It just makes sense!
I don’t normally watch Oprah but when I saw the promo saying that Peter Walsh, organizational guru, was going to be on talking about decluttering your life well I just had to watch. In fact I taped the show and watched it twice AND took notes because I’m a freak like that and because this stuff is exciting people!! I love the show Clean Sweep, have ever since it began, and Peter Walsh is brilliant. The organizationally challenged couple Oprah featured on her show were an extreme I thought but according to Peter not so much. I admire this couple for being brave and honest enough to come forward and air their dirty laundry (and mountains of it) on national television in order to get help. They will get flack for it, they may hang their heads in embarrassment but I admire them for doing it, for rising above all that in order to do the right thing. There are four beautiful little girls in that family that do not need to carry their parent’s burden, that can now enjoy being little girls with spaces to play, boundaries to abide by and new skills to continue to develop. This to me is what is most important, the skills we are teaching the next generation.
Here are my notes from the show as spoken by Peter Walsh:
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There are two main types of clutter:
- might need it one day clutter
- memory clutter
Stuff that keeps you in the future (#1) or the past (#2) means you don’t live fully now in the present.
Too much clutter sucks the life out of people’s homes. If you house is full of stuff all the blessings that could fill your house can’t get in. The stuff takes over.
If you focus on the “stuff”, you’ll never get organized.
The order of your home/car says something about who you are as a person.
The thing about clutter is at some stage you stop seeing it.
Parents have to drive the house.
Tackle your mess one room at a time. Take everything out of the room first and then sort into piles.
The in-out rule. Every time something comes in, something must go out.
If you have to think about it, it has to go.
If you haven’t used it in 12 mths, it has to go.
If it doesn’t fit the vision you have for your space, it has got to go.
You shouldn’t have to talk yourself into keeping anything.
Once you have the skills, anyone can do it.
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I also loved Peter’s cardboard box test for kitchen utensils. Dump all your kitchen utensils into a cardboard box and over the next four weeks as you use something from the box put it back into the drawer. Whatever is still in the box at the end of the four weeks, you don’t need. Bye, bye!
Peter also mentioned a great solution for getting a handle on our clothing. Turn your hangers back to front. Everytime you wear an article of clothing turn the hanger back to the correct way. After six months everything still hanging back to front you have to ask yourself do I ever wear that? Clothes not worn in a 12 mth period, that no longer fit, are out of fashion and that you don’t love should be disposed of.
So there you have it and now I really want to know what you thought of the show. What did you think of the couple Oprah had on? Do you think they have made a permanent lifestyle change? Were any of Peter’s tips new to you and/or given you any new insight into how you see clutter? What do you think your house/car are saying about you?
I didn’t see the show…. but I love the hangar idea and the box for kitchen stuff ( think that might work in a a few places ).
Thanks for sharing!
MJ
I so wish I had seen this show. I love Peter from Clean Sweep. I did pull up some of the before and after pictures. I can vouch for him that the couple was not that extreme. I’ve done home health nursing off and on over the years, and been inside hundreds and hundreds of homes. I would venture to say that 70% of the houses I was in were overwhelmed with clutter. I could tell stories for days.
Next time you see a preview, whether you are sick or not, I think you should post and let the rest of us know! Just kidding..Is everyone feeling better?
I only “read” the show on the web site, but it hit home. Since finding your site I’ve gone back to reading “Flylady’s” site and working slowly through our home. I know just how that family felt!! We were not quite that bad [I am pretty tough on getting the outgrown clothes and toys OUT OF HERE!!] The emotional side is so hard–you get so far down “you can’t see UP” and just don’t want to see it all. The kitchen “box” reminded me of Peace Corps–I had only the barest kitchen essentials and yet I made cream puffs and tortialls!! I also thought of the tiny 2 bedroom house we rented. When it was built in 1939 or so you know a family of maybe even 6 lived in it! The closets were so tiny–they simply didn’t OWN all that Junk!!! The kitchen had a huge closet and only a few simple cabinets. Living there was a good experience.
The whole “boundaries” for stuff thing is soooooooooooooooo important. My kids are adopted [at age 7 & 8 and were never exposed to this. Nor was I growing up with pack rats. So, we are learning together!!
