OMG! or every time I throw out or donate something it comes back in style! So true! Oh throw out a tool? You know I’m gonna need it! True story! 🤦🏻♀️🤣
My children just cleared out their bedrooms, and I paired over 150 pairs of socks....they kept buying new socks, but now they have too many. I threw away socks that were damaged or so dirty and washing them wasn't going to do them justice. Personally, I only have 6 pairs for myself. That's all I need.
My then boyfriend bought a jar of tarragon in 1974. He moved on, but left the tarragon. I moved on with the tarragon to a life spent in 3 different states and one country in Europe. A few years ago, I was looking through the spice rack, saw the tarragon, and thought, “I don’t even like dried tarragon,” threw it in the compost, and put the jar in the recycling. Please don’t be like me and keep herbs and spices for decades, haha.
We moved into our house in 2004. The kitchen has this lazy Susan style spice cabinet that spins. I was wiping down the shelves before putting my spices & seasonings in them & I found a container of ground pepper that said best if used by 1982 😂. It was open but still full. I'm guessing it fell off the rotating shelf many years ago & the previous homeowners never noticed.
I know people who keep a small number of disposable containers, but not for themselves. They use them when they have leftovers from a party which they gift to the leaving guests. Not because they don't have better reusable containers, but quite the opposite: they hated that their good reusable containers either took forever to come back or never returned at all. When those disposable ones don't come back, no big deal 🤷🏻♀️
I love to bake, so there's often a surplus of cookies etc. And I no longer hand them out in containers I want back. Because too many go missing, or come back in rough shape. Naw, you'll get my delicious oatmeal-chocolate chip-walnut cookies in a sour cream container :P
100% this. I can't keep track of how many people I've given or received leftovers/baked goods from this year and I'd hate to have someone's proper Tupperware and then not see them for 6 months and hold their good containers hostage until I see them again
At my local grocery store we have an area for donated bags…for all those people who forgot to bring their own and don’t want to buy a new one. I think it’s not even an official thing, someone just started a pile and everyone loved the idea and kept it going.
I saw this at a local thrift store! All the reusable bags that ppl drop off their donations in or are unsellable go to a pile shoppers can use for their purchases.
Tea towels become softer and more absorbent the longer they are used, and the more times they have been washed. That makes the old worn ones the most effective and the most valuable. If you have let your (new or old) towels become mouldy, then you have a serious problem with hygiene, not a problem with the age of the towels.
I was wondering if there is a shortage of bleach in Nick's environs. Ha-ha! I would bleach-wash them before I even donated them, if they were moldy. Yuck. (I'm pretty sure he was just trying -- and succeeding beautifully -- at making a point.)
Old tea towels make the best cleaning cloths for shower doors and stainless steel kitchen appliances. They are the best used for staining, waxing or just dusting and applying oil to wood furniture. Old tea towels are the best things. Hang on to them and use them until there is nothing left of them. Lol. I keep lots of tea towels in rotation in the kitchen. I change them at least twice a week and always wash them in hot water with sufficient soap.
I change out my towels in the kitchen every day! Yes every day! When they become thin or have holes in them i use them for house cleaning and after they become to bridle for that, i use it to dry my car or car wheel . And then I dispose of them.
@@michaelaheidtslater same! I have some tea towels that I bought when I moved out at 17. I'm now 32, and most of them are still going strong. A lot of the newer, "prettier" ones suuuuuck when it comes to absorbancy. They just push the water around instead of drying the item. If you change your rag and tea towel every day and wash them without fabric softener, they will last for so long.
@@Beannin For me it depends on the towel. I buy fluffy bar towels over decorated ones so that I get 12 at a time. I hate ones that cause lint though. When they get beaten up, they are used to mop up spills, wipe the dog's paws on muddy days, or used to wrap things for storage. I can go through 4-5 some days in the kitchen and the rule is they go into my laundry basket in my bedroom (small apartment) to be washed asap. They are not out for decoration. They are to be used in place of paper towels. And drying dishes. :) One singular towel came from mom's house and I still can't figure out how she got it to dry her dishes. It's a bit beaten up so it gets rags usage but it's so thin. I brought it in mostly for the memories of do dishes beside her at her sink and talking. Good memories.
As an art teacher, those plastic tubs/cups are super useful! I have enough saved up now that I don’t need more but if you do find yourself with a bunch, ask an art teacher if they’d like to take them!
My family is very creative, we use them all the time. Same with glass jars. Sometimes for actual home made foods, sometimes for mixing paints and such.
Hi! I volunteer at our animal shelter and we definitely need not just towels, but also old sheets/blankets! It gives the dogs something to sleep on and helps us to keep the kennels clean!
We had trash bags full of homemade blankets accumulated from my daughters stays at children’s hospitals. We took several leaf bags full of blankets to the Dumb Friends League (here in Denver). They were thrilled!
I feel bad because I started going through my 'Christmas boxes' over a month ago and discovered two different mugs, each presented in its own container, that were given to me eons ago. I decided to keep one and to donate the other one in time for Xmas.... I still haven't got around to it! At least the one I'm keeping is getting some use!
I finally threw out a very decorative spice rack that was a wedding shower gift - in 1966. I actually had spices that pre-dated man walking on the moon. Not kidding 😅😅😅
So as a potter I’m obsessed with drinking out of art and there is soo much beautiful pieces of art. I keep it in my cupboard but when I open my cabinet and see 100 pieces of art it sparks joy! So I’d like to be exempt from this rule ❤❤❤
I have one Starbucks coffee cup with a message on it given to me by one of my students parents for appreciation. It is over 10 years old and I use it almost every day and it matches nothing else I have, but it brings me so much joy knowing That I was appreciated by someone outside my family🌸💜🕊️🙏🏼💕
I love when Nick goes to his mom’s house and comes back with “content”. I don’t have a TH-cam channel, but my mom could inspire a lot of content too. Love her, but the clutter is next level.
Eating at my mom’s twice a year and seeing all our childhood dishes brought out again is worth so much more than any peace decluttering might bring. We’ll have to agree to disagree here. I love all my mom’s old things, and the memories they trigger. Still love you!
Exactly! We still have an old slightly faded melamine turkey platter from the 50's or 60's that my Gramma had for Thanksgiving. Do we only use it for only 2 hours one day out of the year? Absolutely am I ever going to get rid of it, hell no!
I have many of my mom's old dishware. Some is on the do not use list for having lead paint😂. I think the point is to not save things that are not important to you. It's so easy to let things creep up. Convince yourself you will use that container, thing, cup whatever. It's really ok to let go of things that have served there purpose.
@@PinkSander I would never include something that I use only once a year (but *DO use, regularly* , that one time every year) in a declutter. To me, decluttering means removing from my home things that I don't absolutely love and have no real use for anymore, but have been hanging onto for no good reason.
@11:45 Nick, I am pushing back on the rubber bands opinion. When I travel, I bundle my bulky items/small boxes etc together with rubber bands when I pack my suitcase. It helps save space, organizes and if my bag burst open, it's not a huge deal
Also rubberbands don't last forever, they seem to have a year of use and then they snap so you do need more than 3. I also close opened bags in the kitchen with them. But I have a specific spot for them, they don't wander anywhere else in the house!
I love the shade but also want to give Nick's mom a big hug. Sure, she might have too many old condiments and old meat in the freezer but she raised a very funny man.
As a potter, the mug comment really got me 😂 yes get rid of your Starbucks mugs, but please don’t stop buying from local artisans, it really DOES make coffee taste better drinking out of a nice piece of art that also is a vessel for caffeine! ❤
I so agree , I always buy a mug or bowl at our Boardwalk Art Show and use them all the time. The energy from them definitely makes everything taste better! And what a nice vibe for your home. The pathetic ones i made in a long-ago workshop are useful to hold paintbrushes😂😂.
@@HappyPotter24 I totally agree with you and love your yt name! I love using the oversized handmade mugs and one of my favs is the little handmade pitcher that fits in the Keurig to fill the taller mugs.
Your biting dry sarcasm gives me life!!! I absolutely 100% aspire to this level of petty passive aggressive delivery 😂😂😂 You’re my hero! And also I truly do love your content! Subscriber for life!
OMG. I went home to visit my parents in Nov and needed some spices to cook. I'm pretty sure some of the ones in my mom's cupboard were there from when I moved in 2002. I quietly went to the supermarket and got some new ones.
Actually, anyone anywhere in the world raised in a tiny village in a remote countryside with spare access to store goods will see any piece of junk as a treasure. This environnement can even alter the DNA and create generations of rubber bands, bags and plastic containers collectors.
Add in a father who grew up in the middle of a war. It was a powerful combination. Everything we owned was considered a "resource", and one thought long and hard before throwing it out.
It was so hard for me to realize that my Le Cruset cooking set needed to go. Arthritis and chronic illness meant some of them were realistically too heavy to manage with one hand and I'd found more creative ways to make food (air fryer/bake/roast/Ninja cooker, Instant Pot small pressure cooker) that didn't involve possibly dropping a cast iron chonk onto my own foot and breaking it. But someone else will find them at the thrift store and absolutely squeal with joy and that makes my soul happy :)
Wow, wish I was at that thrift store! LeCreuset is heirloom quality cookware that should be passed down for generations. They last forever and nothing sticks. I only have one lidded oval casserole pan. I love it!
I love the sentiment here, but we have to remember that lots of thrift stores throw things straight into the trash because they can’t manage all that they get. If you can, give things away within your community or ask a relative to manage posting it for free on Facebook marketplace or a reselling app (you can still mark it for free). 😊
@ This is exactly what I do; there’s a thrift store that’s nearby that benefits the hospital in the neighbourhood and specifically serves the locals. They’ve even refused to sell to ‘upsellers’, to give those locally a shot at nicer items for cheap. I used to give away things on Craigslist and Facebook, but as a woman living alone, I’ve had a few of those turn bad very quickly. I can’t risk it.
@@mjevans199 It is, yeah. And it broke my heart to have to let them all go. The generational thing didn’t work out for me, but at least someone will inherit them still!
@@silver_crone - Yes, I never invite strangers to my place. No market place or craigslist for me. There are various thrift shops in my area, the SPCA is my favorite. I usually give them my best.
This is so funny, it like listening to my daughter. She visited over the holidays and totally did a major declutter. So many of your recommendations she just nailed it.
As someone from a country where it's polite and custom to give leftovers to your friends who stay over for dinner, the takeaway containers are great because they are pretty waterproof and it doesn't matter if you forgot who has whose Tupperware. We're all in an eternal cycle of having other people's containers and no idea when you'll see them again. Not giving friends I only see 3 times per year my good Tupperware and l'm definitely giving them leftovers because that's just how we roll.
came here to say this - takeaway containers are for giving away food! They are not as sturdy as Tupperware but they don't disintegrate, they split very noticeably. They are safe.
1:00 I am fully with your mom on these. If you have things that still function well and have aesthetic blemishes are not to be replaced. That's a huge problem in society and causes overconsumtion. If you already have duplicates, sure, choose the nice ones. But don't throw things out just because they don't look fresh.
I know which spots in my decades old oven mitts to put my hands to avoid the extra thin places. After that, I’m not even putting my hands in them anymore. They’ll be a fold-over-the-entire-mitt mitt.
I needed this intervention on my glass jar hoarding... I'm going to clean this cabinet out and use it for the handful of seasonal dishes I don't know what to do with 11 months of the year! Thanks Nick for being a true friend and telling me what I needed to hear!
Definitely. I have glass Tupper ware and reuse glass jars for storage as well (virtually no plasic tupperware or single use baggies now). But it's gone overboard and I now have a lowkey hoarding problem.
I thought he was in my kitchen, especially when it came to magnets and cookie cutters. At least I purged my cookbooks a long time ago, but I still have too many. Maybe time to gift a few to charity.
I'm in a mood and have never accomplished so much during a video!!!! I paused this video to go through water bottles before Nick said water bottles; paused to go through tupperware/plastic containers (which led to pitchers, ice cube trays, etc..); paused to go through cute kiddy cups/mugs (grandsons are now 10 & 13); then paused to throw out old frozen food. Tomorrow I'll get to the spices.
