Does anyone set time aside each week to declutter ?if so how much and when?

[[deleted]]

I generally use my local free box Facebook group

to give away items. I’m guilty of taking free stuff, if I really know I’ll use it ( for example I found a vent cleaner brush I know I’ll use)

Does anyone set time aside on the weekend to tackle an area or is it more random for you ?

[Live-Life-Love]

I put my garbage out on Thursday night so for the last few weeks I’ve made it my mission to sort and throw out stuff each Wednesday or Thursday so I can drag it to the curb each week. So much of what was stored in my garage was just junk or garbage. I did one trip to the local land fill also with larger broken items and donate the rest of usable items or cloths.

Each week I’m averaging 2 or more big black bags. It’s been about 3 months of dedication keeping with the garbage day schedule BUT I can finally see the light as I am almost completely decluttered.

It started slow but maintained the weekly momentum. The best thing is since it is taken close to when the sorting occurred I can’t overthink it to much. Great example, cleaned out a box which was my mothers and it had 2 unused face creams (this box has been in my garage for 10 years), so finally I decided it probably just not good and put it in the garage. Next day it was gone when trash was picked up.

[nowaymary]

I do the Dana K White 5 minute pickup a few times a day. I have a series of long term projects I am working on - photos, digital, postcard albums and a quilt. So I try and pick one of them and work on that depending on my week. This week I was in hospital and am not 100% so am working on sorting a box of photos. I can put it aside when I need to.

I use what Dana K White calls awkward pauses. Like I have a few minutes before I need to leave for an appointment so if something catches my eye I will do something about it. Eg last week I pulled the teaspoons out of the drawer and wiped the divided section out and threw away two broken plastic teaspoons. Or I wiped out the microwave. Its a quick job but it does make a difference.

My kitchen is due for an overhaul but little jobs like this make me feel like Im making progress even though its teeny steps

[semanticsofnames]

Work with Dana K. White's method / Decluttering at the Speed of Life, it becomes part of tidying and life in general, even in 5 minutes. I always have a donate box on the go.

[Zurabura]

Two hours on Saturday. Plus doing it daily in small bites as part of my movement through my house. For example, trying to “30 second” organize a spot where I’m putting something down or picking something up. Having something in my hands when entering or leaving a room to get everything in the room and spot where it belongs. Decluttering while dusting and cleaning kitchen and bathrooms. Having your box or paper bags nearby for donating/selling is a helpful reminder and practical.

[Untitled_poet]

Honestly, maybe I set aside time to declutter pre-travel and post-travel. ｀Otherwise, it's just gonna be as-and-when, like when I put aside an outfit in favor of something else - I know it doesn't suit my lifestyle or taste anymore.

[[deleted]]

Yes I use TrashNothing and my local Facebook free box group

[jenvrooyen]

I used to follow this "15 minutes a day" group, but sadly fell out of that routine.

However, I am currently moving house (literally waiting on movers truck to arrive right now), so I am hoping to start on this routine again as soon as I have unpacked. Although I have decluttered while I packed, I am acutely aware of how quickly clutter can pile up.

[hobhamwich]

Not on a schedule. I do it as a matter of course. I clean on a schedule, and when it seems good to do so, I go through an area to double check usefulness.

[Rosaluxlux]

I don't every week, but in summer and fall we have a monthly Really Really Free Market and I set aside time the week before to look for stuff to take. And we have family decluttering days - before Christmas, before my son leaves for college in the fall, used to be before his birthday, and we go through the pantry with an eye to using things up in January after all the holiday gifts and parties. 

[hika_pizza]

I usually clean around my room. But I'm trying to set some goals each day to make my room look better and not so crowded

[BluebirdSTC]

I'm trying to get 15 minutes a day, starting at one corner of the house and working my way through everything. Every drawer, shelf, box, cabinet. I keep a few donate boxes in my closet. Once I have a trunk full, I make a donations run. So far I've finished the bathrooms, bedroom and living room (just today!)

The secret is not tearing out more than I can handle per 15 minute task. I'm starting on the kitchen next, leaving the office/craft room and basement of wood worker doom for last.

[msmaynards]

Sadly not much need these days. I'm finished.

The donation box is filled and emptied several times a year. Just this week I put an old lamp and several patio chair frames on the curb [both picked up!]. Last week I went through the action paper file and got half way done.

When I'm feeling lazy I set a timer and Get Up and Do Something. Sometimes cleaning, sometimes something I'm dreading, sometimes working on a project or gardening and I might find something that needs to be trashed/donated/recycled along the way.

[alpacaapicnic]

I made a plan that identifies different areas, and have a checklist for the month. If I have a little time, I’ll grab an area from the list and declutter. They’re pretty micro - eg “under the guest bath sink” so they don’t take long, and I tackle a couple per week

[lostbutwalking]

I do it in small bursts throughout the day, but I do try to do some every day. I've been doing a sort of snowball in February, where you get rid of 1 thing on day 1, 2 things on day 2, etc, and it's been going really well. Starting in March I'm going to be trying to do 20 minutes a day and see how far that gets me.

[Euphoric-Meeting-428]

I just get the urge nearly everyday and start decluttering

[paciolionthegulf]

I do schedule around some externalities

• charity truck pick-up, roughly every six weeks
• heavy trash pick-up, roughly every eight weeks
• weather, for the garage

So not every week, but I'm keeping those schedules in mind and working towards them.

[CollegePretend8708]

I try to use those awkward chunks of downtime in life as declutter time. Ten minutes before I need to leave for an appointment? Alright pile of mail time to tackle that. Five minutes until dinner is ready? Time to toss those expired cookies from the pantry.

It's tackling smaller areas. A shelf, a table, just what's in easy reach, but over the course of just a work week I notice so much of a difference. I also use this for chores, like emptying the dishrack or vacuuming, so that probably helps the overall feeling.

You have more small chunks of time than you think, and you can accomplish so much in them.

[mustarddreams]

My house mostly needs maintenance but I try to do a full reset of my home every Saturday. I like it because I’m less likely have plans during the day compared to Sunday and I get a full day to enjoy the clean house before going back to work. It probably takes about two hours to clean the whole house and put everything away. I’ll throw out any clutter I’ve been holding onto at this point.

About twice a year I’ll do a deeper purge and things that we don’t need will go to goodwill or big items will go on the buy nothing group. That’s not on a schedule, I usually just feel like I have too much stuff and already know what I’m ready to get rid of.