I cleared off my kitchen counters and buffet table last year. We had some people over for the Super Bowl, we congregated in the kitchen and my friends said- "Wow, your kitchen looks so good- it's so clean- what happened?" It really wasn't cleaned at the time because we were entertaining and I was cooking a bunch of appetizers, but I had nothing on the counters or buffet and everything was orderly. That's what they noticed. No clutter! I'm so glad I keep my flat surfaces tidy- it makes a huge difference! Thanks Joshua!
1. Notice 2. Clear out cabinets and drawers 3. Store the items out of sight. 4. Be intentional in putting the things away 5. Notice and appreciate the clean cleared space.
Joshua, I heard you say something similar to this about 2 yrs ago & I thought, I have a tiny kitchen, so I still wouldn't have the space to put everything away. Then I realized I had TOO MUCH STUFF! I started cleaning out cabinets to store the things off my counter & I love it!!! It was so freeing getting rid of things we didn't use to be able to store away the things we do use. Great reminder. 😊
I have a small house and it's 110 years old. It doesn't have much storage space and only 1 closet in the whole place. Sometimes things just have to be left out because there isn't any space for them to hide.
We only have a tiny small kitchen with very old small cupboards that barely hold anything. We need to put things up high to stop our toddler getting to them. If I could find the space and my partner would agree to it, then I'd happily put stuff away. However, he has a man draw for snacks, DIY tools and stuff. I'd love the space, but he loves having stuff and keeping it out.
This is a great hack when you have achieved visual simplicity in your home. The things I leave out now help me to achieve my goals, and the stuff itself changes often. For example, right now I am studying for my exams and I leave my study materials on my desk at night. It helps me to not procrastinate on the morning and get right back to work after my morning routine. If I have paperwork I need to get to I will leave it on my desk as well, and usually I do it within a day. Right now I am leaving a book on my nightstand. I am exhausted at the end of the day and I try to read before I sleep to unwind, but right now I am so tired in the evening that I would be tempted to grab my phone instead if the book wasn't in reach. I know it will only be for a few weeks and of course I sort my study materials every night, file what has been done and tidy up everything else, especially the kitchen. Leaving out things can support you if you do it intentionally, but you need to drastically declutter first and be very mindful about it.
Cas from Clutterbug ... "It has to be just as easy to put it away as to leave it out" And it's true! If it's easy to put it away, you prefer to put it away because things look so much nicer and feel more peaceful. Not the exact same idea, but I love the idea of being challenged to put those things away that we assume should sit out.
There was a click in my mind when you said 3 minutes of use 23 hours 57 minutes of visible clutter. And yes, it starts with the clutter inside. TH-cam is fabulous!!! Thank you for being in my life. Warm regards from India
Yes I agree. I like clean uncluttered flat surfaces. I got rid of all the flat surfaces I could. In my kitchen I have cleared off my counters. It’s easy to clean my kitchen. I did the same with my bathroom. It’s a lot easier to clean and keep tidy. I love my home. I have decluttered so much. I think hard before I let anything into my home. It’s calm and peaceful in my home. I love it.
This is one of the reasons why I can’t live in a tiny house with very little storage. We own two crockpots, rotisserie machine, juicer, bread machine, stand mixer , ice shaver, toaster, and rice cooker. I used the toaster and rice cooker every single day and the other gadgets about once a week. They are nicely organized and hidden from sight leaving our kitchen counter clear. I met a new friend a couple of years ago and she asked me if I wasn’t done unpacking bc I didn’t have stuff everywhere in our kitchen. We lived there 2 yrs already before I met her. So having storage for my family does matter. Not for storing junk but for storing our necessities that are bulky.
You know those snow cones full of nasty flavored liquid syrup? Lol it’s the machine that makes that ice lol. Ours is not huge though. I personally don’t care for it but our kids love it in the summer time.
Who said you cannot have storage? I didn’t hear that message. Anyway, storing things away in the kitchen makes such a huge difference! Trying it out. Is and it’s been great. Kitchen looks way better.
Hello Mr. Becker. We absolutely love your channel. I am the mom of the kid who got a picture with you at Belmont Park ! You've changed our lives for the better, and even made quite an impression on my young teenage son. 😊😇
Joshua, you always inspire me to purge. In my head I have cleared my home (at 63 I'm living in the house I grew up in so you can imagine all the "stuff") many times over. Taking care of some health issues are priority right now but I am making progress, albeit very slow, in the decluttering department. Thank you for your encouragement and wonderful words of wisdom.
This is why I’m a proponent of Swedish Death decluttering. I got stuck clearing out my dad’s home after he died. He was a packrat/hoarder/Depression kid. I am NOT going to put my relatives through what I dealt with.
Leslie, if I lived close by, I would offer to come over, maybe an hour or two a day, and help you declutter. You direct, I’ll throw out and reorganize. When my aunt, the first of her siblings, passed, her brothers and I went through her apartment. Which meant, anything I felt was important, like papers, I’d give to her brothers to decide to keep or toss. I bagged up the rest to either toss or donate (I swear she was keeping QVC alive, with all her costume jewelry).
I declutterd my entire home and have so many space now, even the tv controler has his own home now and is out of sight all the time.... so much rest in my head❤👍🏼
I relate to this. In order to change my kitchen coloring, I would need to change many things. Instead, I bought a sweet teapot that sits on the stove and use pretty dish towels in a drying area (that is mostly there for decoration). It feels like my home!
I keep everything off the counters in the kitchen except for a couple of things. My toaster oven/air fryer is too big for any of my cabinets as is my stand mixer. It isn't too much stuff, it's that none of my cabinets are large enough. And, right now, due to a shoulder and neck issue I can't pick up heavy things, so I've had to learn to live with a few things out on the kitchen counter.
Sometimes it's because I don't remember to take my vitamins or put on my deodorant. But appliances I will try to put away what I can. We hav two families living in our home so clutter is not allowed. We've been cleaning out and making lots of donations. Pray for us we are looking to sell our home and buy a bigger house so we are not on top of each other. I really enjoy your lessons, and I pass them on to my kids & grand children who have moved in. We're stronger in numbers. Praise God we all get along 🙏 God bless you ❣️
I've discovered it's easier to keep my kitchen clean when the counter is more clear. Surface clutter attracts clutter. You're so right. Not convenient at all. 😬
The best tip I heard for now. Plenty of nice tips from Mr. Becker, all useful yet this one is very straightforward. The only clutter we have at home are our pet cats because the family loves them.
While I do prefer a visually uncluttered look (work in progress) there are some things I want to see on my kitchen counters because I like seeing them, such as my 2 canisters. I wouldn’t have a coffee pot on my counter, however, but that’s the husband’s 😉. I’d probably have more cabinet space, but my newly retired husband likes to cook now and wants some items I’d rather keep in storage. But with him doing the cooking, it’s a win-win for me😉😉 So there are concessions to factor in the decluttering process.
With my ADHD, visual clutter is very distracting. I'm trying so hard to declutter, so I can have more peace of mind for myself and my family. It's slow going, but it's going.😅
@fawn62312 You got this! Keep going! As Dana K. White says, "Better is Good" - it seemed like I wasn't really getting anywhere for a couple of years, then all of a sudden I realized my home was manageable. I still have way more than I need/use, and I figure it'll take me a couple more years to work through the remainder and get to maintenance phase. Two years, three years? Maybe more. The point is not how long it takes, the point (for me, anyway) is to enjoy the fruits of every little bit of effort when I can do a little bit.
I have talked to numerous ADHD experts who give the exact opposite advice that is shared in this video. Unfortunately for people with ADHD, the executive function required to set up and put away our appliances each time we use them can be prohibitively expensive.
I learned the idea of keeping everything off of the kitchen counters from you a year or so ago, and I love it. And in general, one of my favorite outcomes from minimizing is being able to put things away simply. Joshua, you were my intro to minimalism with that original church service telling your story, and I can't overstate how much better it has made my life. Many thanks.
How do u have so many cupboards to put appliance away? I would love to get the kettle, toaster etc off the counter but my cupboards are full of dried fruit, food etc
@@myaccount9498 I have an under the stairs pantry space and not a lot of small appliances. And I decluttered unused items which freed up some drawers. But I do leave the coffee maker out since it's on a timer for the morning. Priorities 😊.
@@myaccount9498 I have a coat closet off the kitchen, and only a couple of coats. I put in a two-shelf wire cart in the closet. It stores a Dutch oven, extra serving bowls, a large cutting board, and a couple of other bigger pieces. Do you have a nearby closet that could use some decluttering? Could you use the new space for bigger items?
@ProgressiveHeart Thank you for your suggestion! I don't have many built in cupboards in my home. The kitchen cupboards are poorly designed. I'm frequently decluttering the kitchen + lounge. I recently got rid of a lot of redundant kitchen appliances but I still lack space
@@myaccount9498 you’re welcome. My kitchen is 10x6, with 24” of usable counter (microwave and two-tier dish drainer take up the rest of the counter). No other place to put the microwave.
Wow! You must have a high tolerance for the hassle and tedium of constantly moving things in and out of storage. This will never work in my house. Houses that have nothing sitting on counters or tables freak me out. Everyone is different.
We are a family of five and it only takes seconds to put away. Wether is the blender or toaster it is simple. The coffee maker is the only thing I keep on my counter unplugged until I use it. Try it, you won’t regret it. And everyone will get used to doing this. 😅
To be more precise, some of us live with other adults who don't want to put things away, and have just as much say in how the house is organized as we do. Don't feel bad is you're stuck with a less than perfect counter. It's not worth making enemies of your family.
I love your videos. Thank you so much for sharing. I have minimized a lot over the past few years but you and other continue to challenge me to go farther.
I’ve found minimizing and decluttering are an ongoing process. If, during my daily chores, I find a drawer a little too stuffed, I’ll take five or ten minutes (if that) to declutter. Progress, not perfection.
Unfortunately we don't all have designer kitchens, walk in pantries, corner cupboards that are actually practical,... I've even had to had a bookshelf to the kitchen to store stuff on because so limited. I regularly declutter, just comes down to kitchen made up of units from other homes that the owner has put in this rental.
Same here .I leave my toaster kettle and microwave out on the countertop.everything else goes away .I used to put awaythe toaster but itwas big pain and isoon needed the space in my cupboards for food for my hungry brood😊
You don’t have to have a designer kitchen we moved into our home almost 11 years ago and the design of the kitchen cabinets have not changed but the organization and the amount of junk we have in our home most certainly has!!!! Our ‘walk in’ pantry is a pantry cat room, water heater and water softener. It didnt happen overnight it had to be arranged and worked through what fit us at the time and how we used things in the home. 2 years of living a more minimal life and my kids and husband are there right with me making our life and home more enjoyable! Btw our countertops are probably 30 years old along with the wooden cabinets and it the most organized that it has ever been!
Yesterday i decluttered 90 item .... Finally i let go dinner set of 32 pieces ! I gave it to sweeper who work in my society I'm happy at least someone gonna use it , my money not gone waste ! 12 nailpolish and 3 new lipstick also ..... She looked happy and accepted it with big smile 😊.... Now i hv exactly what i need .... No more cutlery set... Feeling so light !
I was sick and tired of tripping over DVDs left all over the floor in front of the TV/DVD player/GameBoy/PlayStation stand in the living room. I bought a tall shelving unit and, in a couple of hours (by myself, of course), I had put it together and attached it to the wall next to the TV stand. Then I organized the games/DVDs by genre, and loaded up the unit. The area not only looked much better, it was also easier to vacuum the floor.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I body-doubled with this video and got my whole master suite picked up by time it ended! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 not possible if i hadn’t followed your decluttering advice beforehand
We cleared off a lot from our kitchen counters, however when my husband emptied the dishwasher he would put the few dishes I use every morning and he uses several times a day in one spot on the counter. I made space in the cabinet above that area and asked him if it would be ok to put does dishes there. He agreed and its been working well.
My kitchen crock was a piece that we bought on vacation it’s very neutral and matches my home, it is one of the things that will stay on my counter, the amount of items within it are very minimal
Keeping the blender on the kitchen cart works better for me rather than putting it away, pulling it out and plugging it in every. single. day. The kitchen cart has a plug that is actually behind the cart. Yes, I COULD roll the cart away from the wall and turn it around to plug in the blender, but I won't because it's more convenient to leave it out. I can say it is the only thing on the kitchen cart except for a plant.
That’s cool. Sometimes minimalism can be a bit too stark. If you find looking at the blender every day gets annoying, then you can figure out a solution. For instance, they make pretty blender covers, also known as dust covers, or you could make your own in a print that blends in with your kitchen…no pun intended. In the meantime, you In do you. Btw, I leave mine out for two reasons: I use it every day; and it’s too heavy, and I’m too old to pull it from the bottom cabinet every morning.
@@HeronCoyote1234 thanks for that idea! I knit and crochet, so now I have a new project idea. Yippee! I use my VitaMix several times every day, no way I'm gonna lug that 5-pound behemoth in and out of a cabinet. But I could make it visually disappear by matching the cozy to the odd-rental-counter-and-wall-situation in my kitchen.
My rule for the kitchen counter is that something only gets left out if it is used daily (preferably multiple times a day). That means the coffee pot is on the counter and my drying rack for dishes, but not much else.
You are right.. My mother would say to make a home for everything and put it back in its place. This way if someone comes over even if you haven't cleaned the tidyness will make it look clean.
Great, great message. I was looking around while watching this and realize that I don't naturally put things away when I'm done with them. I have started trying to keep things in cabinets that I used to leave out. I see a few more that I could do that with. Salt & Pepper set and the napkin holder.
One thing that has always seemed crazy to me is the canister full of spatulas, etc, on the kitchen counter where they get dusty. Mine are in the drawer with all the other utensils.
@Saved Bygrace I did the same thing for years until it dawned on me that I didn't use all of them and besides getting dusty it really wasn't any more convenient to have them on the counter than it was to reach in the drawer right next to where I prepare food.
@@melaniegodwin8791 I hate these canisters, too. Everything next to the oven gets grimy quickly and you have to pick it up everyday to clean the surface around it. I store cooking utensils in a drawer near the oven as well.
My friend has TWO canisters full of spatulas, whisks, wooden spoons, you name it. One on each side of the stove. Drives me nuts! He loves his gadgets. He has a drawer full of knives and smaller cutting boards next to the stove. He finally got a knife rack for the wall. That helped declutter the drawer a little, at least.
If I could get my husband on board with number 4, our house would/could be clutter free. But that ONE time a week he wants to make toast he hates to get the toaster out and complains. And there is no way he would put it back. So, alas, I do what I can to accommodate both of us. Not completely where I want to be but better than before!!
The issue with storing things in lower cabinets is folks who are getting older and/or have bad backs or leg problems have a hard time getting stuff in & out of lower cabinets. We can't just drop to a squat then bounce back up---especially while holding a heavy item. I bought one of those metal pull-out drawers that you install but the screws kept popping out & it was more headache than help, so I got rid of it. The best thing I've found to make it easier (if you have deep lower cabinets & no lower drawers, & you can't afford a kitchen remodel...like me) is large bins in those lower cabinets, because you can slide them.
