You Are Organizing Your House Wrong 

What is your biggest struggle when it comes to keeping a clutter-free home?

My hardest thing to declutter are things from my "old self." Hobbies, crafts, projects I used to do. It feels like I'm letting a part of myself go.

Your tips at the end for "Would I buy this?" and "If a fire burned this down, would I feel relieved?" is helping me *enormously* to clean out my parents' estate. Thank you.

one thing that helped me get started about 13 years ago - - we were being evacuated in 2 hours due to wildfire, not knowing if we would have a home to come home to. Hubs and I walked around our house and asked "could I live happily without this?"... The answers were resounding YESSES, and we ended up leaving SO MUCH. We had one car-full of stuff (and almost forgot clothing). It was a FREEING experience!!! and when we did get home, we purged! I sleep so much better now without all the STUFF. Good channel - love watching!

I struggled with my large stamp collection which I had for 50 years!!!! Finally i found a stamp club which will use it to teach students about stamps. I felt better that it was going to be put to good use. Another item that was hard to part with was my late husband's beloved golf clubs and equipment. Then I found a golf pro who teaches teens to play the sport. He was going to give the items to his promising students who could not afford them. My husband would have loved that. Last thing that was very hard was disposing of a lifetime of photos. It took weeks of work and lots of tears, but the collection of 10 photo boxes were reduced to 3. All what are left are the photos that mean the most to me.

I have a hard time getting rid of older things since manufacturing went utterly to shit. I have clothes in a range of sizes (because I do fluctuate) and I feel bad about getting rid of any of it because the stuff in the stores or online is terrible now.

I have tried to clear out my basement for many years. At a convention I decided I would get rid of 1 thing a day. It has been magical.

I use to move a lot. A question I always asked myself when deciding to buy something was "Do I LOVE this enough to move it?" If the answer was no, I would take another moment to enjoy it and then put it back on the shelf.

Someone mentioned *trauma* & not wanting to let go of pieces of yourself, memories of loved ones that are no longer with us. 💥 💥 It's nice to look over and be reminded of them.❤️ Some things are a compulsion. Can't toss a really nice jar or throw away veg seeds. 🙄 (I do grow a lot.) Also, I like to be as independent as I can. I was taught that "it's better to be safe" than sorry, that being prepared & not wasteful was being responsible. Difficult times are perennial, there's no escaping them, & my family taught me what they learned going through them. We coasted through the lockdown/ shortages, & toilet paper panic. 😁 I don't think I got enough credit for that! 😄 Thanks again for "If I had a fire...?"

Open shelving works for people like me who forget about things if they can’t see It. I do agree though that the dust is annoying

Something else to ask yourself is "if a friend came over and said they really loved something of yours, would you hesitate to simply give it to them?" If you'd thrust that thing into their hands immediately, then you should probably just get rid of it (or find that friend.)

1-Open shelving-OMG, yes! I've been saying for years that if it's open I have to dust it and that's a no. 2-About 10 years ago my brother & I had to move my mom into a retirement community. She went from a 5000 sf house to a small 2 bedroom apartment. We told her we were putting everything in storage that she could not take with her and due to her early stage of dementia at the time, she was fine with that. He and I then had to go through said 5000 sf house which was full of stuff. It wasn't a hoarding situation, just many years of stuff she did not want to part with especially after my dad died. It was also stuff she had also "saved" for us to have one day. Well, neither of us wanted what she had saved. I said then that I would NEVER do this to my son and went home and began the great declutter so my he would never have to go through what I did. Several years later we had to move her into a 1 room skilled nursing facility and had to get rid of the stuff in her apartment and once again, I came home and did it again. I was brutal. What I have has to be (very) useful or truly bring me joy. What I did not know was that when I did this so my son would not have to, I was doing Swedish Death Cleaning. I highly recommebd it. Your kids don't want most of your stuff and I now ask my son about certain things just in case he does and if he doesn't, it's out of here.

I have to learn to just appreciate things without bringing them into my home!

Alternatively, put things in a basket on open shelves, which creates a sort of drawer situation without having to find new furniture.

Your channel is great! I get so annoyed when people buy me stuff, because clearly, they are not listening to me when I say I'd rather take a trip, go to an event, go to dinner etc with family and friends. We have a houseful of "thoughtfulness" and it seems to multiply instead of shrink. It's deflating

Our rule is - we keep what we need, use & love. If it does not fit in one of those categories, it does not come into our home. It took time, but our family & friends now understand that we don't want gifts. We do experiences instead.

Great video! I highly recommend reading Decluttering at the Speed of Life for anyone struggling with getting rid of stuff. Realized I had just been stuff shifting instead of actually de-cluttering.

I'm on my decluttering journey and it's super satisfying. Definitely isn't an overnight thing but it's become my life's purpose. It also spills into other areas of my life. The way I do errands, save money, who my friends are and so on.

I like the idea of “what if there’s a fire?” That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking recently! The decision is easy now.🐇

Getting rid of stuff while married is like trying to get rid of a drug habit while hanging out with druggy friends.

hey gabe, plumber here, just saying that if you have odor problems in your house it may be due to your sink drain which is not compliant, unless your p-trap is in the basement. in Canada at least this would not be accepted, since you do not have a water gard if I can say you are directly linked to the sewers. the "u" shaped pipe that we generally see is used to block odors

I actually took the doors off all my kitchen cabinets in order to declutter - having closed doors encourages me to stuff things in my cabinets I don't need or don't use. And because I can see the things I do have, which are thoughtfully chosen and high quality, I use them more often. But there are some cases - like living room storage with cords and blankets - that the doors actually help. I'm surprised to find out that there are some cases where doors make my life feel easier and less cluttered, and some where they make my life feel harder and more cluttered. Totally agreed though that letting go of excess is the best organizational tool !!

I’ve been declutterring a lot for more time, mental clarity, and less stress

I have liked open shelving since I was a teenager. My reasoning was and is; I work hard to fold the clothes perfectly and stack the dishes nicely, why do I have to hide my artwork?

Throwing away unused clutter is therapeutic.

I moved in with my mom 7 yrs ago. We grew up in the house. I did talk her into getting rid of most of the "living" room furniture and i now have my own room. She spends her time in the family room and kitchen. I brought my patio furniture, my bike, tv, my car, some clothes, and the twin bed from my spare room. I sleep in that twin bed now in a tiny bedroom, i have no closet and use a unit with 9 baskets in it for my clothing. I have no real storage space for anything. It felt good to get rid of so much stuff.

I'm preparing to move to a Studio in Florida. I'm currently in a 1 BR apartment where I moved when i sold the House 2 years ago. A lot was left behind or donated then. But I'm now sorting through what, from my Past lives, should come into the Future. Began this week with Books. There really isn't much that one needs to live comfortably.

I don't keep friends that are jerks. That's more stressful than clutter.

"Would I spend moeny for it?" Thank you. That was exactly what I needed.

When you have ADHD… if I put it out of eyes sight. It no longer exists. Poof. Gone forever. I’ll probably repurchase it….

The sentimental things that you don't really have a use for - take a photo of them. You will be surprised how much just a photo of something will still bring up those memories and feelings. And you don't have to find storage space for them.

I watch clutterbug and i like her looking at a room, finding purpose than Working from the outside in. Nice containers make a big diffetence if you replace ratty ones.

The only thing I can't clear are my books.... I think it's a sacrilege to give them away 😫😫😫

My biggest challenge with this way of doing things is that my brain is very much the “out of sight out of mind” type. If something that isn’t used daily is in closed storage it will never be used at all and forgotten about. I may even accidentally buy another forgetting I own it. So for me, anything I want to make an actual part of my life either needs to be out and about or share closer storage with necessities items so l’ll be running across it regularly. Books I want to actually read need to be shelved in my office or bedroom. Board games I want to play need to share a cabinet with video games or something else I do more regularly etc.

Those minimalists scared me to death. I love my “stuff”, that’s why I decided to use it more often. “You see, I used it this year! Back off!” 😅😅😅😂😂😂

A giant silver lining of mold illness- which has caused the late stage Lyme disease/babesia/bartonella/other coinfections to worsen and stop responding to treatment-was that moving OUT of the place mold place meant I simply left _all_ of my clothes. By body couldn’t afford bringing any of it with me at that point, and it was a shockingly *freeing* feeling, that I don’t think I would have reached had I not experienced that health crisis. Since then, I’ve only bought 100% cotton clothes-comfort being the ultimate non-negotiator-so my closet consists mostly of easy-to-throw-on t-shirt dresses (which I’ve found can double as my sleeping uniform hahaha… the idea of releasing material things that you don’t NEED feels scary for us all, I think….i used to have the most stuffed-to-the-brim, cluttered closet of anyone I know. But the RELIEF of having a closet with SO much _free space_ in it is such an incredible feeling…it’s worth the perceived pain of “letting go” of your *stuff* !!!

6:58 This is hitting too close to home. We had a Vietnam Vet friend we used to talk about if we were robbed. Or if everything burnt 🔥 how much better off we would be. He was one Hell of a Hoarder his home was a maze. This is so true, and since several moves, with fragile items completely wrapped. There was so much destroyed and it would have actually been great. Starting over we would know what was worth and not worth holding onto. Or blowing money on again. Granted? You will find there are sentimental items you gave away or donated. That you will inevitably replace. I have been robbed thrice and it doesn’t take long. To figure out what a scam renters insurance is. It’s all a grand illusion. Also, in the very end of being financially and mentally raped. You come to the sudden clarity that all we have are our Memories. So, yes! 🙌🏻 Why not part with it now. Thank you so much 😊 for sharing your video.

"Would I be relieved if this item were destroyed in a fire?" is a neat flip on "Would I buy this item again?" Definitely keeping it for future reference, thanks! :)

Also you have to ask yourself how long you're willing to pay for storage if you really want to keep something and is it worth it? Start a storage unit for 3 months and end up doing 3 years because life happens. Not worth the hassle to hang onto stuff.

I have a really, really small coffee grinder and yet it sits in the kitchen cupboard and not on the work surface even though I use it twice a day. But the coffee filter bags are stored in a pretty metal tin that matches the decor of the kitchen and are therefore left outside. They are like decoration BUT useful at the same time. The coffee grinder doesn't. I don't keep anything out there that I don't use all the time AND that looks decorative at the same time. No useless and ugly visual clutter for me!

Every Christmas I ask people not to buy me gifts and say that if they really want to do something for me, then please donate the money to a local charity. We have a local foodbank and charity that supports homeless people and I ask them to donate to that.

I'm an absolute minimalist except for that one corner of the garage. I love your two questions : would I buy this again, and if it was lost in a fire, would I be relieved? I think those two questions will help me finish clearing the garage. Thank you.

the burning in a fire segment really opened my eyes to the stuff in my life right now. Thank you.

You have a point that a lot of things you have at home are unnecessary. I'm in the middle of a move and have gotten rid of more than half of all my stuff during the last month I think. I have sold off a lot online but also donated or recycled it. There is a certain relief that comes from this.

I’ve been getting rid of so much stuff, and it’s such a great feeling. It’s really hard to make the decision about keeping or getting rid of of a lot of things. I’m to the point where I don’t want to store anything. If it has to be stored, I get rid of it, because if it’s stored, it’ll probably be stored and never used, so I’d rather get rid of it now. Another thing about getting rid of stuff is that after it’s gone, I don’t think about it, or miss it. You have great videos Gabe, with lots of good advice, so informative. Thanks Gabe.

I was born organized...lol. The older I get the more stuff I get rid of. I organize exactly like you do. Makes my life so much easier. Just got done my winter clean out phase when I go threw every closet every draw every inch of my house and declutter and re organize the already organized spaces. Some would call me fanatic ....I do not. I am just well organized and somewhat a minimalist. Love your channel.

Love your videos on home organization. I really need to go on a minimalist journey. For me, it will be baby steps, but I'm up for it to get to a better place.

Wow...love the idea of thinking about what if this burned up? I have SO MANY boxes in my attic of memories. Like I never wanted to throw away anything my kids gave me when they were little. I have boxes of just little sticks that my boys would give me when we went out for walks. I have saved all of their sports jerseys from every sport they ever played (and corresponding hats) LOL I am going to start to go through them with that mindset. I may keep a few things, but I need to consolidate all the "memories" into one box, not several. Thanks for another awesome video Gabe!

What helps me a lot is taking pictures of things. 1) I can remember what they were; it's a space free kind of momento. 2) It is nice to go back to my 'gone' folder and see what I have donated or sold - and that's rewarding.

I am now busy decluttering...OMG its hard but satisfying.

My husband wants to give his stuff to friends and family who dont want it. I convinced his that good people can find his stuff in a charity shop. No one will find it in our basement.

"Too much crap." You nailed it.

After our wedding, husband and I (second marriage for both--after 30 years each of being married before) had to consolidate two households of belongings into one. We kept the best of each household (examples: his combo Ninja airfryer/pressure cooker, my Kuerig). He has tendencies to keep things not needed or we have too many of--while I just throw out or donate stuff. I like clean empty surfaces, he simply doesn't "see" clutter. We both decided we each needed to get rid of 50% of what we owned--and it's worked out well. Hidden storage is great--BUT only if it is organized and things that are being used. Working together--we've done well. It is freeing to get rid of "stuff" and not bring more into the house.

Just literally laughed out loud at “friend, Who’s a little bit of a jerk” we need a couple people like that in our lives right? 😂

My closet is off the hook crammed with clothes. I’ve decided to take out and set aside the clothes I absolutely love to wear and get rid of the rest. The items I’m currently wearing on the regular fit me and are comfortable. If my weight changes, I’ll reassess and buy new things that fit (getting rid of items that no longer fit). I cannot hang on to clothes that don’t fit me right now.

Before I buy anything on sale I ask myself would I pay full price for this item? If the answer is no I know I am being swayed by the fact it’s on sale, not that I really need/want it. I just decided to pitch a craft project I have been working on for several years. It was like an aha moment! This video is good just encouraging people to really think about their possessions. I’ve cleaned out three estates and don’t want to leave a mess for anyone else My project is a wall hanging that was to cover up an electrical panel in my master bedroom. I angled my tall dresser so now I don’t need it anymore. It also matched a seat cushion which I recovered with a different fabric so it doesn’t even match the room! Time to pitch it!!

I am a big maximalist! Even as semi-nomad. Never regretted it. The thing a bit challenging is just to remember where the things that I don't use for long time, where they are. Alone it is a bit easier, when in 2 a bit more challenging

YES FINALLY SOMEONE SAID IT. Why are people having these open shelves with dishes and cups??? Ummm hello that shit will get dusty 🤢

Omg! I love the questions about "If I didnt own this..." 🙌

Love this! In my first house and training myself to keep things in their proper place. ❤❤❤❤

Close to that 500K goal. Congratulations..!!!

Clothing is hard for women - men get to choose from well crafted, reasonably priced classics & their bodies do not go through dramatic changes. Nor does society & the fashion industry target their appearance in the same way, or price quality clothing in the same way & we end up spending far more although we usually (still) make far less. It actually makes sense for women to store favored, well made clothing if they can. I also created a kind of “uniform” for my professional life once I found a trouser brand that suited me. Same with shoes & cut of shirt. I kept jewelry to a few favorites. This really helped when my daughters were young & morning time was limited. Bonus - my daughters now wear and love many of the pieces I saved. They look great & it gives me such joy to see them get a second life with my babies. 💗

You're the man! Been cleaning up my office and garage since discovering your channel!

What also helps me get rid of stuff? I have a “purgatory.” Stuff will go in a box in the garage, either destined for the trash, the thrift store, or to sell. If I don’t go back for something in about a month, away it goes.

Gabe, this video is great! Been following you for almost a year now, and all your advice, tips, tricks, and creative ideas have helped me so much! Especially with decluttering my life! Just cleaned my apartment from top to bottom this week again and got rid of sooo much more junk. I literally feel happier and like i can breath better. Thank you for everything you are doing!!!

I often do this with memories from trips: I save "paper", like a card I bought or picture I painted. I write a short "journal" in the back and I can use it as a decoration and if I don't, it doesn't take much space 😊😊

Clutter on flat spaces

I have at least 100 shirts I never wear and will donate. My challenge now is to find a shirt that is natural fiber not to have cancerous blends; poly whatever etc.

Clutter is just a roommate taking up space but never contributes to the rent.

Best decluttering ever, moved continents for 10 months, and only took suitcases. Had to go through everything, since we rented our apartment out furnished. Everyone should do that. got rid of all my aspirational stuff.

Made video and I love your humor during the video. One thing I do when I feel guilty about getting rid of something that I spent money on or someone gifted to me? I take a picture of me holding it or it in its place where I put it for decoration and then put it on my digital photo frame so I can see the item and have the memory of it but no longer need to have it in my possession. I also like to write down in a journal, the gifts that people give me. I write down the date, the item and the occasion, so I can always go back and look at it and remember it without having to have it anymore.

Really helpful!! I love your camera angles!! ❤😊 sooo inspiring makes me what to tackle my house! God Bless

Tips on how to convince husband he doesn’t need EVERYTHING pleeaasssee🙏

The purpose of the end table is to have a place to put your drink other than your lap or the floor.

Thank you Gabe, very useful information and a great video again 👏🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Open shelving is helpful to me because I like to see everything. If I can see it, I do a better job of keeping it pretty and tidy. If I don't have open shelving, I tend to leave more items on display on tables and counters. And I neglect items inside cabinets. I also like open shelving because of how fast I can grab items from it. I don't even have to open or close a door.

