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Housekeeping

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Original poster

Getting rid of one thing a day decluttering challenge Part 5

984 replies

StealthNinjaMum · 01/10/2018 17:18

We’re still here!

For 4 threads a group of mumsnetters have been getting rid of just one thing a day. We’ve been throwing out, selling, recycling and giving our stuff away.

But we're still not finished.

Newbies are always welcome to join us. Just get rid of one thing each day and come back here to discuss your progress and get support when it gets hard.

Previous thread here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3298777-Getting-rid-of-one-thing-a-day-decluttering-challenge-Part-4?msgid=81434878

OP posts:
PenelopeFlintstone · 14/10/2018 02:29

Did you try to scrub the rust off? If you did, then don't feel bad - you did your best. Smile

ememem84 · 14/10/2018 07:04

@sandandsea oh I know it’s awful. But I’ve convinced dh we have to keep it. What if some jumanji shit goes down after we throw it away?!

Dh doesn’t actually want it in the house at all. So he’s going in the “bootroom” possibly quite similar to the afore mentioned mud room. Our new garage is at the front of the house and wasn’t originally connected. Old owners covered the roof of the inbetweeny bit. And blocked it in. So we have 2 front doors. And a shoe area.

PenelopeFlintstone · 14/10/2018 08:13

What if some jumanji shit goes down after we throw it away?!
Ha ha! Grin

(Our mudroom does indeed contain many boots.) Smile

Original poster
StealthNinjaMum · 14/10/2018 08:14

Well done ememem84 must be a lovely feeling. I'm only on page 9 so you might have answered this but have you moved in or are you doing lots of work first?

Well done on all the painting penelopeflintstone

Welcome curlywurly twirly and congratulations on the move. 25 minutes to clear a room? I'm so jealous!

OP posts:
Original poster
StealthNinjaMum · 14/10/2018 08:22

ememem84 In our last house (i.e. the one before this one) the old lady who moved out left a loft and a shed full of stuff which it actually took us a few years to dispose of - in fact some of it moved to this house with us! I have now got rid of it - all apart from what looks like a doll's tiara and veil in an old, dusty box - which I imagine the old lady wore on her wedding day. It is creepy in a kind of Miss Haversham way so I haven't been able to throw it away! Dh thinks I'm mad but he won't throw it away either.

I have been too busy to declutter or do much mums netting so I have just got up early to read this thread and I have sorted through the post and put some washing on. I'm now going to tidy more arts and crafts stuff and do some shredding.

OP posts:
PenelopeFlintstone · 14/10/2018 08:29

Thanks, Stealth Smile. I'm exhausted from my weekend's work.

CurlyWurlyTwirly · 14/10/2018 08:52

I’ve found my blog, The Organised Mum method.
I’ve moved back into my house now my ex has gone.
There wasn’t much furniture here and I had someone help me clean & chuck out for a day & a half before I moved my stuff back in.

I’m determined to keep this place clutter free as it was depressing when I was renting a smaller place and I couldn’t function as there was stuff everywhere.
I have kept the stuff which is not immediately necessary in another place, and I am going to slowly go through it, and try and reduce it as close to zero as possible.
I would love to be able to Marie Kondo everything, but I am not so brave.

The hardest thing is trying to get rid of DSs toys. He has mountains of Lego. It’s his birthday coming up very soon, and I have suggested asking his friends for a fiver so he can get one big present. That was an emphatic no. ( I think I am going to ask some of the mums who are close friends, if they would prefer to give money. Easier all round.) His school friends are ridiculously generous.

Bowerbird5 · 14/10/2018 09:21

Yesterday I did most of the dining room de cluttering and cleaning as I went. Still have a box of school stuff to go through this morning hopefully.
Emptied baking cupboard while I was looking for coconut and found quite a few things well out of date like flour, sultanas, almonds etc must have been for last years Christmas cake or year before.😳
So paperwork and food stuff going out. Wondering whether to eat the sultanas as they look fine.

ememem84 · 14/10/2018 10:07

stealth it’s move inable at present. But I want to get ds’ room decorated and get the loft boarded out etc first. Dh disagrees with me.

KittyB52 · 14/10/2018 11:09

Hi all!

ememem84 that picture is very...interesting.

Due to a bad back (again) I haven’t done much this weekend. I did chuck a couple of things from the kitchen cupboard which were out of date. And I’ve got some stuff on EBay which will sell and hopefully be posted tomorrow.