My mama really broke my heart on the herbs & spices. I live alone and years ago she pointed out to me that the shelf-life on open bottles of dried herbs & spices is pretty darn short. Pretty soon the flavor fades away and you're pretty much just sprinkling dust on your food. SHE WAS RIGHT, much as I hated to admit it. Put the old ones in a pot to simmer on the back of the stove and fill the house with a faint scent of something delicious, and recycle the jars. Sigh. All that money for basically one roast or gumbo ten months ago is such a shame, but that's no reason to let them collect and multiply in the cabinet.
@@jeanvignesyes, & they are so expensive! I also live alone & don’t cook as much for just myself like I used to cook for my family. I just had to buy all new spices to cook for the holidays & I was shocked at how expensive spices have gotten (along with everything else!).
When we travel a travel magnet is the only thing we normally buy as it’s light & unbreakable. I love them on my fridge as it reminds me to keep having adventures & sparks conversations with visitors. I don’t have any other display clutter, this is the least messy way to have memories visible to spark new adventure ideas & to focus on what I value in life. Each has a story. I’m Australian though, so travel is just part of our soul.
I have a cardboard box in a quiet corner of my house. Whenever I come across something in any room that I want to get rid of in other words, donate, I throw it in that box. Nothing ever comes back out of the box and when it is full, it goes to Goodwill or whatever other charity I decide to take it to. It has worked beautifully.
Take it to Salvation Army or other local non-profit organization thrift stores. Goodwill is big business, making millions with very little going to the people. Thanks, Nick, right on as always!
Me too. I have that Ikea acacia wood hamper for that purpose. I can sit on it or put trays on it. And when it's full, I put everything in the bag of shame that is also in that box, and drop it off on goodwill..
Good idea! My pet hate is seeing old filthy wooden chopping boards as ornaments, even hanging on walls. I just wouldn't buy a second hand chopping board, especially if it looks engrained with ashes . Grim!! 🤮😝
A few years ago I got rid of all my unmatching mugs and bought a mature matching set. Now I own many different and colourful mugs again cause they spark joy and I love choosing another one every day 😁 Love my Dublin Leprechaun Mug, too. I choose the matching set for guests, but for my day to day I like some fun. Life is grey enough as it is...
I want my glasswear to match, but mugs are best when different. It's also nice to be able to let guests choose the coffee mug they like best, as long as it's not my favourite one, that's the only one off-limits.
@@kailoviI’m greedy, I like having both 😅 I just love mugs so much, from plain white ones to silly ones. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the weight? I love holding them. When I drink more than one cup of coffee, it takes everything not to switch out my mug 🤪
@@katchu4225 Wait! I lied a little. There IS a mug I do not love. My parents each have their own preferred mug but the guest mugs have square tops. They turn me off so much.
I work at an animal shelter, and we will definitely use up old towels even if they have holes. We use them for cleaning up messes instead of paper towels, and then we can throw them away after. 😊
A small tip.. cut up strips of these old cloths that get donated.... tie it together as a bunch and tie it around a rod/ stick.. made a makeshift recycled mop/ dusting cloth broom depending on the size.. washable, reusable, cheap, diy..
Your mom is such a good sport. I hope she dishes it out as well as taking it. As for mason jars, you can buy new lids (without the jar), in case you do use those jars but the lids get gross.
Hello Nick. New viewer here. You are absolutely hilarious but precisely correct about your 20 Common Kitchen Finds particularly the tea towels and pot holders 😂 I was also pleasantly surprised to hear you were a fellow Canadian and subscribed to your channel even before your video ended. Looking forward to more interesting topics. Keep up the great work!
P.S. I Use all 4 cutting boards: tiny "quickie" board for slicing and sometimes serving one piece of fruit, the bigger board for big time slicing, chopping of fruits and vegetables, large cutting board with edge drain for broiled/roasted meats, much smaller drain-edged board for smaller meat pieces.
Yes, this was the one I couldn't get behind at all. I have a very small one, a medium, and a large one, all plastic. They all get used often, and, depending on what is happening in my kitchen, sometimes they've all been in use. I also have a heavy wooden one. I love that one, but it's also a pain to clean (size is awkward for my sink) and having to oil/wax it makes it not my go to. And as a PSA, don't use glass cutting boards. They are terrible for your knives. I'm usually all about glass instead of plastic, but not in this case.
Can’t get behind the water bottle thing. We have used all because of long distance endurance workouts that require 4-5 bottles per person. We aren’t using the designer bottles, but the squeeze workout kind.
Yep. There’s the cheese board that’s decorative with a knife slot, 2 big boards (often used for different things at the same time bc we always have 2 cooks in the kitchen), then the small and medium ones are used for quick small stuff. 1 plastic with the drainage moat, the rest wood. I hate doing tomatoes on wood. 😂
After watching this I realized, I didn't have even one item mentioned in this list. And that makes me so proud of myself. I honestly feel I have de-cluttered and I am living a good life of keep-only-what-you-need. Great video! 🤩
Recently threw out all our mismatched storage containers and replaced with all IKEA glass ones because the lids are interchangeable. If it is a square container, any of the square lids will fit. So satisfying!!!
Good, brilliant, we need more of your trash, because there are "mismatched" boxes in a room you don't even look at. Americans desperate to use any argument just to buy something.
That is nice to know. I bought Pyrex containers and the lids do not hold up as long as the containers, and the replacement lids in a set cost almost as much as buying a new set of bowls! The keeping of storage containers is one of my biggest gripes in my kitchen! I actually bought a 50 pack of the disposable ones early in the video and I can both send home leftovers with my adult kids and toss them guilt free. But I will consider the IKEA ones. There is little more frustrating than grabbing a container and not being able to find a lid that fits.
Hahaha I thought you wrote mitts! Here I was trying to figure out how they help, does she wear or stand on them. My goodness…matts yes they are a huge foot/ back saver!
Wait. Nonononono. The singly use chinese plastic containers are BRILLIANT when you are hosting and have leftovers to hand out to people. No one needs to remember to return those. Obviously they are not meant for the microwave, but you wash them (by hand), dry them, and then keep them for food sharing. :)
Our daughter loved stickers. Apparently, the very best place to display them was my big side-by-side fridge/freezer. Its doors were covered with stickers. Stickers on top of stickers. Okay, we bought the stickers, so are responsible for this blight, but, she loved them, right? Then, she grew out of this fetish around the time I gutted my kitchen and installed a fridge/freezer with custom cabinet door fronts. Despite her disinterest in her old stickers, my husband felt compelled to carefully remove each sticker and glue it into a scrap book. Hundreds of stickers. It was a true labour of love. Happy New Year, Nick.
@ Fetish: “an inanimate object worshiped for its supposed magical powers or because it is considered to be inhabited by a spirit.” When a two-year-old talks to her Mickey Mouse sticker and tells it she’ll see him in Disney World, what would you call it? It was Disney all the time. Hell, she even ended up working in Finance for the Walt Disney Company! There really is such a thing as “Disney Magic”!
So y'all sit around and look at the sticker scrapbook or what? Will she even want it when she moves out or will she take it and shove it in a closet to not hurt your feelings? Look up Swedish death cleaning.
Yes you need 3 cutting boards! One for meats one for savory and one for sweet stuff!! You don't want to chop an apple or an orange where you chop your garlic and onions! Specially as you wooden chopping boards get used. Yes you can clean them and disinfect them in a way that does not leave any garlicky flavor but not many people have that military chef level of commitment. Just get three.
Hard agree, as someone who has eaten onion-y watermelon before. And maybe a mini cutting board too, for times when you only need to chop a couple small things, like garlic.
Maybe it’s because I have a VERY small kitchen but I’ve managed pretty well with just one wooden cutting board. For instance if I cut meat first, I then clean the cutting board with disinfectant, dish soap and water before cutting something else. That way the surface is ready for the next thing. I’ve done this for 3 years now and I haven’t had one health issue other than the occasional seasonal flu
Awright. I reuse pasta sauce jars for storing dry beans, brown sugar, and other products that come in bags. They often are exactly the right size. I hate those bags. Plus, if the occasional mouse makes its way in the house, you don't have to worry about them chowing down on dry beans.
I’m with you Nick on the mismatched glasses and mugs, but… In defense of those who are, they make big get togethers much easier for knowing which drink is yours! ❤
I've got about 8 white mugs. They're all white, but they are not a set. Each one is its own version. Visually coherent, but guests can still know which drink is theirs!
Love this kind of video! Recently I took my 47 reuseable bags and gave them to the church thrift store: they were thrilled. Also realized I'll never have 14 people over for coffee, so donated a ton of mugs. This video just made me ruthless about my spice cupboard, LOL.
That’s awesome! He’s so right about this stuff. I did once go to use one of my saved ketchup packets and it was brown. So I finally threw them out. Every time my husband tries to save ketchup and hot sauce packets from takeout I just throw them away.
I would like to petition for 2 water bottles. One for when the other one needs to washed. Or one for water and another for not water (hydration drinks/juices/etc)
My annoying habit is I have one for my car/ travel, one for by my bed, one for my home office one for the living room and I just gather up and wash and refill every other day lol. It’s helped me drink the proper amount of water especially because I love room temperature water
I have a 1L for when I’m going out all day and taking my backpack, a 500ml that fits in my big purse for medium trips and a 300 ml that fits in my small purse for quick trips. I like to stay hydrated 😂
I’m a kitchen designer and this video is so spot on! I want to send this to every one of my customers when we are space planning their kitchens and they think they have no storage but it’s filled with all THIS crap.
One of my besties needs this video and I wish I could send it to her. Gorgeous home and you can’t put a thing away in the kitchen because there’s so many mugs, glasses, towels…
One great tip for the holiday / rarely used baking stuff is that many libraries have things that you can borrow, like if you only want to make a bundt cake once, not worth buying and storing it! (or even ask friends if they have one to borrow). I love my starbucks mugs though because they have good memories for me, but I decluttered all my other mugs because I just didn't need that many
We're all talking about how funny Nick is, but he is also uncannily spot-on. The exact type of things we allow to accumulate. It's like he knows his stuff, or something.
Yes - PLEASE bring old linen to your local shelter!!! I've volunteered at shelters around the country, and they ALWAYS need more towels, blankets, rags, etc.
In an apartment housing two people we have well over a dozen mugs. Yes, we use them all frequently. It boils down to what you actually use. What don't we use very often? The matched set of blue Willow wear dishes. I already culled out part of the set and am mulling over reducing what I have left of it.
OK, I'll admit I clicked the like button on the previous comment, but let's pause for a moment to understand what may be really going on here. I'm like 100% positive that I'm way older than Nick, but it is entirely possible that his mother grew up during the great depression, as mine did, and even though I "knew" this, it wasn't driven home until my mom passed and I had to clean out her house. Every pot holder, bread tie, plastic food container, mug, novelty glass, tea towel, kitchen towel, and pot and pan that my mother had ever met in her life was still living there, wondering where she had gone. Condiment packets were indeed lurking in the fridge. We threw out all items in the freezer, along with a lot of canned goods in the cabinets that were more than 5-10 years out of date. It was a different time back then, and I gained a whole new appreciation of my mother. Back in those hard economic times, people just didn't throw things out. There were no shot glass collections, but my mom didn't drink, but I can guarantee there were towels there that had been there since the 1960's and 1970's. The US and a lot of other countries have been living pretty well since after WWII, but if we should have another global depression, people may find themselves back in the same fix.
I suddenly recognize this in my brother and I. We didn't go through it, but it was passed down from our parents and grandmother. It was useful when I was living abroad, at least.
Yes. Did this a few years ago. As we laughed, at some of the things she had, I laughed at myself as well. My kids won’t understand some of my stuff, either 😂
And plenty of "nice" things are "saved for besr" which never actually comes around. After moving, I have started using the "good stuff" now... Love this channel. Nick, you are a treasure.
I feel SO called out. Every kitchen needs a rolling pin and cookie cutters, even if you never use them, or used them one time. I will die on this hill. lol
And WHO only uses gingerbread men (and gingerbread women!) cutters and the like, once a year?! I don't even have any grandchildren, but I make stuff like that at least once a month!
Yep, they also come in assorted sizes. It’s what I use for most bags. I also like wire bag ties. They are good for frozen veggies and also for putting through a zipper hole so I can zip up my jeans and boots when I have on long finger nails. 😁
This video is probably the most judged I've felt in this genre - and that's with barely any of it even applying to me. Some good tips for sure and I did watch the whole video, but can't say I'll be returning. Felt more like I was being mocked than inspired.
