My own motivating house decluttering list of things I have achieved thread!

[southbank]

I am seriously drowning in clutter/crap whatever you want to call it.
3 year old twins,me and dp work full time,3 bed house.
every single room is full of clutter,paperwork with no order,toys everywhere,clothes continuously piled high,every single cupboard,drawer and storage area is full to overflowing with crap.
I'm absolutely up to my neck in it and I can't carry on like this,it's so bad we can't even get in the front bedroom.
So I'm making a stand!!!
I have decided that a clearout drawer by drawer,cupboard by cupboard,box by box is the way to go.
To keep myself motivated I'm going to list what I've done each time I clear more of the shit!

Last week.
-4 bags of clothes to the recycling bin
-unused cat milk to RSPCA collection
-cleared out cupboard with mugs and glasses,threw out
at least 10 bottles/zippy cups that are no longer used.
Kept just the 4 that we regularly used.
-cleared out the 'baby'cupboard,out of date medicines etc disposed of,all unusable equipment thrown out.
-cleared out 2xfood cupboards,all out of date food in food caddy
-cleaned out fridge,cleaned thoroughly in and out

This week so far....
-2 bags of clothes/rags to the recycling bin
-huge bag of batteries to sainsburys for recycling
-cleared out my huge makeup bag,and cosmetics cupboard,threw our all gone off creams,perfumes etc
Separated some unopened gift perfume for eBay.
-threw out all out of date cat medicine

Managed to collect together 2 bags of bits and pieces for dp sister who is pregnant,nappies found,bottles never opened,bottle warming bags,nappy sacks etc

Tonight
-want to clear out my cleaning cupboard
-want to clear out my pan/utensil cupboard
-put away all washing

[southbank]

Kiwi,thanks for asking!
I have cont

[southbank]

Sorry dd grabbed my phone!
Kiwi thanks for asking
I have continued to clear bit by bit!
This week so far
-cu

[southbank]

And again!
Will post later when dcs are not around!
Dp currently at the dump with a car full of broken electrical crap that I seriously thought he would never part with!

[mrspaddy]

Ah you are doing great!!!! Keep it up.. if you are decluttering at work, it is very hard to keep up the enthusiasm at home so don't beat yourself about it.

I spent the last two months decluttering (it was all hidden so house does not look any different which is disappointing). anyway.. I feel better and have set up little systems for myself so it doesn't come back (Clutter).

[southbank]

So in the last week or so
-finished clearing and sorting hallway storage cupboard-finally all shoes and coats have a space!I can also fit my Hoover and vax,ironing board and washing basket in there and close the door,hooray!!
-dp cleared the garden,at least 8 binliners of garden waste to the dump,all old plastic toy crap disposed of as well.
-another 4 bags of stuff to charity shop
-2 more bags of stuff for pregnant sil
-much better with meal plan and staying on budget for food shopping!!approx £80 last week for us!
-started to work through my ironing pile
-taken to the dump-broken vax,broken high chair

We can now get into the front bedroom,now about 3/4 full of crap but made a good start!
My plan this week is to finish my ironing,and keep on top of that ongoing,start culling the dts crap in the living room and clear and sort the piles of crap in the dining room-bags of toys,clothes,paperwork that haven't been sorted.
Feeling good about what I have achieved,but parents came over and couldn't really see any difference apart from the garden so that was a little disheartening but I will crack on regardless.

[Nuralagusregina]

Thanks for the thread Southbank! I also need motivation as we're moving to a smaller place with no storage in September and need to reduce the amount of stuff we have. Our downfall seems to be paper and sentimental items.

Do you ever get in tiffs about it? My DP wants to use some of the baby's new room as storage. I'm against it as she'll be bound to accumulate her own stuff over time and need her own storage. It got a bit heated and we're at a bit of a stalemate.