Thanks for another great video! I am going to make a space in my cupboard for the blender. I use it everyday, but it will be easy to put it away after use. I am looking forward to having that space on my counter. There is always great advice on this channel. Thanks again.
What I started doing about six months ago is putting everything in boxes that I wasn't going to use and putting it in the basement. And if I accidentally put something in the box that I realized I did need, it would come up, and only what I needed would come back into the house. I'm when things are in boxes for a short period of time, say six months, give them a home to a thrift store that goes to a good cause such as animal shelter or hospital charity. A month ago , I accidentally had the trunk full of boxes, which I was going to use in a flea market and try to make money. However, I forgot they were the boxes for the flea market and got mixed up. I dropped them off at the store behind the drop-off area, thinking it was for thrift. I had completely forgotten that I did that and never realized it until about 2 weeks later.I had forgotten completely what was in those boxes. And I have not missed any of those items. And then I think of all the time I might have spent nickel and diamond people. Just to get enough money not only to pay for my table that I ran it at the flea market but also to have enough money for just gas in. My car or pay a bill. It's not worth it. If you have something to sell, make sure it's just a big ticket item and do not make the mistake of putting it in this thrift store store .L o l
Another way to look at it is that if you leave something out, out of convenience, it's probably because that thing's home is too inconvenient to put it back into: too far away from where you actually use the thing... taking too many steps to put it away... etc. Take note of where you usually leave that thing and try to find (or create) a place to put that thing away that is close by, easy to reach for, and easy to put back into. If it's too hard to put something away (sometimes too hard simply means one step too many like having to push something to the side to fit it in), you'll either end up leaving it out all the time or end up not using it at all.
Yes this does resonate with me. We are currently renovating our laundry room and I am rethinking open shelving and open coat hooks, instead of a closet. However, there is also the real troublemaker “closet creep” which can happen if you just shove everything behind a closed door. Work in progress here! 😂
I leave out a stand mixer, which feels like it weighs about a million pounds, because if I put it away I would never use it! It's covered so it's more appealing. I also leave out my toaster oven. Even if I wanted to put it away, it won't fit in any cabinet in my kitchen. But they're both tucked away under the corner wall cabinets, so they're out of the way. I moved the microwave to a counter in the laundry room because it was taking up too much space 🙂
I had my microwave out in my sunroom for a while. Then it died, so i decided to go without one. I loved the extra space in the sunroom! My son believed i couldn't live without a microwave, so he bought me one for Christmas. It's back in the kitchen. 😂
Clear counters are amazing. I love having only the coffee pot and my pretty tea kettle. I'm just trying to figure out why toasters are even needed when an oven works just as well😊 After having it gone for over 15 yrs, I don’t miss that messy crumby thing, haha
I have reservations about putting the toaster away after it is used. It is still hot and I wouldn't want to put it in a place where it could possibly start a fire. And I don't have time to wait for it to cool down.
I find that by the time I’ve eaten my toast, the toaster is cool enough to put away - and it’s not plugged in so it’s not going to heat up or start an electrical fire 🤔
This is something I started doing about a month ago and boy does it make a big difference. And then when you clean out that cupboard where you're going to put your appliances that you use on a regular basis you realize all the other stuff. That's been sitting in the cupboard and not being used, so you have to get rid of it to make room. So out with the old and in with the new the certainty would apply to this situation because you realize when you do clean off your Counters so you have more space to work, Then you're Actually seeing what you do and don't need. Sometimes out of sight out of mind stays that way. I'm the type if I don't see it I don't do anything about it.
What you say makes a lot of sense, but as I don’t have a lot of cabinet space to start with, my toaster and coffee maker are on the counter top. I do put the tea kettle in the oven when not being used.
Well, clearly you have been blessed to never be faced with permanent and multiple physical injuries and disabilities [8 severely herniated discs from skull to sacrum being hit by 3 separate impaired drivers who chose to get behind the wheel and hit me while at a red light or stop sign] over decades, where just bending over to get or stow a toaster in a lower cabinet has resulted in life-threatening falls, not to mention the decades of pain. Then truly you have been blessed in so many ways.
Be aware of where you're placing something when you let it go. How much extra time would it take to put it in it's proper place? You're not saving time if you end up having to look for it for 10 minutes in various places where stuff gets deposited. And if it takes more than a couple minutes to find something, it's often more efficient to switch to sorting and cleaning mode until it turns up.
I thought convenience fallacy was about purchasing “miracle” products or trying to push the “easy button.” 😅😅 I used to be so bad in that area. Lol. I think it depends on whether you’re a visual person or a hidden person. I have a few things I leave out Bcuz I hate constant back and forth way more than I hate it being there. Esp messy or heavy things. Sometimes it makes a bigger mess to constantly move a thing. But that’s still quite minimal for me (what I leave out) as I am a “hidden” organizer type. Hmm. A fun game tho. To just go through and make note of what all those things are and make sure it still makes sense to keep them out. I also make sure that whatever I leave out is aesthetically pleasing and tidy looking. I color coordinated everything possible. I also “shrunk” a couple of appliances and bought the cutest looking ones. I bought the smallest version possible. Lol. Nothing is “in my way” now tho. If it was, I wouldn’t keep it out. Pretty much for the bath: toothbrush/paste in a cute cup, hand soap (decanted), hand towel. Living room: the main remote control for the tv and a lamp. One small pretty throw blanket on sofa. Bedroom: Lamp by the bed. One small pretty faux flower/vase decor item. Small tissue box. Kitchen: Utensil holder by stove, tiny coffee pot, tiny toaster/convection/air fryer, small knife block with tiny cutting board that it sits on, sugar dish. A pen and sharpie on a locker holder on fridge and a magnetic pad of paper for revolving shopping list. I think that’s about it. Lol. Not too much really. Those are the few things I’m constantly using or reaching for. I did however recently purchase a beautiful second hand armoire and I put one of my TVs inside of it. I DO like not always having to see a big black electronic rectangle in the room 24/7 tho, I have to admit. I think the fine line between cozy and empty/sterile is diff for everyone tho. I’m happy with how it is now. Everything is still very easy to clean and I have plenty of room to relax or do any typical work at home and most of it is pleasing to look at.
Are you a Ladybug or a Cricket? For those unfamiliar with these styles (as well as Bee and Butterfly), check out Cas Aarssen’s ClutterBug videos and quizes. (Btw, I’m a Ladybug trying to be a Cricket.)
Love this comment! Your home sounds like mine. And you’re absolutely right about the fine line between cozy and minimal. I’ve had to add stuff to my living room to “warm” it up. I added a couple of large paintings, which are special to me, and had them tastefully framed (I call the room my mini-museum), and a couple of colorful throw pillows on the dark, plain couch (it was a gift), along with a throw. I also painted my rooms in soft, warm, slightly darker colors (LRV 58, matte finish), that cozy up the room without taking up floor space.
@@HeronCoyote1234 Lol. Yes. Love her. I’m a cricket but there are some things I want to chill more about and be more like a ladybug. I have a few macro spaces that work well also. I wish I wasn’t teetering on the edge of compulsions with detailed minutia like I am sometimes. 😅😅
@@HeronCoyote1234 Lol. Thanks! It sounds so lovely. Or idk. I like the words quaint and charming. I def have to make it cozier in my bedroom. I’m a big fan of various textures. I was going for some kind of “French country” version. I def had to “warm it up” in there Bcuz I will for sure not be able to relax...Bcuz the bedroom’s main purpose is just that lol. A place to sleep and then maybe get dressed. I even looked up “paint colors that help you sleep better.” 😅😅 Mostly tho I just examined my own habits and routines (like if I chill on the sofa I might get cold and I don’t want to have to get up for a blanket lol). I did all my stuff according to that (and all the other stuff around dealing with and accommodating for my cats). I think too a real thing for me is I like my key things to be handy Bcuz I never know when one of my cat kids is gonna get on me to cuddle and trap me somewhere. Lol. I’ve been at it for awhile tho so I think I’m getting somewhere. Lately people have been commenting on how “clean” the house is. 😂😂 Must be doing something right I suppose. Lol. Nobody has said “wow this is so stark” lol. Back and forth at times I just can’t stand tho. It feels like I’m constantly interrupted if I’m having to always pause and put this or that away or get it back out etc. I def think it’s very personal to individuals tho. We all just have to ask ourselves the right questions I guess. Stuff like that fries my brain. I am not very good at revving up quickly or shutting down quickly. If I put the toaster away, etc, I’d prob be like oh forget it. Imma just eat chips. It’s my go to for quickly heating up a lot of leftovers. And since it’s just me, it’s so much quicker to cook things in it than use the big oven. Bcuz one very important component for me is Max efficiency. I want to save time and energy also and I feel like that outweighs “surface clutter” issues. 😅😅 And then at my age lol (no spring chicken) all that bending over up and down etc (knees, back) isn’t the easiest or safest thing for me. So yah. Just depends on the person I guess. If you had a house of 6 it would be more difficult Bcuz you have what someone needs x6 and that could get messy. 😅😅
@@goodenoughgirl8102 I know what you mean about teetering on compulsion. I need to calm down from feeling everything has to be perfect, put away, bathroom sink cleaned of water spots, you know.
I leave my toaster and coffee pot on my counter. I use these all the time sometimes twice a day. I don't want to have to keep putting the toaster in and out of a cabinet. Same with the coffee maker. They don't feel like clutter to me. To each his own.
I can see the point of this video, but as someone (officially diagnosed) with ADHD, out ouf sight truly means out of mind forever. Any tips for forgetful minds out there?
Oh I forgotten, I have to leave the juicer out. I used it every day. Besides it’s heavy. But I do love a clear counter. Iam looking for small weelcard. For my cake mixer, so I can put it in the bottom of my pantry. It seems that Iam constantly clearing space. I have become obsessed w the idea! How do we got all that stuff !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have you done a column or video about where & how to get rid of things when you declutter? That seems to be the hardest part, at least for me, if you want to get rid of things responsibly. I bet people would have lots of good information on this subject. What do you say?
I love cds lol give them to me 😂 I love looking at the artwork. I do put them away on my music shelf and it can become clutter if I don’t control my music hobby.
I could use some advice on sorting through 100+ years of family photos and genealogy. I got my whole house decluttered and had an easy time letting go of things, but now I have to tackle this project. It all came from my parents’ house. My dad was given photos and memorabilia when relatives passed away, and he took lots of photos and always printed doubles, triples, or quadruples! I was the only child who lived near my parents, so it all got dumped into my lap. I just started going through things again this week. It’s hard to know what to let go of. How do you just throw away 120 year old photos? Thanks!
I don't mean to step on your toes but if I was in your shoes I would probably toss most of it not necessarily all of it. If I didn't know them I feel like why have those? I've been minimizing my house for 2 years going on 3 (thank you, Joshua). I would say I'm a minimalist. I only have one tote of sentimental things. I don't have much "decor" sentimental things. If I do I display and use them. For example I have a vase/flower pot that was my grandma's I used it to store my bathroom things in. I might put a plant in it. I use the container concept for sentimental things such as photos and some art that my kids made me. So I don't keep more than it can hold. Good luck to you!
I’d probably do a lot of passes on the photos. Start with tossing poor quality, duplicates, pictures of insignificant places (you know like the 10 pics of something from a vacation), sort the people photos between I know who they are and care about them and I have no idea who they are or don’t care about them. Toss the I don’t know who they are or don’t care about them. Really old photos degrade so in the end you are probably better off getting what’s left scanned and then just keep a back-up on cloud and/or external drives. I think we have to realize that as years have passed and photography has become increasing accessible, it is no longer reasonable to keep all the photos
Since it all got dumped in your lap, ask your siblings and other relatives if they would like some of the photos before you declutter them. There might be takers, so it will reduce your load before you tackle the rest of the photos.
How about keeping a box of people you remember to cherish while you’re alive with a note on the outside they says to throw away when your gone? That way you won’t be passing on the burden of what to do with all the photos. This is a project that I am planning to do when I retire next year
My Granddaughter is putting my Mother’s pictures on DVDs and we are giving my sisters and their kids a copy also! Next doing mine the same way ! I love this idea ! We have lost many close family members and are so grateful for the memories. Generations love seeing what their Grand and Great Grandparent loo like. I feel it’s a Treasure ! And won’t take up any space !
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I cleared off my kitchen counters and buffet table last year. We had some people over for the Super Bowl, we congregated in the kitchen and my friends said- "Wow, your kitchen looks so good- it's so clean- what happened?" It really wasn't cleaned at the time because we were entertaining and I was cooking a bunch of appetizers, but I had nothing on the counters or buffet and everything was orderly. That's what they noticed. No clutter! I'm so glad I keep my flat surfaces tidy- it makes a huge difference! Thanks Joshua!
who?
@@therichbuddha3277 the guy who made this video...
1. Notice
2. Clear out cabinets and drawers
3. Store the items out of sight.
4. Be intentional in putting the things away
5. Notice and appreciate the clean cleared space.
Joshua, I heard you say something similar to this about 2 yrs ago & I thought, I have a tiny kitchen, so I still wouldn't have the space to put everything away. Then I realized I had TOO MUCH STUFF! I started cleaning out cabinets to store the things off my counter & I love it!!! It was so freeing getting rid of things we didn't use to be able to store away the things we do use. Great reminder. 😊
This is where I am, and I'm working in that direction! It's nice to have clean counter space, even if it's small (maybe even more so when it is!)
@Saved Bygrace I love your name Saved By Grace. Praise the Lord for grace! 😊
I have a small house and it's 110 years old. It doesn't have much storage space and only 1 closet in the whole place. Sometimes things just have to be left out because there isn't any space for them to hide.
Definitely. I only have a few drawers and cabinets in the kitchen. Very challenging
Agreed, I live in a small condo and have no choice.
We only have a tiny small kitchen with very old small cupboards that barely hold anything. We need to put things up high to stop our toddler getting to them. If I could find the space and my partner would agree to it, then I'd happily put stuff away. However, he has a man draw for snacks, DIY tools and stuff. I'd love the space, but he loves having stuff and keeping it out.
@@kcbakos3121 Oh me too. My fantasy kitchen has plentiful upper cabinets, lower drawers, lots of counter space, an actual pantry!!!.....sigh.
Same problem here. Where would I put the appliances??
I've found I need to leave focus points out visible. Like fresh fruit and veggies!!! When I want a snack I will reach their first.
This is a great hack when you have achieved visual simplicity in your home. The things I leave out now help me to achieve my goals, and the stuff itself changes often. For example, right now I am studying for my exams and I leave my study materials on my desk at night. It helps me to not procrastinate on the morning and get right back to work after my morning routine. If I have paperwork I need to get to I will leave it on my desk as well, and usually I do it within a day. Right now I am leaving a book on my nightstand. I am exhausted at the end of the day and I try to read before I sleep to unwind, but right now I am so tired in the evening that I would be tempted to grab my phone instead if the book wasn't in reach.
I know it will only be for a few weeks and of course I sort my study materials every night, file what has been done and tidy up everything else, especially the kitchen. Leaving out things can support you if you do it intentionally, but you need to drastically declutter first and be very mindful about it.
Cas from Clutterbug ... "It has to be just as easy to put it away as to leave it out" And it's true! If it's easy to put it away, you prefer to put it away because things look so much nicer and feel more peaceful. Not the exact same idea, but I love the idea of being challenged to put those things away that we assume should sit out.
There was a click in my mind when you said 3 minutes of use 23 hours 57 minutes of visible clutter. And yes, it starts with the clutter inside. TH-cam is fabulous!!! Thank you for being in my life.
Warm regards from India
Same thing happened to me, about leaving out the shampoo and conditioner, in the bathroom. It's much nicer without them cluttering up the shower.
Yes I agree. I like clean uncluttered flat surfaces. I got rid of all the flat surfaces I could. In my kitchen I have cleared off my counters. It’s easy to clean my kitchen. I did the same with my bathroom. It’s a lot easier to clean and keep tidy. I love my home. I have decluttered so much. I think hard before I let anything into my home. It’s calm and peaceful in my home. I love it.
This is one of the reasons why I can’t live in a tiny house with very little storage. We own two crockpots, rotisserie machine, juicer, bread machine, stand mixer , ice shaver, toaster, and rice cooker. I used the toaster and rice cooker every single day and the other gadgets about once a week. They are nicely organized and hidden from sight leaving our kitchen counter clear. I met a new friend a couple of years ago and she asked me if I wasn’t done unpacking bc I didn’t have stuff everywhere in our kitchen. We lived there 2 yrs already before I met her. So having storage for my family does matter. Not for storing junk but for storing our necessities that are bulky.
What’s an ice shaver? Not heard of it before
You know those snow cones full of nasty flavored liquid syrup? Lol it’s the machine that makes that ice lol. Ours is not huge though. I personally don’t care for it but our kids love it in the summer time.
@@lovingsunshine3515 I don’t think we have those in the UK apart from in shops 🤔
Who said you cannot have storage? I didn’t hear that message. Anyway, storing things away in the kitchen makes such a huge difference! Trying it out. Is and it’s been great. Kitchen looks way better.
Too many gadgets
Hello Mr. Becker. We absolutely love your channel. I am the mom of the kid who got a picture with you at Belmont Park !
You've changed our lives for the better, and even made quite an impression on my young teenage son. 😊😇
Oh hey, that’s wonderful! Your boy was very kind and courteous. You raised him well. Thanks for these kind words.
Joshua, you always inspire me to purge. In my head I have cleared my home (at 63 I'm living in the house I grew up in so you can imagine all the "stuff") many times over. Taking care of some health issues are priority right now but I am making progress, albeit very slow, in the decluttering department. Thank you for your encouragement and wonderful words of wisdom.
You just described my situation as well. So hard to get rid of stuff left by my parents, but I’m getting there slowly. Also have health issues.
This is why I’m a proponent of Swedish Death decluttering. I got stuck clearing out my dad’s home after he died. He was a packrat/hoarder/Depression kid. I am NOT going to put my relatives through what I dealt with.
Leslie, if I lived close by, I would offer to come over, maybe an hour or two a day, and help you declutter. You direct, I’ll throw out and reorganize.
When my aunt, the first of her siblings, passed, her brothers and I went through her apartment. Which meant, anything I felt was important, like papers, I’d give to her brothers to decide to keep or toss. I bagged up the rest to either toss or donate (I swear she was keeping QVC alive, with all her costume jewelry).
@@HeronCoyote1234 im in central Florida. Thank you for even thinking of helping! Sometimes I feel alone in the sea of clutter that is my house.
@@lesliejones7018 clutter AND you live in Florida?? Oh honey…
I declutterd my entire home and have so many space now, even the tv controler has his own home now and is out of sight all the time.... so much rest in my head❤👍🏼
Our kitchen is old and a bit grotty (rental property) so we actually discovered having a few nice appliances on the worktop makes it look nicer.
I relate to this. In order to change my kitchen coloring, I would need to change many things. Instead, I bought a sweet teapot that sits on the stove and use pretty dish towels in a drying area (that is mostly there for decoration). It feels like my home!
I keep everything off the counters in the kitchen except for a couple of things. My toaster oven/air fryer is too big for any of my cabinets as is my stand mixer. It isn't too much stuff, it's that none of my cabinets are large enough. And, right now, due to a shoulder and neck issue I can't pick up heavy things, so I've had to learn to live with a few things out on the kitchen counter.
I usually agree with this guy but putting kitchen appliances away is not going to happen.
I put junk food in very top back cabinet! I'm often way to busy or lazy to climb and dig for it!!
Mine’s in the basement cabinet. At 10 pm, I don’t want to bother going all that way. 🤣
Sometimes it's because I don't remember to take my vitamins or put on my deodorant. But appliances I will try to put away what I can. We hav two families living in our home so clutter is not allowed. We've been cleaning out and making lots of donations. Pray for us we are looking to sell our home and buy a bigger house so we are not on top of each other. I really enjoy your lessons, and I pass them on to my kids & grand children who have moved in. We're stronger in numbers. Praise God we all get along 🙏 God bless you ❣️
🙏🏻♥️
I've discovered it's easier to keep my kitchen clean when the counter is more clear. Surface clutter attracts clutter. You're so right. Not convenient at all. 😬
The best tip I heard for now. Plenty of nice tips from Mr. Becker, all useful yet this one is very straightforward. The only clutter we have at home are our pet cats because the family loves them.
I appreciate the reminders that I get from your videos. I often forget these are important goals of mine.
While I do prefer a visually uncluttered look (work in progress) there are some things I want to see on my kitchen counters because I like seeing them, such as my 2 canisters. I wouldn’t have a coffee pot on my counter, however, but that’s the husband’s 😉. I’d probably have more cabinet space, but my newly retired husband likes to cook now and wants some items I’d rather keep in storage. But with him doing the cooking, it’s a win-win for me😉😉 So there are concessions to factor in the decluttering process.
With my ADHD, visual clutter is very distracting. I'm trying so hard to declutter, so I can have more peace of mind for myself and my family. It's slow going, but it's going.😅
@fawn62312 You got this! Keep going! As Dana K. White says, "Better is Good" - it seemed like I wasn't really getting anywhere for a couple of years, then all of a sudden I realized my home was manageable. I still have way more than I need/use, and I figure it'll take me a couple more years to work through the remainder and get to maintenance phase. Two years, three years? Maybe more. The point is not how long it takes, the point (for me, anyway) is to enjoy the fruits of every little bit of effort when I can do a little bit.
Yes. Love that ! I want to enjoy the journey not matter what I’m doing ! Blessings ♥️🙏🏻
I have talked to numerous ADHD experts who give the exact opposite advice that is shared in this video. Unfortunately for people with ADHD, the executive function required to set up and put away our appliances each time we use them can be prohibitively expensive.
Joshua’s like the small voice inner voice in you telling what’s best to do… Keep ‘em coming Josh! I am with you in this advocacy.
SO many people don't understand the small appliance rule😮 not rocket science to most,but I'm glad it's being reiterated ❤
I learned the idea of keeping everything off of the kitchen counters from you a year or so ago, and I love it. And in general, one of my favorite outcomes from minimizing is being able to put things away simply. Joshua, you were my intro to minimalism with that original church service telling your story, and I can't overstate how much better it has made my life. Many thanks.
How do u have so many cupboards to put appliance away? I would love to get the kettle, toaster etc off the counter but my cupboards are full of dried fruit, food etc
@@myaccount9498 I have an under the stairs pantry space and not a lot of small appliances. And I decluttered unused items which freed up some drawers. But I do leave the coffee maker out since it's on a timer for the morning. Priorities 😊.
@@myaccount9498 I have a coat closet off the kitchen, and only a couple of coats. I put in a two-shelf wire cart in the closet. It stores a Dutch oven, extra serving bowls, a large cutting board, and a couple of other bigger pieces.
Do you have a nearby closet that could use some decluttering? Could you use the new space for bigger items?
@ProgressiveHeart Thank you for your suggestion! I don't have many built in cupboards in my home. The kitchen cupboards are poorly designed. I'm frequently decluttering the kitchen + lounge. I recently got rid of a lot of redundant kitchen appliances but I still lack space
@@myaccount9498 you’re welcome. My kitchen is 10x6, with 24” of usable counter (microwave and two-tier dish drainer take up the rest of the counter). No other place to put the microwave.
Wow! You must have a high tolerance for the hassle and tedium of constantly moving things in and out of storage. This will never work in my house. Houses that have nothing sitting on counters or tables freak me out. Everyone is different.
I cleared off my counters, decluttered quite a bit too. We have an open concept home and what a different made! 🙌
Very good advice, but most of us don't live alone, and to try and get an entire family on board of putting a toaster away might be difficult.
You’ll love it. And you can do it. I don’t live alone either. :)
We are a family of five and it only takes seconds to put away. Wether is the blender or toaster it is simple. The coffee maker is the only thing I keep on my counter unplugged until I use it. Try it, you won’t regret it. And everyone will get used to doing this. 😅
To be more precise, some of us live with other adults who don't want to put things away, and have just as much say in how the house is organized as we do. Don't feel bad is you're stuck with a less than perfect counter. It's not worth making enemies of your family.
@@tinabennett501 so very true!
I love your videos. Thank you so much for sharing. I have minimized a lot over the past few years but you and other continue to challenge me to go farther.
I’ve found minimizing and decluttering are an ongoing process. If, during my daily chores, I find a drawer a little too stuffed, I’ll take five or ten minutes (if that) to declutter.
Progress, not perfection.
So true. I love my clutter free counter tops!
I love having my kitchen counters declutter. It is so easy to clean and cook. 😊
Unfortunately we don't all have designer kitchens, walk in pantries, corner cupboards that are actually practical,...
I've even had to had a bookshelf to the kitchen to store stuff on because so limited. I regularly declutter, just comes down to kitchen made up of units from other homes that the owner has put in this rental.
Same here .I leave my toaster kettle and microwave out on the countertop.everything else goes away .I used to put awaythe toaster but itwas big pain and isoon needed the space in my cupboards for food for my hungry brood😊
You don’t have to have a designer kitchen we moved into our home almost 11 years ago and the design of the kitchen cabinets have not changed but the organization and the amount of junk we have in our home most certainly has!!!! Our ‘walk in’ pantry is a pantry cat room, water heater and water softener. It didnt happen overnight it had to be arranged and worked through what fit us at the time and how we used things in the home. 2 years of living a more minimal life and my kids and husband are there right with me making our life and home more enjoyable! Btw our countertops are probably 30 years old along with the wooden cabinets and it the most organized that it has ever been!
Yesterday i decluttered 90 item .... Finally i let go dinner set of 32 pieces ! I gave it to sweeper who work in my society I'm happy at least someone gonna use it , my money not gone waste ! 12 nailpolish and 3 new lipstick also ..... She looked happy and accepted it with big smile 😊.... Now i hv exactly what i need .... No more cutlery set... Feeling so light !
Now I need to find a place to put the sink😮
I put mine in the closet next to the oven and refrigerator.
I was sick and tired of tripping over DVDs left all over the floor in front of the TV/DVD player/GameBoy/PlayStation stand in the living room. I bought a tall shelving unit and, in a couple of hours (by myself, of course), I had put it together and attached it to the wall next to the TV stand. Then I organized the games/DVDs by genre, and loaded up the unit. The area not only looked much better, it was also easier to vacuum the floor.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I body-doubled with this video and got my whole master suite picked up by time it ended! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 not possible if i hadn’t followed your decluttering advice beforehand
We cleared off a lot from our kitchen counters, however when my husband emptied the dishwasher he would put the few dishes I use every morning and he uses several times a day in one spot on the counter. I made space in the cabinet above that area and asked him if it would be ok to put does dishes there. He agreed and its been working well.
My kitchen crock was a piece that we bought on vacation it’s very neutral and matches my home, it is one of the things that will stay on my counter, the amount of items within it are very minimal
Totally agree. Thank you. ❤
My putting away things muscle is growing stronger. My mantra, Don’t put it down, put it away - I say it multiple times all day along 😂
Putting away stuff really helps..Thank you for this video highlighting that point. You are so inspiring..Have a great weekend 🙏🙏🙏
Powerful message with clear action steps. Thank you!
It is so correct.
Love from Johannesburg
South Africa
Keeping the blender on the kitchen cart works better for me rather than putting it away, pulling it out and plugging it in every. single. day. The kitchen cart has a plug that is actually behind the cart. Yes, I COULD roll the cart away from the wall and turn it around to plug in the blender, but I won't because it's more convenient to leave it out. I can say it is the only thing on the kitchen cart except for a plant.
That’s cool. Sometimes minimalism can be a bit too stark. If you find looking at the blender every day gets annoying, then you can figure out a solution. For instance, they make pretty blender covers, also known as dust covers, or you could make your own in a print that blends in with your kitchen…no pun intended. In the meantime, you In do you.
Btw, I leave mine out for two reasons: I use it every day; and it’s too heavy, and I’m too old to pull it from the bottom cabinet every morning.
@@HeronCoyote1234 thanks for that idea! I knit and crochet, so now I have a new project idea. Yippee! I use my VitaMix several times every day, no way I'm gonna lug that 5-pound behemoth in and out of a cabinet. But I could make it visually disappear by matching the cozy to the odd-rental-counter-and-wall-situation in my kitchen.
@@shaynaformity1384 you’re welcome. And you’ll use up some of your yarn in the meantime.
I don’t use my mixer very often so it stays in my pantry until I need it along with my ip
An ongoing work in progress and oh soooo liberating. Thank you for your clarity Joshua 😊
My rule for the kitchen counter is that something only gets left out if it is used daily (preferably multiple times a day). That means the coffee pot is on the counter and my drying rack for dishes, but not much else.
You are right.. My mother would say to make a home for everything and put it back in its place. This way if someone comes over even if you haven't cleaned the tidyness will make it look clean.
I leave out only the items I use consistently all day long . If I only use it once or twice a day, I put it away.
Thank you, Joshua! You're the best! ❤
Great, great message. I was looking around while watching this and realize that I don't naturally put things away when I'm done with them. I have started trying to keep things in cabinets that I used to leave out. I see a few more that I could do that with. Salt & Pepper set and the napkin holder.
One thing that has always seemed crazy to me is the canister full of spatulas, etc, on the kitchen counter where they get dusty. Mine are in the drawer with all the other utensils.
You've got me thinking now. I have a basket full and I don't even use half of what's in there, it's time to deal with that!
@Saved Bygrace I did the same thing for years until it dawned on me that I didn't use all of them and besides getting dusty it really wasn't any more convenient to have them on the counter than it was to reach in the drawer right next to where I prepare food.
@@melaniegodwin8791 I hate these canisters, too. Everything next to the oven gets grimy quickly and you have to pick it up everyday to clean the surface around it. I store cooking utensils in a drawer near the oven as well.
My friend has TWO canisters full of spatulas, whisks, wooden spoons, you name it. One on each side of the stove. Drives me nuts! He loves his gadgets. He has a drawer full of knives and smaller cutting boards next to the stove. He finally got a knife rack for the wall. That helped declutter the drawer a little, at least.
@@HeronCoyote1234 TWO! 😂Oh my, that sounds excessive.
If I could get my husband on board with number 4, our house would/could be clutter free. But that ONE time a week he wants to make toast he hates to get the toaster out and complains. And there is no way he would put it back. So, alas, I do what I can to accommodate both of us. Not completely where I want to be but better than before!!
Having the satisfaction of seeing a clean and clutter free kitchen is worth the 5 minutes it takes for me to pull out and use the toaster!
Thus makes so much sense! It's something I've never thought of.
The issue with storing things in lower cabinets is folks who are getting older and/or have bad backs or leg problems have a hard time getting stuff in & out of lower cabinets. We can't just drop to a squat then bounce back up---especially while holding a heavy item.
I bought one of those metal pull-out drawers that you install but the screws kept popping out & it was more headache than help, so I got rid of it.
The best thing I've found to make it easier (if you have deep lower cabinets & no lower drawers, & you can't afford a kitchen remodel...like me) is large bins in those lower cabinets, because you can slide them.
Thanks for another great video! I am going to make a space in my cupboard for the blender. I use it everyday, but it will be easy to put it away after use. I am looking forward to having that space on my counter. There is always great advice on this channel. Thanks again.
What I started doing about six months ago is putting everything in boxes that I wasn't going to use and putting it in the basement. And if I accidentally put something in the box that I realized I did need, it would come up, and only what I needed would come back into the house.
I'm when things are in boxes for a short period of time, say six months, give them a home to a thrift store that goes to a good cause such as animal shelter or hospital charity.
A month ago , I accidentally had the trunk full of boxes, which I was going to use in a flea market and try to make money. However, I forgot they were the boxes for the flea market and got mixed up. I dropped them off at the store behind the drop-off area, thinking it was for thrift.
I had completely forgotten that I did that and never realized it until about 2 weeks later.I had forgotten completely what was in those boxes. And I have not missed any of those items.
And then I think of all the time I might have spent nickel and diamond people. Just to get enough money not only to pay for my table that I ran it at the flea market but also to have enough money for just gas in. My car or pay a bill. It's not worth it. If you have something to sell, make sure it's just a big ticket item and do not make the mistake of putting it in this thrift store store .L o l
Another way to look at it is that if you leave something out, out of convenience, it's probably because that thing's home is too inconvenient to put it back into: too far away from where you actually use the thing... taking too many steps to put it away... etc. Take note of where you usually leave that thing and try to find (or create) a place to put that thing away that is close by, easy to reach for, and easy to put back into. If it's too hard to put something away (sometimes too hard simply means one step too many like having to push something to the side to fit it in), you'll either end up leaving it out all the time or end up not using it at all.
Yes this does resonate with me. We are currently renovating our laundry room and I am rethinking open shelving and open coat hooks, instead of a closet. However, there is also the real troublemaker “closet creep” which can happen if you just shove everything behind a closed door. Work in progress here! 😂
I leave out a stand mixer, which feels like it weighs about a million pounds, because if I put it away I would never use it! It's covered so it's more appealing. I also leave out my toaster oven. Even if I wanted to put it away, it won't fit in any cabinet in my kitchen. But they're both tucked away under the corner wall cabinets, so they're out of the way. I moved the microwave to a counter in the laundry room because it was taking up too much space 🙂
I had my microwave out in my sunroom for a while. Then it died, so i decided to go without one. I loved the extra space in the sunroom! My son believed i couldn't live without a microwave, so he bought me one for Christmas. It's back in the kitchen. 😂
I love having a home for things preferably out of sight 👊👊👊
Clear counters are amazing. I love having only the coffee pot and my pretty tea kettle. I'm just trying to figure out why toasters are even needed when an oven works just as well😊 After having it gone for over 15 yrs, I don’t miss that messy crumby thing, haha
We got rid of our toaster and use our cast iron skillet that we cook with
@@janisfreitas1297 Great idea!
I definitely have the convenience fallacy!! Then there gets too many things out and I have to put some away.
That’s good! Never thought about this before.
I have reservations about putting the toaster away after it is used. It is still hot and I wouldn't want to put it in a place where it could possibly start a fire. And I don't have time to wait for it to cool down.
I find that by the time I’ve eaten my toast, the toaster is cool enough to put away - and it’s not plugged in so it’s not going to heat up or start an electrical fire 🤔
I keep a bowl of fruit on the countertop and my Keurig and Cookie Monster mug for a coffee house vibe.
Very useful information. Thank you.
This is something I started doing about a month ago and boy does it make a big difference. And then when you clean out that cupboard where you're going to put your appliances that you use on a regular basis you realize all the other stuff. That's been sitting in the cupboard and not being used, so you have to get rid of it to make room.
So out with the old and in with the new the certainty would apply to this situation because you realize when you do clean off your Counters so you have more space to work, Then you're Actually seeing what you do and don't need.
Sometimes out of sight out of mind stays that way.
I'm the type if I don't see it I don't do anything about it.
Wise tips! Thank you, Joshua!
I am always inspired by your videos. I look forward to them every Friday
I leave the coffee maker out because I get up early to make coffee and it’s more convenient in the am. It does just sit there all day and night.
This joy boy is off his rocker.
This video was definitely for me . Thanks for pointing this out.
Great advice!
I love this! I have applied this skill in our (family of 8)life and it is wonderful. 😊
This only applies to hidden bugs - visual bugs need their things out.
Cricket here!
@@NTGreekGal Same! But my mom's a bee, so this video for the most part applies to me but doesn't really apply to her.
What you say makes a lot of sense, but as I don’t have a lot of cabinet space to start with, my toaster and coffee maker are on the counter top. I do put the tea kettle in the oven when not being used.
How about a kitchen where you have very limited storage space. I even store some pots and pans in the master bedroom closets.
Well, clearly you have been blessed to never be faced with permanent and multiple physical injuries and disabilities [8 severely herniated discs from skull to sacrum being hit by 3 separate impaired drivers who chose to get behind the wheel and hit me while at a red light or stop sign] over decades, where just bending over to get or stow a toaster in a lower cabinet has resulted in life-threatening falls, not to mention the decades of pain. Then truly you have been blessed in so many ways.
I had to pause the video and go find a place to store our toaster that no one ever even uses!!! Great video!
Be aware of where you're placing something when you let it go. How much extra time would it take to put it in it's proper place? You're not saving time if you end up having to look for it for 10 minutes in various places where stuff gets deposited. And if it takes more than a couple minutes to find something, it's often more efficient to switch to sorting and cleaning mode until it turns up.
Maravilhoso vídeo Joshua como todos que vc posta! Abraços
That a really great reminder. Thanks.
If I had room I would put things away. PS I have decluttered.
I thought convenience fallacy was about purchasing “miracle” products or trying to push the “easy button.” 😅😅 I used to be so bad in that area. Lol.
I think it depends on whether you’re a visual person or a hidden person. I have a few things I leave out Bcuz I hate constant back and forth way more than I hate it being there. Esp messy or heavy things. Sometimes it makes a bigger mess to constantly move a thing. But that’s still quite minimal for me (what I leave out) as I am a “hidden” organizer type.
Hmm. A fun game tho. To just go through and make note of what all those things are and make sure it still makes sense to keep them out. I also make sure that whatever I leave out is aesthetically pleasing and tidy looking. I color coordinated everything possible. I also “shrunk” a couple of appliances and bought the cutest looking ones. I bought the smallest version possible. Lol. Nothing is “in my way” now tho. If it was, I wouldn’t keep it out.
