"An observation. Since I started decluttering and minimizing things, I have noticed that household chores that I used to hate doing have become easier. I won't say that I love cleaning my house but it's not as horrible of a thing as it used to be for me to clean house. Today, as I was folding towels, I realized something. I love to do laundry. I love everything about it - from sorting, to loading the washer, to hanging it on the line or putting in the dryer, to taking it in and folding it and putting it away. I get a real sense of satisfaction. But I have always hated washing the towels. As I was folding them, I thought about why that is. They are simple to fold, so that's not the issue. Then, I realized. I HATE trying to stuff them into the bathroom closet! I guess it's time to minimize the towels, then. And, really, how many sets of towels do I need? We only use one set per week. WHY do I even own five sets? After tomorrow, I predict the towel washing will no longer be dreaded." - Clare Mont Sexton
| Do you see anything besides towels? |
I love that she was able to pinpoint why she disliked the task of washing the towels, when she loves doing laundry and nearly all the steps involved. She disliked trying to add the clean towels to a stuffed closet of towels. Towels that they don't even use! How frustrating, but yet how freeing to realize those extra sets aren't needed and could eliminate her feelings on washing towels.
I share her observation with hope that while you are cleaning, tidying, decluttering or organizing you might think about your things in a different way. Observe if any of your feelings are guiding you to make a change for the improvement of your home. We should enjoy being in our homes. We should be able to clean quickly and efficiently. And minimizing our things can go a long way to make this a reality!
Have you found a task frustrating only to realize you could eliminate items to make it easier? Tell me I want to hear about it!
Kitty cute peaking out from the top of the pile.
ReplyDeleteWe keep re-visiting the 'how much is enough' each time we make lifestyle changes. We're not minimalists but concluded that a great many categories relates directly to how you manage laundry for your household. An often repeated 'rule of thumb' for towels has been 3 'sets' per person + 2 sets for guests for those of us who host over night visitors. The thinking seems to be one set in use, set #2 in laundry, 3rd set in cupboard, ready to use.
This presumes you willingly reuse your bath towel for an entire week and do laundry weekly. We suffered a period of time of constant arguments from teens that re-using bath towels was 'gross.' We use those big 'bath sheets' and they wanted a fresh bath sheet daily. Worse yet, teen boys shower more than once daily depending on activities. My rational was we use bath sheets on clean, freshly showered, scrubbed bodies.
At the other end of the spectrum are babes and toddlers who often need major bathing at least twice daily.
Just because our bathrooms have small towel racks, we share smaller size 'hand 'towels. It's been our practice to replace those and kitchen towel daily.
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