Prompt Card from Declutter Deck™: Cleaning Supplies
Set your timer for 60 minutes and take a before photo.
Step 1: Take Everything Out and Make the Pile
This prompt is very similar to the prompt about hair products. Performing this prompt, you will need to locate all your cleaning supplies. Pull them from throughout your home and look hard. As we say about the KonMari Method®, make the pile. I typically find people store their cleaning supplies in the following areas: under the sink in the laundry room, under the kitchen sink, in the garage in a cabinet, in a bathroom closet with bathroom overflow, and in the pantry. I think the most logical place to put cleaning supplies is under the sink. This is true unless you have small children and don’t have childproof locks. Or, if your child is very cleaver at getting around the locks. In this case, place your cleaning supplies in an upper cabinet, perhaps in the laundry room if you have overhead storage, or on a high shelf in your pantry. They are, though, most convenient under the sink in your kitchen.
Keep the supplies upright as you make the pile, as there is the potential for them to spill. Make sure all the caps are screwed on securely, and that anything leaking is either transferred to a different container or put in the trash with a plastic bag around it. There is some debate about what to do with excess cleaning supplies, half-full bottles, and duplicate items that you no longer need. I typically take mine to my local Habitat for Humanity’s Restore. The volunteers and employees always greet me with a warm smile and are so incredibly grateful for this type of donation. Check to see if they have a location near-by or call your favorite local charity to see if they take this type of donation, especially half bottles.
Step 2: Group Your Cleaning Supplies
Once you have taken everything out, and lined up the products, determine if there are duplicates. Then try to consolidate. That means if you have three bottles of Lavender Method Spray with various amounts in each, see if you can consolidate down to two and recycle the empty bottle. I find that when I declutter under sink cabinets, there are a lot of empty or near-empty bottles, many duplicates, and almost always a few things that are leaking.
Once you’ve consolidated what you can and discarded any products that are no longer the right color, smell funny, missing a lid, or leaking, it’s time to group. Grouping involves really giving this category some thought. You’ll need to see if some of your products do double-duty, and one can be let go. This is especially true if you’re trying to lead a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. In the past, you may have purchased cleaning supplies with a lot of chemicals and you no longer purchase chemical supplies but lean more toward the natural variety. I try to purchase only natural, cruelty-free products, if possible. And I try not to over purchase and be mindful of what I do buy. There is a lot of wasted plastic in cleaning supplies. One option to reduce this is to purchase large refill bottles to restock your products instead of smaller bottles with a nozzle that utilize more plastic. I find that almost all my products have refill bags or bottles, which makes me feel better about what I consume.
Step 3: Edit
Decide what you want to keep and what you want to donate. Or give your excess supplies to someone else who might need what you no longer do. Under my sink, I tend to keep only a few items. I keep a liquid spray, like Method, to wipe down my countertops. I use Bartenders Keeper for a good deal of things, from removing stains on my countertop, to cleaning my sink. I have a cruelty-free dish soap, and something for my stainless steel that works best on my appliances. I use a dishwasher detergent that is conscious of the amount of packaging it uses, calls “dropps.” They work great. I am also in the process of replacing paper towels with Swedish Dish Cloths from the same manufacturer, and looking into Geometry’s Not Paper Towels. I have two natural products to clean the bathrooms, something to clean my floors, and lemon oil for my furniture. Aside from that, I own very little else. Most of my products do double-duty.
Step 4: Return Everything to its Place
I contain everything upright in two mdesign plastic bins. Nothing spills. If it does, the bottom of the plastic bin catches everything. I can see what I have, and if one of the products I own doesn’t work for a specific need, I figure out an alternative product that works. There is ample space under my kitchen sink for all my products. I also put a small glass or ceramic bowl under my sink to contain my sink stopper and drain cover. That’s it.
I find that the less I have, the more I use all my cleaning products. I can be more conscious and mindful of what I purchase because I purchase so little. In this category, I can select cruelty-free products, ones that do less damage to the environment, and are overall less toxic to my family.
Once you have put everything back, you’re finished. Replace and adjust as necessary. It’s that simple!
Take an after photo. Then, you’re finished for the day.
(Instructions provided by professional organizers at The Uncluttered Life, Inc.)
About Life Hack Decks™
Declutter Decks™ are part of the life Hack Decks™ collection. Life Hack Decks™ are powerful micro-prompt motivational cards to make your life easier while reducing stress in your day. These decks simplify ineffective routines and help you go from stuck and overwhelmed to inspired and empowered. Life Hack Decks™ take the stress out of decision-making and motivate you to tackle things you’ve been putting off for years. We say, Delegate to the Deck®.
Life Hack Decks™ (52 cards per deck) allow you to focus on the things that bring you joy, happiness, and connection with others rather than lingering in the mundane, anxiety-producing ruts in which we often find ourselves. The Life Hack Decks™ collection currently includes: Date Deck®, Declutter Deck®, Dorm Deck, New Mama Deck.and Random Acts of Kindness Deck.
Order your Declutter Deck™ to get your cleaning products and supplies in order. $19.95 plus shipping. And don’t forget to tag us and a friend at @lifehackdecks to show us your before-and-after photos.