One person’s clutter is another person’s treasure. As a professional organizer, I’ve seen a wide variety of belongings, and learned a lot along the way! Every now and then I’ll come across an object that I can’t identify. Is it trash? A broken part? A valuable tool? A family heirloom?
Whenever I work with clients, my philosophy is “The client makes the decisions.” I can give an opinion, but because I have limited knowledge, I never decide (I also never make you throw anything away!!) Over the years, I’ve gotten better at identifying objects, and learned some tricks for “following the breadcrumbs” for anything which the client and I can’t figure out. I’ve enjoyed getting to know more about the wide variety of interests, activities, tools and supplies that are part of our complex world.
Just for laughs, I thought I’d put together a little quiz you can take to test your Clutter IQ. See if you can identity some of the objects I’ve found. Answers are at the bottom, so don’t skip ahead. [Hint: all of them serve a useful purpose]
THE CLUTTER IQ QUIZ
What is this??
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Well, did you know what they were? Want to find out?
Check yourself against these answers …
- A rubber cover for the metal edge of a bed frame – to cover the metal so it isn’t sharp.
- A capo – it is a tool that clamps onto the neck of a guitar to change the key
- A bracelet helper – you use the clamp on the end to hold the clasp open when trying to put a bracelet on.
- Scissors sharpener – you put the two edges of the scissors in the slots and close while drawing the scissors out. It really works!
- Drawer rail guide – it sits in the bottom of a chest underneath the drawer and the rail slides into the center part.
- Wine charm – you put them around the stem of a wine glass to identify whose glass is whose at a party.
- Finial – to screw into the top of a lamp for a decorative finish to the shade.
- Reusable “hand warmer” – has a snap-start mechanism that warms this little hand for 30 minutes.
- Portable phone charger – battery powered charger for a smartphone.
- Onion Goggles – wear them when cutting onions to prevent tears.
- Music Book Holder – clips pages of a piano or other music book open so it won’t close when playing.
- Garlic Dish – small dish with serrated bottom on which you shred garlic before adding olive oil and herbs for dipping bread.
- Rubber worm – for use as bait in fishing.
- Universal adapter – use to adjust electrical current for US appliances when traveling throughout Europe.
- Mini bright light – push the button on the bottom to light each of the tiny bulbs and hang to light any dark spot – it is about 3 inches square and is very bright!
- Cutting pot – small rubber container with special lid to hold a plant cutting that you wish to root so that it may be planted into a garden or pot.
- Backgammon playing piece.
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So what does your score mean? Nothing – this was just for giggles! (But it is fun to learn about new useful little items.)
Have you ever come across a possession you couldn’t identify in your home?
Sadly, this just reminded me I need to clean out my husband’s junk drawer, because he collects all sorts of weird items that will never get used. I know crazy as it sounds and I admit he is a bit of a hoarder and I hate clutter!
Hey Janine, maybe you will stumble across something new and fascinating. I love a junk drawer clean out – you just never know what you will find:)
I feel so stupid…LOLOL I knew the hand warmer and the wine charm…the others are scary but cool.
Hey, you are one of the few who knew the hand warmer, so way to go! It’s all good, just fun to see what tools and gadgets people have found work for them. Enjoy the day, Karen!
Onion goggles? Really? What a funny invention. This was too funny. And I have too much junk!
I tell you, Kristi… the onion goggles REALLY WORK!!! I was shocked myself and had to try them out. Hope you got a laugh today!
Well, I knew the portable phone charger…but only because you gave it to me!
1 out of 17 isn’t too bad:P The first one is coming your way as well..
That was fun! Haha. Wasn’t able to guess most of them. LOL. I have come across things I don’t have any idea about so many times at home. Mostly I have to ask my husband, the handyman! 🙂
It’s all about fun, Rea:) There is an endless list of items I have yet to encounter – but that is half of the fun of my job!! Lucky you having a handyman husband!!