Please keep posting your great organizing pictures!!!!!!
Lisa at [email protected]
I didn’t watch Oprah, but I do watch Clean Sweep from time to time, so I’m familiar with Peter Walsh.
This:
The thing about clutter is at some stage you stop seeing it.
is so true! And I’m a clutter freak! I have found that it actually happens quite fast, at lesat for me….I’ll put a pile of some things I want to get rid of, or whatever, and then not have time to deal with it…several weeks later that silly pile is still sitting there, and I don’t “see” it when I clean up the space around it.
If you were to visit my home (and I knew beforehand, LOL) you won’t see clutter around. Even a lot of decorations look like clutter to me, so I keep things quite minimal. Hey, it makes for easy dusting! =)
Wow! Some great points. I wish that I had seen the show.
My big clutter problem is my basement. I am/was a school teacher. I have a about 25 bankers boxers full of stuff…units, craft materials, etc. I can’t really dispose of them in case I go back one day…BUT then I have tons of “other” boxes that I do keep ” just in case I need it”. I want to dispose, but whenever I go on a huge binge and dispose of stuff i haven’t used, I always need it soon thereafter. My mentality, that I must get rid of is….if I might use it in the future, keep it cuz otherwise, I will have to spend money on it! I think of all the possibility for felt, things for drama, etc. for my child. It’s hard, but I must tackle it!
I didn’t see the show, so I appreciate your re-cap. I think I tend toward the “I might need it someday” kind of clutter, but I’ve gotten better since we moved 2 years ago. I didn’t want to pack up, move, and find a new place for all that stuff, so it got tossed!
Great summary Laura!
I especially like the cardboard box test for those kitchen utensils that seem to reproduce in the darkness of the drawer! I’m going to try that as soon as my company leaves!
Keep up the great ideas on your blog!
YES! I saw that too! (And I thought of you and hoped you were watching, Laura, so I’m glad you were). My favorite advice was, “If you have to think about it, toss it.” That would save me so much grief.
I love Peter Walsh! I didn’t see that episode. I, like you, don’t watch Oprah too often. Maybe I can catch some of it on here website.
When I saw what was on Oprah that day, I actually wondered if you knew about it! I am NOT a clutter person–can’t stand it. I feel stressed out when there is clutter in the house. I enjoyed the show and hope it helps a lot of people. I think I will try the kitchen drawer test and the closet test myself!
Love the clothing idea. That would probably eliminate half my wardrobe! We don’t have much clutter, but there’s always room for improvement.
Hi Laura! Just found your blog the other day and had to comment on this. I watched this episode of Oprah too (and still have it on my tivo!) I spent most of the show with my mouth hanging wide open. Over the years my mom has become more and more “cluttered” almost to the point of the people on the show. And over the years I have become more and more neat and organized. It’s such a lifestyle for me now that it was almost painful to watch all that mess on the show. It was giving me twitches I swear!! Anyway, you wrote a great summary of the show! I love Peter from Clean Sweep and I think he is totally brilliant. I have been trying to get my MIL to SEE the clutter in her house for years… so I think I’ll be buying his new book. 🙂
I am sooo upset I missed this Oprah show so thanks so much for the highlights! I just love the idea for de-cluttering a closet. As soon as I’m done here, I’m off to turn all my hangers around in ALL of our closets! I just need to warn my husband so he doesn’t think I’ve totally lost my mind.
Cool! I used to love Clean Sweep too, well I still do just can’t watch it without our satellite hooked up. I like the hangar tip.
OOH… I loved your notes! I hate that I missed that episode. I will definitely be trying the hanger trick. 🙂
Funny because when I saw what was on, I thought to myself, “I wonder if Laura (aka you!) is watching this…”
🙂
I didn’t watch the show b/c I just didn’t have time.
Decluttering is such fun! I’m actually giving away some hairbows and a princess dress on my blog—they were too small to keep any longer, but I hated to sell them or give them to a stranger at goodwill. I wanted them to go to a good home!
