The JJs Declutter Podcast

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 🪑 The Chair of DOOM Finally Gets What's Coming to It 

You did the mindset work. 
You did the purge. 
You built a wardrobe that actually fits your real life. 

So why does everything slide back into chaos six months later? 

Julie and Janis say it's never one big thing, it's a handful of small daily habits quietly working against you. Today, they're naming every single one and handing you the fix. 

First up: the Chair (or bench, or floor pile, or door handle ... you know your version). It exists because in-between clothes are a real problem, and that deserves a real solution: a couple of designated hooks or a small basket with an actual limit. Unlike the chair, a basket has a bottom, which means it eventually forces a decision. 

From there, the JJs dig into laundry as a full system, not a series of half-finished tasks. 

The golden rule: laundry isn't done until it's washed, dried, and put away ... no exceptions for "the basket is right there." 

They cover picking an actual laundry day instead of waiting for a crisis, sorting as you go, and why smaller loads (yes, really) can save water, electricity, and your sanity. 

Seasonal rotation gets a fresh spin too! It's not just swapping bins, it's a built-in twice-a-year declutter moment: if you didn't miss it in storage, you probably won't miss it going forward either. 

And then there's the overflow dresser, that innocent piece of furniture that slowly became a catch-all. The fix? The file-fold method (game-changer), and clearing the top down to one intentional item. 

Finally, four maintenance habits to keep clutter from creeping back:
one-in-one-out (or Julie's preferred one-in-two-out), 
a monthly 12-minute closet scan, 
an always-accessible donation bag, 
and protecting that hard-won breathing room from episode 15. 

✅ This Week's Challenge 

Set a 12-minute timer, #declutteringdozen, and take on the Chair of DOOM (Didn't Organize Only Moved). 

Every item gets a decision: laundry, back in the closet, or donation bag. Then set up your intentional alternative: hooks, a basket, whatever fits your space so the chair can go back to just being a chair. 

Share your Chair of DOOM victory in the ABC Declutter Facebook Community! 

Next up, the series finale — Episode 17 tackles what comes into the closet in the first place: shopping habits, impulse buys, and building an intentional relationship with clothes shopping. 

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@abcdeclutterwithjj
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📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/abcdecluttercommunity
🖥️ Website: https://www.abcdeclutter.com/
🎙️ Podcast Website: https://www.thejjsdeclutterpodcast.com/
🖥️ Email: [email protected] 

 #ABCDeclutter #TheJJsDeclutterPodcast #DeclutteringDozen #SmallDoableDoses #ClosetChaosToClosetConfidence #ClutterCrushersClub #DeclutterWithJJ #ChairOfDoom  #LaundrySystems #SeasonalRotation #FileFoldMethod #OverflowDresser #OneInOneOut #ClosetMaintenance #DonationBag  #DeclutterYourLife #HomeOrganization #IntentionalLiving #SimplifyYourLife #DeclutterCommunity #DailyHabits #GetOrganized #OrganizingTips #LaundryRoutine #ClosetSystem #DeclutterMindset #ClutterFreeHome #HomeHabits #OrganizingHacks #ClosetConfidence  

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 (Closet Chaos to Closet Confidence, Part 3 of 5)

👗 The Fun Part Is Here — Time to Actually Enjoy Your Closet

You survived the purge (Episode 13), 
You named your emotional baggage (Episode 12), 

and now Julie and Janis are getting to the good stuff: 

building a closet that actually works for the life you're living! Not a Pinterest-perfect showroom, and not a shrine to Fantasy You.

The JJs kick things off with a question nearly everyone's asked while staring blankly into a full closet: why do I only wear the same ten things? 

Turns out, those ten things aren't a fluke — they're your brain and body telling you exactly what actually works. 

The real goal isn't owning less for the sake of it; it's making sure everything in your closet earns its spot the way your favorites already have.

From there, the JJs walk through five principles of a closet you'll genuinely love: 

a) everything fits today (not "if I stand a certain way" fits), 
b) everything belongs to the life you're actually living, 
c) everything makes you feel good, 
d) everything's in decent condition, and 
e) everything plays nicely with the rest of your wardrobe. 

