Clutter's Last Stand: It's Time to de-Junk Your Life!

by Don Aslett

The book people say belongs on the shelf right beside the Bible, the book they read over and over, and give to their friends CLUTTER S LAST STAND, 2nd edition. This is the bold,unique volume that first put the finger on one of the major causes of depression and inefficiency in modern life junk and clutter! With good reason CLUTTER S LAST STAND, 2nd editon, has been called the book that convinces you to declutter. With a nonstop sense of humor and hundreds of hilarious illustrations, it lays out the case for dejunking, dramatically demonstrating how clutter invades and affects every area of our homes and lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Reference, How To, Humor, Personal Growth, Productivity

262 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 1984

Reviews

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I didn't even realize that I was reading a book written in the 80's until it said "You can make a video of all of your photos and then toss them out if you want. It is projected that most households will have video tape players by the year 1990." Ha ha.

So anyways, it is TIMELESS. Apparently junk in the 80's is similar to junk in the year 2008. I am still cleaning and organizing my house, but I am feeling SO MUCH BETTER. I didn't ever think of myself as a pack rat (I toss way more stuff than my husband, for example), but I didn't realize how many things have crept up on me over the last few years.

For example: when Benjamin was born, I got a LOT of very cute baby blankets. Enough that I could have been blessed with quadruplets. I have a number that sat in the top of his closet, never even used. But people MADE me those blankets and quilts! I couldn't toss them. How on earth do I choose which ones to keep? Surely those are not junk, right? But then I read this book. And guess what? Most of those are just cluttering up my closet. That makes them personally junk to ME. To other people they are awesome blankets. I already accepted these wonderful gifts from friends and family members, and they has served their purpose (to show support and caring of me and my family). There is no point in hanging on to them. Instead, they should go to someone who has a baby who can USE them! There is nothing wrong with sending them to a charity! I saved a few, and the rest are going to new homes.

(To my sister: I saved the quilt you made for Benjamin because I thought you'd kill me otherwise.)

I have repeated this sort of process over and over again in my house. Gifts really are the hardest of all for me. But the worst thing to do to a gift is to sit it on a shelf in the back of a closet and never let it be used for what it was intended, even if it's by someone else. That's my new realization.

I have also let go of tons of childhood memories. I am thinking more about living in the NOW, not hanging onto papers that I got A's on in Jr. High. I mean, I know I was a smarty pants girl. Was I saving it all for proof? And seriously, if I am clinging to my SAT score from 4th grade to find my self worth, I seriously have not progressed much. I free myself of those things so that I can have time and energy to create new accomplishments! I believe that the less STUFF I have, the more life I have to live! OH MY GOSH I LOVE GETTING RID OF ALL THIS JUNK!

This book will totally change your life. I wish I could make my husband read it. He won't let me throw out the 3.5 foot long wooden oar that says "10 1/2 inches, Largest Fish, Dale Hansen, 1993". He won it at scout camp when he caught the biggest fish out of 200 other scouts. Oh my gosh, I hate that eye sore. Really, if someone came up and handed a wooden oar to you with no functionality or purpose and said, "Hey, will you store this in your house (just lay it on top of everything because it's too big for any storage boxes) for about 15 years? We won't pay you to store it, just keep it out in your house. Maybe we'll need you to store it until you die. Take it from house to house with you. Vacuum around it. Clean it. Take care of it. Thanks." You would totally say "no" to that dumb request, right? But if you put my husband's name on it, and tell him that he won it, he'll take it to the grave with him.

Oh, my. Happy de-cluttering.

[Sally Lindsay-briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from a friend at my Writing club. It was funny and it was necessary at my house. It tells many reasons why you should de-clutter your house and get rid of junk. Trouble is there are just so many ways you can say that, in a book of some length. I was glad it ended when it did. It has helped me to start cleaning up and ridding my house of all the many extras that are making big messes. Yikes! It is so much like work!

[Marita · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I thought that this would just be full of really funny fluff, but it did actually help me get rid of some emotional clutter I've had in my closet for all my 24 yrs here in America. My kids are not going to care what was in those 2 suitcases that were allowed in the plane. I have pictures of them in my photo albums for heaven's sake. Ok just for that I am going to add the 4th star. :)

[John Kirk · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reminded me of Debt is Slavery: a fairly quick read, and I agree with most of it, but I already knew most of it. It isn't available as an ebook, so ironically the only way to read it was to purchase an extra physical object. The only potential problem with an ebook version is that I might not be able to view the illustrations on my Sony Reader (although I can see book covers). However, these cartoons don't really add anything to the book, since they just duplicate what's already in the main text.

