Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

The big declutter!!

218 replies

HiccupHaddockHorrendous · 28/12/2013 16:41

Today is day 1 of my big declutter and so far I have done...nothing Blush

Actually, that's not true. Ds and I went to town and bought a new shredder (I broke the last one by accidentally putting a plastic decoration in it!!).

I did have a head start and cleared a couple of cupboards last night but I really need to get off my backside and get decluttering.

I have 5 days 4 now to sort out my house. It has to be done.

For the next two hours, I am going to declutter the bathroom and get the washing on.

Anyone with me?

OP posts:
Original poster
HiccupHaddockHorrendous · 06/01/2014 12:01

Morning, Iorek!

I've just been reading through the thread and last Monday feels like such a long time ago!!

I'm working today so not much sorting for me but will take a big bootfull to the charity shop later.

Good luck with the books and it's raining here, too!

OP posts:
onedogandababy · 06/01/2014 12:49

I'm lurking for tips...just had dd2 on New Years Day, so not much in the way of time or free hands to clear sort and tidy but I'm ever hopeful! DP and I are trying to sort out a lot before he goes back to work Smile

IorekByrnisonsArmour · 06/01/2014 13:23

Onedog congratulations Flowers enjoy your new baby !!

Thanks Hiccup! I have just been rounding up our Hiccup books Grin

You must be very proud of how productive you have been Smile

Original poster
HiccupHaddockHorrendous · 06/01/2014 13:51

Onedog - aw, congratulations!! Could you make a list for dh Grin?!

Iorek - ds had put his copies in a pile for the charity shop I've put them on my shelf.

I've been to the charity shop and just remembered I have another two big bags upstairs waiting to go. Might go to a different shop tomorrow, though, I think they're beginning to get a bit sick of me Blush!!

I am pleased with the progress made and really hope I can keep it up until it is all done...then I'll have to work on maintaining it!!! Grin

Thanks for the encouragement!!

OP posts:
Aintnobodylovesnanbetter · 06/01/2014 15:51

My dd's back at school tomorrow so i'm going to give her bedroom a good sorting out.its her birthday this week and she has friends coming for a sleepover so i really need to get it done.
I sorted all my paperwork and drawers/cupboards of crap out just before christmas.i also took 2 bags of clothes and kitchen bits to the charity shop.

dimestore · 06/01/2014 18:28

Can I join you? Our house was badly in need of a clear-out. I then had to clear my late parents' house in order to sell it. I couldn't clear everything, so brought loads of boxes over to my house. The result - we cannot move for boxes

I'm trying to do a couple of hours a day, as I work full-time. We have been taking 4 bags to the charity shop each day. I had to laugh when I went there this afternoon. There was a big sign that said that they couldn't take any donations today, on health and safety grounds - and I wondered whether I had contributed to this!

Original poster
HiccupHaddockHorrendous · 06/01/2014 19:07

Dimestore - hi and welcome! Sorry for your loss. It must be so hard to sort through someone else's things, especially late parents' belongings SadThanks.

Do you have other charity shops you can take things to? There seem to be millions here so am spreading my stuff around them all Grin. There's a fairly large local charity which I visited today with an electrical item but they wouldn't take it and said I should take it to one of their other shops so I'll be off there tomorrow with aforementioned electrical item plus the two bags from ds' room.

OP posts:
IorekByrnisonsArmour · 06/01/2014 19:48

Dimestore, that happened to me. It was really difficult going through my mothers things. But I did get to keep some treasure Smile

I have a painting that was my great grandmothers, then my grandmothers, mothers and now mine! And some well worn and loved books, which are strictly for "display only" now Grin

Losthearts · 06/01/2014 20:32

The trouble with this time of year is that my local charity shops stop taking donations because they are literally too full and no longer have space to store any further stock. I have more to give but will have to hold onto it for now

NK5BM3 · 06/01/2014 20:46

Thanks slattern! Grin

I read somewhere (and I did try this) to remove one item every day. So over the year you'd have removed 365things! It could be anything from an old toy or old clothes or appliances..

