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

Oh Greenwillow I feel your pain. I imagine you're having a busy morning now in the loft. MrsElf's suggestion of tweed lavender bags sounds like a good one.

I agree PenelopeFlintstone about needing a mother who works in a charity shop. Was it last week I mentioned the bag of books in the dining room? It's still there. And the mountain of clothes in the bedroom has got bigger as I have decided I no longer need purple jeggings.

I’m glad I'm not the only one who struggles to get the bags of decluttered stuff out of the house.

Kids clothes are the worst. I think there are 3 stages to decluttering kids clothes:

1. Decide what needs to go and remove from wardrobe/drawers;
2. Remove name tapes from the decluttered clothes and bag up;
3. Actually get the bags of decluttered clothing to the clothing bank/charity shop.

Stealth - it'd be wonderful, wouldn't it?

and Oubliette, I struggle with Stage 2a which is to get the bags from my house (usually the hallway) into the car, then Stage 3 is out of the car into the charity shop.

I do love that I have a charity shop with 2 huge collection bins outside so I can drop stuff there on any day, at any time. It's where I work but not where I live though, and I only work there a couple of days.
Do you know any like that?

I struggle with getting it out too, there are loads of books in dds room currently waiting to go to the charity shop, they've been there a couple of weeks

Yes willow. Looking like a charity shop definitely counts. That's what my mum's house looks like too. It's both a blessing and a curse that she works in a charity shop as she does take our stuff away, but she also buys us stuff that she "thinks dd2 will like". She forgets how old dd2 is though and buys stuff that's too young for her, or that dd2 turns her nose up at. So then we have to find a different charity shop to take those things to.

I have tidied and cleaned today for this birthday party. And one of the dead uncles dvds was watched as part of the sleepover. There is a large selection of studio Ghibli films, so we may well watch those ones before we send them to the charity shop.

Do you think charity shops will take high back booster seats? I know you're supposed to get new car seats, but it's perfectly good, never been in an accident, just been grown out of. Maybe I'll try putting it in Freecycle and see if someone wants it.

Well, today was not a bad one for decluttering. I binned out of date dog medications, and took a bag of treats and old towels round for my friend's dog. Also cleared out the car, and binned a wad of receipts for Christmas presents, some not-REALLY-ever-going-to-be-useful pieces of baler twine, a couple of old freebie map books, and some gardening gloves with worn through fingers. A walking stick and some flags are going back to their owners tomorrow. Can I count the bags of proper rubbish?

DDog's contribution was a tea towel (rag bag) and two oven trays (left outside for the scrap man). He is joining in with his customary enthusiasm.

Hope you enjoy your date tomorrow, stealth.

I just found some Mini-cheddars dated Sept '18.
I will eat them, too :).
Put a pair of almost-new swim goggles that tend to leak onto the charity shop pile, today.

I tried to declutter some old sports kit from university days, but the smallest boy spotted it and is now wearing it. So I guess it is staying for the time being

Just spotted this thread in active. I was on these threads last year I think it was. I was CiderwithBuda. Was gradually decluttering dining room and an office. Dining room is now an office. Office is now a bedroom. Still lots of decluttering to do though. Will be moving from this house at some stage and I really want to have gotten rid of lots by then.

This week project is the airing cupboard. I bought some baskets last week to help me get it sorted and to resemble some of the lovely neat linen closets I see on Pinterest!

First stage will be to sort through duvets. I think we have more duvets than beds. Then bedding. Then towels. Then blankets and throws. Then put it all back together.

Also some freezer decluttering to be done here.

Just searched back and I fell off the threads last May! Have been half-heartedly decluttering since.

Got rid of a cake stand today to a friend.

Only items in today unfortunately...friend passed on some outgrown toys.

Spent yesterday decluttering in the garden, mainly weeds. I have loads of seeds, most of which are out of date so going to ditch them all I think and buy some (cheap) new ones. Must get going with that or it’ll be too late from for this year!

Got DH to go and buy a new vax yesterday as we got rid of the old one and boy dog had an explosive arse all over the dining room floor on Friday night. I had to tiptoe through the piles to get to work and leave it to DH to sort. New vax has been termed today and has passed the test.
Suitcases have FINALLY gone back in the loft. We’ve only been back from holiday for 2 months!
Old suitcase dig out from loft to give to friend to store her foster children’s outgrown clothes in until adoption goes through.
Mountains of washing done and have 3/4 loads still to fold up and ours and DDs beds still to make. Hence being on here.

lljkk you haven't been on for a while. Well done, I would eat the mini cheddars! (But then I would eat most things).

Welcome back Periodot.

Minimal effort from me today - just a few paintings dd1 doesn't want. Yesterday I gave stbexh about 20 CDs and a broken piece of exercise equipment he'll have to take to the dump. I am secretly sniggering that he has to take one tiny item to the dump and I make regular journeys and I could help him - but I won't!

Thanks IWillWear but it wasn’t a four plate one - just a plain glass base and glass lid. But it’s gone!

Thanks for the welcome back Stealth. I def need a kick up the bum.

Have a meeting at school in the morning but nothing in the afternoon so will start then.

DS appears to have decluttered me as he passed his driving test last week and is now driving himself to school so I have been made redundant? Very weird!

Is it weird/bad that I started the Christmas planning page in my notebook?

Wooglecone of course not! I used to buy stuff all your round to get organised for xmas.

greenwilow that's impressive.

How's DS sleeping, RaspberryBlonde?

A much better weekend - had Friday off work, so decided to tackle some of the housework so that the weekend could be for fun stuff. Took a bag of clothes to the charity shop, even though it's only half full, because it's better than having it cluttering up the hallway for weeks. Also donated a picture to a local museum; it's been sat in a cupboard for years, and as it's got some local interest, I'd rather they had it than I did.

I'm hoping that my example has inspired DH to be a bit more house proud, this weekend he converted DD's cot to a toddler bed, and hung the pictures on her wall, so her room finally looks like a nursery, rather than a spare room/dumping ground. She's three, so it's taken us long enough!

Woogle I must follow your example as DD keeps telling me things she wants —then I can cross them off as she changes her mind!

Have decided to tackle the study drawers this week as wasted ages last night looking for something that I was fairly sure was in there but wasn’t. They are too full and if anything falls down the back you have to take the whole unit apart before you can remove the drawers. I would not have bought it if I’d realised this!

We had a good night last night MotherWol although I’m not sure giving up caffeine has anything to do with it as Friday and Saturday night were awful! He’ll get there in the end....

I have done nothing today but preparation for my date. I suppose I decluttered my chin of a couple of inch long hairs (why do they appear overnight?) Tonight I think I'm going to go through my undies drawer and see if I can throw any away.

Gah! I’ve not got much done recently and you’re all doing so well! I really feel quite overwhelmed by how much there is to do - I tend to look at all the junk (especially in the cellar where it tends to pile up) and not know where to start so I don’t bother. It’s not helped by the fact that I let the baby have most of his naps in the sling which isn’t really conducive to me sorting out cupboards etc. Excuses excuses. I have today started to fill a couple of carrier bags for charity, one with my stuff and one with cheaper baby stuff. The nicer bits I will think about selling on.

I see that somebody has a date tonight - how exciting! Lots of luck!

Teenage girls breed lotions & potions (bath, soap, shower, hair, skin...). I used up 2 almost empty bottles in the shower this evening. Found another one for tomorrow's shower, too.