Spring cleaning / Kondoing / getting organized

[FrustratedFrugal]

I'd like to sort through my wardrobe, get rid of items that are worn out or too small, return, recycle, repurpose, declutter, aiming to decrease the amount of random clutter in our house.

Will do it room by room, aiming to declutter for at least 30 minutes twice a week for the rest of the month. First goal: - 10 items! (Ultimate goal: -100!)

Starting today!

Want to join? What are your goals?

[CiderwithBuda]

Yes please!

Not starting today but will start tomorrow.

Started Kondoing last year but got stuck.

Need to sort airing cupboard which is full of random bedding and towels and more duvets than we have beds.

Need to do my wardrobe. My makeup and jewellry. My bathroom is full of stuff. Bedside cabinets. Chest of drawers - not too bad as I did a few months ago. Have a few bags ready to go to charity shop already - they've been ready since January!

I have loads of craft stuff that I am never going to use.

Kitchen and utility room need a good sort out too.

I never know where to start so just don't start!

With nice weather I need to sort through summer clothes and put winter stuff away so I think I'll start there.

[puglife15]

Yes I've started doing this! 3 big bags to charity shop this week and one embarrassingly big bag of cosmetics I've used once or twice... makes me feel sick when I think of the value of stuff I'm throwing away, especially make up... probably hundred pounds' worth in this clear out alone! I have however also put aside about 20 "good" items I plan to sell or eBay. I'd like to make £100.

But despite the sort out I still feel I have too much stuff and am really disorganised - maybe I need to be more ruthless??

[onemouseplace]

Yes! I started last weekend and got rid of a bin bag of old sheets and towels, some of which were delightful polyester numbers from the early 80s that I had been keeping for emergencies. I can now shut my blanket box properly!

Yesterday I cleared out the main section of my wardrobe and have stuck up on ebay some things that I don't think I have worn in the last 10 years but have somehow survived all recent clearouts - I'm feeling pretty ruthless at the moment. I also ordered some of those velvet-covered flat lay coat hangers which have just arrived, so when I get a chance (hopefully this afternoon) I'm going to re-hang my clothes and get rid of all the old, mismatched hangers I have accumulated.

Next on the hit list is my underwear/ tights drawer.

[puglife15]

I need to:

Be more ruthless with shoes & chuck out ones I don't wear

Sort through jewellery, ditto as above

Clear out bedside tables (thanks Cider for the reminder)

Sort through and organise sewing/fabric/craft stuff (all shoved in an ottoman)

Sell a load of furniture etc in our loft

Get DH to sort out under stairs cupboard

I would like to do one of these per week.

[FrustratedFrugal]

Fantastic - thanks for joining and I'll steal some of your goals wink]

I had only 15 minutes before lunch but managed to get rid of some junk in our hallway. Countertops will be a focus for me - they attract so much clutter!

[greengreenten]

I'd like to join too please.
I saw a post here last week on kondo folding clothes in drawers and did mine, chucking out the old unwanted stuff as I went. Can't believe how different life is with organised drawers.

Are you all following the 'method' or just clearing/organising? I don't really want rules to follow as such, just more order and less rubbish.

[onemouseplace]

I'm just clearing/ organising.

My lifestyle has completely changed in the last 6 years (used to be a lawyer, currently a SAHM with no intentions of heading back to the corporate world) plus I am about 2 stone heavier so I have no use for my old wardrobe at all. I have kept one suit that was cut beautifully and I doubt will date just in case, and a couple of pairs of my nicer work heels - but everything else is going.

I really want to get into the routine of having a winter/summer clothes swapover as well, so I'm currently sorting winter stuff with a view to putting it away, chucking stuff that doesn't fit/ is past it's best.

[FrustratedFrugal]

Baby steps: 15 minutes this morning, putting away clothes that cluttered up the sofa in my bedroom and a chair in our library. And another 10 minutes later, I went through my handbag and wallet Kondo-style purging receipts and paying some bills.

[puglife15]

I chucked out about 8 pairs of shoes and sorted through my make up - wasn't even that ruthless yet I have a huge bag full of unwanted lipstick, foundation and eyeshadow to get rid of.

[FrustratedFrugal]

TeaPlease I love your before and after. Well done!!!
Work is really intense today and tomorrow so I am allowed to lie on the sofa doing nothing

[Heyheyheygoodbye]

I've Kondo'd DM's whole house as a thanks for having us to stay while our house purchase goes through. I've run out of stuff to Kondo now and all my own stuff is in boxes so can't do that! It's terrible! I love a good organise

I have just re-folded everything in the airing cupboard and will now settle in to vicariously enjoy all your efforts through this thread

[FrustratedFrugal]

Heyhey that is incredible - c'mon over and stay with us for a while as well!

I sorted out the laundry. A 15-minute effort but now I can lounge on a clutter-free sofa

[FrustratedFrugal]

I kondoed four drawers of clothes and discarded a bagful of stuff (worn out pyjamas, limp tees, knickers that have lost their shape). And I downgraded some tees to nightwear.

I've almost stopped wearing skinnies as slim straights look and feel so much better, so I am storaging them for now - will reassess this fall.

Did this listening to old songs, so it was fun actually.

[FrustratedFrugal]

An unexpected visitor arrived yesterday: the house was a tip. We just have too much stuff: tables: full cupboards and countertops, tables and side tables full of stuff, some of it spreading onto chairs.

I've empties cluttered-up sufaces for half an hour and will do so for anoher 30 mins but what we really need is a proper sort through.

[coleus]

I've discovered my default button is set at 'easy'. I love the idea of lots of lotions and potions but in reality I use very little.

With that in mind I've whittled down my stash of skincare and makeup to just the things I use. Out went armfuls of samples and old lipsticks and I'm left with the bare minimum. It feels so good!

Thanks for the inspiration 😀

[FrustratedFrugal]

Coleus that sounds fantastic!

I went to DC's room with an empty bin liner and continued culling until it was full. Plus I asked DD1 to take out a few broken bulky toys. And I found a place where we can store or DVDs - I have to empty it first but it will be much better than having everything in our living room.

And I might be able to get rid of a bagful of kitchen stuff (stale spices etc).

When I have time, I will take a bagful of books to the local library - they have set up a place where people can exchange used books.

[dudsville]

Ha ha, hi frustrated! I've just set all of my not-new, not-fabulous bedding to one side, oit of the cupboard. Something is going to happen to it but I'm not sure what yet!

[FrustratedFrugal]

Wow Duds that is so impressive!

DH took children to a world music festival. I am defrosting the fridge (don't ask - there is a glacier on the back wall) and contemplating an extra round of kondoing.

[FrustratedFrugal]

Fridge defrosted , a corner of the kitchen kondoed, plus I took out the trash. Very happy.

[dudsville]

Ooh, that's a terrible job but so satisfying once it's been done! Did you find any long list bags of peas and whatnot? !

We ended up having company so I still have the pile of duvets and duvet covers to go through today (a charity bag arrived, haven't had one for months so I think this is fate! ). My oh saw the pile and asked what I was intending. I told him and it worried him. I said that we have 7 duvets and 2 beds and only ever use the 4.5 tog ones and if he would just look the other way for a moment he would never know they were gone and isn't that the point?

I really want to go through my wardrobe with that last more cutthroat approach... I have a place to store items... why is it so hard?

[dudsville]

So, earlier today I'd just emerged from the shower and decided to have a go on my clothes hoard while I was in a state to try things on.

My rail is full of only things I have already considered and want to keep, and there's a nice amount of room on the rail to be able to see it all and for stuff to hang properly. HOWEVER, I still had a massive storage of clothes, size 10 to 16. As I went through them I discovered that I was keeping a lot because of the brand or quality of the item when the reality was that something about it made me not want to wear it at the time or I've since learned that the colour is wrong for me. Also, although I've gone through my shoes a gazillion times I clearly still had tons I don't wear - I stopped wearing heels a decade ago Why do I still have several pairs? While I cannot say that I have been as ruthless as I would like I am proud to say that 2 bin bags of clothes and another of shoes and randoms like a handbag and books and dvd's we didn't like!

One of the more odd things I discovered was that I had a large collection of socks. I don't wear socks often. Why did i have so many socks?

I now have about a medium (?) sized suitcase worth of things to still be got rid of but I couldn't push myself any harder today. Some of that is a sweater collection so I've just decided to leave the rest for now and revisit the idea in Autumn.

Now, anyone with a larder to kondo want a buddy for the task?

[CiderwithBuda]

Well after saying I would start two weeks ago I've done nothing until this morning.

Sorted out my sweater drawer and bagged up a few to get rid of. Swapped out summer stuff so now have a pile of washing and ironing but feel I at least accomplished something.

Dudsville - I do indeed have a ladder to kondo. That could be a good job this afternoon.