Anyone want to join me for a school holiday decluttering thread?

[NickNacks]

Slowly but surely our little house has developed a problem. She's run out of space!

Added to the problem that we are all a bit crap about putting things away after we are finished with them and I am a childminder, something has got to give and some serious getting rid has to happen.

I have a fairly quiet school holidays approaching so plan to sort it out in time for a stress free start to the school year.

Would anyone like to join me?

[MrsHathaway]

I'd like to join!

Currently half our loft contents are in the spare room because DH has been reinsulating and reboarding. There are cardboard boxes everywhere, but I'm loath to throw them away because they are so good for imaginative play and craft during the holidays.

My most shameful pile of stuff is the box on the work surface to the left of the hob. That surface ought to be kept clear. The box is full of, erm, Halloween stuff

[NickNacks]

Newbies definitely welcome!

Whatvare all your plans for tomorrow?

[Purplehonesty]

I don't think I will be allowed to join you because I have almost finished my house declutter!!
But I can tell you all what I did and it might help?

Bought a load of plastic storage boxes from homebase (5 for £24) X 3
Went through the loft to start with and chucked out baby stuff, took things to charity shop and advertised things like car seats for free.
Then put everything in plastic boxes and labelled them. They stack so neatly!

Put all the kids old drawings and school stuff in a storage box in loft and left a file each for them in the top of the toy cupboard. So each time they make something new it goes in there.

Went thro all the kids clothes and ours and charity shopped anything that doesn't fit or isn't worn.
Packed up kids clothes for next size up in plastic boxes, labelled and in loft.

Went through airing cupboard and chucked out old towels, old duvet covers we don't use, old pillows and duvets etc.

Cleared out old toiletries and put a plastic box in airing cupboard with things like loo rolls and spare toothbrushes in.

Organised my underwear drawer with one of those IKEA drawer packs - so socks, pants, bras etc all have seperate compartments.

Went though all our shoes and threw out ones that aren't Comfy or too small. Got a shoe rack for the utility from Argos and put an IKEA shoe cupboard in there too.

Got rid of piles of books and kept them ones I want to read again on a shelf above my wardrobe.

Cleared out the cupboard under the stairs completely - put all winter clothing in plastic boxes in the loft
Now we can use the cupboard for kids toy storage.

Put up two rows of coat hooks in coat cupboard at kid height. So they can hang and reach their jackets and school bags.

Got a towel unit for the bathroom and rolled up towels in one shelf, got fabric boxes from IKEA for the the other two shelves and used one for hair bobbles brushes and spray etc
Then the other for hand towels and loo roll

I've still got to do my kitchen cupboards so that's another day but ive already done the two messy DIY drawers and the paperwork cupboard

Think we took four car loads to the tip and two to the charity shop and it took about four days work

Well worth it tho!!

[coldofhands]

Oh can I join too please? Hols mean no toddler groups so I'm hoping to really get a head stRt on it.

First stop, toddler's wardrobe.

[SnugglySnerd]

I took a bag to the charity shop this afternoon and also put some old batteries in the recycling bin in the supermarket.
Have just applied paste of bleach & bicarb to the grouting in the bathroom. Plan for tomorrow is to scrub that off and thoroughly clean the bathroom including clearing out bathroom cabinet; dust and vacuum everywhere and give the kitchen a once over as we have guests tomorrow night.

[NickNacks]

Thanks for the tips purple

[Lovepancakes]

My tip is getting rid of anything that doesn't serve some sort of purpose or gives you a bad feeling when you use it as you don't like it. We have a cracked glass that annoys me and too many books so the shelves look messy, so I need to weed out ones I don't want but these things annoy me for years before I think to do anything !

[WhatWouldTheDoctorDo]

We have a painfully long running de-cluttering plan, but I'm trying to step it up a gear on the weekends this summer. I'm starting with cupboards - we have tons of storage space but it's full to the brim. I'm being really brutal - if we don't use it, love it or need it it's going. I had 3 bags of clothes to put on eBay that I've had for a couple of years. Most went to good homes last weekend and the rest is going to a charity shop tomorrow!

[MrsHathaway]

Opinions needed on a particular part of the declutter:

We have a sort of chest (like a window seat) which is mostly full of party bowls, vases, etc, that probably haven't been used since we moved in five and a half years ago, if they were even used in the seven years between our wedding and the move.

They would make someone else very happy, no doubt.

But they were wedding presents.

Keep or chuck? DH is eyeing up an area in the loft, and an old tea crate. They are all carefully individually boxed.

[lljkk]

Sell for money & use the money for something you need/dearly want.
They were given to you to give you pleasure, help them find a way to do that.

I'm holding off until October to flog a lot of stuff, better Ebay prices.

[MrsHathaway]

Yes, that's a nice idea. I'll have to look up who they are from in case that inspires me. I doubt they're worth much.

