It's our Annual Halloween-Spooky-themed episode! This week, we talk about he spooky yet rewarding journey of organizing and decluttering cluttered spaces that you have been avoiding. We explore the emotional complexities and practical challenges that come with transforming those neglected corners of our homes.
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In this episode we talk about:
- The emotional turmoil that comes up when organizing
- How to ask for help so it isn't scary or intimidating
- Practical tools and strategies to protect against dust and pests
Mentioned in this Episode:
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The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger! For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!
Review full show notes and resources at https://theorganizedflamingo.com/podcast
Join our weekly email newsletter for all-things organizing & productivity delivered right to your inbox https://theorganizedflamingo.com/quicklinks
Review the Transcript:
Stephanie [00:00:08]:
Welcome back, brave souls, to another episode of organized and productive, where we tackle the clutter creeping through your home one spooky corner at a time. I'm your host. And today we're diving into the dark corners of organizing, the places most people fear to go into. So from critters scuttling through old boxes to dust thicker than a witch's brew, organizing can feel a little bit like a haunted house full of surprises. Right? But don't you worry, I've got the magic potions and practical tips to banish those fears and help you tackle the creepy crawly and downright unsettling things that are hiding in your storage spaces. So grab your broomsticks, and let's get ready to clear out those skeletons in the closet. Welcome to the Organized and Productive podcast with The Organized Flamingo. I am your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert.
Stephanie [00:01:07]:
Ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you? Yeah? Well, then let's go. Hey, friends. Welcome to our annual Halloween creepy spooky themed episode. If you're new here, I'm so glad that you're here. But what I've been doing as of last year is I've been doing a Halloween theme type of episode. So if you're familiar with the podcast, you will remember that I did a creepy crawlers episode last year, which is how to avoid having those type of, you know, infestations or problems. Crawl in literally into the space, like your storage space or the places where you're organizing and you're, keeping things for a long time. So this could be, like, the attic or the basement and stuff like that.
Stephanie [00:01:54]:
So I talked about that. I'll put it in the show notes. It's a really good episode if I do so say so myself. All of you also said the same thing. I think, what happened was the aftermath of that episode was that many of you realized that there were these things that you had not well, 1, realized could happen, but, 2, that you had been avoiding. So for instance, that the reason you were not going down to the basement and organize and declutter either your space and or a loved one like a parent's, maybe, you know, a caregiver type of situation. The reason you had been avoiding that space is because you knew that it was, you know, infested or had stuff that had been in and around, like little spiders or other type of critters. Right? So you had been avoiding those spaces for a really long time because you were afraid or you were grossed out and you didn't like it, and it was a reminder that, yep, it it happens, but you we can get through it.
Stephanie [00:02:46]:
We can either clear it out or make really fast decisions and move forward, right, about your stuff. So that was a really fun episode to make and then get feedback on. So this year, I wanted to do a similar type of theme of things that you're spooked out about and but with a different twist. For this one, what I decided to do is talk about the dark corners of organizing literally and figuratively. Also, yes, a play on words, but those dark corners are are the if you, like, if you're imagining it in your space, are the corners where you shove things to the corners and put a table cloth around it or over it or somehow just kind of forget about it. Right? Or you start to stash things to the side in hopes that it will go away by itself, maybe, but almost like a delayed some delayed decisions. Like, you know you have to, at some point, make these decisions. You're just not ready right now or you don't have time.
Stephanie [00:03:47]:
You don't want to. Whatever the reason. But then they accumulate. Right? So So that's what we call the dark corners thing, the places that you just are forgetting about and but they're still there. And then the second part of this is what you might find when sorting through stuff. So what I did is I grouped these these things into what you might find into fat 5 categories. In the first part, we're going to talk up talk about bugs and critters, which we did the whole episode last year. Okay? So I'm not gonna go too much into detail, but I wanna do a recap slash some new things that I have found along the way.
Stephanie [00:04:20]:
So we're we'll talk about problem, creepy, spooky thing number 1, bugs and critters. Spooky thing number 2 is mold and mildew, which is the I I'm titling it to the unseen menace because sometimes you don't see it or very clearly. We'll talk about the emotional discoveries, which is the personal and sentimental finds. So that's spooky thing number 3. Spooky thing number 4 are dust, allergies, dirt, that category. And spooky thing number 5, the mystery, like, the old, like, the mysterious unidentifiable object that you don't even know what it is, and then you come to find out what it is, and then it just spooks you out or freaks you out or not knowing might be the part that is is making you shutter a little bit. So that's the 5 things we're talking about. And one quick thing before I dive into the tips, depending on how you all like this episode and receive this episode, I might then dive in into each of these in a more in-depth episode.
