I can't do decluttering right [sad]

[Meruem]

And I feel disheartened! I don't want a "minimalist home" but at the moment every cupboard and drawer is rammed full so I want to scale it back a bit. Just did my first kitchen cupboard and it contained things like, 2 insulated shopping bags (useful), parcel tape (don't send many parcels but some) a raclette grill (only have it about twice a year but do use it) a couple of lunch boxes (working from home atm but that may change) spare light bulbs and so on. So none of these things are "vital" as such. But all get used, albeit infrequently. I ended up putting 99% of the stuff back in the cupboard. None of it could be moved elsewhere as there is nowhere else! I can't face pulling everything out of every cupboard at once to try and do it that way. I was hoping to take the "little and often" route but it isn't working, as precisely the same thing happened when I tried to do my bedroom.

So I know a lot of people on here have decluttered, or are in the process of doing so (I read all the threads on this!). Is my only option going to be to pull literally everything out then sort it? Has anyone else had this problem and what did you do? Any tips gratefully received!

I’ve just been through a few drawers yesterday as we were going to the dump & got rid of shoes that had been grown out of, so I put them into the green clothing bank bins, some colouring books for the charity shop, and a few bits to burn. A few random plastic toys and couple of other things. Just getting rid of little & often to me makes a huge difference.

Do a Marie Kondo and start with clothes. It is the easiest section really. No need to keep anything that doesn't fit. Haven't worn it in a year, get rid! Broken and you know you aren't going to get round to fixing it, get rid! etc

I'm just the same as you OP. Most of the full and untidy cupboards are caused by useful things that are needed every so often.

What do people who throw things away do when they need that item again? It's wasteful to buy it again later.

I suspect you're not being that honest with self, OP.
Clutter isn't the stuff you only use once a year (1 roll of parcel tape)
it isn't the stuff you can realistically expect to use for sure even if not for another year or 2 (a few light bulbs).
Clutter is the stuff you haven't used in yrs & don't know when you'll use.
Can speak from experience!!

Aim for one cupboard or drawer a day.

Work your way round once.

Split into Keep charity throw piles and get rid of them.

With each created space you feel better.

Start with clothes and shoes - one section at a time. I know mine are over flowing!

Your raclette grill is clutter. You really don't need it. Do you need both of the lunch boxes given that you don't use any of them?

parcel tape and light bulbs are not clutter but don't buy any more since you know you have spares

Start with clothes. And do category by category so you can really see what you have.

Put all of your tops on your bed. Dont ask if you want to get rid of it, ask yourself of you want to keep it.

My biggest shock was realising I had 12 pairs of jeans but only ever wore the same 2 in rotation....

Even after googling I don't understand what a raclette grill does.

You chuck the grill thing. You chuck one lunch box. You put the tape and light bulbs in remaining box. Chuck one bag. Throw out all pots and pans you never use. Get rid of the clutter

However this is easy for me to say because I'm a minimalist to an extent and I also have loads of clever storage so it's easier for me to pop stuff away. If it isn't for you, then get the roll of bin bags and be honest with yourself

One cupboard at a time, you might only get rid of one or two things each cupboard but once you have done every space you might then be able to rearrange things to utilise the space better. I also had to google the raclette grill. You can also use the lunch boxes as tupperware while they're not being used as lunch boxes (depending on the type). Kitchen is the hardest I think, so many things will be used infrequently.

You do need to be ruthless, I try but I'm not always as ruthless as I should be. However anything I do get rid of is always bonus.

Raclette is a Swiss thing. You grill special Raclette cheese and you have boiled potatoes, veggies etc and when the cheese melts you pour it over those things. It’s really nice! But you can’t really do it without a raclette grill! I also have a fondue pot (I am half Swiss in my defence) which is also not used all the time. But they are treat dinners that we like to have a couple of times a year. I wouldn’t get rid of those things as they are used.

