#687 – What’s Lurking Under Your Bed? Declutter the Forgotten Zone for Good

#687 – What’s Lurking Under Your Bed? Declutter the Forgotten Zone for Good

by | Sep 16, 2025 | Clutter Free, Clutter Free Home, Clutter Free Podcast, Home, Mental Load, Organizing, Overwhelmed, Podcast, tips and ideas | 0 comments

#687 – What’s Lurking Under Your Bed? Declutter the Forgotten Zone for Good

Listen Now

The space under your bed might be the most neglected—and mysterious—storage zone in your home. In this quick, practical episode, Kathi Lipp and Tonya Kubo equip you with simple steps to declutter the hidden chaos beneath your bed. You’ll learn the best way to tackle dust, discover what actually belongs in this space (and what definitely doesn’t), and get favorite solutions for easy, clutter-free storage—even if you’re short on closet space! Whether you struggle with allergies, have kids who love hiding treasures under the bed, or just want to make the most of every inch in your home, this episode is loaded with relatable ideas and proven tips. Listen in, laugh along, and finally say goodbye to that under-bed pit of mystery—for good! 

Sabbath Soup: Weekly Menus and Rhythms to Make Space for a Day of Rest

Kathi Lipp gives readers an easy-to-follow process for meal planning and prep, so that they can enjoy a full day each week of real rest and refreshment.

Could you use a break from cooking (and everything else) once a week? Not only is rest vital for your mind and body, it’s good for your soul too. God designed us to enter into Sabbath rest one day per week, but as you know, meals still need to be made. Your family still needs to be fed.

Sabbath Soup includes convenient, seasonal meal plans that take the guesswork out of shopping and cooking. More than just a collection of delicious recipes—including main dishes, breads, breakfasts, desserts, salads, sides, and yes, soups—this is your guide to establishing a weekly rhythm and routine of meal planning and prep that allows you to have a true day off.

Do something good for your soul and experience the peace that comes with a full day dedicated to spending time with God, family, and friends. Savor your Sabbath as you proudly proclaim, “Soup’s on!”

Order your copy of Sabbath Soup: Weekly Menus and Rhythms to Make Space for a Day of Rest here.

Links Mentioned:

 

FYI: Some product links may be affiliate links. If you buy, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! 

 

Clutter Free Resources:

Support the podcast with Coffee for Kathi!

Join our Clutter Free Academy Facebook Group

Order Sabbath Soup here

Let’s stay connected

To share your thoughts:

  • Leave a note in the comment section below.
  • Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

Subscribe on iTunes or subscribe to our newsletter now.

Meet Our Co-Host

 

Tonya Kubo

Tonya Kubo is the illustrious and fearless leader of Kathi Lipp’s Clutter Free Academy Facebook group and the Clutter Free for Life membership program. A professional community strategist, she believes everyone deserves to have a place online where they feel like they belong. Raised by a hoarder, Tonya knows firsthand the pain and isolation that comes from living in conditions others don’t understand. She wants better for her family and her cluttery peeps, which is why she is passionate about the compassionate slow-and-steady approach that makes Clutter Free unique. She lives in the heart of California with her husband, Brian, their two spirited daughters, and one very tolerant cat. Visit tonyakubo.com to find out more about her community work, or email her at tonya@kathilipp.org to discuss the Clutter Free Academy podcast and programs.
Tonya Kubo Picture
Transcript

Kathi Lipp (00:09)

Well, hey friends, welcome to Clutter-Free Academy, where our goal is to help you take small, doable steps every day to live with less clutter and more life. And I’m here with Tonya Kubo. Hey, Tonya.

 

Tonya Kubo (00:20)

Hey, Kathi.

 

Kathi Lipp (00:22)

Today we’re talking about a place that rarely sees the light of day, the space under the bed. It’s one of those sneaky spots where clutter loves to hide, but today we are making the invisible visible and we’re making it clutter free and intentional. I’ll never forget when I was younger, my mom finally got fed up with not, you know, I’m like, I can’t find any of my clothes. I can’t find any of my clothes.

 

And we spent probably half an hour digging out from underneath my bed. My clutter free roots are deep and legit. Like, I mean, not my clutter free roots, my clutter roots. And so I and you would think as an adult, things would be better. And they have been better, but it’s only been through intentionality because for me, under the bed was the easiest place where of I don’t know what to do with this. How about we put it under the bed?

 

Tonya Kubo (00:56)

Mm-hmm.

 

Yeah.

 

Kathi Lipp (01:19)

And maybe that wasn’t best my best system now i’m gonna i’m gonna make a a bold statement here that i’m going to let you opt out of and i’ll explain that but I I think that Things that just because we don’t see it it doesn’t mean it’s not affecting our space and our peace I think it’s you know, I think it’s real

 

Tonya Kubo (01:31)

Mmm.

 

No, I agree.

 

Kathi Lipp (01:47)

Yeah, because if you don’t know what’s down there, then you’re always going to wonder, you’re always going to assume. And you and I were just talking about ? tripping in our own houses over clutter. And the hard part is getting back up. Can I just say, I don’t want to have to crawl under my bed more than a couple of times a year. Yeah, yeah, it does not work for me.

 

Tonya Kubo (02:03)

Yeah.

 

No, no.

 

Kathi Lipp (02:16)

When things get kicked under there, old shoes, off season clothes, random storage bins, forgotten items, we need to know exactly what’s down there. We need to know what’s accessible. It’s a pain to get down there, so it should only house items that truly belong. And we need to be able to clean under there. I don’t know about your house.

 

In my house, that can get really, really, really dusty.

 

Tonya Kubo (02:47)

Oh, yeah. Well, and also, you know, I’ve got kids, they shove stuff under there. It’s not pretty, Kathi. It’s not pretty.

 

Kathi Lipp (02:52)

It’s, yes.

 

So this is the thing that I’m gonna give you an out for, but I think it’s a guiding principle that many of us should think about, but to use our under the bed space solely for things that are related to the bed. So here’s what I mean by that. That most of us probably have a couple of ? sets of sheets.

 

Tonya Kubo (03:03)

Mm-hmm.

 

Kathi Lipp (03:21)

Most of us have some extra pillows, some extra blankets that we’re not using year round, those kind of things. Now, I know that you happen to use your under the bed storage also for ? out of season clothing, correct? But you know that it’s there. I think it’s really important we do not have mysteries underneath our bed.

 

Tonya Kubo (03:26)

Mm-hmm.

 

Yep.

 

Mm-hmm.

 

Oh, I agree. But I just want to jump in and say you’re giving me an idea because remember this is an old house with two closets and we keep all the bedding and the sheets and stuff in the hallway closet, but it takes up two full shelves because they’re not very big shelves. And so now I’m like, and I have so much space underneath my bed still because I don’t have a lot of non-seasonal stuff. So I’m like, ooh, I could buy a couple.

 

Kathi Lipp (03:55)

Mm-hmm.

 

Yeah.

 

Really?

 

Okay.

 

Tonya Kubo (04:15)

containers and I could get two whole shelves free in my hallway.

 

Kathi Lipp (04:20)

And I’m going to tell you

 

the containers you should buy. This is revolutionized. Yes. Yes. Okay. So this is a quick episode. We’re going to take a quick break. And when we come back, we’re going to talk about setting up clutter-free under bed storage. So we’re going to take a quick break and we’ll come right back.

 

Tonya Kubo (04:24)

I love this! I don’t have to shop, you’ll tell me what to do!

 

Kathi Lipp (04:42)

Okay guys, this is gonna be one of our fastest episodes ever because there’s not that much space underneath our bed. So you don’t, we don’t need to have a giant episode here. But here is, I wanna give you guys some instructions on what to do to actually clean out underneath that bed and what you should be putting down there. So the very first thing I want you to do is pull everything out. And I want, I mean everything.

 

Don’t leave anything that’s in that middle space there just because you can’t reach it. Get a broom, do what you have to do, pull all of that out, okay? And then I want you to sort and purge. There is stuff that probably has been living down there for a really long time because you just don’t need it. So if you haven’t been pulling it out, like one of the things I just realized, Tonya, I can’t believe this. We had three mattress pads. Why?

 

Why did we have three mattress pads? I don’t really understand that. It makes no sense in my house why that would be a thing. So.

 

Tonya Kubo (05:47)

That feels like

 

a, bought one, we forgot we bought one, we bought another one sort of scenario.

 

Kathi Lipp (05:53)

Yeah, and I think maybe

 

the people who left us stuff in the house, maybe there was one there too, like it kind of. It did it gives with purchase, I love that it’s so true. Yes, it’s so true. So then ? this is the time to clean out that space, OK? So you’re going to want to dust. I have I bought something recently and I wasn’t going to mention this, but I’ll mention it now. I bought a.

 

Tonya Kubo (05:58)

Your house came with a lot of gifts with purchase.

 

Kathi Lipp (06:22)

? How do I want to say this it’s a cleaner for our fan blades like our blades So it’s like a triangle that you can put over your fan blade and all The dust comes off and when I say all the dust I mean all the dust it looked like it was snowing I didn’t realize how how how in just one year how much dust

 

Tonya Kubo (06:50)

Does it,

 

I was gonna say, does it work so well it makes you feel like you’ve been living in filth?

 

Kathi Lipp (06:56)

I feel disgusting, disgusting. ? But I use that to kind of sweep under my bed. It was perfect. It was absolutely perfect. And I also, we have a Roomba. Like it’s not a Roomba, but it’s Roomba-like. It’s actually higher rated than the Roomba. And so ? once we had everything out, I just pulled up all of the sheets and I let Roomba go wild under there. I don’t know if you saw this yesterday on my feed.

 

Tonya Kubo (07:12)

Mm-hmm.

 

Hmm… I did.

 

Kathi Lipp (07:26)

Guys, my Roomba ran. Roger did not pull up the dog food. I am gonna blame him because I take enough bullets around here. I get enough shrapnel for the things that I don’t do, not from Roger, but from myself. But he didn’t pick up Moose’s dog food and it ran right over it. And it’s so gross. It took about an hour to clean that out, pulling it all apart. my goodness. Yeah, it was disgusting. Yes.

 

Tonya Kubo (07:44)

It was so gross. So gross.

 

I bet. But like everybody who commented said, right, at least it wasn’t

 

poop because I have seen those pictures.

 

Kathi Lipp (07:56)

At least it wasn’t poop.

 

Yeah, no, no, this was so much better than poop. Can I just, it’s always good to be thankful, isn’t it? It’s always good to be thankful. And then we’re gonna choose some functional storage. Now, what I have used and I still use in some of our bedrooms is the clear plastic bins, okay? So that has been great. But I have discovered a new thing and that’s why we’re gonna combine this.

 

Tonya Kubo (08:09)

Mm-hmm.

 

Mm-hmm.

 

Kathi Lipp (08:24)

with our segment of things that have earned this place in my clutter free home. ? This is, it’s not clear. It’s a fabric box. It’s got the struck wires inside, but here’s the big difference. It’s on rollers. And yes, so it has a pocket so you can put what’s in there. like I have, ? I put it in that pocket, things like these are my ?

 

Tonya Kubo (08:35)

Mm-hmm.

 

Kathi Lipp (08:53)

out of season sheets. So flannel is under there right now. And then in the winter, I’ll put my spring sheets in there, but I just grabbed the handle. I pull it out from underneath my bed. I can fit four of these under my bed. You probably could fit six, but because of our nightstands, we fit four under there and it has made. And then here’s the crazy thing. I made a little map that goes inside our closet. So I know.

 

I don’t have to pull them all out to see which is underneath each one. It’s made such a difference. I’ll link it in the show notes, but now I know exactly what’s under my bed. It’s not a mystery anymore. So for me, I only have things under the bed that relate to the bed because we have an out of season ? bedspread.

 

because we have a very heavy bedspread that we use nine months out of the year, but in the summer we don’t use that. So ? we’ve got a very thin one that goes on there. ? We have extra blankets, different sheets, that kind of thing. So if it doesn’t relate to the bed, for at least for us, it doesn’t belong there. And now you’re going to adopt that as well. You have extra space. I love that. We’ve made a convert here.

 

Tonya Kubo (10:11)

Yes! I love this. This

 

makes me really happy.

 

Kathi Lipp (10:16)

Yeah, it.

 

OK, anything else that you want to say about under bed storage? Anything that you feel like has been important in your under bed storage journey?

 

Tonya Kubo (10:26)

Mm-hmm.

 

Well, so what I will say is, this hit me probably a few months ago, is if you take full advantage of the space underneath your bed, there isn’t space for other stuff to collect.

 

Kathi Lipp (10:46)

Yes, it’s so true. It’s so true. Your shoes can’t go under there. Your socks can’t fly under there. Yes.

 

Tonya Kubo (10:52)

Right.

 

Yes, or like the girls, know, if I put stuff underneath their bed, then they can’t shove clothes too far underneath that we can’t reach.

 

Kathi Lipp (11:04)

which I feel is really, really important for this time of year because at least in our household, it’s allergy season. And it’s really important to me that I don’t suffer from allergies like Roger does, but his allergies are terrible. And so I have to keep everything as dust free as possible. And you’re right, as the more items we have under there and the…

 

Tonya Kubo (11:12)

Mm-hmm. ?

 

Yeah.

 

Kathi Lipp (11:28)

It can’t just be shoving stuff under there. It has to be in boxes that fit together so they’re seamless. And then we can make sure that it is not collecting dust. I know I’m gonna have to at least once or twice a year go in there and just dust off the tops, but it’s not going to be every day. And here’s what I think is really, really important. When you know what’s under your bed, it’s not a

 

Tonya Kubo (11:48)

Mm-hmm.

 

Kathi Lipp (11:57)

burden anymore. It’s not a pit of mystery, which I feel like is really, really important with what we’re doing. Okay, this is a micro episode guys, but here’s the beautiful thing. It’s not going to take much for you to do this. So pull everything out, go through it, sort through what you don’t need. If it’s been under there for five years, you can donate it. You don’t need it anymore. If you have extra sheet sets that never get to, you never get to, it’s time to get rid of those.

 

Tonya Kubo (12:05)

Thank

 

Kathi Lipp (12:27)

If you have things that have just found their way down there and you don’t need anymore, or maybe you’ll find some treasures. If so, I hope that this has been a blessing to you. You’ve been listening to Clutter-Free Academy. I’m Kathi Lipp. Now, go create the clutter-free life you’ve always wanted to live.

 

 

More Posts 

#685 – Stuck and Overwhelmed? The Real Reason Your Clutter Won’t Budge

Sep 2, 2025 | , , , , , , , , ,

Are you worn out from battling clutter and not seeing the progress you’d hoped for? In this heartfelt episode, Kathi Lipp and Tonya Kubo explore the reality of declutter fatigue and why, for so many women, the journey can feel never-ending. If you’re feeling stuck,...

read more

#687 – What’s Lurking Under Your Bed? Declutter the Forgotten Zone for Good

#677 – The Secret to a Clutter-Free Laundry Routine

by | Jul 8, 2025 | Clutter Free, Clutter Free Home, Clutter Free Podcast, Home, Organizing, Podcast, tips and ideas | 1 comment

#677 – The Secret to a Clutter-Free Laundry Routine

Listen Now

In this engaging episode of Clutter-Free Academy, Kathi Lipp and clutter comrade Tonya Kubo are back to tackle the ever-daunting task of laundry. For those feeling overwhelmed by never-ending laundry piles and chaos, this is your chance to reclaim a peaceful and organized home. 

Kathi shares her newfound appreciation for a certain someone’s folding techniques and reveals how a few simple tools, like drawer dividers, can revolutionize your laundry routine. Plus, Tonya gives invaluable advice on managing allergy-friendly laundry needs and keeping the family clad and cheerful. 

Listeners will come away with practical insights on evolving their laundry system, maintaining cleanliness, and battling tough stains with a magical secret weapon. Whether it’s finding joy in organizing or nurturing a household with faith, there’s something special for every laundry warrior ready for change. 

Tune in and transform each laundry day from a dreaded chore to a manageable part of your daily rhythm! 