They also give the capsule wardrobe trend a fair, funny shakedown — the philosophy has good bones, but nobody needs to fold their life into 37 neutral rectangles to benefit from it.

Julie and Janis also swap their own personal wardrobe wake-up-call stories 
(you'll want to hear these), 
then get delightfully practical: 
- organizing by how your brain actually thinks about getting dressed, 
- keeping favorites at eye level, 
- facing hangers the same direction, 
- leaving breathing room on the rod, 
- adding real lighting, and 
- why "good enough" hangers beat waiting around for the perfect matching set.

The whole episode boils down to one gloriously simple test: 

does your closet make getting dressed easier or harder? 

If harder, something needs to shift — and it doesn't have to be a big something.

✅ This Week's Challenge

Set a 12-minute timer and put together three go-to outfits using only what's already in your closet — no wish list, no "maybe" bag. Snap a photo of each. It'll show you what's working and reveal any gaps worth paying attention to. Share your outfit trio in the ABC Declutter Facebook Community!

Up next, Episode 16 tackles the systems that keep your closet from sliding back into chaos — laundry routines, the overflow dresser, and yes, the Chair of DOOM makes a comeback.

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@abcdeclutterwithjj
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abcdeclutterwithjj/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/abcdecluttercommunity
🖥️ Website: https://www.abcdeclutter.com/
🎙️ Podcast Website: https://www.thejjsdeclutterpodcast.com/
🖥️ Email: [email protected]

#ABCDeclutter #TheJJsDeclutterPodcast #DeclutteringDozen #SmallDoableDoses #ClosetChaosToClosetConfidence #ClutterCrushersClub #DeclutterWithJJ  #ClosetYouLove #CapsuleWardrobe #WardrobeEssentials #GettingDressedMadeEasy #ClosetOrganization #FunctionalCloset #ClosetGoals  #DeclutterYourLife #MinimalistWardrobe #IntentionalLiving #SimplifyYourLife #DeclutterCommunity #StyleThatFits #GetOrganized  #OrganizingTips #WardrobeOrganization #ClosetSystem #ClutterFreeCloset #DeclutterMindset #EverydayStyle #ClosetConfidence #OutfitFormula 

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🪑 This Episode Is Basically an Intervention for Your Chair 

It's a Magazine Moments episode! 

Julie and Janis are digging into a Martha Stewart piece on breaking the habit of piling clothes on furniture. 

Naturally, that means a deep dive into the household's most notorious landing spot: the Chair of DOOM. (You know the one. It's not a chair anymore. It's a clothing shrine.) 

The verdict from the experts? If stuff keeps piling up, it's because either the item doesn't have a home, or its home is too high-friction to actually use.

 The JJs break down the article's rules of thumb one by one: give everything a designated home, declutter the closets and drawers so there's actually room to put things away, and use labels 

(Julie is now a full convert, much to her own surprise). 

The JJs also cover the power of a weekly family reset: complete with a flat surface scramble and a bucket-brigade approach for kids. Plus creating specific drop zones so the chaos has somewhere sanctioned to land. Janis and Julie also get delightfully skeptical about a "valet rod" suggestion (nobody's entirely sure what that even is), debate the merits of the mysterious laundry basket system, and share a truly unforgettable cautionary tale involving Janis's childhood laundry baskets and a cat named Rags. You'll never look at "clean" clothes the same way again. 

This episode continues the Closet Chaos to Closet Confidence series — following S3E12 (the why) and S3E13 (the Great Closet Purge) — with three more episodes still to come as the JJs keep helping you take back your closet, one flat surface at a time. 

✅ This Week's Challenge 

Pick one flat surface in your home that's become a clutter magnet, something like a chair, a counter, even an entryway table, and give it a real, designated purpose or a decluttering session this week. 

Share your before-and-after in the ABC Declutter Facebook Community! 

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@abcdeclutterwithjj 
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abcdeclutterwithjj/ 
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/abcdecluttercommunity🖥️ Website: https://www.abcdeclutter.com/ 
🎙️ Podcast Website: https://www.thejjsdeclutterpodcast.com/ 
🖥️ Email: [email protected] 

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Keep it Simple, Keep it Intentional, and - as always - Keep Decluttering!!

