Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Join me in getting rid of at least one thing a day decluttering challenge?

998 replies

SandSnakeOfDorne · 21/09/2017 16:04

I am trying to declutter, starting with our loft and garage both of which need some work doing so need to be a lot emptier! After they're done I want to declutter the rest of the house. I've already got rid of loads of stuff but I'm starting to lose motivation alone!

We have quite strict rules for what we can put in rubbish so I'm selling, free cycling, taking stuff to the clothes bank etc. At least one thing a day. I'm hoping to be done by Christmas!

Anyone want to join me?

OP posts:
Betsy86 · 26/12/2017 05:39

Merry Christmas hope you all had a good one :)
My house is covered in paper, toys, cardboard etc really must put that into some kind of order before 3 today when need to go out.
I got a marie kondo book quite exvited to read it although haven’t read any book except kids stories for years so hoping il focus lol. Hoping ut will inspire me abit.
How is everyone? X

Gibble1 · 26/12/2017 13:16

Well DH has taken FS to town to spend his birthday and Christmas money. I’ve just had a whip round with the hoover and DD is tidying her bedroom (which will no doubt create a lot of work for me!). Am hoping she gets rid of some stuff. We did well with gifts, lots out and very few in. Phew!

Wollstonecraft1 · 26/12/2017 23:42

Hello all, I’ve been lurking and decluttering when I can. I have managed to have a bit of a purge of the Children’s stuff, but the sheer waste is appalling. Opened crafty sets that have one thing missing so can’t charity shop/sell them. Is there anything I can do with them them or are they only good for the tip?

PenelopeFlintstone · 27/12/2017 00:58

Opened crafty sets that have one thing missing so can’t charity shop/sell them.
Can they not be played with at all? Is the missing piece the crucial piece? If it is the crucial piece, could you put the sets all in one tub and give to the charity shop as a mixed craft material box? Or keep for your kids as mixed craft supplies?
I'm going into my junk room today to gather up my one bag to get rid of. Yesterday was really easy but it's only Day 2 and I think it will be a bit harder.

StealthNinjaMum · 27/12/2017 09:55

Welcome penelope and Wllstonecraft. I like posting here because I know I would bore people in real life and I'm embarrassed at how bad I let my house get

My house is full of dozens of half used craft sets, my dds make their own things and never follow instructions so I'm in the same boat. I have bought little containers and sometimes I take little packs apart and then put similar objects in a container for dds to play with. I've also seen on Facebook that some preschools and nurseries want that sort of stuff so at some point I'll either advertise it for free or see if a preschool want it. I suppose the bigger problem is it'll end up in landfill whether it's you or the parent of a preschool child. I try not to buy craft sets for dds for that reason but other people do and someone bought dd2 a paint yourself penguin money box and I know that in about three years I'll throw it away!

Anyway everyone looks like you've all done well. Penelope it does get easier. I never finish an area because I find I reach an emotional point where I can't throw things away but when I go back to that area a month later I find it easier to get rid of an item I wouldn't have got rid of the last time. I generally chip away at things and it does get easier.

On xmas day I identified a table cloth I don't like and some candle holders that are going in the charity shop pile. Today was bin collection day and I'm afraid I had loads and loads of things that I got rid of (like dhs broken rucksack I mentioned before and some arts and craft bits) and lots of paper shredding from stuff in the room of doom. I feel bad about the amount of stuff I have got rid of this year but I probably have the equivalent of 20 carrier bags of stuff now to go to charity shops or sell on Facebook. It'll be hard to get rid of while dds are home but I'll still carry on adding to the pile.

PenelopeFlintstone · 27/12/2017 10:10

I like posting here because I know I would bore people in real life Ha ha! Yes, I'd bore them too! I've been busy today but I havent actually shifted a bag! It's 9.10pm where I am so I'll have to get it done before I go to bed!
And I know what you mean StealthNinjaMum about not being able to get rid of something, and then when you go back to it you can. I have that too.

TheGrumpySquirrel · 27/12/2017 10:25

Love the enthusiasm guys. Nothing better than a good decluttering. I'm going to tackle our bedroom next, as we have to move out of it temporarily to redecorate, so will take the opportunity to get rid of as much as possible.

Wollstonecraft1 · 27/12/2017 10:34

My kids have had their opportunity to play with this stuff for at least a year and haven’t looked at it so I don’t want it in the house anymore. I could do a box of mixed stuff for somewhere I suppose but it feels like dumping rubbish on them. Just shows how wasteful society and a lot of presents are.

PenelopeFlintstone · 27/12/2017 10:44

How about offering it for free on Facebook or Free cycle? Then if they take it, it's because they want it.

StealthNinjaMum · 27/12/2017 13:53

You're right, we are wasteful and I am ashamed at how much I have thrown away this year. Having said that society makes it difficult, no one in my area recycles duvets, I called about 5 animal places and no one wanted them, so I had to landfill these massive items. It's the same with drinking glasses, if they're discoloured in the dishwasher there is nowhere to dispose of them.

