Week 4 of the Clever Girl Organizing Challenge, All the Clothes, Week 1

We’re spending the next 3 weeks focusing on your wardrobe and accessories.  But, we can’t really focus on that unless you have everything in front of you.  This is why we need to make sure that this week, the laundry gets done.  Like, all of it.  And, if you’re planning on taking on the wardrobes of other people in your home (like your kids, or your spouse — with his/her permission) then make sure their laundry is done, too. Once we have everything we need, we will start with wardrobe review next week. (and, yes, hey, if you feel like it, get a head start on this week. No harm, no foul.)

Week 4: Get to Laundry Zero

Level 1 Challenge: Gather and finish up the laundry in the house. Get to Laundry Zero, that spot where there is no more laundry to be done. Even consider washing the things you only occasionally wash, as well. (This also includes getting all the clothes that need to be dry cleaned off to the cleaners, and picked up before next week’s assignment.)  As you’re completing the laundry, if you find things that need mending, plan some time this week for the mending of the things.  If you find things you *know* are not going to be part of your future, and you already know that a wardrobe review would put it in the “let go” pile, do that now.   Now, you *may* not have room to put everything away in your closet and drawers. I get that.  Just make sure you’re going to be able to access everything starting next week, when we really go through your clothing.  

Level 2: Give your laundry room a good cleaning.  Tops of the machines, the floor, shelving, go through old detergents and laundry products to see what you’re not even using any more. Wash your washing machine.  (Yes, that’s a thing — here is some guidance on how.)  Clean your dryer, including the vent.  If the weather outside is preventing you from doing that, I want you to go to your calendar RIGHT NOW and put a date in your calendar for early spring, for when you WILL do that.   Put the change that you found in someone’s lucky piggy bank. Gather the mismatched socks, and see what matches you can make.  Consider what you’ll do with the balance at the end of the 3 weeks of clothing challenges, when you can finally give up that its mate will ever return… 

(If you don’t have a laundry room, you can make up an independent study task!) 

How The Challenge Works:
As With Every Week, Your mission:

1) Take on Level 1, and if you’re feeling up to the challenge, Level 2. If you’ve already got those covered, identify a challenge for yourself that you know you should be tackling.

2) Whenever possible, take BEFORE and AFTER pictures. You don’t have to share them with anyone but yourself, but it is a fantastic way to (a) identify clutter that’s become invisible to you over time and (b) truly measure and appreciate your progress. 

3) We’re all about letting things go…  be critical about what you’re keeping and why you’re keeping it.  Always ask yourself these critical questions to help decide if you should hold onto items: 

• Is using this item part of my current life or likely future?
• If I didn’t have this item and needed it for some reason, is it easily replaced or borrowed?
• Can someone else use this more than I seem to be using it now? 
• Am I keeping it for a “maybe some day” or a “just in case” option? How likely is that situation? And am I keeping more in that category than I should, given the space constraints I have?
• Is it part of my past, and holding onto it reminds me of a former self? And am I keeping more in that category than I should, given the space constraints I have?

4) Stay FOCUSED on this task.  Know what FINISHED looks like, and don’t get distracted by other projects or areas of attention that cross your path while you’re on this assignment.  

5) Have a plan on where things will go — give away to someone you know, donate, sell, recycle or trash.  This Challenge isn’t just about creating new piles that don’t have a future!

6) Work in manageable chunks of time and energy. It’s a marathon, not a sprint! 

7) Celebrate and reward yourself for a job well done!