You did this topic better than anyone else who specializes in decluttering here on YT. Thoroughly enjoyed this one. It was spot-on, and you had me laughing out loud several times. Thanks, Nick. I'm sure I will be re-watching this one soon.
@@Motherhubbard170I started this easy habit: Put a reusable shopping bag or plastic shopping bag near the door, or in the car. Whenever I come across ANYTHING I really don't need, love, or use anymore, I put it in that bag. Whenever the bag is full, I take it to the Salvation Army, or Goodwill. Because it's already in my car, or near the door, I never forget it at home. Slowly but surely, everything is getting decluttered, and that stuff might be needed or loved or used by someone else!
"Though food will be safe indefinitely at 0° F, quality will decrease the longer the food is in the freezer." From the FDA. "Food stored constantly at 0 °F will always be safe. Only the quality suffers with lengthy freezer storage." From the USDA. I would include the links but I think TH-cam still removes comments with links Almost everyone is going to be better of chucking old nasty food to get the freezer space back, but it is still safe to eat if there are no other options.
A freezer that is frost free goes through multiple defrost cycles and food degrades quicker than when the same item is a manual defrost freezer that you don’t open often. A neighbor had her own garden and I offered space in my freezer since I didn’t need the large space anymore and placed her items on the bottom. She was amazed at how well the vegetables stayed and didn’t have freezer burn. We did get a smaller freezer when our big one died but we also repack any meat, poultry or fish by vacuum sealing as it helps maintain the freshness. I pick up items on sale and also have a smoker so it’s nice to keep things on hand. I date everything and when I manually defrost, move up older items so they can be used sooner. Hunters also share their meat so it’s nice to have a dedicated space. The refrigerator freezer is for items to be used within a month or to freeze items before moving them to the deep freezer.
As a Mexican, I disapprove the message about cutting boards, there is one that always smells like onions, so you don’t use it for fruits, there are times when you cook a little, and need a small one, and times you cook for a big family and need a giant one, and finally when you have a carne asada at your house, so your tías and sisters are using each one cutting board, the perfect number I discovered is, at least 3.
Very inspiring! I got out of bed 5 minutes into the video and started decluttering an armoire used to store kitchen items. Got rid of about 40 tea towels, 10 old table cloths, mismatched place mats, and tons of user manuals for items we no longer own. Lots of free space now!
My youngest son and I used to go through my spice cupboard every spring. He’d open the container and sniff. If he wasn’t met with an identifiable scent, like, “Oh! It’s oregano!”, we would dump it out. We put sweet spices into one container and all the rest into another. I would sprinkle the sweet ones onto the rugs and then vacuum them up after an hour or so when spring cleaning. The others got sprinkled on the lawn and garden to deter pests. It never felt wasteful because we were using them with a purpose.
I’m the same way although I see Nick’s point. If I get a garage fridge I might move the magnets there, but until then I will display my magnets proudly in my kitchen.
I totally get you on the reminiscing part and I also love buying trinkets on vacation. I love trinket shops and stalls... but then both I and my husband hate the clutter in the home, be it on the fridge or anywhere else. It's too distracting and often wouldn't match the decor. So I had a brilliant idea, which I later learned many people also had: getting christmas tree ornaments form all our trips. Or stuff that can pass for an ornament. Quite a few magnets got strings glued to them and their backsides covered with fabric. Because while we dislake chaos in most cases, a chaotic, mismatched decor on a christmas tree is something that I actually love (and my husband doesn't care either way). It looks homey. It means that we would be remembering the trips once a year, but I feel it is more meaningfull to us this way.
I live alone and don't host. I have one Spokane mug from a life-changing sojourn in that city and one mug from my side-business working at the Renaissance Faire; these are 'memory mugs' that are comforting to me. I have 3 small and 3 larger mugs that look like clay houseplant pots; they're what I generally use for hot beverages (used to be 4 of each, but things break, and I'm keeping all 6 in case of future breakage). I have one potholder that is cruddy enough that it's time to replace it with a new pair. I have (somewhere in a laundry bag) 2 'bowl potholders' for handling hot bowls from the microwave; also time to replace them. You've given me the impetus to get this overdue task done, so thank you. Most of my storage containers are thrift store finds of old clear glass refrigerator dishes. I also have a few clear glass pyrex/borosilicates with silicone lids. I've also become found of putting silicone lids on my dish set bowls and placing them in the fridge. But no; I don't reuse takeout containers anymore. The only Christmas stuff I have is a 18inch pre-wired tree and a few tiny glass decorations for it. It closes like an umbrella, so it fills a 4inch x 4inch x 18inch box, decorations and all. I got rid of most of my baking and food decorating stuff last year; I realize I don't bake much anymore. I kept two 8" x 10" pan/rack/mat sets that fit in my countertop toaster/convection oven. I also have a few porcelain ramekins and a loaf pan. I can also bake in the pyrex/borosilicate dishes. I have 2 remaining tiny juice glasses bought for the dark green ivy design on the clear glass, and I have one shot glass only because it has measurement markings on it. I have clear acrylic magnet frames on my fridge displaying a pair of lovely nature photographs I took, ones I'm pretty proud of. I also have a 9x11 dry erase lined magnetic 'page' for marking items I've run out of; I take a smartphone photo of the list as I leave to go grocery shopping. I've given up condiment packets for Oxo silicone squeeze bottles, which I fill with store-bought condiments. Back in the day, I used the packets for lunch bags ad picnics, but I no longer eat outside my apartment since the Pandemic. You're correct that even condiment packets go bad eventually, but also the packets usually don't list the expiration date (it's listed on the multipacket bag they're sold in). And you can buy picnic/lunchbag sized silicone containers you can refill with fresh condiments at home. I've been telling people forever that 'junk drawers' should be renames 'utility drawers' and keep only purposeful things in there. Bread tags, twist ties, and rubber bands should not be saved in a utility drawer. If you absolutely can't break the habit, keep a tiny basket or dish somewhere (not on the kitchen counter) to put these trash items into, something with no lid and at a height where you can see what's building up in there. Then, when it gets full enough, dump them in the trash. Rubber bands dry out and lose their elasticity and you really don't use them much. Twist ties and bread tabs break easily and have limited reuse. A 'junk drawer' is a graveyard of decisions you've put off; recognize this and make it a utility drawer while keeping the trash out of it. I have one water bottle, a kind that opens at the bottom to hold citrus and other fruit. And I'm not sure I really need that. I have two North stainless steel 40oz cups that hold ice for a full day or more, but that's about it. I don't go out often, but when out I go without drinking anything. I'll be home within 5hrs, so I don't need anything like that. I have three wooden cutting boards. -One straddles a top drawer in my kitchen, providing me the only prep area available in my tiny kitchen. -One is small, for prepping a salad of sandwich while watching TV. -One is used as both a prep surface and a serving tray. Sometimes also as a trivet. I lean more to paper towels than tea towels. That said, I have maybe two. And when they get stained, they get replaced. Mine don't reach a state of being moldy or ripped. Yes; Freezers are not magic. Freezer burn is bad enough (won't kill you, but it tastes awful). What is of MORE concern is fish and botulism. Botulism is a resident bacteria in fish, and freezers only SLOW their growth, not stop it. Keep your fish too long and it can be deadly. Not all glass is made the same; there are cheaper, more delicate versions and more robust types. And what I'm taking about is not only impact-fragile but also glass that does not handle sudden temperature changes without shattering. Most products are marketed in less--expensive, less robust jars. They may be fine for putting room-temp food into for storing in the fridge, but DO NOT MICROWAVE IN THEM AND DO NOT FREEZE FOOD IN THEM!!! As far as I know, canning jars sold as such can be used in the freezer and the microwave, but the only company using canning jars to sell their product is Classico. The other product jars you may want to use you should only use in the home; the jars may break too easily to transport in a lunch or picnic. My issue with kitchen rugs is that textile rugs don't belong in areas where food and drink can be spilled. That said, in my kitchen I have thick foam mats. I have reached the age where standing for more than 15minutes on a hard floor is painful, so having foam mats underfoot is a pure joy. Also, they clear up easily if anything is spilled on them. (Frankly, I gave up kitchen rugs because I've had pet dogs that took rug texture for grass and would use them as their personal rest room.) I'm a woman with big feet. Because of that, I hate shoe shopping (hard to find something in my size). So instead of a large shoe collection, I have shopping bags and shoulder bags. And you're right; I have way too many. I've gotten rid of a lot of them over the last year, but I need to get rid of more. I've downsized the volume of the small kitchen appliances I use. I've given away some appliances I realize I don't need. I'm still working on getting rid of more. It's a process... I've culled a lot of my cooking vessels. Doesn't mean I couldn't get rid of a few more, but I'm good for now. I do have WAY too many books, including cookbooks. I have 3 or 4 cookbooks I will never get rid of, but I have dozens of others I can easily live without. I haven't had the time to cull my books (of the things taking up space in my studio apartment, books take up relatively little space, so culling them has been a backburnered task for now; I WILL get to it this year, though). I replaced all my spices over the summer, so they're all good. Condiments don't get used up fast enough to go bad, except for a very few, and I do need to look at the expiration dates on those again. You might suggest people also check their other non-perishable foods: jars and canned items and other dry goods. Especially check oil-based items, which go rancid all too quickly.
Re cutting boards, according to one of my fave teaching chefs, Sohla El-Waylly, real wood (not particle board glued) is actually anti-bacterial, and one of the most long-lasting tools in the kitchen if you choose wisely. Plastic is actually bad because as time goes on and it gets grooves, bacteria hide out in there.
Also, it's actually nice to have three of them. One for raw meat/fish, one for fruit/veggies and one for smelly stuff like onions. Trust me, I once had an apple slice which was cut on the same board as garlic.
We never have too many cutting boards. We use them all until they slice themselves in half and then use them for trays. And easy to clean with a wire scrubber and hot water to bring up the oils.
NOOOO Nick. Don’t ditch the pot. I bet that’s the best turkey stock ever. I have one for a traditional Danish soup that is massive but it does into storage cupboard for 360 days a year (i make it twice a year though)…Just finished pressure canning it all for the cupboard…thank gawd for those mason jars. Thanks for the laughs. Pry my specialized pots and pans from my cold dead hands
I have one really thick hardwood cutting board that I use for vegetables and it's been my go-to for almost 50 years. Every so often, I sand the surface and re-oil it. I have plastic ones for meat and fish which get replaced regularly and get soaked in a Milton solution after each use. The softwood boards and bamboo boards may look nice and are inexpensive but I really don't like them.
Glass jars (new or used jam, jelly, sauce, and pickle) have been a lifesaver for me, reusing them to seal spices and such after initial use. Great way to save things from bugs and to slow oxidation.
When tea towels dont come clean again , no matter how you wash them , tear them in half and use them as cleaning rags . Once used, rinse them , tear them into strips and put them in your garden composter . All cotten and linen tea towels will break down into compost .
I don't use paper towels---I use my old dish towels to wipe up spills. I wash them over and over again and when they get really thin, they become dust rags.
@@charlottekylin4169 Charlotte, I’ve got one up in you. I didn’t need to get old to be clumsy. I practiced at it all my life. I have always reused linens for cleaning up after myself. It’s a money saver and works as long as I don’t cut myself with the scissors as I cut up the material.
I origami fold the "single use" plastic grocery/takeout bags into a triangle, then I can stuff one into a pocket when I go on my walks and pick up litter.
@@barbaratozzano6364 Oh, yeah! I use the plastic produce bags for scooping the cat litter. I got frustrated with the grocery bags always having gaping holes in the bottom when they were the thinner plastic
My ex-husband was a hoarder. He kept novelty cups, mugs, and shot glasses. He hoarded condiment packets and plastic utensils. He couldn’t or wouldn’t throw anything away. When I left that marriage, it was so refreshing to be rid of the clutter and crap.
What you see as clutter is a treasure to someone else. Coming from someone who was called a hoarder but honestly believes that he is not. Think what you want.
It took a while but now I’m a pro at always keeping my shopping bag with me. Haven’t bought a bag of shame in years. Always keeping two in my backpack, and 6 in the car.
I went with my old plastic bag to the store of origin. The shop assistant yelled: 'John, come here, we haven't seen this bag design for a very long time!'
I've been using reusable bags since the late '90s. When animal organizations used to send you a good quality one for a donation. I have most of them to this day. I carry them in the back seat. It took me 6 months of going back to my vehicle to pull them out to get used to bringing them in right away. I would go back out to the car to force myself to remember them eventually. Now it's as automatic as brushing my teeth in the morning.
