Decluttering the home

[ChubbyMummy12]

Help! Where do I start? How do you all declutter your homes? There's just stuff everywhere- kids toys, games, clothes and just general stuff etc and it's stressing me out, dh is finally on board to do tip runs, but now I'm sat losing the will to live while trying to figure out where to start and the kids are trying to kill each other. Too early for cake and cocktails?

Well inspired by this thread, I have 1 bin bag from the house and 3 from the garden done this weekend.

I've managed to sort another 3 bags that'll be going shortly! So satisfying to sit back and chill out without stuff everywhere

4 bags of clothes, 2 large bags of bric-a-brac and an item of furniture to go maybe tomorrow or the next day.

I think I've caught the bug!!!

Yep, and as PPs point out it’s equally important to significantly reduce incoming stuff!

I've been working on reducing incoming stuff for about a year or so and find that relatively easy. All that's come in is essential school/study stuff, and replacement underwear, t-shirts to use as thermal underlayers (replacing older stuff) etc.

Just not getting it in the first place is way, way easier than getting rid.

Change of schools in September so I've sorted last year's uniform to take to a local school uniform bank this evening.

Nice pile of six jumpers, four tops, school trousers and two PE kits as well as some PE plimsolls all leaving space in the kids' wardrobe. Unfortunately I will need to buy new uniforms in next few weeks but at least this lot will be put to good use.

Done a second sweep, found another jumper, PE bag, two school caps and four pairs of plimsolls. Feels good clearing them all out.

I took some old uniform and PE kit plus library books back, but I've got some generic white shirts and grey trousers from M&S, shall I try to sell them on eBay?

And got another four charity bags of clothes to go tomorrow. Plus some shoes to take to Clark's recycling shoe bins.

Also 3 bags and a bin liner of stuff to return to a friend. It's all piling up to go!

I loved the Kondo method dong categories. I just got super brutal. Once I start I can get rid of loads of stuff.

I'm aiming to do kondo, but I want to get rid of the obvious stuff so I've actually got room to move. So when I do kondo, it will be my actual stuff I'm doing rather than socks with holes (half a bin liner), other peoples things (bin liner plus 3 bags), etc. It really is that bad here .

I've cleared 5 bags full of clothes to go to charity. DD1 who is a neat freak encouraged me as I did it. 2 bags of toys went to the charity shop at the weekend.
I do have a much dreaded stash of old and probably useless school uniform that really needs to be sorted next.

My house is already looking a bit clearer, with tiny pockets of space.

Is there some sort of crib sheet somewhere as to the average items a person/household needs?

what a household needs depends on what you do and how you do it a basic kitchen for someone who loves world cuisine and cooks everything from scratch is vastly different to a basic kitchen for someone just setting out

but for instant
minimum stuff to keep a house clean
brush, vacuum cleaner, a duster, washing up liquid and brush maybe a bowl and drainer, washing machine ( powder/liquid/eco balls) mop( if you have hard floors) cleaning clothes preferably washable, bleach but 1 bottle should last months, some form of multi surface cleaner, pair of marigold type gloves,
extras, if you have high ceilings might need feather duster with extending pole to get rid of webs etc, the MN pet hatred a loo brush, depending on your furniture you might need polish, beeswax, silver cleaner, glass cleaner, you may need tea towels and dish clothes, scourer pads
you don't need different cleaners for everything or disposable clothes
most cleaning can be done with lemon juice, vinegar, soda crystals, washing up liquid and occasionally bleach and clothes made from old clothes/sheets

TeacupDrama

What an amazing post, that is EXACTLY the kind of thing I meant, thank you.

Has everyone ground to a halt like me? I've got rid of a small item of furniture but not much else.

I've started today, with clothes. Have so many squashed in a cupboard that I haven't even looked at for months/years and currently sorting into keep - onto washing pile or bag for recycling (doubt any charity shop would want what I'm chucking out). Just started on second bag. Then I need to do the same with wardrobe.

I'm not a Konda fan, I prefer realistic expectations.

I've started today, with clothes. Have so many squashed in a cupboard that I haven't even looked at for months/years

I really should do this. I put away 17 t-shirts the other day (and there were at least another dozen already in the cupboard)

And that was just t-shirts. 😳

There's only 7 days in the bloody week FFS!