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?

Love the photo! 😄
We've kept Brio, Thomas trains, Lego and a wooden castle and knights. I've also kept quite a few story books as I sometimes use them in work.

Loving this thread. I started decluttering on Sunday when DH left to go back to work after Christmas. He works away Mon-Fri. I think I have done more in the last few days than I managed in the whole of last year.

I am trying to be really ruthless. My children are 22 and 14 so fairly confident that I no longer need to keep boxes, jars, ribbon, paper, material etc just incase we need it for a school project or fancy dress costume.

I too have washed ironed and put away all the Christmas linens. They normally spend all year at the bottom of the ironing basket and I have to rewash and iron it on Christmas Eve. Not this year.

I have also got rid of a whole lot of Halloween and Easter decorations. I have kept few special bits and pieces but the rest has gone to the charity shop.

I did all the food cupboards before Christmas so I need a weekly/monthly schedule to keep them all looking good. Along with the fridge. I love a really clean looking fridge.

As well as cornering the market in black towels, please add black fleece jackets, and black primark quilted jackets to the mix.

If you asked me what my favourite colour is..it would not be black.

I’m stuck now..waiting for the paint to dry..yes had to bleach the bottom of the wardrobe..and painted it over..at least I’m watching prison break while it dries..and I can still do some sorting while I’m at it...
Hopefully get into bed by midnight

👍
Keep digging 👍

Anyone else feeling a wee bit guilty about not charity shopping everything?

I'm hauling armfuls of stuff out of cupboards but a lot of it is mouldy. It might be resurrectable (word?) if I washed it and dried it, but I really don't have the time to do three machine loads of washing, hang it all out for days for the fresh air to get the smell out, only to find that it's ripped or not fit for taking to the charity shop. So I'm just binning it and feeling guilty.

I am not feeling too guilty. Mind you my husband makes Greta Thunberg look like a climate change denier so it is no accident that I am gutting the house when he is away during the week.

I have probably taken some stuff to the tip that could have gone to charity but selfishly I just wanted to get as much done this week as possible. For once I had the time, energy and inclination. As a menopausal overweight 50 year old, that doesn't happen too often.

Once I have completed this major de-clutter I am going to reduce my carbon footprint going forward by drastically reducing the amount of crap I buy in the first place.

Yes some of my stuff ( even in open supermarket bags at the bottom of the wardrobe) was a bit passed its best. Plus o haven’t worn trousers for ten years so rather old fashioned too..so rather than waste resources washing them they will go in the bin.
I finally finished at 11 last night..but dh came up with a brainwave

www.amazon.co.uk/WOLTU-Storage-Shelves-Interlocking-Bookcase/dp/B07S8X8LX6/ref=asc_df_B07S8X8LX6/?hvlocphy=9046323&linkCode=df0&hvptwo&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=345533024581&hvpone&hvlocint&hvpos=1o4&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=pla-781029621258&hvrand=4238940299700244829

This will fit nicely inside the wardrobe as two three high stacks and a two
I hope I can get everything I put back in there into it. So when it comes..not only will it all have to come out again..it will need repainting..yesterday was a bodge job and I want the bottom half painted properly.
At least the air should be able to circulate a bit more.

I also did two shelves inside another wardrobe cupboard..that’s where I keep my folded scarves. I put them into colour piles.
We probably will go out today.
Weather looks quite nice.
I might wash my crystals though and get them out in the sun..they like a little trip out.

You can take clothes that are past their best to a charity textile bank. Most supermarkets round here have them in the carpark next to the glass recycling. There is also one at the tip. The clothes are sold by weight to the recycling company and the charity gets the money. It doesn't really matter what state the clothes are in.

My DD wants her room decorated, so we are doing one drawer/shelf per day, which is going well so far!

Reading what you are all doing is giving me the incentive to keep going.

Maybe the airing cupboard next.

Belinda..I agree. Anyone seeing my cupboards would think I hoard everything for years..not true, I turf through it fairly regularly..just the more storage you have..the more you store. The last major declutter For our rewire was 2.5 years ago.
Loads went then and it’s crept back one way or another
It probably doesn’t help that I’m a sentimental old so and so and I’ve lived here for over 40 years

One thing that is driving me on and making me determined to give this a really good go is the state of my MIL's house. She is 85 living in a large 4 bedroomed property drowning in stuff.

I first met her 32 years ago when she was just a couple of years older than I am now. She has always had a lot of ornaments but the place was always clean and tidy. Now she just can't cope with it all but refuses to downsize or even have a good clearout. DH and I have resigned ourselves to just leaving her be and we will deal with it all later. But IMO it is no way to live and I would hate for my children to have to deal with me in this way in 30 years time.

It was the same with my Mum. One minute she was a healthy capable woman in her mid 60's. Suddenly she was late 70's and struggling to cope.

I think the older we get the more difficult it is to change. Whether that is a big change like moving and downsizing your house or a small change like buying a new sofa.

I live in the middle of nowhere though, so no nearby large supermarkets with clothing bins. The tiny supermarket where i work has one in the carpark but it's always full to overflowing. And the smell of mould from these bags is overwhelming, so I feel chucking them is the right thing to do. Not sure they'd even make rags.

Not done much decluttering today, although DD1 is coming over tonight to stay the weekend and give a hand with some stuff so hoping that will spur me to greater efforts, even though I'm working all weekend.

I think we owe ourselves a break Zaphod.
I’m a bit tired to be honest.
We did pile the car up..and I driove to the scrubby bit of beach where a lovely lady has a shed Where she stores the gifted stuff and sells it on to feed the stray cats.
Such a lovely lady . It was one of the bright , breezy and bitter cold January days, yet she comes down about four times a week to feed the pusses.

Next time we go, I’ll take some cat food as well.
So it’s out of the house..but there’s still plenty of cupboards in here to go at.
There’s a little pile of stuff in the corner of the bedroom..I might tackle that..not a lot to do it..just paying lip service to it..but if I shift that..I can open drawers that the little pile is blocking.
There might be some hidden treasures in there.
One disappointment is normally when I do a declutter , I come across little pockets of money..a fiver, tenner...maybe £20 in an unused bag or drawer..this time..nothing.

All that work and nothing ☹️
Snot fair!

Today I've made a start on tidying the conservatory by sorting through some magazines. I've also gone through the fridge and got rid of odd bits of Christmas leftovers that are well past their sell by date.
I've removed a tv bracket from our bedroom wall that hasn't been used for ages and covered the screw holes with a picture until we decide if we want to replace the tv at a later date.
If it's any consolation, I haven't found any stray money yet either, Dowser. 😁

Disappointing isn’t it? Late December.
Bathroom today.
4 drawers and a big storage box on top of it
Netted a big bag for the bin and a decent haul of body lotions for the charity shop.

I think I have a siege mentality. I easily have enough bars of soap for 3 to 5 years and a good 18 months.no I’ll be reckless and say two years worth of toothpaste.

So in case of an apocalypse.will anyone trade toothpaste, soap and I’ll chuck in a few black towels for some essentials like rice, pasta, flour lol

Two bags of children's books to the charity shop yesterday.

Also sorted out a kitchen drawer; DP not happy, as he's a hoarder. Explained broken & mancky stuff had been chucked and the duplicate (triplicate & more) has just been taken upstairs out of the way, so we can see if we need them.

Grudging acceptance.

Today, I am starting on the home office and the Christmas decorations before they go back up the loft

Progress CC
My dh a bit of a hoarder
Me too but in a different kind of way
He likes everything to be at arms reach..whereas I prefer it out of sight
This means it’s also out of mind.
I’m not very ruthless..but I’ve made a start.

Hi all. Just popping in to get some motivation.

DH and I started yesterday. Our ‘least bad’ room was our bedroom and it took us 6 hours! It does look lovely now though. We also did all coats, shoes and bags. We took 3 bin bags to the textile recycling and 8 shopping bags full to the charity shop. Very satisfying.

Been out with MIL this morning so about to get started on the kitchen while DH starts on his office. Office is VERY bad with about 15 years worth of work stuff for work he no longer does plus he’s a bit of a ‘keep it just in case’ type so it’s going to take him a while!

Hoping to make some money too and have photographed lots of stuff to put on Facebook.

I will happily join and geek out over decluttering in January!

Lots done so far...I am doing an 'online' declutter procrastinating on mumsnet today.

Will report back on progress later.

I’m fairly good at decluttering, having learned my lesson during a house move, that ended up with having to hire the most enormous skip.

The only thing in the loft is Christmas decs.

We did the kitchen cupboards and drawers just before Christmas, so they’re OK. I got rid of some clothes last week and have just filled another bag with more clothes, shoes, boots and redundant bedding.

I’ve gone through all my jewellery (mostly costume jewellery) and chucked anything broken or with bits missing. Oh and I’ve sorted the underwear drawer too.

We don’t have much in the way of ornaments thankfully. I need to rationalise my yarn stash and either finish, or undo half finished projects. The yarn will be reused, making things for the maternity unit at the hospital.

I'm shattered and I have to go to work soon...

DD1 came over and got all the stuff out of her room that she wants to keep. I emptied all the storage under my bed and got four drawers of 'memorabilia' down to one (that I really don't want to part with). Then started on the, largely untouched for 26 years, cupboard in the living room. So much stuff! Mostly photos that I don't want to part with, but loads of stuff from the kids, school reports, drawings, etc. I'm sitting and looking at the carnage now.

Am exhausted after spending the whole weekend sorting, but have to do a shift at work tonight. Might take the day off tomorrow though.

DH and I almost cane to blows just now over a ton of Duraglit!

I told him if he could get the lid off, he could keep it. He did eventually and it was completely dried out. I imagine the last time anyone used it was about 20 years ago!!!

He is under pain of death not to buy a replacement next time we go shopping

Worked on the home office & filed a load of papers.

Put DD's old Brownie uniform up for sale; I think I have a buyer

About 150 documents filed off my desktop.

Depressingly, another 150 to go. Draining as there is nothing to see as a result! I'm growing lots of trees on Forest though

I did the "in tray" document clear at the weekend and 2 shelves in my wardrobe!

They seem like tiny shelves - but:
kept - 12 items of clothing;
charity bagged - 23 items (7 still with tags!);
rag-bagged for the council collection - 49 items!!!

Why did I keep so much worn out, faded, well out of style rubbish that I was never going to wear again in a million years.

A bit slow over the weekend as had to go to my parents to help sort stuff pre their move. Going through my old childhood things was very sentimental but I am proud that I didn’t bring too much back here with me. Managed to sort my linen and put it away in the cupboard. Also sorted my clothes and have stored my maternity clothes.