Was watching this video while I was doing my skincare and I just paused it, walked downstairs, took the plastic to-go containers out of the dishwasher, rinsed them, and tossed them in the recycling. It DID hurt my soul a little bit, but I trust you.
Ok… letting my retinol sit now… going downstairs again to clear out all my condiments packets and plastic utensils and rubber band type shit… I needed this…
Yes, do more of these! We get so used to our own items that we don’t even see what we need to purge. I’m guilty of cookbooks, glass jars, and rubber bands. Love this-thanks Nick!
Recycling is a huge scam. There are a lot of types of plastic but only a couple that actually get recycled. The containers shown in this video are very likely the type that recyclers don’t want for various reasons. I’m not saying that none of it gets recycled but remember that recyclers are in a business. If they can’t make money on the product, they aren’t going to do it. A large amount of what we put in the recycle bin ends up in the land fill. That’s why I say it’s a scam.
Agree to a certain extent; it really depends where you are and what company is doing your recycling, which unfortunately can change all the time. So I’d rather err on the side of “keep it out of the landfill” if possible on the chance that it does actually get recycled into a new usable product.
I recommend glass containers with silicone lids such as AnchorHocking or Pyrex. These work for baking, microwaving, storage; I have not bought plastic containers for years.
My local goodwill recycles cloth. It gets sorted by type, baled, and sold at auctions. Some of the bales become rags in machine shops, others become carpet padding.
I never use bags. I have a bin in my car and just put the groceries in the cart then into the bin. My mom keeps telling cashiers my daughter doesn’t use bags😂
Good tip. I recently switched the store where I get my grocery delivery because they still offer paper bags. It’s ridiculous for most grocery deliveries you need to buy new reusable bags EVERY time 😔
I have to show this video to my husband. I am with you 1000%. My husband is the opposite. One Thanksgiving his parents served a pie that had been handmade by his grandmother. Problem was she had died 10 years before. They all think the freezer does stop time. Drives me crazy! I also agree with everything else you have said. Thank you!
Mine go from the kitchen to the cleaning rag pile to the garage to the trash so they live a long useful life. And it’s always nice to have some rags around that. You know that you can completely destroy and then throw away.
Various mugs and glasses are a MUST for everyone to keep track of their own beverage! We use them for weekly family dinners, neighbors over, music jams, book club. Seriously it’s very practical for anyone who entertains at all. Kids cups: they each had their own (character or color as they grew up it changed) & were responsible for putting it in dishwasher after meals. Your cup isn’t clean? You wash it. Less dishes pile up that way! - Mother of 5 kids 😊
I just love this guy- he says what we all need to hear and does so in a humorous entertaining way- we just moved into a new home after 17 yrs in the previous home.. and he must have been a fly on my wall. I was in that “what do we have all of these _____ for?” I became a purging ninja.. now my new & much smaller kitchen is very streamlined and I LOVE IT!! Look fwd to more rooms, Nick TFS 👍🏼
I still have the little box of food coloring Mom gave to me circa 1981, when I moved out on my own. I won't eat anything with it, but I use the colors for photography projects.😊
For things like the tea towels, I like to keep a hierarchy. Nice, new towels go in the kitchen; when they start to get a bit ratty they turn into cleaning cloths; if they get stained, they turn into rags for diy/painting; then they're out. Like, "I can't throw this away, there's still a lot of good use in it!" sure, totally true, but that use doesn't have to have to be in your kitchen, on display. Also, every time you run laundry, grab the hand towels from your kitchen and bathroom and throw them in. Most of us aren't doing a separate "towel laundry" often enough for how much use these get. Swap em out every time you think of it, basically.
Ex MIL took used dish towels to the laundry room following every meal. Picked up the habit and works great. Try to limit use of paper towels. Just have a small vented basket and throw in the towels - handy and ready for the next wash.
My old kitchen towels become cleaning rags as well. I PERSONALLY think that using them that way is much more responsible than buying paper towels. And I am pleased to say that they have a neat space in my pantry room.
My tea towels are constantly being rotated. The new ones stay in the kitchen until they get grungy then they go into the cleaning supplies to use and finally they go into the garage for their final life. Works for us! I love organization but have to admit I am a little lazy but once I get started I can manage most of my stuff pretty well. This video is a must for motivating us to simplify our lives. A simple life is a calm life. 😊
Add: One cup baking soda, 3 cups peroxide To your washer as it's filling up, then when it's filled up, add, your laundry, swish the clothes, and then in the rinse cycle add 2 cups white vinegar. After they dry-- you will be rewarded with sweet smelling, soft, and absorbent!
Nick, you need to roast the turkey carcass before making stock anyway. A chopped up turkey skeleton will fit in any old stew pot, I promise. You need to keep the toddler-sized stew pot for seafood boils and industrial amounts of soup for deep freezer convenience meals. I can’t live without mine. How else can you make three pounds of beans at once and never think about it boiling over? Just store all of your normal pots in the big pot like the rest of us.
What's really happening here is Nick went home for Christmas and he wants to call out his entire family 😅
Hysterical 😂
You read my mind!
He says he filmed before Christmas, so he was probably pre-judging 😂😂😂
100%! Apparently, I am in his family. Not needing shot glasses because you are not 21, was a knife in my back 😂😂😂
Hahaha!!
"Put it on Facebook marketplace and let somebody else make a mistake." Best line of the year.
My favorite line as well. Hahaha!!!!
My favourite was "Freezers aren't magic. They don't stop time" Still chuckiling about it in my head.
😂😂😂
Haven't watched you in awhile, WHY? I need you my friend, just your attitude fills a gap in my life. Blessings for the new year.
Classic 😂
The fastest & easiest way to find that lost sock or mitten is to throw out the one you have left.
OMG! or every time I throw out or donate something it comes back in style! So true! Oh throw out a tool? You know I’m gonna need it! True story! 🤦🏻♀️🤣
Literally just happened to me LOL
Also true for EARRINGS!! 😂
Yes!!!😂😂😂
My children just cleared out their bedrooms, and I paired over 150 pairs of socks....they kept buying new socks, but now they have too many. I threw away socks that were damaged or so dirty and washing them wasn't going to do them justice. Personally, I only have 6 pairs for myself. That's all I need.
My then boyfriend bought a jar of tarragon in 1974. He moved on, but left the tarragon. I moved on with the tarragon to a life spent in 3 different states and one country in Europe. A few years ago, I was looking through the spice rack, saw the tarragon, and thought, “I don’t even like dried tarragon,” threw it in the compost, and put the jar in the recycling. Please don’t be like me and keep herbs and spices for decades, haha.
We moved into our house in 2004. The kitchen has this lazy Susan style spice cabinet that spins. I was wiping down the shelves before putting my spices & seasonings in them & I found a container of ground pepper that said best if used by 1982 😂. It was open but still full. I'm guessing it fell off the rotating shelf many years ago & the previous homeowners never noticed.
You know that once they go out of date, they are USELESS, right? They lose their potency
Tarragon shouldn’t even be dried!
No point, taste deteriorates within weeks
I feel like someone had to say tarra going, going GONE!
@kathleenflatley3973 hahaha I got the reference
I know people who keep a small number of disposable containers, but not for themselves. They use them when they have leftovers from a party which they gift to the leaving guests. Not because they don't have better reusable containers, but quite the opposite: they hated that their good reusable containers either took forever to come back or never returned at all. When those disposable ones don't come back, no big deal 🤷🏻♀️
YES like I get Nick's point lol but this is exactly why I always keep a few takeout containers on hand
People will keep the good stuff but will very carefully return the plastic crap.
I love to bake, so there's often a surplus of cookies etc.
And I no longer hand them out in containers I want back. Because too many go missing, or come back in rough shape.
Naw, you'll get my delicious oatmeal-chocolate chip-walnut cookies in a sour cream container :P
THIS
100% this. I can't keep track of how many people I've given or received leftovers/baked goods from this year and I'd hate to have someone's proper Tupperware and then not see them for 6 months and hold their good containers hostage until I see them again
At my local grocery store we have an area for donated bags…for all those people who forgot to bring their own and don’t want to buy a new one. I think it’s not even an official thing, someone just started a pile and everyone loved the idea and kept it going.
I love this idea. It would really work, I think.
Banned in our province. We all have cloth-ish grocery bags we have to buy. I miss plastic.
Leave a bag, take a bag replacing the old penny tray. I like it lol.
I saw this at a local thrift store! All the reusable bags that ppl drop off their donations in or are unsellable go to a pile shoppers can use for their purchases.
That is an excellent idea!
Tea towels become softer and more absorbent the longer they are used, and the more times they have been washed. That makes the old worn ones the most effective and the most valuable. If you have let your (new or old) towels become mouldy, then you have a serious problem with hygiene, not a problem with the age of the towels.
I was wondering if there is a shortage of bleach in Nick's environs. Ha-ha! I would bleach-wash them before I even donated them, if they were moldy. Yuck. (I'm pretty sure he was just trying -- and succeeding beautifully -- at making a point.)
Old tea towels make the best cleaning cloths for shower doors and stainless steel kitchen appliances. They are the best used for staining, waxing or just dusting and applying oil to wood furniture. Old tea towels are the best things. Hang on to them and use them until there is nothing left of them. Lol. I keep lots of tea towels in rotation in the kitchen. I change them at least twice a week and always wash them in hot water with sufficient soap.
I change out my towels in the kitchen every day! Yes every day!
When they become thin or have holes in them i use them for house cleaning and after they become to bridle for that, i use it to dry my car or car wheel . And then I dispose of them.
@@michaelaheidtslater same!
I have some tea towels that I bought when I moved out at 17. I'm now 32, and most of them are still going strong. A lot of the newer, "prettier" ones suuuuuck when it comes to absorbancy. They just push the water around instead of drying the item.
If you change your rag and tea towel every day and wash them without fabric softener, they will last for so long.
@@Beannin For me it depends on the towel. I buy fluffy bar towels over decorated ones so that I get 12 at a time. I hate ones that cause lint though. When they get beaten up, they are used to mop up spills, wipe the dog's paws on muddy days, or used to wrap things for storage. I can go through 4-5 some days in the kitchen and the rule is they go into my laundry basket in my bedroom (small apartment) to be washed asap. They are not out for decoration. They are to be used in place of paper towels. And drying dishes. :) One singular towel came from mom's house and I still can't figure out how she got it to dry her dishes. It's a bit beaten up so it gets rags usage but it's so thin. I brought it in mostly for the memories of do dishes beside her at her sink and talking. Good memories.
As an art teacher, those plastic tubs/cups are super useful! I have enough saved up now that I don’t need more but if you do find yourself with a bunch, ask an art teacher if they’d like to take them!
My family is very creative, we use them all the time. Same with glass jars. Sometimes for actual home made foods, sometimes for mixing paints and such.
Hi! I volunteer at our animal shelter and we definitely need not just towels, but also old sheets/blankets! It gives the dogs something to sleep on and helps us to keep the kennels clean!
Thank you for this great idea!
I live in a building that has these dog owners that get a new bed like every two months..I take the "old" ones and donate them at the local shelter..
Didn’t know about sheets, thanks!
We had trash bags full of homemade blankets accumulated from my daughters stays at children’s hospitals. We took several leaf bags full of blankets to the Dumb Friends League (here in Denver). They were thrilled!
Do you ever have need for those reusable shopping bags?
Let's all give Nick a special mug for Christmas!
And some open shelves so that he can display them 😂
I feel bad because I started going through my 'Christmas boxes' over a month ago and discovered two different mugs, each presented in its own container, that were given to me eons ago. I decided to keep one and to donate the other one in time for Xmas.... I still haven't got around to it! At least the one I'm keeping is getting some use!
@@shelm-b8p Oh, wicked! Then he'll have to dust them all 😂
😂😂😂😂
novelty glasses sent! ✈️
I finally threw out a very decorative spice rack that was a wedding shower gift - in 1966. I actually had spices that pre-dated man walking on the moon. Not kidding 😅😅😅
so, at least five presidents ago... 😂😂
I think I just met my spirit animal. 😂
😂
Hahahaha!
