Join me in getting rid of at least one thing a day decluttering challenge?

[SandSnakeOfDorne]

I am trying to declutter, starting with our loft and garage both of which need some work doing so need to be a lot emptier! After they're done I want to declutter the rest of the house. I've already got rid of loads of stuff but I'm starting to lose motivation alone!

We have quite strict rules for what we can put in rubbish so I'm selling, free cycling, taking stuff to the clothes bank etc. At least one thing a day. I'm hoping to be done by Christmas!

Anyone want to join me?

[Thinkingofausername1]

I'm trying to declutter too. I've started by chucking out cheap plastic toys e.g. From macdonnalds happy meas first.
I've also sorted some clothes and need to take them to the clothing bank tomorrow. It does take time.

[SandSnakeOfDorne]

It takes ages doesn't it? I've already taken about ten bags of clothes to the clothes bank and I can't see much difference.

Today I took two bags of clothes to the clothes bank and sold a baby thing. Tomorrow I am going to sort out a bin bag of stuff to take to the textile recycling.

[squiggletea]

It does take ages and I need a clear weekend to make some more progress but there is a point where suddenly it doesn't take hours to get ready for visitors and everything has a home.

[SandSnakeOfDorne]

How long did it take you to reach that point squiggle? It feels like it's going to go on forever! I can only do a little bit while the baby naps, so I'm trying to do a bit each day.

[Jellybean85]

Oh I need to do this!! One thing a day sounds so manageable!! I could even do that on super busy days!!
I'm very good at recycling/donating, we have a fantastic disposal site near us with a big re use /re cycle shop that gives the profit to charity and endless skips so you can recycle pretty much anything!!
Trouble is I drop stuff off and make great finds while I'm there

[SandSnakeOfDorne]

Haha, yeah the not bringing stuff into the house again is also a challenge!

[cherrystorm]

My youngest dd moved out a year ago and her bedroom had become a dumping ground. It's full of stuff waiting to go up in the loft, or stuff for the charity shop. I have even started keeping the hoover in there. It's such a shame and it upsets me every time I go in there. The airing cupboard is in her room so I'm in there daily. I want to reclaim the room and it just be a bedroom again instead of a dumping ground.

I am working this morning but this thread has inspired me to sort it out this afternoon. I'm going to need the room at Christmas as family are staying.

[AuntieStella]

I need to do this.

I started a declutter last week - and made several binbags worth of progress. Motivation flagging a bit.

[ArcheryAnnie]

I am finding it quite satisfying just to put one thing in the charity bag every day. Especially little knick-nacks that are perfectly pleasant, but I can't remember where I bought them, or if anyone gave them to me, and so they don't really do anything for me either in terms of aesthetic pleasure or sentimental association - into the bag they go!

(Don't get me wrong, my flat is still full of crap, but at least I am whittling it very, very slowly down into crap I actually like.)

[SandSnakeOfDorne]

So, today I have taken a small bag of stuff to the textile recycling and given away a yoga mat!

[ArcheryAnnie]

When I discovered that my local Red Cross shop did textile recycling, it was brilliant. I am an inveterate saver of odd bits of reclaimed fabric (from worn-out trousers, etc) which realistically can't be reused by me, and when the Red Cross siad just parcel them up into a bag clearly marked "clean rags", and they will get money for them, I got several large bags out of the cupboard!

[SandyDenny]

Little bits each day is definitely the way to go.

I did a bag of old torn clothes, odd socks etc to the textile recycling yesterday and going to do a food cupboard today, I know there are out of date things lurking at the back. In fact if I start now it shoudl be done by the school run, thanks for reminding me

[squiggletea]

Sandsnake, you don't want to know! I discovered these boards and Flylady in 2010. It was probably last year that I found that when I did the visitor dash, that not so much got shoved away and most was put away.
I'm a teacher and do very little in term time... so perhaps could go quicker...

[BasinHaircut]

I started yesterday. I get 2 afternoons a week at home (well 2 x 2.5hrs) now DS is at school when I'm not working and so Im putting them to good use firstly having a clear out/organise and then deep clean. It's amazing the amount of stuff I've managed to put off for the past 2 years!