Stephanie [00:05:21]:
So kind of like last year, I did the creepy crawlers, the bugs and the critters. I think what I might do is for the 4 other categories, I'll do 4 other episodes. Maybe not wait until next year. We'll see. I I'd love to get your feedback so then I can give you even more tips because I'm just going to quickly run through each and give you some actionable steps that you could be making to avoid these problems and spooky problems. And then the last thing is just a reminder, you know, I come from the perspective of a professional organizer who has been doing this for over 20 years. I have been in people's spaces and stuff for over 20 years. I have talked to industry professionals in my with that are tangent, that are complementary to what I do.
Stephanie [00:06:06]:
But some of these topics, I will just I will talk about it in the, sense of, like, what what I would suggest that you do or go and find out more about. But I won't be able to give you the full problem, the the, like, the conclusion or how to completely solve the problem because, for instance, with the creepy crawlers, I'm not a bug expert. I'm not an exterminator. I don't deal with that. So I million, literally, probably, you know, over millions of types of bugs, and depending on where you live and and your climate, etcetera, etcetera, they all will be very different. So there's no way I can get into the specifics of each one, but I'm giving you a enough information for you to be equipped with with where to find the solution, okay, and and dig deeper and start the conversation so that we can get to the bottom of it, and you can move past this part that is that is most likely giving you, you know, heartburns, and you're not even able to move past it because it's just creeping you out. So that's what we're trying to do. We're just trying to at least move past it and move closer to a solution where you do feel organized and more productive and efficient and feel good about your space.
Stephanie [00:07:25]:
So that is the goal of the episode. So let's get to the tips. Okay. So spooky problem number 1. The creepy crawlies, the bugs, the critters, anything that may be multiplying in those spaces. The first things first is just identifying that it is a problem. It might not even be a problem. So what I would suggest is that you first assess and you go up there, you go down there.
Stephanie [00:07:50]:
If it's an attic, if it's a basement, you go outside and take a look with the flashlight and go look for either droppings and or debris that a critter might have been there. If it's more like, you know, spiders or things that nest and multiply, see if there's any evidence of that. Take pictures if you'd like. If you don't wanna do it alone, take someone who, is not afraid of doing that and ask them to do it for you or do it with them. Get a professional to come in and do an assessment if you feel like that is not your wheelhouse and you're just it creeps you out. So that's the first thing that I would do because once you know if it is a problem or not or even if there is any evidence of it, I think that will make you feel better and or worse, but at least you will know what is happening, what you have in your hands. I'll give you an example. I've had some clients who who did feel like they had some problems with it because they saw droppings and just evidence that a critter had been there.
Stephanie [00:08:50]:
So what they did is they hired us to just do an assessment of how big of a problem it was because they weren't they they didn't think it was a problem anymore, but they weren't sure. And there are some professional organizers, like, for us and our team, we're okay with going and assessing as long as it doesn't feel like it will be, a safety hazard or a health hazard. And so we did. We got in with our masks and just to take a look, and we we came to the conclusion that it was not it it had been a problem probably, but it didn't seem like it was a bad enough problem that we could not tackle. So we did, and we cleaned it up, and it was fine. That person didn't just was not sure. They needed a second opinion. And so, that's where I just want you to get that second opinion so that it's not just in your head and that you can move past it, you know, and get that second opinion or that third opinion and see how bad it really is.
Stephanie [00:09:40]:
It might actually not be as bad as you think. It might have been a problem at one point. Maybe there was 1 or 2 or little spider nest or, like, on the corner. And, you know, after some, you know, little vacuum cleaner situation, some cleaner situation, it's all gone at least, you know, for now. And then we can seal that place that they may be coming in from, and then it will take care of the problem going forward. But I just want you to assess that to begin with. Some of the tips that I have for you on assessing these things if you're doing it by yourself on your own is to wear gloves, get a mask, and a flashlight. Something else that is very unconventional, I think, that I have found to be very handy is to go online to neighborhood portals, neighborhood groups, chat rooms, Next Door, Facebook, whatever group you're in, text messages, and do a search for, you know, for certain types of bugs that you think you may have and see if anyone else has been having the problems as of lately.
