De cluttering and spring cleaning..anyone fancy joining me.

[Dowser]

Because we are away for more than half the week..a drawer and cupboard declutter and thorough house bottoming has not happened this year.

I’m not a clean freak, far from it but I do like neat and tidy and when things are falling out of cupboards it’s time to make a stand.

Last thorough declutter was 2.5 years ago for a rewire.

Soo, I’m breaking t down into bite sized chunks..a drawer or a cupboard at a time.
Today I tackled a drawer full of paperwork, bank statements etc. I don’t like to chuck them away in case there’s a problem..so I sorted that one today.

Anyone else?

May I join? I have today and tomorrow (plus most of Friday) and was hoping to clear out the bedroom wardrobe, drawers and airing cupboard. Am I trying to do too much?

I don't have a plan - was just going to get it all out on the spare bed and have a pile to keep, pile to chuck/recycle and a pile for charity shop.

Suggestions welcome!

I've also found it helptul not to look too closely at anything. If it's been under the bed/in a cupboard for years and I haven't missed it or needed it, then it can go. If I start 'looking' at it, and reminiscing over how so-and-so loved this when they were small, or how we bought this on such-and-such a day out, I'll never get rid of anything. So I'm just hoying it all into bin bags and getting rid of it.

I did keep my eldest son's school report from 2002 though.

Poppet those bags you suck the air out of are great..they really compress it down so take up lots less storage

That’s the way to do it zaphod...said in my best Punch and Judy voice lol
I got hijacked by my children’s and grandchildrens baby clothes..then my 38 year old baby turned up..and we got hijacked some more
Thankfully only one half carrier full..I’m a sentimental old fool
There were his 18 months old big boy jeans, my dds christening gown and hat..with the lace daisies stitched on by my long gone mum

If you were to think of all the stuff you’ve bought and given away used, lightly used or in my case never used over a life time you’d have a heart attack at the money wasted.
I’ve had my aunts and mothers houses to sort out and dh has had his and his mothers..
Here’s a question for all you lovely declutterers

It’s been Three years since mum passed away and shortly I’m going to come across her lladro.. I don’t want to display it..but now I don’t want to get rid..it’s under a futon, wrapped up in paper in a plastic box
What have you done with your family heirlooms

Oh, that's something I'll probably have to wrestle with after my mum dies. I'm an only child and she frequently reminds me that "one day, this will all be yours."
Could you take it to a collector's/ antiques fair and use any proceeds to have a nice family day or meal out that you could tell everyone is "on Grandma"?

I had a good declutter last year, but it amazing how things have built up again, particularly my work area, so please can I join you?

Apart from physical things, I also want to declutter my emails, photos and apps on my phone

Timely question Dowser. I set about the vanity unit when I was back from my run (never knew I owned so many bras!) and found my Grandmother's vanity set that my aunt left me when she died. It's just two tiny pots, but they are over 100 years old. Not my taste and I'm supremely clumsy so surprised they've survived this long under my care.

What do I do with them? They practically come under the 'family heirloom' heading now. I think I might find somewhere to display them when I've moved, but not somewhere I have to look at them too often. A spare room or something.

I hate to think of something that's been treasured for so long by family members just being chucked out, so I think I will keep them (and thereby probably make it my kids' problem!)

“
I hate to think of something that's been treasured for so long by family members just being chucked out, so I think I will keep them (and thereby probably make it my kids' problem!)“

My thoughts entirely...
My aunt had 5 lladro or nao more like ballerinas..I loved them as a child then wasn’t too sure about this as an adult.
Then I got a very modern white fireplace and thought heck, it looks so stark, I’ll have to buy an ornament..heavens to Betsy

Then I thought..hang on..the ballerinas..they are pale, modern and blend in with the decor.
Three on the fireplace and two sit on a white table amongst my crystal display.

Job done!

Well no jobs got done yesterday...but despite the headache from hell ..I did the last drawer of my hemnes chest, another big one. Not a lot to chuck out..but it’s a bit tidier..I also did a sheaf of paperwork on top of the chest..and I can now use my cd player as I can get to it.

Tomorrow I’m going to tackle the 70 crystals on top of the chest..thankfully not all huge ones. They need cleansing and programming and probably rearranging.
And maybe a tall cupboard with door at the side of the chest..more paperwork , books and I dread to think

At least I can do it while watching ‘prison break’..it doesn’t seem so bad then

Oh and this morning I got my iPad storage down from 84 to 74 gig used
Much more work to be done..very time consuming.

Apart from some fliers put into recycling, going to work and then seeing my MiL put paid to major progress yesterday.
However, I did iron and fold all the Christmas table linens and put them away until next Christmas so some tidying done.

I think I may have found a motivational thread - a decluttering thread where people actually have clutter to start with...

I talk a lot about decluttering... I look at the clutter and think I need to do something about that...

