Decluttering – My Pandemic Project

For the last year, my pandemic projects have been maintaining my sourdough starter and walking. Recently, I’ve started a new endeavor — decluttering.

Over the winter holiday break, I started decluttering our basement. Before I started, there was the smallest path through the basement to the garage door. Stuff was piled on top of things, halfway up the walls. Truthfully, it was piled almost to the ceiling in places.

As I declutter, I’m storing items that we might actually use, such as wrapping paper and ribbons, in clear boxes, so that we can easily identify the contents. Now that these goods are readily accessible, I’m hoping that we will not buy more. I’m guessing that this is a common hoarder problem. Can’t find it? Buy more.

I’m tackling the project slowly, sometimes taking a few items off a shelf, dusting them and moving them elsewhere, as I contemplate their fate. When the items belong to me, I am questioning whether I will ever use them. If the answer is no, they are recycled or donated. I’m not asking myself if they bring me joy, which might help me ditch a lot more. That might happen in a second pass.

Lots of items in the basement belong to our son. I anticipate plenty of back and forth with Louis, as I text him photos and determine the fate of toys, sports equipment, Magic and Pokemon cards. I’m filling boxes of art supplies for him to sort through when we can get together again.

One week I couldn’t face working in the cold basement and made a side foray into the garage, from which I brought boxes of old documents up to the warm living room. I emptied four boxes, equaling eight years of my old records. This was easy. There is no sentimental angst involved in letting go of old bills and tax documents. I did take some trips down memory lane when I emptied the “Receipts” folders and came across airline tickets, hotel bills and museum receipts from family vacations.

Last week I cleared my way into a corner that hadn’t seen the light of day in years. I reached into cobwebs and pill bug skeletons to recover stray Matchbox cars, crayons, darts, etc. Now that the corner is vacuumed and washed, I make regular visits to the basement to gaze upon the cleanliness and organization.

I just read Jura Koncius’s article in The Washington Post about cleaning out her attic. (The pandemic gave me the time to finally clean out my shameful attic. Here’s what I learned.) I’m nowhere near her family’s commitment to the project. Each person is allowed one box to hold objects culled from an attic full of family memories. She’s emptied 44 boxes during the pandemic!

When I described my effort to Louis, I had Koncius’s remarkable 44-box feat as my measure. I described this project as a timid first pass through the mess.

I’ve been in this house far too long to be making a timid first pass. I should be ruthlessly discarding. But, sometimes you have to build up to a thing. Next year, my neighbors might find me in the driveway gleefully tossing things into a dumpster.

All decluttering tips are welcome.