Sometimes it’s embarrassing that I have to talk myself through basic decluttering/anti-clutter strategies on such simple things.
I’m pretty sure there are people who don’t even know that One In One Out is a “tip” because they just do it.
They look at a new, actually-white washcloth in their hand and naturally grab the one they’ve been using for THIRTEEN-AND-A-HALF years and throw it in the trash.
(Oh come on. Who am I kidding? They don’t have a 13.5 year old washcloth . . . )
I mean really. It’s soooo obvious that the dingy one with holes needs to go.
Obvious. But I need the rule. The rule that helps my brain choose math over end-of-the-world scenarios.
Math = I have a defined (and finite) space for washcloths so I need to remove an old one in order to make space for a new one.
End-of-the-world scenario = If every single washcloth factory in the whole entire world burned down tomorrow, I’d be soooo glad I kept the icky washcloth that’s older than my oldest child. Maybe then all the Normal People would appreciate my foresight!
OK fine. I need the rules. I need to have something to get me through the crazy-talk that goes on inside my head.
--Nony
This really cracked me up. I literally LOLed and people looked at me in a weird way. I am trying this rule, 1 in 1 out, this year.
This really made me laugh! Sometimes, it’s just the simplest things that we need rules for!
I know! It’s kind of like they’re giving me permission to let stuff go!
I am blessed to have a hubby who drives me crazy and scares me to death because I never know when he will throw away my stuff that a normal person knows needs to be thrown away. He is teaching me–now I look at that old cloth and think, hm, wash it again or — less laundry!!! and throw it in the trash — sometimes – gasp – before I bring home the new one!
How about shredded Handi-wipes? Guilty!
Hahaha!!
You’re not alone!
Exactly, what I was going to say!
Thank you so much for posting conversations that go in inside my head… I may not have old washcloths, but I’m embarrassed to say that I have ratty old underwear that seriously need to be out. A few years ago. I don’t even have new ones to take their place… they just need to go.
Something that has helped me get rid of old clothes, towels and linens that are no longer suitable for use or wear is taking them to Goodwill in a separate bag marked recycle. They will recycle fibers to make new rags, etc.
Isn’t it just the rub that the cloths get the the perfect absorbency right before they look disgusting? Then you are convinced they are “the best” and you shouldn’t throw them out because you will have to deal with breaking in a new cloth.
Oh our minds.
I love you!! I think you must be my twin sister!!
Oh Nony it is OFFICIAL! you are my sister from another mister no question about it.
We bought new bath towels and hubby went to purge the towel cabinet and in the “shop rag” pile he put my FAME beach towel!! I threw a huge fit, expressing how I had bought it with my babysitting money when I was 13, there were tears and everything! He rolled his eyes and put it back in the cabinet.
FAME will come back in style won’t it? LOL
That’s great!! We are opposite though. Usually it’s me throwing out something of my husband’s and he has the excuse. Lol. He’s a hoarder.
This is SO funny. I’m actually pretty good about washcloths (we won’t talk about other stuff). Trying very hard not to laugh because that’ll start up my awful cough again, so bad that I started losing my voice and had to go home from work ON MY BIRTHDAY).
I am going right now to go declutter my dishcloth drawer and take out all but the best ones! Next time I buy new, the same # are going to the office (we’re always short on kitchen towels there)!
I actually have two bath towels (a little larger, sheets) that I have had for 25 years. They have holes and are thread bare in spots. I still have it in my head that I need to keep using them to save the “good” towels.
I actually realized early today that I have dishtowels that were bought in the summer of 1996. They’re actually in pretty decent shape, but since I got a few new ones for Christmas, maybe some should go. But the old ones are nice and scrubby and absorbent, and the new ones aren’t fluffy at all, mostly just cute as can be. What to do!?!?
If it were me, Whozat, I would probably keep the cute ones to display for company…and keep the ones that do the job for…the job. 😀
Hahaha! You r hilarious. I truly enjoy reading ur posts. Great story teller. I think I laugh because I can def relate to what u r saying. I have rags that look just like that ur old one!!!
Oh yes, I was married in 2000 and also have cloths that old! My reasoning is more…..I can use it as a “rag” or but, my grandma bought me that when I was FIRST married! Gosh. My grandma loved buying towels and washcloths and kitchen rags. She would even cut up the “old” ones to make rags! The old ones still looking like new to me. God bless her soul.
