something. An example. As a kid, my mom put a trashcan in EVERY room, because we wouldn't leave trash everywhere if it was easy to throw away. That did mean on trash day we would combine the trash from all of the cans to one place, but it avoided the tissues with snot inside random drawers.

[@eyrunsigrunardottir6977]

You are on fire! It´s great to see you like this after your illness. Follow through Friday sounds great 🙂

[@Stefunny82]

Love how Miss Pepper came in at the end to give her paw of approval 😂

[@wendyinegbenedo1307]

Your Mom's bins are perfect ❤

[@muffiinkaa4859]

Hi! Maybe it’s a good idea to put the donations straight to the car, then you wouldn’t forget them ☺️

[@emleigh1793]

That’s what I do. I have a box in the back of my car that I add things to and then can take them to the donation place when it’s full.

[@greatauntlizbethg9137]

But she has the problem of not following thru despite intentions. Having a spot to neatly do what she already does will help. And when it's full or she's doing follow thru Friday it's sorted and easy to grab

[@muffiinkaa4859]

@@greatauntlizbethg9137 it might get too overwhelming, it’s easier to go once a week before grocery shopping 😄

[@RadCenter]

Good job! It definitely helps to schedule the follow-through. I like to schedule decluttering sessions the day before my normal trash and recycling pickup. That way I can take the bags and boxes straight to the curb. Like you, I try to schedule trips to Goodwill for when I'll be in that neighborhood for another errand.

[@wonderingsanna]

Hi! Yes! a sorting station is a good thing and it makes the home looks neat and sorted. If you have it in the basement when you decluttter down there and make those big "tossy tossy"-piles, you could put the stuff straight into the right bin right away. We would see how big the pile are that way to ,it doesn´t have to be spread out. I have helped a frind with hoarding problems build a sorting station. She has a table to "work on" take photos, pack, clean and inspect items and she has a deep shelf to store it all. In the shelf she has packingmaterial and bins and bags for different destinations, give away and drop of at place X,Y,Z, sell on auction online, consign, aso. She regulary work on the stuff in the sorting station and this system works for her. With this system she has a place a home for all things leaving . Sometimes it do pile up but then it´s just in that place, not everywhere. She doesn´t have a guilty conscience for the piles anymore and can take care of the items bit by bit when she feels ok with it. This has mentally lifted a huge stone from her chest.

[@JaneOrr-m5g]

So happy Tyler is better!

[@janeonthecoast4920]

You can throw "good" stuff out. We all give you permission. The house isnt a refuge for stuff. Its your house and much of the stuff is going to go to landfill one day anyway. Courage dear HH.

[@greatauntlizbethg9137]

Ive been screaming at you in the comments for ages to have a re ycle spot in the laundry and i am so happy others chimed in and you have seen them and will do it. It occured to me in this video that you cpuld keep the actual recycle bin in the laundry. You probably wont want to and would need to remove a piece of furniture to do so. Regardless, you have improved so much and i am proud of you

[@micheleboschert175]

You are on a roll! Follow thru Friday sounds wonderful.

[@joannevenz5045]

It will be good to move the baskets from your mom over to the cube shelving opposite your washer/dryer once you declutter them and get them off the floor. I still think until you get things more manageable it would be better to do bulk donations as the town giving page slows you down.

[@victoriajohnson3034]

I think adopting an empty space rule might help. Eliminating extra book shelves, put an empty box in all top cupboards and backs of deep cupboards. Limits the amount of space to over fill with stuff that never gets used.

[@rochellesiegel5199]

Good idea…hardly ever recommended…. Also leaving clear space & using restraint in decorating is important as it lets the eye rest & allows for the establishment of focal points.

[@victoriajohnson3034]

@rochellesiegel5199 I switched all decor to hanging art like large paintings and metal art. No wall shelves and no nicknacks! Less maintenance and clutter catchers.