I did that
So as a potter I’m obsessed with drinking out of art and there is soo much beautiful pieces of art. I keep it in my cupboard but when I open my cabinet and see 100 pieces of art it sparks joy! So I’d like to be exempt from this rule ❤❤❤
Exempt. 100%
Exemption granted
I have one Starbucks coffee cup with a message on it given to me by one of my students parents for appreciation. It is over 10 years old and I use it almost every day and it matches nothing else I have, but it brings me so much joy knowing That I was appreciated by someone outside my family🌸💜🕊️🙏🏼💕
Happy to let you be the exception if we can agree to ENFORCE the rule on the rest of us 😂
I love when Nick goes to his mom’s house and comes back with “content”. I don’t have a TH-cam channel, but my mom could inspire a lot of content too. Love her, but the clutter is next level.
😂😂😂 very true
Eating at my mom’s twice a year and seeing all our childhood dishes brought out again is worth so much more than any peace decluttering might bring. We’ll have to agree to disagree here. I love all my mom’s old things, and the memories they trigger. Still love you!
Exactly! We still have an old slightly faded melamine turkey platter from the 50's or 60's that my Gramma had for Thanksgiving. Do we only use it for only 2 hours one day out of the year? Absolutely am I ever going to get rid of it, hell no!
Stop buying souvenir magnets and mugs!
I have many of my mom's old dishware. Some is on the do not use list for having lead paint😂. I think the point is to not save things that are not important to you. It's so easy to let things creep up. Convince yourself you will use that container, thing, cup whatever. It's really ok to let go of things that have served there purpose.
@@PinkSander I would never include something that I use only once a year (but *DO use, regularly* , that one time every year) in a declutter. To me, decluttering means removing from my home things that I don't absolutely love and have no real use for anymore, but have been hanging onto for no good reason.
Totally agree ❤
“I don’t judge”. When you said this I HOWLED! You’re too good at this.
is there anyone more judgemental
Lol….only Nick makes you happy and feel good when he judges 🙌🏻❤️
@@suzycharto3655 Yep…me!!😉
@@suzycharto3655 He just says what most of us are thinking.
Nick raised his eyebrows and gave an audibly disdainful huff, "I don't judge," he lied below eyebrows which literally belied him.
@11:45 Nick, I am pushing back on the rubber bands opinion. When I travel, I bundle my bulky items/small boxes etc together with rubber bands when I pack my suitcase. It helps save space, organizes and if my bag burst open, it's not a huge deal
I use the bands to keep my tongs closed in storage until use.
I use rubber bands to close up half empty bags , chips, frozen foods .
I support rubber bands!
Also rubberbands don't last forever, they seem to have a year of use and then they snap so you do need more than 3. I also close opened bags in the kitchen with them. But I have a specific spot for them, they don't wander anywhere else in the house!
Adding my agreement! For all of the reasons mentioned above.
I love the shade but also want to give Nick's mom a big hug. Sure, she might have too many old condiments and old meat in the freezer but she raised a very funny man.
Let's hear it for Family!🤭
As most comedians will never run out of funny material when it comes to their family.
I had a sock 🧦 come back one time. The amount of joy I experienced was overwhelming.
Hahaha! Congrats! My sock came back to me lately as well!
They hide in other things like sheets and pants, then in fall when you pull out your long pants or put the flannel sheets on, eureka! sock found!
It has been known to happen 😂
Hilarious! I hunt mine down on the day they’re lost, but my daughter has at least 7 waiting to be reunited at any one time😂😂
I just found a sock that's been missing eight months! True joy.
As a potter, the mug comment really got me 😂 yes get rid of your Starbucks mugs, but please don’t stop buying from local artisans, it really DOES make coffee taste better drinking out of a nice piece of art that also is a vessel for caffeine! ❤
I so agree , I always buy a mug or bowl at our Boardwalk Art Show and use them all the time. The energy from them definitely makes everything taste better! And what a nice vibe for your home. The pathetic ones i made in a long-ago workshop are useful to hold paintbrushes😂😂.
I love mugs. I buy mugs and magnets as souvenirs.
@@HappyPotter24 I totally agree with you and love your yt name! I love using the oversized handmade mugs and one of my favs is the little handmade pitcher that fits in the Keurig to fill the taller mugs.
yes, I hate mass produced crap. I like handmade, unique items.
I constantly have to purge the novelty mugs. I love my handmade mugs! They each have stories and artists and conversations that go with them
Your biting dry sarcasm gives me life!!! I absolutely 100% aspire to this level of petty passive aggressive delivery 😂😂😂 You’re my hero! And also I truly do love your content! Subscriber for life!
"Three presidents ago" 🤣
I think this channel was suggested to me for interior design but I stay for the comedy. 😂
All of us, lol.
OMG. I went home to visit my parents in Nov and needed some spices to cook. I'm pretty sure some of the ones in my mom's cupboard were there from when I moved in 2002. I quietly went to the supermarket and got some new ones.
Same here
Same. He shames me but I love it. 😅
hahaha its a new way of measuring time 🤣Rachel said YESTERYEAR, YORK and now we know this one 😂
Marie Kondo, look out!
My mother drilled into me to keep everything that might be useful. Depression era habits die hard!
Actually, anyone anywhere in the world raised in a tiny village in a remote countryside with spare access to store goods will see any piece of junk as a treasure. This environnement can even alter the DNA and create generations of rubber bands, bags and plastic containers collectors.
The Military does that too for some reason 🤣
Me, too.
Children of 'Depression Babies', represent!!!
Add in a father who grew up in the middle of a war. It was a powerful combination. Everything we owned was considered a "resource", and one thought long and hard before throwing it out.
It was so hard for me to realize that my Le Cruset cooking set needed to go. Arthritis and chronic illness meant some of them were realistically too heavy to manage with one hand and I'd found more creative ways to make food (air fryer/bake/roast/Ninja cooker, Instant Pot small pressure cooker) that didn't involve possibly dropping a cast iron chonk onto my own foot and breaking it.
But someone else will find them at the thrift store and absolutely squeal with joy and that makes my soul happy :)
Wow, wish I was at that thrift store! LeCreuset is heirloom quality cookware that should be passed down for generations. They last forever and nothing sticks. I only have one lidded oval casserole pan. I love it!
I love the sentiment here, but we have to remember that lots of thrift stores throw things straight into the trash because they can’t manage all that they get.
If you can, give things away within your community or ask a relative to manage posting it for free on Facebook marketplace or a reselling app (you can still mark it for free). 😊
@ This is exactly what I do; there’s a thrift store that’s nearby that benefits the hospital in the neighbourhood and specifically serves the locals. They’ve even refused to sell to ‘upsellers’, to give those locally a shot at nicer items for cheap.
I used to give away things on Craigslist and Facebook, but as a woman living alone, I’ve had a few of those turn bad very quickly. I can’t risk it.
@@mjevans199 It is, yeah. And it broke my heart to have to let them all go. The generational thing didn’t work out for me, but at least someone will inherit them still!
@@silver_crone - Yes, I never invite strangers to my place. No market place or craigslist for me. There are various thrift shops in my area, the SPCA is my favorite. I usually give them my best.
This is so funny, it like listening to my daughter. She visited over the holidays and totally did a major declutter. So many of your recommendations she just nailed it.
As someone from a country where it's polite and custom to give leftovers to your friends who stay over for dinner, the takeaway containers are great because they are pretty waterproof and it doesn't matter if you forgot who has whose Tupperware. We're all in an eternal cycle of having other people's containers and no idea when you'll see them again. Not giving friends I only see 3 times per year my good Tupperware and l'm definitely giving them leftovers because that's just how we roll.
I like that custom. Just curious... What country are you from?
We do this too in Poland
came here to say this - takeaway containers are for giving away food! They are not as sturdy as Tupperware but they don't disintegrate, they split very noticeably. They are safe.
@@karenlampe5426 Belgium
OK, but maybe not the single-use clamshells. And don't reheat anything in them; that's when the chemicals leach out the most.
1:00 I am fully with your mom on these. If you have things that still function well and have aesthetic blemishes are not to be replaced. That's a huge problem in society and causes overconsumtion. If you already have duplicates, sure, choose the nice ones. But don't throw things out just because they don't look fresh.
Or, reuse the good edge fabric from a sheet that has worn thin in the middle to recover it.
He didn't show a picture of this, but a lot of people have oven mitts with holes burnt in them, so they're really not safe.
Oven mitts are one of those things you need to keep good looking. The more wear they have, the more dangerous they get. They are protective gear.
For the example pics he showed, I would not trust that to keep my hands safe 😅
I know which spots in my decades old oven mitts to put my hands to avoid the extra thin places. After that, I’m not even putting my hands in them anymore. They’ll be a fold-over-the-entire-mitt mitt.
Before you throw away Tupperware containers without lids, consider using them as drawer organizers
Before you throw out extra lids, makes sure you aren’t using the containers as drawer organizers!
@ajrockne307 🤣🤣🤣 imagine
I use them for many things around the house.
I use my mom's old aluminum loaf pans to store my underwear! 😄
I put the lid under the container when I use them as drawer organizers - just saves my sanity later.
I needed this intervention on my glass jar hoarding... I'm going to clean this cabinet out and use it for the handful of seasonal dishes I don't know what to do with 11 months of the year! Thanks Nick for being a true friend and telling me what I needed to hear!
Keep glass verses PLASTIC. Plastic is toxic. I keep about 5-10 in different sizes.
Definitely. I have glass Tupper ware and reuse glass jars for storage as well (virtually no plasic tupperware or single use baggies now). But it's gone overboard and I now have a lowkey hoarding problem.
Reading through all these comments is as fun as listening to Nick! Thanks everyone for the giggles! 🤣😂🤣
I appreciate that my kitchen inspired your video; thanks for not actually using video evidence.
I thought he was in my kitchen, especially when it came to magnets and cookie cutters. At least I purged my cookbooks a long time ago, but I still have too many. Maybe time to gift a few to charity.
😂
too funny!!!😂😂😂😂
@@rock-t3d2k I don't have any cookbooks tho if I had I'd have sold them to make more room for my coffee mugs.
@@Jerseybytes2😂😂😂
I'm in a mood and have never accomplished so much during a video!!!! I paused this video to go through water bottles before Nick said water bottles; paused to go through tupperware/plastic containers (which led to pitchers, ice cube trays, etc..); paused to go through cute kiddy cups/mugs (grandsons are now 10 & 13); then paused to throw out old frozen food. Tomorrow I'll get to the spices.
My mama really broke my heart on the herbs & spices. I live alone and years ago she pointed out to me that the shelf-life on open bottles of dried herbs & spices is pretty darn short. Pretty soon the flavor fades away and you're pretty much just sprinkling dust on your food. SHE WAS RIGHT, much as I hated to admit it. Put the old ones in a pot to simmer on the back of the stove and fill the house with a faint scent of something delicious, and recycle the jars. Sigh. All that money for basically one roast or gumbo ten months ago is such a shame, but that's no reason to let them collect and multiply in the cabinet.
Good for you!
Wow, that’s awesome! Good work!
@@jeanvignesyes, & they are so expensive! I also live alone & don’t cook as much for just myself like I used to cook for my family. I just had to buy all new spices to cook for the holidays & I was shocked at how expensive spices have gotten (along with everything else!).
Same here, I threw away/recycled items from 6 or 7 categories this afternoon. This video has been very useful.
When we travel a travel magnet is the only thing we normally buy as it’s light & unbreakable. I love them on my fridge as it reminds me to keep having adventures & sparks conversations with visitors. I don’t have any other display clutter, this is the least messy way to have memories visible to spark new adventure ideas & to focus on what I value in life. Each has a story. I’m Australian though, so travel is just part of our soul.
I LOVE my travel magnets but agree they add visual clutter to a fridge. I store mine on a decorative metal board hung on the wall in my office.
I buy travel Christmas ornaments that way I only have to look at them one time of the year.
I have a cardboard box in a quiet corner of my house. Whenever I come across something in any room that I want to get rid of in other words, donate, I throw it in that box. Nothing ever comes back out of the box and when it is full, it goes to Goodwill or whatever other charity I decide to take it to. It has worked beautifully.
Take it to Salvation Army or other local non-profit organization thrift stores. Goodwill is big business, making millions with very little going to the people. Thanks, Nick, right on as always!
Me too. I have that Ikea acacia wood hamper for that purpose. I can sit on it or put trays on it. And when it's full, I put everything in the bag of shame that is also in that box, and drop it off on goodwill..
@ellenryan127 Goodwill is a 501(c)3 charity, despite the hoax posted about it.
