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?

I’m late to the party but have been decluttering for the past 2 weeks.
I’d like to join as I’m quite slow
@Dowser & @Zaphodsotherhead
it sounds like you have made huge differences but also like you have a lot more space to fill and things to fill it with

I have bought new storage boxes and am emptying DS old room in preparation for a lodger hopefully

I have booked a week off work in Feb and DH and I are determined to get some clutter gone so will be reading the thread for inspiration
Need a proper sort out for the first time in years

I have a pile of paperwork in the living room to sort and prune and several piles of books to move around.

Yes identity, as a child moved out, I moved more stuff in..also dh likes his stuff too
No words of advice apart from trying to do a drawer or cupboard a day..or two if you miss the day before...like I did yesterday
I have till the end of feb and then the madness starts again with travelling and then the garden to knock back into shape when we are home.

It does help me if I’m watching a programme while doing it. We are ploughing through prison break on Netflix I can stI know my head in a cupboard when the gory bits are on
😂

That sounds really productive, Polkadots. You'll enjoy being able to find all your baking things without rummaging through junk.
I've ditched 3 manky, mis-shapen pillows that were taking up space. I have enough spare pillows for when DS2 is home from uni and if I need any more they are cheap enough from Matalan.
Going to get a few things from the garage to the tip later but giving myself a break this weekend before starting on the dining room on Monday.
I don't like gory bits on programmes either,Dowser I usually have a jigsaw on the go and pretend to be extra focussed on it for the bits of programmes I don't like. 😁

FIVE BIN BAGS FULL OF VIDEOS! Five! And the damn things scythe through even the heavy duty bin bags, so most of them are double bagged.

Photos mostly extracted from the ghastliness and boxed up ready to move and the cupboard is finally empty. I should be deep in the throes of moving this time next week, so not a moment too soon.

We can do this!

Five!! wow... !

I know. But the fact I still had a cupboard full of videos shows how long it's been since I had a clear out.

I've now got piles of paper all over the living room. I have taken two items to the second hand clothes shop that sells for you (posh stuff); they were in my eBay pile but I thought I would make it a bit smaller and get them out of the house.

Been going through paperwork the past few days and have a bag of A4 files that I tried to take to the charity shop but were rejected! They will have to go to recycling.

Yes! I love a good clear out.

Yay! Another boot load to the tip, from the garage & shed

2 bags of paperwork ready for the recycling collection tomorrow! My living room floor is clear again

I'm still going on the wardrobe!

Did a shelf yesterday, doing the hanging space today - not the floor of the hanging space - that will be a 2 day job!! just the hanging bit...

so disheartening sometimes... running out of oomph, think I need some more motivation.

Wardrobes must be huge!!

lol - not really, just jam packed with clothes, old bedding, boxes of books... they are old built in ones that just swallow a ton of crap... til they are full...

If you are finding it overwhelming (I was!) try breaking it right down into tiny little bits.

For example, this morning, whilst I waited for the kettle to boil for the essential first cup of tea, I got an empty box and starting putting all the 'bits' from the top of my display cabinet in. I got all my framed pictures and my candles in, cleared the top of one cupboard and half of another (I'm moving, so my decluttering is slightly different to some people's). I've now got a box full ready to tranport, and all in the time it takes a kettle to boil.

Sometimes it can be daunting with lots of stuff. So just do one, tiny thing, when you've got five minutes. These add up, and when you can see a difference you often feel spurred on to do a load more in one go!

I am still going with this too. Lost a bit of focus last week as was so busy with other things but still managed to do a little bit in the kitchen cupboards.

I have hit my first stumbling block. My Cornishware china collection. I don't use it. It doesn't go with my new kitchen so sits in a cupboard. I bought some 21 years ago on our first holiday to Cornwall when DS was 9 months old. I wanted a nice memento of our trip. I have added to it over the years whenever we go to Cornwall. Its not huge, just a few jugs, bowls, pestle and mortar etc.

My china cupboard looks better without it. There is more room and as most of my things are plain white and glass it just looks neater. BUT I don't feel comfortable about letting it go. I guess I am more sentimental than I thought.

I don't want to just stick it back in the cupboard. I won't start using it as I prefer my marble pestle and mortar and I have nicer jugs and bowls. I won't display it as it doesn't match my kitchen now. It makes perfect sense to take it to the charity shop but I don't think I can.

Belindabelle - maybe you could sell it privately as a collection and use the money to buy something that you WILL display?

You'd then know that someone else was getting the benefit of your wonderful collection and transfer your attachment to the new thing you buy?

I agree with the "do small bits" approach.
Yesterday DS1 came round and I showed him what I'd found of his that I didn't think he'd want anymore but didn't want to just throw away. He wanted to keep 2 things that he has taken away and everything else can go, including his old A Level notes. (He's 26!)
Going to start on 1 of the dining room cupboards this afternoon.

managed to get rid of another bagful of clothes. phew...

I'm a size 18/20 and had smart work clothes from 1986 - size 12/14 - a 1986 size 12/14 - so 8/10 nowadays - arghhhhh - why did I keep them all this time?

Inspired by this thread, I went and cleared out one of the drawers in my bedroom and in it were some old receipts. It must have been a while since I cleared out that drawer, because the receipts were dated 2006

I know what you mean Beyond
Tried some tops on that are a lot more snug than I remember..I don’t even wear skirts or trousers..so they’ve e gone to the charity bag
I got the bags out of the house last night..to a lady who helps rescue animals
Now I’ve started again...tackled the corner of doom today and found a drawer of costume jewellery type watches..all need a battery

Got a bit more to do in the bedroom..books that have infiltrated the sanctuary
A tall Ikea books and bits and bobs cupboard...
Then it’s either closet of doom or end bedroom of doom
Not fancying either ie..there a lot of real hard work in there..

Popped into york on Saturday..all this decluttering has put the kibosh on shopping..I’m going round tk maxx going ..dont need toiletries, don’t need undies, don’t need nighties, don’t need cardis, no bits or bobs, ornaments, candles etc...boots or shoes, trousers, jeans or tops, perfume, make up, jewellery..towels or bedding
But at least I knew what I had which is something, rather than just keep adding to it.

This has been a long time coming and a proper wake up call.

Think you must have the same size wardrobe as me Beyond..dad built it about 30 years ago. 7 cupboards at the top, a space for a not very big tv in the middle , with a good sized cupboard underneath
And 6 door cupboards..all with hanging space. About 12 feet long by 7-6 ins high altogether
Had to do that in bite sized chunks.

How is everyone getting on? I haven't had a very productive week because I've been busy either with work or my MiL.
However, today I sorted out the cupboard below the washbasin in the bathroom and downstairs loo this afternoon. I got rid of grotty cloths and a couple of cleaning products that had gone either dry or gunky.
Is it this week you are moving, Zaphodsotherhead? Hope it's gone smoothly for you!

Totally stalled here.

But on the plus side did not buy anything, so there is nothing adding to the clutter.

Thinking positively...