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

Been working today, so haven't tackled anything. Tomorrow, provided no more work comes in!

Did The Box Of Doom today (box containing old documents and bills) some went back to 2012

90% now shredded

I've been doing some more mould removal. Cleaning gadgets with a cotton bud and vinegar to try to get rid of the smell. Mould really does linger!

I'm also dithering about purging 2 beautiful dessert bowls today. They're gold rimmed and would make fabulous candle holders. But, I haven't used them for that because they're fragile, not dishwasher safe and I already have an abundance of candle holders. Also, they may not even be heat proof. But, God, they're beautiful! I love how they look in my living room too. But only in one place - they don't go everywhere and there's only room for one. They've got to go. Decision made!

Weekend jobs:

• go through big box of pens in search of broken/ used up pens for terracycle
• bag up textiles to take to recycling centre
• listings of baby equipment on facebook

DP has finally let me go through a couple of drawers and get rid of some things which I previously haven't been allowed to get rid of - hurrah! This includes:

Numerous flyers, business cards and instruction manuals (for the TV, hifi, phones, etc. - we use them every day and have never yet needed the manuals!).
4 smelly incenses to burn (oils & resin) - they've lost their smell.
A too-long, incense stick holder.
A horrible, cheap-looking, candle holder. (Thank God this is going!)
4 too-thin candles -far too thin for any known candle holder. Completely useless!
About 20 home-made, paper, 'Fragile' labels for selling stuff (annoying and useless - we've got pens!).
Loads of receipts for clothes and shoes he thought he might take back but didn't.
2 buttons (he doesn't know what they're for).
A nectar card we've never activated.
A religious book for a religion neither of us connects with.
A gadgety thing...

Various other items have been relocated to more useful places.

Well done on the box of doom, @PawneeParksDept ! Anything with doom in its name gets extra credit.

@SandAndSea it was the dreaded kept bills and bank statements and assorted official letters depository, all years out of date of course !

@PawneeParksDept - Ah yes! Sorry to say, I know that one well.

Have decluttered my purse today. All receipts have been checked and thrown away.

Have managed to clear out coin section and have popped them in my jar.

Handbag clearout equalled an old pen, ds’ dummy and a baby sock.

Cleared out desk drawer at work and chucked old toothpaste and brush (replaced with a new smaller one and a toothbrush), a ton of old business cards, and an ancient lipstick and a hairbrush which has seen better days.

Finished a make up remover here and chucked it. On to another one from the stash.

Also listed my very favourite but worn to death absolutely trashed leopard print flats on eBay. The foot weirdos will hopefully go for there. Been live for 30 minutes have already had 14 views. Wahooo.

DH has been really busy this week and has decluttered masses of stuff from the dining room. Not sure what but the room has gone from disaster to almost clear and actually vaxable for the carpet so I will do that tomorrow.
I have sold a sofa cover- someone in Australia was so keen on having it that she has arranged her own courier delivery and paid me PayPal friends and family (Facebook selling pages!). Bonkers but £15 into DS’s jamboree pot.

Magazine supplements, paperwork.

Gibble - what was so special about the sofa cover?

I used to tease a friend about her bulging purse, it had all manner of old tickets receipts and scrap paper in it.

DH had spare tv remotes stored away. I thought we got rid when they wore out/technology moved on. Who keeps old tv remotes???

Off to a slow start here although managed a few minor bits including a box that previously contained beer but only had one bottle left and about 20 conkers that DD is meant to have taken to school for the autumn table but keeps forgetting. Also a lot of windfall apples and some slightly stale croissants into a pudding and another big batch of apples to the local farm for juicing. Not sure these last two count but they do taste good!

I think I’m going to try to start properly in our spare room over the weekend. It needs decorating and it’s a home for a lot of random things so might be a quick win!

The big challenge I’m going to have is kids clothes; we have bags of the things and it’s onky going to get worse as DC2 is a boy, so DD’s things can’t be reused. My SiL will take some girlks things but my niece is 4years younger so doesn’t really want them yet. Plus I haven’t totally made up my mind that there will be no DC3 - DS is only 12 weeks so in a nice stage where I’ve forgotten how much I don’t enjoy pregnancy and the newborn phase and haven’t got to the next difficult bit yet! So think I will settle for making things up neatly for now rather than getting rid.