Good idea! My pet hate is seeing old filthy wooden chopping boards as ornaments, even hanging on walls. I just wouldn't buy a second hand chopping board, especially if it looks engrained with ashes . Grim!! 🤮😝
I do that too with a bag in the closet so no one else in the family sees what’s going bye-bye.
A few years ago I got rid of all my unmatching mugs and bought a mature matching set. Now I own many different and colourful mugs again cause they spark joy and I love choosing another one every day 😁 Love my Dublin Leprechaun Mug, too. I choose the matching set for guests, but for my day to day I like some fun. Life is grey enough as it is...
I want my glasswear to match, but mugs are best when different. It's also nice to be able to let guests choose the coffee mug they like best, as long as it's not my favourite one, that's the only one off-limits.
@@kailoviI’m greedy, I like having both 😅 I just love mugs so much, from plain white ones to silly ones. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the weight? I love holding them. When I drink more than one cup of coffee, it takes everything not to switch out my mug 🤪
My guests love choosing their own mug, some use the same one every time they come over ! Unmatched mugs rule
When I set the table it's matching mugs, when they just come by it's whatever they like 😁
@@katchu4225 Wait! I lied a little. There IS a mug I do not love. My parents each have their own preferred mug but the guest mugs have square tops. They turn me off so much.
"Okay, new year same you but maybe with a little less crap"😂😂😂❤❤❤❤❤
I feel this in my soul…
Love this.
😂😂😂
So real.
I started decluttering in November, it's a a low but steady process!
I work at an animal shelter, and we will definitely use up old towels even if they have holes. We use them for cleaning up messes instead of paper towels, and then we can throw them away after. 😊
A small tip.. cut up strips of these old cloths that get donated.... tie it together as a bunch and tie it around a rod/ stick.. made a makeshift recycled mop/ dusting cloth broom depending on the size..
washable, reusable, cheap, diy..
"You know they sell it at the grocery store? They do, it's just like, right there."
Howling!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Geez, Nick, I’m so sorry I missed you when you came to my house and took a look around my kitchen! Thanks for a chuckle this morning.
Your mom is such a good sport. I hope she dishes it out as well as taking it.
As for mason jars, you can buy new lids (without the jar), in case you do use those jars but the lids get gross.
They sell plastic screw on lids that last forever. You can even get lids that have a valve in the top for use while making sauerkraut.
Hello Nick. New viewer here. You are absolutely hilarious but precisely correct about your 20 Common Kitchen Finds particularly the tea towels and pot holders 😂 I was also pleasantly surprised to hear you were a fellow Canadian and subscribed to your channel even before your video ended. Looking forward to more interesting topics. Keep up the great work!
“The shelf life on these is probably shorter than the 35 years that you think it is “ 🤣🤣🤣 14:50
I loved that one 😂😂😂😂
That one made me actually laugh out loud and I was scrolling comments specifically to see if someone else mentioned it 😂
@@MsEgwene I was laughing so hard when I was typing! 😂 My mom still has hers…60 year old wedding gifts! 🤣
😂😂😂
I know! I can store my Christmas cookie cutters in my plastic takeout containers with the burnt oven mitts as packing material! Oooof, thanks Nick!
Invest in silicon mitts, they don't burn
😂
Congrats! You are well on your way to hoarding! 😂
Ok will throw out my burnt oven square… just don’t tell the other one what happened to his buddy.
Brilliant plan! 🤣
P.S. I Use all 4 cutting boards: tiny "quickie" board for slicing and sometimes serving one piece of fruit, the bigger board for big time slicing, chopping of fruits and vegetables, large cutting board with edge drain for broiled/roasted meats, much smaller drain-edged board for smaller meat pieces.
Yes, this was the one I couldn't get behind at all. I have a very small one, a medium, and a large one, all plastic. They all get used often, and, depending on what is happening in my kitchen, sometimes they've all been in use. I also have a heavy wooden one. I love that one, but it's also a pain to clean (size is awkward for my sink) and having to oil/wax it makes it not my go to. And as a PSA, don't use glass cutting boards. They are terrible for your knives. I'm usually all about glass instead of plastic, but not in this case.
I have 5, and use all of them regularly.
A few that are color coded for veg vs meat, etc. aren't a bad idea.
Can’t get behind the water bottle thing. We have used all because of long distance endurance workouts that require 4-5 bottles per person. We aren’t using the designer bottles, but the squeeze workout kind.
Yep. There’s the cheese board that’s decorative with a knife slot, 2 big boards (often used for different things at the same time bc we always have 2 cooks in the kitchen), then the small and medium ones are used for quick small stuff. 1 plastic with the drainage moat, the rest wood. I hate doing tomatoes on wood. 😂
After watching this I realized, I didn't have even one item mentioned in this list. And that makes me so proud of myself. I honestly feel I have de-cluttered and I am living a good life of keep-only-what-you-need. Great video! 🤩
Nick, YOU posted this, admit it!!!
Yessss!! Please do more room by room videos! Your hilarious "no-judgment/ totally judging" has inspired me to declutter my whole life!! 😅🙌🏼
Recently threw out all our mismatched storage containers and replaced with all IKEA glass ones because the lids are interchangeable. If it is a square container, any of the square lids will fit. So satisfying!!!
That is good to know! Love that idea because losing lids is the worst
Sounds like a step-down program
Good, brilliant, we need more of your trash, because there are "mismatched" boxes in a room you don't even look at.
Americans desperate to use any argument just to buy something.
That is nice to know. I bought Pyrex containers and the lids do not hold up as long as the containers, and the replacement lids in a set cost almost as much as buying a new set of bowls! The keeping of storage containers is one of my biggest gripes in my kitchen! I actually bought a 50 pack of the disposable ones early in the video and I can both send home leftovers with my adult kids and toss them guilt free. But I will consider the IKEA ones. There is little more frustrating than grabbing a container and not being able to find a lid that fits.
I am moving towards glass as well.
Due to foot problems, the padded kitchen matts are a life saver while I cook. Its not a stylistic choice, but a necessity.
yes, I use those too. Back savers for sure.
Saaaame
Same
Hahaha I thought you wrote mitts! Here I was trying to figure out how they help, does she wear or stand on them. My goodness…matts yes they are a huge foot/ back saver!
Yes, and they make much more sense than a rug.
Wait. Nonononono. The singly use chinese plastic containers are BRILLIANT when you are hosting and have leftovers to hand out to people. No one needs to remember to return those. Obviously they are not meant for the microwave, but you wash them (by hand), dry them, and then keep them for food sharing. :)
Our daughter loved stickers. Apparently, the very best place to display them was my big side-by-side fridge/freezer. Its doors were covered with stickers. Stickers on top of stickers. Okay, we bought the stickers, so are responsible for this blight, but, she loved them, right? Then, she grew out of this fetish around the time I gutted my kitchen and installed a fridge/freezer with custom cabinet door fronts. Despite her disinterest in her old stickers, my husband felt compelled to carefully remove each sticker and glue it into a scrap book. Hundreds of stickers. It was a true labour of love. Happy New Year, Nick.
Thats so sweet ❤
did you have to call it a fetish 😭😭
@ Fetish: “an inanimate object worshiped for its supposed magical powers or because it is considered to be inhabited by a spirit.” When a two-year-old talks to her Mickey Mouse sticker and tells it she’ll see him in Disney World, what would you call it? It was Disney all the time. Hell, she even ended up working in Finance for the Walt Disney Company! There really is such a thing as “Disney Magic”!
OMG that's adorable and that was me when I was a kid. I destroyed everything with stickers LOL
So y'all sit around and look at the sticker scrapbook or what? Will she even want it when she moves out or will she take it and shove it in a closet to not hurt your feelings? Look up Swedish death cleaning.
AMEN!!! As a Christmas gift from my daughters I just ask them to help me de-clutter my kitchen and closets, It was the BEST gift EVER!!
My bestie has requested this as a gift from me a couple of times. She's hard to shop for and I really enjoy helping her!
That’s the 70 B day gift I’m asking for this year.
Yes! I do this every year for my retired parents. My dad is a "collector," lol, so i do a lot of decluttering, deep cleaning, and organizing.
Yes you need 3 cutting boards! One for meats one for savory and one for sweet stuff!! You don't want to chop an apple or an orange where you chop your garlic and onions! Specially as you wooden chopping boards get used. Yes you can clean them and disinfect them in a way that does not leave any garlicky flavor but not many people have that military chef level of commitment. Just get three.
Hard agree, as someone who has eaten onion-y watermelon before.
And maybe a mini cutting board too, for times when you only need to chop a couple small things, like garlic.
Maybe it’s because I have a VERY small kitchen but I’ve managed pretty well with just one wooden cutting board. For instance if I cut meat first, I then clean the cutting board with disinfectant, dish soap and water before cutting something else. That way the surface is ready for the next thing. I’ve done this for 3 years now and I haven’t had one health issue other than the occasional seasonal flu
All my cutting boards get cleaned well and I still have and USE 6 boards on a regular basis
@angelant96
I respect your commitment but honestly I couldn't be bothered doing that every time I cook. 😅
@@angelant96same!
Awright. I reuse pasta sauce jars for storing dry beans, brown sugar, and other products that come in bags. They often are exactly the right size. I hate those bags. Plus, if the occasional mouse makes its way in the house, you don't have to worry about them chowing down on dry beans.
I’m with you Nick on the mismatched glasses and mugs, but… In defense of those who are, they make big get togethers much easier for knowing which drink is yours! ❤
Excellent point
And those of us who love this but have big families
Wine charms work on mug handles, too. 😉
I've got about 8 white mugs. They're all white, but they are not a set. Each one is its own version. Visually coherent, but guests can still know which drink is theirs!
Variety is the spice of life. Why have everything match? Don’t interior designers cringe at that? Live a colorful life!
Love this kind of video! Recently I took my 47 reuseable bags and gave them to the church thrift store: they were thrilled. Also realized I'll never have 14 people over for coffee, so donated a ton of mugs. This video just made me ruthless about my spice cupboard, LOL.
That’s awesome! He’s so right about this stuff. I did once go to use one of my saved ketchup packets and it was brown. So I finally threw them out. Every time my husband tries to save ketchup and hot sauce packets from takeout I just throw them away.
Also donate bags to the food bank
😂
Excellent idea. I used to bring them to my friend working at festivals.
I would like to petition for 2 water bottles. One for when the other one needs to washed. Or one for water and another for not water (hydration drinks/juices/etc)
Seconded! One and a spare is plenty.
Thirded! I have one for water, one for tea 😊
My annoying habit is I have one for my car/ travel, one for by my bed, one for my home office one for the living room and I just gather up and wash and refill every other day lol. It’s helped me drink the proper amount of water especially because I love room temperature water
I have a 1L for when I’m going out all day and taking my backpack, a 500ml that fits in my big purse for medium trips and a 300 ml that fits in my small purse for quick trips. I like to stay hydrated 😂
Yes! Need at least 2!
I´m a teacher and I love mugs. That is the nicest gift my students can give.
After a couple of decades…no.
I’m a kitchen designer and this video is so spot on! I want to send this to every one of my customers when we are space planning their kitchens and they think they have no storage but it’s filled with all THIS crap.
One of my besties needs this video and I wish I could send it to her. Gorgeous home and you can’t put a thing away in the kitchen because there’s so many mugs, glasses, towels…
Amen, sister! I don’t want to offend them but it says everything I’m thinking as I look at the abomination they call they’re kitchen 😂
One great tip for the holiday / rarely used baking stuff is that many libraries have things that you can borrow, like if you only want to make a bundt cake once, not worth buying and storing it! (or even ask friends if they have one to borrow). I love my starbucks mugs though because they have good memories for me, but I decluttered all my other mugs because I just didn't need that many
@@mlynn9254do it! Send a text, save a kitchen. 😂
We're all talking about how funny Nick is, but he is also uncannily spot-on. The exact type of things we allow to accumulate. It's like he knows his stuff, or something.
I'm addicted to this channel! I love Nick's no-nonsense approach and dry sense of humor!
Yes - PLEASE bring old linen to your local shelter!!! I've volunteered at shelters around the country, and they ALWAYS need more towels, blankets, rags, etc.
Or just keep it and use as rags.
Or to animal shelters
And reusable shopping bags are also needed. If you have tons, give them away
@@007nadineLI have a "rag bag," but when it starts getting full, the " new rags" go to the garbage can. There's only so many rags a person needs.