I did try that when I was short of time and frankly it was quite therapeutic.

dimestore · 06/01/2014 21:41

Thanks! I kept walking to the next charity shop, as I would have felt like a real failure taking the bag home! It is actually a lovely feeling seeing my parents' belongings being used to raise money for good causes - and for a lot more than they would have paid for them.

toomuchclutter · 07/01/2014 11:09

I have got rid of a lot lately but seemed to have come to a bit of a standstill. Hopefully I will start again soon

Shnickyshnackers · 07/01/2014 23:16

I'm going to fill a bag with old clothes and then put photos on my fb buy/sell page, and list some stuff as free probably, just want rid!!

Shnickyshnackers · 07/01/2014 23:28

ok, I filled a large Aldi bag with clothes, seriously they are pretty old clothes now and will not fit me in the next year so I really have to get rid and free up some drawers. I like to do little and often (if I remember!! haha).

EustaciaVye · 09/01/2014 06:47

Hello.
Good thread.
Take a photo of any lumpy/messy/bulky kids artwork. They will then let you get rid of the real thing. Smile

LaVolcan · 09/01/2014 10:21

Poor JayneJam is getting a pasting, but I agree with her. If you have to live with a congenital hoarder, her approach is about the only way which begins to get through. I think it's perfectly valid to tell someone that if you see something lying around on the floor where it can get trodden on and broken it's not unreasonable to assume it's rubbish and belongs in the bin. If you value it, why not learn to put it away?

The sort of hoarder I am thinking about is the sort of person who keeps piles of 40 year old magazines because they haven't read them yet, can't have a bath because it's full of jars and bottles of old junk which have half dried up, can't get into bed because it's covered with old clothes, can't use a table because it is covered with old catalogues, unread newspapers, empty envelopes.......

That level of hoarding is probably a form of mental illness, but is dangerous - infestations of vermin and falling over the piles of clutter spring to mind, so please don't let yourselves get like that.

IorekByrnisonsArmour · 09/01/2014 13:46

Thank you LaVolcan for your wise words

CremeEggThief · 09/01/2014 17:35

Well, from my perception of this thread, nobody on here is anywhere close to dangerous levels of hoarding! This is a bunch of ordinary people, who just want to get rid of some unwanted stuff.

FreakoidOrganisoid · 09/01/2014 17:40

Had a charity bag in the letter box so was able to put the clothes I'd sorted out for collection.

Now I just need to get rid of the bag of toys and the box of kitchen stuff. Wish they'd put a bag through for 'stuff' but its all clothing only.

One thing I started doing a few years ago that might help some people is to use up toiletries etc before starting a new one-even if the new one is nicer! Saves having several opened bottles around. If it's a shower gel that smells horrible or a shampoo that makes my head itch for example, I'll either use it to clean the loo or throw it away without guilt!

LaVolcan · 09/01/2014 18:30

Hoarding can creep up on you to danger level, if you are that way inclined. It only takes something like having a period of illness to go and get out of hand, and then you are constantly running to catch up.

Don't put it down, put it away was always my Dad's mantra. That's one of the problems I find now - there is no 'away' for the item to be put!

NK5BM3 · 09/01/2014 19:02

Good observation cremeegg! Or at least no one here has professed to have those tendencies. I do dread the day when I will have to clear out my dad's place. He has over the years accumulated stuff to the point that he even brings home stuff that others have dumped (like from the charity shop but there's no real use for him)...

I still have some of my old old stuff at his (long story involving country moves etc) and when I've tried dumping my stuff (at his request), he's actually retrieved half of them back! But that's another thread... Nothing to do with this current one!

liger · 09/01/2014 20:39

Have been reading to get into the mindset for a big declutter next week.

Just wanted to pop into say that my Dad had a lifelong problem with hoarding, parrticularly books, newspapers and 'useful' bits of wood! It stemmed from his experience as a child with a ruthless mother who threw his things away when he wasn't around - just thought it was worth mentioning.

IorekByrnisonsArmour · 09/01/2014 20:45

liger thank you for sharing Smile

Good luck for next week!

IorekByrnisonsArmour · 09/01/2014 20:46

...and let us know how you get on!

Original poster
HiccupHaddockHorrendous · 18/01/2014 22:56

Hi everyone! I have done zilch since work started and have had a bit of a nightmare today. I needed my 2012 calendar to help work out the figures for my tax return and have no idea where it is. I remember seeing it during a pre-declutter sort out but haven't seen it since.

I need to get into a better routine of doing a little bit of clearing out, everyday!!

Anyone else lost motivation or still in declutter mode?

OP posts: