After downsizing and decluttering my life several years ago, I’ve come to realise that decluttering is - and always will be - an ongoing process. As important as it is to be mindful of what you buy, it won’t prevent the things you once loved becoming things you don’t need anymore. Items you relied on and used every day suddenly become redundant as your life changes and habits shift. Furniture, books, clothes, gadgets, and utensils. There’s no way to guarantee that what we buy today won’t become unnecessary clutter in the future, no matter how hard we think about our purchases.
Having to spend more time at home has inevitably led me to scrutinising my surroundings. I felt myself becoming overwhelmed by my possessions, even though I don’t own a huge amount. I'm certain many other people feel the same when I say, lockdown has given me the time to tackle some of the areas within my home I've been putting off dealing with. While some of the bigger jobs are a work in progress, decluttering is one of those things we can all little and often.
I started with the obvious items I knew were cluttering up my space. The spare furniture I had after upgrading the office, the ingredients I knew I was avoiding using up, the plants I didn’t care for anymore. Then I started digging into the utility cupboards and storage spaces to hunt down the last of the clutter.
Redundant Furniture
We had a large office desk custom built for us, which made a few items of furniture redundant: two desks and one cabinet. All three pieces of furniture were passed on to friends (who happen to be neighbours). I’m pleased these second-hand items were given a new lease of life with someone else.
Skin Care Products
I finally said goodbye to the very last of the skin care products I had been holding onto just to use them all up. Unfortunately, a couple of these items had to be thrown in the bin as their packaging wasn't recyclable. Now I'm sticking to a streamlined beauty routine with only 5 products.
A Vintage Safety Razor
I love using a safety razor but my partner doesn't. He found this vintage razor in a charity shop and after I raved about how great they were decided to try it out. Unfortunately, he found it uncomfortable to use and returned to using disposables (for now). This was just one of those items that didn't work out - hopefully someone else will love it!
A Novelty Camera
I bought this years ago and rediscovered it while decluttering the office. It's a fun little camera that produces interesting photos. In all honesty, I forgot I even had it and couldn't see myself ever using it again. Finding it reminded me of some great memories; I'm hoping I can pass it onto someone else who will appreciate it more than I did.
Unloved Plants
Maintaining a large plant collection requires a lot of effort, and when there are plants you no longer care about taking up space it’s sometimes better to just let them go. I made a few desirable plants for sale to other plant collectors, and the ones that weren’t worth the effort were sent to the compost heap.
When we talk about decluttering we often mean removing things we no longer want or need from our lives. Getting rid of unloved books, unworn clothes, and unwanted decor. But it can also mean using them up or giving them a new purpose so nothing goes to waste.
I've written about how to declutter responsibly before. It's important to be mindful of the waste we cause and, more importantly, can avoid when we declutter mindfully; responsibly dealing with the things we don't want in a way that avoids or, at the vert least, reduces the waste we create.
Anything I found that I didn't want, I tried to make use of or at least pass on to someone who could. Furniture went to neighbours, plants went to friends, skincare and ingredients were used up. There have been a few victories though, where I managed to make use of and repurpose a few things I thought were destined be decluttered for good.
Fixing Broken Things
A set of faulty kitchen scales was saved by a little tinkering by my partner. We did actually buy a new set but after taking apart the broken scales, my parnter managed to fix the problem and we could return the new set. It feels good knowing we avoided wasting something that could easily be fixed!
Giving Things A New Purpose
I found a ceramic jug in the cupboard that, despite my well intentions, I hadn't found a use for. It's become the perfect way to corral all those useful kitchen utensils, which we've found ourselves in need of since baking bread again. I've previously done the same with other home decor items, like the basket planter I repurposed to store dirty kitchen towels.
Making Use Of Craft Supplies
All those craft supplies and cardboard boxes have been put to good use making fun little projects to pass the time in lockdown. Even though they eventually ended up in the recycling bin, actually using those saved up supplies that I've been promising to do something with feels good.
Eating Up Ingredients
Every few weeks, I declutter and reorganise our pantry as well as our kitchen cupboards. I did this during my latest declutter to pull out any ingredients we're low on (or had forgotten we had) and prioritised eating them up. This process really helps to avoid and reduce food waste. We've eaten some pretty delicious meals as a result!
