THL SECTION: C2O WITH KAREN HENKE: ARTICLES:
The Onion Edit

The Onion Edit
by Karen Henke

After years of purging and decluttering I came up with a technique called The Onion Edit™. Possessions hold our memories which makes the purging process very personal. Dumping everything at one time can be a jarring experience for some people. I wanted to find a process that would allow clients to slowly and gradually de-clutter their homes without making a big mess. This plan allows clients to purge and then have an adjustment period before they purge again.

Think of this process as editing. When writing I often tweak the text, or move it around or eliminate it altogether in order for the meaning to be clear. Bringing your home to order will require that you practice continual editing. The more you practice this very important skill the more proficient you’ll become. After awhile it’ll become second nature to you. Clearing away the meaningless stuff will insure that the things that are meaningful will have their proper place and recognition.

Approach each room in your house as if it was a giant onion. Peel off one layer at a time. This works well if you don't have a large chunk of time and you want to fit this process into your regular day-to-day activities.

If you have a room that’s been nagging you for awhile, take 15-30 minutes to work on it. Start by eliminating junk. The next time remove the unnecessary, continue working down the list until you have completed all of the categories. Repeat as needed.

Obvious junk

The first layer to be removed is obvious junk. This is the stuff you know you should throw away, you just haven’t gotten around to it yet. Move through the room looking for things that are broken, holey, dirty and un-cleanable, missing pieces, rusted, outdated or expired. No need to sort this into piles. It’s all junk, take it straight to the trash.

The unnecessary

The second layer is the unnecessary. Here are four of the main offenders:

• Duplicates . In the kitchen you will find many culprits. Decide how many paring knives, spatulas and can openers you really need. How many vacuum cleaners, pairs of shoes, small appliances, and paper bags, do you really use? Donate or recycle anything you don’t use regularly.
• Things that don’t fit. Don’t collect clothing in several sizes in the hope that you will one day fit into them again. Give yourself a year, then let them go. When you release the clothing you’ll be able to release the guilty feelings that you get every time you look at them.
• Things you don’t love. After we’ve had things for awhile we stop noticing them. The term for this is visual noise. Look around the room. Are there items that you don’t love, that don’t match, that really don’t work with your style? Eliminate them.
• Things you don’t use . If you haven’t touched those boxes in the basement in a few years, you probably won’t. If the stack of recipes pulled from magazines is more than one month old, odds are you won’t try them. Are you storing furniture in the basement because it doesn’t fit in anywhere? Reevaluate whether or not you think you’ll ever use it. Unless you are anticipating a move or you have a child moving into an apartment or another similar scenario, its probably best to get rid of it.

There is one exception to this rule: decorating accessories. Rotating accessories like framed artwork or unused frames, baskets and vases is a great idea. It’s better to store some of these items in a “prop” room rather than keeping everything on display at one time. In other words, if storing these items keeps your home from looking cluttered, then storing them is the best way to go.

Paper clutter.

The third layer is paper clutter. Children’s artwork, old college papers, household receipts, paid bills and papers to be filed can accumulate very quickly. Paper clutter can be time-consuming to sort through. Every paper must be examined, page by page. It’s tedious work and it’s very easy to get bogged down The results aren’t as dramatic as the first two steps. However, it is a necessary step. Everything will be much more streamlined once you have eliminated this layer.

If you are working in an office, tackling paper will certainly take more than 15 minutes. But if this is a living area, family room or bedroom it will take less time. Weed through the magazines and newspapers. Create a to-read basket, where magazines and catalogs can be stored until you have time to read them. Create an action bin in your kitchen or office for papers that require action from you.

Book Review

The fourth layer is books. I’m a book lover. So, I empathize if you have stacks and stacks of books. Try this: look at each book and honestly asked yourself these questions.

“Will I ever read this again?”

“Does it have a deep meaning for me?”

“Will I refer to it again?”

If you can’t say yes, to at least one of those questions, box up those books. Donate them to the library, sell a few to the used bookstore or handpick a few of your favorites for a friend who would enjoy them.

Sentimental value

The fifth layer is by far the most difficult to sort through. Take a look at gifts and items with sentimental value. Do you really love each item? If you do, keep it without regret or explanation. But, don’t keep things out of a sense of obligation or guilt.

Remember that organization is a life-long process. Once you have done the initial work, it just requires maintenance. Continue to sweep through the house from time to time to keep things organized.

Copyright 2007 Come2Order

Karen Henke is the owner of Come2Order in Minneapolis, MN. Visit www.come2order2day.com and request a free Time-Savers Kit which is loaded with time-saving tips and services. And sign up for a subscription to the free monthly newsletter.