Part 7 of the decluttering challenge - can you get rid of one item a day?

[StealthNinjaMum]

Back again!

A group of mumsnetters have been emptying our homes, gradually decluttering our homes by getting rid of one item a day.

We’re very green and like to recycle, sell, give away and sometimes eat our clutter I’m still alive after the 8 year old gherkins.

Newbies are welcome to join us. We just get rid one thing and come back to update everyone on our progress, get support when it gets hard, and suggest new household systems and ways of doing things.

The most exciting thread on mumsnet. In this thread @SandandSea will tell us what she’s going to do with her big plastic sheet…..

Previous thread is here

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3463110-New-home-for-the-new-year-still-getting-rid-of-one-item-a-day-part-6?pg=40

Easter holidays here so suspect I'm on damage control for the next few weeks rather than actual decluttering! DH and I had words about the housework the other day though and I pointed out more would get done if there was less stuff to tidy up! He made some positive noises about culling his shirts, so we'll see...

Peridot we have a bread cupboard and the bread bin lives in it, empty. I keep wondering if I should ditch it but I'm sure it must have another use.

Hope that the kittens are bringing you joy ManyPaws. I used to house sit a kitten years ago and it was so fun.

I've done quite well this week. My mum died about 5 years ago and I bought a fair few bits of hers back to my house. A few are displayed , so that's fine, but other bits were just taking up space in cupboards. I bit the bullet, and sent them off to the charity shop to start their new life ( that's how I can let things go)

This thread is great! I am on a constant cycle of de-cluttering and this will hopefully keep me motivated. Have a 15 month old so it seems I am always sorting.

Agree with so many of the comments- body lotion gift sets- what to do with them? Clothes- does anyone else keep items thinking they are irreplaceable but never wear them? I’m also struggling with what to wear at the moment, it’s much easier to dress for hot or cold weather. Seem to live in jeans and t-shirts.

I am doing better now than before, in years gone by I would hold onto unwanted gifts for years, now they either get used asap, or go to charity/eBay. Magazines can stay up to 2 weeks then recycling.

Today I have thrown out some of DD’s baby food (out of date) and cleared a space in a kitchen cupboard to store the cake that was out on the counter. This included a brick of icing sugar and some icing paste I opened about 4 years ago.

Used up the tea bags (hooray!) and a box of sugar soap from the kitchen drawer. Now have peppermint tea bags out ready to use.

Some people are doing brilliantly here! I'm working on the principle that even if I've just cleared one heap of paper (and incidentally found enough birthday cards to last most of the year) it's a step in the right direction.

Today, I've been through some of my DVDs. I've reorganised them and have 13 to get rid of.

Been so long this has fallen off my I’m on threads. Finally took two bags to charity shop, two old car seats to tip and another barely used car seat handed on for use by DN. Plan to pass some old stamp collecting books on to oxfam -hopefully this week

Hello! I’m back from holiday. Today I threw out some ancient sunscreen (1 bottle) and aftersun (2 bottles). I don’t know where DH has been hiding it - I’m pretty sure it predates our moving into this house in 2013 . In fact, I think the sunscreen might have been almost 10 years old (don’t worry - it hasn’t been used, just randomly stored ‘in case it comes in useful’).

Not a bad week - it was DH's birthday, so that meant stuff came in, but mostly it was either whisky or books, which don't count as clutter . Out: 2 bags for life with holes in, a small bag of Megablocks (we mostly have Duplo), donated to DD's nursery.

I'm still here lurking all the time and feeling bad but I'm so flat out for the next couple of weeks that I can't even think about anything else, but I'll be back soon and have noticed that simply not putting stuff away properly is making my life feel more chaotic. It's things like a cupboard door doesn't open fully because the dining table is close to it and so everything gets dumped on the table instead of making it into the cupboard. I can't easily move the table so maybe I need to change what's stored in that particular cupboard - stuff that's not used often. Good luck everyone; I love reading your posts.

Home decluttering has stalled somewhat as DH is on late shifts so I get home and do bed time etc, by the time I've eaten I'm in no mood for sorting haha. I'll get back on it soon, I think the shifts get better after next week.

I have however been decluttering work. Shredded three months of paperwork today (at intervals because I kept tiring out the shredder!) But also got some other staff on board and a few key areas look a lot better. I aim to have them sorted by the time I go on mat leave and then they have no excuse to be disorganized in my absence!

I have stayed up late to finish off the peppermint tea 😂. Give it half an hour and it will be gone 😀.
Bedroom decorated and curtain rehung and all furniture back in position. Just need to clear and clean the furniture tops off tomorrow evening.

Aroundtheworldin80moves 6 sacks is impressive. I bet it must make such a difference to your life.

wooglecone at 33 weeks I think I had stopped caring about housework and didn’t start for about 8 years afterwards

Gibble you say you got paint and used it on the same day? Wow. Does anyone remember on about thread 3 I bought some paint to paint my banisters and spindles. Well you guessed it, it’s in my wardrobe with my other diy projects that are not in progress.

raspberry blonde Easter holidays for us too. I am just about managing to get rid of one very small thing.

mustn’t mention the hoover

Welcome cottipus I identify with much of your post. I definitely get rid of unwanted gifts and magazines much quicker. I have got rid of a load of clothes recently and don’t miss any of them. I am doing more washing as I don’t have enough tops but I’ll just have to do more shopping!

So progress has been slow because of school holidays but still happening. I have got rid of more papers, a jumper and a piece of plastic that I think came from the dishwasher that died two years ago.

Sorry have completely fallen off the wagon... and the thread. I’m doing a 12 week exercise challenge for charity and it means my evenings have been doing that a few times a week.. so I’ve decluttered a pile of magazines and tidied up quite a bit but I’m probably a bit behind on one a day.. someone give me a kick?

Well done to everyone else - sounds like progress is being made and don’t worry school holidays will be over soon enough..!

Not sure if it counts but I have just decluttered some of dcs easter eggs.

Little DD decided to share her bug with me so the last few days have not been productive. I'm working on controlling the mess at the moment rather than decluttering. School finishes Friday, we go to stay with grandparents Monday, so major progress off the cards for a couple of weeks. Although... I can declutter my stuff in my parents attic.

Can I join in . I did a great declutter last year . Everything was so clean and tidy but I'm falling back to old ways again and my home is depressing me . Have no money to spend on badly needed new stuff but maybe I can give a lift by decluttering and at least feel a bit more upbeat with a tidy clean room .

Welcome, cantstopeating01!

I've got a horrible, fluey bug so am not doing much at the moment. I threw out 3 small things yesterday so I'll try to do something similar today.

Welcome cantstopeating01!

I have a couple of hours this afternoon to try and do something, not quite sure what yet though. Maybe a section of wardrobe. Will do my best not to have a whole hour in the bath instead 😂

Thank you this has given me a lift already . I too can't do until this afternoon but I will definitely declutter some stuff

IWillWearTheGreenWillow - That made me laugh. I can see the thread now: You know you need to get out more when...

For about 30seconds I wanted a new hoover with headlights. DH would look at me like I've gone bonkers if I were to suggest such a thing when we have a perfectly functional hoover. Maybe I can attach bike lights to Henry...

greenwillow shark have got an easter sale on. Which model did you buy? Wonder if I need a new hoover. i want headlights