Anyone got any ideas on how to encourage DH to join in? Some of the worst bits are his e.g 3 rucksacks full of ancient paper work he won’t let me touch but are taking up the whole bottom of a cupboard.

Lovely to see that dhs and dps are getting involved. We're all much more likely to be successful if they're on board.

I had a couple of ladies over for coffee and a catchup yesterday - it was really spontaneous and it was so nice to know that other than a couple of bowls from breakfast and a few papers my house was presentable.

An amazing day too as dd1 decided to get rid of her home made (from a shoebox) 'fairy house' and a dozen fairies. I have frequently wanted to jump on that vile thing and now it is in the recycling bin and the fairies in the charity box.

I've been able to do the spontaneous hosting thing too, Stealth and am really enjoying my home now. All this clutter clearing has made such a difference.

My house isn't perfect by all means SandandSea it looks like a house with a busy family but it was clean and had clear kitchen work surfaces, a clear counter in the kitchen where we chatted, and a dining table which was clear. Today I'm going to do more arts and crafts stuff and I have found another duplicate book.

Find something that genuinely needs a home so it's conveniently accessible in that cupboard RaspberryBlonde - something that frees up space elsewhere? and put the rucksacks to one side.
Show DH the new arrangement and assure him you haven't disturbed the contents of the bags but they need a new storage space.

Stealth - No, mine's not perfect either; there are always things to do. My downstairs is generally pretty good now though. Upstairs is where I hide my boxes.

I've cleaned out a drawer today and have it airing in the garden (so scared of mould now!). I'm hoping to be adding an ornament to my charity bag - got to check with dp first though.

I'm building up to going through a box of clutter. There are several. I might end up doing something else instead.

Has anyone else got a kitchen full of gadgets and spoons and ladles and tupperware without lids?

I have.

I have a drawer for cutlery (knives forks spoons and kitchen knives), a drawer for 'cooking' spoons and spatulas, rolling pin, cookie cutters, general cooking bits and bobs, and a drawer for tupperware.

Yesterday I emptied half the 'cooking stuff' drawer into a carrier bag and hung it on the drawer handle, and as I use things they're going back into the drawer. After a couple of weeks I'm going to bin the things I haven't used.

Hopefully that will work, and I can do it with more kitchen things...

I have quite a few Tupperware lids. DH used to throw them out without realising what they were or matched ( I suspected).He seemed to throw the lids out too so I have ended up with a mismatch of Tupperware that I am planning to sort and get rid of all the random bits. I kept them hoping before that I would eventually match them up but this time I am getting rid of anything that doesn’t match as I am getting a new kitchen in November and will be sorting out ALL the kitchen equipment soon.

Today
More paperwork( started the fire with it today) and magazines.
DD yesterday and several bags of her stuff as she is off travelling 😢

oopslateagain - that's quite brave - are you sure two weeks is long enough? I wouldn't use a rolling pin every two weeks but still need one sometimes, for example. Maybe I'm just not as brave as you - probably!!

@oopslateagain - Sounds good, though I agree that 2 weeks might not be long enough for some things. I've recently got rid of some old knives and a fish slice but all were replaced as we use them. I have cut my gadgets quite a bit though and love that the kitchen sides are much clearer now. I would almost definitely get rid of any mismatching containers and lids - one of my pet hates as it's so time wasting when you need a container. Although, that said, I sometimes need lid-less containers to store things which drip, so do check that before you bin them.

I now store my containers stacked with the lids on. I do have a few extra lids standing up at one end of the shelf, just in case I find the container, but not many and they don't take up much room. I really LOVE my containers stored with lids on. Weirdo and easily pleased
Today, I've painted two old white scratched benches in turquoise - tester pot so very cheap. Not exactly decluttering but they certainly weren't 'sparking joy' and now they are.

New house yesterday. Yay. Homeowners again.

Today I plan on decluttering the grime from the old owners (it’s not filthy but it’s not clean...)

Then decluttering the bank account as we spend on white goods and other essentials (curtains....)