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Original poster

Getting rid of one thing a day decluttering challenge: Part 3: Are we nearly there yet?

976 replies

StealthNinjaMum · 09/05/2018 08:45

For 2000 posts a group of messy mumsnetters have been chucking out, selling, recycling and cooking weird cakes.

Are we free of clutter yet? Sadly not.

Thankfully we're here to get support and be told off when we have a relapse and bring more clutter into the house, garages, sheds, gardens.

Newbies are welcome to join us, it's easy we literally just get rid of one thing a day and report back.

Previous thread here

OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
IHateYourCarpet · 01/06/2018 15:37

Ohhh Bob! I'm sure we can put together a search party if we don't hear from you!

I hope you have better luck shifting the baby bits than I am! I've decided to list them under my parents address too in my hometown to see if I have more luck there Grin it's not too much of a hardship to drive them down.

Spare room is at a bit of a stand still. I'm toying with the idea of making a blind with all the bits I have, but the dishwasher is distracting me. The bastard is continually draining and the door for the tablet isn't releasing Angry so that's my day gone!

IHateYourCarpet · 01/06/2018 22:26

Dishwasher is now leaking Angry one of the pipes has decided to split, so I'll be replacing that tomorrow. On the bright side, decluttered a bottle of washing up liquid. And found a carrier bag lurking behind the machine.

Decluttered some stock we no longer make today too Grin t'was only a tiny parcel, but as soon as it's posted it's one less thing in the house.

Betsy86 · 02/06/2018 00:37

carpet
Sorry for slow reply haven’t managed to catch up here until now! Well done in ikea you are a stronger person than me I always leave eith some candles etc.
The bed arghhhhh frustrating about the refund etc :(
Well done everyone lots of items on there way out!!

Today i have given 2 black bags of bits to the charity shop and a full black bag into charity recycling bin. Sold a small bag of toys and hopefully more will ho tomorrow in in clearout mood i will reclaim storage cupboard lol x

Original poster
StealthNinjaMum · 02/06/2018 09:24

Bobgoblin! Where are you? Do we think poor Bob is stuck under some junk?

Ihateyoucarpet that sounds bad, are you doing the replacing work yourself.

I did nothing yesterday! Well I put washing in the machine and dh hung it out and brought it in. I know he'll have just left it in a pile somewhere so I need put it away now. dd1 was really obnoxious (hit dd2 and refused to apologise) so I ended up taking dd2 for lunch and shopping. I bought dd2 5 books with vouchers and then my visa card got declined so I was too scared to get dd2 anything else. Got home and was relieved to discover the visa network was down and it wasn't a problem with my account.

So today I am going to get rid of some books.

OP posts:
IHateYourCarpet · 02/06/2018 10:00

Grin ... actually Stealth DH had bought me a coffee from Starbucks. DS got bored of me fiddling with the dishwasher and wandered off to annoy DH by licking his leg for half an hour while he tried to fix the drawer in the bedroom that I broke.

DH or I will do it. It's a tiny job. I'm blaming the hamster who uses it as an escape pathway Angry he must have chewed it up with his fat face. He's being decluttered next week, the little shit is finally going back to his actual owner.

I'm going to post two parcels today. And it's nice weather so I'm going to try to clear the wash basket.

Ugh, girls can be so horrible sometimes Stealth. I'm sure your DD appreciated some one on one time though!

lljkk · 02/06/2018 10:49

Took a lot to textile recycling & charity shop last weekend.
Today sold something on Ebay (relisted it for >1yr before it sold!) , soon goes to post office :)
Bought some clothes to replace worn out shorts (tbf, I should probalby just wear more of my dresses). Plus bought a top I didn't need but it was only 50p and from charity shop.
2 birthdays this month so more coming in than going out, sadly.

IHateYourCarpet · 02/06/2018 11:52

Oh my god.

The Next2Me has sold! They're going to collect it this afternoon!

I need some clutter perspective Blush is it really worth keeping DS's baby clothes if I don't plan on another for five years? They aren't taking up any space. They're vacuum packed at the bottom of a drawer. But I'm not sure if it's insanity to keep them that long!

DesertIslandPenguin · 02/06/2018 15:17

Oops, bought a lovely new handbag. But I will be chucking two tired old ones that I never use so that's okay I think!

lljkk · 02/06/2018 15:25

Little tip for y'all...
My Mam died suddenly so I had to decide what of hers to keep. Other family members couldn't take much. I ended up with stuff she treasured, paid a fortune to ship it (thru Panama canal) to Britain.

Don't want to make that mistake, again. At least half of what I shipped i have since sold, and little of the rest do I really like having... Today I eye up cloth serviettes from my mother (they could sell on Ebay, who knew). Honestly, what a waste to ship it all. It sounds morbid, but in case my dad suddenly dies, I have pre-chosen just a few things* to save & the rest can be sold or go to charity shops. No matter what beautiful things your relatives have, try not to inherit their clutter.

*Unfortunately, one is a heavy half-oak door with stain glass window in it. Heavy & fragile! I'll have to decide for sure if I dare try to ship that.

IHateYourCarpet · 02/06/2018 16:10

The cot is gone Grin !!!

IIljk I'm so sorry for your loss. My grandparents have started some surprisingly sensible behaviour and have been trying to get rid of 'junk' thinking it'll be less for us to sort out. It's really kind when you think about it.

The door sounds beautiful though. I'd imagine it would be a lovely reminder of your mum to walk through it every day.

And oh well Dessert Grin at least a handbag is useful!