Aslett is certainly writing from an American perspective, so not all of it applies to the UK. Also, I think that some of the book is only relevant to business owners. For instance: "I had [some stuff] not being used, just sitting around, fully paid for, so it seemed harmless, not costing me anything. WRONG. Taxes don't retire when you retire clutter. I received my business tax bill and a list of taxable items - there was lots of junk on that list!" As far as I know, I don't have to pay tax for any of my possessions (excluding VAT on the original purchase price).

There are also some points I disagree with. For instance, he lists "But they aren't making it anymore" as an excuse for keeping clutter, then says "You can bet that if a thing is valuable from any angle, someone in our competitive economy will make it available for the market." This made me think about books that have gone out of print, so the only way to read them is to track down a second hand copy. In theory, ebooks will mean that books are always available for purchase, but this book itself demonstrates that not every book has been digitised yet!

Later on, he says: "And do you have sixty crumpled shopping bags stashed, though when you need one, you'll spring for a fresh crisp new one at the store, as usual? Pull out all those extra stashed bags and tote them in to the 'bag recycling' box at your local supermarket or discount store." I agree that you don't want an ever increasing pile of bags at home, but I think the better solution is to reuse the bags you already have instead of picking up new ones every time you go to the shop. I think Aslett is focussed on what's best for the individual, rather than what's best for society in general.

[Lauren Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don Aslett, a cleaning expert who built a housekeeping service empire, doesn't soften the blow about decluttering. He openly mocks consumerism, doesn't look at neurological or psychological foundations for cluttering behaviors, and puts the responsibility for cluttering squarely on the clutterer's shoulders, no excuse-making allowed. So he is going to make some people ANGRY. He is going to hurt other people's feelings. Many people will NOT find him funny (I did, but I have a broad-ranging sense of humor. I enjoy everything from desert-dry British wit to 13 clowns in a tiny car).

That may be exactly why everyone should read Clutter's Last Stand. Mr. Anslett does require honesty from his readers. Honesty is an extremely valuable tool for someone who is decluttering. Those who enjoy his humor will have that benefit; those who get angry will have that incentive; those who get hurt will have the starting-point of interpreting why, and can look at how to let go of that hurt to move ahead. And everyone will get some practical advice on the how-to's of releasing items from their possession.

Lauren Williams, Owner, Casual Uncluttering LLC, Woodinville, WA USA

[Denise Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the plus side, this is an entertaining and humorous take on our tendency to accumulate massive piles of junk and waste our lives away tending them. If you're a true packrat who's never gotten rid of anything, you'll see a lot of yourself in this book. If you're like me and only have a few problem areas to contend with, the book probably won't yield a lot of new information. He doesn't give a ton of ideas for decluttering. It's more a description of the different kinds of junk we tend to keep. Humorous but not really anything earth-shattering here.

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just reviewed this recently having first read it in the 80's. It was probably my first introduction to the subject and made quite a lasting impression. This time after reading it though, I put it in the donation bin to pass along to someone else. Guess I'm finally learning!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and it motivated me to clean out the closets and drawers. I even bought a copy for my dad and sister and they both raved about it.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book is back from 1984, the ideas and suggestions are still helpful and motivating! It was just what I needed to help get me going with de-cluttering!

[Kira FlowerChild · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book in the mid-1990s and really took it to heart. I cleared out a lot of junk, but I also got rid of a bunch of sentimental items that I slightly regret losing. I am currently yet again in a decluttering mode but this time I know enough to evaluate sentimental items and at least reduce their number, but to sleep on it before I toss all of it en masse.

Aslett's book is great for those just starting their decluttering journey. Yes, it has a lot of silly illustrations and the text tends to go from standard size to large and bold and back again. But it has a lot of good advice, as long as you keep in mind your own needs and wants as well as Aslett's advice.

And my advice? Never declutter when you're angry or depressed.

[Debbie Wentworth Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my second time reading this book. I had read it decades ago, but it still retains its humor and motivational message to those of us who need to declutter our lives. Although much of the book is motivational, Aslett provides plenty of how-to advice also. A great read and the illustrations are delightful.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book back in 1984, and it really helped at the time...
I think I need to read an updated version of this...

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grabbed this book after hearing it mentioned in an inspiring talk last year. Junk is one of those universal first world problems that plague almost everyone, from the rich to the poor. We are all drowning in useless things. I am no different. There are so many areas where I struggle, and it is inevitable that at some point every year or two I will have a giant freak-out where I finally determine to stop being ruled by the clutter of my life. Then, after a week of frantic tossing, I suffer trasher's remorse, and I go back to my hoarding ways. I'm not anywhere close to the level of a reality show, but the clutter does affect my life. I needed to read this book.

