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Getting rid of one thing a day decluttering challenge: Part 3: Are we nearly there yet?

976 replies

StealthNinjaMum · 09/05/2018 08:45

For 2000 posts a group of messy mumsnetters have been chucking out, selling, recycling and cooking weird cakes.

Are we free of clutter yet? Sadly not.

Thankfully we're here to get support and be told off when we have a relapse and bring more clutter into the house, garages, sheds, gardens.

Newbies are welcome to join us, it's easy we literally just get rid of one thing a day and report back.

Previous thread here

OP posts:
Kahlua4me · 09/05/2018 08:50

How exciting, can I join please? We have done this for the last couple of years, as a family, but only during lent and really only things to give to the charity shop.

Our house is looking better but the loft and shed are full and I can’t seem to get the energy to tackle them.

This thread is just the oomph I needed....

CiderwithBuda · 09/05/2018 08:59

Morning! Happy New Thread Day!

I’m sure you will get lots done today if you are avoiding DH Stealth.

I’m off to spinning shortly to try and declutter some fat.

Not a great day yesterday. Took two tops I bought last week to exchange. Did that. But also bought some jersey harem pants. I love them and wear all the time but am fed up with black and they had a lovely oxblood colour. Then I went to Boots and bought a few bits. Facial sunscreen, foundation and a lipstick/balm.

I am going to chuck a couple of lipsticks I have that don’t really suit me.

Didn’t do magazines or food cupboard yesterday but did manag to get rid of half the bottle of sesame oil. There was stale bread in the food recycling bin so poured it over that and it absorbed it.

CiderwithBuda · 09/05/2018 09:03

Hi Kahlua. It is a great thread. Even if you don’t do a big clear out you still feel like you are clearing by just getting rid of one thing. I was stuck in a mindset of having to do it all at once and feeling overwhelmed but this is working really well. Little by little things are going and our space is looking better.

I am dreading the garage though. DH is a hoarder. And his logic escapes me at times as to how he approaches things.

IHateToCashew · 09/05/2018 09:21

Checking in!

Sand I hope your ant infestation has calmed down. Reading that literally made my skin crawl.

By the end of the month, DS will need a room all of his own. So I'll be channeling my efforts to finding a way to at least minimise the spare room clutter DH permitting. I think I'm going to start tracking and aim for 100 items, and one clear wardrobe.

StealthNinjaMum · 09/05/2018 09:24

Welcome Kahlua. I agree with cider that doing little things means you keep going. I find now that I rarely stop at one thing and decluttering is just something I do all the time now. Whenever I'm waiting for the kettle or cooker or dds I'll just have a quick look in a cupboard or my handbag. When I'm really going for it I write a list and set a timer for 15 minutes to declutter an area. I almost always take longer than 15 minutes as I get into it.

Today I spotted some of my childhood egg cups that I'm going to put in the charity shop pile as we have lots of egg cups and the cupboard it is in is full.

OP posts:
nocutsnobuttsnococonuts · 09/05/2018 09:30

Yesterday I put 2 pairs of faded black leggings in the clothes recycling bag to be dropped of Saturday they were almost grey 😂

Unsure what I'm going to declutter today but have got lots of housework to do so I'm sure I'll find something.

On top of one item a day I'm going to aim for a carrier bag out each week - either charity shop, clothes recycling or tat that can be binned. And actually get it there which is my biggest hurdle at the moment!!

SandAndSea · 09/05/2018 11:29

Thanks for the new thread, Stealth. I love a new thread! Grin

I'm fascinated at the way clutter seems to exist in layers, in that you can think you've cleared an area but then, some time later, you suddenly see something else which wasn't apparent before. (Hmmm... having a faintly philosophical moment about clutter...)

Well, we still have ants but not as bad since the honey party (after which, ants on honey'd tissues were put outside nicely). I'm a little relieved as I was worrying about the cat - I kept seeing her sitting quietly with her head down - she seemed subdued and I thought she might have an infection somewhere after her fight at the weekend. Anyway, it turns out she's been watching the ants!

