Transforming Your Home

Going zero-waste doesn't mean you need to give up all your stuff to live in a an empty home, yet it could mean giving up all the accumulated excess that no longer serves you.

Going zero-waste does mean that you will consider deeply the purpose and environmental impacts of your next purchases.  

More stuff means more time spent on managing those things or finding what you need. It is far more enjoyable to be in a room clear of clutter than it is to be suffocated in a space of over-accumulation.  

Think of your home as your base that extends to all other areas of your life.  Your home is where you rest, prepare food, make life decisions, nurture, spend intimate time alone or with family or roommates.  Shouldn't this be the place you feel most comfortable in, a place to revive with opportunity to contemplate feeling safe and secure?

I purged once (sometimes I refer to this as 'clearing').  It took about a month and even after that I still found spaces in my home that felt were clogged with excess belongings that served no purpose in my life. 

It was overwhelming to begin this process, yet once I started I begun to feel a shadow weight lift and continued on in a state of pure inspiration.  In the end, I felt so clear and suddenly had so much more time to do things I'm not sure I would have otherwise even considered.  I wrote a novel instead of cleaning up toys.  I learned to bake bread and pitas in place of tidying counter tops and stressing over the next days school lunches. 

How?  I'd love to give you a precise model, but really, I've found this process is very individual.  I'll share my own personal steps and feel free to mirror them, but I suspect, once you begin you'll figure out your own mode.

I started in the towel/sheet cupboard since I'm least attached to linens.  First I dumped everything out.  Everything.  I wiped down the shelves and left them to breath in new air.
I went through my great pile, taking out all the items I didn't need, use or really like.  I think we all have a pillow case or two we opt to never use whether it's because of the scratchy material or design that irritates us.  I put those items in a box to bring to the thrift shop.
The towels and sheets fraying or holed up I put in another box to later use for other purposes (made into wash cloths, used as art drops or for my husband working on an oil change).

In the end I had a whooping three large boxes to donate full of sheets we didn't have the right size bed for, pillow cases I loathed but knew another would love and some extra towels we never used. I even had left over mattress covers for a crib.

It was actually kinda thrilling to give up all that stuff taking up so much space.  A sense of cleanliness and pride for what I chose to keep inspired me for the next space.  First I had to put all my chosen belongings back.  With all that new-found space I was able to segregate a 'home' for each type of item.  I rolled my towels and placed them low so my kids could reach them easily. I neatly folded each set of sheets and placed them in a pillow case and rolled the extra pillow cases and placed them in their own space.

I next moved to the bedrooms, starting with my own.  I took every piece of clothing I owned and dumped them on the bed and even scoured the rest of my house for any other clothing.  With my entire wardrobe sitting in a heap I realized I didn't wear over half of it. 
 One by one I picked up each article of clothing and asked myself how I felt about it (do I feel comfortable/beautiful/does it even fit?), then either threw it in the To-Go box or the Keep pile.  I quickly found myself with a third pile of Indecisions.  This third pile was a collection of clothes I mostly felt guilty to get rid of (someone had given it to me) or I had a memory attached (the silk dress I wore when I was pregnant).  I disregarded it all to the To-Go box, reminding myself that these items took up space and when I looked at them I didn't feel inspired to wear them.  Why keep anything you don't feel great, comfortable or beautiful in?

What's left hanging on my side of the closet.

After my drawers were wiped down and had aired out I put my few clothes back and now, every time I go to get dressed I feel happy to see only what I love to wear. 

My Shirt Drawer Now

I went through this same process with my kids and kept only a weeks worth of each category of clothes (pants, shirts, swimming ect).  The pay off has been less laundry, messy drawers or the feeling of being weighted down by excess.  

My daughters shirt drawer

I did this with my children's toys (with my children), using an empty bottom drawer in their dresser to store what they chose to keep, the one or two larger items on a shelf.  Anything in my own closet that didn't belong or sat stuffed away, I gave up.  This has resulted in a sense of calm and I sleep better and wake up without the clutter staring me down.

I repeated this process throughout my entire home, even outside in the yard and in my garage.  My vehicle as well has went through a clearing and even my e-mail account opens to only what is needed to easily trash the stuff not. 

When I take a day to clean my home, I do so with appreciation and gratitude now.  I don't have to spend the extra time clearing the floor to vacuum and I watch my children take the same enjoyment in the few thing they chose to keep.  

It's a lesson in not taking on more than you need.  It's freeing up time to let your true purpose stream out more easily so you can actually experience your life in a place of calm and focus without the clutter to scatter your thoughts astray.  

My fireplace mantel used to be stuffed with things that didn't have a 'home'.  Today it only holds what we use, and each month I prop a different piece of art or photo to enjoy.

Start with a space you are least attached to the items to deal with.  Please post a comment of your experience with this.  I would love to see your before and afters as well!