When Japanese cleanliness guru Marie Kondo herself said she has given up on tidying up her home because of the reality of raising multiple kids, we all let out a sigh. Wooh! That sparked joy!

Now, you will become even more inspired to keep your house clean but not Instagram-ready clean, because of one of our favorite celebrity families: the Arellanos.

On their first podcast episode for 2023, Iya Villania and Drew Arellano got real about decluttering - why it's a chore, and how they are ever going to get it done

The parents of four kids talked about letting go of both tangible and emotional things that are no longer serving them.

 

"Whatever life chapter or situation you might be in, just choose your battles and let go of the things that you feel aren't healthy for you."

 

Drew said he is the type of person who usually doesn't have an attachment to material things, while Iya is the more sentimental one who would keep plane tickets and love letters from the get-go.

Their objective for decluttering is mainly to give way to the new year and to put the things of the past behind. Drew even said, "I can't wait to have a clean house!" But Iya said, "I don't know if we'll ever have an IG-ready home."

The couple clarified that although their tiny home in Taytay, Rizal is already finished, they are still staying in their Ortigas condo unit most of the time. 

From their podcast episode, we picked up some bits and pieces that we could use in our decluttering journey, may it be at home or in life.

READ ALSO: Iya Villania Gives Sneak Peek of Their New Home

Decluttering tips from the Arellanos

1. Put it on your calendar

Finding time to really sit down and declutter your stuff might be a luxury for most of us parents, but Drew said if putting it in your calendar would work for you better, then do it. 

"Put a reminder in your phone calendar to spend x amount of hours decluttering our closet with clothes, jackets, and shoes," Drew said. 

The couple said they are both obsessed with jackets, and it takes up most of their closet space. They decided in the podcast to finally let go of these items for practical purposes.

2. Communicate with your spouse about which items to keep or let go

Before throwing things out, and for everyone's peace of mind, it won't hurt to ask your husband first if you are planning to dispose of his items. Although it will be tempting to just throw away everything - especially his bacon briefs - because you think your husband won't mind or you feel like you won't accomplish anything if you wait for his go signal, it pays to ask.

For example, Iya asked Drew if she can already dispose of some of his cups and glasses. After a discussion on which mugs Drew uses, Iya then got Drew's approval to let go of the boxes and boxes of whiskey glasses that she's referring to!

READ ALSO: Too Overwhelmed to Organize? Here are Lessons on Organizing from Issa Guico Reyes of Neat Obsessions

3. It's okay to keep the stuff you can't let go of

Especially if the stuff were from your husband, it's okay to keep them. Iya said she still keeps Drew's gift from way back in 2004 because it means a lot to her. 

The mom of four also confessed that if there is baby stuff that she just can't possibly find the courage to let go of, it's baby clothes. 

The Arellanos are one to recycle their children's clothes, and that means the clothes of Astro now were used by Alana, Leon, and yes, Primo. 

What makes it harder for them to let go is knowing that there won't be another child after Astro. Now that their Duduy is outgrowing the clothes, Drew says, "Keep them all!" 

4. If you can't let go of a lot of things but need space, lend them out

A hack that Iya shared about her denial to let go of her maternity pants is to let her close friends borrow them instead. Drew said he did the same to one of his favorite bikes until he became ready to finally sell it.

5. Declutter bad habits too

Toward the end of the podcast, Iya and Drew talked about the habits that they want to declutter and leave behind. Iya said she wants to improve on being more punctual in her appointments. For Drew, it's whipping out his phone whenever he feels compelled to, and just being present whenever he's with their children.

Finally, they both agree when it comes to letting go of the bad vibes from the past year, and said it helped strengthen their relationship as partners and as parents. 

Iya said, "Whatever life chapter or situation you might be in, just choose your battles and let go of the things that you feel aren't healthy for you."

This story originally appeared on Smartparenting.com.ph.

* Minor edits have been made by the Realliving.com.ph editors.