Yesterday I organised the spare room (stuff put in loft/thrown out/boxed up for charity or selling)

Next week I'm going to sort out DS's toys to reduce the amounts of plastic crap in my house before the next onslaught at Xmas.

Then after that all of mine, DH and DS's clothes need to be gone through plus a few household things that we never ever use.

The loft isn't too bad but still has baby stuff up there that needs to go but I'll get to that in the new year.

[Queenofthedrivensnow]

I'm joining I've lost control.
My tip is a clear route to the tip/charity shop. As in block out time tomorrow to drop the crap then you can put each bag straight in the boot when it's filled. Whenever you go tomorrow you're going to the chazza on the way. We have one close by with parking - so they get everything!!

[SandSnakeOfDorne]

OMG squiggle!! I am hoping for a bit faster than that! I really need to have a lot of the loft sorted in a month, so that's an incentive!

Basin, we've only lived here two years but we have so much crap. Lots of it has survived two house moves where I've paid for packing and not decluttered at all.

I ended up clearing out two big kitchen drawers yesterday after I discovered flour weevils. They were on a packet of locally milled flour, but you have to clear everything out to get rid of them really. So that was an unexpected amount of stuff suddenly sorted!

I'm going to take a few more clothes to the clothes bank today.

[SandyDenny]

I did 2 food cupboards yesterday, checked all the dates and got rid of some stuff.

I don't get much done at the weekends so only going to aim for sorting out a pile of crap in my utility room

[squiggletea]

It has taken ages but it feels like it's been done properly. There were many years of clutter to get through. And because life changes there is still more... football boots between seasons, school projects etc but I can look at them now and know that their time will be up.

[another20]

I am on this mission as well. Marie K says do it by item. This makes sense as you go through the whole house and for example declutter shoes - then you know if you have duplicates etc.

Otherwise you could just end up tidying up duplicates in each room. Then you just have one place for all of that item - eg shoes -- all of ours live next to the back door - none in bed rooms. Then I have sorted shoes by season and use - eg flip flops, wellies and then these can be put away taken out. School shoes live on ONE shelf.

Books is another easy one to declutter.
Get rid of extra towels sheets etc.

Be careful not to "churn" this is what used to happen to me - I just tided up clutter by moving it out of one room - it sat in the hallway and then I moved it into another.....but like gardening the "taking away" can be the block - so build in the time to get shot of it!

[SandSnakeOfDorne]

Churn is definitely what I've been doing. For years I've been tidying by shoving stuff in lofts. Now I need to have a fairly empty loft and I'm having to do it properly! I'm not letting anything count as my 'thing' to go out for the day unless it's actually out of the house.

I took a bin bag of clothes to the clothes bank today. I think that might be the last of the clothes that need to go at the minute!

[ArcheryAnnie]

I snapped and took a rather lovely glass jug and matching glasses to Oxfam today. They were a rather nice mid-century set, immaculate, but I had not used them in fifteen years, and I just thought I want that carefully-packed box OUT of my kitchen as I will never use them again. Someone else will love them.

[ArcheryAnnie]

And a teacup and saucer still in the box. I love teacups and saucers, but although this set wasn't to my taste, a relative I love gave it to me. Except I can't remember which relative I love gave it to me, and since whoever-it-was has not asked about it in more than a decade since I got it, out it went too.

[SandSnakeOfDorne]

Ooh, well done archery, it's hard to get rid of nice things!

I've taken some more stuff along to the textile recycling. Curtains left in the loft by the previous owners, so I'm not sure if that counts as my decluttering or theirs.

[SandyDenny]

I did my utility room tidy up, today's job is to frame and put up some pictures that have been sitting around for too long

[squiggletea]

Yes, getting jobs and projects that have been lurking done helps too. Or deciding that they weren't worth it so binning them! That one is harder... will look for some of those.

I've finally got round to painting some furniture that will free up some space .