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Housekeeping

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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 · 27/01/2014 17:23

Hi everyone!

I did try and do a little bit of tidying/sorting over the weekend...but failed miserably Blush

I really have to go and do something to my bedroom though. It is ridiculously messy and I can't find any clothes. While ds is at his class tonight, I will be locked in my room, tidying it!

OP posts:
Preciousbane · 27/01/2014 18:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IorekByrnisonsArmour · 27/01/2014 19:48

3000 DVDs Shock

Hi Hiccup hope you have some success in your bedroom! Mine is a storage facility for the rest of the house -and no one is allowed in there- Grin

Shnickyshnackers · 27/01/2014 21:54

I think just starting really gets the ball rolling, you soon start to think why am I hanging onto this??! (like all of those candles Winklewoman!). Well done for getting rid!

I encouraged my mum and dad to get rid of loads of clutter yonks ago because the thought of having to do it when they passed away filled me with dread.

Perhaps if you have lots of your mums stuff you can just choose a few really nice bits and keep them and have them on show - perhaps better than keeping it all and never using or looking at it.

LaVolcan · 28/01/2014 08:30

Perhaps if you have lots of your mums stuff you can just choose a few really nice bits and keep them and have them on show - perhaps better than keeping it all and never using or looking at it.

That's very much what I thought of my mum's stuff. She had some really nice things but we never knew of their existence because they were hidden away amongst all the clutter. It would have been so much better if she could have enjoyed them while she was alive.

ashamedoverthinker · 28/01/2014 09:57

Thanks for welcome Iorek

I keep telling my DS Im going to sort his room out to 'prepare' him. Ive been doing this since before xmas Blush. Ive done it again last night.

When I go upstairs to get ready for the day properly Im going to spend 20 mins removing as much as I can. I must admit he has a beautiful castle with a huge amount (overspend I know) of sheikh knights. They are such lovely toys that never get played with. I think I leave them there as it kind of justifies my overspending in the first place.

Mayeb I can pack these away. I will leave the farm and schleich animals as DD has started to play with this.

So i think the key is to look at an objects value in terms of it's use and not of its origins ie costs or present from whoever.

Im such a wuss.

winklewoman · 28/01/2014 11:23

Feeling virtuous this morning having cleared out the kitchen cupboard where the mixers are kept. I threw out two hand held ones that do not work at all, plus a mini chopper/processor which was very dangerous as the cut-out which is supposed to stop the blade whirring unless the lid is on does not work. I bought a replacement but hung on to the original finger-mincer for a rainy, or more likely very bloody, day. Also chucked various unidentifiable bits of plastic and some odd and chipped cups.

I have lined the shelves with the Lakeland metallic product and have spent some time admiring the effect. Onwards and upwards.

Ashamed, you are so right about valuing in terms of use. Must keep remembering that.

FreelanceMama · 28/01/2014 19:43

Yesterday cleared out a small bag of toys and clothes. Hard to do with a toddler around but am going through paperwork now and ditching as much as I can.

The discussion on candles reminds me I have a load of tealights we never never use. Ditch!

outtolunchagain · 28/01/2014 19:47

De lurking to post a cautionary tale.Cleared out a load of childrens books, off to the charity shop in town.Other day come home to find large pile of childrens books from Grandma,apparently she spotted them in the shop and thought we would like themGrin

Moral;travel to further away charity shop!

FreelanceMama · 28/01/2014 19:57

outtolunch hilarious! I remember as a kid donating something to a bring and buy sale and then finding it in my stocking that Christmas - guess Father Christmas went to the same sales as my parents!

CheerfulYank · 28/01/2014 21:59

Joining you! I have decluttered in the past but wasn't ready to a) not buy a bunch more crap without considering where it would go or b) do mini decluttering often. I am now. So, onwards! Starting with clothes!

Shnickyshnackers · 30/01/2014 08:52

outolunch - that is pretty funny and a bit demoralising!!

ProfPlumSpeaking · 30/01/2014 08:57

We have shelves (and shelves) of cookery books but the reality is that we either use the internet for recipes (BBC Good Food never fails) or a basic cookbook (Goodhousekeeping) for staples plus maybe 2 others. has anyone ever been brave enough to get rid of the lot? Did you regret it or was it liberating?

DH wants to keep them all (he cooks twice a year). I want to reclaim the shelves for my maths books (whole other thread - I much prefer maths to cooking).

Preciousbane · 30/01/2014 08:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ProfPlumSpeaking · 30/01/2014 09:31

If you have over 1,000 and can get 50p each then that is £500. Best to sell them (as you know they will then be valued) and then give all or some of the money (if you want) to your favourite charity.

ProfPlumSpeaking · 30/01/2014 09:31

oh, sorry, that was the DVDs!

winklewoman · 30/01/2014 10:42

Ladybird books are collectors' items, you have permission to keep. 175 DVDs at 50p = £87.5. (Please check my maths ProfPlum).