[@hannahkennedy2259]

Great job 👏👏👏

[@jeno264]

Miss Pepper has the longest whiskers! 🥰🥰

[@judenebaer9997]

Looks nice. 😊 great job

[@heatherarmstrong261]

Maybe you can have a cardboard box for donations (as opposed to stuff for Facebook Marketplace and your town's giving page), you can take it to where you are decluttering and then just put it up in the car. As a viewer, I think it would work fine to just put that box of items in your tossy-tossy pile for the end of the video instead of having them spread out. It might save you a little bit of work and make follow-through easier. I love the idea of Follow-through Friday. I was having trouble keeping up with my finances and I started doing Finances Friday and it's really helped me be more consistent - I'm not perfect at it, but so much better than I was!

[@MsArtistwannabe]

Well done.

[@reginaeudy9249]

Maybe when you make your larger sorting bins in the basement, you could use the colorful bins upstairs for items to declutter as you find them. Maybe one is in the laundry room and one in your closet. As you try on something and you're like no way, put it in the basket to declutter. If you wear something and discover that it's uncomfortable you can put it in the basket in the laundry room after you wash it. You are doing great!

[@rg-mi5hh]

Putting your stuff near the door that goes out the door is good organizing.

[@queenmarynovelwriter5397]

You did a great job; keep up the good work.

[@thebeachyfarmhouse6410]

Ms pepper only woke up to do her inspection round 😂❤ think she aproved!

[@hazelorb]

Great job!! The system I use is declutter 365 and she schedules follow through days in that system. It’s also nice to have a break from the emotional aspect of the actual decluttering, although I found I also have a different anxiety when taking things to donation…

[@MRPandoraHartDR]

Living here in the UK the declutter but still have the stuff stuck in limbo is what has happened in our house with all the awkward broken and ruined stuff that aren't straightforward to dispose because we're not allowed to get rid of it in our household rubbish collections. And a visit to the tip requires you have a car, make an appointment for a timeslot of only ten minutes and haven't reached your limit on the number of visits you're allowed to make a year. Which means you are stuck really waiting until you have enough stuff to make it worthwhile to make that trip.

[@tayloradams1160]

I kept meaning to comment around Christmas and forgot, but a video where you completely unpackage aaaaalll of your Christmas gifts and put them away would be awesome! Throw away all the boxes and rip off all the tags! So no more Keurig incidents lol

[@CynthiaMiller-cc3qj]

When I did my major decluttered last year, decided to NOT try to sell things. I set up a small banquet table in the garage. Large trash & recycling cans are already in there. After each session, I took all the stuff to the garage. Donations went on the table, trash & recycling into their appropriate cans. Since my hubby volunteers at the thrift store every Tues, he would take a load of donations to the shop. Each Tuesday all three categories went permanently away. Easy peasy. No giant build-up!

[@minimaladjacent]

looks great. I can be hard to get the stuff from the house to the car... to the donation spot... and the second that happens... there is stuff behind we find. plus there's the smaller piles of ewaste, hazardous waste, expired meds, dead batteries etc etc they all have their own piles as well... its not a hoarder problem... its something nearly everyone struggles with. maybe have mini recycling containers or donate ones close and dump those when full to the garage. we have bins inside, and I often will toss bigger recycling into the kitchen... the spot before it heads to the outside bins. I have a few categories of things to donate in different spots. also doing curb alerts can help you get rid of things fast... we don't usually post a curb alert its mostly metal we put outside and it goes THE "Bermuda triangle"- we had that in our last house and if we didn't go down the street to donate it we put it to the curb if we didn't want ppl to pay for or kijiji it. I have been planning to put xmas totes away....hopefully TODAY. lol. and have been adding a few more things to the go piles. - doing another "spring cleaning".

[@dankaa88]

Very nice video 🎉

[@jeannebowes2898]

Today was trash pickup, and some came to pick up some items. Went to gym, then filled up the gas tank, treated the driveway and sidewalk with snow melt. A big snowstorm has started for us with severe Arctic cold. Now I am cozy inside with some hot cocoa. My kitty is rolled up in her cat condo

[@rg-mi5hh]

You and Clutterbug could do your laundry room. She could help you set up zones when it is decluttered the way you want it. You would get a million views. Zoning is where I could do better.

