Diwali Cleaning: What to keep, what to throw?

If an easy classification of mankind were possible, I would like to divide them into the `keepers’ and the `throwers’. The `keepers’ being the kind who keep everything that even remotely passed through their hands and came into their lives – from bus tickets to badly written childhood diaries. And the `throwers’, who are pretty sure this is not IT and the best is yet to come - for whom everything unnecessary should GO! In this classification, I count myself among the latter – the `throwers’. So much so, that my husband and daughter fear me like the flood. Now that Diwali cleaning looms ahead, I would be sweeping through the house and my husband and daughter have given me clear directions to not touch their cupboards.

I have found no merit in the arguments that clothes that are no longer worn should not be thrown because – either a) they are comfortable b) they are given by friends and have sentimental value c)they are not really bad, but can be worn later – after a bit of hibernation. Such clothes will always stay in the attic.

I fail to understand why books – the fairy tale books of my daughter’s childhood cannot be given away because – `mom, the pictures are so cute!!’ And so these pile on. As it is today’s gift (at the drop of a hat)-giving culture has piled on school bags more than she can use, books she is not interested in reading, toys she has grown out of and clothes that still have their price tags on. And let’s not even speak of the many ipods that are lying spent with cellphones that have been superseded by smart phones.

pic from cauldronsandcupcakes.com

I have known legions of `keepers’ - my mom has kept her son’s engineering books – though the son is ten years gone from engineering and doesn’t even live in this country any more; she refuses to throw her daughter’s clothes – because- well, how many clothes should the maid get?! I’ve known of men who have maintained diaries of their daily expenses meticulously written down over the years – and then refused to let go of them. That is about 40 diaries stacked in two drawers over 40 years! I knew a woman who liked to keep her jewellery boxes – as a mark perhaps of just how much her husband loved her. And do you know of somebody who retained his bunch of 25 paise coins despite it going out of circulation? I bet you do. As I am sure you know of an aunt who doesn’t like to throw the cute marriage invitations she gets – especially the ones with the golden Ganesha pictures!

I swing the other way. I once had to rummage through my dustbin looking for my gold earrings that I had inadvertently thrown along with the junk from my cupboard!

And so, following some earnest appeals from the home crowd, I am willing to accept that some things can be allowed to collect in homes, but there are some that cannot be allowed to gather moss, no matter how sentimental and cute they are! I jotted down a list of things that I think can be allowed to be `kept’ at homes and things that should really really be dumped.

Keep:

Books – though I really doubt if Debonair counts as a book!

Earrings – the only thing I allow to collect in boxes on my dressing table.

Cutlery – never enough, never enough.

Wall hangings – more the merrier.

Curtains, carpets and cushion covers – what home décor is all about!

Children’s clothes – strictly one, ideally the first birthday’s clothes.

Throw:

Used Clothes

Used Shoes- anything not used in the last six months

Old diaries

Cute marriage invitations

Used leftover candles

Bad gifts – never mind what kind

Used toys

Unused vessels – never mind how old or new

Travel brochures – you have the internet, right?

Old Zari saris – no, you will never make that cushion out of them..

These are some on my list, off the cuff. What is on your list? What do you like to hoard and what do you think should be thrown out of our homes this Diwali?