Good to know, thank you.
In an apartment housing two people we have well over a dozen mugs. Yes, we use them all frequently. It boils down to what you actually use. What don't we use very often? The matched set of blue Willow wear dishes. I already culled out part of the set and am mulling over reducing what I have left of it.
OK, I'll admit I clicked the like button on the previous comment, but let's pause for a moment to understand what may be really going on here. I'm like 100% positive that I'm way older than Nick, but it is entirely possible that his mother grew up during the great depression, as mine did, and even though I "knew" this, it wasn't driven home until my mom passed and I had to clean out her house. Every pot holder, bread tie, plastic food container, mug, novelty glass, tea towel, kitchen towel, and pot and pan that my mother had ever met in her life was still living there, wondering where she had gone. Condiment packets were indeed lurking in the fridge. We threw out all items in the freezer, along with a lot of canned goods in the cabinets that were more than 5-10 years out of date. It was a different time back then, and I gained a whole new appreciation of my mother. Back in those hard economic times, people just didn't throw things out. There were no shot glass collections, but my mom didn't drink, but I can guarantee there were towels there that had been there since the 1960's and 1970's. The US and a lot of other countries have been living pretty well since after WWII, but if we should have another global depression, people may find themselves back in the same fix.
Good point. My grandmother had a stash of used baggies and bread bags under her bed.
I should add that she washed them!
I suddenly recognize this in my brother and I. We didn't go through it, but it was passed down from our parents and grandmother. It was useful when I was living abroad, at least.
Yes. Did this a few years ago. As we laughed, at some of the things she had, I laughed at myself as well. My kids won’t understand some of my stuff, either 😂
And plenty of "nice" things are "saved for besr" which never actually comes around.
After moving, I have started using the "good stuff" now...
Love this channel. Nick, you are a treasure.
I feel SO called out. Every kitchen needs a rolling pin and cookie cutters, even if you never use them, or used them one time. I will die on this hill. lol
😆 lol....
Same here with the refrigerator magnets!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
😂
😂😂😂
And WHO only uses gingerbread men (and gingerbread women!) cutters and the like, once a year?! I don't even have any grandchildren, but I make stuff like that at least once a month!
The best bag clips are binder clips; way stronger than regular ones, and don’t disintegrate like rubber bands 😉
Yep, they also come in assorted sizes. It’s what I use for most bags. I also like wire bag ties. They are good for frozen veggies and also for putting through a zipper hole so I can zip up my jeans and boots when I have on long finger nails. 😁
clothes pins too
Large paperclips work too!
Firm agree from me.
Rubber bands still have uses, but I’m feeling Nick might be right that 3 is enough
YEAH! I've got bags of stuff in the fridge, freezer, and pantry secured with binder clips. Looks weird. So what.
I absolutely adore the way NIck said cold brew coffee. And you know what, I drink cold brew, but in a mug, not a shot glass.
I love how you say you don't judge. Yes you do. But that's what we're here for and we love it!
We don’t love his judgements, or his personality, 2min of that voice ….. out
This video is probably the most judged I've felt in this genre - and that's with barely any of it even applying to me. Some good tips for sure and I did watch the whole video, but can't say I'll be returning. Felt more like I was being mocked than inspired.
You did this topic better than anyone else who specializes in decluttering here on YT. Thoroughly enjoyed this one. It was spot-on, and you had me laughing out loud several times. Thanks, Nick. I'm sure I will be re-watching this one soon.
could not agree more; this has actually both inspired me and given me permission to THROW IT OUT
@@Motherhubbard170I started this easy habit: Put a reusable shopping bag or plastic shopping bag near the door, or in the car. Whenever I come across ANYTHING I really don't need, love, or use anymore, I put it in that bag. Whenever the bag is full, I take it to the Salvation Army, or Goodwill. Because it's already in my car, or near the door, I never forget it at home. Slowly but surely, everything is getting decluttered, and that stuff might be needed or loved or used by someone else!
Love that t
‘The freezer does NOT stop time ‘ !!! You are so so right !
"Though food will be safe indefinitely at 0° F, quality will decrease the longer the food is in the freezer."
From the FDA.
"Food stored constantly at 0 °F will always be safe. Only the quality suffers with lengthy freezer storage."
From the USDA.
I would include the links but I think TH-cam still removes comments with links
Almost everyone is going to be better of chucking old nasty food to get the freezer space back, but it is still safe to eat if there are no other options.
@@rosalie.e.morgan👍, and that is -18°C which is the default setting for freezers in UK.
A freezer that is frost free goes through multiple defrost cycles and food degrades quicker than when the same item is a manual defrost freezer that you don’t open often. A neighbor had her own garden and I offered space in my freezer since I didn’t need the large space anymore and placed her items on the bottom. She was amazed at how well the vegetables stayed and didn’t have freezer burn. We did get a smaller freezer when our big one died but we also repack any meat, poultry or fish by vacuum sealing as it helps maintain the freshness. I pick up items on sale and also have a smoker so it’s nice to keep things on hand. I date everything and when I manually defrost, move up older items so they can be used sooner. Hunters also share their meat so it’s nice to have a dedicated space. The refrigerator freezer is for items to be used within a month or to freeze items before moving them to the deep freezer.
As a Mexican, I disapprove the message about cutting boards, there is one that always smells like onions, so you don’t use it for fruits, there are times when you cook a little, and need a small one, and times you cook for a big family and need a giant one, and finally when you have a carne asada at your house, so your tías and sisters are using each one cutting board, the perfect number I discovered is, at least 3.
Very inspiring! I got out of bed 5 minutes into the video and started decluttering an armoire used to store kitchen items. Got rid of about 40 tea towels, 10 old table cloths, mismatched place mats, and tons of user manuals for items we no longer own. Lots of free space now!
Congrats! I love your initiative!
My youngest son and I used to go through my spice cupboard every spring. He’d open the container and sniff. If he wasn’t met with an identifiable scent, like, “Oh! It’s oregano!”, we would dump it out. We put sweet spices into one container and all the rest into another. I would sprinkle the sweet ones onto the rugs and then vacuum them up after an hour or so when spring cleaning. The others got sprinkled on the lawn and garden to deter pests. It never felt wasteful because we were using them with a purpose.
Great idea!
I try and write the date on the bottom of the herb/ spice container when I open it. Helps me keep track.
Which ones go on the rugs?
@ the sweet smelling ones like cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, clove, etc.
What a great idea!
I love my magnets. It’s the only souvenir I ever get from my vacations. Whenever I open my refrigerator, I think of all the places I’ve been.😊.
I love the magnets too! But they do not even stick to my new fridge 😢, so I bought metal board
I’m the same way although I see Nick’s point. If I get a garage fridge I might move the magnets there, but until then I will display my magnets proudly in my kitchen.
I have a few select magnets. One of my favorites is "Don't make me come down there!" signed God.
@@matthewthibert4562 that is where I keep mine, on my garage fridge.
I totally get you on the reminiscing part and I also love buying trinkets on vacation. I love trinket shops and stalls... but then both I and my husband hate the clutter in the home, be it on the fridge or anywhere else. It's too distracting and often wouldn't match the decor. So I had a brilliant idea, which I later learned many people also had: getting christmas tree ornaments form all our trips. Or stuff that can pass for an ornament. Quite a few magnets got strings glued to them and their backsides covered with fabric. Because while we dislake chaos in most cases, a chaotic, mismatched decor on a christmas tree is something that I actually love (and my husband doesn't care either way). It looks homey. It means that we would be remembering the trips once a year, but I feel it is more meaningfull to us this way.
I live alone and don't host.
I have one Spokane mug from a life-changing sojourn in that city and one mug from my side-business working at the Renaissance Faire; these are 'memory mugs' that are comforting to me.
I have 3 small and 3 larger mugs that look like clay houseplant pots; they're what I generally use for hot beverages (used to be 4 of each, but things break, and I'm keeping all 6 in case of future breakage).
I have one potholder that is cruddy enough that it's time to replace it with a new pair. I have (somewhere in a laundry bag) 2 'bowl potholders' for handling hot bowls from the microwave; also time to replace them. You've given me the impetus to get this overdue task done, so thank you.
Most of my storage containers are thrift store finds of old clear glass refrigerator dishes. I also have a few clear glass pyrex/borosilicates with silicone lids.
I've also become found of putting silicone lids on my dish set bowls and placing them in the fridge.
But no; I don't reuse takeout containers anymore.
The only Christmas stuff I have is a 18inch pre-wired tree and a few tiny glass decorations for it. It closes like an umbrella, so it fills a 4inch x 4inch x 18inch box, decorations and all. I got rid of most of my baking and food decorating stuff last year; I realize I don't bake much anymore. I kept two 8" x 10" pan/rack/mat sets that fit in my countertop toaster/convection oven. I also have a few porcelain ramekins and a loaf pan. I can also bake in the pyrex/borosilicate dishes.
I have 2 remaining tiny juice glasses bought for the dark green ivy design on the clear glass, and I have one shot glass only because it has measurement markings on it.
I have clear acrylic magnet frames on my fridge displaying a pair of lovely nature photographs I took, ones I'm pretty proud of.
I also have a 9x11 dry erase lined magnetic 'page' for marking items I've run out of; I take a smartphone photo of the list as I leave to go grocery shopping.
I've given up condiment packets for Oxo silicone squeeze bottles, which I fill with store-bought condiments.
Back in the day, I used the packets for lunch bags ad picnics, but I no longer eat outside my apartment since the Pandemic.
You're correct that even condiment packets go bad eventually, but also the packets usually don't list the expiration date (it's listed on the multipacket bag they're sold in). And you can buy picnic/lunchbag sized silicone containers you can refill with fresh condiments at home.
I've been telling people forever that 'junk drawers' should be renames 'utility drawers' and keep only purposeful things in there. Bread tags, twist ties, and rubber bands should not be saved in a utility drawer. If you absolutely can't break the habit, keep a tiny basket or dish somewhere (not on the kitchen counter) to put these trash items into, something with no lid and at a height where you can see what's building up in there. Then, when it gets full enough, dump them in the trash.
Rubber bands dry out and lose their elasticity and you really don't use them much. Twist ties and bread tabs break easily and have limited reuse. A 'junk drawer' is a graveyard of decisions you've put off; recognize this and make it a utility drawer while keeping the trash out of it.
I have one water bottle, a kind that opens at the bottom to hold citrus and other fruit. And I'm not sure I really need that. I have two North stainless steel 40oz cups that hold ice for a full day or more, but that's about it. I don't go out often, but when out I go without drinking anything. I'll be home within 5hrs, so I don't need anything like that.
I have three wooden cutting boards.
-One straddles a top drawer in my kitchen, providing me the only prep area available in my tiny kitchen.
-One is small, for prepping a salad of sandwich while watching TV.
-One is used as both a prep surface and a serving tray. Sometimes also as a trivet.
I lean more to paper towels than tea towels. That said, I have maybe two. And when they get stained, they get replaced. Mine don't reach a state of being moldy or ripped.
Yes; Freezers are not magic.
Freezer burn is bad enough (won't kill you, but it tastes awful).
What is of MORE concern is fish and botulism.
Botulism is a resident bacteria in fish, and freezers only SLOW their growth, not stop it. Keep your fish too long and it can be deadly.
Not all glass is made the same; there are cheaper, more delicate versions and more robust types. And what I'm taking about is not only impact-fragile but also glass that does not handle sudden temperature changes without shattering.
Most products are marketed in less--expensive, less robust jars. They may be fine for putting room-temp food into for storing in the fridge, but DO NOT MICROWAVE IN THEM AND DO NOT FREEZE FOOD IN THEM!!!
As far as I know, canning jars sold as such can be used in the freezer and the microwave, but the only company using canning jars to sell their product is Classico.
The other product jars you may want to use you should only use in the home; the jars may break too easily to transport in a lunch or picnic.
My issue with kitchen rugs is that textile rugs don't belong in areas where food and drink can be spilled.
That said, in my kitchen I have thick foam mats.
I have reached the age where standing for more than 15minutes on a hard floor is painful, so having foam mats underfoot is a pure joy. Also, they clear up easily if anything is spilled on them.
(Frankly, I gave up kitchen rugs because I've had pet dogs that took rug texture for grass and would use them as their personal rest room.)
I'm a woman with big feet. Because of that, I hate shoe shopping (hard to find something in my size). So instead of a large shoe collection, I have shopping bags and shoulder bags. And you're right; I have way too many. I've gotten rid of a lot of them over the last year, but I need to get rid of more.