GreyCloudsToday · 02/06/2018 20:19

Carpet I kept everything for 4 years after DS. The clothes came out of the loft quite stained and have required a good soak in vanish. However, it's been brilliant not to have to spend all that cash again second time around.

Gibble1 · 02/06/2018 20:25

Sorry for your loss lljkk.
DH and I have been out in the garden today. 5 garden bags gone to tip. 3 more filled. Hundreds of pots dragged off flower beds where mil keeps putting them upside down. She does it to stop the dogs digging but it looks shit! DH found some little pocket fencing which we can put up tomorrow when he’s put up the new fences.
DS is really annoying me. He is lazy and dirty and does nothing in the house except for trashing it.
I’ve just told him for the 20th time to tidy his bedroom (today). He has brought a lot of stuff out and dumped it on the landing so when I get out of the bath I will be putting it back into his bedroom. Little turd.
I have also spilled something caustic all over my hands when I emptied the bathroom bin earlier. My hands are now burned black all over 😱

IHateYourCarpet · 02/06/2018 20:28

Decluttered 12 sanitary towels since lunch Sad** counting that as my contribution for the day!

That's my thinking Grey. A lot of DS's stuff is like new, I did some quite excellent sale shopping too so it seems a shame to waste his bargain clothes!

PenelopeFlintstone · 03/06/2018 04:49

DH culled a bin liner of his clothes today. This might mean that his clothes will now fit in his drawers. He can't use the wardrobe; that's mine. To go with the other chest of drawers. Grin

lljkk · 03/06/2018 06:12

You guys are kind, no need, my mum died 15 yrs ago.
I'm still getting rid of her stuff that I shouldn't have kept in first place, though.

IHateYourCarpet · 03/06/2018 07:33

Can't imagine I'll achieve much today - off to work to try to negotiate NOT going back full time in September. So we'll probably be out most of the day.

Though I have just spotted two empty packets down the sofa to bin!

Betsy86 · 03/06/2018 08:57

Wel done with the cot and good luck with work chat carpet
Im doing a tip run today have some bits in garden that need to go so got into declutter mode yesterday and managed to empty alot out of the kitchen.
Have parted with a hallogen oven that was huge and taking up nearly all my storage in one cupboard and causing pots etc to avalanche on me. I dont use it and its really old its going for recycling.
Emptied out about 4 bags of stuff hard plastic/tins and metal i can take to tip. The cupboard is now manageable and tidy everything left in there i do actually use/need ao is ok.
Feel good about going tip i do actually really enjoy throwing stuff into the different sections i am sad Grin

Betsy86 · 03/06/2018 09:01

Also realised if someone gives you something they dont want then you dont have to keep it forever through guilt! If the didn’t want it in there life why are you expected to house it in yours Hmm also have learnt to say no to things i know i dont really want!

I also started taking before and after pics of anything i had sorted out.
Found it really motivating yesterday and felt good lookin back at the pics if i felt like haven’t achieved anything. So may be worth trying if your ever abit deflated at the task ahead xx

IHateYourCarpet · 03/06/2018 14:08

Thanks Betsy. They seemed open to my suggestions, so hopefully now that I've submitted a formal request they'll get back to me with a 'yes'. It's a bit of a weight off my mind at any rate, although if they say no I'll certainly have a lot more time to declutter! Because I'll be out of a job! No way can we afford £1200 a month on nursery, that's more than our mortgage and rent combined!

Motivation is currently zero. I'm going to go tidy the dining room. But I'm not sure I'll find anything to get rid of.

Betsy86 · 03/06/2018 14:27

Glad the meetings out they way for u curtains really hope it works out for you! £1200 is just ridiculous isn’t it Confused crazy amount.
I made it to the tip got rid of alot of stuff that was my clearout mission complete for today.
Had 2 items people were meant to be coming to collect today but both messed me around and wasted my time which has been really annoying!xx

NaMajesty · 03/06/2018 15:11

Sorted through the bedside drawer again last night. It was one of those finding clutter underneath everything you already decluttered things.

I will attempt to declutter the shed today and at least stack all the cardboard in a neat pile so I can actually walk into the shed. At the moment we just lean in and drag out the lawnmower while hoping we don't fall in and become buried alive. Hopefully will make enough room in there to store the bins and have more garden space. If I don't check in tonight I have failed mission.

GreyCloudsToday · 03/06/2018 15:50

Good luck Carpet our nursery fees are a similar amount, eek!

Wow good luck with the shed NaMa.

Sorry for the dodgy buyers Betsy, at least you did the tip run.

I walked our two old bikes to DH work, ready for him to take them the last bit to the charity pickup point. Yay! Only one ebay item sold though, argh. I have a blind that I really need rid of. Hopefully soon.

Now to clear out the hallway so the builder can look at the black mould under the wallpaper tomorrow Sad

NaMajesty · 03/06/2018 16:29

Shed is done. I'm now having an ice pop

DesertIslandPenguin · 03/06/2018 17:32

Jesus. Just went into my 11 year old's room. It is like an episode of hoarders. I can't believe how bad it is under his bed. I guess I'll be spending the next week making him throw out old issues of the Beano and thin down his toys. I shudder to think what's lurking in there Sad

chloechloe · 03/06/2018 19:30

You're all being so productive, well done. I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere. But then again nursery was closed this week so most of my time has been spent trying to keep a lid on the mess the children make.

I've been managing to get rid of at least one thing a day though, no matter how small and am keeping a tally in my Bullet Journal.

In other news announcing that DC3 is in the way to the PIL went down like a lead balloon Hmm