[@rg-mi5hh]

Also, if I clean the floor area like you do in your basement, it motivates me to keep that area straightened. Could you paint the floor or putdown a long rug that you may already have and make it pretty so you want to keep it straightened? It helps me.

[@colettenewell4634]

Getting the stuff out of the house is the hardest part for me. I am out in the country so there are no good options close by. But it is an important step.

[@debratakagawa4764]

Great follow through ideas! That’s what I need to do. I have stuff that needs to go to 4-5 different centers. (Including hazardous waste, bulky waste pickup)

[@keelienne]

Wowzeees for the progress 💜 But don’t make bigger bins in the basement, the quicker they are full the earlier you take care of them 😃

[@patpalmer1337]

Follow through is an issue for me, too...I have been doing a lot of decluttering and tossing and shredding, and donating, but, still I don't know what to do with everything I want gone...I am not a hoarder, but, trying to get stuff actually gone is a problem for me...I look forward to your videos and your progress...

[@leahirvine3522]

Have you tried Dana K. White's No Mess Decluttering method. I would love to see a video on that.

[@littlebungalowinthewoods858]

I’m not sure what your town rules are, but in the community nearest to me someone made a “trading post.” It’s the same idea as a little lending library but with any items that you want to pass on. I love it! If I have something that can fit in there instead of being taken to the thrift store that’s my preference. If you could set up a little “trading post” box (it’s wooden with a hinge door that latches so it’s safe from the elements) then you could just add items as you come across them.

[@Peanut11111]

I'm with Pepper

[@emmcguire94]

What if you tried a bigger corner storage bookcase in that corner in the laundry room- as the floor in front of it is a regular hotspot.

[@plaisirdelanglais]

Why don't you have a shelf only for donations via fcb? That way it won't be cluttered. Then you can have a basket for direct Goodwill donations. And then donations to your family.... that way everythings has designated donation spot and you take it out when full or when you go to that specific space.

[@plaisirdelanglais]

Haha update..... 2 minutes later you said that😂

[@NancyThecheerfulheart]

Maybe you need bins in the laundry room for each action step.

[@NancyThecheerfulheart]

Sorry said this before you said it.

[@victoriajohnson3034]

Put your leaving bins right where that bookcase is behind you.

[@greatauntlizbethg9137]

Yes!

[@shellybu]

Maybe put recycling bins too? :)

[@rmf4]

❤❤❤

[@greatauntlizbethg9137]

I wouldnt be putting the fb giving page in the basement. Keep it going towards the doors and out of the house

[@Ros-t6w]

if you keep a donation large bag in your car - things can go there immediately and it will be ready to drop off when you go to the supermarket.

[@lisaarthurs4784]

If you don't have time to list it on the giving page, maybe just put it in the car and drop it off in a blessing box.

[@carinanicolas9763]

❤

[@Akwmn]

Maybe use your mom's bins for your follow through Friday to dos?

[@Akwmn]

Should have waited until the end 😂

[@reginacornish3030]

This is my biggest struggle. I'm disabled so if I have energy to declutter I run out of steam to follow through.

[@greatauntlizbethg9137]

Dana k white has several videos on decluttering with disabilities/ low energy

[@reginacornish3030]

@greatauntlizbethg9137 thank you!

[@TrishHorton-r3g]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@victoriajohnson3034]

I'm not sure a no spend would really help hoarding. Most hoarders collect free stuff in excess. Maybe a 1 in 10 out rule if you have hoarding disorder.

[@greatauntlizbethg9137]

It could be one part of the solution. It would prevent a lot of 'bargains' coming in

[@rebeccan3288]

True! She has a lot of donation items and free stuff from FB.

[@rebeccan3288]

Still so much stuff and so much churning. Slow but steady progress though. I have watched you for many years. You do do well, but you have so many ideas and not so much follow through.