Stephanie [00:10:40]:
So I would go, you know, the last year and see what kind of activity because if you if other neighbors have it, you might also, and so your suspicions might be accurate. And if it's if you if you don't know, then that search will also help you just kind of compare notes. Okay? So that's something that I've done for clients in the past. I would encourage you to do the same. And if you get creeped out or you don't like seeing those types of pictures and maybe have your kiddo or your partner or your friend, whoever, do the search for you and tell you what their findings were. But, again, that will at least give you a heads up of what you may be encountering, what what you might be needing to deal with. Okay. So some of the preventative strategies that I would have for you is to have good good bins, good storage system that is not cardboard that where they cannot breed.
Stephanie [00:11:36]:
Okay? So cardboard is just because of the nature of how it's made. It's porous. It has they can just kind of get it not porous, but, you know, they the way they make it depending on what type they make, like, they can nest inside it. So it's just kinda gross. Plastic just seems to be the best option for for these spaces. I try to be as eco friendly as possible, see if there's anybody that is selling some, so that you don't have to go buy new ones. But just plastic containers, anything that has ceiling gaps, are going to be really good. They do make commercial grade sealing sealant seal type of bins as well.
Stephanie [00:12:10]:
So if you're in a garage or a shed where you need heavier duty type of plastic, hardier, then definitely get some of those. But, really, the solution is just, like, I'm trying to avoid them coming in. But here's where it gets really funny and tricky. If the stuff you are storing needs ventilation and needs airflow, then you have to think about that as well. Right? I mean, if it needs ventilation, you might need something that has a a filter where air can come in, but not anything that's, you know, anything that's bigger than air or, you know, you can clean out the filter. There are bins that you can get that have those types of ventilation systems. They're just, cart cartridges or little slides that you put in into either the lid or the side of the bin so that, it can get some airflow. Because that's where I see that some people don't think about that where they'll get something that's so well sealed, but then all that moisture, or if you didn't clean whatever you put inside it, very well, then there's no airflow, and it just messes it all up or it just becomes really musty type of thing.
Stephanie [00:13:18]:
And then if you have the container, in a place where it gets a lot of sunlight or it's prone to the natural elements, then everything inside it might get, might create the opposite opposite problem. Like, it'll just get ruined because it did not get airflow. So you do have to think about that, but we just don't want the critters to get in there. Right? So okay. So that is some of my strategies. Let's get to spooky problem number 2, and that is the mold and mildew. This is a group of on its own because this is both a health health hazard, and it's very inconvenient. It's just so discomforting to find moldy or mildewy items because it's it's almost for lack of a better word, it's a bummer because you can't really do much about it once it's been hit by one of those mold and mildew.
Stephanie [00:14:05]:
There's solutions out there from creators, from experts that might help you diminish it so it doesn't continue to spread, and it's very predominant where there's damp spaces. So for all of you who have a damp climate, that's, like, going to be a bigger problem. But, really, it's in any space that has those damp type of spaces. Bathrooms are a big one, under the sink. So think anywhere where it might the moisture is being kept and not ventilated and not drying out fully. There's a quite a bit of health risks associated with mold, and this is why some of you are very hesitant to go tackle those spaces. Maybe your stuff got rained on and then you put it away, and now you know that it has some mold and mildew that you may you might not be able to see. That's the thing.
Stephanie [00:14:55]:
Mold and mildew. Some of it's yeah. Some of it's the black kind, the green kind, and you can see it. Some of it is you cannot see it at all, but you're breathing it. So I just want you to be really, really observant about this. And if you don't know, hire an expert, get some kits that you can test this stuff out. Now I'm staying in my lane, and I don't wanna talk about the health risks and if it's right or wrong or true or not. But I you know, working through this for a very long time, that is a big risk, and I just want you to be aware of it.
Stephanie [00:15:25]:
How can you avoid this? Some strategies to go around this. You certainly can clean safely clean some of it. It's more about managing, not so much removing it. I mean, I guess if you cut it or throw it away, that's one way of removing it. But if it's something that you want to keep or salvage as much as possible, the name of the game here is to try to mitigate it. So look up how first, you need to find out what kind of mold or mildew it is. Get yourself an expert or a kit or go online, do your research, find out what it is, get confirmation, and then look up how you can fix this, how you can remedy it. This is where my pro organizing hat as a friend comes in, though, and I'm just here to give you the heads up.
Stephanie [00:16:14]:
Some of these processes take quite a while, like, you have to air it out and it's just this whole disinfectant. It's this whole process I've seen people do. You need to evaluate if that is worth your time or not. We have an episode about should you DIY it, do it yourself, or outsource it. Okay? So listen to that. I'll put it in the show notes. The warning here is I just don't want you to get so stuck into trying to salvage every little thing that you make no progress at all, and it just creates even more stress and more of a delay and frustration. And now your space is even messier than it was before while you're trying to salvage this one thing.
Stephanie [00:16:54]:
So I just want you to be really careful about that and just not go overboard, especially if it's not worth it financially for you. So some of the trip tips, excuse me, that I would give you to salvage this or to prevent mold and mildew is to use moisture absorbers. Just look up moisture absorbers. Quite a few companies make them. There's also machines, like the bigger type of moisture absorbers that you can get, and proper ventilation, of course, is one of them. I had a couple clients down in Florida who I helped organize their RVs and and vacation homes, and it was in a you know, Florida. It's a very humid place. So we did place those absorbers that then we would change every couple of months.
Stephanie [00:17:39]:
Like, I would send them reminders that you can just hang on your closets and in different spaces. You can also just get a dehumidifier dehumidifier, for the whole house. I mean, that just that that's a different price range, but there are solutions. Basically, I just want you to keep that space as humanly possible as, like, dry as possible and drying out that humidity that is accumulating. Okay? So that's some of my tips for this one. Alright. Let's go to spooky tip number 3, which is the emotional discoveries that can be very spooky where you find personal and sentimental finds that you didn't know were there. If it was not your stuff, that's even especially spooky because you may not have had any idea that this stuff existed, that this past is being discovered and encountered, and that can be an entire roller coaster.
Stephanie [00:18:34]:
As you can see, you know, you probably can tell this can be an entire episode of its own. I'll give you some examples of what I have found in people's homes and what we've done to remedy this, but this could be really, really scary. And, again, if you may even for your own stuff, like, if it's stuff that you already knew existed but forgot, that can also be a bit of a shock, but if it's somebody else or maybe a partner discovered it, it can just have a lot of emotions to it. It could be good emotions, it could be bad, but they're just very deep, so let's talk about it. Okay. So because these items can be can have this unsettling feeling of finding forgotten things, like letters, journals, photographs, it can stir up a lot of emotions. So I'll share one example of, like, why that matters. It's because it doesn't allow you to keep going.
Stephanie [00:19:23]:
It, like, halts you. Right? Now you wanna go down memory lane. Whenever this happens, we really just put this to the side and and save us save a time to address those things. Like, those things, that area needs its own time to get addressed. In my opinion, it should not be lumped into your overall regular organizing journey, like, when you're decluttering yes, no, or you're going through junk mail, or, you know, the stack of papers that you're going through. When it comes to sentimental items, it really should be its own project. And the more you have of it, the more I would just suggest you put that to the side and go through that on its own time. That's that's its own project, because I don't want that to be the stopping point for you making progress in your other everyday items that are not as sentimental.
Stephanie [00:20:16]:
And here's what ends up happening. When you have enough practice with your everyday items, with things that are easier, stuff that's easier to decide what to do, to keep, to let go, to sell, to donate, When you have that practice and you see the momentum and the change, the more that will inspire you to make decisions with your sentimental stuff. Okay? So I just I want you to practice the muscle of executive decision making. 1st, practice that a few rounds, and then go to the sentimental items because it can be very scary. It could be very overwhelming. It can cause problems between family members when you start to uncover some of this stuff. So I just don't want you to go there until you're ready and you have as many of the tools tools as possible, like either a therapist or or a moderator or a, you know, best friend, somebody that can guide you through this so that you can get unstuck when you get to that point. That's what we have done with most of our clients.
