Decluttering one thing a day part 10 - the countdown to a clutter free Christmas

[StealthNinjaMum]

It’s the 10th thread and we’re still here!

We’re a group of mumsnetters who aim to get rid of one thing a day to develop good habits and gradually declutter our lives.

Newbies are welcome, those of us who’ve been here for some time have all seen dramatic improvements in our homes, the way we organise ourselves and even mental health. So if you’re new just check in and update with your progress and join in the general chat about recycling, housework and ways to be organised.

Previous thread here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3711883-Decluttering-one-thing-a-day-Part-9?pg=1

[StealthNinjaMum]

Ages ago I talked about creating a second thread on the post with information on how to get rid of the items we're most often asked about. If anyone has anything to add to this list could you please highlight it like this and hopefully I can update this post for the next thread.


SELLING SITES
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Ebay
Facebook sales sites
Shpock
Gumtree
webuybooks.co.uk
musicmagpie.co.uk (for CDs, DVDs, Games, Books, iPhones, Games Consoles and LEGO)


TO GET RID OF THINGS FOR FREE
---------------
Freecyle has a good app called trashnothing

Charity shops. Some will collect which really helps if you’re just starting to declutter and have a lot of stuff to go.

Animal shelters like towels and carpet squares and sometimes bedding and duvet covers.

Homeless charities will often take warm clothes and coats, especially in the winter.

Some council tips have a place to drop off quality stuff to be sold.

Some charity shops will take rags if you label them as ‘rags’, this could be materials or clothes that are too scruffy or dirty to sell or donate to someone. Also some councils will collect rags (but you’ll need to contact your council)

Supermarkets are getting better at recycling. My local Tesco has recycling points for batteries, toner cartridges, glass bottles, books and and light bulbs

Bras. Oxfam shops take bras and so do some smaller lingeries shops. Bravissimo do a scheme whereby they send good bras to Africa and strip down those that are too old for parts as well as donating 70p per kilo of bras to MIND.

Nurseries and preschools will often take old toys, games, books, craft sets and/ or stationery. They might also take clean (obviously) underwear and clothes to keep as spares for when children have accidents.

Foodbanks take all sorts of food (if it is within date) and sometimes half open packets of nappies.

[IWillWearTheGreenWillow]

Dammit, lost a post to the end of the thread!

Throw the box out! DH hoards boxes and instructions for things that went years ago. Drives me mad.

I have a hallway full of lego technic and need to make a decision about it today because I'm fed up with stepping round it.

DH has started streamer-type christmas decorations but is not tidying or cleaning first. Today, while I get better, he is going to show me how to run the house on "just enough" housework and stop when that is done. I don't know whether to laugh hysterically or hit him with the (unwashed) frying pan.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Some bedding ( Christmassy but it won't fit on our beds with the mattress toppers)

Couple of jumpers



Need to get DH up into the loft, we have no decorations up yet ( they usually go up early Dec after DS birthday )
Need to get the fleeces and cushions out .

[StealthNinjaMum]

greenwillow I'm afraid the organiser part of me wouldn't be able to get rid of the lego, I'd have to build the sets and then get rid of it. I spent weeks with the Duplo sets and jigsaw puzzles. I am dreading it when my children get bored with lego as we have tonnes and I keep all the boxes and instructions.

Your 'd'h is VERY annoying. I think you need to hit him with the frying pan.

[Times10]

I missed the end of the thread, but the frying pan sounds like a plan Willow
DH is soon off for Christmas, so I’m expecting a tidy house as he does comment on the mess (he hasn’t learned yet that it’s best to stay quiet and just get on with it, instead of telling me it’s not tidy - as if that had escaped my notice!)

We haven’t had any outs in ages, and plenty of ins thanks to Christmas and baby stuff. Our bedroom is the worse room in the house at the moment, but it seems such a big job I keep putting it off.

[Vinorosso74]

Thank you for the new thread!
I'm not doing too well I'm afraid. Time is lacking at the moment with various Christmas things for all of us so my main object is to keep on top of the daily stuff and keep the place tidy. If I find anything to go well that's a bonus.
A word on donations for animal shelters:- contact them first to see if they need any. Where I volunteer we will likely get lots of donations of towels and blankets in January and there isn't much storage space! They are grateful as stuff does get ditched/lost/leave with the cats so do offer.

[Bluewavescrashing]

A digit out today - unsubscribed from recipe boxes so I don't have to keep cancelling them.

No actual outs for a few days. I need to crack on.

[Bluewavescrashing]

Digital I mean.

I need to post some games for sale on fb marketplace. Or just chuck them in the charity bag.

Thanks for the new thread!

[PurpleFrog]

Digital I mean.

Phew! Thought you had lost a finger in an accident or something!

[IWillWearTheGreenWillow]

To be absolutely fair to DH, he has walked the dog, been to Tesco to buy me meds, cooked a bolognese, put two pictures on the wall and handles on 5 drawers.

