It’s been said that there’s a difference between organizing and de-cluttering, and there is. De-cluttering requires decision making and organizing requires cute storage solutions, I believe you can’t do one without the other. You shouldn’t organize junk (unless it’s contained in a “junk drawer”). Don’t get me wrong, clutter and junk are not synonymous.
JUNK (Per Oxford Dictionary): is stuff that nobody has any use for; or articles that are considered useless or of little value.
CLUTTER (Per the Freckled Lemon & Google): is a collection of things lying about in an untidy mass. Clutter can be a stack of bills that need to be paid or filed, these of course are NOT junk.
Junk is the empty envelopes from those bills after you’ve opened them.
HOARDING (Per Merriam Webster): is a psychological disorder characterized by the persistent accumulation of a variety of items that are often considered useless or worthless by others and by the inability to discard such items without great distress.
MINIMALISM (Per https://www.theminimalists.com): is a lifestyle where people question what things add value to their lives. By clearing the clutter from life’s path, we can all make room for the most important aspects of life: health, relationships, passion, growth, and contribution. (let’s not forget FREEDOM)!
- If it takes a minute or less, do it now.
- Start in a corner
- Keep like things with like things
- Fill your sink with warm water, add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil. Soak a rag in there, wring it out well so that it’s damp, then, clean everything you’re organizing (dust, de-grease, polish, whatever each item needs) OH! And if you’re organizing your remote controls, clean them well with rubbing alcohol! They can get so gross!