In this book Don Aslett gives a lot of convincing reasons why clutter is destroying our personal well-being and happiness. He shares how clutter makes us less productive human beings, causing us to waste large portions of our life on meaningless pursuits and tasks. Then he gives some solid ideas of how to determine which things in our life we should toss and which things we should keep. I have to admit that his criteria are way more hard core than I could ever be. It is true that it would be super easy to clean a practically empty room, but who really wants to live such a gray life? He does not exactly tell us what to toss out. That is up to us. But he does make enough points about how truly worthless much of our "treasure" is that I found myself itching to throw out at least half of the decor of my home along with most of the hidden things stuffed in drawers and closets that I keep "just in case."

I had a hard time just sitting down and plowing through this book. It is best enjoyed a chapter here and a chapter there. This is just me, but I kept feeling clutter guilt at each section, and I needed to take a break and re-evaluate things a bit more realistically than what Aslett presents. However, I think that this book provided enough of a general philosophy for how we should determine what truly has value in our life, that I can use those principles to create a better home for my family and a more relaxing and fulfilling life for myself. It was well worth my time to read this. I think I'll pick it up every now and then for a refresher course, taking some time to highlight this time. Now here's the real test ... to see if I can actually put these principles into practice. Step one ... I'm dejunking my bookshelf today. Fingers crossed that I can be strong. Four stars!

[Ashley]

This one was a DNF for me. I didn't get very far into it, so I won't leave a rating. I found much of the content to be repetitive, or in page-long spurts that weren't very interesting. It felt as if I was reading some never-ending prologue, forever out of reach from content worthy of just comfortably reading.

I will say that I liked the author's perspective on the amount of time we have lessening as we age. Though we might have loved all our things when we were younger and had more time for them, now we have to pick and choose. All those things we don't have time to use but still keep because we, theoretically, never stopped liking them- they're burying the things we want to invest our time and attention in today.

That logic helped me let go. I decided to finally give away the ocarina I'll never have time to learn to play, and all my fishkeeping supplies. Fish are gorgeous to look at, sure. But they dont add enough to my life that I want to be burdened with the cost and time of upkeeping my own tanks. I get more pleasure from cross-stitching while I watch a movie, getting lost in the pages of a sprawling fantasy, or gaming at midnight with friends.

Part of this new adventure in respecting my time has been knowing when to put a book down. If it doesn't capture my attention, there are dozens of soon-to-be favorites just waiting on the shelf.

Thanks to Don Aslett for the fresh perspective.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend of mine once thought up an idea to raise our awareness of what we Americans possess, rich and poor compared to those in poorer countries of the world. He talked an ordinary family in India into moving every single thing they owned out onto the road in front of their house, after which he took a picture. It didn't take them long, but how would you or even could you, do the same with all of your stuff? It would take weeks, you'd need a wide angle lens. . and then would you actually have the guts to stand in front of if for a picture?

Sharing of self is the greatest satisfaction of all, and making better use of what we already have is the highest standard of living. Go for quality, not quantity!

Clutter doesn't enrich life, it ends up confusing it.

Happiness comes from loving and being loved; a giant selection of things just exhausts our spiritual, physical, and emotional energy.

Sorting and decision making can occupy our every waking minute.
Regarding clothing clutter: When the best dressers are dressed, no one even notices what they wore.

Whether its worth .50 or $500, unused clutter drains us and makes us feel guilty.

The difference between a mans junk and a womans junk; he builds a $5,000 shop around his and calls it "tools."

[Unwisely · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the latest in my attempts to get more organized. The like books that give me practical how-tos. This book...mostly didn't. Some organizing books I have found motivational, even when I thought the specific tips weren't the real me, but this one mostly seemed to be telling you why you needed to get rid of clutter, not how to do it. I ended up just skimming the book.

(I would give it one and a half stars, I guess, for his point that if you put stuff out on your counters, you just have to clean it - which did inspire me to put the condiments (salt, pepper, olive oil) I had sitting out on my kitchen counter back into the cupboard.)

Maybe you could give this to your sibling who doesn't realize they have a problem, but this is not a brass tacks organizing book, and not what I was looking for.

[Ruthmgon · Rating 3 out of 5]

So,
it was okay in a homespun yarn kind of way>Good tips like: Class rings, we buy them then stick em in a drawer, no one ever uses them, dont even waste your money. or; storage is the expensive way to throw things away.

And, I saw myself in this one: People in apartments save things for when they get a house, but spend the time in the meantime tripping over all of it. Yet, I think he's off base on the fashion/clothes department--and this is me talking, i dont have much of a sense for fashion. You do need a lot of clothes if you work in an office, (not 1/3rd of a closet) and I dont feel that there is a reason to get rid of decent work boots say, if I dont use them right now. Do you know how hard it is to find women's work boots and gloves that fit well? Well I do, and I will keep them until they aren't usable anymore. But not after that:)

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably would have appreciated this book more if I didn't already know most of it from experience. I used to keep everything and my bedroom as a teenager was filled with clutter. The last 7 years of my life I have moved 7 (soon to be 8) times, so that cured any and almost all clutter from my apartment. I've also been trying to save money like mad, and doing just as Aslett suggests (avoiding junk/clutter zones, like shopping) has also helped keep some clutter and junk out.