However, he hasn't noticed I'd cleaned 2 bathrooms, got a wash on, emptied and reloaded the DW and run DS2 to school before he got up; and have since dried and put away the washing. I'm letting him run it from here.

Stealth, I can't bear lego technic, I find it really fiddly and dull, which is why I'm not building it. I think this is my time to say "my time is more valuable in other ways".

[SandAndSea]

Hi everyone!

Stealth - I would definitely throw that box out (unless it can be useful for something).

Willow - My response to your DH is, "W-o-w!" Said very slowly and deliberately.

Last night, I noticed an echo in my kitchen! Never had an echo before. That must be a good sign, right?!

[SandAndSea]

Cross post, Willow. I was responding to your earlier post.

[Annasgirl]

Having the house painted so no decorations up yet but I am tempted to declutter a lot of old (like 20 years!!) garland decorations as they smell so musty - although they are so expensive to replace. I usually have them on the stairs with lights as I love the look but not sure about adding musty garlands to newly painted stairs.

[Bluewavescrashing]

@PurpleFrog 😂

[SandAndSea]

My items today are a set of tapes for a course I didn't do and a large, heavy duty sack with a hole in it, which I almost kept 'just in case'.

[SleepingSoul]

Picking up on the end of the last thread and boxes, how have I found stuff in the kitchen cupboard that was already out of date when I moved into this house?!

And a thought to add to the list of how to dispose of things... I tend to take textiles to H&M. It can be any household textiles and a bagful gets you a voucher for £5 off (I think if you spend £25 but not sure that still applies) There's info on their website about what they do with it but recycling it features heavily.

I've got rid of a toy DD isn't bothered with and listed a set of items on Marketplace. Books are up next as the online book selling places either say not buying that book or offering 5p or less.

[StealthNinjaMum]

sandandsea it's interesting saying keep the iPad box if it's 'useful for something' but what would it be useful for?

It's in my bedroom so perhaps would end up with old single hairclips, children's teeth, foreign coins, worthless British coins, loyalty cards, a screw that I have no idea where it came from but won't throw away in case it's important, a pencil stolen from ikea, a button from an item of clothing I have decluttered, a loyalty card for a cafe that has closed down, one of my many tweezers that I can never bloody find when I have a date and need to remove a sodding chin hair!

My problem is I need to get rid of the above items and not just find a box to keep them in.

God after the ramble I hope I'm not the only one that keeps finding that crap.....

[SandAndSea]

Stealth - I can't think what an iPad box is like but I had one box which I do remember fondly, which might be similar. I repurposed it for stationery supplies. But, if you don't have a use for it, then, as requested, I am definitely ordering you to put it in the recycling!

As for all that other stuff... well, dearie me! Can you put that pencil in with your other pencils? Bin the useless loyalty card? Put the hairclips and tweezers in your make-up bag? Put the coins by the front door, to take to charity/the bank? Diarise to bin the screw in 6 months if you haven't needed it by then? (Or, just bin it now?)

Now, about those teeth... How about putting them in a nice box??

[Times10]

Out: most of the DCs felt tip pens. They were all dried out. So that will be an in to replace them soon.

[PenelopeFlintstone]

Now, about those teeth... How about putting them in a nice box??
😁😁

[Times10]

I have a pill box with my wisdom teeth in it, that I keep at my parents. The DCs find it fascinating and disgusting in equal measure It only comes out of the attic when we are there, so no-one else has to find them by mistake...

[StealthNinjaMum]

Ha ha that list was a hypothetical list of things I find in drawers and I was hoping you'd all say 'I've got a drawer like that!'

The box is going as is the crap!

[RumRumRum]

Thanks for the new thread! My DH is a hoarder of boxes - our loft is filled with them! I've been sneaking the odd one out here and there when I can.
Managed to declutter a few books to a friend and as much as I love having them physically think I'm going to utilise my kindle more so there's less stuff in the house. Also sorted a junk drawer and chucked out quite a bit - why are we keeping old lightbulbs and headphones with ear pieces missing?! Trying to take the mindset of rather than shoving things away out of sight, to think about whether we actually need them and if so where it belongs!
Hoping we can use the Christmas break to have a really good sort out.

[SandAndSea]

Well done, Stealth! I'm sure I used to have things like that too. (I definitely had a good collection of teeth for quite a while.)

I've just been through another box file and have almost emptied it.
Two more have been finished, labelled up and put away.

Outs included a couple of folders, a magazine, an old cheque book and a wad of papers.

[Coldhandscoldheart]

Just quickly, I managed to take the old car seat (one in one out) and a bit of clothes recycling to the tip yesterday, so I think I have actually got one thing every day this week.
Today I am going to take the socks to nursery. If I remember.
Also probably bringing in some Christmas presents for I have time.