It's All Too Much

by Peter Walsh

  COOKBOOK POST-IT TEST

  If you have too many cookbooks for your kitchen, try this simple test. Every time you use a recipe from a cookbook, mark the page with a Post-it. At the end of eighteen months, get rid of books that have no Post-its. Of course, if you have space for extra cookbooks that you never use, no problem. Go ahead and enjoy not using them.

  Junk drawer

  Lots of kitchens have a “catch-all” drawer. What’s in here? It’s always a surprise. Soy sauce packets from carryout, rubber bands, pennies, matches, pushpins, a stray refrigerator magnet. I’m only going to say this once: No. Junk. Drawer. Do I make myself clear?

  Divide and conquer

  Even when you declutter all of the items that you really don’t need or use in your kitchen, it can be a task to keep drawers organized. You can keep like things together in your drawers easier by installing inexpensive drawer dividers or small boxes. Simply being able to see different categories of items sitting together in your kitchen drawers will make it a pleasure to go looking for anything and it will be much simpler to know where everything lives in your space.

  Creative solutions

  Most people tend to think of drawers as the main storage areas in a kitchen. A butcher’s block on wheels can be a great way to get items out of drawers and close to where you use them. These kinds of butcher’s blocks can be wheeled around the kitchen and so increase the amount of flat area you have for meal preparation. They also come with hanging hooks and space for storing kitchen tools and food items.

  REALITY CHECK—WEDDINGS

  When you get married, you can expect a huge number of gifts as your loved ones follow the tradition of helping you set up your home. For whatever reason, tool sets and electronic equipment don’t seem to be the most popular wedding presents. Most of the gifts are kitchen-centric—china, silver, pots and pans, and appliances. The registry is a great way to avoid getting stuff you won’t use. But inevitably, people buy gifts “off registry” and you get stuff you don’t like. You feel obligated to keep it. On top of that, you inevitably register for stuff you never end up using. At the top of the list are fondue pots, vases, glass serving platters for dips and chips, punch bowls, and wine carafes. Just remember: A gift is not an obligation. If you can do it discreetly, return what you won’t use. Otherwise, donate or sell it. If you must wait until the giver visits your home and sees his or her gift in active use, fine, but when the time is right, you guessed it: Out it goes.

  Room 6

  Dining Room

  IN NEWER HOUSES the dining space is often part of the kitchen. Nevertheless, there is a dining area in every home. At some point we seem to have lost the concept of dining, and have replaced it with an interest solely in the mechanics of eating. When we dine, the food is only one of the reasons for coming together. We gather together to enjoy each other’s conversation, to share views and opinions, to reinforce relationships, and to celebrate what we have. The traditional Thanksgiving meal is a great example of this broader idea of dining.

  Eating, on the other hand, is solely about the act of consuming food. It has little to do with a sense of a community or family. It’s not surprising that we consume so much fast food—think of the term itself: Eat quickly and get on with more important things like shopping or watching television!

  The distinction between dining and eating is important. When we give up on dining and just eat and run, we sacrifice a family ritual that has a real purpose. Family gatherings where genuine conversation takes place are the best way to deal with the issues that lead to clutter and disorganization in a home.

  Think It Through

  Few surfaces in the home are greater magnets for clutter than the dining room or kitchen table. That beautiful, large, flat surface practically cries out for things to be left on it—wrapping paper, bills, the mail, yesterday’s homework, and piles of “I’ll get to it later” clutter.

  My clients Melanie and Jane had not used their dining room table for two years. It was so covered in bills, toys, school projects, and junk mail that neither they nor their three children could remember what the surface looked like. When asked to imagine the vision they had for that room, they answered together that they wanted a place where the family could meet over meals, laugh, enjoy one another’s company, and bond as a family. When they became inspired by the shared vision they had for their family and the dining room, they were ready to declutter the space and inspired to keep it organized and functional.

  The dining room table should be considered sacred space in your home. It is a TV-free gathering place where the family has regular opportunity to talk about issues affecting them and to reiterate their visions for the life they want to live as individuals and as a family. I’m not saying you should sit down at the table and say, “Let’s reiterate our visions,” but when we talk to each other about what happened that day, or how we want to spend the weekend, or what annoyed us, we’re creating that vision.

  I recently worked with a family who had two children in their early teens. The girls had never eaten a meal at the dining room table because it was covered in paperwork and clutter. The family often ate on their back porch or with plates on their knees in front of the television. The daughters squealed with glee when they saw the transformation of their dining space. The main reason they were so enthusiastic? They said that they wanted to have a place where they could talk with their parents about their school days and where friends could join them for meals. Nothing should stand in the way of these desires.

  Set It Up

  Refer to your Room Function Chart and have everyone sign on.

  Establish zones for the different activities that take place in the dining room.

  Remove what doesn’t belong in the room.