I've downsized the volume of the small kitchen appliances I use. I've given away some appliances I realize I don't need. I'm still working on getting rid of more. It's a process...
I've culled a lot of my cooking vessels. Doesn't mean I couldn't get rid of a few more, but I'm good for now.
I do have WAY too many books, including cookbooks. I have 3 or 4 cookbooks I will never get rid of, but I have dozens of others I can easily live without.
I haven't had the time to cull my books (of the things taking up space in my studio apartment, books take up relatively little space, so culling them has been a backburnered task for now; I WILL get to it this year, though).
I replaced all my spices over the summer, so they're all good. Condiments don't get used up fast enough to go bad, except for a very few, and I do need to look at the expiration dates on those again.
You might suggest people also check their other non-perishable foods: jars and canned items and other dry goods. Especially check oil-based items, which go rancid all too quickly.
Re cutting boards, according to one of my fave teaching chefs, Sohla El-Waylly, real wood (not particle board glued) is actually anti-bacterial, and one of the most long-lasting tools in the kitchen if you choose wisely. Plastic is actually bad because as time goes on and it gets grooves, bacteria hide out in there.
And, plastic boards dull knives faster.
Also, it's actually nice to have three of them. One for raw meat/fish, one for fruit/veggies and one for smelly stuff like onions. Trust me, I once had an apple slice which was cut on the same board as garlic.
We never have too many cutting boards. We use them all until they slice themselves in half and then use them for trays. And easy to clean with a wire scrubber and hot water to bring up the oils.
NOOOO Nick. Don’t ditch the pot. I bet that’s the best turkey stock ever. I have one for a traditional Danish soup that is massive but it does into storage cupboard for 360 days a year (i make it twice a year though)…Just finished pressure canning it all for the cupboard…thank gawd for those mason jars.
Thanks for the laughs. Pry my specialized pots and pans from my cold dead hands
I have one really thick hardwood cutting board that I use for vegetables and it's been my go-to for almost 50 years. Every so often, I sand the surface and re-oil it. I have plastic ones for meat and fish which get replaced regularly and get soaked in a Milton solution after each use. The softwood boards and bamboo boards may look nice and are inexpensive but I really don't like them.
I LOVE the subtle passive-aggressive vibe of this video! ❤
This is a typical Canadian way to tell you to stop being stupid 😂😂
Nick’s mom is all of us 😅
The burnt ugly pot holders work the best.
Glass jars (new or used jam, jelly, sauce, and pickle) have been a lifesaver for me, reusing them to seal spices and such after initial use. Great way to save things from bugs and to slow oxidation.
And you can buy replacement lids. I have about 500. I haven't bought a vegetable since the Clinton Administration
best for nuts!
I like them to discard non reuseable cooking grease. That stuff doesnt belong in the pipes. 👍
When tea towels dont come clean again , no matter how you wash them , tear them in half and use them as cleaning rags . Once used, rinse them , tear them into strips and put them in your garden composter . All cotten and linen tea towels will break down into compost .
Can turn them into rugs and mats for the needy too.
I don't use paper towels---I use my old dish towels to wipe up spills. I wash them over and over again and when they get really thin, they become dust rags.
Definitely keepers. I've gotten more clumsy as I age and always need rags for spills. Also good for cleaning up the cat who hates baths.
@@charlottekylin4169
Charlotte, I’ve got one up in you. I didn’t need to get old to be clumsy. I practiced at it all my life. I have always reused linens for cleaning up after myself. It’s a money saver and works as long as I don’t cut myself with the scissors as I cut up the material.
Same here. We use them as serviettes and for cleaning. No more disposables.
Currently helping my dad declutter. 3 days in. Is the end in sight? Not yet. Very appropriate video for my present moment.
I love this guys sassy attitude haha
I origami fold the "single use" plastic grocery/takeout bags into a triangle, then I can stuff one into a pocket when I go on my walks and pick up litter.
Not one plastic bag goes to waste never in our house. You can always find a use.
I do the same with the bags
I throw them in the attic for insulation. Lol
I do that too! No waste, I have cats and use the bags when I scoop litter.
@@barbaratozzano6364 Oh, yeah! I use the plastic produce bags for scooping the cat litter. I got frustrated with the grocery bags always having gaping holes in the bottom when they were the thinner plastic
My ex-husband was a hoarder. He kept novelty cups, mugs, and shot glasses. He hoarded condiment packets and plastic utensils. He couldn’t or wouldn’t throw anything away. When I left that marriage, it was so refreshing to be rid of the clutter and crap.
Sister❤ love being able to just throw stuff away!
This feels like an unnecessary drive by
What you see as clutter is a treasure to someone else. Coming from someone who was called a hoarder but honestly believes that he is not. Think what you want.
It took a while but now I’m a pro at always keeping my shopping bag with me. Haven’t bought a bag of shame in years. Always keeping two in my backpack, and 6 in the car.
Yeah - storing them in the car is top tier here.
Impressive!
I went with my old plastic bag to the store of origin. The shop assistant yelled: 'John, come here, we haven't seen this bag design for a very long time!'
I've been using reusable bags since the late '90s. When animal organizations used to send you a good quality one for a donation. I have most of them to this day. I carry them in the back seat. It took me 6 months of going back to my vehicle to pull them out to get used to bringing them in right away. I would go back out to the car to force myself to remember them eventually. Now it's as automatic as brushing my teeth in the morning.
@@naomihepworth1642
Was watching this video while I was doing my skincare and I just paused it, walked downstairs, took the plastic to-go containers out of the dishwasher, rinsed them, and tossed them in the recycling. It DID hurt my soul a little bit, but I trust you.
Ok… letting my retinol sit now… going downstairs again to clear out all my condiments packets and plastic utensils and rubber band type shit… I needed this…
this stranger in Arizona is so proud of you
One of your best videos. You called all of us out😂
Some of us are over here thanking Nick for using his platform to express what some of us have been saying for decades.
including himself!
Yes, do more of these! We get so used to our own items that we don’t even see what we need to purge. I’m guilty of cookbooks, glass jars, and rubber bands. Love this-thanks Nick!
I collect wire bag ties. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Recycling is a huge scam. There are a lot of types of plastic but only a couple that actually get recycled. The containers shown in this video are very likely the type that recyclers don’t want for various reasons. I’m not saying that none of it gets recycled but remember that recyclers are in a business. If they can’t make money on the product, they aren’t going to do it. A large amount of what we put in the recycle bin ends up in the land fill. That’s why I say it’s a scam.
I tend to agree. Only plastic bottles are being bought from the local waste company
Agree to a certain extent; it really depends where you are and what company is doing your recycling, which unfortunately can change all the time. So I’d rather err on the side of “keep it out of the landfill” if possible on the chance that it does actually get recycled into a new usable product.
I recommend glass containers with silicone lids such as AnchorHocking or Pyrex. These work for baking, microwaving, storage; I have not bought plastic containers for years.
@@Wrenlinn If you must buy plastic, I recommend sistema, they stack with each other and they're made in New Zealand from straw-derived plastic.
Watch “Trash Inc” documentary. The real story is very interesting.
You can use your stockpot to store plastic containers.
Wow. Super sarcastic and witty at the same time. It was a blast watching you as usual. You took a mundane topic and made it fun.
**wiping eyes** Nick, you outdid yourself on this one. The burnt souffle on the ancient oven mitts 😂 Thank you for the lighthearted reminders. 😂❤
Donate your reusable bags to second hand (clothing) shops. They will use them for their clientele.
Some food banks will also take them to pack food in for recipients
My local goodwill recycles cloth. It gets sorted by type, baled, and sold at auctions. Some of the bales become rags in machine shops, others become carpet padding.
I never use bags. I have a bin in my car and just put the groceries in the cart then into the bin. My mom keeps telling cashiers my daughter doesn’t use bags😂
Also people who sell at markets often like to get bags.
Good tip. I recently switched the store where I get my grocery delivery because they still offer paper bags. It’s ridiculous for most grocery deliveries you need to buy new reusable bags EVERY time 😔
I have to show this video to my husband. I am with you 1000%. My husband is the opposite. One Thanksgiving his parents served a pie that had been handmade by his grandmother. Problem was she had died 10 years before. They all think the freezer does stop time. Drives me crazy! I also agree with everything else you have said. Thank you!
😄😆😄
I am literally using this as a guide in real time to go through my house and cull the crap. Thank you, Nick, for your guidance!
Towels go from kitchen to studio to cleaning rags to burn barrel. They never are wasted.
Mine go from the kitchen to the cleaning rag pile to the garage to the trash so they live a long useful life. And it’s always nice to have some rags around that. You know that you can completely destroy and then throw away.
For cleaning and waxing the car.
Various mugs and glasses are a MUST for everyone to keep track of their own beverage! We use them for weekly family dinners, neighbors over, music jams, book club. Seriously it’s very practical for anyone who entertains at all.
Kids cups: they each had their own (character or color as they grew up it changed) & were responsible for putting it in dishwasher after meals. Your cup isn’t clean? You wash it. Less dishes pile up that way!
- Mother of 5 kids 😊
@@grateful7420 Exactly. I hate it when my kids drink my vodka.
I host people regularly and I have a pack of glass markers that each guest can use to write their names on the glass.
@@deetgeluidthat is so funny!!!😂😂😂
I just love this guy- he says what we all need to hear and does so in a humorous entertaining way- we just moved into a new home after 17 yrs in the previous home.. and he must have been a fly on my wall. I was in that “what do we have all of these _____ for?”
I became a purging ninja.. now my new & much smaller kitchen is very streamlined and I LOVE IT!!
Look fwd to more rooms, Nick TFS 👍🏼
Thank you for this. I just threw out a jar of saffron I’ve had since I was in college. I’m 73.
🤣😄🤣😂
But it was saffron! Have you priced that lately?! 😊
😂 I just tossed a bottle of salad dressing dated 1991. I've moved 3 times since then....
I still have the little box of food coloring Mom gave to me circa 1981, when I moved out on my own. I won't eat anything with it, but I use the colors for photography projects.😊
Now *that's* a record, methinks... 😊
For things like the tea towels, I like to keep a hierarchy. Nice, new towels go in the kitchen; when they start to get a bit ratty they turn into cleaning cloths; if they get stained, they turn into rags for diy/painting; then they're out. Like, "I can't throw this away, there's still a lot of good use in it!" sure, totally true, but that use doesn't have to have to be in your kitchen, on display.
Also, every time you run laundry, grab the hand towels from your kitchen and bathroom and throw them in. Most of us aren't doing a separate "towel laundry" often enough for how much use these get. Swap em out every time you think of it, basically.
YES!
I have same system
Ex MIL took used dish towels to the laundry room following every meal. Picked up the habit and works great. Try to limit use of paper towels. Just have a small vented basket and throw in the towels - handy and ready for the next wash.
My old kitchen towels become cleaning rags as well. I PERSONALLY think that using them that way is much more responsible than buying paper towels. And I am pleased to say that they have a neat space in my pantry room.
Exactly. Anything to alleviate paper towels. Been using cloth dinner napkins, too.
My tea towels are constantly being rotated. The new ones stay in the kitchen until they get grungy then they go into the cleaning supplies to use and finally they go into the garage for their final life. Works for us! I love organization but have to admit I am a little lazy but once I get started I can manage most of my stuff pretty well. This video is a must for motivating us to simplify our lives. A simple life is a calm life. 😊
Add:
One cup baking soda,
3 cups peroxide
To your washer as it's filling up, then when it's filled up, add, your laundry, swish the clothes, and then in the rinse cycle add 2 cups white vinegar.
After they dry-- you will be rewarded with sweet smelling, soft, and absorbent!
After they dry, you'll have brighter, sweet smelling, more absorbent tea towels.
The new year is definitely a good time for "Got anything to declutter?" themed videos...
Yes! There is a whole life cycle of fabric items in our house, from initial use to cleaning rags to shop rags. 😅
Nick, you need to roast the turkey carcass before making stock anyway. A chopped up turkey skeleton will fit in any old stew pot, I promise.
You need to keep the toddler-sized stew pot for seafood boils and industrial amounts of soup for deep freezer convenience meals. I can’t live without mine. How else can you make three pounds of beans at once and never think about it boiling over? Just store all of your normal pots in the big pot like the rest of us.