The Declutter Girl
By Cynthia Reeves / Photos by Kate Treick Photography
Piles of mail raiding countertops, boxes taking residence in living spaces, and what’s the deal with all the homeless laundry? Please, someone find a home for these socks, sweaters and shoes! A house should be a shelter for peace — not chaos — but when clutter takes hold, it seems to grow like crabgrass.
As we launch into spring, it seems natural and often necessary to do some spring cleaning.
Enter the Declutter Girl, Rhoda Simkins. Simkins has nearly 20 years of experience decluttering and organizing homes.
Simkins describes herself as a natural minimalist. It started with her previous career as a flight attendant.
“I always felt the most free when I was traveling, and all I needed was in my suitcase.”
After she had her son, she began helping other moms get organized, and a business was born. Most people find organizing overwhelming, but this Declutter Girl transforms spaces with a gentle approach.
“Some people don’t know where to start, so I kind of look at it as a mission.”
Simkins makes her decluttering sessions fun. She does not judge people or their things.
“I like to hear the stories that people have about their things and then let them say goodbye to the things they’re not using and just have more space and time to enjoy.”
She understands how hard it can be for people to get rid of things passed down from previous generations.
“The people that have left it to them didn’t mean for it to be a burden, but sometimes our things come with guilt, like, oh, I need to save this because it came from, you know, Aunt Esther or whoever, and really, they don’t need to save it as long as they have the memories of that person and how much they loved them.”
Simkins comes into a job with bags for trash and for donation piles. She connects clients with donation services that can pick up belongings, or she guides them to drop-off locations.
Her sessions are typically four hours — quick and efficient. The cost is usually $300. She asks for photos first, and then arrives ready to purge.
Depending on the job, she’ll start in one room or tackle a whole house.
“I can assess the situation pretty quickly. I can see what is on the floor and what needs to be picked up, what tabletop needs to be cleared, what things just need to be gotten rid of.”
Some guidelines she follows are whether the item has been used or worn in the last six months or year. Duplicates are also discouraged.
“I’m like, do you really need three potato mashers? They’re usually like, no, I didn’t even know I had three.”
Simkins’ motto is “less is more,” especially in clothes closets. “Do you need 17 workout shirts or just 10?”
“A lot of times people have a whole lot of clothes because they bought them on sale, but they don’t wear them anymore. So, I say it’s time to donate it to a thrift store and somebody else can wear it.”
Organizing by colors is also a tip for a clean look.
“The neutrals, then navy blue and black. It kind of looks like a pretty rainbow in your closet when we’re done, and it’s amazing. The relief people feel when they have a nice space, and it’s all their things, it’s just less of their things.”
Her goal is discovering that freedom she felt in clutter-free hotel rooms back in her flight attendant days.
“One thing about being a minimalist: if you give up material things, then you have more time to do the things you really enjoy, like invest in your friendships and give back to the community.”
Simkins guides clients to create more white space in their home — a place where “your eyes can rest.”
“You don’t necessarily have to fill up every space with a tchotchke … just create a place where you can look in at your space and feel kind of zen about it — that everything looks pretty.”
Simkins is not a fan of using plastic containers. When clients ask her what they need to purchase to declutter or organize, she is likely to say absolutely nothing.
She prefers organic materials like our ancestors used.
“I like to use wood, metal, linen and wicker baskets. Things that are functional should also be beautiful.”
For kids’ rooms, she starts by being kind first and avoids tossing away toys or favorite belongings.
“You’re just helping them feel freer.”
A mom friend said she did just that for her 12-year-old son.
“He came home after we had done his room because he was at school, and we just made it look better. We folded his clothes and put them in the closet, and then we threw away some extra papers and things that obviously were trash. He said to her, ‘I feel like a big balloon has just deflated inside me.’”
Simkins sees her decluttering work kind of like therapy. She believes even cleaning out a pantry can have an impact on a person’s sense of well-being.
“A lot of people find that when they become more of a minimalist, they actually lose weight and get healthier because they can say no to extra food and things like that. They just feel lighter and freer. So, there is kind of a correlation with that. You know, it hits every aspect of your life.”
There is no challenge she won’t accept. In addition to her Declutter Girl business, Simkins is a certified home stager helping sellers prepare for real estate sales. She can clean up the whole house or just spruce up a messy garage.
“I have an excellent eye for what makes a home beautiful from the inside out. I know how to add lovely curb appeal as well as make the living space refreshing and desirable.”
— Rhonda Simkins
Connect with Declutter Girl
Phone: 850-449-7575
Email: rhodas@me.com
Facebook: Rhoda Simkins
Instagram: the.decluttergirl