[southbank]

We do row about it sometimes,nothing major but I think we have different opinions on how to clear the crap!
Essentially we are both untidy so that doesn't help but my approach has been clear it up bit by bit otherwise we will just move the crap around rather than sort it into rubbish,recycling,give away etc.His approach is to take the biggest job and tackle it head on and create more of a headache and always at the wrong time,so he will underestimate how long a task will take it might delay what we want to do later and then he gets in a strop.example being he wanted to clean the bathroom but we were due to take dts swimming,he took far longer than needed then we had less time in the pool but got pissed of with me taking 10 mins in the shower and therefore making us late.
Or wanting to spend 2 hours weeding the garden before going to buy new garden furniture!Nooooo go and buy the furniture then you can spend all frickin night weeding the garden for all I care!
I could give you 100 examples that follow that pattern.So I'm just getting on with it myself bit by bit now,it's easier and when he helps i try and be specific about what really is the priority.
Don't underestimate the amount of crap a baby accumulates as well!big tip from me,get rid of it when they have grown out if it or pack it away properly If you think you will have another or you will end up like me with 3 years worth of baby equipment,clothes,toys etc to sort out-I could open a shop with the amount of stuff we got.
And ask for vouchers for dc bday if people don't know what to buy!dts first bday we had 3 car loads of presents we had to somehow fit in our house!and that came almost immediately after Xmas,this is how we have ended up drowning in thus stuff!

[WasabiPea]

Hello! Can I join in?? I'm a massive hoarder and lazy to boot and DH is a hoarder too (although he disguises his stuff as computery things so I never actually know if it's clutter or not)! We have one 4 year old and have moved house three times since he was born (often with associated clutter). We had planned to have loads more children (OK at least one more) but I'm, ahem knocking on a bit and it's not happened after 3 years of trying, but I'm still holding on to silly things like maternity jeans and baby clothes just on the off chance! I'm quite organised with lots of things but I'm horrendously sentimental and can't let go. DS has just started school and I'm not working so I finally have time to declutter but I'm struggling!!!

[NotAsTired]

chirpchirp, how much cash do you actually get for your clothes?

[Tommetipsy]

WasabiPea - have heard a few horror stories about these cash for clothes places. Basically them not paying out.

[WasabiPea]

Ok thanks Tommetipsy. I really like the idea of making cushions from old and sentimental blankets etc... I'm so sentimental though that I would have loads, and I'm crap with the sewing machine!!
On the plus side I've just given away a box of kitchen bits and a pair of maternity jeans!!
What should I do with old birthday/Valentine/Christmas cards? I've gone through these a million times and every time I think "Ahhh, these are so lovely. Didn't I have lots of friends and wasn't I cool and didn't I have fabulous birthdays". What do I do with these? Aren't I going to want to be reminded of all that when I am older and more decrepit??! And what about old love letters from old boyfriends?

[southbank]

Haven't posted for a few weeks,last part of the school hols I kind of gave up the decluttering as it was just a job keeping on top of the clearing up after the twins.
Since going back to school I have started up again,as well as working through getting rid of stuff now looking at storage and keeping things in the best place but the house does still look untidy a lot of the time and I'm struggling with that tbh as I thought at this point it would be much better.
Anyway today I will do the following
-washing folded and put away
-downstairs hoovered and mopped
-downstairs bathroom clean
-paperwork in kitchen cleared
-meal plan for next week
-dishwasher and washer on service wash
-upstairs bathroom plug unblock
-make some phone calls I haven't got round to,gp appointments etc

[southbank]

Have

[southbank]

Have reached a plateau with my decluttering quest recently.
Feeling very disheartened about it all despite getting rid of more stuff.
I feel like I can't fucking breathe in my house.
Have made a start on the bedroom with all the crap but no matter how much stuff I sort and get rid of it seems to make no difference.
I didnt realise how much stuff/crap I have and that it's all sitting in my house giving me a headache.
Getting rid of some bigger things this weekend but again there will be the rest to carry on with.
I hate feeling like this,feels like its an endless task,and I'm not making any visible progress.
I want my house back

[southbank]

dp very supportive of it all,but likes to huff and puff and say how messy it all is.I scream I fucking know,but I feel anxious if he suggests just throwing stuff away.
I have got a serious case of 'we will need that someday'
or convinced I can sell stuff and get a bit of money for it.
I reckon I could donate 50% of our clothes and free up the space,so why the fuck don't I?

[SlatternismyMiddlename]

Hey Southbank! Good for you resurrecting the motivation list. I really sympathise with you sentiment "I can't fucking breath in my house".

Try to focus on what stuff you have got rid off. You may not feel that it has made a visible difference but it has, you just haven't got to the end of it yet.

Good luck and keep going.

[clearsommespace]

Don't give up Southbank. I think we all lose motivation from time to time. On the thread I'm usually on it has mostly been slow progress since September. The weather doesn't help.

Do you need the money for the clothes? If you don't, then donate them. It will make a big difference to you and to someone else.