I can’t stand Oprah, but saw the topic was “organization” and was SO EXCITED! I didn’t really learn anything new, but I love seeing chaos to order!!
Amy
I got to see it as I was home on a snow day. I love Peter Walsh and he inspires me. I went and cleaned out a whole laundry basket full of clothing that does not fit that I had in my Son’s room. And I asked Hubby to please remove all of the clothes I have stored on a rack int he basement. Don’t let me look at it. I still need to tackle my craft supplies. That is where I really ahve a problem.
The hangar idea is genius! I’m going to do that in my kids’ closets too.
I hate that I missed this episode…Thanks for sharing…
I love Clean Sweep and watch it regularly if for nothing else than to motivate myself to get rid of “stuff” so that I don’t end up on the show crying over Peter making me get rid of my “stuff”. :vD
Seriously that hanger idea is great! I finally did a sweep of drawers and closet and got rid of stuff that no longer fits properly. It’s so freeing!
Thanks for sharing the kitchen tip. I’m going to definitely do that this weekend.
I almost did watch, but was overruled by my boys! Thanks for the tips though. I started on our master bedroom today and got quite a bit accomplished, our water was out for most of the day so I couldn’t do my usual dishes and laundry! I was forced to clean elsewhere!!
Thanks for saving me some time. It is so much easier for me to read what the best parts were than having to watch the show :)!! Thanks so much for your post. I really do need to get rid of some clutter … the kind of clutter that I think I will eventually need.
All fabulous – I’m going to print this out as I tear into my house. I can feel a big clean it all out urge coming on – watch out Mr. Trashman – here I come! Thanks for all the tips. xoox
Or you could just box it up and send it across the country. I just received a box of goodies from my cousin. Including an instruction manual for a washing machine my Grandma had. You know the kind with the ringer. Grandma and Grandpa were packrats. Every few months K. sends me a box filled with some pictures, handmade items, and other things that they had. It is fun to go through especially since she is thoughtful enough to include notes and memories about each item. It just makes it that much more difficult to let anything go. :{
I can not believe I missed the show!!! I love Peter and the show Clean Sweep. I wonder if I could get a copy of the show?
I totally need to take his advice on my clutter!
Hi Laura, have been lurking at your blog for a while now… and you’ve been a great source of inspiration… so I’ve mentioned you in my blog (in a related post) and linked you. I hope you don’t mind. thanks for all the great advice… it’s been great learning how to organise… seeing as to how I’m only a fledgeling SAHM…. God bless you. If you’re interested in seeing the post, it’s the one titled “inspired”
There are some great tips here, Laura. I so agree that clutter sucks the life out of a home.
I’ve used some of these ideas for years, especially the clothing thing.
I’m considered a minimalist by most people who know me but no matter how determined I am, clutter sneaks in. About twice a year, I go on a tear to tear this place apart, get rid of stuff and clean from top to bottom. I’m in the middle of one of those tears right now.
I’ve always called it purging!
Thanks so much for taking notes for us poor gals who missed the show! Wish I’d known about it.
You and Lara have been inspiring me, and those notes of yours are the final kick in the pants. Come Monday I’m start an Organizathon. One project a day for a week and we’ll see what happens.
Thanks for being such a positive, uplifting force in the world! You rock!
I didn’t see this so thanks for the recap!! I am SO doing the kitchen thing tonight. I’m going to empty my tool caddy and the drawers and go from there. I’m seriously excited!
Oooh–what a great post!! Thanks. I have heard some of that stuff before, but I love the cardboard box in the kitchen idea, and I think I’ll try that. I have two large drawers full of stuff that I know I could pare down. And the quote about living in the past or the future and not the present–great stuff!! Thanks. This is good motivation. I am still (slowly) decluttering rooms and drawers and closets. This will help.
Thanks for this post! Clutter is an area I’m trying to work on. I’m the worst in the house for it! I have that mentality that I’ll need it one of these days! LOL! I’m starting to finally let go of things I’ve had forever! It’s such a great feeling to purge things now! I think I need to do the cardboard box/kitchen thing! I have too many things in my junk drawer and I think I could cut it in half if I did this!
Makes sense. I’m glad I clicked on the link in your post.