Stephanie [00:21:18]:
We just separate that and make that its own project. Okay. So how can you handle these emotions, in emotional moments? Again, I'm not a licensed therapist or anything like that. I highly recommend you getting someone that can help you through it that is that specializes in this because it could be overwhelming. And it some past trauma will come up and feelings will come up. So have someone that can that is qualified to guide you through this. With that being said, I have some quick tips as a pro organizer that I have seen work. And, one is having compassion for yourself or the person that you're helping, which means having a little bit of patience, understanding that this is its own journey, that it's not, for the most part, you know, the person being difficult, the person delaying, the person trying to be mean, or whatever negative connotation you have towards this emotion and this this this task.
Stephanie [00:22:16]:
Okay? It's probably not on purpose. If it is on purpose, it's a different subject here. So I just want you to come at it with some compassion and some patience. So, again, just put it to the side and move to something that you are able to control that, you're able to help them with or you're able to help yourself with because you can't really control the way that you will feel when you are going through that the emotional boxes. And then the others is if you're able to if if this is especially if this is stuff that is, like, family, like, inherited stuff from family and you have other people that could help you with the decision making because they know how important this was. So I'm talking to all of you who have siblings. I'm talking to all of you who may have cousins, relatives, friend groups that were very close to the person that you're decluttering and helping decluttering and organize. They could part be part of the community that makes those decisions with you.
Stephanie [00:23:14]:
So it's almost like a voting system. Okay? And that way, you can you can make it yes. You can gamify it, but it's almost like this feeling of, okay. Other people agree that this needs to go. Other people agree that we should keep this or invest in fixing it and making this better. I'll give you a quick example before we move on that, this is really evident in in furniture. So I had a client who had this, like, armoire and buffet table. So it's 2 very beautiful pieces, and they were just kept in the storage room forever and ever, and they didn't wanna pay for the storage room anymore.
Stephanie [00:23:46]:
I mean, it wasn't like, it was it was money, you know, that they had to spend every month, and they were not really using it for anything else other than storing it was, like, a grandparent's stuff. Anyway, they wanted to do something with it, but they the so the family that was paying for it felt like they were keeping it because they didn't wanna make that decision by themselves, like, to get rid of it. So they included as many family members that they knew would be impacted by this decision as possible. And what ended up happening is, at first, there are some of the cousins and relatives said, oh, my gosh, of course. Like, we don't want that to be your responsibility only. We'll chip in for the storage room while we decide what to do with it. So I think they did that for a couple of months over the summer because then we came back in the fall. A couple years ago.
Stephanie [00:24:36]:
We came back in the fall, and then they decided they were going to upcycle it or just, like, upgrade it. I think it had, like, some of the hinges weren't working and stuff. So they decided they to hire a professional to fix it, and then they did, offer it and put it in in some of their relatives' houses that that where they did wanna keep it. But they didn't wanna take it on when it was all broken and didn't it didn't work. So, basically, the family pitched in. Okay? So this became, like, a family and friends. Some of them were friends that they all pitched in so that there was not just one responsible party paying for the storage and also to get it fixed, and also so that so that when they would get together, they could see the armoire and the buffet table because I guess I guess the grandmother had put, like, all their names and all the different, celebrations that they had had inside, and they wanted to keep that going. So they did take some pictures, so in case it broke or got damaged, they would have, you know, that memory still alive.
Stephanie [00:25:36]:
But then they just chipped in to get it fixed and keep the memory going and find someone that did want to keep it, which I thought was beautiful. It was a beautiful way to, like, a win win for everybody. Right? So think about all of that. It doesn't have to be so heavy and so scary to do this on your own. Rely on your community. Rely on your friends. Rely on people that might be interested in helping you in this. And also, just remember that this is a project on its own, so put it to the side and address it, on its own and not part of your overall organizing and declaring journey.
Stephanie [00:26:11]:
Okay. Let's go over to spooky problem number 4. Okay. So this is where the dust, the allergies, and the dirt come in. We group them together because it's just more about dirt, less about other creepy little things. I mean, it's still creepy, but this is, like, its, its own problem. You know, dust buildup can trigger can trigger allergies, and that's a big problem. So that in itself, it's it's one thing.
Stephanie [00:26:36]:
And so it can be really unpleasant, and some of you will procrastinate because of all the debris and all how you feel physically, not just mentally of the phobia that you may have, but physically, your body cannot adjust or take care of it. So some of the practical tips I have for you on here are to prepare for these spaces with some masks, some cleaning supplies, of course. You got air filters, all that stuff. But hire a professional. Similar to the creepy crawlers, hire someone to come in and clean it for you. But in this category, you can hire something like a professional cleaning company, and they can come in. And you can just say, hey. I I will be tackling this, but can you help just clear, clean as much of it as possible so that I can come in and and organize and declutter and sort through everything.
