Getting rid of one thing a day decluttering challenge Part 5

[StealthNinjaMum]

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

That's so annoying Riddo. That's the problem with Facebook. Having said that I sell through it because I hate going to the post office. I'm a bit scared to sell on eBay.

meglet don't lurk. Let us know how you're doing.

You've all done really well bobgoblin I felt exhausted after seeing your list.

I've done less but still done something every day. Yesterday was an eyeliner that I've had for years. I don't know how to use the stuff, why keep it? My bathroom cabinets are already fairly clear so it hasn't made much of a difference to the house but it's just one more pointless thing gone.

I've just counted and I have 35 school days before dc break up from school and lots of stuff to do for xmas. A few weeks ago I set myself two big targets to do the Room of Doom (my study) and the playroom before they break up so I think I am going to need another Big List. Will report back later.

Update: Spent two hours in Room of Doom playing with duplo. I started this ages ago and didn't finish. I have ten complete sets in boxes ready to be sold and three almost complete sets and one box of bits. Tomorrow I'll start photographing them. I also moved lots of stationery to its new home, chucked out bits of random plastic, threw away a bit of cheese that looked a few years old and shredded old papers. I also moved my 1990s stereo down there to listen to cassettes as I work - there are hundreds down there, most can be chucked out.

I've also been in the loft. I threw away an empty box. So all in all I have about 2 bin bags of rubbish and recycling to go.

I have also put 6 teeny dd2 jumpers into the charity pile but I probably should buy some more.

Things have slowed down here a little bit. I spent some of Friday ill in bed. I’m not sure if it was a virus or a case of seriously overdoing it on Thursday. I felt better in the afternoon and managed to find a pile of recycling to get rid of as well as a rusty baking tray. Nothing went at all on Saturday because I had a lovely day out. I’ve finally got DH on board and on Sunday he sorted through one drawer and gave me a pile of tops he didn’t want any more. I went through DD’s clothes again and found quite a few things she’s outgrown in the last month. We dropped those off at the clothes bank today along with a few more things for the tip that I put to one side last week.

I’ve just collected all the empty bottles from the bathroom so that’s looking less cluttered again. I don’t know why it’s only me that ever thinks to do this! I bought DS some new bedding for his new bedroom so I put the spare set of his current bedding in another rag pile. I’ve also got rid of an empty box. I’m going to pack one of the kitchen cupboards later and I am going to try and be ruthless. There’s bound to be things in there that we never use.

I need to catch up with the thread properly so I’ll be back later - hopefully with a clutter free cupboard to report back on.

@Riddo - could you just leave it outside and put a FREE sign on it. Put it back up on Marketplace too and just say, 'First to pick up can have it'. That's what they do where I live.

Three carrier bags of rubbish out of DDs room this morning. It can hardly be called decluttering though as it will have built up in there again in a short time.
I have put some things into use which have been laying around as clutter for years. I've decided this counts . The things include fairy lights and a couple of solar string lights which will look very pretty this evening, I hope. I've put one up at the kitchen window as the light switch isn't near the door we use, and I'm hoping it will shed enough light in the evening that we don't need to use the main light. It's just an annoyance.

@PenelopeFlintstone In the end I messaged the next person who asked for it and she came to collect the same day. Result! I think I need to be less nice next time 🙂

Riddo you are a nicer person than me! If a person hasn't turned up twice or keeps changing their mind I pass it down to the next person. I often find people are less reliable collecting free things than if they're paying.

I went to the loft again to get a carry cot that can attach to a buggy in the Room of Doom. To my horror it has mouse poo in it so I will probably throw it away. I couldn't put a new born in something like that, mouse poo / wee is so toxic. We had mice six months ago so it might be from then. I haven't heard any since. So that's a pleasingly big item going to the tip.

The dress I’m wearing is going to the charity shop once it’s washed. It is a bit snug. I can’t go to the toilet without taking the whole thing off. So that’s not ideal...

Today's update. Some Duplo sets advertised. More putting away of little things like safety pins, paper clips, staples, pens - I have millions of the buggers. Carrycot is in the dump. But it was in the loft so none of this feels very space clearing. Tomorrow I'm going to aim to make a visible difference to the room.

I'm back and still catching up with the thread. I've missed you guys!

I've been away, which included seeing family and doing loads of decluttering for an older relative. We cleared quite a few bags but I'm afraid I did bring a few things back with me. (A book, a couple of DVDs, some candles etc.)

I love coming home nowadays - it looks and smells lovely and is so cosy! I love it! There's still more to do though.