  Make It Happen

  Establish the zones

  The purpose of the dining room is to have a pleasant place in which to enjoy your family while you share a meal. Keep the area not only free of cutter, but also off-bounds to the television and other distractions that stop you from interacting fully with one another. A clean, uncluttered dining area helps maintain calm and relaxation when you gather together. Remember: This is your dining zone—anything that doesn’t contribute to that function should be removed from the space. Keep it simple and elegant. All you need in the dining area is a clear table for eating and storage space for dishes, formal china, and entertaining supplies.

  Keep what you use close at hand

  Take out all the plates and dishes that you use for meals and arrange them on your dining room table. Think about the way you use your dining room and the types of meals you have there. Do you need and use all of the flatware and glasses that you currently own? How many people use these items? How often do you entertain? Are they usually small, intimate gatherings or large family affairs?

  Gather matching flatware and glasses together on the table. Discard any that you no longer like or use, as well as any that are chipped or damaged. As you return these items to a cupboard or hutch, place those that you use most frequently within easiest reach. Large serving platters and anything that you use less often should be placed on the lowest or highest shelves or toward the rear of the cupboard.

  The table

  The dining room table can end up the focus of family activity. Everything from crossword puzzles and model airplane building to homework and gift wrapping. Make it a rule to clear the area when each project is finished so that the table is always available to everyone and ready for mealtimes. No cheating. The table is always kept empty.

  Formal china

  If you have formal china, do you guard it as if it were a national treasure? China can be expensive and beautiful, but what’s the point of owning it if you never use it? This is not to say that you should serve your three-year-old hot dogs on a Royal Copenhagen platter, but please try to use and enjoy it. And don’t keep family china if it isn’t meaningful to you.

  Linens and napkins

  If possible, it’s a great idea to
keep all of your table linens, tablecloths, and napkins in your dining room. Some people prefer to hang large tablecloths in a closet—whatever works best for you if you have the room.

  Assign a drawer or shelf for linen sets so that anyone setting the table or putting things away can easily see where things belong. If you are short on space in the dining room, visit your local hardware store and purchase a shallow drawer than can be attached to the underside of the dining room table itself. Keep linens clean, dust free, and readily accessible.

  REALITY CHECK—PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT

  To protect good china and flatware, invest in cloth storage sets that provide special protection for special-occasion china and stemware. These protectors zip closed and come with foam-padded dividers and foam separators for placement between each plate to avoid chipping and damage.

  Room 7

  Bathroom

  RECENT STATISTICS SUGGEST that you spend close to five years of your life in the bathroom. That’s right—five years! (All the more reason to eat your fiber.) What better reason to make your bathroom the kind of place where you want to spend time. Most families have far more in their bathrooms than the room can reasonably accommodate. I had a client named Kurt who loved the lure of the bulk purchase stores and had a keen eye for a bargain. Whenever he saw toilet paper on sale, he would buy the largest package available. When I went to his house he had over 250 rolls of toilet paper. They filled every cupboard in the bathroom and most of the storage in the laundry. He laughed at how ridiculous it was, but just couldn’t seem to help himself. We established one entire cupboard for toilet paper storage and Kurt agreed to give away most of the toilet paper to his friends and that going forward he would only buy toilet paper if it fit into that cupboard. My guess was that it’d be at least a year before he had to make another purchase!

  Bathroom products are inexpensive and tempting. They smell so good! They make promises about changing your skin, your hair, your life. But it’s very important to keep bathrooms clutter-free. Mold, mildew, germs, and grime love clutter—especially in a warm, damp space like a bathroom. It’s close to impossible to keep it clean and hygienic if there’s stuff everywhere.

  Think It Through

  It’s easy to accumulate products—your skin will be so soft; your hair will grow back, filling in that bald spot. Your lashes will be thicker and longer than ever! To keep your bathroom clean and clear, you’re going to have to let go of those hopes and dreams, no matter how much you spent on them. You’ll be surprised at how good a clean bathroom can be for your complexion!

  Set It Up

  Refer to your Room Function Chart and have everyone sign on.

  Establish zones for the different functions of the bathroom.

  Remove what doesn’t belong in the room.

  Make It Happen

  Figure out the best zones

  If the bathroom is shared, the zones can be dictated by person instead of by purpose. Give each family member a section of storage to use for him or herself. One sure way to improve traffic flow is to equip each person in the house with their own bathroom caddy. They can keep it either in a cupboard in the bathroom or in their room, taking it to the bathroom whenever they shower or bathe. This makes it easy for everyone to find exactly what they use. Plus, in a pinch, the finishing touches to your teenager’s look can be completed somewhere other than the bathroom with you banging on the door trying to get in!

  There will always be some shared products that are better organized by function. While prescription medications should be kept in individual areas, over-the-counter family medicines like flu and cold treatments and first-aid supplies should be centralized.