Speaking of Ebay, do any of you have any success? I have some stuff to get rid of, hardly worn (if at all) which I won’t wear. It’s only high street name, so not likely to sell on EBay?

ememem84 · 14/10/2018 11:57

Taken the bags of crap from the attic to the dump.

I love how none of you can say that the picture is the ugliest effing thing you’ve ever seen....!!

ememem84 · 14/10/2018 13:31

I should clarify that my taste in art is usually a lot more um...elegant than the rhino. But. It came with the house so....

Also I like it because dh wanted to bin it. It’s a pity like. I’d never buy it.

My friend suggested spraying the Actual rhino pink. But I think that’d ruin it.....

I usually get good responses with EBay selling although it is usually on the second time around. I have a rule that stuff gets listed 3 times then it’s off to charity shop. Otherwise I’d have so much clutter.

I generally use it for clothes though.

DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 14/10/2018 13:38

Congratulations and good luck in your new home ememem84.Flowers

Sorting through footwear today - what needs repairing and what's beyond help.

Hatstand · 14/10/2018 14:28

Catching up with this thread backwards, so read the amusing rhino comments before seeing it in all its glory. I was not disappointed...
As per the weekend goals, a baby bedding set is now winging its way out of the room of doom and to a new owner. And I tried to clear out the pens but only two of them were defunct which makes me feel a bit cheated to be honest. On the plus side I just discovered a gigantic secret drawer in our built in sideboard, loads of unused storage space!

PawneeParksDept · 14/10/2018 15:07

Today I entered the slough of despond that is

BEHIND THE COUCH

The final resting place of all unwanted things, cleverly concealed from view GrinGrin

Cleared out 3 boxes worth. All from when I moved nearly a year back. Almost everything went to charity shop bag or bin. If I haven't needed it in a year I don't need it at all as the saying goes. It's eye opening when you realise just how much unwanted crap you carry around

Friends Boxset anyone ? Grin

CurlyWurlyTwirly · 14/10/2018 15:13

Just come back from a final clean of my rental flat.
I’ve got so many bags of stuff cleared from that place.
Whilst I was cleaning; I thought I will try and do a “bag a day”
Then I will either use, donate or chuck

oopslateagain · 14/10/2018 16:01

Pawnee I work in a charity shop and we have five Friends boxsets collecting dust because nobody wants them but the boss won't throw them out

I put some big laundry things (airer, rotary line, steamer etc) on our local FB selling group and three have sold STC already, I'm well chuffed. Been meaning to do it for ages.

PawneeParksDept · 14/10/2018 16:03

@oopslateagain I also work in a charity shop, no idea how many we have, but at least it won't be behind my couch!

Annasgirl · 14/10/2018 16:11

Broken Ironing board - DH was going to buy a new one. I've decided to just throw it out and not replace it and see how we get on - I rarely iron clothes and the few I do could be done on the kitchen island. I will see how it goes for one month and report back.

If this works, who knows what else I will get rid of and never replace.

SandAndSea · 14/10/2018 16:30

@Annasgirl - I've never missed mine and it's been years now. I kept the iron but we haven't used it since the last formal event we went to (very rare).

Annasgirl · 14/10/2018 16:40

Thanks @SandAndSea, I just thought of it this morning as I was getting ready to dump the old one and I decided to try. I'm sure I'll end up agreeing with you.

HalloumiGus · 14/10/2018 19:38

Marking place for a read!

Bowerbird5 · 14/10/2018 22:39

Some food stuff out of date.

Keiki · 15/10/2018 07:32

Threw out a load of paperwork (some shredding, some recycling) and some packaging. Sadly the amount it looks decluttered doesn't look proportional to the amount I threw out! Then started on DP's things.... he asked me this morning where all his bags were, but they only contained wipes and tons of receipts so were easily tidied up!

Original poster
StealthNinjaMum · 15/10/2018 10:57

Bowerbird most baking stuff seems to last for years. I recently made pancakes with some really old wholemeal flour dh accidentally bought about 8 years ago and dd2 announced they were the best pancakes she had ever had.

pawneeparksdept I have a pile of crap behind my settee too! My sitting room is the tidiest room in the house but I keep the stuff I'm selling behind the settee and no-one ever notices! People aren't allowed to use the room My pile is quite small at the moment as I've been taking lots to charity shops.

I did lots more arts, crafts and stationery yesterday and I think everything now has a home but there are large piles of things on the floor. I have spent ages finding little bits of jewellery sets and hama beads and putting them away. There's still lots to do but it should all be done by Friday which is my deadline.

OP posts: