How to get rid of unneeded stuff in your house

By Natasha Josefowitz, Ph.D.

LA JOLLA, California — Even though I have often written about downsizing, I confess to my inability to actually do it. I feel forever guilty looking around at my “too much stuff.” That is until now. I just read a book by Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up—The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. It worked for me, so I am sharing.

The problem with “things” is that they are sitting in their familiar places and they kind of belong there, so it is difficult to displace them. However, if you take them out of their preferred habitat, they  look different. For instance, I took all my underwear out of my drawers and put them on my bed. I realized that I had half slips for skirts and dresses I no longer wear; I even found a couple of girdles just in case I think I look fat. I also found a pair of black panties and a push-up bra in case I meet a man! That was after my husband died, and it was still sitting there looking hopeful, but to no avail. I kept them as a souvenir! Marie Kondo suggests to roll up each panty, bra, and only one half slip—but no girdles!—and place everything upright in order to see it all. The drawers look odd with all the underwear standing in a row like good soldiers.

Next I went to the pantry. I took out every food item in the kitchen, including the fridge, and placed everything on the kitchen counter. There were remnants from forgotten parties. I did not know that Coca Cola cans have expiration dates as do boxes of cereals, pasta, and tomato sauce. I had stored these “just in case foods” just in case of what? Maybe a tsunami? Not sure why I have three cans of sardines and two bottles of chutney. My pantry now contains only Perrier; they don’t have an expiration date and, therefore, are good forever, especially in case of a tsunami. Reaching in the far reaches of the freezer drawer—you don’t want to know, so I won’t tell you—embarrassing!

Next, I went into the bathroom. I found lots of shampoos and conditioners from hotels which I kept for guests and forgot about, so my guests never got them. I did not know that even hand and face creams have expiration dates. What happens if I use an expired moisturizer? Will I expire from it? Or will the wrinkles refuse to disappear? They have never complied with non-expired ones, anyway.

My daughter visited me recently and asked if I had sunblock. “Of course,” I said. She looked at the label: “Mom, these are five years old. They don’t work anymore!” So now I am responsible for my daughter getting sunburned!!!

I also discovered outdated pills for lost, no-longer-remembered illnesses. No, I didn’t throw them in the toilet, but handed them over to the clinic for proper disposal. I don’t want the fish to swallow my meds and die an untimely death.

Sweaters: Don’t pile them on top of each other as the bottom ones will most likely not see the light of day. Roll them up like the underwear, and they will stand up next to each other. Before that, take every sweater you own, place them on your bed, sort by color, and see if you have duplicates. Mary Kondo suggests you look at each item and ask: “Do you give me joy?” If not, discard it. The clothes hanging in my closets will face that same question. I’m scared of the answer being “yes” to too many things.

My problem, as you may have guessed, is that I am attached to my belongings; maybe this comes from having been a war refugee and having once lost everything. I’m looking for excuses, anything to not call myself a packrat!

Do follow the above suggestions. If, like me, you have been unable to get rid of stuff, this method works for me after years of failure. Good luck, dear reader. May this be the year of half empty drawers, closets, and shelves. Notice I have not mentioned books and papers. You will have to wait until I get the courage to deal with that nightmare; if I succeed, you will get a column. If not, I will forget to mention it.
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© Natasha Josefowitz. This article appeared initially in the La Jolla Village News. You may comment to natasha.josefowitz@sdjewishworld.com