I gave some bits of small furniture and bedding to an organisation that helps victims of domestic abuse and the woman who took them from me was really happy. On the basis of my phone call describing the bits she had already worked out where they would be going, to needy people she works with every day. I felt great afterwards and haven't missed the items since.

When DH and I set up home we didn't have any curtains except in the bedroom and we only had an old camping table and a floor cushion to start with downstairs. Some people further down the road who had seen our set up gave us their old dining table when they upgraded. We were so touched and grateful. I try to think about that when I am decluttering.

[southbank]

Thanks slattern and clear!
I had a really good talk with dp last night and said I don't know why I'm struggling again to get rid of things i have no use for and don't need.
I have given about 80% of my baby clothes away to family and have about 8-10 more bags of those to sort through and give away.

I'm giving away some of my larger baby equipment this weekend and dp has got another load of stuff to go to the dump.and I might have found someone to buy my buggy.
Dp just says get rid of it and if I need to buy new clothes etc then just do it.he's told me to stop worrying about trying to make a bit of money on the baby stuff and give it away.

We don't need the money as it would be very minimal I think and I felt great last time I gave the baby stuff away.
I just feel bad that it's got to this point that it's overwhelming our living space. You are right that I have made a difference,although except for dp I don't think anyone believes me as it's always a tip.
Tonight I'm going to sort through some of my clothes I think and get a bag ready for the charity shop tomorrow.

[littone]

We are also drowning in stuff! I wok four days per week which limits time to sort stuff out, though getting some time on Monday mornings now DD in differentvTumble Tots class. This week I cleared out some unwanted shirts and gave away via a local fb page, tidied up a pile of stuff dumped in my bedroom, tidied my dressing table that had become another dumping ground, bagged up some outgrown clothes to go up into the loft, sorted some junk on kitchen floor and swept it. Need to attack some more piles of clutter this sun/mon.

[SlatternismyMiddlename]

Yep, my house is a tip too. There is STUFF everywhere, I make piles to sort out but the pile gets moved or added to and then I forget what I was to do with it and it has to be re piled, ad infinitum/nauseum.

How the hell I am going to get ready for the house party I decided to host next weekend I have no idea. I could actually cry.

[clearsommespace]

Slattern (feels odd to call someone that!) you have to shift those piles as soon as you've made them. If you don't know how to, you could post on to the 'moving forward with minimalism' thread and get some good advice.
Eg if the resale value is low, just give it to charity/give it away rather than making an ebay pile. You'll feel good about yourself for donating and you'll love the space you have.

[SlatternismyMiddlename]

Thanks Clear. I know one of my big problems in the past has been wanting to get some 'value' for stuff. But the more I read on her the more I realise that I'm just making excuses.

[clearsommespace]

It can help to think about the value of the space in your home. How much would it cost you to build an extension of certain size in order to store your stuff properly? Is the stuff really worth that investment?

It can be helpful to think of the money spent on items that have never been quite right for their purpose as money already wasted. You're not wasting the money when you get rid of the items. But you're gaining precious space.

And for items that were just right but now your life has moved on, your kids have grown up or you have started a different hobby, imagine if you'd had to rent them....? You've probably had your moneys' worth. Now is the time to let someone else benefit.

(If only I could practise what I preach 100% of the time!)

[HoneyandRum]

Oh, can I join in? I think I am finally learning to be a housewife at 45, in fact for the first time in my life I am actaully quite enjoying cleaning and getting things in order. I have started to declutter and deep clean, we rent a manoosive house and so in some ways can hide the clutter but it is driving me nuts. Also I never feel the house is truly clean as I know there are places hidden from a casual visitor bulging with crap. I have just done a ton today and am well proud of myself! Too tired to tell you more so will come back soon! Thanks for the great thread : )

[southbank]

Clearsome-thanks for your last couple of posts,they have really made me think in terms of value of stuff.
In reality the stuff I was so bothered about parting with would probably make minimal money.
Sil took a load of stuff off me and was overjoyed with it,it makes me feel better that family is making use of it rather than just strangers IYSWIM?
I feel better for tackling more of the stuff in my house.
I have got a long distance to run before it's even close to what I would like,but I have made a good dent in it and that feels good.
What I have achieved this weekend,
-3 bootloads of stuff to sil and charity shop

To do this week
-sort out cuddly toys for charity shop and sil
-bin liner of clothes to be sorted for charity shop and keep only realistically what I want/need/that fits
-wrap dc presents
-write Xmas cards and finalise family presents

I will do this!!