Getting rid of one thing a day decluttering challenge: Part 4

[StealthNinjaMum]

And the decluttering continues…

For 3,000 posts we have been slowly transforming our homes from hovels to palaces.

We’re not quite there yet some of us are further than others but we won’t give up until we have a decluttered existence.

We just get rid of one thing a day and report back to showoff for support and to be told off when we’re naughty and bring more clutter back into our homes, gardens, sheds, garages.

As ever newbies are welcome to join us.

Previous thread here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3243987-Getting-rid-of-one-thing-a-day-decluttering-challenge-Part-3-Are-we-nearly-there-yet?msgid=79207142

I also threw away a tube of white icing and its accessories which had plenty of stuff still usable in it... but as I iced the cake today and the tube says "use within 2 weeks" (and we are about to go on holiday) I chucked it.

Again I felt this was wasteful plus throwing plastic in the bin.

As I said above, any ideas on how to deal with these kinds of things welcome

I burn thru swim caps so would have used it myself! Agree that no one would take it even on freecycle, though.

Stilllovingmysleep Yes, I was pleased too. They've been sitting there visible but tangled for a couple of years probably . I didn't expect them to work.
With regards to the swim cap, I have a box in the boot of my car and things like that would eventually get put in there and then all dropped off at a charity shop when the amount in it was worthwhile.

@PenelopeFlintstone that's a good idea! Thanks. Do charity shops take things like that though? Eg swim caps? Mine was in good condition

As for unused icing tube can't think of another way to use it. I think only solution is to buy a smaller one next time.

They would take it here in Australia, Ithink. Do you think they might not in the UK? Hygiene rules or something?

With the icing, if you're very keen to recycle, could you have squirted the contents into the bin and then put the tube into the recycling? I would've possibly eaten it but I don't know these tubes and how big they are

Welcome, @Halfahunnerstillastunner ! What are you decluttering today?

Thanks Sandandsea! Ooh pressure - where to start? Eeek! I think I'll try just one basket from the top shelf of my wardrobe as a first baby step. I have my Dad visiting this afternoon then taking DS swimming so it will be later before I get time to report back.

Haven't posted in a while and haven't been keeping up so I'm sorry if I've missed anything important.

I managed to completely gut the entire house (a lot easier now there is less crap). Cleaned everywhere, sorted through cupboards, decluttered cabinets and units and all the storage spaces. Threw out loads of old clothing stuff which wouldn't sell. (My bin is now full but I do have 2 more black bags to throw out when it is emptied I may or may not have filled the black bin 1 day after collection. Also managed to DIY some flatpack. Used up all the last dregs from random beauty products I have collected over the years. I still have a lot to get through but i must have used 30 bottles with a tiny squirt left inside them. I think I've done a face mask every day for the past month! It's become a nightly ritual to smother mud masks on my face and moisturise with one of my 7000 body lotions. I smell like lush (the shop).

I have made lots of lists and have enjoyed ticking away at them. Also done a lot of life admin including medical appointments, paperwork, sorting bills and direct debits etc. Plus planning DC birthday and Christmas presents. All of which has made my brain much less chaotic!

I hope everyone else is doing well, I will try to have a bit of a catch up now

iPhone sold and collected 😁

@MonkeySlutIsBlown - That all sounds great! Well done!

@stilllovingmysleep - Where I live, we can recycle plastic so I would have composted the icing and then chucked the plastic in the recycling. I think I would have put the swimhat in the charity bag.

I was talking about my bags the other day and how, even though I have too many, I'm kinda on it. Well, I needed one yesterday and, to my shame, ended up, with DP, going through the entire house trying to find it. I finally found it in my suitcase where I'd put it very recently "so I wouldn't lose it". So, clearly, I have more work to do on that.

I've consequently decided to try to sell another bag. It doesn't suit me any more and it was a present from an ex so it's time it went.

During this process, I found another umbrella which I'd forgotten about. I charity'd one (on here) a while back because I never use them. I quite like this one though so I've now moved it to live with my shoes where it is far more likely to be used. (Or, at least I will remember to charity it when the time comes.)

I've also done a major (for me) admin job: renewed my passport! For whatever reason, this has been on my to do list for AGES. It didn't even take that long to do and was pretty painless in the end. (Apart from encapsulating my aging process with immense clarity.) It's a relief that it's done now anyway.

Next job: holiday shopping.

@SandAndSea well done for renewing your passport! I find those small errands the most satisfying when done and they're the ones I tend to procrastinate at the most.

I heard somewhere of a strategy called "power hour". You dedicate one hour per week at a specific time, whereas you do all your errands that are niggling on your mind eg:
--making appointments with dentists etc
--paying bills
Etc

Not sure why making appointments with dentist was stuck out above!

Gibble your dogs tag teaming to steal your dinner made me giggle

Tidy you sound absolutely wonderful. I'm so happy for you that you were able to tackle such difficult tasks. Well done

Sand thank you

Seeing all of this decluttering rubbish clothes and old underwear is making me want to make another list of bits of clothing I can treat myself to. DS as well of course. I rarely treat myself to clothing. I live in bleach stained leggings and primark strappy tops. (Not outside of the house unless taking bins out!!) I will be buying stable bits and a few new bits of underwear each time I take a trip to town. I need to start thinking of myself. Now the house is on track(ish), I'm going to focus on getting it decorated and focus on myself getting fit and feeling better about myself (self care?)

OK, have just finished decluttering one kitchen drawer full of forgotten & mostly useless tat. A learning experience.

On the one hand, it was satisfying to clear it.

However, on the other hand, it feels very hard to know what to do with those not-quite-for-the-charity-shop, not-quite-for-the-bin, not-sure-where-to-recycle bits, or those unidentified bits that I simply for the life of me have no idea what to do with.

Eg old chargers for unidentified devices; old watches that need repair that have been sitting there for years; almost unused face paints from a long-forgotten child's birthday party; old christmas cards; a half-used pack of not-written party invitations.

What would you do with this type of thing? And if the aim would be to recyclewhich would be my preferencewhere does one find info about how/where to do so?

@stilllovingmysleep - Some of that might sell at a car boot. If you don't want to do one, maybe try freebay? Re. chargers etc - I've been thinking of gathering all my electrical stuff into one place (just like when I Kondo'd my clothes) and matching everything up. It'll be easier to see what I want to keep then. Might work for you too?

I love this thread, I have thrown a 100 items but not big ones pens, batteries, plastic rubbishy toys, empty perfume bottles wad of carrier bags(shame on me), although it has not made a major difference I feel better and I will continue until I have thrown up to 365 things and then carry on. Thank you for starting this thread.

I've not chucked much today except some polo shirts of dhs when we were packing.

Just listed about 8 things on Ebay & local selling pages. Xfingers that buyers are out there!

old watches that need repair that have been sitting there for years;
can probably flog on Ebay - I did!

almost unused face paints from a long-forgotten child's birthday party
Freecycle

; old christmas cards
If unused, charity shop

a half-used pack of not-written party invitations.
ask around at a primary school? Local facebook pages give away for free? Else recycling bin

Right!! DD hasn't touched her dolls (the ones in Caravan!) for months as she's totally horse mad so the other 6 went today. We've cleared a lot out and put her favourite toys there for while we move as she'll be staying with my aunt there for a night on moving day...

I'm really restless and bored waiting for DDay!!!

Day One for me. As I was hoovering getting ready for my Dads visit, I was fed up with all the shoes piled around our shoe chest rather than in it! Emptied the whole thing, cleaned it and only put back in the shoes we are currently using. Winter boots etc taken upstairs to go into spare wardrobe and one pair of my boots put to go in the charity bag. At least 2 pairs of DS now too small shoes put in new pile to pass onto friends with younger kids.
I've been annoyed by the shoe pile for weeks and the whole tidy took about 15 minutes tops

I started on the kitchen work surfaces yesterday afternoon. My intention had been just to make a start on the pile of clutter, but I cleared the whole length that the old microwave is currently on and then scrubbed it. I had been going to put the old microwave back, but decided just to clear the other side and put the it in the new place next to the draining board! The vents at the back were thick with dust, so that might be why it had been cutting out. I thought I had last cleared and properly cleaned these areas a couple of Christmases ago, but if some of the receipts I found are anything to go by it was a lot longer ago than that! I have been fairly ruthless at chucking out all sort of bits and pieces - elastic bands, half-used birthday candles, ribbons from Christmas cakes etc.. The paint brushes I used to paint the ledge round the base of the porch and the wooden fence last July are now on the stairs on their way up to the loft. I have a large bag of bits from the fish tank that still have to be cleaned, and another bag of small animal equipment to be washed and another carrier bag of bits, but the bulk of the work is done. I can't believe how much space there is now - it was getting to the stage that we were juggling plates around when dishing dinner as there was so little space.

My hallway is now full with a box of food for Cub camp and the cool box to be filled for camp.
I have decluttered my mind today and wrote all the risk assessments required for camp.
Just having a bath now before heading to bed and will throw away today’s knickers which are very raggedy.

Wow purplefrog well done, that sounds like a huge accomplishment in just one weekend. Enjoy your new shiny spacious kitchen!

@PurpleFrog you've done amazing work!! Well done.

@lljkk thanks for the suggestions. They are helpful. I think it's tricky, on the one hand it's important to get rid of things as quickly as possible in order to have a sense of accomplishment. On the other hand environmental concerns are important. I think what I'll do is I'll get 3 cardboard boxes and use one for charity shop, one for free cycling, one for repairs. And see how I get on.