Articles

by Martha Tobin

Life can feel so busy that you never seem to achieve your vision for some of the rooms that you were hoping to transform in your home.  Maybe you had plans for a craft room after the kids moved out or maybe you want to turn your basement into an inviting TV room.

Creating spaces in your home that speak to your dream can seem daunting when those rooms are full of ‘stuff’.

Here are 6 decluttering tips to get your dream space started:

1. Map out what you want in that room that supports your dream (i.e. new sofa, craft table, etc)
2. Determine what will need to be removed from this room (i.e. unused items, e-waste, old textbooks, etc)
3. Set up a plan to sell, donate, trash/recycle those items that will not be staying in this room
4. Pack up any items in this room that belong elsewhere in the home (i.e. kids’ clothing, books, toys, etc)
5. For any items that will be staying in this room, find them a place to ‘live’ here (i.e. photos, decor, lamps, reading chair etc)
6. Determine if more storage is needed for these ‘keep’ items (ie. shelving, desk, storage ottoman, etc)

Falling in love with your home again is a gift that you give yourself.

“All our dreams come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” (Walt Disney)

Martha Tobin

Decluttering isn’t an innate gift that we are born with.  Instead it’s a learned skill that focuses on small actions done repeatedly and consistently.  And over time these repeated actions contribute to a home that is calm, manageable and enjoyable.

The opposite holds true as well – when decluttering doesn’t happen, small things turn into piles and these piles continue to build up in corners, closets and surfaces.

Here are 5 tricks for reducing clutter in your home:

1. Designate places to ‘live’ for all items in your home 
2. Put items back in these designated areas as soon as you are done with them
3. Before you purchase an item, consider where it is going to ‘live’ in your home
4. Set up an easy-to-access donation bin in your home 
5. Do a 15 minute reset everyday (by putting items back into their designated areas)

The goal is not perfection but rather setting up consistent decluttering habits so that you can create a more supportive, calm environment that is easier to maintain.

“Outer order contributes to inner calm.”(Gretchen Rubin)

by Martha Tobin

Many people have more stuff than they have space for so by decluttering before you organize, you are not only letting go of items you no longer need, use, love or want but as well you are getting clear on the volume of items you are keeping.

Here are 5 reasons to declutter BEFORE you organize:

1. Knowing the volume of items you are keeping – once you know the volume of the items you are keeping, you can more effectively determine where those items will ‘live’ in your home
2. Opens up space in any room – by decluttering first you will have more room to determine how to organize an area
3. Best organizational systems – knowing your volume of items will allow you to choose the right size containers to organize them (i.e small or medium bin, basket etc)
4. Do a second purge – if you find you still have too many items for the organization systems you have in mind, you can do a second purge or store less-used items elsewhere
5. Clean the spaces effectively – decluttering gives you the opportunity to pull items out of their current locations and give those areas a good clean

Decluttering and organizing go hand-in-hand and when done right, it ensures that those spaces stay organized and maintainable.

“Owning less is better than organizing more.” (Joshua Becker)

by Martha Tobin

Everyday we have clients reach out to us to help them kickstart the organizing and decluttering they want to do.

There is no shame in this as there is often a great deal of overwhelm and anxiety that has built up alongside their volume of ‘stuff’.

Here are 7 benefits of us doing an organizing and decluttering kickstart:

1. We know where to start – there is a definite strategy to organizing and decluttering and when you work with us we map that out for you
2. Reduce procrastination – with a manageable plan in place we can reduce your feelings of overwhelm and get the job moving forward
3. We do all the work – we get your ‘stuff’ sorted and categoriized so all you have to do is make decisions about what to keep or purge
4. Questions to help you decide – we have an easy process to help you determine what to keep and what to let go of
5. No judgement policy – we have a respectful, no judgement and no pressure policy.  Your ‘stuff’, your decision….always
6. Once decluttered, we organize – when you have decided what you want to keep, we’ll organize these items into maintainable systems
7. Donations away with us – we know organizations and the items they need and we’ll take them with us at the end of any session

Organizing and decluttering can seem daunting so we make it easy for you. Reach out to us if you’d like some assistance getting started.  

We’ll do a FREE consultation and set up a manageable plan so that you can fall in love with your home again.  

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step.”(Confucius)

By Martha Tobin

In this chaotic, technology-driven world there is much to be said about cultivating a hobby that allows you to get off the ‘hamster wheel of life’.  In addition to relaxation, hobbies offer creativity, sensory engagement, self-expression and cognitive stimulation. 

But hobbies can also create a lot of physical clutter with collected supplies, crafting tools and ‘what if I need this someday’ materials.  As well, too many unfinished projects can also create mental clutter.

​Check out my video to find out the 5 Benefits of doing a decluttering ‘hobby reset’.

​Decluttering old hobbies and supplies is about making room for what really brings you joy now and allows you to embrace new creative passions with intention, time and space. 

“The primary benefit of practicing any art is that it enable one’s soul to grow.”(Kurt Vonnegut Jr.)

By Martha Tobin

Often our clients find it easier to let go of items they no longer want when they know those items will be donated to others in need in the community.

To date Declutter4Good has donated over 2100 carloads of donations.  We have also be instrumental in donating many, many, many furniture donations.  

Whether we’re giving these items to refugees, women and their children coming out of shelters, families that are struggling economically or those who have fallen on hard times, our donations are always very appreciated.

At Declutter4Good we see this as a WIN-WIN-WIN:  

–our clients now have more physical space in their homes and more mental clarity

—these donations have a great second life with others in need in our community.

—these repurposed items are kept out of landfill

If you are looking to truly enjoy your life and your home again but are not sure where to start or how to get through all the ‘stuff’ that is holding you back from the life you imagined, reach out to us.  We can make it better.

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” (Winston Churchill)

by Martha Tobin

As a female-owned company with an all-female staff we all understand how hectic family life can be and we know how to create uncluttered, maintainable organizing systems to make lives more calm and spaces more enjoyable.

To all mothers, we hope you have a day filled with appreciation and gratitude…you deserve it!

Need some assistance? We can help. Reach out to us for a free consultation.

By Martha Tobin

With the warmer weather upon us, garage sales and yard sales are a great way to make some money and let go of items you no longer need, use, love or want.  

Garage or yard sales also free up valuable space in your home and ensure items that can be of value to others are kept out of landfills.

Here is a list of 10 of the most in-demand items at garage and yard sales:

1. Clothing
2. Costume jewelry
3. Toys and baby equipment
4. Lawn furniture
5. Tools
6. Furniture
7. Sports equipment
8. Camping items
9. Decor, books, DVD’s
10. Small appliances

If you need assistance sorting, categorizing, packing up, and labelling items for an upcoming garage or yard sale, feel free to reach out to us at Declutter4Good.

If you are interested in donating any items, please check out our CHARITIES page at Declutter4Good.ca to find locations that accept these items.

“One person’s trash may be another’s treasure .” (Herbert Urquhart, 1860)

by Martha Tobin

Social media would have us believe that having a show-worthy closet is the be all, end all. In fact, having a maintainable, organized clothing system is what works best as it streamlines your daily routine and makes it easy to find items and create outfits.

By transforming your clothing system from chaos to calm, you’ll reduce decision-fatigue and overwhelm as well as the likelihood of purchasing duplicate items. 

Easily maintained clothing systems also maximize storage space and extend the lifespan of your clothing. 

Here are 10 clothing organizing tools you may want to consider:

1. woven baskets
2. over the door shoes and accessories organizer
3. additional vertical shelving for closets
4. drawer organizers
5. over the door hooks
6. hanging scarf organizer
7. under the bed storage case
8. closet shelf organizer
9. closet shelf canvas bins
10. shoe rack

Streamlining your clothing system will make getting dressed more enjoyable with outfits that make you feel fabulous!

And on any job we’ll take your donations to others in need in the community.

“Dress the way you want to feel.” (author unknown)

By Martha Tobin

While Earth Day is the world’s reminder on April 22 to preserve our planet, every day at Declutter4Good we are passionate about showing our love for the planet through our Donations That Do Good program.

By helping our clients become more intentional about their ‘stuff’ and then bringing their donations to others in need in the community, we are able to give those items a second life and divert them from landfill.

It’s up to each of us to protect this extraordinary planet we call home and with so many options available for donating, recycling or safely disposing of items, we can each play a transformative role.

For the safe disposal of items:

—Household Hazardous Waste:

April 19 (8-4pm): Ottawa Stadium, 300 Coventry road

May 2 (8-4pm): Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, 4837 Albion road

—Batteries, Electronics, Lighting, Paint and Tires and more:

There are many retail locations in Ottawa where you can drop these off. Find a nearby location by visiting the City of Ottawa’s Waste Explorer site.

For donations of gently used household items, furniture and clothing:

Find out where you can take these donations here

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”  (Robert Swan)