Gibble1 · 27/12/2017 19:04

I put drinking glasses into our recycling bin if they are no longer usable.
Today DH has put out a boxful of recycling and he has decluttered DD’s radiator from the hallway and back onto her wall.
He has bought new lightbulbs for the downstairs loo and some ptfe tape to dry and get rid of some leaks in the downstairs loo.
Back to work tomorrow though.

PenelopeFlintstone · 27/12/2017 21:38

Gibble1 So, you have a loo back in functioning order? If so, that's wonderful!

Betsy86 · 27/12/2017 22:02

I also like it here because i know people get fed up of talking about this stuff in ‘real life’ lol!

StealthNinjaMum · 27/12/2017 22:53

gibble hope your toilets ok, that must be stressful.

Round here drinking glasses and Pyrex can't go in with bottle / jar recycling as they're different types of glass so pretty much our only way of disposing of them is by donating to a charity shop (or being naughty and sneaking them in the bottle recycling points). I feel a bit guilty because I gave some awful faded ones to a charity shop. It's just passing the problem on. In my area our bottles aren't collected either so I have to drive with my bottles to a local carpark to get rid of them. Must be hard if you can't drive.

Watched dd2 doing some painting today and carried on tidying her pencils and pens (I started this before Xmas) throwing away pencils with broken leads, pens that have dried out, pritt sticks, paint brushes where the ends have stuck together etc.

SandAndSea · 27/12/2017 23:43

Hi everyone and Happy Christmas! Hope you've all had a really lovely time.

Well, I haven't done much clearing in recent days but I have finally used up the Christmas candles which I forgot last year. I've also got rid of a suitcase which I've disliked for years but was useful for storing other clutter - it's no longer needed since doing so much clearing. (She said, smugly ;) )

Also, I went to a couple of parties and was able to get ready in super quick time!!! No worries about what to wear any more!!!!

And, I've just managed to clutter clear dp for a couple of days so I've got the house to myself for a bit!!!

Betsy86 · 27/12/2017 23:55

Woop well done sandandsea its good when you can get rid of a big item like suitcases!!
My house hasnt recoverd from xmas at all was going to do a tip run today as have been unboxing gifts, etc and have huge pile of cardboard and xmas rubbish to go but didnt end up takin it today i need to tomorrow! Also have to take my hoover as it got broken and i dont even know wht y im sat here tryin to think how to fix it i know its got to go i jus love my henry lol! Have a cordless but just isnt the same power... thats my excuse anyway x

Wollstonecraft1 · 28/12/2017 00:31

Penelope, I should probably do that but I struggle with time and I work erratic hours so arranging collection can cause stress. I'm struggling a bit because I don't like 'buying twice' so if I think it will come in handy at some point, then I like to hang onto it to save money. Which is why I have a mountain of gift bags. I haven't got rid of them but I have told one of my best friends who lives not to far away to let me know throughout the year if she wants some. So I'm trying!

Wollstonecraft1 · 28/12/2017 00:32

All this stuff leads onto other jobs to do too, for example, I have a box of videos that have home movies on them which I now need to convert to DVD so it isn't just the clearing out that is the issue, it is the follow up tasks too! But I know I will feel better for it.

PenelopeFlintstone · 28/12/2017 01:01

Wollstonecraft1 Yes, I get it. I thought you were saying you were ready to let those things go but didn't know how to get rid of them. I didn't even do my bag yesterday and it's only Day 2! I've just been grocery shopping and also paid a fortune for priority processing for passports because I wasn't organised enough. Gaah! so I'm going to have a little rest and then gather two bags worth.

PenelopeFlintstone · 28/12/2017 03:46

Someone just came to collect a bag of books I sold on FB and I gave them three bags of clothes to go with it. (I live in a tiny place so we all know the age of everyone's children Grin )

SandAndSea · 28/12/2017 16:56

Wollstonecraft1

I have a box of videos that have home movies on them which I now need to convert to DVD so it isn't just the clearing out that is the issue, it is the follow up tasks too!

I know what you mean, Wollstonecraft. I've got a box of techy stuff I need to sort out (photos to download etc) before I can get rid of them. I think sometimes it's worth paying someone to do it (like DVD conversion maybe?) and other times, I wait until I'm in the mood but keep my momentum going by doing other clearing instead, which I do fancy doing. Sometimes, you just have to get down to it though.

SandAndSea · 28/12/2017 17:00

Wollstonecraft - I would offer the craft sets on freebay. You could maybe swap them too?

SandAndSea · 28/12/2017 17:01

Or, do a cat boot??

SandAndSea · 28/12/2017 17:02

Cat boot?? You know what I mean! Grin

StealthNinjaMum · 28/12/2017 18:23

Yes yes to new jobs being created!

I have a load of cassettes I need to convert to a digital format. I bought a special cassette player to do this about three years ago but my laptop's really old and its memory is full so I need to delete some of my millions of photos and generally clean it a bit. I have putting it off but it will be my job in the new year after finally sorting out the paperwork and the Room of Doom.

I hadn't intended to do much today but thanks to Facebook found an animal sanctuary in Wales (the other side of the country to me) with a local dropoff point and a preschool looking for toys and arts and craft stuff. So I got in touch with both. I am hoping to get rid of a duvet and some pillows tomorrow or Saturday.