Where do you put all your stuff?
Posted October 2, 2012 7:33 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Do you like stuff? Lots of stuff? Where do you put all that stuff?
It’s what George Carlin famously wondered in one of his rants. “That’s the whole meaning of life, isn’t it, trying to find a place for your stuff? That’s all your house is, a pile of stuff with a cover on it.”
Maybe that’s why we watch the show Hoarders — so we don’t feel so bad about our own messes.
An Environics survey finds 70 per cent of Canadians have trouble organizing their stuff and 19 per cent of us live in so much clutter, we can’t even relax in our own homes.
So News1130 hit the street to try to get a little help from those others, the neat freaks, who can actually stay on top of the clutter creep.
“Things are pretty much organized at our house,” says Simon. “We don’t wait until things get to the point where it’s bad. I have no worries, my home is the most comfortable place for me.”
“My mom and my dad both kind of rubbed off on me,” adds Jay. “They’re both on the ‘neat freak’ side and I think I have a little OCD from them. I don’t like clutter, I don’t like it at work, I don’t like it at home.”
The pros suggest you should be ruthless with your clutter busting. The popular blog I Heart Organizing recommends you start with some clarifying questions:
– When is the last time you used this item and was it in the last year?
– Is it broken, damaged or the wrong size?
– Does it make you happy or have sentimental value?
– Do you really need this item?
They suggest you should then toss, recycle and donate what you can and schedule regular maintenance sessions.
“Taking 15 minutes every day to tackle that mail, put toys away and organize the entry or mudroom. At least one a month file away papers in your in box, organize the pantry and review your closet for pieces that could be donated,” says the site.
The survey, in the Toronto Sun, suggests the kitchen, the closet and the kids rooms are the least organized spots in the house.