I did however get the de-clutter/de-junk bug, again, while reading this and got rid of 1 box of books and clothes and a box of old magazines I had laying around for who-knows-what reason.

It's worth skimming through. We, as a society, really are collectors of clutter.

[Tammy BayAreaVeg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining book (also a quick read)that made its point quite well about the logistical and emotional toll that attachment to material stuff (aka clutter) has. Ironically, Aslett repeats in so many different ways the same message, that instead of being a multi-pronged approached, I began to feel as if the book itself was 'cluttered'. I thought it could have been streamlined into a smaller amount of words but then perhaps it wouldn't have been a book.

I enjoyed it and it did convince me to declutter some stuff from my life. Freecycle.org has been a great help in that regards.

[Kate DW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun book! One I'd even like to re-read. I recommend it for some extra motivation to keep that paper tiger tamed or gearing-up for a big spring cleaning session! Even just a few pages motivated me to simplify my life & I haven't regretted throwing away any of that burdensome stuff.

...And I'm reading it again in 2016 because now I have a family with extra stuff to keep-up with in a small cottage home which is driving me crazy! I need this book for extra motivation to simplify life & for a good laugh at my sentimental value-placement of tangibles...

[Saz Jibson Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I might need it someday." "But, it's been in the family forever!" "I paid too much for this to get rid of it." If these thoughts have ever crossed your mind, you may need a little inspiration for de-cluttering. This book will give it to you in a mega-dose.

The engaging layout and hilarious tone of Clutter's Last Stand keeps the reader from giving up on the sometimes difficult task of getting rid of clutter. I read this book several years ago, and although I am only just now writing a review, I remember many of the principles clearly. A highly-recommended read.

[Eddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a little disappointed in this book. Actually it is quite amusing, especially as you start to read his very comical slandering of your clutteredness. The disappointment came in that I didn't feel like it had as much instruction as I wanted regarding HOW to actually declutter. That portion could be boiled down to just 2 pages, and in fact it is in the cover. The remainder is a good catalog of all the places where you should LOOK for clutter so that there is no stone unturned when it comes to decluttering. I found it amusing and motivating, but left me wanting a little on the method.

[Karl Bloss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clutter's Last Stand is basically a long rant about every type of clutter in categories and long comma-separated lists. The author then tells you how stupid you are for keeping it in the first place and that you should trash it. While there are a few pearls of wisdom (such as the separation technique in the last few chapters) supported by personal anecdotes from his life and experiences in his cleaning business, I did not find the book to be particularly inspiring. I suppose the Joshua Becker books fill that void

[Phair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. Much of his advice is similar to Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff. Unusual was his inclusion of specifics relating to kids, travel, automobiles, fads, yard sales, shopping, ego stuff (trophies, awards, etc). Some psychology and philosophy. Perhaps I need to stop reading these books and just get on with my own decluttering.

[Jenben8426 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a good motivator to declutter. It was humourous and really made you think about your possessions (and weight) and why you might be holding on to them. Although it motivated me to declutter, it didn't necessarily really tell me how to it. I am a very step-by-step kind of person and he mainly described what junk/clutter is rather than how to get rid of it (besides just saying you need to do it). I still learned a lot about myself and I will take a lot from his book.

[Teresa TL Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not use the phrase "Life Changing" lightly when I describe this book. The author's writing is hilarious, but absolutely convicting.

I confess I am at least a 3rd generation Pack Rat. This book has helped/is helping me reform!

If you struggle with keeping things "in case" you might need them later, or because they have "sentimental value" even if they are falling apart, you MUST read this!

I plan to have my children (the 4th generation) all read this, too!

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book motivated me to dejunk to work toward a more minimal lifestyle. I especially like how he struggled with some of the junk tendencies and could relate to the reader but also give advice on how to overcome the tendency to hold onto them.

[Melinda Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fabulous book could save one's marriage and one's sanity! I absolutely need to read it again to help me de-junk my life. One of the reasons I love this book so much is that it was written by a guy I attended college with. An easy-to-read book, it has helpful illustrations.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever had the shock of finding out that one of your favorite songs is in fact a remake? That's the exact feeling I got reading this book! Although published in 1984, this book has the exact same messages as today's Marie Kondo and others on minimalism and decluttering. Fascinating read.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite declutter book. His humor motivates me.