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 This is a fun one ... the actual purge episode! 🧥  

Last week we did the head work (the seven reasons your closet is basically a wearable therapy session). This week? We're doing the hands work. 

Julie and Janis are walking you through the actual Great Closet Purge! None of the "does this spark joy," no three-day pile on the bed, and absolutely no giving up halfway through to go make a sandwich. We see you. 

🛠️ Setup Is Half the Battle 
Before you touch a single hanger: 
block off 30-minute chunks (24 minutes sorting, 6 minutes hydrating), 
gather FOUR bins (donate, trash, lives-elsewhere, and the infamous "not sure yet" pile), 
put on a soundtrack that is NOT this podcast (yes, people have tried, no, it doesn't go well), and clear a flat sorting surface. 

Preparation is 90% of not ending up buried under your own fashion history. 

🔄 The Flat Surface Scramble 
One section at a time, not the whole closet, ONE section. 
Pull it out, wipe down the empty space, wax-paper the rod, then sort. Work that section fully before moving to the next. 
Slower feels wrong but it's actually the secret to never facing an overwhelming pile of unresolved sweater decisions. 

🗂️ Keep or LETS GO, Clothing Edition 

• Keep: Fits, worn regularly, fits your actual life
• LE: Lives Elsewhere (seasonal storage, spouse's closet, mysteriously migrated)
• T: Trash (stained, broken, done. No guilt required)
• S: Sentimental (unless you immediately know, this item gets its OWN separate session, not decided mid-purge)
• GO: Goes out — donate, sell, or "I know exactly who needs this"

⏳ The Maybe Pile (With a Deadline)
Maybes are fine ~ as long as they're sealed, dated, and set a 3-month calendar reminder. If you can't remember what's in the bag in 3 months, that's your answer. Donate unopened.

🚧 The Four Sticking Points
The expensive thing you never wear (the money's already gone. Stop paying the guilt tax).
The item that "almost" fits, or the gift you don't love.
As well as clothes from a different body or life chapter we handle here with real gentleness, because that one's personal.

✨ Putting Keeps Back Right
Group by category, hang facing the same direction, put your most-worn pieces at eye level, and wipe everything down before it goes back in. Fresh space, fresh habits.

🎯 This Week's Challenge:
Complete ONE 30-minute purge block on your closet  (24 minutes of sorting, 6 minutes to breathe.)
Take a before photo! 
Share your before/after in the ABC Declutter with JJ Community on FB.

Every win counts, no matter the size of the section.
 
 
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@abcdeclutterwithjj
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 Podcast Website: https://www.thejjsdeclutterpodcast.com/
✉️ Email: [email protected]
 
 
 
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S3E12: Clothes Decluttering Pitfalls 
(Closet Chaos to Closet Confidence, Part 1)

👕 Warning: This Episode May Cause You to Side-Eye Your Own Closet

This week, Julie and Janis are kicking off a brand-new 5-part series, Closet Chaos to Closet Confidence — and they're starting with the hardest part first: your feelings. (Don't worry, no trash bags required. Yet.)

Turns out clothes aren't just fabric they're wearable memory, wearable guilt, and occasionally wearable delusion (looking at you, "Fantasy Me" and her never-worn linen blazer). 

The JJs break down the 7 real reasons we hang onto clothes we never wear: Identity, Guilt, Fantasy Self, Body Changes, Memories, Money, and the ever-popular "Just In Case." If you counted at least three fingers while listening, congratulations, you're human, and you're in very good company.

🧥 True Confessions

Julie fesses up to a gorgeous white wool coat that's basically become a very judgmental closet decoration. Janis admits to holding onto her high school song-leader uniforms for over 30 years on the off chance her daughters — who outgrew her by middle school — might someday wear them. (They did not.)

🧠 Mindset Muscle, Not Trash Bag Muscle

Before Episode 13's Great Closet Purge, the JJs want you practicing four gut-check questions: 
a. Have I actually worn this in the last year? 
b. Would I buy it again today? 
c. Does it fit the life I'm living now?    And the big one ...
d. Am I keeping the object, or am I afraid of losing the memory?

