When DG and I decided that we were going to list our house for sale, I decided to go through a purge. Â I am a pack-rat by nature and like to keep sentimental items or anything that I “may” need in the future. Â So, I really needed to do a big purge to get our house easier to pack. Â When I saw the 40 bags in 40 days during Lent, I decided this was exactly what I needed. Â So, here is the schedule I followed, and then revisited as we started packing.
40 Bags in 40 Days
Storage
- Linen Closet
- Coat Closet
- Storage Closet
- Laundry Room
- Attic
- Garage
Kitchen
- Under the Sink, Cleaning Supplies
- Travel Mugs, Coffee Mugs, Water Bottles
- Cooking Utensils
- Countertops
- Upper Cabinets
- Lower Cabinets
- Pantries
- Fridge
- Freezer
- Top of Fridge, Anything Taped to Fridge
- Spice Rack
- Junk Drawers
- Tabletops
Foyer
- Antique Chest
Master Bathroom
- Medicine Cabinet
- Makeup, Skincare, Haircare
- Under Sink
Master Bedroom
- Under Bed
- Jewelry, Clothing
- Nightstands, Dresser
Guest Bedroom and Bath
- Closet
- Under Sink
Bonus Room
- Books, Magazines, DVDs
- Desk
- Filing Cabinet
- Under Couch
Living Room
- End Tables, Coffee Table
- Under Couch
Miscellaneous
- Front Yard, Back Yard
- Patio
- Screened-In Porch
- Containers
- Car
- Easily Cluttered Areas
This worked really well for me and forced me to really evaluate the things I was keeping. Â I realized very quickly that keeping a lot of the sentimental items was creating a lot of clutter, which in turn was giving me a lot of anxiety. Â These are things I am mentally making note of so that I will avoid this in the next house. Â This may be the start of me becoming more of minimalist, y’all.
Do you have a weekly purging schedule you follow? Â I’d love to hear about it if you do, so that I can adapt for myself.
I hope you’re having a great Wednesday!
xx
We moved last year and cleaned out a lot at the time, but I feel like we’ve already re-accumulated lots of STUFF! This is a great list to work through the house a little at a time. Good luck with the house sale! Cheers, Laura
Well that’s a genius idea! I don’t tend to hold onto things like clothes and makeup, but I will keep a card or invitation forever.
Such a good idea! I’m actually the opposite of you… I throw EVERYTHING away haha! I cannot stand clutter and saving things I won’t ever wear again!