The wedding present thing is a thing because we have some things we're holding on to because the givers have since died. I'm dreading the last breakage from the set my granny gave us.

[Purplehonesty]

Chuck them! Just taking up space.

However I am brutal. I made Dh throw out all sorts of stuff from his garage last week too.

My cake decorating cupboard is next on my list tomorrow before I head to work.
I keep things I think will be useful then never use them!

[NickNacks]

floggingmolly i only have one set per bed and a couple of spare fitted sheets for the kids. I have a tumble dryer though so can turn them around in a morning. How did you get on with the chest of drawers?

[divafever99]

I will join you! I have 8 weeks of mat leave left and need to get this house sorted!

[Afreshstartplease]

I'll join too!

Baby #4 due in just over 12 weeks. House is bursting. New stuff coming in faster than old stuff going out!

Working part time over summer but will still have three DC in the house with me so May be a challenge!

[wecantallbeperfect]

Morning all today I'm going to do the junk drawer in the kitchen and the sideboard drawers, which are bulging Also need to pop into town and purchase some cotton dresses for hols next week-of course if I could find my clothes in the loft I wouldn't have to buy more

[Floggingmolly]

The chest of drawers is now in garden awaiting pickup by BHF
I've paired back bed linen to two covers per bed plus spare sheets; there was a flaming Tweenies duvet cover lurking in there from when my eldest was about 3 - she's now 15
Now to tackle the bookshelves... That's at least a weeks work
If I'm not back by Monday, come and get me...

[NickNacks]

I've also realised the continuing plan needs to include maintenance of the completed areas so keeping the kitchen tidy is today's number one priority.

To do list
Tidy kitchen from breakfast
Clear top of the chest
Empty and declutter the chest
Sort paperwork (this will be simple pile sorting, no actioning today)
Sort tv cabinet drawers
Sort coffee table drawer (!) large drawer eek!!
Check under sofas for lost items.
Today's load of washing
Put for sale bits on Facebook

Good luck everyone!

[NickNacks]

That's brilliant floggingmolly look at all the space you now have

[Ohflippinheck]

Can I join in?
I've got a week off so I'm going to devote a day to it. Would it be a terrible idea to drag all the baby stuff out of the loft in one go?
I was thinking of putting it all on a fb selling site.

[PolkadotRosa]

Ooh me please! Things are sliding andour home environment just now is not helping my mental health/mood. Woke up feeling motivated to get on it so great timing OP! Just decluttered my bathroom and will read posts and catch up asap.

[SnugglySnerd]

I've had a really productive morning, cleaning mainly but I've also removed a huge dusty pile of things from the top of the bookcase in the lounge and found homes for them all. We keep putting things up there out of reach of DD and they've just been looking untidy and gathering dust for ages.
DD's books are overflowing from the basket we keep them in. We need to get a bookcase for her room and also move the basket of soft toys up there.

[NickNacks]

Today has been lovely and productive!

Tidy kitchen from breakfast ✔️
Clear top of the chest✔️
Empty and declutter the chest✔️
Sort paperwork (this will be simple pile sorting, no actioning today)✔️
Sort tv cabinet drawers✔️
Sort coffee table drawer (!) large drawer eek!!✔️
Check under sofas for lost items.
Today's load of washing ✔️
Put for sale bits on Facebook

Also a coupke of extra things! I didn't just sort the paperwork but filed it all away ✔️

And the kitchen still looks lovely and clear (we've got a takeaway tonight so mah have cheated!)

How are you all getting on on this beautiful sunny Saturday?

[LadyMumble]

Well done Nick, how satisfying to tick off most of your list.

As well as entertaining my energetic toddler on my own all day, I have also managed to achieve the washing, drying and putting away of 3 loads of washing, bleached both toilets and deep cleaned the upstairs bathroom.

I've also stayed on top of multiple spills of drinks, mealtime preparations and clean ups, tidying of toys, nappy changes, etc.

I'd love a whole day to really get stuck into bigger tasks, but it's all going to have to be little and often for me. Not so much se littering today as just general home chores.

[Peasandsweetcorn]

I was inspired by reading this & have just finished sorting out the kitchen cupboards. Why do I have 4 unopened tubes of tomato puree & 3 unopened pots of baking powder? At least the tomato puree will get used before a year or so afterit's use by date.
I an also mid-way through a Playmobil sort. The DC were commenting on my ability to re-construct various buildings & I just stopped myself from saying that I could remember how to do it as I'd built them originally as most of the sets were from Father Christmas. Any tips on Playmobil storage would be appreciated!
Tomorrow needs to be a general sort as we have friends for dinner & the cleaner has been away. Main plan for next week is cleaning the en suite & getting things earmarked for the loft, charity shop & dump to those places so I can then see what space I have left.