Pretty much for the bath: toothbrush/paste in a cute cup, hand soap (decanted), hand towel.
Living room: the main remote control for the tv and a lamp. One small pretty throw blanket on sofa.
Bedroom: Lamp by the bed. One small pretty faux flower/vase decor item. Small tissue box.
Kitchen: Utensil holder by stove, tiny coffee pot, tiny toaster/convection/air fryer, small knife block with tiny cutting board that it sits on, sugar dish. A pen and sharpie on a locker holder on fridge and a magnetic pad of paper for revolving shopping list.
I think that’s about it. Lol. Not too much really. Those are the few things I’m constantly using or reaching for. I did however recently purchase a beautiful second hand armoire and I put one of my TVs inside of it. I DO like not always having to see a big black electronic rectangle in the room 24/7 tho, I have to admit. I think the fine line between cozy and empty/sterile is diff for everyone tho. I’m happy with how it is now. Everything is still very easy to clean and I have plenty of room to relax or do any typical work at home and most of it is pleasing to look at.
Are you a Ladybug or a Cricket? For those unfamiliar with these styles (as well as Bee and Butterfly), check out Cas Aarssen’s ClutterBug videos and quizes. (Btw, I’m a Ladybug trying to be a Cricket.)
Love this comment! Your home sounds like mine. And you’re absolutely right about the fine line between cozy and minimal. I’ve had to add stuff to my living room to “warm” it up. I added a couple of large paintings, which are special to me, and had them tastefully framed (I call the room my mini-museum), and a couple of colorful throw pillows on the dark, plain couch (it was a gift), along with a throw. I also painted my rooms in soft, warm, slightly darker colors (LRV 58, matte finish), that cozy up the room without taking up floor space.
@@HeronCoyote1234 Lol. Yes. Love her. I’m a cricket but there are some things I want to chill more about and be more like a ladybug. I have a few macro spaces that work well also. I wish I wasn’t teetering on the edge of compulsions with detailed minutia like I am sometimes. 😅😅
@@HeronCoyote1234 Lol. Thanks! It sounds so lovely. Or idk. I like the words quaint and charming. I def have to make it cozier in my bedroom. I’m a big fan of various textures. I was going for some kind of “French country” version. I def had to “warm it up” in there Bcuz I will for sure not be able to relax...Bcuz the bedroom’s main purpose is just that lol. A place to sleep and then maybe get dressed. I even looked up “paint colors that help you sleep better.” 😅😅 Mostly tho I just examined my own habits and routines (like if I chill on the sofa I might get cold and I don’t want to have to get up for a blanket lol). I did all my stuff according to that (and all the other stuff around dealing with and accommodating for my cats). I think too a real thing for me is I like my key things to be handy Bcuz I never know when one of my cat kids is gonna get on me to cuddle and trap me somewhere. Lol. I’ve been at it for awhile tho so I think I’m getting somewhere. Lately people have been commenting on how “clean” the house is. 😂😂 Must be doing something right I suppose. Lol. Nobody has said “wow this is so stark” lol. Back and forth at times I just can’t stand tho. It feels like I’m constantly interrupted if I’m having to always pause and put this or that away or get it back out etc. I def think it’s very personal to individuals tho. We all just have to ask ourselves the right questions I guess. Stuff like that fries my brain. I am not very good at revving up quickly or shutting down quickly. If I put the toaster away, etc, I’d prob be like oh forget it. Imma just eat chips. It’s my go to for quickly heating up a lot of leftovers. And since it’s just me, it’s so much quicker to cook things in it than use the big oven. Bcuz one very important component for me is Max efficiency. I want to save time and energy also and I feel like that outweighs “surface clutter” issues. 😅😅 And then at my age lol (no spring chicken) all that bending over up and down etc (knees, back) isn’t the easiest or safest thing for me. So yah. Just depends on the person I guess. If you had a house of 6 it would be more difficult Bcuz you have what someone needs x6 and that could get messy. 😅😅
@@goodenoughgirl8102 I know what you mean about teetering on compulsion. I need to calm down from feeling everything has to be perfect, put away, bathroom sink cleaned of water spots, you know.
I love the writing behind you it always catches my eyes. Is it by you or bought?
I loved this!
~N
Always encouraging.
Does the toaster really distract you?!
I leave my toaster and coffee pot on my counter. I use these all the time sometimes twice a day. I don't want to have to keep putting the toaster in and out of a cabinet. Same with the coffee maker. They don't feel like clutter to me. To each his own.
This is so good, love this!!!
I can see the point of this video, but as someone (officially diagnosed) with ADHD, out ouf sight truly means out of mind forever. Any tips for forgetful minds out there?
We are Asians who prefer multi colour different kinds of clothes. That's our culture. Can you do a video with decluttering advice for us?
You'll hit a diminishing return point pretty quickly here vs perceived uncluttered value.
Oh I forgotten, I have to leave the juicer out. I used it every day. Besides it’s heavy. But I do love a clear counter. Iam looking for small weelcard. For my cake mixer, so I can put it in the bottom of my pantry. It seems that Iam constantly clearing space. I have become obsessed w the idea! How do we got all that stuff !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have you done a column or video about where & how to get rid of things when you declutter? That seems to be the hardest part, at least for me, if you want to get rid of things responsibly. I bet people would have lots of good information on this subject. What do you say?
Good advice
Fruit bowl & kettle is only things I want to see x
I love cds lol give them to me 😂 I love looking at the artwork. I do put them away on my music shelf and it can become clutter if I don’t control my music hobby.
I could use some advice on sorting through 100+ years of family photos and genealogy. I got my whole house decluttered and had an easy time letting go of things, but now I have to tackle this project. It all came from my parents’ house. My dad was given photos and memorabilia when relatives passed away, and he took lots of photos and always printed doubles, triples, or quadruples! I was the only child who lived near my parents, so it all got dumped into my lap. I just started going through things again this week. It’s hard to know what to let go of. How do you just throw away 120 year old photos? Thanks!
I don't mean to step on your toes but if I was in your shoes I would probably toss most of it not necessarily all of it. If I didn't know them I feel like why have those?
I've been minimizing my house for 2 years going on 3 (thank you, Joshua). I would say I'm a minimalist. I only have one tote of sentimental things. I don't have much "decor" sentimental things. If I do I display and use them. For example I have a vase/flower pot that was my grandma's I used it to store my bathroom things in. I might put a plant in it. I use the container concept for sentimental things such as photos and some art that my kids made me. So I don't keep more than it can hold. Good luck to you!
I’d probably do a lot of passes on the photos. Start with tossing poor quality, duplicates, pictures of insignificant places (you know like the 10 pics of something from a vacation), sort the people photos between I know who they are and care about them and I have no idea who they are or don’t care about them. Toss the I don’t know who they are or don’t care about them. Really old photos degrade so in the end you are probably better off getting what’s left scanned and then just keep a back-up on cloud and/or external drives. I think we have to realize that as years have passed and photography has become increasing accessible, it is no longer reasonable to keep all the photos
Since it all got dumped in your lap, ask your siblings and other relatives if they would like some of the photos before you declutter them. There might be takers, so it will reduce your load before you tackle the rest of the photos.
How about keeping a box of people you remember to cherish while you’re alive with a note on the outside they says to throw away when your gone? That way you won’t be passing on the burden of what to do with all the photos. This is a project that I am planning to do when I retire next year
My Granddaughter is putting my Mother’s pictures on DVDs and we are giving my sisters and their kids a copy also! Next doing mine the same way ! I love this idea ! We have lost many close family members and are so grateful for the memories. Generations love seeing what their Grand and Great Grandparent loo like. I feel it’s a Treasure ! And won’t take up any space !
So good.