Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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:
MotherWol · 09/10/2018 16:27

@Todamhottoday You could send your dresses to PromAlly, they lend cocktail/prom dresses to teenage girls who want something to wear to school proms but can't afford to buy a new dress. It's what I did with the Coast dress I wore as a bridesmaid - I was never going to wear it again, and at least someone benefits this way.

DolorestheNewt · 09/10/2018 16:42

OK not quite as successful as I hoped because I got distracted by shoving my wool stash in bags and finding room for it in a cupboard but one empty box flattened and thrown away and a bag of toys gone. Committing to something tomorrow... even if it's only a carrier bag of small bits of rubbish...

SandAndSea · 09/10/2018 17:00

I'm having a little break after a mammoth cleaning sesh. I've 'done' the living room. Sofas out, cushions off, the lot! I started by sending in my robot cleaner (so much easier when you don't have loads to clear first). Then got inspired and it all took off from there. It's quite something to see how much the upright cleaner got up, after the robot had finished.

I've also binned the wedding fayre bag. (In the recycling, of course.) Honestly! What was I thinking keeping that load of rubbish for so long???!!! I don't need any of it!!

Original poster
StealthNinjaMum · 09/10/2018 19:51

emem84 the posits will eventually get used. It's good that that they're all in one place - well I expect I'll find more but they have a labelled drawer to be put in. Not sure about the pens, I don't think they will run out before we die! It's a good idea giving the pencils to a school abroad, I'm sure a local mum I know of on Facebook has contacts with such a charity. I have promised some of the pencils to my friend but I might contact the other lady and see if she needs anything. Like 10 pritt sticks? My house is large enough to keep all these things but my stationery and arts /crafts stuff is in about 7 ikea bits of furniture and it would be nice to get rid of a couple.

OP posts:
Tidy2018 · 10/10/2018 06:24

It's great to read all the efforts and achievements! I've been sorting and tidying at the moment, with less decluttering.

Our local dump has closed on weekdays temporarily and unexpectedly until the beginning of next year. This is a bit of a blow, as it is very busy at weekends, and I prefer to go after the school run.

Anyway. Paperwork cintinues, and I try to tackle one difficult item each day. I know I can't handle the mental and emotional loads of going any faster, particularly since more stuff keeps arriving in the post.

Apart from school stuff, all my paperwork is in or on my bureau. This makes it easy to do a little in the early morning and late evening. My goal is to contain as much as possible in the two lockable drawers, and then to move on to the two plastic tubs under the bureau.

Tidy2018 · 10/10/2018 06:49

This week, I felt able to set aside some preloved children's books that were in the expectation that I will become less attached to them and more able to donate.

Keiki · 10/10/2018 08:38

Tidied up the bottom of the wardrobe last night - all stationary much easier to access now. It seems to use up more space than beforehand though! And that is despite throwing out a load of packaging. Added a picture frame, a map and a few bracelets to the charity shop bag. Might take that with me into town on Friday if I remember. Also posting a couple of things today that sold on Ebay.

@RaspberryBlonde I got the wrapping paper boxes from Argos, it's got a lid that clips on and you can fit loads in. Saying that, I found even more, so now have a few spare rolls on top but that will be sorted by the time Christmas is over and I've used up some old ones! I also used to keep wrapping that came off presents if in good condition, but I am meaning to go through it and throw out most of it - it just doesn't get used so is wasted anyway!

DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 10/10/2018 09:46

Another wrapping + tissue paper hoarder here, it does get used but the straw that broke the camel's back recently was an accumulation of bubble wrap...
If I empty a drawer I have avoided tackling, I can stash it in there??

Bowerbird5 · 10/10/2018 10:28

Wow busy people. Great decluttering. I didn’t get much done as I was out a lot yesterday so just paperwork and recycling from food. I also keep tissue and bubble wrap. Tissue will be handy as I am packing up the kitchen. Bubble wrap I use for felting but will also use for kitchen stuff. My aunt was in the war and always kept paper and string. My next sister and I lived with her for a while and we do it too. My younger sisters don’t. I think some of it ( hoarding) is a family trait.

KittyB52 · 10/10/2018 10:33

I came down with a cold over the weekend which meant I have done bugger all.

However, yesterday, I did take cat bowls, old (clean) fleeces, tins of food and a new cat bed/fleece to my mums friend who supports a small local cat sanctuary (and has just rehomed a cat whose elderly owner died suddenly - so unexpected cat time, which was nice). Have kept one of our cat’s ceramic water bowls to go in the garden somewhere. Smile

I have put together another bag of clothes for charity shop AND found a pair of M&S jeggings in dark blue still with tags on. Blush Still fit, so yay!

And I have a bag of medication to go back to the pharmacy for disposal.

ememem84 · 10/10/2018 10:36

Another item sold on eBay. Wahoo. So £7.30 to me after postage costs and one more thing out of the house. Or two if you count the postage bag!

Original poster
StealthNinjaMum · 10/10/2018 11:36

purplefrog I know what you mean it seems slow, I have made various deadlines to be 'finished' and now just chipping away a bit every day. I'm sure your life is easier so it is worth it.

I just went into dd1s pit and picked out three books we have duplicates of. My dds have superficially tidy rooms with lots of storage but things just chucked in. I need to help them learn to tidy things and maybe buy them new storage solutions. That's hard as I'm not naturally tidy myself and as part of this process I am retraining myself.