✅ This Week's Small Doable Dose

Set a 12-minute timer, pick just 5 items from your closet, and ask one honest question about each:
have I worn this in the past year? 
That's it. No decisions required - just noticing. 

Use #declutteringdozen to share your progress (or your discoveries) with the community!

Next time: Episode 13, The Great Closet Purge — aprons optional.

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@abcdeclutterwithjj 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abcdeclutterwithjj/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/abcdecluttercommunity 🖥️ Website: https://www.abcdeclutter.com/ 🎙️ Podcast Website: https://www.thejjsdeclutterpodcast.com/ 🖥️ Email: [email protected]

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Confession time: your car is basically a mobile junk drawer with a steering wheel. Coffee cups multiplying in the cup holders, receipts fossilizing in the door pocket, and somewhere back there are 14 reusable shopping bags breeding like rabbits.

 Julie and Janis are calling it out (lovingly) and giving you the system to fix it before road trip season hits full swing. 

🕵️ Why Cars Get So Cluttered
Your car is a "mobile transition zone". Every errand leaves evidence behind. And the sneaky part is that you stop seeing it. 

Clutter blindness is real, until someone asks for a ride and you suddenly see your backseat through their horrified eyes. 

⚠️ It's Not Just Messy ... It's a Safety Issue 
Rolling items can jam your brake pedal. Blocked windows kill your visibility. A grimy windshield plus a sunset equals disaster. 

This isn't about aesthetics, it's about actually seeing where you're going. 

⏱️ The Weekly Decluttering Dozen (Car Edition) 
12 minutes, once a week: trash out, misplaced items back to their real homes, everyday items organized, quick wipe-down. 

That's it. Do it weekly and it barely takes any time at all. 

🧽 The Seasonal Deep Clean 
Four times a year (or "2-3, but also whenever it's needed"), empty the WHOLE car, vacuum everything, tackle the windows, condition the leather (ok, just clean the Naugahyde), and yes! clean your cup holders before they start to walk on their own. 

📦 The 5 Categories Every Item Falls Into 
a. Emergency kit, 
b. seasonal swaps (i.e., summer to winter)
c. everyday essentials, 
d. trash (leaves every time, no exceptions), and 
e. "items that migrated from home" (we're looking at you, three-day-old Amazon package!) 

🛣️ Road Trip Prep Checklist 
Fluids, tire pressure (including the spare! I learned that one the hard way in 110° heat), lights, windshield scrubber, and a designated trash bag so day 3 doesn't smell like a dumpster. 

👀 The Pre-Trip Visibility Check 
Sit in the driver's seat. Can you see out every window? Mirrors clean and angled right? Nothing dangling from the rearview? Do this before every trip — it could genuinely save your life. 

🎯 This Week's Challenge: 
Set a 12-minute timer and do your first car decluttering dozen. 

Bonus points if you find something you thought was lost forever. 

Share your "found it!" moment in the ABC Declutter Facebook Community!  

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@abcdeclutterwithjj 
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abcdeclutterwithjj/ 
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/abcdecluttercommunity 
🖥️ Website: https://www.abcdeclutter.com/ 
🎙️ Podcast Website: https://www.thejjsdeclutterpodcast.com/ 
✉️ Email: [email protected] 

#ABCDeclutter #TheJJsDeclutterPodcast #ClutterCrushersClub #DeclutteringDozen #LETSGOSortingSystem #SmallDoableDoses #DOOMBoxes #KeepItSimpleKeepItIntentional  #CarClutter #CarOrganization #CarCleaningTips #RoadTripPrep #CarDecluttering #VehicleOrganization #WeeklyDeclutteringDozen #SeasonalDeepClean #CarMaintenance #DriveClean #DeclutterYourLife #OrganizingTips #IntentionalLiving #HomeOrganization #SimplifyYourLife #ProgressOverPerfection #CleanCarCleanMind #CarSafetyTips  #DeclutterCommunity #DeclutterWithMe #OrganizingCommunity #ClutterFreeLife  

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 ✈️  S3E10: Magazine Moments: 10 Packing Tips for Your Next Vacation 🧳 

Grab your compression cubes and your questionable amount of cords, because Julie and Janis are diving into another Magazine Moments episode! 

