I also like 43 Folders [link] , though sometimes they get a little weird with the "Must minimize EVERYTHING." He's also kind of obsessed with some book called "Getting Things Done," which I haven't looked at because this website really makes it seem like a cult. He also "invented" the "Hipster PDA," which is a bunch of 3 by 5 cards held together with a clip. He's also got at least two posts dedicated to "Moleskin hacks."

I don't think it matters how much you keep, if you have physical space for it and a way to access it. I lived in a studio a long time and I really valued the space on tabletops or in closets more than the things. Having rooms be clutter-free is relaxing and that relxation was worth getting rid of newpapers or old buttons or books I knew I was never gonna read again. If you have so much stuff that to can't get around your place, or that you can't get at the stuff itself, then it's time to think about decluttering or at least organizing it so you know what you have. Space is expensive, and a box full of crap you don't need or use taking up room in your closet is taking away space you could use well.

My washing machine has the same requirement, and detergents formulated for front-loaders generally say "high-efficiency" or sometimes just "HE" somewhere on the box. You can also probably just use regular detergent, but much less of it.

Thanks, Jessica. I'll look for the high-efficiency label. I've always used the little tablets, so I'll probably have to buy something else.

ETA: And I just realized you're talking about the washing machine, and I'm talking about the dishwasher. I can only find high efficiency detergent for the laundry.

I've gotten kind of obsessed with decluttering lately, mostly as a way to avoid doing research. I'm telling myself that once I get organized it'll be easier to do research stuff, because I'll be able to find all my books and pencils and paper and everything, and I won't be tripping over things, and I'll be able to get out of the house much more easily in the morning if all my clothes are put away and I can find them easily. This is about half true, and half because I'm stuck in my research and can't figure out how to resolve the problem.

We are about to start completely decluttering as well and I'm not looking forward to the process (thought I'm really looking forward to the results). We are both packrats but GF is more of one than I am. We are collectors so it's tough. I think I'm going to purge some of the stuff in my collections and maybe some of the collections, too. Hopefully we are about to need more room!

Fay, you're British. No British relationship has ever begun in a sober state, in my experience.

FYI, I was completely sober when I asked Jilli out.

Also, congrats to Fay for the weight loss. I can't believe no one else said this; Fay, I demand pictures!

Annnnd... yeah, I have some packrat tendencies but they are dwarfed by Jilli's magpie-like tendencies.

We have recently gone through a massive cleaning, clearing and de-cluttering. It wasn't too hard for me, but it was pretty painful for S. It has helped that the end result is practically like moving into a newer, bigger, cleaner apartment. She's happy with the results. But it was painful.

I think there's still more surgery that needs to be done, but we've done enough for now. I'm willing to take a break and let these wounds heal.

"Organizing" is a great procrastination tool.

I see hoarding and clutter as two different things though. If there's storage space, hoarding's not really an issue for me. Clutter drives me batshit. Sadly, my sister has both tendencies.

My housemate is not really a hoarder, but does clutter. The Golf Digest he accidently received a week or so ago? Still out on the coffee table. It took me a long time to realize that what I thought was pumice in the bathroom was really just crap that fell from the ceiling that he never bothered to throw out.

We are about to start completely decluttering as well and I'm not looking forward to the process (thought I'm really looking forward to the results). We are both packrats but GF is more of one than I am. We are collectors so it's tough. I think I'm going to purge some of the stuff in my collections and maybe some of the collections, too. Hopefully we are about to need more room!

Good luck decluttering! It's exciting when it's for a good reason. I keep teasing TCG that he needs to declutter his office sooner rather than later, because sometime in the next couple of years we may need to fit a crib in there. I don't have an office in this apartment (my computer is in the living room), so he's going to have to give up some of that room.

What I realized after doing tons of laundry yesterday is that, when all my clothes are clean, I don't have room for them in the closet. So I pulled out a few things to donate, a few things that are stained so that I can't wear them anymore to go in the rag bag, and then a whole lot of winter clothes. Now I need to figure out what to do with the winter clothes.