Ask yourself with each item: Do I love this? Do I use it (probably not since it has been crammed into a room you haven't used in ages)? Does it make me feel good? If yes? Then keep it. So if this room is a jammed with 80% clothes, then pull out all the clothes in one category (like all the kids clothes or all of your old work clothes) and start going through them. Try to just pluck out one category at a time. A bed, desk or folding table are all perfect for this. Now that you have some more room, see if you can clear a flat surface to work on. Small things are: photos, memorabilia, paperwork, files, opened containers of small stuff, sets that have been broken up, small decorative items Medium things are: clothes, large toys, whole games, whole sets of things, supplies that haven't been opened (like reams of paper, containers of markers, big containers of toilet paper, anything from Costco etc.) books, magazines, sets of objects, shoes, bags, tote bags, gift wrapping stuff, crafting stuff etc. That comes last.īig things are: beds, tables, bookshelves, desks, armoires, clothes racks, empty suitcases, bags, sports gear, cat carriers/dog crates, empty boxes, empty bins, etc. Don't start looking through papers, photos or fussy little supplies. Remember to do the BIG stuff first, then MEDIUM then SMALL. That was tricky, right? But now you have a bit more room. Can you do more? Set it again for another 15 minutes. If you can enlist someone to help carry this stuff out this part will move extra fast. Pull them out (be careful to not trip!) and put them by your front door or out to your car. Pluck out the big things that are obviously trash or something that needs to be donated. I know it's a mess but that's what we're here for, right? Ok, do a quick survey of the really big stuff. Open a garbage bag for straight up garbage and another for recycling (you can use another box or ratty gift bag that you'll inevitably find in this room for recycling). The objective is to reduce the volume of stuff in this room so OUT OUT OUT is the name of the game. Put these baskets outside the room in the hallway. Label one sticky note for each laundry basket: Donate, Goes in a Different Room (I call this a Travel box), Mend/Repair/Action Needed. Some non distracting upbeat music if you want some company. Gather your tools: a snack and water, several big garbage bags, three laundry baskets, a pad of Post-It notes and a Sharpie (or marker), the timer on your phone or a regular kitchen timer. "Be kind to yourself but be ruthless with your stuff. It will take some time but you can do it. So what do you do with a Room of Doom? I'm going to share with you the exact step by step process I use with my clients to tackle a super junky room. The Room of Doom that everyone avoids at all costs. We all need a place to stash stuff occasionally but when we never take stuff back out it can become a disaster zone. I was really good at the old stash and dash.) and I see them all the time in my clients' homes. I know about these junk rooms because I've had them before in my own home (It's true! It was really bad when my kids were little. You might not even be able to open the door the whole way or even take more than a few steps into the room for fear of breaking an ankle. The other parts of your house might be looking pretty good but it might be because you've been pitching the stuff that you don't really know what to do with in one room.the dreaded junk room (aka the craft room, the basement, the guest bedroom, or whatever room is the one that collects all those random things from around the house to deal with.later.) Have you been promising yourself that this year you are finally going to get organized? You have some energy to tackle that junk room that you've been cramming stuff into (especially during the holidays when the rest of the house has to look nice) and is positively overflowing with stuff.
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