This time they're tackling a list from Travelers (yes, the insurance folks with the umbrella) on how to pack a suitcase for vacation ... and naturally, they have opinions. 

🗒️ Lists Are Life Julie and Janis are both certified list people, and they're not sorry about it. From YMCA camp packing lists to laminated checklists for kids, if it's not written down, it's not happening. Bonus points if grandma gets a copy too. 

⚖️ Know Your Limits (No, Not That Kind) Airline baggage rules changed again, so pay attention to size AND weight ... Janis just bought a luggage scale and hasn't even used it yet. Classic. 

🌀 Roll, Fold, or Compress? The great debate: rolling vs. folding vs. Janis's beloved compression cubes and packing envelope (which she will NOT be getting rid of, thank you very much). 

Julie's a roller. Janis is a cube evangelist. Somewhere in the middle is a perfectly packed suitcase. 

🧴 The 3-1-1 Bag Strikes Again Sunscreen, shampoo, and the eternal question of whether TSA will actually rescind that liquids rule (they will not). Plus: a glitter candle x-ray incident that had security very confused. 

👗 Pack Smart, Not Heavy Scarves that double as tops! The "cat suit" color-matching trick! Limiting shoes! Julie and Janis break down how to pack fewer things that do more things. 

🛫 The Carry-On Essentials Snacks, a hand fan (for "women of a certain age," Julie says lovingly), and never — NEVER — packing your valuables in checked luggage. TSA can and will cut your lock off. 

🎯 This Week's Challenge: Before your next trip, make ONE packing list ... even a basic one ... and see how much smoother your packing day goes. 

Report back in the ABC Declutter Facebook Community!  

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@abcdeclutterwithjj 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abcdeclutterwithjj/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/abcdecluttercommunity 🖥️ Website: https://www.abcdeclutter.com/ 🎙️ Podcast Website: https://www.thejjsdeclutterpodcast.com/ ✉️ Email: [email protected] 

🏷️ #ABCDeclutter #TheJJsDeclutterPodcast #ClutterCrushersClub #DeclutteringDozen #LETSGOSortingSystem #SmallDoableDoses #DOOMBoxes #KeepItSimpleKeepItIntentional #TravelPackingTips #PackingHacks #SuitcasePacking #TravelOrganization #PackingList #CarryOnEssentials #CompressionCubes #VacationPrep #TravelTips2026 #MagazineMoments #DeclutterYourLife #OrganizingTips #IntentionalLiving #HomeOrganization #SimplifyYourLife #ProgressOverPerfection #MinimalPacking #TravelLight  #DeclutterCommunity #DeclutterWithMe #OrganizingCommunity #ClutterFreeLife  

Keep it Simple, Keep it Intentional, and - as always - Keep Decluttering!!

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Magazine Moments: Preparing for the 4th of July

This week we're bringing back one of our favorite episodes — because good advice (and good laughs) never go out of style. 

Consider it your patriotic prep gift from the JJs!

🎆 Stars, Stripes, and… a Picnic Table You Have to Build Yourself?

Independence Day is coming in hot — literally — and the JJs are here to make sure you're ready for it without losing your mind (or your fingers). In this fan-favorite Magazine Moments episode, Julie and Janis dig into a This Old House article on prepping for the 4th of July. Spoiler: they are not building a picnic table from rough-sawn cedar. Hard pass.

🚩 Fly Your Flag Right

Before you hang a single piece of bunting, Janis breaks down proper American flag etiquette — because there's more to it than just sticking it in the yard and calling it patriotic. 

The JJs also chat about adding gold and silver to your red, white, and blue décor for that extra fireworks-inspired sparkle. ✨

🪑 Set Up Your Outdoor Space Like a Pro

Julie covers how to create an inviting, comfortable gathering space ... think varied seating, shade options, and making sure every single chair is within arm's reach of somewhere to set a drink. 

Because no one should be standing there holding a hot dog with nowhere to put their lemonade.

🍔 Grill Talk (Including a Lemon Hack That Will Blow Your Mind)

The JJs cover menu planning, food safety, and grill prep — including Janis's game-changing tip for cleaning your grill grates with a lemon on a hot grill. Also: keep your meat and veggies on separate skewers, people. 

The pepper-on-fire situation is real, and Julie may or may not be speaking from experience.

🦟 Bug Control, Games & Fireworks Safety

Mosquito-repelling herbs, citronella candles, yellow bug lights, and strategic fan placement — the JJs have your bug battle plan covered. Then it's on to classic backyard games (cornhole, giant Jenga, ladder ball, and yes — cribbage), plus an important and heartfelt conversation about fireworks safety, keeping it legal, and being a good neighbor to pets and veterans in your community.

🎇 Your 4th of July Challenge

Tell the JJs how YOU celebrate! Share your traditions, your menu, your games — or your most epic fireworks-gone-wrong story — over in the ABC Declutter Facebook Community. They genuinely want to party with you. 🎉

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@abcdeclutterwithjj 
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abcdeclutterwithjj/ 
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/abcdecluttercommunity 
🖥️ Website: https://www.abcdeclutter.com/ 
🎙️ Podcast Website: https://www.thejjsdeclutterpodcast.com/ 
📧 Email: [email protected]

#4thOfJuly #FourthOfJuly #IndependenceDay #July4th #PatrioticHome #4thOfJulyCelebration #SummerEntertaining #BackyardParty #4thOfJulyDecor #GrillingSeason #BackyardBBQ #4thOfJulyFood #FireworksSafety #SummerGathering #OutdoorEntertaining #HomeOrganization #SimpleLiving #OrganizedHome #HomeDecor #PodcastForWomen #MotivationalPodcast #ClutterFree #MindfulLiving #SummerVibes

Happy 4th of July episode drop! 🎆🇺🇸

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 🚗 Your Car Called. It Wants to Come Home. 

You did it. You sorted, you purged, you wrestled with the hazardous materials, and you made the tough calls. Now you're standing in your garage wondering, "Okay… now what?" 

That's exactly where Part 2 picks up! 

Julie and Janis are back to walk you through turning that sorted-but-still-chaotic space into a genuinely functional garage - one where you can find what you need, work on actual projects, and yes, park your car. Revolutionary, we know.  

🎯 Start with Your Vision 

Before you buy a single shelf, hook, or bin, ask yourself: What do I actually need this garage to do? A woodworker's garage looks nothing like a family-with-three-kids-in-three-sports garage ... and neither is wrong. 

Your vision drives every storage decision, so get clear on it first.  

📐 The Golden Rule: Go Vertical 

Floor space = prime real estate. Walls, rafters, and ceiling mounts are your best friends. This single principle will do more for your garage than any other organizing decision you make.  

🔧 Zone-by-Zone Storage Solutions 

• Tools & Workbench: Pegboard above the bench (outline each tool so you know what's missing!), clear bins for hardware, and a clear workbench - it's a working surface, not a storage surface.
• Gardening: Wall-mounted organizers for long-handled tools, a dedicated shelf or cabinet near the yard door for gloves and small tools. Julie's genius move? A repurposed outdoor mailbox for summer grab-and-go garden supplies.
• Sports & Bikes: Wall hooks and ceiling mounts for bikes and large gear. One bin per sport for smaller items - kids can grab and return their own stuff. Sustainable system = actually maintained system.
• Seasonal Items: Ceiling and rafter storage for holiday décor, camping gear, and anything you touch a few times a year.
• Household Supplies: Dedicated shelving, rotate your stock, and please resist the urge to stockpile five years of paper towels. 
  (Toilet paper, however, is apparently currency. Janis has sources.)

 
📦 The Clear Bin Gospel

Say it with us: clear bins, specific labels. Not "Holiday" but, "Christmas Ornaments." Not "Sports" but, "Soccer Gear."
Opaque cardboard boxes are basically rodent motels. Clear, labeled, right-sized bins (don't go too big ...  trying to lift a 64-gallon bin overhead will not always work) are worth every penny.