Sabbath Soup: Weekly Menus and Rhythms to Make Space for a Day of Rest

Kathi Lipp gives readers an easy-to-follow process for meal planning and prep, so that they can enjoy a full day each week of real rest and refreshment.

Could you use a break from cooking (and everything else) once a week? Not only is rest vital for your mind and body, it’s good for your soul too. God designed us to enter into Sabbath rest one day per week, but as you know, meals still need to be made. Your family still needs to be fed.

Sabbath Soup includes convenient, seasonal meal plans that take the guesswork out of shopping and cooking. More than just a collection of delicious recipes—including main dishes, breads, breakfasts, desserts, salads, sides, and yes, soups—this is your guide to establishing a weekly rhythm and routine of meal planning and prep that allows you to have a true day off.

Do something good for your soul and experience the peace that comes with a full day dedicated to spending time with God, family, and friends. Savor your Sabbath as you proudly proclaim, “Soup’s on!”

Order your copy of Sabbath Soup: Weekly Menus and Rhythms to Make Space for a Day of Rest here.

Links Mentioned:

FYI: Some product links may be affiliate links. If you buy, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! 

Clutter Free Resources:

Join our Clutter Free Academy Facebook Group

Order Sabbath Soup here

Let’s stay connected

To share your thoughts:

  • Leave a note in the comment section below.
  • Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

Subscribe on iTunes or subscribe to our newsletter now.

Meet Our Co-Host

 

Tonya Kubo

Tonya Kubo is the illustrious and fearless leader of Kathi Lipp’s Clutter Free Academy Facebook group and the Clutter Free for Life membership program. A professional community strategist, she believes everyone deserves to have a place online where they feel like they belong. Raised by a hoarder, Tonya knows firsthand the pain and isolation that comes from living in conditions others don’t understand. She wants better for her family and her cluttery peeps, which is why she is passionate about the compassionate slow-and-steady approach that makes Clutter Free unique. She lives in the heart of California with her husband, Brian, their two spirited daughters, and one very tolerant cat. Visit tonyakubo.com to find out more about her community work, or email her at tonya@kathilipp.org to discuss the Clutter Free Academy podcast and programs.

Tonya Kubo Picture
Transcript

Kathi Lipp (00:09) 

Well, hey friends, welcome to Clutter-Free Academy, where our goal is to help you take small, doable steps to live every day with less clutter and more life. And we are back talking about that dirty business of laundry, and I am here with Tonya Kubo. ? Tonya, you’re gonna have some extra laundry because you just had a little adventure, didn’t you? 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:31) 

Yes, 

  

I did, I did. We rescued a kitten and ? he is currently cuddled up in lot of dirty towels. 

  

Kathi Lipp (00:39) 

Well, you know what? And I bet he could not be happier. He has a safe place to rest and recover. Cause he was found in a couple of car engines. he is, he’s, I know it’s amazing. Well, you’ll have to keep us updated on this little bambino. So sweet. But let’s talk more about people laundry. So last time we talked about setting up a sustainable laundry routine. 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:49) 

Yes! I’m just so glad he didn’t get hurt! 

  

Yes. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:06) 

Today we’re focusing on keeping that system running smoothly with tips for folding sorting and keeping up when life gets chaotic. ? You know, when we had five adult bodies living at our house, ? the laundry was insane. It has died down a little bit. also don’t have people throwing clean clothes into the laundry. Also, I would say one of the things that has made the 

  

biggest difference for us is on the back end, not having as many clothes. I don’t know why that happens. We’re not wearing less clothing. In fact, we insist on people wearing clothing here at the Red House. We’re big on that. But ? I know that we don’t let it get as piled up because we have our favorites. We like to wear them and we wear them over and over again. ? 

  

Tonya Kubo (01:48) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (02:03) 

How do you feel like laundry piles up at your house or is it pretty much is the dirty laundry contained in the the garage? Okay, hold on We’re gonna we’re gonna do some counseling here with Tonya. Like I just saw that look come over your face 

  

Tonya Kubo (02:18) 

Yeah, 

  

well the thing is, is because I live with people, back to the past episode, they want to put all the dirty clothes on the floor. Like in their mind, clean clothes go in baskets, dirty clothes go on the floor. So the hallway tends to be where everybody wants to throw their dirty laundry. And I really don’t feel like it’s that much work to put it into a basket and walk it out to the garage. But I seem to be the only person who feels like that’s not a lot of work. 

  

Kathi Lipp (02:44) 

You 

  

Tonya Kubo (02:47) 

So yes, that is tough. Laundry does pile up. In fact, that is something we just had a conversation about that we’re solving this weekend. It’s you know, mom finally had to say this is not sustainable. If I have to take over laundry as I do everybody’s laundry, I will because this is very frustrating to me and I need a different system. 

  

Kathi Lipp (02:48) 

Yeah. 

  

Hmm. 

  

What the frustration is seeing all the dirty laundry everywhere or not having what you need or what? 

  

Tonya Kubo (03:15) 

Well, it’s the fact that I slip and fall on dirty laundry that’s left in the hallway, especially when I get up in the middle of the night. That’s okay. You know, Kathi, falling at 47 is a whole different ball game than falling when you’re like 11 years old. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:22) 

No, not okay. 

  

It’s a different thing. 

  

my goodness. Yes. And you know what? We also want to be able to get back up. so, yes, absolutely. my goodness. 

  

Tonya Kubo (03:33) 

Mmm 

  

Right. So that 

  

that’s my main frustration. But the other thing is, and I think anybody who has kids understands, they get littler kids, right? They get very attached to a certain outfit. Like they get in their head, they’re going to wear this thing today and nothing else will do. And I’m like, well, then you really should have thought about that yesterday and made sure that thing was clean. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:42) 

Yeah 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yes. 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:07) 

But I feel like if everything wasn’t on the floor, then it would be easier to establish a 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:15) 

Yeah, I agree. agree. you know, no, no, no, no, we’re a safe space here. And here’s the thing. We know that kids don’t think ahead. You know, most kids, there are some who do. There are some who plan their entire lives. Kimberly was one of those kids. But most kids are just living on a wing and a prayer. But it’s our goal to help raise them into good adults who can start to think ahead and can start to make these choices. 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:18) 

Thank you for letting me rant. 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:44) 

Especially you’re in such a busy time right now with your kids have a lot of extracurricular activities We don’t want to be fighting about Laundry. Okay, so I want to talk about folding and can I tell you why I resist folding I resist folding because then he comes the putting away and It’s just it’s it’s a hard thing and it’s gotten better since I have really organized my drawers But I also know ? 

  

I’m going to say something that is going to shock and surprise you. ? Marie Kondo. I am adopting something that she talked about, which is not what I normally, not what you normally hear from me because I don’t really ? love her system for people who are cluttery. If you’re born organized, that system’s gonna work for you. But. 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:22) 

Yes. 

  

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. 

  

I would agree. 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:41) 

One thing that she advocated for, and I thought, well, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. And I have now changed my ways. So I’m admitting I was wrong and I was judgy. And here we are. And we shall never speak of it again. But she has a folding technique where it’s not just like folding in half or folding into fourths. It’s folding so that you see kind of the, how do I want to describe this? The bump of the clothes is standing up. And so, 

  

Tonya Kubo (06:09) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:11) 

I have been using that for my sweatshirts and my sweats. I tried it one time, I don’t know, 15 years ago when all this was starting, I’m like, well, this is dumb. But what I’ve learned is my drawers needed dividers so that everything could kind of sit tight in there. And you know what? It really has made a difference. So. 

  

Tonya Kubo (06:20) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:37) 

? I needed more of an explanation back then for it to work. So I got these drawer dividers and I’ll put those in the show notes. But ? those have really made a difference in ? being able to ? pack things in there in a not overwhelming way, but in a tight way. I’m assuming that, well, you’ve told me your family doesn’t believe in folding clothes. 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:01) 

No, they don’t. only my stuff like my stuff. Brian, if he’s putting away clothes, he’ll just put it in the drawer. He doesn’t fold anything. ? I hang most of my things, though. Just we don’t have to argue about how it’s folded if I just hang it up. 

  

Kathi Lipp (07:14) 

Right, okay. 

  

Yeah, ? if you resist folding like I do might I suggest pairing it with something that you love and let me tell you what I love I love crawling into bed with moose and watching something like Downton Abbey or something i’ve watched a hundred times and I fold but I don’t put away that night I fold and I stack everything and I put it back into the basket and then the next morning I’ll put it away and ? 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:26) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (07:48) 

But it’s getting done every single day and it makes me super super happy. I don’t have a I don’t have a laundry room that Allows for folding area like you kind of have to squeeze your way in there just to Do it so i’m either folding on my bed and putting it away Or I might be folding at lunchtime and then taking it upstairs and putting it away 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:59) 

Hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (08:16) 

What is your folding method and area? 

  

Tonya Kubo (08:18) 

So 

  

well Brian likes to dump the laundry on the bed and then fold from there right so that you have to put you have to fold and put away the clothes before you can go to sleep It’s not my favorite. I would rather do it in the living room, you know watching TV I do 

  

Kathi Lipp (08:23) 

Okay. ? 

  

Yes. 

  

No. Yeah, because you go to bed earlier than him, right? 

  

Yeah, so that means you’re putting it away. That makes me sad for you. 

  

Tonya Kubo (08:40) 

I’m putting 

  

it away or it’s getting shoved in a basket so I can go to bed. Neither of which actually makes me happy. But I would rather do it on the couch and just watch TV while I’m doing it. That would make me happy. But yeah, sometimes I’ll just play Spotify like podcast or music when I’m putting clothes away. You’re right though, it’s like pairing it with something fun makes a big difference. 

  

Kathi Lipp (08:45) 

Yes. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Mm-hmm 

  

and to come to find out that it really takes just about ten minutes to fold a load of laundry in my brain It takes 45 minutes, you know a business day, you know, like that’s what it takes. Yeah Okay, I want to talk about some realistic storage solutions. So we’ve talked about some of these in other ? Podcasts, but one thing for me that has been 

  

Tonya Kubo (09:11) 

It doesn’t feel like that. 

  

Mmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (09:32) 

Not life-changing, but laundry changing will say that are the honeycomb dividers that ? I keep my socks. So it looks like a honeycomb and it sits in your drawer ? and it’s just like little cubby holes for socks. And ? that has been, that has been really, really good for me. I mentioned the drawer dividers. Those have been, that’s been really helpful to really section off my drawers in a good way. And then, ? 

  

Tonya Kubo (09:35) 

Mm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (10:02) 

Something that’s been important for me, and I think it’s important for other people who live maybe more seasonally than you do in central California, is ? I have a winter wardrobe and I have a summer wardrobe. And yes, there’s some spring and fall that mixes over that, but we use clear ? storage boxes that we put up in our attic with things like ? heavy coats and winter boots and… ? 

  

Pants tend to stay the same, but like big bulky sweaters. So not having everything in my closet all year round. When I lived in San Jose, I had everything in my closet all year round. And we had some snow stuff that we kept in the garage. But living so seasonally like we do, it’s just different here. Do you put anything away in a different area or is it pretty much everything altogether all the time? 

  

Tonya Kubo (10:51) 

Yeah. 

  

Yeah, so I have under the bed storage and I put ? like formal wear, you know, because you use that once every other year. So that’s underneath the bed. And then I do put all the overcoats and ? big bulky sweaters. Those go underneath the bed during the summer months. And then that just frees up some more space in the closet. 

  

Kathi Lipp (11:08) 

Right? 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Okay. 

  

I love it. Okay, we’re gonna take a quick commercial break and we’re gonna come back We’re gonna talk about maintaining your your system and troubleshooting But before we go to break, I just saw you check on the kitty everything good Okay, we’re all in this together Tonya I know you don’t have a name there are certain members of your household who don’t even know you have a new cat yet, but 

  

Tonya Kubo (11:34) 

Everything’s good. 

  

Nobody 

  

knows except for Brian. 

  

Kathi Lipp (11:47) 

This is amazing. I’m so excited. Okay, we’re gonna take a quick commercial break and we’ll be right back 

  

Okay, guys, ? we want to talk about how do you maintain the system and maybe some troubleshooting along the way. ? One thing I like is I would say about once a month, I’m doing a laundry reset day. Like I am just gathering everything from everywhere. I’m also doing some of the things that maybe have been neglected. Right now, I am washing all the throw blankets in our house. 

  

we have a lot of throw blankets. Roger’s like, do I smell? Why are you doing? I’m like, no, no, no, we’re gonna have company. I want everybody to have a fresh blankie, that kind of thing. So ? also that’s my day to match socks in case, you know, I just have a lingerie bag with ? extra socks and about every six months or so I just start over except for my Bamba socks. I’m still holding out hope that 

  

Tonya Kubo (12:23) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mmm. 

  

? 

  

Kathi Lipp (12:51) 

Someday we will find 

  

those. ? And then something I do that I don’t know that other people do, but maybe they do, is I keep a stain treatment up in my bedroom. So yes, so if I’m getting undressed and there is spaghetti sauce on something, I’m spraying it then. So in case I forget to check everything as it’s going in, that has been. 

  

Tonya Kubo (13:04) 

Smart. 

  

Kathi Lipp (13:17) 

That’s been a game changer. What detergent do you use? 

  

Tonya Kubo (13:21) 

I use a super bougie powder detergent that I buy online. ? Both me and Lily are very allergic to anything you buy at the store. Even the Arm and Hammer Free and Clear, which they tell you you can wash cloth diapers in, we react to everything. So yeah, we spend a ridiculous amount of money on laundry detergent, but that’s what we do. 

  

Kathi Lipp (13:28) 

? 

  

? 

  

Really? Yeah. Yeah. 

  

? 

  

yeah, 

  

that’s fascinating. Okay, I was gonna say we do tide free and clear because Roger also Roger is super sensitive to smell, especially it’s not so much the the rubbing up against him. It’s the smell that will make him sick. And so we just and ? it was really interesting. You know, I love the wire cutter podcast and that’s their number one recommendation. 

  

Tonya Kubo (13:54) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (14:14) 

I’m going to ask you after this podcast to go check the name of that because we’ll have other people here who can’t use detergents and are looking for something. ? So I want to, we’re going to take another quick commercial break. And when we come back, I’m going to give you a couple of recommendations of things that I use that are, I’m really, it’s one, but it’s changed my laundry life. So we’re going to take this quick commercial break and we’ll come right back. 

  

Tonya Kubo (14:22) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (14:46) 

Okay guys, this is the part of our podcast, things that have earned a place in my clutter free home. And so I’ve got it here on my desk and if you’re watching on video, you can see it here. It is called Miss Mouths, like mouth, messy eater stain treater. Okay, yes, Miss Mouths, messy eater stain treater. And this, I get it on Amazon, I’ll link it in there. ? 

  

Tonya Kubo (15:04) 

I’m writing that down. 

  

Kathi Lipp (15:15) 

This is it’s by the hate stains company. But this was developed for people to spray like on their child’s bib or when they got the baby food on there. You know what? It works for grown up food, too. And yeah. And so most of time I’m using just shout or something like that. But I’ve got this bottle of liquid gold that if I’ve got a stain either on something that’s really, really important to me. 

  

Tonya Kubo (15:17) 

Hahaha! 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

I love that! 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (15:45) 

Or something that’s been set in there like I forgot about it. I’m going to spray this on there and I’m going to let it Sit for at least 15 minutes, but this is the one I keep upstairs, too so if I need to ? if I need to treat it and let it set for a while and I have not thrown away a piece of clothing since owning this ? I am in deep mourning right now. You know, I I don’t know if you know this ? 

  

I did my talk on the purple hoodie for day spring last year and they got us all purple hoodies. I got bleach on mine. Yeah, we are, and we’ve already tried to dye it once and there’s still a bleach stain on it. So I’m going and buying more. I’m very depressed about this. but it’s, I, 

  

Tonya Kubo (16:16) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Hmm 

  

we try a purple Sharpie? Or is it not that 

  

color purple? 

