I am less an influencer and more a horrible warning. To set the stage, a very cluttered stage I might add, I am not as into “spring cleaning” as I am “fall cleaning.” In autumn we are preparing, one hopes, for a long winter indoors. I want our environment to be clean and pretty. I usually love our home but sometimes things just start to seem cluttered and “heavy.” Like I am gasping under the weight of the blessing of so much “stuff.” I also feel this is a good time to cull through coats, hats, warm winter wear and donate what we don’t need to those who do. Winter is brutal. No one should be without the proper gear.
The urge to purge is definitely seasonal for me. In 2010 I wrote that I was removing clutter, debt, forced busyness and drama to make room for calm, creativity, laughter and living a simpler life.
In 2016 I shared that I was cleaning out my closets. Each time I pared down more to find key pieces that suited the lifestyle and figure I had then. I ended up with six maxi dresses and a tablecloth.
The recent hint of autumn in the air is surely why I was bit by a wild hair to declutter pretty much everything. I decided to follow a practice that has gone viral online called “hushing the house.” Hushing the house means taking all small items from a room, leaving only large furniture, draperies and fixtures. You then see the room bare, clean all surfaces and items, and return only those things that you really need or want in your space.
This sounded like something I could do in an afternoon. I love to organize things. Thus fueled with coffee and high aspirations, I stripped almost all decor from the entire first floor of our home — including cabinets and closets — and piled it in the foyer. I pulled all the furniture to the center of the rooms to better clean and assess the spaces. There is no one more determined than a woman bent on rearranging furniture by herself. I was unhinged. At one point Mr. Wonderful walked in the house, shook his head, and backed out the door. He never knows what I might move. I think he’s just happy the toilet is bolted to the floor.
Blocked
It became clear when I had effectively blocked access to the second floor with piles of “stuff” that I had, perhaps, made a mistake. I was looking at piles of plants, statues, books and throw pillows. I have a pillow problem. I need an intervention. On that note, why do I own six cake stands? Am I a baker? A caterer? No, I am not.
Civilians on the home front during World War II didn’t fight battles, but they did contribute to the country’s efforts. They gathered aluminum foil right down to the tiny sheets wrapped around chewing gum so that it could be repurposed. They also came up with ways to use and reuse everything from old tire rubber to soap. Somewhere deep in my DNA remains the need to think about every speck of anything with an eye toward “maybe someone can use this?”
I fight my inner collector with a need to keep things clean and open. Our homes are not containers for stuff but rather a place for love and connection. Let’s make room for more of that. Decluttering is a good first step in reclaiming our space. I call storage totes “clutter coffins” in order to keep myself in check. As you let go of all the stuff that doesn’t matter to you any longer — even if it’s REALLY GOOD STUFF — what matters will be more clear both figuratively and literally. One of my earliest essays was titled “your sofa, or your life.” In that I wrote about how I refuse to value possessions over people. I want to USE our items — yes, even the heirlooms. Two decades later, I stand by that. Don’t save the good stuff. Life is a special occasion. If you want to know what matters, get rid of what doesn’t. Use your good dishes. Wear and use all your nice things. Let go of the rest.
Enjoy
If you want to enjoy your favorite things, only keep your favorite things. When you start decluttering, don’t just think about what you have to let go of. Consider what you want to keep. At some point it’s less “love this!” and more “how often do I want to dust it?” and “Could someone else love it more?”
It took me an entire weekend to sort out. I can assure you that it actually does feel good to deep clean and declutter. Mentally I mean. Physically, I think I hurt myself.