🚦 Floor Space & Traffic Flow

Keep pathways clear between zones, put frequently-used items at eye level near your entry point, and if parking the car is the goal measure first, store second. Also: pool noodles cut in half are the unsung heroes of garage pipe protection.


🔁 Keeping It That Way

A quick 15-minute monthly check-in beats a massive annual overhaul every time. And the new house rule? The garage is not a dumping ground for indecision. Every item needs a real home.


👊 Your Listener Challenge

Before you buy a single storage product, write down what you need your garage to do for your life. Then tackle it zone by zone — vertical first, clear bins always, labels on everything.


🏆 Need Support? We've Got You.

The Clutter Crushers Club meets live on Zoom four times a month (Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 4 PM Pacific) — that's 6+ hours of community, accountability, and celebrating wins together. Plus, grab a free one-on-one assessment call to get a personalized plan for your specific space.

👉 ABCDeclutter.com
 
 
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@abcdeclutterwithjj 
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abcdeclutterwithjj/ 
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/abcdecluttercommunity 
🖥️ Website: https://www.abcdeclutter.com/ 
🎙️ Podcast Website: https://www.thejjsdeclutterpodcast.com/ 
📧 Email: [email protected]
 

  #GarageOrganization #GarageStorage #OrganizeYourGarage #GarageTransformation #GarageMakeover #GarageOrganizingTips #GarageGoals #ParkYourCarInTheGarage  #VerticalStorage #ClearBins #LabelEverything #PegboardOrganization #HomeOrganization #OrganizationTips #StorageSolutions #OrganizedHome  #ABCDeclutter #JJsDeclutterPodcast #DeclutterWithMe #ClutterCrushersClub #DeclutteringMotivation 
 

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 The garage. Where good intentions go to die, bicycles go to gather dust, and projects go to silently judge you every time you walk past. 👀
 
This is Part 1 of The JJs' two-part garage series — and today is ALL about sorting and letting go BEFORE any organizing begins. Because organizing stuff you don't need is just neatly arranged clutter. Sound familiar?
 
Why Garages Are Different 

• Sheer size, overwhelming variety, multiple people's stuff, AND hazardous materials — garages need a different pace and a lot more grace
• Stop trying to do it in one Saturday — a garage that's been accumulating for years needs multiple sessions over multiple weeks

The 30-Minute Block System 

• 24 minutes sorting + 6-minute mandatory hydration and re-evaluation break
• After two blocks, take a longer break — garage work is physically AND mentally exhausting
• Decide your end time IN ADVANCE and honor it. "I'll just finish this one thing" is a trap!

Work in Zones — Never All at Once
Tools & workbench, garden tools, kitchen overflow, seasonal decor, sporting equipment, household supplies, fridge/freezer, unfinished projects, sentimental storage. Start with the zone causing you the MOST daily frustration.

Keep or LETS GO — Garage Edition 

• Keep: Does it WORK? Do I USE it? Does it have a HOME? All three must be yes
• LE Lives Elsewhere: Catch-alls that actually belong inside the house
• T Trash: Broken, rusted, dried up, genuinely garbage
• S Sentimental: Set aside for a dedicated separate session — don't let it slow your momentum
• GO Goes Out: Working items someone else would love

Hazardous Materials — Handle With Care!
Old paint, pesticides, propane tanks, car batteries, motor oil — NONE of these go in regular trash. Search "hazardous waste disposal + your city" for local options. Julie's tip: latex paint can be dried out with kitty litter and tossed — oil-based always goes to hazmat!

Unfinished Projects — The 5 Questions 

1. Why did you start it?
2. Is that reason still valid?
3. Is there a NEW reason to finish it?
4. Are you trapped by sunk cost thinking?
5. Are you just over it? (You're allowed to be!)

 
Part 2 is coming — smart storage solutions that actually work!

Don't want to do this alone? Clutter Crushers Club meets live on Zoom — 6+ hours of dedicated decluttering every month with a community that gets it. 👉 ABCDeclutter.com

 

 
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Keep it Simple, Keep it Intentional, and - as always - Keep Decluttering!!