If you have mastered the “Quick Purge” and you’re ready to devote MANY hours (or even a weekend) to purging more of your house, then keep reading!
The “Great Purge” or the “Long Purge” is when you have a few hours or longer to work on a project. I find a combination of the “Quick Purge” and the “Great Purge” methods works best.
If you haven’t seen The Home Edit on Netflix, you need to watch it. They teach you that everything should have a “zone.” A “zone” is an area or space that contains “like items.” For example, your pantry may have a “snack zone,” a “soup zone,” a “baking zone,” etc. Each room in your house will have zones for that particular area.
Long Purge – My Story
One Friday afternoon, I decided it was time to tackle my master bedroom. Not just the external surfaces but every drawer, cabinet, and under the bed hiding space I could find. I emptied all my drawers and then sorted everything by zones for my bedroom. All my underwear/bras got put together, t-shirts, books, remotes, devices, etc. (Side note: I read the Marie Kondo book, and she suggested if you laid everything out, you would be surprised at how much you owned of that one item.)
Once I saw everything laid out, I realized I owned way too many bras. It was easier to purge once I saw I had 15 bras but only wore the same 3-4. I kept 6 and got rid of the rest.
Every once in a while, I would come across something that didn’t belong in my room. I would take that item and put it by the door so that I could take it to its proper home. I found so many extension cords shoved in our nightstands. I knew there were more in other places in the house, so I made an electronic drop zone on a cabinet shelf. I informed my family that if they came across anything electronic, to put it on that shelf until I could organize it.
Once I had purged the items, I started putting things back in their place. Each item now had a home. I slept like a baby that first night. It took me 4 hours (I have 4 kids), and I was recovering from surgery.
To go to sleep, seeing how peaceful my room was, and even knowing the drawers were organized and cleaned, and not pushed to their limits with clothes and junk felt SO amazing.
I went to my master bathroom next. Then to the den, kitchen, office, kids’ bedrooms, etc. I kept making spots for everything, and it allowed me to see how much of each object we owned, and I was able to donate the excess without ever feeling like I was having to decide between keeping and not keeping a particular item.
I did the Great Purge/Long Purge room-by-room. It took me two weeks to do most of the house. Seeing all the cabinets and drawers organized brought so much happiness to my heart. Once I started emptying drawers and cabinets, I found so many things that I had purchased twice because I couldn’t find the original one.
How many things of face wash do you really need?
I’m proud to say that everything is still in its place, within reason, three months later.
Do you know how much time I’ve saved looking for “XYZ” because I now know it has a place in my home?
Here are some basic instructions to get you started on your “Long Purge”
- Block off an adequate amount of time. Put a movie on that you can see in the background while you work, or put some music on and get to work.
- Choose a room or space that you have wanted to organize.
- Decide what you are going to use that space for. If it’s a linen closet, but you want to store your extra electrical equipment, make a shelf for electrical only.
- Clear a space you can work with while you empty the room you are working in. (Example: I cleaned off my bed when I did my master bedroom so I could lay everything out on the bed, except clothes)
- Start putting everything together in a zone. (Example: Supplies, Electrical, Office, Kid toys, Sports, Linens, etc.)
- PURGE all the stuff you don’t need or want, broke, missing pieces, or have never used. See tips below.
- Take a dance break or coffee break or wine if you want some.
- Once you have everything sorted, ONLY put back the items you WANT in that area. Make that area SHINE like it’s on display at a museum. I guarantee you the next time someone comes over; you will take them over to that linen closet and show off your beautiful work!
- Take everything else that doesn’t belong in that space to its new home.
- Lock up the space and tell your kids they better keep it clean (your spouse too!).
Purging Tips
- If you haven’t used the item in over a year and it’s worth less than $25, it’s an automatic donation.
- If it’s broken and you haven’t gotten it fixed, it’s an automatic donation or throw away (I see you pair of jeans with a hole in them for 2 years in my closet).
- If you received a gift from someone that means a lot to you, but you will never use that item, then re-gift it to someone that will have an appreciation for it.
- Pay your kids 5 cents for every toy they donate to someone less fortunate. They can donate 20 toys, and you only have to pay them $1. It’s a win-win.
- Think about someone less fortunate that could really use the item that you are NOT using. This is a big one and tends to help me when I’m unsure.
- Sometimes old things can be new again. Read how I transformed this vase to use in my space again.
Share your before and after pictures! I want to see!
If you have any questions, please reach out to me at any time.