I echo the cookbook dilemma. Good Food great if you know what you are looking for, but browsing through books and magazines sometimes turns up new ideas.

I also have vast quantities of Christmas editions of magazines, find it so hard to chuck these out.

Preciousbane · 01/02/2014 14:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

winklewoman · 01/02/2014 14:33

I have chucked out large piles of old magazines plus torn out recipes and one or two cook books. We've got one of those huge Victorian dressers in the kitchen and all that stuff lived in the bottom cupboards, together, rather disconcertingly, with some mouse droppings. I have been looking reproachfully at our obviously idle cat.

FreelanceMama · 03/02/2014 20:29

Damn. Have not done much for days. Nearly got started listing baby stuff on eBay then realised it all needed ironing and it was getting late so listed one thing!

Need to get the pace going again... Oh, did find a local car boot sale which I could have a stall at - hopefully that'll prompt me to get sorting.

winklewoman · 10/02/2014 10:37

Where is everyone?
Reporting for duty here.

Kitchen cupboards' contents sorted and bottles and jars with a teaspoonful left in chucked as well as antique herbs.

Everything lined metallically and gleaming apart from the hell hole that is the built in cupboard where the bin is kept. I love our kitchen, we had it built by a local carpenter in a plain wood style to match the big old dresser. But unlike most modern kitchens, the insides were uncoated wood. We should have done something about sealing or lining at the outset, but never got around to it until now, 13 years on.

You can imagine what the inside of the bin cupboard looks like, or maybe happier not imagining it. I just could not face it and was trying to pretend it did not exist. DH however asked if I was going to treat it to metal lining to match the rest. He saw the look I gave him and instantly offered to do the necessary preliminary cleaning. So I armed him with my hand steamer, a bottle of liquid soda crystals, and left him to it, explaining that unless you remove every tiny bit of dirt and the surface is completely flat, Lakeland's finest will not stick. So he has just brought me up another cup of coffee as I lie in bed MNetting and Candycrushing, (you can see why I don't LTB) and announced he is off into town to get some heavy duty sandpaper to deal with everything defeated by steamer and soda.

So, work in progress, looking forward to its conclusion.
What are the rest of you up to?

HelloBoys · 10/02/2014 10:52

If I have not joined may I join now?

Go.

I am not bad with clutter eg in living room but sometimes in bedroom and living room it gets a lot. I have 2 bookshelves in both rooms. Went through both at weekend and have ditched 20 books I haven't read - ditched = charity shop or to give to DB's FIL who's housebound and an avid reader.

Went through perfumes - undecided what to do with them. But sorted through a few bottles (hair stuff, body oils etc) and emptied ones not used, emptied, stuff I will never use.

I also went through receipts, papers. I mean what does one do with it all?! Investment companies/pension companies, plans etc keep sending me rubbish. do I keep most recent?

Original poster
HiccupHaddockHorrendous · 10/02/2014 13:42

Winkle - your dh sounds like he's worth keeping Grin

Hello - welcome!! Sounds like you've made a good start Smile

I have done zero decluttering since New Year but have pretty much kept on top of the progress I made then.

My next goal is to try and get upstairs into a better state. I text my mum earlier to ask if she'll have ds for the weekend so I can have two days to make a start on it. He's more than big enough to spend the whole weekend infront of the tv/Xbox but I feel horribly guilty when it does happen so at least if he's at mum's he'll have a bit of a change of scenery!!

OP posts:
winklewoman · 12/02/2014 11:25

Well bin cupboard now looks beautiful as I lined the back and sides as well as the bottom. The Lakeland metallic shelf liner is very good, in that it is sturdy and adheres very well, but because it comes in stupidly short lengths and is quite narrow there is a lot of wastage unless you patch bits together which rather spoils the look.

Helloboys, I agree about the dilemma of what to do with paperwork. I tend to keep everything and bung it into envelope files, which fill up, take up a lot of room and eventually fall to bits. I'd love to know the solution.

You have inspired me to have a go at ancient cosmetic stuff by the way.

HelloBoys · 12/02/2014 11:50

Hiccup and Winkle

I think with me I have to get into a mood (the zone) about whether to throw stuff out. otherwise I have stuff for YEARS.

Winkle - yes I have envelope files but main stuff is investment which I will ask them to send me online if they can, it's literally EVERY MONTH or two weeks, why?!

Does anyone have ideas for storage? for bedroom really. I have my living room etc sorted out.

I have an old wardrobe which is big and clunky with four drawers and a rail, a huge 4 and 2 drawer chest of drawers, and a four drawer plastic storage unit (all for clothes). I also have a 3 drawer (I think) unit for makeup, cosmetics, knickers.

Wish I could streamline but how and where... ideas would be great.

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