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It’s no secret that many people are looking for any way to declutter their lives, and for most, that starts with their homes. There are countless methods to declutter, organize, and embrace a minimalist lifestyle, but not all are respected by the general public. Recently, decluttering experts met in an online discussion to reveal the trends they wish would go away forever.
1. Needless Upcycling
Upcycling is one of the most environmentally friendly and satisfying ways to repurpose old furniture, but some people do it needlessly. While the practice is gaining popularity, many people new to the scene upcycle a piece for the sake of upcycling! Just because an item is old doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be repurposed; plenty of gorgeous pieces of furniture have become stripped of all character.
2. Succumbing to Fads
Whenever a new trend comes along, countless people succumb to it – for better or worse. Unfortunately, the point of minimalism is lost on these folks. “It’s awful that I see people buying all new clothes or furniture because the old stuff doesn’t ‘spark joy,'” reports one woman. “That’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works; they just watched a TV show.”
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3. The Race To Donate the Most
Many experts agree there’s a thin line between decluttering and competing against friends and family to see who can donate the most items to charity. Remember: Winning a race against others is not the point of minimalism.
4. Repurposing Books as Art
Instead of using bookshelves to store books, recently, more people have displayed their books unfolded on their walls as a do-it-yourself art installation. Many experts can’t stand this practice, as it turns precious books meant to entertain and inform into drab art pieces. Books are meant to be read, not looked at!
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5. Organizing Books Via Color
Even if you store your books on shelves like a sane person, organizing them by color is especially eye-rolling! “One thing I can’t stand is when books are arranged by color,” admits one expert. “Aesthetically gorgeous, but unless I remember the exact color of every book spine, actually finding anything would be a nightmare!”
6. Confusing the Message of Minimalism
Living a minimalist lifestyle does not mean starting from scratch. On the contrary, it’s a sad state of affairs when countless people don’t truly grasp what minimalism stands for. “I laugh at people who insist other people get rid of all their books, collectibles, and clothes just because of minimalism,” says one woman.
“I just don’t think minimalism is or should be about throwing out your favorite things just so you can win the who has less stuff Olympics.”
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7. Forcing Others To Declutter or Minimize
Just because a lifestyle change works for you doesn’t mean it will work for someone else. Likewise, resist the urge to push modern organizational techniques on unsuspecting family members or friends because resentment can arise if they’re not on board.
8. Re-Packing Food
Some habits are bizarre and don’t endorse any values decluttering and minimalism stand for – like re-packing food into different containers. “I can’t believe some people are taking food out of its original packaging and putting it in other containers,” laments one man. “You lose important information like the ingredients label, nutritional info, and expiration date. Plus, who can keep up with that?”
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9. Overly-Stacked Cupboards and Refrigerators
When organizing a kitchen, many people forget to consider possible food waste when decluttering cupboards and refrigerators. Although your cabinets and fridge may look perfectly organized after you finish putting things into place, you need to step back and realize how much you’ll eventually throw out when perishable items go bad!
10. Getting Rid of a Certain Amount of Things Per Day
Minimalism and organizing are about being organic. Many people can’t stand those who set specific organizing goals for themselves each day, such as pre-determining how many items to throw out or donate daily. After all, we all have to draw the line somewhere.
Best Trend That Never Gets Old
One trend that never gets old and routinely delivers the best results is having support and accountability.
When we are surrounded by others who are walking their own decluttering paths, it makes our own journey a lot easier and more enjoyable.
That’s exactly why I started the Clutter-Free Club!
In the club, I share:
- Specific daily tasks so you never have to wonder what to do
- Fun challenges to keep you motivated and making progress
- An entire library of video and printable resources so you’re always guided on your journey
- Live Q&A and group decluttering events every month
Members also have access to a wonderful private community full of supportive and encouraging people who are on their own decluttering journeys.
We’d love for you to join us! You can see everything that’s included in the Clutter-Free Club by clicking here.
You deserve a home you can enjoy, that feels peaceful, comfortable, and supportive of the life you really want to live, and I want to help you get there, one task and day at a time.
Source: Reddit.
This article was produced and syndicated by Happy Organized Life.
Even worse than organizing books by the color of the cover is putting them on the shelf spin in so all you see are the whitish pages. A minimal uniform look, but you have no clue of what the book is!
This has been the most sensible and useful article about decluttering – which should really be about avoiding excesses – I have read as yet.
With regards to point 8 – repackaging food – I must add, use a clip, clothes peg or rubber band to hold packets together, and as you use the food, cut the package down so it’s less bulky and makes space for something else or the soon to be opened, new package. You’ll never have ancient food at the bottom of a refilled jar, either.
Of course, putting salt & sugar for daily use into smaller, more user-friendly containers makes more sense than taking a pinch from 1kg bag, but other dry goods things like pasta, rice or nuts don’t have to decanted.
What also concerns me is that we might be replacing environmentally unfriendly plastic with recyclable wood, bamboo and metal for the sake of it, thereby polluting the environment with said, discarded plastic!
My advice would be to buck trends, use your intelligence and follow a common sense approach.