….I actually have washcloths that are 13 years old..They still look decent, but they’re not long for this house. I also have a HUGE number of washcloths…
and I deal with “end of the world” scenarios all the time-I need more rules too. And someone with a whip standing over me to make sure I follow through. *sigh*
Oh how I delude myself. My first thought when I read this was, “I don’t save anything for just in case.” My second thought was…”then why do I have so much stuff?” The fact is, even though I had more storage before buying this house, I still had too much. I’ve got things I’ve never used…and/or haven’t seen in six years. Literally. Since I have all of my photos and important papers where they’re supposed to be, I could probably toss all of the unpacked boxes, or put a blindfold on and just start pitching things from two cupboards and one closet…and I’d never miss any of it.
Fortunately, except for gifts for my kids, I don’t bring much of anything into the house anymore that can’t be consumed or used, but maybe one day when I’ve gotten rid of the excess, I might need the one in/one out rule. Right now the only rule is out, out, out.
I had the same discussion with myself last week. I asked for new dishclothes for Christmas. Got around to putting them away last week. And the old ones are still in the drawer! I will throw one away right now. Love your posts.
I, too, am a post-apocalyptic worrier. I may need to be prepared for any and all scenarios! Do not take away my supplies!
I love that you speak the words that are wordless in my head, and reveal them for the slightly crazy talk that they are. (Only slightly, though …)
This one is SUUCCHHHHH a PROBLEM for me !
I tend to hang onto dishcloths and my personal towels/washcloths that no one sees except for Hubby and me.
The new/good ones are only for company.
Frugal me has to use them UNTIL they look like cloth swiss cheese.
Old – especially childhood habits – die hard.
Especially this time of year, when we are besieged with messages about helping the less fortunate.
I feel guilty buying myself new stuff when the money could be an extra donation to the Angle Tree, United Way, Salvation Army, Milk Fund, etc.
Any advice for people who feel guilty for having more that many people?
BTW, I am only lower middle class, not wealthy by any means. Having been raised in lower class poverty, I have LOTS of empathy for the less fortunate and harbor fear of sliding back down into poverty.
Peace, Love and Blessings !
Perhaps if you look at the good towels vs the rags you use as price per use, you’ve already gotten your money’s worth from the rags.
Put them in the rag bin for cleaning cloths if they still qualify as useful tools. If holey, they have the status as single use in nasty cleaning tasks and then tossed.
Buy new towels/cloths for bath and kitchen every year or two and rotate the faded/stained to the bin for cleaning.
You can have rag bins in each bathroom so guests know the difference and can clean up after themselves, if so inclined.
And make it known to family and guests where the cleaning rags/cloths are for general household cleaning/cleanups so they don’t use the good ones.
With this designation, you no longer have to treat yourself poorly…or risk discovery of such.
You’ve worked and earned new things, use them and let the old become a different tool.
“If you want a a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” William Morris
Ann, THANK YOU so much for your comments ! They are encouraging and helpful. How KIND of you to take the time to comment.
Peace, Love, Blessings, Health and Happiness!
You are welcome and also thanks for replying. It didn’t occur to me that you would see this 3 years later, but I thought it would help the next person who also felt this way.
It took me until mid-thirties to learn this. My mother saved the good stuff, but it never really got used. It made me sad to see her do this.
I also started to do this when I married. Then I cleaned house for a cousin who always had plenty of new bath towels. Not many wash cloths or kitchen towels, though. A candidate for this blog for sure.
Anyway, I realized I could be using the nice towels and relegating the old ones to another use. It took me awhile longer to buy bath towels, rugs, etc. with a color scheme for the now 3 bathrooms.
I often gift a set of 8 kitchen towels from Costco because I could see other people doing the same thing I used to do. I have my favorites for dish cloths as well which I also gift…and these aren’t the expensive ones at Walmart…a set of 6 or 12 (or I buy 12) white terry cloth with a single color stripe accent on either end…so I can bleach as desired.
i just read an article on huffington ppost this morning that suggests we are the normal ones. http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6124824?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000037
You’re not alone. I actually have the same blue and white(ish) dish towels in the same condition sitting in my drawer right now, and new never used towels hiding in a top cabinet? Why? Because I still reach for those yucky 10 year old towels for the really dirty stuff. I needed to read this. 🙂
13 years might seem old but not to me. I am 29 and think it is perfectly okay to have things around from early childhood actually the things I like best are the things I got from my mom that she got before I was born. Function is important. I got hand or dish towels for my wedding a year and a half ago can get the manufacturing residue out they appear to be nice towels but they don’t absorb. Never ever use fabric softener I tried stripping them with vinegar I hate bleach but it might come to that to make the use able.
Ack, my tablet acted up.
I meant to ask, where do I find absorbent towels? Or, how do I make rags and towels more absorbent? This is a conundrum that has been driving me crazy for a while now, lol.
Hmmm. I honestly don’t know!
I know this is a bit late, but my mum told me years ago to wash new towels a few times with bicarbonate of soda to get the residue out and make them absorbent. It’s not perfect, but it does seem to help.
always wash and use liquid fabric softener before you use the towels hand towel and wash clothes and dry them with the dryer sheets..i get 3.00 towels at the general dollar store and their wash clothes come 6 to a pack for 5.00 and a hand towel is 2.00..i always wash before use..even new clothes…hope this helps..
Only buy 100 percent natural fiber towels and rags (usually cotton) and when you first get them wash in the washer on hot or soak in hot water with a little blue dawn (only a TINY bit of blue dawn if you’re using your washer. Like one tiny squirt. Any more can bubble up and ruin it). You can also boil on the stove with boiling water and dawn if you have a big enough pot. It will strip all the manufacturing chemicals. That’s how you prep cloth diapers. 🙂
Hilarious post! I’ve only been married for 3 years, so this totally means I don’t have to throw out my rags for another decade, right?! 🙂 lol.
but I do have a question.
whenever I buy new rags or towels, they are never absorbent. Instead I buy cheap beachtowels, and ththey’re ten times more absorbent than the pretty towels at bed bath and beyond.
Whe
The pretty velour type towels/cloths are generally non-absorbent and like trying to dry with a small blanket. Buy only 100% cotton terry cloth. Compare the thickness of bath sheets to heavier bath towels and go with the thinner fabric. Anything containing a percentage of polyester or acrylic just won’t absorb, collects lint.
And make sure the detergent doesn’t have any conditioners to soften/repel water. Don’t use dryer sheets…and if you do, perhaps the dryer needs cleaned of residue before drying the towels. Possibly put some ammonia in the last rinse. It works for me.
This post reminds me I have some bath towels that don’t fit around me and are too big for grandsons…when they visit, and are pink. Time to switch them to other towels in storage more appropriate size and use the heavy pink elsewhere.
And give my husband nicer towels, also in vacuum bag storage.
Been there, do that. To make matters worse, my dish cloths/rags are gifts fRom Germany
I’m looking at the new sponge sitting next to the one I used for three months in my sink that for some reason I can’t throw out and I’m laughing. One word for you, Nony: Socks. And go.
I recently went through my nightgown drawer and got rid of ones I don’t wear b/c I don’t like them….magically there was room for the new Christmas one (since I got rid of 4-5). 🙂
yeah, I kind of think, “Hm…I used it, it’s now dirty, is it worth WASHING?” Usually, if I felt the need to ask, then the answer was, “No. throw it in the trash!” It’s a really wonderful feeling.
I actually do have wash clothes and towels that are almost 40 years old. 🙂 They were part of our wedding gifts. Those items were made well back then because they are still in good condition! 🙂
Ever since I got the idea of one in, one out from your book last year I have used it. Very helpful for a “hoarder” like me.
I love the one-in one-out idea! I’ve been going through my house and replacing ragged and worn out stuff and it’s been great! I’m even pruning out the things I have too much of. Do I really /need/ 42 hole-filled terry dish towels? No. Out they went and I didn’t even feel a pang when I replaced them with two dozen flour sack towels! Now I just need to find my embroidery floss stash to pretty them up… >.>
Oh my goodness! I find myself arguing with you in my head.. You could keep the yucky one for the rag box. ..couldn’t you bleach it? Etc. Good grief. No wonder I have so many things