Quality v. Quantity

In The Battle of Quality v. Quantity, Quantity Is Winning! Here’s Why Your Clothes Washer Is To Blame

In The Battle of Quality v. Quantity, Quantity Is Winning! Here’s Why Your Clothes Washer Is To Blame
Blame it on the clothes washer and dryer — they’re the reason we have too much clutter in our homes. Ahead, we’ll explain why that pair of appliances has helped quantity pull ahead in the age-old battle of quality vs. quantity, and what you can do about it (Hint: Minimalism is involved!).  But first, you can fight back against clutter right now by scheduling a free donation pickup> of your unwanted clothes, toys and other household items that have left your home stuffed to the brim. To get started, just CLICK HERE…we’ll wait!

Back in the day of our great-grandparents, clothes and other household items had to last longer and storage space was limited. That meant there really was no choice, they had to choose good quality over massive quantities of stuff. Our ancestors generally had a couple sets of work clothes, a casual, go-to-town outfit and their “Sunday Best” for special occasions and church. Our fore bearers took great pride in their quality items, because each one served a specific purpose. Their definition of quality was handmade, long lasting, and treasured.

If you live in a home built before the 1970s or so, you know what we mean: Small closets that leave you thinking, “I don’t think even my shoes can fit.” Imagine having to wash clothes in a hand washer and hanging everything to dry on a clothesline. As manufacturers started to build automatic washers and dryers, clothing becoming mass produced, putting the availability of quantity above our reliance on quality of items.

Today we need larger and better organized closets for good reason. As experts explain, we are purchasing clothes, shoes and accessories now not just to meet an actual need, but also to feel good about ourselves and to enhance our busy lives. We also wear more hats than ever before: We are parents, employees, sports fans, travelers, and experience-seekers. Logically we need more stuff to fit our multifaceted lives. Today, we find ourselves balancing between the desire for quality and the need for quantity items.

New clothes

Today it is easy to equate quality with words like expensive, rare, one of a kind, or luxurious. We conjure up visions of designer dresses, exclusive resorts, sports cars and glittering jewels. Actually, though, quality is defined as, “the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind; or as a distinctive attribute or characteristic possessed by someone or something.” It’s interesting to note that the definition does not mention cost, exclusivity, or luxuriousness. In its essence, quality is in the eye of the beholder. For example, a vintage garment or jewel passed down generation to generation is distinctive and can’t be compared to other similar objects. These special items that we keep safe are one of a kind to us and therefore are quality. These objects enhance the quality of our lives. Keep in mind that quality applies to people, not just things. The Minimalist culture, which in many ways is a throwback to the beauty of simpler times, says that the quality of our relationships with people is what enriches our lives. The question is not quality vs. quantity, but how to balance both and when does quantity overwhelm the quality of our lives?

Shoes

On the other hand, quantity — the amount or number of a material or immaterial things — serves a completely different purpose in our busy lives.  Our quantity items are usually affordable and for the most part disposable. Our closets become stuffed to the hilt as we purchase items to fit our lifestyles, hobbies, jobs, moods and wants.

Although our closets are bigger than ever before, they do not grow to fit the quantity of items that we want and “need.” We expand beyond the limits our living space allows as quantity pushes its way in and even drown out the sense of quality in our lives. Have you ever spent way too much time digging through piles of T-shirts or shoes, looking for that one special, quality item, you know is buried somewhere in the back of your closet? We all have. The solution is to create a balance between quality and quantity; not only in the things we own but in our lifestyle and relationships.

The challenge is real, but here are some tried-and-true rules on how to find your own balance:

A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place

It is an amazing feeling when we open a closet or a drawer and we can actually see what’s in it! Committing to this rule would not only make your great-grandparents happy, but you will also feel your quality of life improve. Undertake a complete overhaul of your clutter and then you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to keep it all organized. You can find great tips on how by CLICKING HERE.

Did Someone Say “Organize?”

The easiest, most effective way to balance quality and quantity is to organize your storage spaces. It’s worth your investment in time to take stock of your storage spaces and implement organizing techniques and tools. Our blogs have lots of tips, including:

City clothesline

Declutter AND Donate

To get everything in its place and organized you will need to declutter and donate your unused quantity duplicates. Quantity items include adult and child clothes, shoes, and accessories. Chances are you have a bunch of items that can easily be pulled out of your closets and drawers and donated to support the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA). To get started by scheduling your free donation pickup for a day of your choosing, just CLICK HERE.

The Minimalist approach of quality over quantity not only provides a great way to find peace in your life by helping to keep clutter at bay, it also ultimately proves to be less expensive. Plus, thanks to the donations of your “quantity” items like clothes, sweaters, extra bedding, unneeded kitchenware and the like, you’re helping veterans in your community. Just remember, you’ll have to keep your washer and dryer — they’re too big for our drivers to collect!