In Japan (aka Land of Lilliputian storage space), this can be an extremely pressing problem, as your stuff literally presses in around you and constricts your daily life. Western storage and cleaning strategies (use your attic and garage!) are not applicable in these cases. So, today, I thought I’d present some ‘cleaning out and cleaning up’ tips from the Japanese pros. Why is decluttering frugal? Simply speaking, being surrounded by too much stuff often makes us want to collect more. Simple living is good for the soul. So here goes:

Step 1: Tackle your largest problem area first, preferably the day before your next ’sodai gomi’ (large garbage) day. Separate your belongings into three piles: items you need, items you definitely do not need, and the questionable pile.

The ‘definitely do not need’ pile includes stuff you’ve been meaning to throw away, and haven’t gotten around to yet. Dealing with this pile can probably take 5-10 minutes. This pile should be immediately sorted into burnable, non-burnable, recyclable, and large garbage, and put in a ‘neutral zone’ for disposal the next day.

The ‘need’ pile includes about half of your stuff, and items you use frequently. These items, once separated from the general pile, should be stored efficiently using boxes/crates/or other suitable storage items.

The five Golden Rules of Storage include:

• store like items together
• use space and depth (not width) effectively
• choose storage containers carefully to meet the task they were intended for
• choose storage containers based on volume and ease of use
• use your imagination to create a ‘clean’ look to the room when finished

Finally, the questionable pile. The questionable pile takes the most time, and should be further divided into three different classes: A (used only 30-50% of the time), B (used only 10% of
the time), and C (never used). Items in the C category could include clothes worn only 3-5 times a season, shoes only occasionally worn, and other items. A class items can be placed near the ‘need’ pile and dealt with later. B items are used only rarely, and should handled based on an objective criterion (all items used only 3 times a year will be chucked), or based on available storage space. C class items might include memorabilia, or other items that are hard to part with. Store C items in a special place, and revisit them in a week to decide what you should do.

Here are some solutions for some particularly difficult to declutter items.

1) Letters, old New Year’s or Christmas cards, and pictures.

First of all, the following items could probably be chucked: old direct marketing flyers and advertising postcards, letters from people you haven’t met/spoken to in years, New Year’s or Christmas cards older than three years past, old photo negatives, and that pile of pictures you’ll probably never get around to scrapbooking.

For the remaining postcards and letters, why not use a postcard case? Available for around 150 yen, these clear, plastic cases store around 60 postcards and/or photos. Great for keeping track of all your Japanese acquaintances! Also available at 100-yen stores.

2) Books, magazines

First of all, the following books can probably be trashed: old guidebooks (5 years old or older), old info magazines, old book series and magazines, old textbooks, old dictionaries, maps, travel books, novels you never read again, and old catalogs.

Muji also has some of the sturdiest, cheapest, and lightest bookshelves I’ve seen for a good price. The craft pulpboard boxes with two shelves are 1,980 yen, and are light enough to carry home on the train. They hold up very well, and blend in with almost any interior.

3) Home decorative items, furnishings

The following items might be good candidates for the ‘do not need’ pile: unused gifts from Japanese weddings or other events, unused picture frames, unused flower vases, decorative items, etc., stuffed animals from your childhood, and instruments, hobby, or sports items that you no longer use.

(Note: FreeStuff Japan is a good place to get rid of these!)

For the items that you do intend to keep, check out your nearby 100-yen shop for cheap but effective covers (for clothing, futons, fans, heaters, etc.).

Note: The ‘Five Golden Rules’ were borrowed from “Nikkei Woman,” December 2004, p. 51.

© 2004 Wendy J. Imura.

I recently gained a new addition to my resource collection in Japanese: the monthly Ohanashi Salad newsletter from my organic coop featured a special “EcoLife” section in September, and I thought I’d share some of their unique ideas for trash reduction, efficient energy usage and recycling that I gleaned. Here are a few highlights:

Efficient Energy Use

“Reducing the amount of ’stuff’ in my house has made cleaning easier and improved air flow. We no longer need to use the air conditioner.”

“One night a week, I have a romantic ‘candle night.’ We use candles for reading/dining, and don’t use electricity.” (Editor’s Note: Be mindful of the potential for fires!)

Cooking

“I food process leftover vegetables (excluding onions) into a paste, and freeze it. The paste can be added to soups or sauces to give it extra flavor.”