So as well as three books I am going through arts and craft things testing felt tip pens and stuff.

OP posts:
SandAndSea · 10/10/2018 12:08

Today's items so far: another packet of seeds which didn't sprout and some religious (JW) leaflets.

SandAndSea · 10/10/2018 12:17

Why have I been keeping JW leaflets????

DolorestheNewt · 10/10/2018 12:21

Morning, declutterers. I am just about to have a bath - I've been finishing off a bit of work to a deadline in my pyjamas, honest - and will then do two tasks: one, tackle a dusty paper pile on my bedroom floor and shred at least some of it, and two, go through the bathroom cupboard, which should produce a carrier bag of half-used bottles of this or that to be chucked. Small, but meaningful. May check back in later with another commitment if I still feel inspired!

PurpleFrog · 10/10/2018 13:06

Sigh! I hoard tissue paper, wrapping paper and bubble wrap... and handy boxes for eBaying... and padded envelopes and plastic mailing bags!

But I DO use them. I hardly ever have to purchase anything for mailing eBay items. I have a small stack of new padded envelopes and some new mailing bags, but I rarely have to dip into them. I do need to sort my used packaging, though, as I have stuff in around 3 different places. I need to sort mailing bags into bundles of small, medium and large bags and chuck any that are too damaged or awkward to re-use. Even if I use a box for mailing, I often put a bag over the top to hide all the original labels and make it more waterproof.

oopslateagain · 10/10/2018 16:02

Hello everyone, newbie here (to this thread, not MN obvs Grin)

I am a terrible hoarder. I keep things 'just in case' and I love to start new things (like crafts or hobbies) and I get really keen and buy loads of stuff then lose interest or realise I don't have the talent or time to carry on... but I've spent good money on all that stuff and I might pick up the hobby again one day so I must keep it all, right?

What makes it worse, is we were a military family for 15 years so I got used to keeping things in boxes. We are a house of boxes. The attic, the shed, the spare room... all full of sodding boxes with stuff that hasn't seen the light of day for ten years!

I have today made a start by clearing part of the shed. I have three bags of rubbish/recycling and three big boxes for the charity shop, and a few big items that I'm going to list on a local selling page. I feel quite accomplished Grin

SandAndSea · 10/10/2018 16:46

@oopslateagain - Welcome! And well done on making such a good start! You are not alone on the box front, but I'm working on it.

I've done some more extra bits today:

  • More cleaning of the mouldy cupboard's contents.
  • Some time ago, I bought a lovely, sequinned, evening bag from a charity, only to find that it was also mouldy! I wanted to support the charity so decided to keep it and have now hand-washed it. Hopefully, this will sort it as it's a lovely bag. I'm going to have to polish all the sequins individually though which is a bit of a faff but never mind.
  • I've cleaned out the kitchen cupboard which I keep oil etc in. The floor of the cupboard was in a right state from all the oil drips. I've now cleaned it all up and found a tray which fits inside and will keep it all much cleaner.
  • I've also binned some old herbs & spices.
DolorestheNewt · 10/10/2018 17:06

Sorted rather jumbled-up stuff in bathroom into separate boxes in the cupboard so it's a bit more orderly. Chucked and shredded paperwork. Hoping DH will agree to dispose of the majority of the DVDs in the nice big sitting room cupboard, but I'm not hopeful...

Original poster
StealthNinjaMum · 10/10/2018 18:42

Welcome oopslateagain and anyone else I've missed (this thread is going so fast at the moment.)

Another box hoarder, I see.

I took two bags to the charity shop with a onesie, box files, craft sets and a toy that no-one wanted to buy on facebook. I also threw away some dried up pens.

OP posts:
DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 10/10/2018 18:46

It's a great feeling disposing of stuff but today has been more about relocation, won't berate myself because I shall lose heart with the idea of de-cluttering if that makes sense?
Talking of boxes: Had a lovely box with sweet treats in it for my birthday from a friend. Just looking at it realIsed I can fit small stationery/unused flat sheets of gift wrap in it. More robust than the old gift bags I was using, bether to look at.

KittyB52 · 10/10/2018 21:34

Hi oopslateagain, I totally get your craft stash problem. I am trying to sell what I can, but it's slow going and stuff is stacked in plastic tubs on the floor. I might have to be brutal and give it a go selling stuff as a job lot (per craft) on Ebay and if it's not sold, giving to charity.

Tidy2018 · 10/10/2018 22:10

I was up early this morning, and worked at the contents of my bureau for a while before anyone else was up. Did quite a lot of filing, and everything is much less daunting now. The ToDo list gets longer every day, which means that fewer things are being ignored.

Decluttered several errands yesrerday and today, all becoming overwhelming because of my procrastination. My head is so much clearer now.

I returned two anoraks to Asda. I used to just pit up with things that weren't exactly what I was looking for, but ridding myself now of this habit. Also must stop impulse buying.

ememem84 · 10/10/2018 22:31

Aside from the eBay sale nothing else decluttered today (aside from my bank account....)

I must go through paperwork again. It’s piling up. And as we’re still at dparents it looks messy.

My weekend jobs are:

  • medicine box
  • paperwork
  • ds’ clothes
  • list a few more bits on eBay.

If the house goes through on Friday then we can go there Saturday morning and have a look and then do a deep clean I think.

DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 11/10/2018 10:36

DH disappeared into the garage for ages last night, behold a large bag of rubbish to throw away today after he had a sort through.

Medicine box, that's a thought....