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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask how you tidy up?

6 replies

Jerrysgonnabeacableboy · 31/10/2021 02:00

I have a couple of rooms and wardrobe spaces in the house that have been neglected and need a solid tidy but every time I look at them I feel overwhelmed and do nothing.

I really need some kind of mantra or flow chart or checklist or just a strategy of some kind. There are things to keep, things to trash and things to give away all mixed in together. Then of course the actual dusting and cleaning.

How do you do it?

OP posts:
starrynight21 · 31/10/2021 03:35

For the wardrobes, throw everything out of the wardrobe onto the bed ( or the floor if there isn't a bed. The main thing is to get everything out ).

Take three large rubbish bags. One is for actual rubbish, one for donations, one for things you might actually wear .

Buy a large number of clothes hangers .

Put your favorite music on.

Go through each item, and make a decision. Either throw it out into the rubbish bag, donate it, or put it into the "wear" bag.

Once you have done that, put the rubbish bag outside to be thrown, put the donate bag into the car to be taken away, and put all the "wear" clothes in a corner.

Get some cleaning products and cloths, give the wardrobe a good clean . Vacuum the floor. Spray some nice fragrance around. Leave it for a couple of hours to dry .

Decide on what is going on every shelf and stick to it . Things like knits, handbags, etc need their own shelf.

Anything that can be hung up, put it on a hanger and put the clothes in according to colour , or tops / bottoms , or according to the person if there is more than one .

For rooms, it's much the same. Divide the room into parts if it's all too overwhelming . Same process with the rubbish bags - one for rubbish, one for donations, one to keep. Be ruthless - don't hang on to things "just in case". Add a box or bag for " things that don't live here".

Play the music, pick each thing up once and make a decision. Don't dither / waste time thinking about it. You know if something is rubbish, if it's got some life and can be donated, if it's useful and you need to keep it. If you are keeping it, put it in a keep pile.

When you've finished sorting, get rid of the bags. Clean the area, let everything dry. Put all the "keep" things into an appropriate place.

If you do this once a year, it will never accumulate and overwhelm you. Make a date to do it, allow a day , and get it done. Good luck !

madisonbridges · 31/10/2021 03:39

Mrs @starrynight21, will you marry me? 💐

FancyNan · 31/10/2021 03:44

As above but I'd tackle a small section of the wardrobe at a time to avoid being overwhelmed.

Get three bin bags out and sort clothes into the correct bag for charity, rubbish (only for disintegrated clothing) & to keep. Continue until you have finished the wardrobe & then reward yourself with Wine BrewCake as appropriate.

Jerrysgonnabeacableboy · 31/10/2021 03:55

Thanks @starrynight21, that's just what I'm looking for. The overthinking is what kills me, and thinking 'what if we might need this?' I find it hard to throw things out, even a piece of paper in case the other side can be used. I have to be more brutal I think.

OP posts:
FindingMeno · 31/10/2021 04:34

Just go in and decide to do one little bit - a drawer or something.
Either carry on if you feel like it, or tackle another little chunk another day.

ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba · 31/10/2021 04:35

I saw a tutorial on how to sort Lego pieces and since have transferred the strategy it to sorting boxes of crap.

get a table. dump an amount of crap on it (one box, half a box, whatever).
have another box and into this you slide everything you think you'll need.
don't think too much.
touch each piece and just mumble " need, need, don't need, maybe, need, maybe.." etc.
all the things that are "don't need" or "maybe" you push to one side or into another box.

at this point you can either carry on with more mixed stuff OR pour back the "need" items on the table and this time either create piles of similar stuff for room x/room y/fixing/belongs to person A or person B/check if it still works/fits etc. once you sorted everything put everything that you can away where it belongs.
you can start new boxes for "fix" or "return" etc

then go through the "no" & "maybe" pile to assess what to do with the rest: throw away, charity shop, sell, wait of another part turns up etc.
start new boxes/bags accordingly.

go through everything like that, in batches.

I sorted over a dozen boxes from the loft in April & May and the result was great. I managed to find tons of Lego, got rid of a lot of rubbish, gave away a whole bunch of toys & colouring pencils and so on.

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