“When making ‘nimono’ (simmered dishes) or other similar dishes, I take the pot off the stove when the the dish is about 2/3 cooked, and then wrap it in a bath towel. The lingering heat cooks the rest of the food, saving on gas expenses and preventing overcooking.”

Reuse/Recycling

“Coffee grounds and tea leaves can be mixed in with potting soil for extra nutrients.”

“I rip up old telephone books into sections two or three pages thick. I use these for wiping up leftover oil in frying pans. They are also useful for wiping my hands, lining refrigerator drawers, or wrapping vegetables.”

One last tip from the Ohanashi Salad newsletter:

Make Time

“I realized that, when I’m in a hurry, my activities produce a lot of waste and use up a lot of electricity. For example: if I’m running late for work, I’ll often drop by the convenience store to grab
breakfast, or use a taxi to get to work instead of the train. In short: my philosophy for an ecological lifestyle is to make sure I have plenty of time to get where I’m going, and to do what I need to do.”

Some of the above tips may be old news to you, others may be useful. The resourcefulness of Japanese folks of a certain age never ceases to surprise me. I did find this final piece of advice from a 30-year-old housewife quite revealing:

“The most important thing to me is NOT trying to have a more convenient lifestyle. In other words, not getting too used to too much convenience.”

Sometimes the little scratches on hardwood floors can be filled in using a brown or black wax-like crayon sold in hardware stores or Tokyu Hands (called Kakurenbo). Simply match the color of crayon to your flooring (using a cellphone camera for a picture is handy), and shave off a few centimeters of the wax. Press the wax into the scratch. Then, using a flat surface (like the edge of a ruler), shave the filled-in scratch so that the filled-in portion is level with the floor. Then shine with an old rag.

It might sound like a lot of effort, but two hours of work on our floor (scratched up heavily by chair legs) made the scratches invisible. We saved over Y30,000 in reflooring costs, making for a much higher recoup on our deposit. At Y15,000/hour, that’s not a bad investment of time. The wax crayon, by the way, retails for about Y400.

In addition to physical discomfort, the heat also is bound to whip up some mold and other nasties. Summer in Japan is a continual battle against the heat and humidity, not to mention the fungus among us. So today, I thought I’d proffer a few tips to deal with common stinky summer disasters in Japan.

Ever returned from a day trip to open your washer and discover, with disgust, that you’ve left wet clothes in there? The washer, and the clothes, both seem to have an amazing odor. Even airing out the machine for a few weeks doesn’t help much.

My frugal tip: fill the washer with water to its fullest, and add 2 tablespoons of bleach and a generous helping (about 1/4 cup) of detergent. The best kind to use is a strong, generic “alkaline” (arukari) type, but any type will do. Mix this up well and let sit for a five to six hours. Afterwards, drain this mixture and run a full wash cycle without any clothes. After the full wash cycle is complete, let the machine “air dry.” The washer should smell significantly better.

Finally, one frequent spot of mold is the refrigerator. Some classic ways to reduce refrigerator stink are wooden charcoal briquettes, baking soda, and the commercial refrigerator deodorants. However, Mary Hunt’s Cheapskate monthly offers a third, general odor-eater that is bound to smell a little better:

“Here’s how to get the odor out of just about anything. This works on stinky coolers, glass jars and musty drawers. Dampen a paper towel and set it into a small container. Pour two teaspoons of cheap vanilla extract on it. Put the whole thing inside the smelly container and close it. Wait for three days. This really works great, even inside refrigerators.”

Hope your summer starts smelling a bit more pleasant!

© 2004 Wendy J. Imura.

One convenient way to use ’su’ is to make vinegar spray. Simply take 100cc of Japanese vinegar (the everyday kind sold in the supermarket is fine), dilute with 200cc of water, and pour into a spray bottle. (Plastic spray bottles can be found cheaply at Y100 shops, but a glass spray bottle is better for storage.) For those bothered by the strong vinegary smell, adding a little fresh peppermint to the bottle can “freshen up” your cleaning spray.

Vinegar spray can be used in a number of household cleaning tasks, including wiping away mold, dusting home appliances, cleaning the refrigerator and the inside of microwaves, wiping away grime on wood furniture, and for removing carpet stains. Enjoy your frugal cleaning!

© 2004 Wendy J. Imura.