Any tips to actually help get me off my butt and declutter, I really want to, There is so much stuff.... I just find it such hard work! (when it was so easy to amass the stuff in the first place)

Start small if that helps you get started.
The handful of fliers I put into recycling yesterday was nothing in the great scheme of what I need to tackle but at least they haven't added to the problem.

I'm in!

I've done DS's room as much as I can and most of the house for now BUT I'm waiting for the Ex to come and get his mountains of crap. He had more stuff then me and DS combined. Once his stuff is gone, I can start properly sorting stuff out. This is also the year for me getting new furniture and aiming and decorating my house so it'll be fun.

I have waiting in my amazon basket a good amount of toy storage for DS, vacuum bags for his old baby clothes (I want another one day) and storage under bed boxes for once the ex's stuff is gone.

I also need motivation, I find Happy Hits on Spotify good but does anyone have any suggestions to get me motivated?

*painting not aiming!

I can echo 'start small' Beyond. Also try to do one thing every day, even if that thing is just a tiny step. I'm trying to clear one cupboard a day, but I'm mostly just throwing stuff away so it's a bit easier.

Made a start on the big kitchen cupboard, It appears that the ceiling above is slowly collapsing, so the top shelf was full of dust and old plates/mugs that haven't been looked at for years. Most are chipped or cracked, so have put in the rubbish (no recycling for those round here).

But what do I do with the four boxes of (very) out of date cereal? I think I might have to have a bonfire just to get the rubbish levels manageable to take to the tip!

And anyone else finding that, whilst they are busy decluttering and tidying certain areas, the rest of the house is going to hell in a handcart? I looked at the living room today and realised I haven't hoovered in there for a week...

Thanks all. I have decided to "start small" as you put it. Was sat at the laptop looking round the living room (the only room "others" see ) and thought - right, I'll do the top stuff - all the stuff that is on top of the cabinet, on top of the bookcases etc.

Just finished the top of the cabinet... and OMG it looks so much nicer already - 3 Christmas crackers from 3 years ago? A couple of old phone chargers that don't fit any current phones? A pile of bubble wrap envelopes that are disintegrating in a pretty basket? an empty box? a box for the router before last - with the router before THAT inside it? WHY was it all up there, on view, in my living room! - and WHY for so long!

All I kept was the pretty basket.

I've just done the second shelf down in the kitchen and found a bunch of severely out of date tins and about five jars of pickled beetroot (which must have been from when DD1 still lived at home - I hate the stuff!) It's all SO out of date that I can't donate it to food banks or anything, so I'm going to have to throw it away, which really goes against the grain with me.

Also, SO MANY MUGS.

Old scouts badges? I feel obliged to keep them but both my children now say that though they have some happy memories of scouts, they're not that bothered.

And do other people keep Lego/Playmobil/wooden train tracks for their (long way off) grandchildren? DP and I can't make up our minds.

DS happily plays with DBros old lego at DMs and DHs old brio track at PILs so I would

I've been decluttering slowly for the last few months in order to make room for DC2 (due in 2 weeks) so the total no. of stuff probably hasn't got any smaller as I've bought new stuff too!

I am very happy everytime I open the wardrobe though as its all sorted and neat. I did DHs too (not that he cares but its much easier to find stuff now)

I've still got a load of Brio in the garage. Even the DGS are too old for it now, but it's still so lovely and has such nice memories...I may keep it a bit longer in case any more of the brood decide to reproduce!

do other people keep Lego/Playmobil/wooden train tracks

Strangely these are the three things that we have kept. The wooden railway and Thomas trains are timeless and undamaged despite being played with for years. My DH keeps the lego in his office ostensibly to play with when he is thinking!! and I just couldn't part with the Playmobil, although I think that we will have to when we move and downsize .

The Dc couldn't care less

This is just some of the bottom of the wardrobe of doom
We are talking an area about 6 feet long, 4 feet high and 18-20 ins deep.

Most of it has To go back.
I could weep

When. You. Just . Wish. You . Hadnt. Started. ☹️

Zaphod..you are aceing this..and streets ahead of me.

Some bras, some trousers are going to charity. I don’t wear trousers so what’s the point..
I’ve asked dh to make some shelves as I’m just sick of stuff piled on top of stuff..that I never get down to the bottom of.

I seem to have cornered the market in black towels..and I bought another three in the Debenhams sales ( sounds of me slapping my forehead)

Welcome fellow declutterers
We can do this.

Oops

It’s actually worse than it looks

I just want to watch prison break ☹️

Only reason I'm aceing it is because I have to move house Dowser! So it HAS to be done...

but what do I do with all the pickled beetroot? It's just sitting on the kitchen floor, staring at me. My friend was over today, and I asked her advice and she just said 'chuck it'. So I will.

Keep at it!