  

Kathi Lipp (16:41) 

It might be. I’ll try one on the inside and see how it looks. You know, at this point, it’s not going to get worse. It’s not going to get worse. So, yes. 

  

Tonya Kubo (16:49) 

Yeah. Can I ask a quick question? Would that get 

  

would that stain remover get blood out? My poor girls, again, allergies, they get nosebleeds in the middle of the night, they will wake up and it looks like a murder scene. 

  

Kathi Lipp (17:02) 

Yes, so ? I know for blood you need an enzyme and I believe that this is an enzyme ? stain remover. So I would give it a try. You’re not going to waste your money if you buy this because it’s going to work for something else. ? Like I got it was on a white shirt and I got blueberry on it and I sprayed this on there and it got out. 

  

Tonya Kubo (17:07) 

Hmm. 

  

Okay. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (17:32) 

So you will get your money’s worth. It’s not cheap, but it’s not crazy either. Okay, so this has been our two part series on laundry, because guys, we have to do it every single day, right? This is what we do. I mean, well, maybe we wear clothes every day. Hopefully we’re not doing laundry every day. But hopefully you’ve picked up at least one tip, because let’s be clear, clothing is expensive. Towels are expensive. 

  

And so if we can save one item, that’s a beautiful thing. If you can have your favorite comfort shirt ready to wear when you need it. And guys, I’ve got a new favorite. I’ll take a picture of it. A new favorite comfort sweatshirt. It’s a squirrel rescue shirt from our friend Susie Flory. Her daughter designed it. And not only. 

  

Does it have the best ? logo on the front? It has little squirrel paw prints on the back. It’s the cutest thing ever, Tonya. It’s the best shirt ever. And I need it to last for a million years. So laundry is very, very important to me because we’ve invested a lot in our clothes. We wanna keep them. ? this is gonna be my last suggestion. If you are feeling overrun by clothes, could you pack away half 

  

Tonya Kubo (18:33) 

? I want one! 

  

Kathi Lipp (18:55) 

quarter of the clothes in your closets in your drawers the ones you wear the least and see if you miss them and if you don’t that may be an idea to be able to say Donate some of those clothes so you don’t have because I just remember being overrun by clothes when my kids were younger and none of us 

  

Tonya Kubo (19:18) 

Thanks for having me, this was a great topic. 

 

 

More Posts 

#685 – Stuck and Overwhelmed? The Real Reason Your Clutter Won’t Budge

Sep 2, 2025 | , , , , , , , , ,

Are you worn out from battling clutter and not seeing the progress you’d hoped for? In this heartfelt episode, Kathi Lipp and Tonya Kubo explore the reality of declutter fatigue and why, for so many women, the journey can feel never-ending. If you’re feeling stuck,...

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#687 – What’s Lurking Under Your Bed? Declutter the Forgotten Zone for Good

#674 – Low Buy July: 31 Days to Your Financial Reset

by | Jun 17, 2025 | Clutter Free, Clutter Free Home, Clutter Free Podcast, Finances, Freedom, Low Buy July, Podcast | 0 comments

#674 – Low Buy July: 31 Days to Your Financial Reset

Listen Now

In this episode of Clutter Free Academy, Kathi Lipp and Tonya Kubo talk about why they’re moving from “No Buy July” to a gentler, grace-filled “Low Buy July.” If you’ve ever felt like buying toilet paper broke the rules or you’re just exhausted by all-or-nothing thinking, this conversation is for you.

They’ll cover:

The mindset behind Low Buy July and why it matters now more than ever

Four financial “levels” to help you decide what to do with the money you don’t spend

How a bug bite venom extractor earned its spot in Kathi’s house

What it means for something to truly earn a place in your life

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Sabbath Soup: Weekly Menus and Rhythms to Make Space for a Day of Rest

Kathi Lipp gives readers an easy-to-follow process for meal planning and prep, so that they can enjoy a full day each week of real rest and refreshment.

Could you use a break from cooking (and everything else) once a week? Not only is rest vital for your mind and body, it’s good for your soul too. God designed us to enter into Sabbath rest one day per week, but as you know, meals still need to be made. Your family still needs to be fed.

Sabbath Soup includes convenient, seasonal meal plans that take the guesswork out of shopping and cooking. More than just a collection of delicious recipes—including main dishes, breads, breakfasts, desserts, salads, sides, and yes, soups—this is your guide to establishing a weekly rhythm and routine of meal planning and prep that allows you to have a true day off.

Do something good for your soul and experience the peace that comes with a full day dedicated to spending time with God, family, and friends. Savor your Sabbath as you proudly proclaim, “Soup’s on!”

Order your copy of Sabbath Soup: Weekly Menus and Rhythms to Make Space for a Day of Rest here.

Links Mentioned:

FYI: Some product links may be affiliate links. If you buy, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! 

Clutter Free Resources:

Join our Clutter Free Academy Facebook Group

Order Sabbath Soup here

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Meet Our Co-Host

 

Tonya Kubo

Tonya Kubo is the illustrious and fearless leader of Kathi Lipp’s Clutter Free Academy Facebook group and the Clutter Free for Life membership program. A professional community strategist, she believes everyone deserves to have a place online where they feel like they belong. Raised by a hoarder, Tonya knows firsthand the pain and isolation that comes from living in conditions others don’t understand. She wants better for her family and her cluttery peeps, which is why she is passionate about the compassionate slow-and-steady approach that makes Clutter Free unique. She lives in the heart of California with her husband, Brian, their two spirited daughters, and one very tolerant cat. Visit tonyakubo.com to find out more about her community work, or email her at tonya@kathilipp.org to discuss the Clutter Free Academy podcast and programs.

Tonya Kubo Picture
Transcript

Kathi Lipp (00:10) 

Well, hey friends, welcome to Clutter Free Academy where our goal is to help you take small doable steps to live every day with less clutter and more life. And I am here with the queen of all things clutter. It is Tonya Kubo. Hey Tonya. 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:24) 

Hey, Kathi. 

  

Kathi Lipp (00:26) 

Okay, we, it’s my favorite holiday of the year that’s coming up. I’m so excited. I know for other people they’re looking forward to Independence Day or, know, I’m trying to think of other summery holidays, Memorial Day, those kind of things. But for me, it is a month long celebration of Low By July. It really is, it’s crazily one of my favorite times of year. ? 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:32) 

Yeah! 

  

Kathi Lipp (00:55) 

when we as a community over in Clutterfree Academy really look, now let’s be honest, for years it was called No by July. And that was a problem for people, wasn’t it, Tonya? 

  

Tonya Kubo (01:06) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Well, it was definitely, because our cluttery people, ? it’s really important to them that they do things right. And know by July felt really, really hard to get right. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:17) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yes, I’ll never forget. It must have been two years ago. One of our people on July 1st, they needed to repair their car and they like our whole month is gone now. And I was like, no, no, no, no, no. You get to repair your car and you can still do low by. Well, at the time it was no by July, but it was it was stressful for them. You know, I ran out of milk. Well, we’d really like you to get milk. 

  

Tonya Kubo (01:35) 

No! 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:50) 

? You know, I know a lot of people there are a lot of boycotts going on right now and I was watching this ? one video where a guy was like I don’t know what to do because the only formula my baby likes the only place I can get it in my town is this certain store and I’m like go to the store go to the store, you know, yeah like 

  

Tonya Kubo (02:09) 

Well, exactly. ? my gosh, that’s 

  

a whole different episode, but a good friend of mine and I, were having the same conversation because she was just like, you that’s easy for you to say when you live in certain areas, but it is difficult, right? Not everybody has the same choices. That’s just, it’s important to know that. 

  

Kathi Lipp (02:25) 

Exactly. 

  

Right. 

  

And I figure if I reduce things by 75 % and that’s still enough to make an impact and I feel the same thing for low by July. it’s real. OK, so this is not about restrictions. It’s about a reset. And I am the poster child for the reset because I 

  

Tonya Kubo (02:38) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

definitely. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (02:58) 

I get into bad habits during the year, you know, saving time. And it’s like, you know what? Time is not really my biggest constraint. Now, I would say time is a big constraint for you because you are running human beings all over the town. ? But you know, maybe energy is more of a constraint for me and less of a constraint for you. Like we all have our different constraints, but it’s very easy for me to fall into the habit of. 

  

Tonya Kubo (02:59) 

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:24) 

? This will take less time. So I’m just going to do something out of habit and I don’t want to live like that. I really don’t Yeah, I I want this is about a reset and do you approach it as a reset as well? 

  

Tonya Kubo (03:30) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

yeah, mean, definitely. Even No-By-July was a reset for us. It was an opportunity to go, ? where has the spending incrementally, like little bits of overspending have become big bits of overspending. So for us, Low-By-July has always been the opportunity to eat out of the freezer to like minimize how much stuff we have in our outside freezer. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:57) 

Right. Right. 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:06) 

It’s the opportunity to go, do we really need to go to the grocery store as often as we’re going? Because Kathi to your point, right, I’ve got kids in school. May and June is a gauntlet for us. And so it’s very easy, especially in the month of May, for us to go from eating out twice a month to suddenly eating out twice a week. And then by June, we are like overwhelmed by the amount of decisions we’ve had to make. 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:13) 

Right. 

  

Ugh, yes. 

  

Yes. 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:35) 

And then it’s like, maybe we’ll just door dash. Like we don’t even have the energy to go to a restaurant. We’re just like, we’ll just have it come to us. And so in July, it’s a great opportunity to go, my gosh, we’ve got all this food in the freezer that we haven’t touched in a month or two. Let’s start going through all that. Let’s see what we can do. Let’s start reducing the spending. And it’s nice because we’re all home more. So it just makes sense for us. 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:43) 

Yes. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Well, and here’s something I’ve wondered, but I’ve never actually asked you about. I know with my kids, like when church would have a challenge or something, the kids would be on board. I could issue the same challenge as a parent and they’d be like, why do we need to do this? Like, is it easier for your kids to accept, we’re doing the clutter free thing, or does it make no difference to your children? 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:06) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mmm. 

  

You know, that’s funny is actually ? Lily used to get really upset over it. Like, why would you sign us up for this, mom? Like, that’s not nice. Why would you do this? And ? then Abby always struggled because her birthday is in July. So what I just make it about is we like look at like they’re old enough to though now they’re 10 and 15. So now it’s like we’ve got all this stuff at home. 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:34) 

? wow. Okay. 

  

right. 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:55) 

And so what I do, there’s a big reward at the end. So we save like all the money that we save. We get to decide to do something fun with it. We’re not in that stage where we’re saving that money and we’re like, we have to pay off this big bill. We have to do this. We have to do that. We just get to do something fun. But then what they don’t realize is there’s things that I don’t start doing again in August and in September. And so while all my savings in July may go to some kind of reward, 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:59) 

Yeah. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Right. Yeah. 

  

Hahaha 

  

Tonya Kubo (06:24) 

I’m still saving that amount in August and September and I get to use that to other things. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:27) 

Yeah. 

  

Yeah, you know, I love this because I what I feel like low by July does for me is Yes, it does save us money, but it just creates a breathing room You know in our house because there’s less stuff coming in our schedules and especially you know in those fine You know the day-to-day finances and Tonya I will say it is very comical when roger and I come home from town because we only go to town once a week, right and so 

  

Tonya Kubo (06:57) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:59) 

We unload the car. It looks like we’re going on a month vacation. I it does seem a little preposterous sometime Yeah Yeah, I 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:05) 

I get it though. 

  

I used to live way out in 

  

Boondockville at one point and yes, it is like that. It’s like you are moving is what it feels like. 

  

Kathi Lipp (07:12) 

? my goodness. 

  

Yes, it really does. We have finally learned to get everything out of our car before we go to town because we’re going to fill up our, it’s a whole thing. Okay. So I think another thing that is going to be maybe a little different this year is I’m, I’m sure you feel the same, or at least you have people around you who feel the same. Finances feel different this year, at least for us. We are 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:26) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (07:45) 

We are looking at our 401k, there we go. And there’s been a lot going on in the market and stuff like that. If we were panicking, the thought that would be going through my mind is we have to delay retirement for three years now. Because that’s how much we’ve lost in our 401k. And I am not a reactionary, I know things are gonna go up again, but I think a lot of people… 

  

Tonya Kubo (08:01) 

Mm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (08:12) 

who maybe don’t have a lot of cushion are feeling a lot of stress. Are you noticing that in your circles as well? 

  

Tonya Kubo (08:17) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yes, I mean, it looks different in my circles, right? Like we all notice that things cost more right now. So in my circles, people aren’t bringing in less money necessarily. Like I know a few people who are public employees who, you know, downsized or whatever, but for the most part, they’re not bringing in less money, but the money isn’t going as far as it used to. 

  

Kathi Lipp (08:28) 

Yeah. 

  

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah, exactly. I mean, we’ll just call it the egg index, right? It was ? our one of our neighbors brought us over a dozen eggs. Our chicken are not of laying age right now. ? They are up they are upstairs in the bathroom and they’re definitely of pooping age right now. And so ? we’ve yes, it’s not it’s not pleasant. But yes, the egg index, you know, not just because of the bird flu, but just you know, the cost of things are going up. 

  

Tonya Kubo (08:48) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Got it. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (09:13) 

So I feel like this is coming at a great time. We’re putting this podcast out a couple of weeks early because we want you to be able to think through some of these things. Like Tonya was talking about plan to plan. Yeah, because your daughter has a birthday in July. So you do a lot of your planning in advance. And you know what? That’s really going to help out. So I want to come back and talk about how I think it’s so important to have a 

  

Tonya Kubo (09:22) 

It’s plan to plan. We want you to plan to plan. 

  

Kathi Lipp (09:40) 

goal for what you’re going to do with the money you save. And I’ve got some ideas for when we come back. 

  

Tonya Kubo (09:41) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Awesome. 

  

Kathi Lipp (09:48) 

Okay. Okay, friends, we are back. ? And I want to talk about you’re going to save some money in July because you’re not going to be buying extras. We will give you all the details in when you join us over at Clutterfree Academy in the Facebook in the Facebook, I was going to say the Facebook group, but it makes me sound like a 75 year no, let’s a 90 year old person when I say the Facebook. ? 

  

Because I’ve got some very hip 75 year olds in my in my circle ? But I think it’s really important to go in with a goal and I know what you you just said that you’re you’re You’re talking to your family about saving for a treat, but Tonya that hasn’t always been your circumstance has it? 

  

Tonya Kubo (10:29) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

No, no, there I mean there were circumstances. Well, I mean we were a single income household for quite a while and there’s just been times where we’ve had to do the cut back because we’ve had to do the cut 

  

Kathi Lipp (10:47) 

Yeah, so I want to talk about a few different ? areas that this could go to. Now for some people, it’s just going to be survival. Like I just need to make it through, you know, I’m just trying to get from paycheck to paycheck. I want you to consider this your learning lab month. This is your we’re going to all be there to support you. 

  

We’re gonna be in the Facebook group talking about how we’re saving money, how to look at things differently. Maybe it’s time to cut out some subscriptions, but you’re gonna be there with people who are going to be able to cheer you on. Then there’s gonna be some people who are going to be like, we need to pay off a bill. Like there’s something that is hanging over our head. Maybe it’s a medical bill, maybe it’s a car loan. ? And if you have a few different things you’re paying off, 

  

Maybe this is the month to start the snowball. I learned about the snowball from Amy Decision, the Tight Wad Gazette that back in the nineties, but I know a lot of people know about it because of Dave Ramsey. And that is just where you pay off one bill ? because you’re making the minimum payment on all these different bills. And you take what you were paying on that first bill. Once you get it paid off and you apply that to the second lowest bill and you do that until that’s paid off. 

  

And I know that that has made a difference in my life and other people’s lives. So to think about that. Three could be an emergency fund. Maybe you need a little cushion for when a disaster happens. Tonya, as you know, Roger and I have had to start a protocol of rabies treatments. We’re fine. We’re 100 % fine. 

