I am joined today by a special guest, Ingrid Jansen of the Declutter Hub.
This episode, we discuss…
[2:15] About Ingrid and the Declutter Hub
[4:06] How Ingrid got into decluttering
[7:40] Why Betsy is more of a collector than an organizer
[8:46] How Ingrid approaches a decluttering project
[10:40] The eight steps of the Cycle of Success
[20:06] How Ingrid enjoys the finale after a project is complete
[22:05] Why it’s okay to ditch the guest room if needed
[23:19] What to do when it comes to sentimental items
[25:20] Dealing with sentimental items passed down from loved ones
[27:53] Where to start if you haven’t decluttered in a long time
[2:15] About Ingrid and the Declutter Hub
Ingrid co-hosts the Declutter Hub podcast with Lesley 5 years ago. They’ve already published over 230 episodes and have been enjoying every minute of it. The reason they opted to start the podcast is because they both love talking instead of writing so they figured it would be the perfect outlet for them to share their expertise.
In addition to the podcast, Ingrid and Lesley also run an online membership to help people declutter and organize their homes. Having someone come into your home can be a very personal experience so being able to help people get their homes organized without having to worry about hiring a professional organizer to come in has been life changing.
The Declutter Hub started out very small and scattered but over the years has snowballed into an amazing community with the podcast, Facebook group, and membership helping hundreds of people all over the world manage their clutter.
[4:06] How Ingrid got into decluttering
Ingrid has always been an extremely organized person. Her entire family is relatively organized as well so she feels like it was just embedded in her DNA.
Ingrid went to school for hotel management and specialized in hotel cleaning so she has always been interested in cleaning and decluttering. Once Ingrid had her children, she was at a crossroads and didn’t know what her next steps should be. Her friends encouraged her to help others get organized but she was a bit skeptical at first.
Ingrid then Googled the words Professional Organizer and a whole new world opened up for her. Now, it has been 13 years since she started as a professional organizer and the industry has evolved so much since then.
When Ingrid first started there were only around 40-50 professional organizers in the UK. During this time, she booked 1:1 appointments in person with clients to help them declutter their homes and while she still has this business, Ingrid has a team that helps with the in person projects so that she can focus on the Declutter Hub.
Ingrid finds that most professional organizers either were super organized from the get go or they came from a disorganized family and vowed to never be like that again. She really loves being able to help people clear their clutter and free up more of their time, energy, and headspace while doing so.
[7:40] Why Betsy is more of a collector than an organizer
While Betsy does love an organized place and her items all have a place, she still struggles with keeping tidy from time to time.
Before Betsy became an interior designer, she was a bit of a hoarder as she loves collecting beautiful things. Now that she has her business, she can purchase these items for her clients homes instead of her own.
[8:46] How Ingrid approaches a decluttering project
Ingrid has created an eight step process called the Cycle of Success. Decluttering isn’t something you will only have to do one time, it is something you will need to be doing time and time again.
As long as we’re bringing more items into our homes, we’re going to have to spend time tidying, organizing, and cleaning so sometimes less can be more to help you better manage things.
When it comes to decluttering and organizing, it is important to start small. If you try to tackle an entire room in a day, you’re likely to get overwhelmed and not end up completing the project. Instead of starting with an entire room, start with a drawer, a shelf, or a cupboard.
[10:40] The eight steps of the Cycle of Success
Step #1: Plan
In this first step, you will plan when you are going to tackle this particular project. Make sure that you are carving out enough time to complete the project so you’re not leaving it halfway done. Once you’ve decided on when you’re going to handle the project, make sure to eliminate all distractions.
Step #2: Get Started
Although this step sounds pretty easy, sometimes it can be really hard for people to do. That is why it is important to break the project down into smaller, manageable chunks.
Then you will ask yourself some questions:
- Do I need it?
- Do I love it?
- Do I use it?
Then you’ll get into deeper questions like:
- When was the last time I used this?
- Is it the one I always grab first or are there others I gravitate towards?
For example, when it comes to clothing, especially jeans Ingrid finds that people tend to have way more than they will ever wear. If you have 18 pairs of jeans, chances are you have a couple pairs that you wear but the rest haven’t been worn in years.
Another question that you can ask yourself is do I have something similar to this that I’m already using frequently? If so, you can get rid of the other one.
When you are going through your wardrobe, you will want to put all similar types of clothes together. For example, all shirts together, all pants together, all jackets together, etc. to help you see which items you have a ton of and can be thinned out a bit.
This will be the same for every room like your kitchen, you’ll put your pots and pans, mugs, and glasses all together so you can see every item that you’ve got.
The next step is to decide where you’re going to store the things that you are keeping. If you’re decluttering your closet, think about if you need some organizers or more hangers. You don’t need to order them quite yet, but just think about what all you will need.
The next step is to actually put what you’re keeping away. For example, say you are putting things back in your kitchen. You will want to store items like pots and pans in lower cabinets so that they’re easily accessible. Things like glasses and mugs and plates can be stored in upper cabinets as they’re not as heavy. Any items that aren’t used as frequently like toasters or Instant pots can go in the lower cabinets so they are out of the way but can still be pulled out as needed.
The same goes if you’re organizing your closet. You want the items that you wear more often front and center while things like special occasion dresses can be stored towards the back of your closet.
Next it’s time to finish your project. This is where you are throwing away the trash, put any donation items in your car, and drive to the donation center. If you don’t take care of this right then and there, it will probably be months before you think about taking these items again.
The final step is to celebrate completing the project and that can’t be done unless you finalize everything by taking unwanted items to the donation center or throwing the trash away.
The great thing about the cycle of success is that it doesn’t matter how big or small the project is. The same system can be used regardless.
[20:06] How Ingrid enjoys the finale after a project is complete
There are many things that you can do to celebrate a job well done. One thing you don’t want to be doing is buying more things. Give yourself permission to read a book, go for a walk, have coffee or dinner with your friends, or even lounge on the couch and watch your favorite tv show.
[22:05] Why it’s okay to ditch the guest room if needed
Ingrid has noticed that so many people have nice guest rooms even though they only get guests a few times a year and then they are working from their living room or kitchen table every day when they could convert their guest room into an office.
[23:19] What to do when it comes to sentimental items
If you have sentimental items it is okay to keep them, however, you don’t need to keep all of them. If you have duplicates or maybe you received something passed down from a loved one, Ingrid encourages us to just pick out our favorite items from the bunch.
One question to ask yourself is – is this my memory or someone else’s? This will help you determine what to keep if you’re feeling torn about something.
[25:20] Dealing with sentimental items passed down from loved ones
Betsy mentions that when designing for clients she sometimes notices that they feel obligated to keep pieces they have inherited even if they may not be feeling connected to them.
Ingrid suggests that we should really think about the key pieces and if they fit into our lives or not. Are we really doing an item justice if it’s just sitting in a closet collecting dust? It can be challenging, but letting items from the past hold you hostage is not the way to go either.
[27:53] Where to start if you haven’t decluttered in a long time
If you haven’t decluttered in a long time, then you first need to build up your decluttering muscle. Start with the easier items like your kitchen, bathroom, or linen closet.
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