I knew the hand warmer! I sadly think that’s it. It was totally fun, though.
Just for a laugh, Tamara:) I had to learn all of them, and I’m sure there are a lifetime more out there…
Whenever we clean out the junk drawer, we find all sorts of things I have no clue what they are. But neither does anyone else!
I love when no one in the whole house can identify and object that’s been cluttering a heavily used drawer – too funny!! But it really has been fun for me to be always learning new things:)
That was fun Seana.
A really different kind of organizing post.
I could only ID a couple. The rest, clueless!
Every now and then you just need a little legit, right? I wonder how our PO group would do as a whole. Maybe I’ll Tweet it and tag a few!
Didn’t do so well identifying the items. This has happened when sorting and editing things with my clients. We’ll come upon something that is an unknown. I find it fascinating to hear the line of thinking and questioning when something like that is discovered…and the resulting decision:
• “I want to hold on to it because you never know and I might need it someday.” OR
• “I have no idea what it is, I’ve never used it, and it can go.”
Right??? We’ve all been there when working with clients, Linda. I never cease to be amazed the incredible variety of STUFF out there! I usually end up with one of those same two answers btw…
That’s a great quiz. I probably got half of them though. Great job on the post.
Thanks for playing, Sabrina! Giggles for people like us, right?
I only got one!
Isn’t it great that it doesn’t really matter? This is literally just a “for fun” post. The world is a varied and complex place! Thanks for playing, Janet:)
I didn’t get any!! 🙁 Neat post though!
Candy Crush for organizers, right Andi? I’m sure if you posted your photos I wouldn’t get many either – but that’s the fun of it!!
I consider myself a fairly knowledgable clutter bug, but I missed quite a few of these. The scissors sharpener? Definitely not clutter! I love mine and they have had their own spot on my desk for years. 🙂
Exactly, Kim. As I said in the post, all of these have a purpose – I have a scissors sharpener now too and I love it!! Thanks for playing:)
Ha ha, I love it! I did poorly, but now I know that I really need a pair of onion goggles. Thanks for the fun and it was interesting too!
Thanks for playing, Monika! I was so surprised that the onion goggles actually worked!! I love our profession – we learn so much:)
well that was a hoot! I actually got more right then I thought but of course I got the one that had to do with wine right! loved playing along. we could go on for days.
Oh I know, Leslie. We could each put together our own post and stump each other! Just reminds me how little I know:) Thanks for playing!
Great post… wonderful topic. I have not seen any of those items… you’re inspiring me to think more about these little bits!
John aka OrganizingLA
I’m sure you could put together an entirely different set of images that I wouldn’t recognize either, John. Every time I see something knew I’m reminded what a terrifically complex world we live in. We learn so much in our profession:)
This is funny! And yesterday, I found some wierd foam thing on top of the printer. I have no idea what it is but hopefully, my husband will shed light on the mystery!
You’ve got me laughing, Nancy. That is exactly the kind of stuff I stumble upon all the time – isn’t life funny?
What a great–and fun!–post! I didn’t guess correctly for most of them. Some I had no idea what it was!
Well thanks for playing along, Nicole. Every now and then its nice to do something that is just for fun – no deep meaning:)
Well, my score was 0! I learned years ago, for the health of my marriage, never to throw out anything until I checked with my husband first. He keeps the weirdest stuff!
I always ask my husband too, Lana. He is interested in a totally different set of activities from me, and I frequently don’t recognize his stuff. Too funny!
Haha, I recognized almost none of these things. It is good to know that you don’t make clients throw stuff away like those mean people on What Not to Wear who used to “throw away” (I am sure this was done for the camera only) all their clothes. I am pretty good at calling most things junk and throwing them away or donating them. But I have a hard time with paper and trip related stuff, it just seems to pile up everywhere!
Paper is definitely the worst, Jessica! I heard they donated the items on What Not To Wear… not sure if that’s true. But I think they really didn’t let people take them home!