  

Tonya Kubo (12:15) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (12:33) 

But yeah, we had an encounter with a bat and it was the county recommendation was that we get this rabies protocol. And they called me yesterday and they said, your copay on this each is $2,100. How would you like to take care of that? And I’m like. 

  

Tonya Kubo (12:55) 

Mmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (12:56) 

Do you really have a lot of people who are like, yes, here’s my $2,100. In our case, $4,200. Let’s just take after $1,000 at the ER. Like, I don’t know people, I don’t know a lot of people who can just whip that out. But even just having a small emergency fund, and this is what I’ve noticed with our kids, they keep a small emergency fund. So that extra copay at the dentist doesn’t become a crisis. 

  

Tonya Kubo (13:24) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (13:27) 

And so if you’re in that place where everything’s a crisis, because I have been there, a small emergency fund can be a great next step. And then the fourth thing is to start saving. Is there something that you’re saving for? Maybe it’s something fun. Maybe it’s something that you really need for your house. And then let’s put the fifth one in there with Tonya. It’s the party fund just for the month of July. 

  

But 

  

Tonya Kubo (13:50) 

Yep. 

  

Kathi Lipp (13:50) 

you’re resetting those habits and those things. And I love that you’re doing that with your girls. I just love that. So what is your thing that you’re usually saving for that’s fun in the month of July? 

  

Tonya Kubo (14:03) 

? 

  

Usually we take vacation and so we pre-save, but then we take the money that we save in July and we put that either toward like spending money for the vacation. ? Last year, just because of how things were working out, we actually put it toward our back to school shopping for the girls. Like it was their budget for back to school shopping. ? Because keep in mind, for you and me, Kathi, as moms, 

  

Kathi Lipp (14:07) 

? nice. 

  

Mm, ? I love that. 

  

Tonya Kubo (14:31) 

That’s just stuff we have to pay for. But when you are 10 and 14, that is freedom you have never experienced in your life. 

  

Kathi Lipp (14:34) 

Right! 

  

Well, am I remembering correctly that Abby was like weighing things back and forth like gold? that was it her or Lily when she had that cash that she was ? empowered with? 

  

Tonya Kubo (14:53) 

Yes, yes, that was Abby. Abby was really confused at how quarters could weigh more than dollars, but not be worth as much. That was a problem for her. It was very unfair, very unfair that she could have five pounds of small change and it was not worth the same amount as her dollars. 

  

Kathi Lipp (15:04) 

It was very unfair. 

  

Yep. ? I totally get it, Abby. I am right there with you. OK, so Tonya, how do people join this challenge? 

  

Tonya Kubo (15:20) 

Yeah, so we’re going to do something that’s a little different is what we’re going to do. So what we are going to do this year is we are going to have it in the Clutterfree Academy Facebook group like we always do. Because in the month of July, this is a crossover with our private membership community Clutterfree for Life. But we are going to give folks an opportunity to sign up for Low By July emails. 

  

Kathi Lipp (15:26) 

Okay. 

  

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. 

  

Yes. 

  

Tonya Kubo (15:48) 

because what we have discovered is they forget to check in on the group, Kathi. And we’ve got some listeners who aren’t on Facebook, but they still wanna participate. And they’re not gonna get a ton of emails. It’s not like an email every day or anything. We’re just gonna give them like, you know, one, maybe two emails a week, just about the challenge. So this is gonna be different than the newsletter. We’re not gonna send it out to everybody, just the folks that appreciate that, but that’s what we’re gonna do. 

  

Kathi Lipp (15:49) 

? 

  

yeah, yeah. 

  

Yeah. 

  

I love that so much. Okay, and a couple of more practice and we’ll have that that link in the show notes. But if you just look for Kathi Lipp’s Clutterfree Academy and Facebook, you’ll find us. Don’t worry. You have to answer a couple of questions before you get into the group because we don’t want well, we like weird people, but we don’t like mean people. So no meanies. 

  

Tonya Kubo (16:20) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

I don’t like spammy 

  

weirdo bots in our group. 

  

Kathi Lipp (16:37) 

Nope, nope, we’re not doing that. So just a couple of practical things that might be helpful here. ? Inventory what you already have. Do I have enough deodorant to get me through July? That’s an important consideration. ? Do I need, you know, do I need to replace my toothbrush heads? Whatever it is, just take a little inventory. You don’t need to buy for the rest of your life. You just need to have enough to get you through July. that, and then, you know, if you’re like, 

  

Tonya Kubo (16:49) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (17:06) 

I don’t know that I wanna do everything. Maybe it’s just not buying clothes. Or maybe it’s just saying, okay, I’m going to eat through everything that I already have on hand. And then that way I don’t have to go to the grocery store as much. Or maybe say, I’m gonna just do $50 a week at the grocery store when you normally do 200. These are all things that you can do on your own. Any other last minute tips? 

  

Tenneil (17:12) 

the issues ? 

  

Kathi Lipp (17:36) 

Tonya? 

  

Tonya Kubo (17:37) 

I would just say if there, maybe just make a list of purchases you wanna think about whether you can get away with not doing in the month of July. So maybe there’s a subscription you have, maybe that you’re like, do I really need Audible or do I really need whatever? Just make a list and consider making July the month you try life out without. 

  

Kathi Lipp (17:46) 

you 

  

I love it. Okay, guys, ? pop on over to the Facebook group. Join us before July because we’re going to be gearing up over there. And stay tuned because Tonya and I are going to talk about something that I have decided has earned a place in my house. And by the way, I love it so much. I forced it into Tonya’s house. Like I sent it to her because I knew she needed it so badly. Okay, we’ll be right back. 

 

Kathi Lipp (00:01) 

And we are back and this is one of my favorite parts of the podcast. We’re going to talk about things that have earned a place in my clutter free home. Now, some of you are going to be like, Kathi, we’re talking about low by July and why, why are we buying things? Okay. This is why guys, because my new favorite quote is cluttery people are the meanest people in the world, but only to themselves. 

  

? I didn’t think you’d heard me say that yet, Tonya but isn’t it the truth, right? 

  

friend, I’ve l- 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:36) 

Absolutely 

  

so true, so true. 

  

Kathi Lipp (00:39) 

Yeah, it we are so hard on ourselves. So this is why we can no longer call it no by July because ? if you cracked a tooth, you wouldn’t go to the dentist or if you did go to the dentist, you would think you were a complete failure. So this is why it’s. Yeah, right. 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:54) 

No, that’s what it is. They think they’re 

  

a complete failure for going to the dentist to fix their crack tooth. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:00) 

Exactly during no by July. So that’s why we’re calling it low by July and Hey, you may not need this. So let me tell you don’t buy this but I need it and I I I forced my opinions on Tonya and Said you need this too. And so when I tell you you need something I’m not going to make you need it without getting it for you. So 

  

But I was so convinced that this would change Tonya’s life that I sent her a couple ? post-haste. And it is called Bug Bite Thing. And if you’re watching online, I just held it up. And we’ll have, of course, a link in ? the podcast notes. But what this is, it’s like a plunger for Bug Bites. I don’t know how else to describe it. 

  

Tonya Kubo (01:50) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:53) 

So if you’re watching, just gonna, I’m gonna put this on here. Whoops, I’m doing it wrong. So say like I got a bug bite right here. This is great for people who are listening, by the way, as I’m describing this. But ? you’re gonna pull this up and it’s going to suck the saliva, the venom out of your bug bite. And I heard it explained, we just had a doctor here at the Red House. 

  

And we were talking about bug bites and I’m like, okay, so is it true that everybody gets stung the same amount probably and some of us are just more allergic to it or are some of us sweeter? And she goes, it’s a combination of both. And I’m like, okay, well that was really interesting. And so I’ve got all the attractants and the allergies to it. Roger can get, I know that Roger gets bit so often because he’s outside way more than I am, but they don’t. 

  

bug him as much as they do, but they bug me to death. And so you were even I think it was as early as April you were having mosquitoes. 

  

Tonya Kubo (02:59) 

Well, 

  

and I had them on my face! 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:02) 

Right, which is not a cute look. You’re very cute, but that’s not a cute look. And so I’m like, I’ve got the thing. I’ve got the thing. Now I will tell you, Roger and I have had discussions about whether this is completely psychosomatic or not. And I was like, well, first of all, I don’t care because I’m still using it. And when I use it, it actually works. But I did a little research. ? 

  

Tonya Kubo (03:18) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:30) 

And the research shows that the body reacts to proteins or chemicals injected by insects like histamines or anti-collagra… wait. 

  

Tonya Kubo (03:40) 

Coagulants. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:42) 

There we go. I’ll never be able to say that word. If you remove them early enough, you may interrupt the histamine, histamine, okay. Okay. Guys, these are words that I don’t use. C-A-S cascade, the histamine cascade. I know where the cascade is. Okay. Leading to less itching and swelling. When I read these notes, I’m like, I can say that. Apparently not. ? So suction devices have been used in wound care. 

  

all sorts of things for a really, really long time. But there was a study in Germany that said, and I’m not even gonna try to pronounce the name of that newspaper, but it says that it’s tested a suction-based device for bug bites. It found that both reduced itch and swelling when used immediately. So take that, Roger Lipp. 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:12) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Well, I just feel like it’s a much more hygienic form of a leech. 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:38) 

Okay, wow, you just 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:38) 

We use leeches for a long time. 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:44) 

Leaches never even occurred to me Okay, but so here’s the thing if you’re hippie-dippy and you don’t like to use a lot of medicines This is probably really good for you ? and ? I will as soon as I notice that something is swelling on me. I go in with the bug bite Extractor it’s called the bug bite thing and I suck out the poison and guys I It works. It just works 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:12) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:13) 

And so, mean, your results may vary, but ? it only works if you use it pretty much immediately. Like you’re not gonna go to Target and buy one and then use it on the bug bite you got. ? But I love this thing. So if you live in a place with a lot of bug bites, have you actually tried it yet, Tonya? 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:24) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

I was going to say like, but you by the time the one you sent to me arrived, obviously I could not use it on my face, but ? you know, they get trapped in our bedrooms. And so Abby woke up with one that was really bothering her on her ankle. And we, said, well, let me just open this up and let’s try it out. And she looked at me with all the skepticism of her 10 year old brain. Right. And, but you could see the like liquid on the surface of the skin afterwards. 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:51) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Of course. 

  

Yes, 

  

Tonya Kubo (06:06) 

which she was really grossed out by. And 

  

I was like, but it’s gross cool, right? She was like, no such thing as gross cool, mom. But it did not swell like typical. mean, cause you know how they swell up pretty big, at least on my body and on my girl’s body. I just say it’s worth buying. Buy it, try it. If you hate it, fine. But I don’t think you’ll hate it. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:14) 

Yes, there is. 

  

Yeah. 

  

If you 

  

react to mosquito bites like me, like you, like your girls, you want to do anything you can to make it lessen. And ? if it doesn’t work for you, I am sorry. But ? the anecdotal evidence is that this thing really, really works. And there’s some scientific backing to it. So. 

  

Tonya Kubo (06:40) 

Yeah. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:52) 

I have not convinced Mr. Roger Lipp. He still thinks that I am, you know, I didn’t even think about using this on the tick that, you know, could I have sucked the tick out? I don’t know. ? That is not one of its indications because yeah, but hey. 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:03) 

Hell no. 

  

I don’t think so. I’m just going to say no on 

  

the tick thing. You have to actually remove the tick the old fashioned way. 

  

Kathi Lipp (07:11) 

Well, here’s the problem. 

  

It did not remove it became one with my body. So I would have tried anything at that point. Yeah, I’ve still got little Herman riding along with me. We are one now. So sorry if that grosses you out. So guys, ? I love this thing. I think they’re probably around ? seven to nine dollars a piece. I think I bought a two pack. I would buy I would buy this again in a second. Okay. 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:16) 

Hahaha 

  

Kathi Lipp (07:40) 

So that’s my little things that have earned it. Let’s just say if this went missing, I would buy another one immediately because it really does make a difference. Okay, friends, you’ve been listening to Clutter-Free Academy. I’m Kathy Lipp Now go create the clutter-free life you’ve always wanted to live. 

 

 

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#673 – The Dishwasher Dilemma: Secrets to a Clutter-Free Kitchen

by | Jun 10, 2025 | Clutter Free, Clutter Free Home, Clutter Free Podcast, Home, Kitchen, Organizing, Podcast, tips and ideas | 0 comments

#673 – The Dishwasher Dilemma: Secrets to a Clutter-Free Kitchen

Listen Now

In this engaging episode of Clutter Free Academy, hosts Kathi Lipp and Tonya Kubo dive into the dynamic world of dishwashing, sharing secrets to establish a daily rhythm that keeps kitchen chaos at bay. Listen in as Kathi reveals her tried-and-true methods for optimizing dishwasher efficiency, maintaining the appliance, and involving the whole family in the process. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by piles of dirty dishes or uncertain about how to best utilize your dishwasher, this episode is your solution. Discover the power of routine and effective strategies to keep your kitchen environment serene and functional. Be sure to stick around after the dishwasher fun for a quick conversation with author Barb Roose about her new Bible study in the book of Matthew that focuses on prayer!

 

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Sabbath Soup: Weekly Menus and Rhythms to Make Space for a Day of Rest

Kathi Lipp gives readers an easy-to-follow process for meal planning and prep, so that they can enjoy a full day each week of real rest and refreshment.

Could you use a break from cooking (and everything else) once a week? Not only is rest vital for your mind and body, it’s good for your soul too. God designed us to enter into Sabbath rest one day per week, but as you know, meals still need to be made. Your family still needs to be fed.

Sabbath Soup includes convenient, seasonal meal plans that take the guesswork out of shopping and cooking. More than just a collection of delicious recipes—including main dishes, breads, breakfasts, desserts, salads, sides, and yes, soups—this is your guide to establishing a weekly rhythm and routine of meal planning and prep that allows you to have a true day off.

Do something good for your soul and experience the peace that comes with a full day dedicated to spending time with God, family, and friends. Savor your Sabbath as you proudly proclaim, “Soup’s on!”

Order your copy of Sabbath Soup: Weekly Menus and Rhythms to Make Space for a Day of Rest here.

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Meet Our Co-Host

 

Tonya Kubo

Tonya Kubo is the illustrious and fearless leader of Kathi Lipp’s Clutter Free Academy Facebook group and the Clutter Free for Life membership program. A professional community strategist, she believes everyone deserves to have a place online where they feel like they belong. Raised by a hoarder, Tonya knows firsthand the pain and isolation that comes from living in conditions others don’t understand. She wants better for her family and her cluttery peeps, which is why she is passionate about the compassionate slow-and-steady approach that makes Clutter Free unique. She lives in the heart of California with her husband, Brian, their two spirited daughters, and one very tolerant cat. Visit tonyakubo.com to find out more about her community work, or email her at tonya@kathilipp.org to discuss the Clutter Free Academy podcast and programs.

Tonya Kubo Picture

Meet Our Guest

 

Barb Roose

Barb Roose is an established author, a speaker at national women’s conferences, and a regular contributor to (in)courage, Crosswalk, and iBelieve. She has written six Bible studies, including Matthew: Pray Like This, Surrendered: Letting God and Living Like Jesus, and Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle plus Finding Jesus in the Psalms and Three other books. She is the host of Bold, Brave & Beautiful podcast. Barb, also serves as a teaching pastor at her home church, CedarCreek Church, with more than 6,000 in weekly attendance. The proud mother of three adult kids, an Army Captain, preschool teacher and NICU Nurse, Barb loves reading and walking. Whenever possible, she prefers to eat dessert first. You can find what Barb is currently up to here.

Tonya Kubo Picture
Transcript

Kathi Lipp (00:08) 

Well, hey friends, welcome to Clutter Free Academy where our goal is to help you take small doable steps every day to live with less clutter and more life. And I am here with my consummate co-host, is Tonya Kubo. Hey, Tonya. ? Now, I know you have four people living at your house. How are dishes for you guys? 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:23) 

Hey, Kathi 

  

? like you would expect with four people living in my house, but at least we have a dishwasher. Not everybody does. 