@IHateToCashew - I'm itchy too! Sometimes it's imagination and sometimes it's because they are actually on me!! (Eek!!!)

Anyway, enough about ants! I've got boxes to sort! Grin

applesandpears33 · 09/05/2018 12:08

Signing in. The first thing I have to do is stop shopping on ebay so I don't have more stuff coming into the house.

ememem84 · 09/05/2018 12:40

Afternoon.

Day off here to celebrate 73 years of freedoms from nazi occupation during ww2. Have put my charity shop bag by the door so I take it with me tomorrow, and am currently decluttering the fridge and making salad boxes for tomorrow and Fridays lunches.

I may declutter a pack of cookies too.

Namajesty · 09/05/2018 12:47

Stealth I am also grateful to be able to confess my sins without IRL people judging me, so here is a huge thanks to you for providing the Clutterers Anonymous thread. WineThanksCakeGin

Sand a family member of mine used to live in a house where ants would annually try to move in. Ant powder was down on window ledges, outdoor door frames and ALL of the nooks and crannies in the garden and on/around the house constantly. Sweet traps helped also if there was a particularly bad outbreak of the buggers. But it was basically just a case of preventing them getting into the house as much as possible. Hard work and took up a lot of time. Another thing is to freeze food scraps. Don't bin them. And then just chuck them out when the bin goes out. Any drinks need to be poured down the sink and rinsed with water. Any sweet ingredients in the cupboards need to be in a tightly sealed tub.

StealthNinjaMum · 09/05/2018 12:53

I agree completely Sand. I feel like I have decluttered my kitchen 8 times yet today I counted my egg cups and decided I didn't need ten. I think some of it is about not noticing some clutter until you've cleared stuff away and in my case it's about overcoming an emotional attachment. So you throw away the things you're least attached to each time. I envy the people - there are some on this thread - who literally tackle an area, finish it and then move on. The funny thing is that I can't think of anything I regret chucking out (although I did get slightly emotional giving away or selling toys / and baby / toddler stuff) and my life is better in a million ways yet still I chip away at things in a small way.

OP posts:
SandAndSea · 09/05/2018 13:18

Yes, Stealth, it's the emotional attachments that are my issue too. Almost everything I'm dealing with now, I've avoided getting rid of previously, like my uni notes. I've got rid of loads of them but have one box left and it's just full of love and care - very difficult to get rid of for me.

Still, I've had a nibble on one of my for sale items so hoping for some movement on that soon.

@Namajesty - Thanks for the tips! Strangely, the ants here aren't actually near any food sources. I think the weather-cat combo might have encouraged them (it's been v hot here).

PurpleFrog · 09/05/2018 14:10

I haven't managed a great amount in the past week, not much above the obligatory 7 items, anyway.

I posted an eBay item this morning, and have some watchers on another. I have also admitted defeat with my previous iron and put it in a bag with other electrical items to go to the recycling site. I really liked the iron and just couldn't accept it had given up working without any obvious reason. (I did test the fuse again in case I had forgotten to do it at the time.) Apart from these I have put some things in the rag bag and have a pair of trousers washed and ironed ready to go in the next Charity bag. Oh, and a solar calculator that had belonged to my Mum has gone in the electrical recycling bag - one of the digits was not showing all of the number properly!

I am making a conscious effort at the moment to tidy up after myself and not add to the existing chaos and clutter. I am trying not to leave things lying around when I have finished with them, and to put away other things I come across that actually have a home. I am also trying to iron clothes immediately they are dry, and not fall into the trap of just leaving things that I know are not going to be used for a while.

SandAndSea · 09/05/2018 14:32

Well done, @Purple Frog! Sounds like you're moving in a positive direction.

I've just posted another item for sale. I think I've got 13 at the moment with more to post. They're mostly on fb. I think I might have to start using eBay if they don't move soon.

Namajesty · 09/05/2018 15:09

So I was challenged to get rid of 132 items this month. It is the 9th of May which means I am just over 1 week in and I would like to declare that I have managed to find a remaining 31 things to complete my challenge.