  If competition isn’t an issue in the bathroom, use clear plastic caddies or in-cupboard drawers to store like things together. Medicines in one area, hair care in another, cosmetics in a third. If you use certain items frequently, keep them in a top drawer or easily accessible cupboard. Keep extra supplies like soap, shaving cream, or toothpaste in an area away from the most heavily trafficked area in the bathroom. This will help you to see quickly what you have and avoid unnecessary purchases. It will also help you know when it’s time to replace something.

  Keep flat surfaces clear

  It is impossible to keep any flat surface clean if it is cluttered with products and cleanliness is extremely important in the bathroom. Steam, moisture, and condensation promote mold and mildew. Add clutter and you have all the ingredients for an unhealthy and unsightly room. Keep your beauty products to a minimum so that you can quickly and easily wipe down countertops. It also helps to keep some cleaning products in a plastic caddy under the sink so that you have quick access to the sponges, sprays, and wipes you need to keep the room spotless.

  Use vertical space

  If you have trouble keeping flat surfaces clear in the bathroom, look to the available vertical space you have. Install hooks or towel rods on the back of the bathroom door to hang towels and robes.

  Maximize your vertical space by purchasing an over-the-toilet cabinet or install shelves or cabinets that allow you to neatly store many of the items that live in the bathroom. Baskets, small containers, or trays are a great way to keep like things together. Put medications in one, hair products in another, first-aid materials in a third, and so on.

  Shower caddies now come in many shapes and sizes. Some hang from the showerhead or are attached to a tension pole that fits into the corner of the shower. Invest in one that is sturdy, easy to clean, and large enough to hold the different shower products used by members of your family.

  Purge unused products

  If those miniature bottles of shampoo and conditioner you brought back from vacation last year have still not been used, they never will be. And that mango-papaya–scented foot lotion that was on sale last Thanksgiving at the drugstore? Time for it to go! Every six months, do a quick check on what’s in the bathroom and get rid of all the bottles and tubes you haven’t opened or used in that time. Every six months is also when you should replace your toothbrush. Instead of using cheap, harsh products to clean the bathroom, invest in high-quality items that smell great. Remember that less is more and you’ll never have to look at that ugly black mold under the twenty-something product bottles in your shower again!

  Cosmetics

  All makeup has an expiration or use-by date. Sometimes it is stamped on the product itself, sometimes on the packaging. Regardless, most makeup goes bad in six months! A good rule of thumb, however, is that the closer the product is used to the eyes, the shorter the lifespan.

  Mascaras go bad more quickly than everything else; they are good for about four months. Other cosmetics, lotions, and so on are generally good for about twelve months.

  Perfume has a shelf life of three years. On some perfumes there is a manufacturer’s code listed on the bottom of the bottle. This code might look something like AJ6546. The last number, in this case 6, indicates the year in which the perfume was made; it is most likely the perfume was manufactured in 2006. This particular bottle would be good until 2009.

  It is always best to check with the manufacturer of the cosmetic if you are unsure of how to determine the use-by date of that product. Every cosmetic manufacturer has an 800 customer service number that can assist you.

  Medications

  All medications have an expiration date. Go through your medicine cabinet once a year to toss old drugs and treatments for problems you no longer have. All you have to remember in the bathroom is to keep it simple. You know perfectly well what products you no longer use. None of them are terribly expensive. Just toss them. It will become painless as you get used to it.

  REALITY CHECK—CLUTTER AND HEALTH

  Often people say that their homes aren’t dirty, they’re just cluttered. But clutter inhibits you from being able to clean your home well, as it’s hard to clean behind and around things. Clutter promotes the buildup of dirt and allergens and increases your household’s chances of respiratory problems. The healt
h problems caused by clutter aren’t just physical. In 1996, psychologists defined compulsive hoarding syndrome as a psychological disorder. In homes with severe cluttering, the residents nearly always suffer from anxiety or depression or both.

  Room 8

  Garage, Basement,

  and Other Storerooms

  KAY AND PAUL’S GARAGE looked like a cross between a storage facility and a car repair shop. There was a classic 1956 convertible taking up most of the room. The car was partially restored and most of the rest of the space in the garage was filled with spare parts, tools, paint, rims, tires, and car manuals. Apparently, Paul had bought the car soon after he started his first job and had been restoring it since then—fourteen years ago! Paul’s family had owed a similar car when he was a child and for him the car had great memories of family vacations, weekend trips, and getaways. With a little prompting, Paul agreed that fourteen years was too long for any project and negotiated with his wife that unless he finished the restoration within six months the car would go. I have another client who had a box full of a hundred pounds of fake dirt she was storing in her garage for a friend who used it in an art installation. Fake dirt! Maybe that isn’t your exact situation, but how much did your car cost? I’m guessing it’s one of your most costly possessions. So why are you keeping it out on the street, exposed to the elements? Sun, rain, and snow do damage to your expensive car, yet your garage is protecting stuff that you likely seldom use. Does that make sense?