  

Kathi Lipp (00:37) 

Right, 

  

isn’t that it is such I I probably spent five years doing Dishes by hand and so I well, I hate doing dishes I am one of those people that is super super grateful for that dishwasher every single day I think part of my problem for so many years was not having a rhythm. It was like, okay, I would 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:45) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:03) 

put off doing dishes as long as possible. I think one of things that I used to think deeply was I couldn’t run the dishwasher until every little bit of it was full. And that would mean, you if we went to bed and there were still spaces for a few glasses, I wouldn’t do the dishes and then we’d have breakfast dishes. And then it always felt like I was behind and I hated that feeling. ? 

  

Tonya Kubo (01:06) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:31) 

I can imagine, now who’s the chief dishwasher in your house? 

  

Tonya Kubo (01:36) 

So it has historically always been Brian, but we’ve been, you know, the girls are older. We try to split chores with them. So we had a beautiful system when it was just Brian. We had a pretty good system when it was Brian and Lily, but now it’s Brian, Lily and Abby doing different components. And I really feel like I know that we will be grateful for this later, but right now it just feels like too many cooks in the kitchen. And I mean that pun in every bit. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:47) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yes. 

  

Yeah, 

  

it’s painful. And I know a lot of people are like, well, it’s just easier to do it myself. It is easier now, agreed. And there will come a day when you’ll be really, really grateful that you raised competent adults who, even though they may not do things perfectly, know how to do them and know the expectation is them. So good job, mom. Good job, dad Brian. We love it. Okay, so today we want to cover setting 

  

Tonya Kubo (02:11) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (02:34) 

of a daily dish rhythm, maintaining your dishwasher and getting optimal results because I, for years and years and years, I didn’t know that there was a way to maintain your dishwasher. I thought it was either working or not working. Those were the, you it was very binary. And I now know that there are some things that we can do to make it last longer and make it run more effectively. So I want to talk about that. I 

  

Tonya Kubo (02:36) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:02) 

Our daily dish routine looks a little bit like this. We usually are unloading in the morning and then filling up during the day. And depending on whether I’m cooking or not, we want run it once or twice. Does that look very different from what you guys do? 

  

Tonya Kubo (03:23) 

No, I would say ? it’s about the same, but sometimes I would say probably two to three days a week, I’ve got to run it twice in a single day. Just, yeah, well, and there’s more humans here. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:31) 

Yeah, yeah big cooking days. Yeah Yep, 

  

absolutely. my goodness for sure. Yeah, anytime I’m cooking it’s going to be a you know, and sometimes I’m cook sometimes, you know, we have Leftovers from when I cook we have a lot more leftovers than most people because it’s just the two of us. So ? Those are don’t be tend to be heavy dish days, but I I think it’s really really important 

  

to say, okay, dishes are just a part of life. We need to figure out a routine for them. And we need to make sure that everybody in the house is sticking to the ideal. It’s not the perfect, but ideal for what our house can actually do. So unless you are single and eating a lot of takeout, you’re probably going to be needing to do one load a day. ? 

  

I think, for us, we never get away with not doing dishes in the day. That just is not how we run. And so if I just say, OK, dishes have to be there every single day. And then ? do you guys have any rules for people bringing dishes to the sink? 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:35) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Well, sure, doesn’t mean anybody follows them, Kathi, ? 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:51) 

Okay, sure, sure, sure, yes. I understand 

  

that deeply too. What? Yeah. 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:56) 

Yeah, you know, it’s the teenager thing. 

  

But for us, you’re supposed to bring, the rule is you bring your dish into the sink, you rinse it out and it goes on the left side. Once it’s rinsed out on the right side of the sink, it’s then put on the left side of the sink. I prefer the dishes to go into the sink. Brian prefers them to be on the counter next to the sink. 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:11) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

? interesting. Okay. Yeah, I think next to the side of the sink would kill me. 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:26) 

Yep, yep, not gonna say you’re wrong there. 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:26) 

Yeah. Yeah. 

  

You can always tell when a blood Lipp is living here, whether it’s Roger or one of his kids, because they put drinks unthrown out. Yeah, they don’t drain the cup. They put it next to the sink. And like, why? Why? 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:37) 

Yeah 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:52) 

Why am I, why are you waiting for somebody else to dump out your Starbucks cup? I don’t understand that. You’re killing me. Now, one thing I have heard is, you know, some people like they load right after each meal or snack. That’s what we tend to do as well. But then I thought this was interesting. One of my friends says that she uses a small bin. I don’t know if it’s on the counter or if it’s 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:58) 

hahahaha 

  

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:21) 

suction to the inside of the sink where she puts cutlery ? until it’s ready to go into the dishwasher. So I find that fascinating as well. I don’t necessarily see the advantage, but I’ve heard of a couple of people who are doing that. So ? do you stay in the kitchen while Roger, ? Roger, I’ve now married you off to my husband. Hope that’s okay. ? 

  

Tonya Kubo (06:27) 

Mmm. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Brian might have a complaint or two, but you know. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:51) 

You know, if you’re going to be married off, he might have a complaint, but 

  

you know what? You know, if I if I have to give you something of mine, that’s not a bad deal. ? I tend to stay in the kitchen and put things away while Roger’s doing the dishes. Are you guys separate or are you like body doubling by working in there together? 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:08) 

Hmm. 

  

Yeah, so Brian doesn’t want anybody in the kitchen when he’s in the kitchen. Absolutely not. He like, no, that’s not okay. But the girls and I will will tag team because I find for them they feel, you know, it feels like less of a chore if we’re all doing something together. Yeah. 

  

Kathi Lipp (07:16) 

? okay. 

  

That’s how I feel too. Yeah, like it’s 

  

not woe is me, here I am, know, Cinderella. 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:34) 

Yeah, but 

  

like if you came over to my house and I was cooking dinner, I wouldn’t want you to help me cook dinner, but I would want you to sit at the table and chat with me while I cooked. Like that’s fun for me. But Brian is just like, ? I’m sure there’s another room in this house you can be in. And I’m like, okay. 

  

Kathi Lipp (07:42) 

That’s all I need. Yes. Yes. 

  

Okay. Good to know, Brian. Okay. 

  

Yeah. So Roger, like he loves to barbecue because people will come out and talk to him. But if somebody makes a suggestion on how to barbecue. No, not okay. ? Okay. Yeah. I love going to bed knowing the dishes are done. Like there’s a clean slate, we’re starting the day off well. And we do a delay setting on our dishwasher. So it’s running at 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:59) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-mm. 

  

Mmm, yeah. 

  

Kathi Lipp (08:18) 

like two in the morning because what that does is it’s not using energy during peak hours. So we’re delaying it by like, you know, four hours because we’re probably he’s probably putting the last things in at around 10 o’clock at night. And that seems to really, really help. ? I do believe as kids get older, a couple of different things. One, 

  

Tonya Kubo (08:20) 

oooo 

  

you 

  

Kathi Lipp (08:48) 

I believe that everybody should at least be responsible for scraping off their plates. I don’t want to scrape off your food when you’re 17 years old. 

  

Tonya Kubo (08:57) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

No, and honestly if your kids go to preschool they have to do it there. 

  

Kathi Lipp (09:04) 

Right exactly 

  

You have you seen these videos of the japanese preschools? Where my goodness you guys if you haven’t seen it i’ll see if they’re first of all, they’re the cutest kids in the entire world and They are all scraping off their own thing. They’re all using cleaner to wipe down their tables. They’re they’re sweeping the floors i’m like ? Yeah, had I I wish I would have seen that earlier because I don’t think I believe that my kids were capable of that but now 

  

Tonya Kubo (09:11) 

Yes. 

  

Those kids are so cute. 

  

Kathi Lipp (09:34) 

They are they were they they’ve always been okay guys We’re gonna take a quick break, and then I want to come back and talk about Maintaining your dishwasher just a couple of things you might not have thought about because I didn’t grow up this way So maybe you didn’t grow up this way. I used to always think I didn’t grow up this way I was the only one and I’ve come to find out it’s much more universal than that right So we’re gonna give you a couple of different things that you can think about 

  

Tonya Kubo (09:57) 

Yeah. 

  

Kathi Lipp (10:03) 

and we will be right back. 

  

Okay, guys, we have talked about loading and unloading your dishwasher. I will say one other thing that has changed our dishwasher unloading, Tonya, is we got a kitchen island. You know, I don’t know, maybe six, eight months ago. Maybe it’s been longer than that. Well, yeah, anyway. And one thing I love about it is when we’re unloading the dishes, we can stack them there and then just go. 

  

Tonya Kubo (10:17) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Kathi Lipp (10:36) 

to where the dishes go, or go to where the plates are. I love it so, so much. ? Okay, but I wanna talk about maintaining your dishwasher. A couple of things to think about. One, ? a weekly quick clean. Now, I don’t necessarily do this weekly, but one thing I do is I peek in there at least once a week and just check the filter. 

  

Tonya Kubo (10:54) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (11:00) 

Does around the filter start to look gunky? Is there paper on there from like a jar or something like that? So I will pull that out every once in a while. And then I’ll just kind of look at the seals around the door. I check it every week. I don’t clean it every week. I’m not going to clean something that doesn’t look dirty. Life is not that boring for me. But once I’ve done that, it makes me feel so much better about knowing that it’s going to run well. 

  

Tonya Kubo (11:01) 

Mmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah ? 

  

Kathi Lipp (11:30) 

? and then monthly couple of different things one we use ? finish in our our dishwasher just to You know, it’s that final rinse that is really really good in addition do you use anything like that? 

  

Tonya Kubo (11:50) 

No, no, we’ll use vinegar in the dishwasher every now and then. We have horrible hard water. And so a lot of times those ? rinse aids and cleaning agents actually just increase the mineral deposits. 

  

Kathi Lipp (11:54) 

Okay. 

  

Uhhh, yeah. 

  

Mmm, okay. Yeah, it just doesn’t work for you. Okay. Now I do want to talk about glisten Glisten is a dishwasher cleaner. So look I’m going to try to describe it for our listeners at home It’s just like a plastic bottle, but you take the lid off and it has a wax seal in the in there because you want this for the last cycle that heating cycle of your dishwasher 

  

Tonya Kubo (12:09) 

now 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (12:35) 

So that wax melts in there and it’s perfectly safe for your dishwasher. But what it does is it gives a deep clean to your entire dishwasher. So I don’t know that I’ve ever talked about it on here. You’ll remember if I have because you have a much better memory than I do. But Roger and I have a tub that we call the once a month tub. And okay, so I’ve talked about it. These are things we want to do once a month in our house. So this is stuff like 

  

Tonya Kubo (12:47) 

Nice. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (13:05) 

cleaning, deep cleaning that dishwasher, changing out the baking soda in our refrigerator, Moose’s ? tick and flea treatment, water filters, because we have very healthy water, but terrible tasting water. So we put these, ? these glisten bottles, we buy them three at a time, we put them into that box. And when I’m down to the last one, I order some for the next month. 

  

Tonya Kubo (13:27) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (13:33) 

And we just go around the house and we put our plant fertilizer. So it’s something that we want to do once a month or approximately once a month. And it just, we don’t have to remember to do it. We just do it. And so that’s been really helpful for us. Another thing to think about is yeah, running a cycle of the dishwasher with a dishwasher cleaner or a cup of white vinegar. White vinegar is a miracle, isn’t it? It’s just a miracle. Yeah. Yeah. 

  

Tonya Kubo (13:33) 

Hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

I feel like it is, I feel like it is. 

  

Kathi Lipp (14:03) 

So ? we just have very tough water up here. So that’s why we tend to use this glisten stuff ? You also want to check the spray arms. So again, I’m not like ? it’s once a month. Let’s check our dishwasher I’m much more loosey goosey than that But if things are coming out of the dishwasher and I’m not liking how they’re looking These are the things I do. So I’ll run the I’ll run an extra cycle with some vinegar 

  

Tonya Kubo (14:26) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (14:32) 

I’ll check the spray arms for debris. I’ll check in the utensil tray and racks as needed. then you can, know, yearly maintenance. If you need to research for your brand, what your brand suggests. If you have some hard water buildup in there, I’m not going to suggest it because I don’t want to know, but also check hoses for leaks and cracks. If you’re not getting the performance that you want to. 

  

And then I want to talk about loading your dishwasher because that can really affect the performance. I will also link ? the episode of ? Wirecutter, yes, to this, their whole dishwasher episode and the brands that I, we just like, we like the ? Cascade Extra. 

  

Tonya Kubo (15:01) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Wire cutter. 

  

Kathi Lipp (15:26) 

That’s the brand that we really, really, really like for our actual dishwasher. But they also go through with about different kinds that, you know, for your dishwasher might be good. But give dishes spaces so water can get in between there. Use designated areas for specific items. So you want plates where the plates are supposed to go. Bowls, cutlery, glasses. 

  

Tonya Kubo (15:27) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (15:53) 

Check to see if you have a wine glass arm all those kind of things and then ? powders gels and pods What we were told by a dishwasher repairman is never use a gel I It he says When I am repairing I always see under their sink what they’re using and it tends to be gels that where their dishwasher has run down worse 

  

Tonya Kubo (16:06) 

Mm-hmm. Mmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (16:21) 

Now we use the pods, which is a gel powder combo. you know, so far we’ve had great results, but that’s just something I’ve heard about. Do you do anything to mitigate the water hardness or is you just have to live with it? 

  

Tonya Kubo (16:26) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah, we have a magnet thing that goes inside the dishwasher. And so that’s supposed to help the deposits not form. ? But pretty much everybody in my neighborhood replaces their dishwasher every three years. Or they’ve just decided that they don’t need a dishwasher. And yeah, and we can’t use powder because it’ll etch our glasses. Like anything that’s glass gets etched with the powder. 

  

Kathi Lipp (16:47) 

Okay. 

  

Really? 

  

Wow, that is serious. 

  

Wow. 

  

Tonya Kubo (17:07) 

We can’t use pods because the hard water mineral deposits build up so quickly that the pods won’t dissolve. Every now and then I’m just like, well, maybe we just skip the dishwasher and we’ll just put another cabinet there. And Brian’s like, or maybe we move. And I’ll say, maybe what we need to do is get like a water treatment system because we need something that’s a little bit more than a softener. And he’s like, or how about we move? 

  

Kathi Lipp (17:22) 

Yeah! 

  

Tonya Kubo (17:32) 

? so I’ve just stopped making suggestions cause Brian seems to think there’s only one solution, which involves me moving and I don’t like. 

  

Kathi Lipp (17:34) 

Yeah 

  

No, you’ve pretty much stated you want to die in this house. So can I tell you the most interesting thing I learned from the wire cutter episode on dishwashers? 

  

Tonya Kubo (17:51) 

I wanna hear it. 

  

Kathi Lipp (17:52) 

You do not want to clean your dish too much before it goes into the dishwasher. 

  

Tonya Kubo (18:02) 

Okay, I need to know why, because I do not believe them. 

  

Kathi Lipp (18:03) 

don’t really understand 

  

the science behind it, but they said that your dishes need something, your detergent needs something to grab onto. And so you don’t want things that are caked on there. Like you don’t want to put your eggy dish that has been sitting in the sink overnight in there because that’s too much for almost any dishwasher, or detergent. 

  

Tonya Kubo (18:14) 

Hmm 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Kathi Lipp (18:32) 

It doesn’t want to have to be perfectly clean. So I’ve I have lowered my standards Thank you very much wire cutter and I feel like I’m getting even better results So it may all be psychosomatic. You know what, but don’t don’t yuck my yum. Okay? ? The other thing that’s really important is hot water if you’re not getting the results you need 

  

Tonya Kubo (18:45) 

Nice. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (18:57) 

One of the things you may have to do is run the hot water and again, this may be like well duh, Kathi to everybody else I did not grow up knowing this so now I know right or Maybe this is something my mom did and I didn’t realize it but you have to run the hot water for a while and even we have found even if we run the hot water at 10 o’clock and then we set the dishwasher for two It seems to be fine. So ? 