Stephanie [00:27:27]:
So what many of them will do or and or I would suggest that you tell them to do is to, if you have a lot of fabrics, clothing, towels, things like that, have them shake it up a little bit, shake it up all the dust. Like, try to get as much of the dust out as possible and so that you can go through it. You know, the this process is one of those things that you might find that you don't even want to pay and go that extra mile, and I get it. But it might be worth it if you have vintage items, antiques, things that were sentimental to you and you do want to keep. Or you might just say to them, you know, or to the company that you end up hiring to do this or friends or whoever it may be to just do as much as possible. Maybe, like, put put a budget to it. So just say I have this amount of, you know, a $100, whatever it may be. How what can you get down for a $100? Because, really, what you're trying to do is get as much of the dust, dirt, and debris out of there so that you can at least function in the room.
Stephanie [00:28:25]:
So that's one of the tips that I have for you. Another tip that I have for you that we've done personally is we moved everything to the to the garage, opened up the garage, and let it air out for a couple of days. And so it it was almost like a double like, we did 2 things at once because what we did is we took everything out of the space. It was an attic, and we've done this actually for basement as well. But, an attic, we took everything out, cleaned the attic. That gave us time for the 1st crew to come in and put new shelving together and clear it out and do that while the other crew was dusting everything and not, like, fully cleaning it, but just enough so that the allergies and, like, the family that was living there just felt like they could at least go into the room and start decluttering and organizing and stuff like that. So those were the 2 crews and then we, came together in the 3rd step and then put everything back as fast as possible or as efficient as possible while trying to declutter because they were not ready to go through every little thing because they felt like they could do it themselves. They just were not able to because every time they were in that room, you know, they couldn't breathe.
Stephanie [00:29:33]:
So that was a problem. So that's what some of the suggestions that I would have for you. Basically, just clear it out, clean it out as much as possible, and then tackle the organizing, the decluttering, the repurposing separate from the just trying to get it all at least set up so that you can go in and start the process. So spooky tip number or spooky thing number 5 is the mystery and those old unidentifiable objects, like those mysterious things that that come up. So this is a very broad section on purpose because I'm gonna tell you a couple stories. Some of them will be TMI, too much information, Might gross you out a little bit, so listener beware, but I just wanna be honest with you and and what is what comes up so that you feel you can feel heard and seen that you might not you're not the only one in a in in like a loving way here. Okay? So you you might feel alone in this or embarrassed, but please don't be. Many of us have seen this in our profession.
Stephanie [00:30:35]:
It's very normal within its context of some of the stories that I'm gonna tell you. So this is the stuff this is the category where you have that eerie feeling where you know that it doesn't really belong there. So this is, like, where gross things might live. If you have if you had a family member that had something like dementia, some mental health illness, this is where this category lives, like stuff that they might have been hoarding, stuff that they might have been doing and kept and bought, and you had no idea. Okay. So this that's one category, and it's very it can be very hard and emotional. So similar to our last strategy is to kind of keep that separate. Like, put those things that are creeping you out, grossing you out to the side because that will be a process that you tackle to also uncover some of the trauma from that person or you that you had.
Stephanie [00:31:36]:
Again, it could be like dementia. It could be a very emotional thing, because you realize what they were going through for those years. So that's one category and then or one section of this. And then the other section is, like, some of it might be biohazard, might might be where you don't feel comfortable going in there just more for it could be like a danger, like, especially spaces that, aren't very sturdy, like that type of dang like, dangerous spaces. So those could be very, very awkward and very uncomfortable situations to be in, but they can definitely be tackled. The other parts of stuff that maybe you have kept over the years, your spouse, whoever you live with or whoever you're helping with, that you were really afraid to throw away, like, old technology. You may you might have those things that are that are more, nostalgic for you and that you had no idea you kept. So maybe you know you have your old clothes from when you were a baby.
Stephanie [00:32:34]:
Okay. Fine. But this is where you don't even know what this is, but you know you kept it for a reason. Some of you have, like, those old phones, old things from maybe your parents, 8 tracks, etcetera, etcetera. Those are the things I'm talking about that you might not even know what they are. Okay. So, if that's what you're coming across, then it might be difficult for you to move forward because you are hesitant to let it go. Number 1, you might think it's worth more than it really is.
Stephanie [00:33:04]:
Number 2, you might be thinking all these feelings will come up, very very eerie feelings of of nostalgia and also, oh my gosh. I didn't know this was going on. So this is like a this is like a very confusing category that some of you are in. So some of my suggestions on how to go about this is to evaluate these items. Some Some of the questions I want you to ask yourself, and we have some decision trees on this. Okay? So head on down to the show notes, but for the keep it or toss it decision trees. And so do they still serve a purpose? Like, do you do you know what it is, and would you use it? Can they be repurposed or donated? Like, may start seeing making those quick decisions. And if you come across a section that would make you grossed out or you feel like, oh, you just discovered something about your past or your loved one's past, your own past that needs to be addressed on its own, we're going to put that in the on its own project category, similar to the sentimental items because stuff will come up that I don't want it to stop the rest of your organizing decluttering journey.
Stephanie [00:34:15]:
This is, again, where, family secrets might come up. You may be finding old love letters from someone that you forgot, you didn't know, and then you're going to be just, you know, going down that rabbit hole. And so that journey of finding yourself, the past is its own journey to the organizing journey. It's like 2 different things, and I I really want to make that super clear because people then feel like they're overwhelmed, and they mix the 2. And I'm like, no. No. No. No.
Stephanie [00:34:47]:
It's 2 different things. Let's go organize your pantry, but if you find your old recipe box from your grandmother and from you, and going through the recipe binder that's all a hot mess, that's like making a whole mess in one of your pantry shelves, that is a project on its own because we're now entering into nostalgia, we're entering into things from your past that we don't want to confuse and merge with just deciding if this is expired food or not. Like, 2 different things. 2 two different emotions. So I want you to make sure to separate those and tackle them that way. Something else I want you to do is if you don't, especially with the older stuff, if you don't know what it is, take a picture. Google Lens now has, you know, an AI and all of these, like, great language model, visual models are out there great now that you can take a picture, and you can ask the Internet. You can ask the models and ask, what is it, and is it dangerous? This is very predominant with some of the dishware, some of the items that were made in times when things that are now illegal and we know are not good for you will, will come up.
Stephanie [00:36:03]:
Like, oh, I had no idea that this was this, you know, type of hazardous material. Take a picture, go online, see what the Internet is telling you, and then make educated decisions based off of that. Obviously, ask the experts if you can. And if you know someone, you can always message us. We can guide you to somebody that might know, so that way, you know how to properly discard of it or what to do with it. Okay? So that's some some of the solutions. Alright. So, that's the wrap up for today.
Stephanie [00:36:32]:
If you liked this episode, please let us know, and just remember and, oh, and if you didn't, please let us know as well because that will help me, and I won't make the other 4 more in-depth episodes because I do I feel like you would all appreciate it. And I'll give you more stories and more concrete strategies if I make I already made the the creepy crawlers episode. But if I make episodes out of the other four sections and give you even more tips on that and maybe even bring some experts into it along the way. But let me know either way. So anyway, but don't forget that these spaces are completely manageable with the right tools and the right people in your circle and your community. Okay? So don't let these dark corners scare you away from organizing and decluttering. These are just spaces that have not seen the light of day and can be creepy, but we can do this and we can do this together, and we can overcome that obstacle so that you can make space for what is important to you now, and it can lighten the load from you. And if you ever need to talk through some of these creepy categories, come over to our quarterly and free workshops that we have all throughout the year where we I just basically, it's an hour where you can ask me anything and we can talk about some of these subjects and see what you can do about it.
Stephanie [00:37:54]:
We also have a free keep or toss decision tree. We have 2 editions right now, the inheritance edition, so it's stuff that you inherited and then stuff that was yours. Okay? So it's a decision tree, quick yes, no answer so that you can determine, if you should be keeping it or maybe letting it go or what other options you have. Okay? So you can practice that muscle of making fast decisions to help you in your organizing journey. Until next week, happy organizing. Thank you for listening to the organized and productive podcast with The Organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here.
Stephanie [00:38:34]:
For full show notes and resources, head on over to the organized flamingo.com/podcast. Happy organizing.
