Health
Downsize and Declutter
Declutter your mind by decluttering your spaces—and save time by hiring a professional to help you through it.
by Jordan Blomquist
Jan 2025
Photo by Brandon Alms
Purchase Photo
We get it—hearing that it’s time to downsize or get organized can make you want to run and hide, but there’s no better time than now. The new year offers an opportunity to start completely new or, at the very least, to start refreshed. “Your environment is going to have a very direct effect on your mental health,” says Katrina Tettamble, 2B Organized Springfield franchise owner. Creating an organized environment is going to instill a sense of calmness in the home.
Tettamble works directly with clients to organize, declutter and create storage solutions. While finally organizing a space is one thing, keeping it clean is another mountain to climb. “Maintenance is key,” Tettamble says. One piece of advice she gives is to compromise, especially on those items you never use, but can never seem to throw away. Like Grandma’s old china set, for example. Instead of keeping the entire set in a box in the basement, pick out one saucer and teacup and display it beautifully on a shelf. “It is about appreciating the items you own and trying to find a purpose,” Tettamble says.
Another one of her top tips for maintenance is to adopt a one-in, one-out rule: every time you buy a new item, donate one from your closet.
This aligns with Ashley Krug, market development coordinator for environmental services for the City of Springfield. She offers five Rs that can help guide you along:
• Refuse: Avoid buying things that you don’t need in the first place.
• Reduce: Practice smart shopping to minimize packaging and overall waste.
• Reuse: Extend the life of a material beyond your use of it.
• Repurpose: Find new uses for items to give them a new life.
• Recycle: If an item has no additional life, find recycling resources to turn it into something new.
Once you decide it’s time to get rid of some items, make sure you’re doing it the right way. Krug recommends using the Think Big Foundation for donating clothing. They even have a processor that turns damaged items that aren’t suitable for reuse into insulation for appliances. She also recommends Ozarks Food Harvest’s Glean program as a fantastic resource for diverting food waste. The program allows farmers and gardeners to donate excess produce directly to local feeding sites and pantries.
Krug and her team also operate the Waste Wizard, a handy database that allows users to look up any item and find community resources for donating, recycling or reusing the item. “We want to connect our citizens to where things go when they throw them away,” Krug says. “Away is the landfill, and it has a very finite lifespan, so we want it to last as long as possible for our future citizens.”
Sustainable Swaps
Wellness starts at home, and these super-simple swaps can add some sustainability to your everyday life.
Ditch the: Paper towels
Opt for: Terra Swedish Dishcloth
Get them from: Springfield Mercantile, located on Commercial Street
Feel good because: Swedish dishcloths are compostable cellulose sponge cloths that can be washed and reused over 200 times. They handle the duties of sponges, dish rags and paper towels.
Ditch the: Single-use plastic hand soap bottles
Opt for: Refill bottles
Get them from: SOAP Refill Station
Feel good because: You can reduce plastic waste and save money by visiting the SOAP Refill Station. Bring your own container, grab one from the donation bin or purchase a new reusable one. You’ll pay based on the weight of your refill.
Ditch the: Plastic wrap/sandwich bags
Opt for: Beeswax wraps
Get them from: Carson’s Greenhouse & Gifts
Feel good because: Beeswax wraps are made from natural materials and can be washed and reused several times—simply use cold water, lightly wash off any debris and hang out to dry.
Ditch the: Dryer sheets
Opt for: Wool dryer balls
Get them from: Buff City Soap
Feel good because: Wool dryer balls can be used for more than 1,000 loads of laundry before they need to be replaced, reducing waste from single-use dryer sheets.
Ditch the: Paper coffee filters
Opt for: Reusable coffee filters
Get them from: Ace Hardware
Feel good because: We know your daily cup of coffee is important—essential, even! Reusable coffee filters are still low maintenance and help control waste.
Ditch the: Shampoo and conditioner bottles
Opt for: Shampoo and conditioner bars
Get them from: Moss + Pearl Soap Company
Feel good because: Shampoo and conditioner bars have little to no packaging, and Moss + Pearl’s products are formulated by a professional cosmetologist to provide the same quality as salon shampoos.
