Malaysian IT manager declutters and reorganises his apartment during the CMCO

Wong has reorganised his storeroom and kitchen cabinets a number of times during the Covid-19 pandemic. Photos: Andrew Wong

Like many Malaysians, Kuala Lumpur-based information technology manager Andrew Wong, 41, has been practising social distancing since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

But he isn’t complaining that the conditional movement control order has been extended till next month. That’s because he has an assortment of activities to keep him occupied within his apartment in Danau Desa, Setapak.

Wong is a house-proud bachelor who loves to keep his apartment spick and span. When he isn’t cleaning his living room, he keeps busy decluttering and reorganising different parts of his home. At any given occasion, he is equally happy to spend his free time baking orange sponge cakes or chocolate chip cookies.

“Covid-19 has resulted in many changes. I’ve been working from home for months and practising social isolation to keep safe from the virus. The sad part is I haven’t been able to interact with friends and family physically.

“Since I can’t go out much, I’ve started to organise my home. There’s a sense of satisfaction in doing something effective in the comfort of my apartment, ” said Wong over the phone recently.

It is important to declutter regularly and get rid of unwanted items. Photo: Filepic

In the last few months, the government has imposed many restrictions to reduce the number of Covid-19 cases. Travelling outstation is a definite no-no, just like mass gatherings and other activities that could cause a rapid spread of the disease.

The new normal isn’t easy, but many people have slowly learned to adapt to the changes. To keep boredom at bay, a good number have resorted to doing productive activities like sewing, baking, gardening and signing up for free online courses.

For Wong, he prefers to tackle some delayed home decluttering projects.

“So far, I’ve reorganised my storeroom and kitchen cabinets a number of times. During each clean up, I always end up throwing away a number of unwanted items. It’s amazing how there’s always so much to clear out during each clean up session, ” said Wong, who usually donates unwanted items to recycling hubs or charity organisations.

If certain clothes don't spark joy anymore, bin it. Photo: Filepic

The pandemic has also taught Wong an essential lesson on living in simplicity, based on our needs and not wants.

“Throughout the pandemic, I’ve learned to live a minimalist lifestyle. In the last few months, I’ve had to survive with things that I have instead of constantly wanting to buy more. It has taught me to value money and the importance of moving towards a more sustainable lifestyle. And reorganising things helps create more space in my medium-sized apartment, ” explained Wong, adding that each of his decluttering sessions can last anything between 45 minutes and two hours.

To ensure his home is well-maintained, Wong allocates 30 minutes a day to tidy up his living space.

“I do have friends who struggle to keep their home organised and clean. (The level of) organising and tidying (efforts) vary depending on each individual.

“If your home is maintained regularly, it will always remain clean and organised. A clean home is like a beautiful paradise where one feels comfortable and relaxed in. It does take effort to maintain a house but it’s important to ensure good hygiene, especially during the pandemic.”

Wong ensures his fridge is cleaned regularly and well-stocked with healthy and nutritious items.

Keeping busy

Tidying expert Marie Kondo says that all the time at home can inspire us to consider organising our things.

“I truly recommend taking all the clothes in your drawers and taking the time to fold them properly and organising everything hanging in your closet. Work with what you have in your home in your current situation, ” she said in an online Independent article entitled, “What’s Marie Kondo been up to during lockdown?”

Tidying expert Kondo says that more time spent at home can inspire people to organise their things. Photo: Filepic

During the stay-at-home period, some people have been following Kondo’s KonMari Decluttering Spreadsheet, which focuses on ways to keep track of how and what to declutter according to date and place.

But Wong prefers to reorganise his cosy apartment based on his free time.

“The idea of a Google spreadsheet for decluttering sounds organised, but it isn’t for me. I don’t have a fixed routine as I prefer to go with the flow, based on my work schedule.

“I clean up and declutter different parts of my home according to necessity. It is based on most used spaces like my kitchen, living room and bedroom.

"Currently, my kitchen and fridge get the most attention. Of late, I have been stocking up on nutritious food to ensure I stay healthy during the pandemic.”

Last month, Wong took on a new challenge to work on a DIY home improvement project to paint his 148sq m condominium.

“I moved into my apartment in 2012, and over the years, the wall colours have faded. So I decided to paint my place because I have extra time on my hands.

“The one thing good about working from home is I can juggle my time between office work and house chores.”

Wong has been keeping busy with many activities, including painting his apartment, during the stay-home period.

For paint colour inspiration, he turned to social media channels like Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

With a few clicks of the mouse, he learned the basics of painting, from the correct quantity of paint, tools to different finishing.

“This is my first ever home painting project. Choosing the paint colours was fun but the task was extremely tiring, both mentally and physically. The most time-consuming part was painting layer by layer, ” said Wong, who spent less than RM400 to paint his home.

“On some days, I painted from morning until midnight, and it was very exhausting. But the result is always satisfying, especially seeing my home looking bright and clean.”

Wong admits that the Covid-19 pandemic has been challenging for many people. Yet, he feels Malaysians need to think positive and keep busy.

“I would encourage people to learn a new skill like origami or knitting, get connected with friends virtually or practise mindfulness. In between that, perhaps it would be a good idea to organise your kitchen drawers or storeroom. Whatever you’ve been procrastinating to do, maybe the stay-at-home period is a good time to complete them.”

Start small when decluttering your home.