That was a very helpful video thank you! My husband and I are recently empty nesters and turns out that for my husband’s job we’re moving across country. I actually see it as a gift really. I’m not taking anything I don’t use and we’re leaving most of our furniture in our house that one of our kids will be renting. Hahaha we haven’t found our new place yet so I don’t know what the storage situation will be. I’m watching a ton of organizing and paying attention to what furniture and home goods work well and aren’t a waste of space or money.

This video is right on time, I was going to deep spring clean today. I’ve found declutterring, helps the cleaning, which helps the organizing. The hardest thing I’ve found to declutter is paper, we have years worth of a collection to go through.

Thank you I use yo get on my mom about filling up every empty space. She has passed now 11 yrs and I find myself doing the same thing I don't want the stuff all out I'm trying

Everything in this video is right on. It’s so worth getting worth the stuff just for the stress.❤ this video!

Nice advices. I think I am following almost all of these after I moved to our new house. One remaining is to simplify my closet, but until we do not have closet yet it has to wait ;)

Lol. Saw your magnetic cabinet locks! Yep, we’re with you there 😅 2 under two life

Having been diagnosed with multiple myeloma it makes one think of items that will be thrown in a dumpster on one's demise. So I am clearing out house of items others would like to have, and failing that other possessions have been given to charity shops. It is freeing to de-clutter making cleaning so much easier and less time consuming.

Dana K White has some really good books about decluttering without making a huge mess. Her books have changed my life and how tidy/organized my house is now.

I just watched this for a second time in a few days time - Your videos are like conversations with a Motivating well grounded friend - you know the type, the ones after you get done hanging with, you are motivated in Life ( Iron Sharpens Iron). As I Keep getting rid of unnecessary items for this Season of Life and Enjoy a more minimalist lifestyle - your videos remind me why it continues to mean So Much to the rest of the Family. 🎉🎉

ugh, i wish i d have a brother like you, practical and smart

I started yesterday going those photos in frames! I watched 3 of your video yesterday and my husband took a contractor size trash bag to the dumpster! He was like you sad: a load off my shoulders. My daughter will Not want this stuff. Frames are heavy, dusty and so I threw them out. My husband helped me put some of the photos in a ziplock bag. So next step: put in 1 photo binder I started 4 years ago. I have double sided tape and the binder has plastic sleeves to put some bigger photos in. Everyone keeps photos on their phones and then backs up to a hard drive. Thank you for the inspiration to get me started! My clothes are next. Enough is enough!😮

with open shelfs, best to store the bowls upside down

I bought a couple of blue Japanese curtains for my bookcases. Hide the clutter and keeps the books dust free.

Right video clip in right time! 😂😂😂 I am just preparing to walk through my home to see how to make better "flow of (chi) energy".With coffe ,already made.🤣🤣🤣 Sinhronicity !!! 🙏Hello from Serbia 🇷🇸 !!!

My mum died a few years back and loads of the things she'd been hanging on to (stored in the loft & cupboards etc) just got thrown away. Now I think it's better to throw away / sell lots of my stuff (maybe get some money for it) rather than my son one day having to get rid of it all.

When decluttering, I ask myself whether I have used it or worn it in the last year. If not, it has to go. This rule pertains to things stored in my garage as well.

I find it hard to get rid of things because I have inherited so much from my relatives who all have really good taste and had tons of artwork, so I make the maximalism comfortable in my one bedroom apartment by storing stuff everywhere - under the couch, hanging stuff on the walls and even from the ceiling in the corners of our bedroom. I know this isn’t for everyone, but I love it, and I also anticipate living in a larger home later in life and don’t want to re-buy everything

Teaching homeschooled families at my home. 😲 A 3-10yro Mixed Montessori class room, office w/library, & storage room for materials... 😏 It's wonderfully useful. But it's a lot.

1:44 this transition, though! 🤩 (now back to more serious business - finishing the video)

Thanks for the video! I am gaining confidence! ;)

Loved this video. I also watch the Home Edit, Marie Kondo and other organization shows & videos. Helps me get in the mood to clean and you really edit things out and keep what you really use and love.

If you like minimalism this is great. Some people are visual and need to see their stuff.

I don’t comment much. More of a listener. But this was an EXCELLENT video. Thank you for all you do!

Some people like clutter and asthetics are not that important to them. I prefer kind of a mix not too cluttered and not too sparse. As a whole a lot of us do have too much stuff. My son just bought a house and a lot of the things are going with him😊