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Yesterday I listed several “5 minute decluttering tips” on this blog. The first one was decluttering the old sponges, etc. from under the kitchen sink.  I knew I hadn’t done that for awhile so I figured it was time.  One of the reasons I’m listing these tips here and on the Facebook page is not only to help you but to help me take some babysteps on the decluttering journey.

Well, what I found under my sink even surprised me. Not only did I have a lot more clutter than I thought, I found a few missing things. Here is a picture of the container I keep the sponges, brushes, and gloves in.

 

Here is another picture of how it looked after I decluttered.

 

Now here is a picture of what I found in the original mess.  I would save the old gloves (ones that were stretched out and hard to hold dishes) to use for other non-dish cleaning chores. I guess I collected them more than I used them.

 

Most of these sponges were pretty worn out and stained. I use old sponges to clean up messes from the floor and other non-dish cleaning. I don’t think I need that many!

 

Yes, this is a jar of Poppy seeds. The funny thing is that about 3 weeks ago I went over to my mother-in-law’s house for dinner. I was in charge of baking homemade bread. My husband wanted poppy seeds on the bread but I couldn’t find any in the house. I usually keep them in the refrigerator. Of course I didn’t even think to look under the sink. I have no idea how they got there!

 

You never know what you may find when doing a 5 minute decluttering tip.  If you have Facebook please go “like” my page. I’ll be adding new tips on a regular basis. I certainly need to do them myself!

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

Over the years I’ve collected many pages of tips from magazines, newspapers, and even internet articles. I have them in several file folders in a filing cabinet. I decided it was time to go through these folders and find tips I can share with you. They aren’t doing you or me any good if they stay hidden in the drawer.

I’m narrowing these tips to ones that can be done usually in 5 minutes or less. Many times we overestimate how long something takes to do so we don’t even start the project.

Well, if you spend 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there decluttering before you know it you’ve made a big dent in the mess. I learned from Flylady.net that babysteps will add up quickly.

Sometimes it’s hard to know what can be done in such a small amount of time. That is why I’m researching for as many small tips as I can find.

I’m going to be putting these tips on my Facebook Page, CutClutterWithScissors. I’ll also have occasional blog posts listing several of these tips.

Here are a few tips to get you started. I think I’ll go do a few of them myself right now.

1.  Clean out old sponges and outdated cleaning products from under the kitchen sink.  This can be done while talking on the phone or waiting for your coffee or tea to brew.

2.  Clear out old leftovers out of fridge and throw out any expired foods from the fridge and pantry. This is a good habit to get into the day before trash pick-up.

3.  Throw away old cosmetics, lotions, and other unused items.  They can harbor bacteria over time. Old shampoos and soaps can be used to clean toilets and bathtubs. They are a lot safer than the harsh chemical cleaners.

4. Declutter a junk drawer. Organize like items in small containers with or without lids. Small ziplock bags also work well. Snack and sandwich size work best.

If you have a 5 minute tip you use please share in the comment section. Thanks.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice