Photo by Amber Faust/Pexels
When I was growing up, cleaning my room was fun. I would blast some Backstreet Boys and begin by creating one giant pile on the floor. I’d sort that pile into categories and go to town. I had a system. Twenty years later, the task of cleaning or decluttering seems less approachable.
Even with a modest-sized home, I feel overwhelmed. And yet that freeing, breezy feeling after a round of “spring cleaning” calls to me, seemingly just out of reach. I’m stuck.
Photo courtesy Kristen Ziegler
So, I turned to the expert. I first became familiar with Kristen Ziegler, her extreme adoption of minimalism and her organization company, Minima, through her talk at Creative Mornings Richmond. She is continually named favorite home organizer in our annual R•Home Readers' Favorites. A quick conversation with Ziegler reinvigorated my decluttering senses and has me ready to dive into spring cleaning. Wherever you may be in your cleaning/organizing/decluttering journey, I hope our chat helps you, too.
R•Home: Can you speak to some of the benefits of cleaning and decluttering that may motivate those of us dragging our feet?
Kristen Ziegler: Organization is a means to an end for most people. For me, it’s like an art and it brings me so much joy to do it, and that’s why I do what I do for a living. But yes, for most people it’s kind of a chore.
I think setting your intention before you get started is really important. There’s always something bigger that motivates people to get started. They feel stressed. They feel like they don’t have enough time. They want to have more quality time with their loved ones, or just [to] feel peaceful when they come home. Even go so far as writing down your vision for your life. When you’re hitting a wall with your spring cleaning or decluttering, revisit the vision and it can really help you keep going.
Also, reflect on the small wins that you’ve already achieved in the process and remember how good those felt. Like, “Oh my god, I saved 10 minutes in the morning getting ready, because my closet’s organized now. Even though the kitchen isn’t done, how great is that?” Because you’ll get to the kitchen.
RH: Spring cleaning can be about sorting and decluttering stuff, but it can also refer to deep cleaning — like elbow-grease chores. I know that the latter is not part of your job, but can you speak to how the two are related?
Ziegler: Oh, yes, definitely. When you declutter, you have clear surfaces, you have less stuff on the floor, and it’s just easier to clean. It’s easier to keep things clean, and it’s faster to clean. That’s one of my big motivators for being such a minimalist. I think, “Do I want to have to dust this thing?” “Do I want to have to pick this thing up and clean under it?” It really has to be awesome for me to do that.
Also, with knickknacks and stuff, if there are too many, it can just kind of become white noise. If it’s just one or two really special things, you really can pause and notice and appreciate them on a daily basis.
I think there’s a third level of cleaning too: energetic cleaning. When the seasons change, we can feel an inner change happening as well. A lot of times, that’s when we let go of stale relationships, or change jobs. It’s just a time of change in general for a lot of people.
So, I think my thing with decluttering and letting go and simplifying is that you’re removing stale energy from your home, from your life. Things you’re not using are stagnant, and you can feel it on whatever subconscious level. When you let go of that, you allow space for new opportunities and new energy to flow in.
I think that’s the biggest gift organization and simplicity gives you: being able to live in the moment and not feel this backlog of to-dos and stress.
RH: Do you have any advice for folks who are indeed up for some spring cleaning, but live with a roommate or partner who’s not on the same page?
Ziegler: The best thing to do is just start with yourself and set an example. You can’t force anyone if they’re just not into it.
Typically when I get a call from a new client, if they’re in a relationship, 90 percent of time it’s the woman calling. Their other half is usually either on board, neutral, or like “don’t touch my stuff.” No matter which of the three they are, 90 percent of the time, after we’ve worked with the person who called us in the first place, their partner comes around. Sometimes people just don’t get it until they feel it.
Set an example. Don’t push. Just be like, “This is what I’m doing.” And then they’re like, “Oh, that’s amazing. I want it.”
RH: How do you know if you can tackle your spring cleaning goals by yourself or if you should call a professional like Minima?
Ziegler: Time is a lot of it. Most of the clients who call us are perfectly capable of doing it; they just don’t have time. Bringing in a professional is just going to expedite the process. If you can place a dollar value on your time and compare that to our services, and how quickly we can get it done, then it makes sense. If it’s in your budget to do it, just do it. It’s such a good gift.
RH: Okay, I’m ready. Where do I start?
Ziegler: Remember that there’s not really a right or a wrong place to start, except paper and memorabilia. Save that for last. Start with what you’re most excited to start with, and that will help build the momentum into the next space and into the next space. Really do try to complete one area before carrying into another. You don’t want to get overzealous and end up with five half-done projects.
Also, be systematic; go through things categorically. Let’s say you’re cleaning out the utility closet that has light bulbs and batteries and home improvement supplies, but let’s say you have a couple of drawers in the kitchen with that stuff, too. It’s really good to just pull that out together, sort it into categories, and see what you have so you can eliminate duplication and really look at the big picture all at once.
Again, start with your intentions. The process of decluttering helps you get clear with what your lifestyle is all about, what adds value to you. When you remove what doesn’t, all that’s left is what really reflects your life as it is now. When you’re going through and trying to decide what to keep and what to let go of, really, there are a lot of questions you can ask that are specific to whatever category you’re working on, but the big overarching thing is, does it add value to your life? Would you miss it if it were gone? Is it earning its keep?
To learn more about Kristen Ziegler and her services, check out Minima's website.
