The clutter, declutter

Irecently launched a challenge at home and it is called “Take Ten.” I look for ten things to dispose of, donate, get rid of or otherwise share with those who may find better use for them.

It’s a good exercise in clearing your mind and a good way to – as the new trend dictates – declutter. Minimalism has become a lifestyle trend with people wanting less stuff at home and living with just the most basic of things – a few clothes, a few shoes and everything downsized in quantity.

After the pandemic, though we are still extra careful and still wear masks in enclosed spaces, I checked our pantry which was stocked with food items that may, just in case, come in handy should there be another lockdown. It is now time to share these goods and feed others while you clean up your house.

A neat freak of a friend shared this technique with me. His house is clean of any cartons, files and all these paperwork we keep “just in case.” He likes to clean incessantly and throws whatever is not needed like old files, faded thermal print copies of receipts and whatever else is not relevant to him at this point in life.

Then we have the hoarder friend. They keep everything in many tied up bags that are unlabelled. They just want to keep stuff. Sometimes, it is handy to have this kind of friend when you need a paper clip, a rubber band or anything useful but is not in your daily list of staples.

But minimalist trendsetters have written books on decluttering and living with less. They say it is healthier for the mind when you see less mess as the environment you move in is a reflection of your state of mind. Or put another way, a cluttered place makes it difficult to think clearly. So the next time you cannot focus, or have a difficult time thinking of creative solutions to challenges, try cleaning up your surroundings. Then, sit down and think.

There is also the gift of time. As you go through files and notebooks of yesteryears, many of them become irrelevant over time. We find one piece of yesterday precious today, and then look again months from now. You may instantly decide to toss it. So a periodic “cleansing” of voluminous papers and files may be needed for us to be successful in clearing our files, desks and closets.

Today it is also in fashion to pay for secure storage of whatever we have not decided on, including the requisite records of businesses we have terminated, discontinued or permanently closed. There are warehouses just to store boxes and the service includes indexing our files and clutter but it comes with a monthly “storage fee.” If you want to see them again, you quote a number and voila, that precious box is back with you for checking. Then they cart it away again for continued safekeeping.

Other creative souls use clutter to make new things. Old compact discs or CDs become decorative wall frames. Our partner in ECHOStore Jeannie Javelosa is working on a house with accents of materials from other people’s discards. They could be junk to others but for her it is another piece for her artistic project.

Reduce, reuse, recycle could not be more relevant when you need space or you need an empty room.

Reduce

Give away clothes that no longer fit, are out of fashion or you have not worn for a year.

Give away shoes that you have outgrown or that have seen better days.

Dispose of old deteriorating packages, especially those made of plastic. They will not last anyway.

Go through old files and records and check if they can be found in digital versions.

Reuse

Lanyards with name badges can be used as seed pockets, only if you plant or have a farm.

Tin cans and glass bottles can be reused as containers for nuts, bolts or kitchen condiments.

Recycle

Turn old tshirts into rags that are washable rather than use paper towels.

Clean old paper can be used for notes.

Envelopes that are still clean are always reused.

During the pandemic lockdowns, we discovered we could use less of everything. We also discovered that some of our shoes and clothes will not withstand changes in humidity and temperatures. We can go back to using that as an example. We give away or throw away what we no longer need, what has deteriorated over time and what cannot be repaired or reused.

A brother-in-law of mine tosses any carton when something new is bought – like equipment, appliance or even mobile phones. But many of us want to keep empty cartons of our printers, computers, mobile phones – “just in case.” Ten years later, our iPhone 4 box is still around. It is now the time to bring these to the recycling bin.

And for electronic waste or e-waste – old gadgets and old PCs – there are neighborhood collection days and some malls accept them during e-waste day. Do not discard electronic waste along with your trash of regular papers or food. Even used batteries are supposed to be e-waste and not thrown just anywhere. Let us keep that in mind and explore who gathers e-waste in your neighborhood.

If you can start a recycling program in your community, you can gather e-waste and other discards that may be used by some junkyard operators or which you can also turn into good money. So, you see, decluttering may not just be refreshing for the mind, it may also be a good way to convert trash to cash.

Clear your mind. Clear your surroundings. Think better. And have some cash, too.