Anyone successfully decluttered and stayed that way?

[SorryNotConvenient]

Am in the midst of my annual new year declutter. We don’t have excessive amounts of stuff but things seem to multiply or creep back in over the year.

Has anyone got any tips for keeping things out of the house and keeping my currently lovely spacious cupboards and drawers in order?

I read Marie kondo and did a massive declutter a few years ago. Since then a bit of clutter has crept back in, but it's definitely not as bad as before, and the book help change my mindset so that I am much better at getting rid of things when needed. I am also buying less. If I lived alone I think I would still be pretty much clutter free, unfortunately my children are magnets for plastic tat.

Im here for the advice😃
I have sorted out alot of bits in the past couple of months and done a few tip runs. Yesterday i did a last tip run for a while as I genuinely think thats all my bulky recycling/rubbish gone and now its about sorting out the storage areas so they are neater. Im going to atleast half the shoes and bags i tipped out as not touched most of them for years... might try to do that this morning.
My only advice so far would be once you decide to get rid of something put it in a bag and dont look at it again or it will creep back into your life... i put mine straight in the boot of car in charity bag 😂x

Does he have his own car OP? Can he keep them in the boot of it?

@Parsley1234 where are you based? I need your service!

@zeddybrek the admin WhatsApp is such a good idea. Will be using that. Thank you

@thescarftwins I live in glos but very mobile. It’s a real passion of mine I think it’s about getting a mindset and wanting to do it I cannot see how anyone cannot benefit from streamlining their life. It’s so satisfying

0 in 1 out - only replace what you really have to. I have done this with my clothes as I have so many and still have a lot of choice.
Avoid charity shops, sales, anywhere you think you are getting a bargain.
All our dc have their own houses now so they had any surplus furniture, kitchenware etc. I downsized from a huge 5 bed to a reasonable sized 2 bed with my dp so simply had to declutter. I took anything else to the tip, charity shop, dogs home (spare throws, towels, bedding) etc.
Shredded all old documents.
Chucked out old photos, just kept one album of good ones.

Be really ruthless. When decluttering look at each item and think ‘when did I last use this?’ Unless it’s seasonal eg Christmas tree, if it’s more than a year it gets the chop. If you have duplicates then the tatty one gets thrown. Do not have 25 plates if your a family of 4. Have 8, 6 if feeling dangerous and 4 if feeling reckless! Nothing whatsoever goes in the loft ‘just in case’ You’ll probably never see it again! Apart from special cards, kids pics don’t keep that originals. You can scan then and have an album in your phone. You’ll get there.

Yes, I followed Marie Kondo when we moved house about 18 months ago and have kept it that way. It makes cleaning so much easier! I do the following:

• Don't buy anything unless you (a) really need it (b) know where you will keep it
• Only buy clothes to replace items and make sure you take out the item you are replacing (recycle, charity shop, whatever)
• If people bring things you don't want deal with them as soon as they leave (Charity shop, sell, recycle, throw)
• About once a month when I do a really thorough clean of each room, I review what's needed/what I can get rid of

I followed the Marie Kondo method in the summer and the DD's rooms have stayed really nice and tidy since then. Like other people have said I have found that the trick is to have place for everything and to make sure things are put back after use.

DH used to be terrible for putting things on the arm of the sofa then moving them from one sofa to the other. He also struggles with dealing with paperwork and we have a lot at the moment due to both MIL and FIL dying last year.

Thank you Lipper, is it the Marie Kondo books you are referring to?

Yes there are two books. Can’t remember the exact names of them anymore but googling Marie kondo will find them. Good luck on your journey!!

My husband is a hoarder and it is hard to live with. I've done mammoth sort outs over the years and it just gets worse. We have started a big clear out, he's in his 70s and I'm late 60s and I keep telling him it isn't fair and he can't rely on me being able to sort things out. He can't lift heavy stuff, he can't get in the loft. He says he's seen the light.

I have the loft, the loft over the double garage, the double garage, a large shed, two lock up garages and every cupboard in the house to sort out, they are all full, every inch of the floor and from floor to ceiling. I go from feeling hopeful that we can sort it and depressed at the thought of what I need to do and if it will ever all be done and stay done. Today is a down day and I feel close to tears.

My only advice is don't let it get out of hand because it is a living hell.

Agree with Marie Kondo books - they're great for the mindset.

My main philosophy is that everything needs a place and that place must be convenient for the use (and most crucially the return) of the item.

As PP have said training every person in the house to pit things away rather than down really helps - clutter breeds clutter!

For other people allocate them space and any of their things that stray from that space get returned to that space. Make the space use their choice, but fair sharing of available space is non- negotiable- just because you have less stuff and your spaces aren't full doesn't make them fair game!