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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:
Original poster
StealthNinjaMum · 13/10/2018 08:57

RasberryBlonde how frustrating. You might need to just do lots of decluttering and get him used to a more clutter free life. My family are a lot more involved now. With my dh I now put his clutter on his side of the bed and ask him to sort through it. You could do this and maybe buy some files to keep papers in to be organised.

My tupperware is also kept in a very big drawer with the lids on. I do have a big bag of lids which I suppose I could throw away? I get annoyed because to me tupperware is for food (am I the only one like this?) yet other people seem to use it for anything. We have a cleaner and she has been known to just take the box without the lid and put something in it or dh will put it under a plant and that really, really annoys me.

OP posts:
RaspberryBlonde · 13/10/2018 09:15

Penelope I do the same with my Tupperware (at least until DH unloads the dishwasher and messes up the system!

Two weeks would be ok for pans I think but there’s lots of other kitchen stuff that is used less often. We had our kitchen redone last year so managed to get rid of a fair bit then.

Funnily enough I did do this a few weeks back Donkeys as he’d stored a heavy box on a shelf and it was starting to bow so had to be moved. It has since disappeared although I don’t think he has sorted it or got rid of any of it. I have a vision of a sardines situation where he just relocates more and more stuff into his wardrobe!

ememem84 · 13/10/2018 09:54

Shoes listed on eBay. Hoorah.

Today I may tackle ds’ outgrown clothes and list on Facebook eBay.

Tomorrow I’m venturing into the loft at dparents. To get rid of my stuff. Eeep.

Bowerbird5 · 13/10/2018 10:47

Good luck (loft) ememem84 and congratulations on moving into your new house. How exciting.

I don’t have drawers in my old kitchen except shallow cutlery ones in dresser but I am having six in new kitchen so maybe able to do this. You have spurred me onto trying to do it today I will add it on to my list of jobs this morning.

PawneeParksDept · 13/10/2018 11:31

Today I'm getting shut of several jigsaws some which I've done and won't do again and others I've no intention of doing. Cleared out a whole corner Grin

PenelopeFlintstone · 13/10/2018 11:39

I've painted an ugly rattan table today, too. Turquoise. I've had some solar lights for a while now, just sitting in their boxes and I'm going to put them up today. I'm guilty of buying things and never using them, so putting things up and chucking away the boxes counts as decluttering for me - decluttering, as well as beautifying my home Smile Happy Days.

ememem84 · 13/10/2018 11:53

Loft clearance. Done. But not dparents house. The new house. We’ve cleared 7 bin bags of rubbish. Old carpets old clothes 4 Christmas trees etc. And a wicked cool pic of a rhino.

SandAndSea · 13/10/2018 12:17

I now store my containers stacked with the lids on.

I do this as well, Penelope ! I'm not sure it's entirely hygienic but they're all constantly being used in rotation now so I think it's OK.

The turquoise paint sounds great too!

CurlyWurlyTwirly · 13/10/2018 12:22

Following.
I have just moved and I have bags & boxes of stuff which I barely unpacked in the last place but have followed me here.
Also need to stealthily get rid of toys DS has grown out of.

PenelopeFlintstone · 13/10/2018 13:02

I'm not sure it's entirely hygienic
Do you mean like a warm, non-airy environment? I hadn't thought of that....

PenelopeFlintstone · 13/10/2018 13:11

I just googled and on Reddit someone said that it couldn't be any worse than nesting them. I do make sure they're very dry before I put the lids on.

oopslateagain · 13/10/2018 13:34

I wish I had room to keep all my tupperware neatly stacked. Maybe I will if I clear out all the unnecessary clutter!

Ememem how exciting to be in a new house!

SandAndSea · 13/10/2018 14:36

Penelope - Yes, I think so. I've noticed that when I buy containers, they often say to store with the lid off. (I noticed this on a flask the other day.) I also make sure they're properly dry. I'm not usually such a risk taker! Wink

SandAndSea · 13/10/2018 14:37

@CurlyWurlyTwirly - Welcome! What are you getting rid of today?

ememem84 · 13/10/2018 15:28

Look at my hideously glorious new picture we found in our loft.
Isn’t it a beaut?

This is a keeper for sure.

PawneeParksDept · 13/10/2018 16:38

@ememem84 ShockGrin why though?

CurlyWurlyTwirly · 13/10/2018 16:38

@sandandsea.
Thank you!
You are all hard core!
Ok, I am going to clear all the accumulated boxes of junk in my lounge; so I can breathe. I’m sure there’ll be something from the move I can ditch.
Thanks for the accountability!

ememem84 · 13/10/2018 17:53

pawnee mostly because dh hates it!!! Haha. I’ve cleaned it up and I’m hanging it in our downstairs loo.

I may get some African safari themed wallpaper for it too. Hahaha.

ememem84 · 13/10/2018 19:55

Sorted ds’ clothes. Now have three more bags for charity shop and have listed a few more bits on eBay. Yay. Feel like we’ve achieved something today.

CurlyWurlyTwirly · 13/10/2018 21:59

I didn’t so much chuck out, but I decluttered the living room. ( I’ve only been in the house a week and it was becoming a dumping ground)

I instigated a rule, based on a cleaning blog I found and have now forgotten the name of. The lady did one room for an hour each week.

My very cut down version was 10 minutes in one room and then you can stop; if you want to. You can actually get quite a lot done in 10 minutes. But as I had confined myself to one room; I kept going till it was all clear, so about 25 minutes.

About an hour later, I used the same10 minute rule in the kitchen and emptied dishwasher, sink & ran an intensive load.

I’m finding that having the rooms as they are meant to me; makes me want to mess it up less. Chucked a few things; main,y recycling stuff; but my downstairs is very tidy Smile

SandAndSea · 13/10/2018 23:48

I had a lovely day today which included dropping my latest sack off at the charity shop.

(I also found a brand new skirt (in a style which I have been looking for) for just £3! THREE POUNDS!! I've googled it and the original selling price was around £75-£149 depending where you look and it's still available for over £50.)

I came home and looked around and FELT GOOD!!!!

SandAndSea · 14/10/2018 00:10

@ememem84 - Ummm... How can I put this...?

PenelopeFlintstone · 14/10/2018 00:17

We're living on the edge with our lidded containers, SandandSea!! Feel that exhilaration!!! Grin
Today, I'm dejunking and cleaning my mudroom. Sounds posh to have a mudroom, I think, but really it's an enclosed verandah that's either too hot or too cold to use and is the room out onto the garden. But it's a tip and people are coming over on Saturday and will have to go through it all night. I'm going to take an antihistamine before I start because of the dust!!

SandAndSea · 14/10/2018 00:23

Penelope - Hahahaa!!! Yeah! We're living in the fast lane!! Grin

Marcipex · 14/10/2018 00:24

Today I threw out a rusty old grater that made the cheese taste odd.
I am sorry for it though, all sad in the bin, wondering if it could have done any better....not even recycled Sad Blush