Today, I've done a load of cleaning (not a lot was done in my absence, so just catching up really).

I've binned a holey pair of socks.

@Riddo - so long as it's gone!! It's great when big things go.

I‘Ve also been away. Nothing for five days but will have ample opportunity today starting inn the kitchen. Did get rid of recycling thou if that counts. A box and two bags saved up over a couple of months.

Wow, GreenWillow, that’s amazing! We are going to tackle DDs toy mountain in the next couple of weeks.

Yesterday I took another bag of DDs clothes to the charity shop. And the EBay parcels are going out the door today - I ran out of sellotape for the last label.

I think this weekend is going to be a good decluttering session, as we don’t have any other plans. Famous last words.

Finally caught up with the thread - everyone’s doing so well!

Yesterday we sorted out some more books for the charity bags and I dug out a dress that I never wear and a pair of trousers that don’t fit to go in there as well. DH went through a food cupboard and binned lots of out of date bits from in there. He went through a phase of cooking lots and bought piles of random ingredients that have never been used since. He’s agreed that in future he’ll only buy things that are going to be used rather than picking up lots of weird things from the supermarket shelves!

This morning I started packing our clothes and DH sorted another pile of his things that have gone in the rag bag. He also got rid of a huge pile of magazines that he wouldn’t let me get rid of before. He is really getting on board now and keeps saying we have too much stuff and we need to be more ruthless. I have been saying this for years but he kept persuading me to keep things just in case. I am resisting the urge to say ‘I told you so!’

There seems to be piles of washing everywhere at the moment so I am going to spend some time today sorting those. There might not be anything going out of the house but at least it will start to look tidier.

Excellent GreenWillow even over ten days that's fantastic progress.

I have found two inserts that are meant to go in child car seats for newborns up to 5.5kg. We don't have the car seats any more and I can't see anyone wanting them so they'll unfortunately get binned. Seems a shame as they were never used.

Ninja - see if the car seat inserts have a resale value on eBay. Or offer them free on Facebook/Gumtree just so they don't go to landfill.

I had quite a good weekend. On Saturday we took the last 2 large items left over from the garage clearout to the recycling site. On Sunday I actually got round to dealing with the larger of the 2 fish tanks sitting on the landing. It didn't take me quite as long as I was expecting, but since it might have fish in it again in the future I had to be careful to use fish-friendly cleaning products. I also did the hood and base - which did take longer than expected - so they have all been dried and put back in their box. I just have the pump, filters and gravel still to do. I put some other boxes up in the loft that I am keeping to pack stuff in from the living room and dining room if we manage to declutter enough to think about emptying them completely to get a new carpet fitted next year. I also went through one of DP's piles on the coffee table when he was out with the dogs, and quickly pulled out anything I thought could go, or that didn't belong to him. I ran things past him when he returned and he agreed that it could all be recycled. So that means that one pile is around 3 inches shorter than it was. The adjacent pile is now unstable, so I'm hoping he will do something with it soon...

Hi purplefrog I assumed that as they were old and carseats had changed (now rear facing for little ones) that they might not be safe. I might ask what people think on the local mums group. Dammit that's more stuff taken off the 'to get rid of' pile.

I've only done half an hour in the Room of Doom. Emptying bags, filing papers, moving stationery and other stuff, chucking out plastic things of no obvious use. I have three calculators so I think I can give one to a child and then give one away. There's a pile of about 6 or 7 box files. I gave some ring binders away a few weeks ago so I think I'll get rid of these too. There's also an old chair I might sell. It doesn't match anything else we have in the house.

Sorry Ninja - you didn't say how old they were! Maybe you should just chuck them if they are not to current standards.

Its tricky purplefrog I wondered if I could take them apart and use the foam and material to make something BUT THAT's WHY I'M IN THIS MESS. They have been in the Room of Doom for about 10 years. But not any more.

Tried to see what was on some old floppy discs but couldn't get my old computer to work. So that'll be another thing to go! And I found about 20 old playmobil figures (think they were called playpeople). I am now looking up toy museums. I could possibly sell them on eBay for peanuts but wonder if a museum might prefer them.

Everyone’s doing very well!
Hard day at it here but mainly just cleaning. I have thrown away a black sack of rubbish DD left in the hallway, another bag of rubbish, a box full of recycling and will have the hoover to empty later- just having a rest.
Bathroom cleaned too to bottom, my room cleaned too to bottom, landing emptied and cleaned too to bottom, stairs hoovered tocwithin an inch of their life (don’t look any better) and hallway half cleared.
DD decided to bring down six loads of washing last night. Am not happy so am refusing to do anything for her.