  

Tonya Kubo (19:12) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (19:27) 

And then most of us are going to need a rinse aid of some kind, the finish or something like that. ? Create a daily rhythm, Maintain your dishwasher. Don’t overcrowd it. And then check with your manufacturer to see if there are any extra tips. You don’t have to have the user’s manual. You can go online and look and see what that is. ? 

  

Tonya Kubo (19:31) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (19:53) 

Is there anything you’re going to do differently, Tonya, because of today? 

  

Tonya Kubo (19:58) 

you know what? think one thing that I’m going to do differently, aside from making sure that I run the hot water, cause that’s brilliant. But I think that I am going to do more about checking those cleaning arms. Cause I am good about checking the bottom of the dishwasher. That’s where my filter is. But I only think about the cleaning arms when it’s not working. 

  

Kathi Lipp (20:05) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah, great. 

  

Mmm, okay, and I We do have a very sophisticated water filtration system, but I still want to find out about your magnet So we’re gonna we’re gonna put that in the show notes because I think that that might be something that would be really really helpful to us guys I want you to just think through your routine Is there something you could be doing that is going to help you out? And by the way guys, we’re gonna be doing some more 

  

Tonya Kubo (20:26) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (20:46) 

System spotlights. That’s what we did today system spotlight about your dishes ? in a few weeks We’re gonna be doing laundry. So yeah that I’m excited. That’s a two-parter Tonya It’s too much information to contain in one episode. So You guys are going to love it. Okay guys, we will be back in just a minute We’re gonna take a quick commercial break and then I’m gonna share with you ? this week’s 

  

It has earned a place in my clutter free home. You’re not going to want to miss this episode. 

 

*PART TWO* 

 

Kathi Lipp (00:00) 

Hey friends, we are back. We are back. this is, this is my new favorite series. Things that have earned a place in my home. Because as you guys know, not everything that I want actually earns a place in my home. 

  

So in order for it to not become clutter. It has to be something I love I use or would buy again and I’ve got a Three hit I’ve got this one checks all three It’s called Matthew pray like this and it’s by my friend Barb Roose and so I want to discuss it today because we’ve got Barb here and Barb 

  

Welcome back to the program. I’m so glad to have you’re a frequent flyer here on clutter free academy And i’m so grateful to have you back 

  

Barb (00:53) 

I love coming back and we’ve only been on here for like 15 seconds and I’m already taking notes on what you just said. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:02) 

my goodness, but it’s so true. Okay, so let me tell you why this is be why I’m saying this like I am because I will tell you my prayer life There’s been a lot of stops and starts recently I’m just in a space where prayer and I’ve been here before and here’s the thing God is so gracious and I know I’m going to get out of that space and it’s going to be okay and 

  

And I have to remember that God doesn’t leave me anywhere for a long time. But prayer has been hard recently, and then I get this book and I’m like, well, all right, OK, so God’s giving me a little tool for this time in my life. So I feel like we’ve all had I don’t want to speak for other people, but I feel like we’ve all had these moments when we’re like prayer isn’t working. I don’t even know what to pray. 

  

I think there’s been a lot going on in my life in my world where I just like kind of hold throw up my hands I’m saying God I don’t even know where to start so I would love to hear from you why why this book why now and What? What do you say to those of us who have been struggling? 

  

Barb (02:24) 

Well, I, first of all, what you just shared about where your prayer journey is at right now, it has either created this exhale for listeners who are like, that’s where I felt like I’m at. Cause they have been struggling and they want to pray and know that they should pray. And for a variety of reasons, it just hasn’t looked like how they wanted to. So thank you. Because I think more people are there than not. 

  

Kathi Lipp (02:38) 

Hmm. 

  

Barb (02:51) 

because prayer is this conversation with God. The barrier always has been that we can’t see God, he’s not showing up, we don’t have like this face-to-face, and so there’s so much in life that can happen. A quote that’s meant a lot to me is a Cory Ten Boom quote. She said, prayer, your steering wheel or your spare tire. And yeah, and so there have been many seasons of my life. This Bible study actually is so wild to me. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:07) 

Mmm. 

  

yeah. 

  

Barb (03:20) 

because prayer was mostly a spare tire for me. I grew up as a Christian. I knew something about prayer because of how I was taught, but my mentality, my personality, I was a do first, pray later kind of person, which meant, yep, so I was always busy, had things to do, always kind of felt that guilt in the back of my mind because I was like, okay, I’m going to pray, I’m going to pray and something would come up. The Bible study that you have is a testament 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:24) 

Mmm. 

  

Yeah, yeah. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Barb (03:50) 

of how God guided me in his gracious love through from a do first, pray later to a pray first, pray often. And that is we all go through these seasons and these spiritual journeys. And he guided me through that in a way that allowed me to get to where I really wanted to be. A woman who prayed every day about everything without guilt or shame. 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:16) 

Okay, so I want to pick up on something you just said because this is my first love of this book is that you don’t guilt us into praying more, it guides you into praying more meaningfully. And ? my goodness, it has been, it’s just an invitation. And so yeah, if you’re in that place where you’re feeling like my prayers are hitting the ceiling or I… 

  

I just I don’t even know where to start so I don’t start but here’s here’s just that my moment of honesty because Here’s the problem a lot of Bible studies sound good on the shelf, but they never get opened, right? I mean, it’s we’ve I have been an avid collector of Bible studies for probably the past 30 years my collection abounds But I feel like this one is actually practical practical and doable. So like 

  

What are those things that made it grabbable and why did you, what was your heart behind this? Who is this for? 

  

Barb (05:23) 

This Bible study is for everyone at every stage who wants to get to the place where they want to be a woman who prays about everything every day without guilt or shame. So this can be from the woman who is still trying to figure out who God is to the woman who has been following Jesus for a long time. But the heart of the study is that often our problems or our panic drive our prayers. 

  

versus us actually connecting with God. So I wanted to write a Bible study that was about God and not us. And in doing that, it was, let’s start with where Jesus walks us into prayer. And the Bible study itself is framed around walking through the Lord’s prayer as we study the whole book of the Gospel of Matthew. But I wanted it to be where we felt like we had an active role in prayer. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:05) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Barb (06:19) 

So 

  

my particular Bible study style is very application heavy. I love looking at the scriptures and going, okay, what can we learn about God and how do we apply? So each day of the Bible study is a way to step into prayer actively and creatively because I do not want Bible study to be boring. That would be the kiss of death. God is not boring. His word is not boring. So this Bible study, 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:25) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Right. No. 

  

Barb (06:47) 

provides these ways that I wanted to hit all of the senses, the thinking, the feeling, the taste, like hearing all of that. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:52) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

And I think you have, I really, really think you have in this. And I love that it’s just six weeks. I feel like six weeks is so doable, even though it’s kind of a chunky book, I’m not gonna lie. Like when I first picked it up, I’m like, oh, there’s some heft to this. And I also love that I was planning to do the whole study by myself. I’ve already delved into it. And I just had a friend who said, 

  

Need a Bible set. I’m like, you know what? It’s gonna work for the two of us too. So I’m very very excited about that Okay, here’s something I know about you Barb, because I’ve had you on many times You have been here for many a Bible study and I know that God always gives you something like a new revelation a new aha, whatever the light bulb is What was it for writing this book because God changes you in the writing of these books? 

  

I’ve seen it many times. 

  

Barb (07:55) 

Well, Kathi, have you ever had something you have been praying for for a long time and you’re like, should I keep praying for it? Why am I still praying for it? What the heck? And that was the journey with this Bible study. I tended to treat God a lot like Amazon Prime. I would have a prayer request and then two days later I would be like, so God, why haven’t you answered this prayer? 

  

Kathi Lipp (08:01) 

Yes. 

  

Right. 

  

Yes. 

  

Barb (08:22) 

Because 

  

if the Amazon Prime people can deliver my stuff in two days, I believe that God could do it a lot sooner. And so for me, this Bible study was about God kind of working the Amazon Prime mentality out. And other people kind of like God’s a vending machine. have this whole, like vending machines are stocked of all the things we love, the tasty stuff. And so people go to God and go, well, I think I should have this blessing and this blessing and this blessing. 

  

Kathi Lipp (08:29) 

Right? Right? 

  

Hmm. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Barb (08:52) 

That’s not so much me or other people treat God like customer service where you call God up and you’re like, this is a problem, Lord, you need to fix it. This is a problem. We all have those different mentalities, but mine was learning to trust God’s timing and in allow and allowing prayer to be a part of that journey. So I learned for me, the aha moment was that. 

  

Kathi Lipp (09:01) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm. 

  

Barb (09:18) 

When I persisted in prayer about the thing that was the hardest for me to hold in my life, what God did every time I brought that matter to him was he was able to give me something I needed more. For this thing that that still is important to me, that I still struggle with to this day, I was feeling guilty as a Christian about 

  

Kathi Lipp (09:35) 

Mmm. 

  

Barb (09:46) 

continuing to pray about the same thing all of the time. What I learned in how Jesus taught about persisting in prayer is that when we bring it to God, he actually uses that thing as a way to bless us with teaching us more about him. So I have been able to learn more, receive more of God’s grace. I’ve been able to receive more of God’s love. I’ve been able to receive more of God’s strength. 

  

so that I don’t try to take matters in my own control. 

  

Kathi Lipp (10:18) 

Yeah. 

  

Barb (10:19) 

And so that’s the been the learning blessing, the learning journey for me in this study. 

  

Kathi Lipp (10:26) 

You know, I think we all have our prayer peccadillas and what I, yeah, and I, what I know mine is, is prayer tinged with jealousy. Like God, I have seen what you’ve done for others. I want that. And to understand that God knows what is best for me, what is best for his kingdom. 

  

Barb (10:31) 

Here, I can deal with 

  

Hmm. 

  

Hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (10:55) 

Is not always what I have seen others have and so i’m still wrestling with that I still fight with that and I think you know, it’s It’s very interesting Here’s my question. We all have these these prayer struggles. What what does matthew say about that? 

  

Barb (11:14) 

Well, this is where coming up a verse that I have focused on. It’s right before Jesus teaches about the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew chapter six, three verses before that, Jesus says, don’t be like the babblers who repeat what they’re praying. And I actually just I want to read it because it has really made such a difference for me. He says when he says that, 

  

Kathi Lipp (11:19) 

Yeah. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Barb (11:43) 

Let me, okay, when you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. This is what I love. Don’t be like them, for your father knows exactly what you need even before you ask. And I was thinking about this because I’m going to tell the very, very small version of this. This story isn’t in the book, but when I was 18, it was my, it was my first semester of college at Christmas break. 

  

And I had been worrying myself sick because I didn’t have the $300 I needed for book money. This was in 1990. My dad called me downstairs and he wanted me to sit down on the couch and he said, Barbara, do you have enough money for books? And my dad was such a loving, kind man, but you did not lie to Bob Neal. And so my eyes dropped to the brass and glass coffee table that my parents had because it was 1990. And I just. 

  

Kathi Lipp (12:19) 

Yeah. 

  

Hahaha! 

  

Absolutely. 

  

Barb (12:41) 

right? So I shook my head no and my dad pulled out a crisp $100 bill and he laid it on that table. Kathi, dad had lost his long time career six weeks before I left for university. I still had two siblings at home. My parents were trying to make ends meet and my eyes bucked wide open and he said, that not, is that enough money? And I shook my head no because I couldn’t lie. My dad pulled out a second crisp 

  

Kathi Lipp (12:47) 

Mm. 

  

Right. 

  

Barb (13:10) 

$100 bill. This is a week after Christmas. Me and I’m going, what is happening? Where is this coming from? Dad said, is that enough? And I said, I shook my head no. He pulled out a crisp $100 bill and laid them next to the other two. I never told my parents I needed $300 in books. 

  

I never talked to them. I simply was stressed out, crying all the time. I’d spent all of my Christmas break working temp jobs. And my parents knew what I needed, even though I was at school two and a half hours away. And they had access to resources and understanding beyond what even I knew. And I think that that’s what happens to us when we think about God. 

  

We repeat our prayers over and over again, but our prayers are driven by our panic rather than our trust. Kathi, how many prayers has God answered in your life that you’ve never prayed? 

  

Kathi Lipp (14:14) 

Countless. Countless! That’s the only word. Countless. 

  

Barb (14:18) 

And so the point of prayer for us isn’t that we need to ask God for things. It’s that we need to be able to see who God is. And so this Bible study, I said it’s about God, not us. So I’ve structured it around four parts of God, who God is, his character, what God has done, his faithfulness, what God can do, his power, and what God will do, his promises. 

  

And that’s what the study is structured around because God knows what we need even before we ask. We can trust him. 

  

Kathi Lipp (14:55) 

that’s exactly why this book is staying in my house. Guys, it’s not just pretty, it’s useful. And for someone like me, who’s trying to keep only what matters, I mean, that is everything. Okay, friends, you can grab Matthew Pray Like This wherever books are sold. We’ll have a link in the show notes. Barb, thank you for writing. Thank you for just talking to us about prayer today. And 

  

If you have stumbled in your prayer life or maybe you’ve been hurt by unanswered or delayed prayers, just know that God has you. God sees you. if you need a, I just pray that this conversation has made you feel held when things are not as you hoped for or planned or expected. Friends, 

  

You’ve been listening to ClutterFree Academy. I am Kathi Lipp. Now, go create the clutter free life you’ve always wanted to live. 

 

 

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#672 – From Pantry to Plate: The Secret to Smart Food Storage

by | Jun 3, 2025 | Clutter Free, Clutter Free Home, Clutter Free Podcast, Foodie Friday, Home, Kitchen, Organizing, Overwhelmed, Podcast | 1 comment

#672 – From Pantry to Plate: The Secret to Smart Food Storage

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Join Kathi Lipp and Tonya Kubo in this episode of Clutter-Free Academy as they tackle the often overwhelming world of food storage. Whether you’re struggling with long-term pantry organization, fridge chaos, containers for on the go or finding the right containers for meal prep, Kathi and Tonya share practical tips and solutions that can turn your kitchen clutter into culinary clarity. They explore the benefits of square, stackable, and see-through storage solutions, the beauty of a cheese drawer, and how to make food storage solutions work for your unique household needs. Tune in for insights that cater to anyone aiming for a clutter-free kitchen.

  Photo of Kathi’s storage drawer organization as promised!

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Sabbath Soup: Weekly Menus and Rhythms to Make Space for a Day of Rest

Kathi Lipp gives readers an easy-to-follow process for meal planning and prep, so that they can enjoy a full day each week of real rest and refreshment.

Could you use a break from cooking (and everything else) once a week? Not only is rest vital for your mind and body, it’s good for your soul too. God designed us to enter into Sabbath rest one day per week, but as you know, meals still need to be made. Your family still needs to be fed.

Sabbath Soup includes convenient, seasonal meal plans that take the guesswork out of shopping and cooking. More than just a collection of delicious recipes—including main dishes, breads, breakfasts, desserts, salads, sides, and yes, soups—this is your guide to establishing a weekly rhythm and routine of meal planning and prep that allows you to have a true day off.

Do something good for your soul and experience the peace that comes with a full day dedicated to spending time with God, family, and friends. Savor your Sabbath as you proudly proclaim, “Soup’s on!”

Order your copy of Sabbath Soup: Weekly Menus and Rhythms to Make Space for a Day of Rest here.

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Meet Our Co-Host

 

Tonya Kubo

Tonya Kubo is the illustrious and fearless leader of Kathi Lipp’s Clutter Free Academy Facebook group and the Clutter Free for Life membership program. A professional community strategist, she believes everyone deserves to have a place online where they feel like they belong. Raised by a hoarder, Tonya knows firsthand the pain and isolation that comes from living in conditions others don’t understand. She wants better for her family and her cluttery peeps, which is why she is passionate about the compassionate slow-and-steady approach that makes Clutter Free unique. She lives in the heart of California with her husband, Brian, their two spirited daughters, and one very tolerant cat. Visit tonyakubo.com to find out more about her community work, or email her at tonya@kathilipp.org to discuss the Clutter Free Academy podcast and programs.