Clothes are actually the one thing that is sorted! I did kondo those and they’re all neat and tidy! It’s everything else! I have lots of craft stuff, nice stationary. I also had a habit of over buying certain things in sales so I have several pairs of trainers. I don’t need several but as someone said upthread, if I throw out good ones then at some point I will need to buy more (when my current favoured ones wear out) which feels like a waste. Even as I write that sentence I realise it’s a hoarder type thing to say!

Maybe that’s the issue in that my heart isn’t fully in it! I think probably the best thing is for me to go round the whole house once and get rid of what I can. Then go back to the beginning and start again, rearranging as I go. Perhaps it will get easier the more I do it?

I got rid if around 18 bags of clothing shoes and stuff in my airing cupboard

My house is still fucking full

I try and do a drawer or area a week. It takes time. Move on from that drawer, find the next space. Some weeks I give bags full tim e charity shop other weeks I only throw one thing out. Stick to it - it gets easier but you need to stay with the programme

Having a stash of things you will eventually use and won't exist when you need to replace isn't hoarding! They always discontinue good things! The only reason I don't have a stash of my favourite running shoes is that (1) I'm tight and always buy end of line and (2) by the time I'm sure they're right there's none left!

I think the main thing is to reduce "ins" and use up stocks of things before buying more. Also make sure everything of the same type is in the same place so you don't accidentally buy more.

Fondue and Raclette stuff definitely worth keeping - like Christmas decorations..

Lunch boxes debatable- plastics do deteriorate over time even if not in use.

I would try to find time to do "all" the kitchen in one go - or at least split between food, cleaning and implements. Sort into rational categories and rethink what goes where.

Try to make sure the storage solution is convenient- and you can easily extract and replace what you need. Baking trays, saucepans and Tupperware are my nemesis in the kitchen. Whatever I do the cupboard survives less than a week in a sorted state while other areas have lasted years! The issue is that stuff is stacked so replacement requires effort - make it easy to put things away rather than down!

If you truly need all the things you have and it’s not that you’re a hoarder then maybe you need better storage. Could you put up shelves in the kitchen? Or have bookcases/kallax units etc with storage boxes. Shoes in stacking boxes etc.

I am totally reducing what I bring into the house. There’s been a few things recently I thought of buying and then managed to talk myself out of buying it! I’ve unsubscribed from all the sites that used to send me sale emails and tempt me! I’ve also pledged not to buy any more craft stuff until I finish all the projects I already have the stuff for. I guess it is something that’s going to take time.

I’m the same OP. I’m struggling to start. I have the smallest storage in my kitchen and everything is so hard to fit in. I used to have the Lakeland wall mounted grid with hooks and left it in my flat when I moved. It was ace for pans/ utensils etc. Now it’s all rammed in cupboards. Baking tins and sheets cascade out, salad spinner is awful to store but I do use it in summer. It’s hard work

We do raclette just using a normal frying pan (or actually our pancake pan). Not as convivial as a raclette machine but as its only me and DH eating it and its 3-4 times a year its worth having the cupboard space free

We do raclette just using a normal frying pan (or actually our pancake pan). Not as convivial as a raclette machine but as its only me and DH eating it and its 3-4 times a year its worth having the cupboard space free

These are the sort of decisions you have to make. We don't need all the gadgets and "stuff" we are convinced we need to buy. When I helped DSis with her kitchen she had egg slicers, spiralisers, apple corer gadgets, loads of different shaped/sized wooden and plastic spoons etc. Initially she said she couldn't get rid of any of it because she used it sometimes but then suddenly it clicked that whilst she occasionally used it, she could manage perfectly well without it and she now has far less stuff and life is actually easier.

I would go big in the kitchen. Take EVERYTHING out of the cupboards and drawers and clean out all the insides. Look at the pile of stuff you have (you could put it on a bed sheet or clean mat on the floor.

Once you start keeping/ chucking from the pile you can see what you have left and think about where it can be put away now. You might find you rearrange your kitchen differently which makes the cupboards less untidy.

You can do this! Dont feel down, just give it a really good go.

taking it all out and then deciding what to put back in is far easier than going through and deciding what to get rid of. You find that you end up with far less. I am in the process of doing this with my new bathroom.