While putting the washing up away I realised that DS's cutlery/plate cupboard was filled with odd spoons and plastic dishes from weaning. I managed to throw out 28 things from there alone.

Then my delivery came which had new light bulbs inside for the lamps that haven't been turned on for well over 2 years, they fit and I threw out 2 broken old lightbulbs!

With just 1 thing to go I remembered that I had an itty bit of salt left in the grinder, so I have just boiled some pasta and used up the last of the salt in that and threw out the grinder.

Which means I have officially completely my challenge of removing 132 items from my house GrinGrinGrinGrin

PurpleFrog · 09/05/2018 15:21

Thanks @SandAndSea. I am gradually coming to the conclusion that all progress is positive, no matter how small. It all adds up. It is amazing how much you can actually do in 10 or 15 minutes if you put your mind to it.

For example, each 5-10 minutes spent dealing with junk mail every couple of days must be saving me a lot of time sorting it from important paperwork further down the line. I am also trying to put paperwork in folders every month or so, which will make it easier to sort out properly in the future.

I used to do a lot of eBaying, but haven't done very much over the past 6 months. I made a list last week of things I need to sort out to sell. I think I'll try to work on one item from this list per week. They are all things which need to be cleaned, or tested or properly researched before I list them, like an old SLR camera for example, but some of them have been on my eBay to-do list for years and years! Blush

SandAndSea · 09/05/2018 16:22

Well done, @Namajesty!! Star But don't go thinking you can rest up now! I reckon you should be able to do 200 by the end of the month. What do you think? Grin

Namajesty · 09/05/2018 16:34

Sand I am sure I can do 200, I will start focusing on the bedrooms. Downstairs is pretty much clutter free and organised however I need new furniture and to decorate. Also need to wait for the bin to be emptied so I can throw out a big item.

I cannot even explain how happy doing this has made me. My mind is a lot less cluttered too if that makes any sense. I keep scrolling through my list of things I have thrown this month and I can't believe i had them in the house. For what? We didn't need it, we didn't use it and it didn't contribute in any good ways to our life's. Only made clutter and mess and hard work.

I absolutely love opening a door and seeing a neatly organised cupboard or space filled with things that I actually need, all of it is in the right place and I could tell you where everything is (downstairs). This thread has really preformed miracles Grin thank you! And well done to everyone working on their homes, we have all made such good progress.

SandAndSea · 09/05/2018 16:38

@Namajesty - I know exactly what you mean. I look at my piles of things to sell or donate and wonder why I couldn't see it before.

Olivo · 09/05/2018 17:55

Ememem84, me too, so the garage has been decluttered, 3 large bags of rubbish. Feeling virtuous!

StealthNinjaMum · 09/05/2018 18:06

You're all doing so well! I feel like I will still be here in 3 years starting thread number 11.

Didn't do much today. Still sweeping up leaves which is worthwhile but I don't think it counts as it's not in the house. I've got a busy period coming up with lots of social events so I need to find another notepad (shouldn't be hard - I have about 10) and I need to write some lists, they're the best things to motivate me. I think I am going to try to find 10 more things and will report back later.

OP posts:
LilQueenie · 09/05/2018 19:04

sort of disappeared for a while there. Had a bit of a bad week and left everything. well I took dd to the beach and got rid of some stuff and made dinner but other than that nothing.

I was so annoyed pre mentrual it was unreal. that coupled with low energy and dds dad winding me up I totally let rip.

I'm back though and hoping to get some laundry done and a little tidy up here and there. Oh and candle is going on again.

how is everyone else doing?

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StealthNinjaMum · 09/05/2018 19:49

17 items binned or put in charity pile. Items included seeds, CDs, a thank you card, leaflets, a dead plant, 5 sticker books. It hasn't really made a dent but I think I need to set some tough targets.

OP posts:
namastayinbed · 09/05/2018 20:42

Celebrating a new thread by decluttering lots of tunnocks tea cakes Blush

CiderwithBuda · 09/05/2018 21:29

Well done Namajesty. Sounds like you’ve driven me amazingly well.

I can’t say I did anything today really. Not decluttering anyway. Need to make up for it tomorrow.

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