Tonya Kubo Picture
Transcript

Kathi Lipp (00:11) 

Hey friend, welcome to clutter free Academy where our goal is to help you take small doable steps every day to live with less clutter and more life and I am here with my my co-conspirator on all things clutter free. It is Tonya Kubo. Hey Tonya We are both in podcasts ? How do we want to say we’re both heavy laden with podcasts right now 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:28) 

Hey Kathi. 

  

Yes, we are deep, deep in creator mode. 

  

Kathi Lipp (00:41) 

Yes. ? you know, so most of my clutter free people are probably not your target audience for the podcast you’ve just launched. But you know what, if 3 % of them are, they’re going to want to find it. Just just do me a favor. Tell me, give us like the the elevator pitch of what your new podcast is about. 

  

Tonya Kubo (01:02) 

Yeah, so my new podcast, so it’s depending on our cluttery people, it actually could be perfect for them, because my podcast is for people who feel like they don’t fit in. So. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:09) 

Okay. 

  

Well, okay, 

  

there we go. I hadn’t heard it described that way. Yeah. 

  

Tonya Kubo (01:17) 

Yeah, yeah, it’s not a business podcast. is. 

  

So Apple is categorizing it under relationships and so society and culture is the big label. And it’s just for people who feel like they don’t fit in, aren’t quite sure that they might be too weird for a polite company. And we just have a conversation every single week with somebody who has learned that. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:28) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. Okay. 

  

Tonya Kubo (01:45) 

rather than trying to fit in, they’re just gonna own their weird and find other people just like them. And then we talk about what makes that work. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:50) 

? 

  

And what’s the name of the podcast? Love it, love it, love it. 

  

Tonya Kubo (01:54) 

Find your freaks. And who 

  

gave me that title? That would be Kathi Lipp. That would be Kathi Lipp. 

  

Kathi Lipp (02:00) 

You know what? 

  

I love a good title. Not going to lie. Yeah, I did a whole speech around that for when you’re writing to an audience, you have to find your freaks because your book is not for everybody. It’s just not. And so with this podcast, we’ve had to find our freaks. So, guys, you are our freaks and we love you. And I just want you to know that’s the highest compliment we can give you, because who else is going to listen to an entire podcast episode? 

  

Tonya Kubo (02:09) 

Yeah? 

  

No! 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (02:28) 

food storage. Who? Our freaks! Because I love this stuff and can I just tell you Tonya you gave me the highest compliment I think anybody has ever given me. Because when I said Tonya what kind of food storage do you use? How did you answer me? 

  

Tonya Kubo (02:29) 

Our freaks. Our peeps. 

  

Whatever I see you use in your house. 

  

Kathi Lipp (02:50) 

Okay, can I tell you why I feel like that’s such a huge compliment because I do take these things too seriously like it I have realized in ? my late stage clutter ? the things that I am doing my clutter looks very different now in my late 50s than it did say in my 30s or 20s and Usually my clutter now 

  

Tonya Kubo (02:57) 

Hahaha 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:15) 

Is I buy something because I’ve researched it. I think it’s going to be great and come to find out it doesn’t quite work But it works enough that I don’t want to get rid of it But it works not enough for me not to go out and buy another thing and so then I have two things and I have to I have to fight my inner clutter girl and Say, you know what somebody this is going to be perfect for somebody else, but it’s not me 

  

Tonya Kubo (03:23) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:45) 

And so that is my story of storage containers. And here’s why I think it matters, ? especially pantry organization. have, okay, so I really believe that there are three different kinds of food storage. And there may be more, but in my house, there are three. There’s the long-term pantry storage. So what I consider long-term is not like years, but ? we in our house put, 

  

Tonya Kubo (03:45) 

Yeah. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:15) 

cereal into a plastic container not because we’re trying to be as my niece would call it aesthetic ? no, it’s because we live in the middle of the country and every once the while the ins the outside tries to come inside and My goodness, yes, so we’ve done a much better job of that recently, but it just is better. We also can get 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:31) 

I was gonna say you have to keep out the critters! 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:42) 

Extreme temperature differentials and so it just makes sense so but also storing like your flour or your sugar or Your brown sugar those kind of things so we’ve got long-term pantry storage, and then we have fridge storage So I’m thinking like last night. I made a Cucumber salad in like an Italian dressing that tastes better after it sat overnight and so 

  

? That went into fridge storage Leftovers go into fridge storage now if it’s up to Roger it might go into a ziplock bag because deciding on on The storage even though it really is pretty well laid out is just too much for him So I tend to put be the person who puts away all of the leftovers, but I that’s really important What are you going to keep your leftovers in? Because you want to be able to eat your leftovers when you come back to them 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:41) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:41) 

And then 

  

the third segment is food to go storage, which isn’t a huge category for the Lipp family. I’m guessing it might be a bigger category for the Kubo family. If you’re packing lunches. Now, where it is a category for us is we often bring food to neighbors or to my mom. And then ? also when we go to town, you know, we are usually driving for an hour and 15 minutes before we get somewhere. And Roger’s going to need a little snack. 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:52) 

Yeah. 

  

Yup. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:11) 

? He’s just gonna need a little something to nosh on and of course I will join him in that. those are the categories we’re talking about. So ? I wanna talk about long-term pantry storage first. ? I really believe that getting the right storage, it helps you keep track of what you have. Now, is your storage see-through or is it opaque? 

  

Tonya Kubo (06:11) 

Yeah. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

? most of my storage is see-through. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:40) 

Okay, I feel like that is a huge bonus, at least for us to say, this is actually what we have instead of opening it up and also. Yeah. 

  

Tonya Kubo (06:42) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yes, because like I have a flour 

  

bucket. So you know, because I have sourdough and I use a high gluten flour to feed my sourdough. So that is in an opaque round bucket. And then our backup rice is also in an opaque round bucket. And there is nothing worse than opening that up and thinking it’s like half to three fourths full and finding out, no, no, no, my friend, you are wrong. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:58) 

Yes. 

  

Okay. 

  

How? 

  

Right. You’re not making sourdough tonight. What were you thinking? You thought you were going to have rice with that orange chicken? I think not. Yeah. No, I have to have everything see through. In fact, I this will be a totally different episode. But Roger just Roger makes very few decrees in our family. ? He makes very few like, but he said we will never and I mean never buy an opaque storage container again because we are 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:20) 

Mm-mm. Mm-mm. 

  

Mm-hmm 

  

Yeah. 

  

Kathi Lipp (07:43) 

currently going through our attic and cleaning things out and I agree it’s Have mercy. Okay. I also love a see-through container because it it avoids duplication you know what you have you can see what you have and then For me it makes meal planning quicker and more efficient because like I need to know are we running low on rice? 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:48) 

And every box is a mystery. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (08:10) 

And if we are, we have rice probably three times a week, which may pale in comparison to the Kubo household, but very few others. And ? I need to know when we’re running low because it’s not go down to 7-Eleven. It’s it’s hitch up the mule team. 

  

Tonya Kubo (08:14) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yes. Well, 

  

and you know, we live within walking distance of a grocery store, but we have finally bitten the bullet and decided we are the buy rice 25 pounds at a time family. 

  

Kathi Lipp (08:38) 

? Costco does this for a reason. They love us and they want good things for us. Okay, I wanna talk some best practices. So ? I believe deeply for all storage containers, square and stackable. ? Because square takes up less space than round because it can fit together better. And then stackable, 

  

Tonya Kubo (08:42) 

Yes. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yes. 

  

Kathi Lipp (09:07) 

This is especially for like our fridge storage and things like that. There is nothing worse than having containers that don’t sit well together. I don’t know anybody’s house who has enough space for that. I really don’t. ? How do you label your containers? 

  

Tonya Kubo (09:10) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah. 

  

No. 

  

Well, if they’re see-through, I usually can just see what they are. That’s part of the beauty of having transparent storage is you don’t have to label. ? You know, I love a good label maker because you taught me that and I don’t have great handwriting, so it’s just nice to use a label maker. But for some reason, my label maker seems to always end up at Mr. Kubo’s classroom. And so I frequently can’t use my label maker in my home. 

  

Kathi Lipp (09:31) 

Okay. 

  

Yeah, yes 

  

I don’t either. 

  

? 

  

Tonya Kubo (09:55) 

I get to use my label maker every summer because he remembers to bring it home at the end of the school year. But I don’t get it. 

  

Kathi Lipp (10:01) 

So you’ve got two, 

  

two and a half months to make all your labels for the year. my goodness. 

  

Tonya Kubo (10:04) 

I just keep my 

  

sticky notes with all the things I want to label and then come June 6th get to label stuff. 

  

Kathi Lipp (10:09) 

My goodness Label everything. my goodness 

  

now. I will say Yes, I think you can see most of the stuff, but I have to label things like flour Are apparently I collect rice I had no idea but I was looking at my rice collection I have about seven different kinds of rice and I want to make sure I’m using the right rice. I know I’m ridiculous you guys but I I 

  

Tonya Kubo (10:19) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

hahahaha 

  

Kathi Lipp (10:39) 

got a new labeler ? because my other one died and it’s called Kata symbol. I’m holding it up, yes, right there. And can you see that? 

  

Tonya Kubo (10:46) 

Let me see. want to see. Hold on. I have to move a thing. 

  

Ooh, it’s so nice and like compact. 

  

Kathi Lipp (10:53) 

Yes, 

  

it’s really nice and it is Bluetooth to your phone. So you type on your phone and it spits it out. ? it makes me very, happy. Very, very happy. So yes, I will. 

  

Tonya Kubo (11:08) 

I’m adding that to my list of things I want, but I will 

  

hide it. It’s small enough to hide. See, my other one’s not small enough to hide. This is small enough to hide. And then maybe it can actually be my label maker. 

  

Kathi Lipp (11:16) 

Uhhh 

  

I love 

  

that. I love a good plan for you, my friend. Okay. Now, um, I, so I believe in labeling and expiration dates and you know, some things I don’t worry so much. We go in through enough flour. We go through enough rice that we’re not going to worry about that. But if I am worried about it, I am going to put it on there, whether it’s an official label or maybe I’m just going to write it on there with like, um, blue painters tape or something like that, because I am not. 

  

Tonya Kubo (11:23) 

Hahaha 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (11:50) 

making my storage pretty for other people. mean, it this is we’re getting it done friends. And then my, my long term pantry storage, I like to categorize it together. Like I’m putting baking things together and I’m putting snack items together and canned goods and grains. Like I, and I know what area to go to in order to do that. And we’ve talked about this in some other episodes. They’re also 

  

Tonya Kubo (11:53) 

Yeah. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (12:18) 

It’s great to have those containers, but it’s also good to have things like risers so that if you have smaller containers towards the back, you can see those. And then, of course, I will always mention these until the day I die, the pullout shelves. The pullout shelves, I will list all of this, you guys. And at the end of the episode, we’re going to talk about my favorite kind of storage. As you know, 

  

Tonya Kubo (12:23) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yes, yes. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (12:44) 

I am the pied piper of storage that the Kubos will just follow along afterwards. But I feel like I’ve done the research and we’re gonna be able to do that. Okay, I wanna mention some things about just some tips for this. ? FIFO, we all know the acronym FIFO, first in, first out. So if you are… 

  

Tonya Kubo (12:46) 

Hahahaha 

  

Kathi Lipp (13:10) 

creating the storage and you have more than one container, make sure you’re using up your first container first and airtight. I think that’s the most important thing. ? What special considerations do you have for like temperature and stuff at your house? is, cause it gets pretty hot there, right? 

  

Tonya Kubo (13:28) 

It does. so our challenge, of course, so we don’t have a pantry. So we have like two cabinets and one cabinet gets really hot. It’s just that’s where the kitchen like sunshine comes through. And so that one is like I keep cold cereal there. I keep things that aren’t going to go bad faster if they get the sun beating down. 

  

Kathi Lipp (13:37) 

Yeah, right. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Right. 

  

Yeah, so something to consider friends if you live in a place where ? you’re getting those big bags of flour and things like that one, know, Tonya is right. Don’t be storing that in the hottest place ? because, know, It can change things. She’s storing stuff like cereal and things that is going to get eaten more rapidly. But also a good practice is to freeze 

  

that rice, freeze that flour at least overnight so that if there are any what we’ll call wee beasties in it, you’re gonna kill those off. 

  

Tonya Kubo (14:19) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

I was gonna say, 

  

that’s why I don’t want my flour where it gets hot is I don’t want the wee beasties to come out and play. 

  

Kathi Lipp (14:30) 

Yes, right. Yes, to grow. 

  

Yep, exactly. Okay, guys, we’re going to take a quick break and then we’re going to come back and we’re going to talk about fridge storage. So you’re not going to want to miss that. We’ll be right back. 

  

Okay friends, it’s time to get into your fridge. ? I love again a square container. I love a square container because I feel like that’s more stackable and clear. I think in the fridge, it’s super important that you have clear containers because only things that are known and seen will be eaten. Yeah. And also if something’s gone a little off, you want to make sure that you’re able to see that. 

  

Now, I stack my clean containers in a drawer and I’ve got, I’ll add a picture of that drawer so you can see how I’ve organized it, but I’ve also bought some organizers to, ? how do I wanna say this? Contain the lids. Lids are an important thing, right? So I’m going to show you my storage drawer, which feels very intimate. I don’t know why, it just does. But I’m. 

  

Tonya Kubo (15:35) 

Yeah, that’s hard. 

  

I was like, I’m not 

  

showing them my storage drawer, Kathi. 

  

Kathi Lipp (15:46) 

That’s okay, 

  

I will take the bullet for both of us. But I want you to see how I’ve stacked the lids in there too, to maybe give you some ideas. And I’ll put a link to the kind of drawer dividers and things that we use in there. Because I feel like for the first time in my adult life, it’s working. It’s taken 57 years, but we’re here. ? Yes. And it’s also important that things have a tight seal. 

  

Tonya Kubo (15:54) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mmm. ? 

  

Yay! 

  

Kathi Lipp (16:17) 

because you don’t ? want any odors getting out or coming in. So that’s really, really important. I also tend to have designations within my refrigerator of like the top shelf is leftovers and ready to eat items, middle shelf, dairy and frequently used item, bottom shelf, more like raw meat, that kind of stuff. And then I have a crisper drawer and a cheese drawer. I love my cheese drawer, not gonna lie. 

  

Tonya Kubo (16:17) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Me too, 

  

I have a cheese drawer. It’s my favorite part of the fridge. 

  

Kathi Lipp (16:46) 

It’s it’s the best isn’t it if I 

  

it acknowledges our love and passion for cheese I love that so much the other thing that I’ve done in the past is have bins for similar items so a couple of things you might want to think about like if you’re gonna be creating a charcuterie tray just having a bin in the fridge that you can throw all that into and pull out or a Condiment bin if that you know depending every refrigerator is like a fingerprint 

  

Tonya Kubo (17:16) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (17:16) 

It’s very 

  

different than somebody else’s fridge and how often and where you want to find stuff. I think that that’s very individual as well. 

  

Tonya Kubo (17:24) 

Yeah, well, and it also depends on life circumstances. Like when the girls were littler, so I’m thinking like when Abby was in preschool, Lily was in early elementary school, we had bins in the bottom shelf of the fridge that had the snacks that they could grab and go with whatever they needed, right? So like your like package string cheese, your little apple slices, like all of that. And then they had a lot of freedom at snack time because they knew which bin had what. 

  

Kathi Lipp (17:39) 

Mm-hmm. Right. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Yeah, ? I love that so much. 

  

Yes, I feel like every, I don’t know, five years, my refrigerator goes through a metamorphosis and things just have to be in different places than they’ve been before. I just have to, you have to make it your own. And I think part of making it your own, one customization, maybe some containers, like kids know, hey, here are the snacks you can have anytime. And here are the snacks you can have once an afternoon. 

  

Tonya Kubo (18:11) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (18:25) 

And those are in two different containers. We’ve got the red and the yellow or the green and the red. There we go. And then, ? but also having those clear containers for leftovers helps me meal plan better. I know what’s there. I’m like, that’s right. I forgot I’ve got that potato salad leftover from when we did barbecue the other day. And now I’m going to be inspired to barbecue something else. 

  

Tonya Kubo (18:30) 

Yeah. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (18:51) 

I also am a big believer in labeling those leftovers with the date. I just have blue painters tape. It’s nothing fancy. It’s not aesthetic, but it works. ? I know some people, I don’t do this, but some people keep a small dry erase board on the fridge door to track leftovers and expiration dates. That seems next level. But if you’re cooking, if you’re cooking for more than a few people, that might be really, really important. And 

  

Tonya Kubo (19:13) 

Yeah 

  

Kathi Lipp (19:20) 

As I’m spending, I’m trying to spend less money on groceries, that might become something, that might be something I aspire to one day. Is there a way that you clean out your fridge on a regular basis? 

  

Tonya Kubo (19:24) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Well, for us, we make soup on the weekends, which is how we use up leftover meats and veggies and any veggies that are about to go bad. That’s our favorite thing. I have, again, because I have kids, I do the meal plan on the fridge. so I generally know if there’s rice in the fridge, the rice came from Tuesday night. If there’s potatoes, the potatoes were from Monday. I don’t need to actually mark the leftover container. 

  

Kathi Lipp (19:41) 

Love that. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

You’ve got an archeological dig going on that will really, really help. I love that. Okay. And then let’s go to our third segment, food to go storage. ? I, I love making sure that I have containers. One, I don’t know if this is an issue in your home, but I send containers and I say, go with God. Like if I don’t get those containers back, I’m not sending my 

  

Tonya Kubo (20:22) 

Hahaha! 

  

Kathi Lipp (20:28) 

$8 a pop clear good containers out ? What what kind of to-go containers are the Kubo’s using? 

  

Tonya Kubo (20:30) 

Hmm. 

  

Yeah, so Brian prefers to use like the gladware, you know, so that’s the it’s disposable, but it’s meant to go through multiple uses. Because like you said, if it doesn’t come back, especially with the girls lunches, it’s like, OK, if they leave it or what usually happens is it gets left in the backpack in the car over the weekend. Brian likes to just throw the whole container away. Just say, you know what? We have sacrificed this to the microbial gods. So. 

  

Kathi Lipp (20:46) 

Right. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Right, right. 

  

Right. 

  

Tonya Kubo (21:06) 

That’s his preference. I have always preferred the metal containers, but good golly, Kathi, they are such a beast to clean. And so I’ve just had to say, you know what? Forget it. 

  

Kathi Lipp (21:16) 

How are they, really? 

  

For this stage in my life, no. Yeah. ? I love these kind of containers because sometimes what I’ll do is I’ll just prep a bunch of meals and just stick them in there and I can bring them to our neighbor. We can eat them. They’re ready to go. ? I really do feel like they encourage healthier eating on the go. Like I’ll make our little snack packs in there or something like that. It’s better than going to Carl’s Jr. 

  

Tonya Kubo (21:23) 

No. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (21:48) 

at least budget-wise, health-wise. And I like the multi-container. What do I want to say? Yes, I like that. Now, some people like to have a bunch of different containers. ? You know, you do what floats your boat. Now, when I’m bringing food to other people, I will sometimes do that because I don’t want to put like the dip. 

  

Tonya Kubo (21:58) 

Like multi-compartment. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (22:16) 

Like if I’m making a yogurt dip, I don’t want to put that in the same ? container that a the hummus at like I don’t want them to have to heat things up. So I don’t want them to have to heat up the meat that kind of thing. So I like multi-purpose containers that are microwave safe, freezer safe, leak proof. We don’t normally heat stuff up in plastic, but I’m also not ? religious about it. ? But they do have to stack. 

  

Tonya Kubo (22:16) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (22:46) 

Like 

  

if they don’t stack, it’s not happening. I’m pitching them. They’re out the door. And I love like the bento box kind of that makes me super, super happy. The other thing I haven’t had much experience with and I wonder if you have is reusable bags. I mean, I know we all know about, you know, washing out a Ziploc, but have you used any of like the beeswax or any of that kind of stuff? 

  

Tonya Kubo (23:10) 

Kathi, if it exists, I have used it. Yes, I did. I did the beeswax fabric ? sandwich wraps for a while. I’ve done reusable. Yeah, we’ve done the reusable, like resealable bags. We’ve done all of it. And, you know, it’s like everything works to some extent if it works for your family. Right. So the beeswax stuff. 

  

Kathi Lipp (23:12) 

I know, you’re an experimenter, yes. 

  

Right, right. Sometimes you just have to try. 

  

Tonya Kubo (23:37) 

Yeah, and this, like the beeswax to wrap a sandwich isn’t bad, but they don’t last forever. So you do have to replace them. And then when they stop being sticky, you just have to be prepared that there are consequences to that action. 

  

Kathi Lipp (23:44) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mmm. 

  

Yeah, I will say one thing. We’re gonna get into our next segment and tell you, I’m gonna tell you some of the things I recommend. But can I tell you, this is a category where my millennial-ish kids love when I buy them something. They love a food container. They love a beeswax. Like, it’s the practical thing that they may already have. 

  

Tonya Kubo (24:09) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (24:21) 

but it’s in a different format. And if you’re trying to think of something, because they don’t want to be using the Ziploc bags, they don’t want to do any of that stuff. But also those glass containers are pretty heavy to take to school or work. 

  

Tonya Kubo (24:26) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah, well, that’s the problem, right? Is glass and metal are heavier. ? nowadays, especially like for school age kids, you used to be able to just put your lunch like by the door of the classroom. Now they expect the lunch to be in the backpack all day. So it’s a lot for the kid to carry on their back. But what I was going to say is if you don’t have compartmentalized containers, if you don’t have the bento box, know, the silicone cupcake holders, like cupcake wrappers. 

  

Kathi Lipp (24:47) 

? interesting. Yeah. 

  

Yeah, great idea. 

  

Tonya Kubo (25:01) 

Those are something that 

  

I use when I do, I tell Abby that I’m taking, I’m sending her with mini charcuterie. ? I used to call them like mom lunchables, but it’s whatever word it takes, but you can put the stuff in those and then they can pull it out if they need to heat something up. 

  

Kathi Lipp (25:08) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yes. Right. 

  

I love it. And is she is she a lunchbox accessory bringer homer? 

  

Tonya Kubo (25:26) 

? no. No. That would be nice though. One day. 

  

Kathi Lipp (25:28) 

Okay, okay. Yeah, 

  

you know, some days. ? Okay, where are you storing all this stuff in your tiny petite kitchen? 

  

Tonya Kubo (25:38) 

Yeah, so we just have one cabinet that has two shelves that’s devoted to kind of all of this stuff and the bakeware. 

  

Kathi Lipp (25:46) 

Yeah So guys my number one recommendation for this is The stuff you’re not using donate it or throw it away Like you’re never going to use it more. You’re gonna buy stuff to replace What you if you lose what you love, but I I kept things for way too long I also have Something like I said when i’m giving things to other people. It’s the I don’t care if it comes home 

  

Tonya Kubo (25:54) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (26:15) 

And 

  

so one of the things I’ve done for that is ? I’ve bought some lower cost ones and we’ll talk about that in our next segment. Okay, Tonya, we’re gonna take a quick break. We’re gonna come back and I’m gonna tell you my favorite food storage brands and why I love them. This is my own mini version of Wirecutter. These are the things I love and I have tested and I can’t wait to talk to you about them. So guys, we’ll be right back. 

  

Okay guys, we are back and I’m gonna tell you these are the things that have earned a place in my clutter free home and I’m just gonna tell you my favorite brands will link them in the show notes So if you want to check them out on Amazon or other places you’re able to do that So my favorite why can’t you the right container matters? These things are not cheap. Let’s be really honest. ? I I love a good container 

  

Tonya Kubo (27:18) 

True. 

  

Kathi Lipp (27:23) 

But when I went to go order my long-term pantry storage containers, I said, yeah, I’ll be doing that in three months once I saved up, because that’s how not cheap they were. But I’m glad I invested, because they look better, they seal better, and all of that. ? I want something that’s durable, stackable, and versatile. ? I also like to be able to wash those out in my… 

  

Tonya Kubo (27:35) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (27:53) 

dishwasher and so I will tell you you have to turn your heater off and I am not guaranteeing that any of these things are going to be ? Dishwasher safe for you, but I’ve come to a place where I’m using hot water in my dishwasher But turning the heater element off so that it’s not melting things because I have melted and I didn’t cry but I did feel tears forming in my eyes 

  

Tonya Kubo (28:14) 

Hmm. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Kathi Lipp (28:22) 

So let me tell you my three favorites. So this is for the long-term pantry storage I love the OXO good grips pop containers. Do you know what I’m talking about Tonya? I 

  

Tonya Kubo (28:35) 

Of course I have them because I tried them out at your house and so I have them at my house now. This is 

  

going to be a very short segment for us, Kathi, because you’re going be like, hey, Tonya, have you heard of these? I’m like, yes, actually I have. I own them. 

  

Kathi Lipp (28:45) 

Okay, the 

  

the third one may be a surprise for you the third one Okay, so because I don’t know that I’ve ever shared those with you. Yeah guys, you’ve probably seen these they’re clear containers I have them in both my ? I have them in white and in like stainless steel they look great and They are durable in the dishwasher again with the heater element off 

  

Tonya Kubo (28:49) 

Okay. 

  

Kathi Lipp (29:15) 

and they keep things fresh. And I don’t have a ton of storage. Maybe other people might think, you have a ton of storage, Kathi. For me, it doesn’t feel like a ton of storage. So I need to use that storage space as smartly as possible. And these are all squares or rectangles, and they are great. And you like them as well, right? I know you have them, you like them. You’re not feeling like you wanna try something different. 

  

Tonya Kubo (29:36) 

Yep, I do, I do. 

  

No, but I will say that, you know, because they do that vacuum kind of seal thing, but you can’t overfill your container. So we’ve had some issues with the cinnamon toast crunch not being willing to seal, which just means everybody eats cinnamon toast crunch for dinner. Really is what happens. We have to make the space. 

  

Kathi Lipp (29:46) 

Yes. Yes. 

  

It’s so true. Yes. 

  

Yes, I love that. I love that plan. It’s a use it up plan. And I label those again with my little labeler. I love them. Okay, my fridge storage are the Rubbermaid Brilliance food storage containers. So these are clear on top clear on the sides. And they have like gray handles, they have a gasket all the way around. So when you press it down, it seals and then they have ? 

  

Handles on both sides that click down and I have dropped those on the floor Not a problem. They do not leak. They do not let odors in or out. So Love me some of those ? Do you have those as well Tonya? 

  

Tonya Kubo (30:45) 

I do. ? My Kubo girls though are hard on things. So they have managed to like get the sides those like tabs. They can break those off. And so you do have to be careful. But I find like that wasn’t a problem on the ones that I used exclusively. I’m just gonna say. Not that I blame people. I’m just saying I did not have that challenge. 

  

Kathi Lipp (30:50) 

? 

  

? yeah. 

  

Mmm, yeah. 

  

They have different dexterity than people our age. And you know what? Here’s the thing is I get older, I’m going to get back into a dropping stage. So, you know, everything that is new goes around again. I love these. Again, neither of these I’m talking about are cheap. I’m just admitting it, guys. But I’ve also not wanted to rebuy, rebuy, rebuy, rebuy. And I feel like they’re such an investment because they keep the food longer. And so I’m not throwing food away. 

  

Tonya Kubo (31:10) 

Hahaha 

  

Yeah. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (31:36) 

And so I use these for Roger’s chips for crackers all sorts of things. They keep things that I like a crunch and you know when your cinnamon toast crunch doesn’t have a crunch anymore It’s not as enjoyable. I’m not gonna lie Okay, so my favorite thing that I do for on the go storage. It’s a ? A brand called bent go so it’s like bento but been good. you’ve used it before Tonya 

  

Tonya Kubo (31:50) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah, for lunch containers for the girls. 

  

Kathi Lipp (32:06) 

I love their stuff. I love it. 

  

Tonya Kubo (32:08) 

Yeah, it’s really, 

  

really nice, except that I not going to lie, I threw an adult size temper tantrum when they didn’t come home for summer break last year. Because they’re they’re like a little too pricey for me to want to replace twice a year. 

  

Kathi Lipp (32:17) 

I don’t blame you. Okay. 

  

Yeah, okay. So the ones I bought and let me know if these are the same. It’s a 20 20 pack now when they say a 20 pack what they mean Is the bottom of the container and the top so you’re getting 10 units? and so So if you’re expecting 20 of these it’s not going to happen guys, but so 10 units for $14, excuse me 

  

Tonya Kubo (32:40) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (32:52) 

It comes out to be about a $1.40 apiece, I think. 

  

Tonya Kubo (32:55) 

? that’s 

  

a really good deal. What we got was they were specific for school lunches. And so it was the bottom, the top, was some accessories for like dipping sauces and then like a, a tote and a drink. 

  

Kathi Lipp (33:00) 

Okay. 

  

Okay, so 

  

here’s what I’m imagining because mine you would not want these in a backpack if it had like spaghetti or Something a little bit wet in it. So I I think bento makes a lot of different things So you probably have the foo foo shishi ones and these I got I actually got these at Sam’s Club ? in a pack some of them were just one compartment some of them were two compartments and 

  

Tonya Kubo (33:14) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (33:37) 

? Than three compartments and ? and Tonya Tonya hold up what you’ve got there I know you were trying to you were trying to be sneaky 

  

Tonya Kubo (33:43) 

Oh, well, I was like, hold on. was trying to 

  

show you something and then it was like big pop over ad that just keeps happening on my thing. But there we go. Yes, it says claim your $10 off. I would really like it if it would let me exit. OK, well, there you go. So that little like $46 one. 

  

Kathi Lipp (33:53) 

Okay. 

  

But you found a discount. 

  

Nice. 

  

Okay. ? nice! Okay. 

  

Tonya Kubo (34:12) 

is what we had. 

  

Kathi Lipp (34:12) 

Okay. And so 

  

this is from the actual company. So we will put the Amazon link and the Bintco ? link in there as well. Cause we love to save a little cash. love that. Yeah. This is perfect for meal prep, lunches, snacks, you guys, if you’re taking food to work or, you know, sending it off to a friend, something like that. I think that these would be great. ? If you know somebody who has had a baby and you’re bringing dinner. 

  

Tonya Kubo (34:24) 

I love saving cash. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (34:42) 

And to do ? a few of these for family members so everybody can have their own. Beautiful, beautiful. And we also use them for like, we’ll do a snack-cuterie. So like here’s a few crackers, here’s some ? grapes or orange slices, that kind of thing. It makes us really happy. Snackle box, I’ve seen that before. It’s so cute. Choosing the right container really does help simplify this. 

  

Tonya Kubo (34:55) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

We call that a snackle box. 

  

Kathi Lipp (35:12) 

You’re not spending and guys, okay This is gonna be my last thing and now I know some of you are gonna write me and say Kathi must be nice to have all the money. I get it Sometimes we are able to buy ourselves out of solution But can I tell you one of the best things I’ve ever done was get rid of all my random Tupperware rubber made Bing-bob-boom ? Because it was frustrating me so much and I just went all in 

  

Tonya Kubo (35:39) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (35:41) 

on this Rubbermaid Brilliance. It made all the difference in the world. I am not constantly hunting for the right ? lid to the right thing. It just works. ? I hope this episode’s given you some practical tips, inspiration to organize your food storage. Guys, if you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe wherever you love to listen to podcasts or share it with a friend who could use a little help in the kitchen. 

  

Don’t forget to tune in next time. We want you to be able to organize your spaces without feeling overwhelmed. That is our goal here. Thanks so much for hanging out with us. You’ve been listening to Clutter-Free Academy. I’m Kathi Lipp. Now, go create the clutter-free life you’ve always wanted to live. 

 

 

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