Decluttering one thing a day part 8 - the one where we de-tetris the cupboard of doom!

[WoogleCone]

Welcome! This is thread 8 of the declutter one thing a day challenge!

This is just holding the discussion open until @stealthninjamum gets her computer sorted and back in action :)

Everyone is welcome here, new and old. We implore you to join us on our mission to clear the cupboards, swipe the sides and declutter all debris!
We recycle, reuse, give away, donate or just plain chuck it out to help clear our spaces.

If you're new, start with a small mission - can you tackle one small area at a time? Be it a bedside table, a bathroom cabinet or The Kitchen Drawer?
Just one thing a day is all we ask and report back here with your outs for the day, or week at a time. It's very easy to get the bug when you start small and have success!

Will we find any more big bags of change? Can we sell more big ticket items? Will the school books all get returned? Will the happy meal toys ever stop multiplying and just how many books can we say goodbye to?!

Previous thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3525812-Part-7-of-the-decluttering-challenge-can-you-get-rid-of-one-item-a-day?msgid=87790915#87790915

Oh well done, Willow! That all sounds fabulous!

@Betsy86 - Welcome back! I remember you! So glad you heard the call.

gassylady - Sounds good!

RandomNameChange415 - Welcome!!

Haven’t posted for a couple of weeks as was finding it really difficult to do any decluttering with the builders still being around (we’ve had 2 new bathrooms put in over the last 2 months). Well they finished on Friday - Yay!

Currently have a skip full to the brim with old bathroom and new packaging waiting to be collected. Wish they’d hurry up so I can park on the drive again.

So on Saturday I was able to get back in our dining room (it was previously full of new bathroom stuff) and put quite a few instruction manuals in the recycling. I also took a carrier bag of books to the charity shop.

On Sunday we went to the beach so nothing was done in the house however, managed to get my fit flops stuck in some mud flats trying to rescue DS who had wandered off across the sand into a pile of mud. On trying to pull them out of the mud, one fit flop snapped so they chucked in the bin on leaving the beach. Was sad to see them go but they must have been about 5 years old and were on their last legs. Just pleased I wasn’t wearing one of my smarter pairs!

....

Thanku @SandAndSea
@IWillWearTheGreenWillow well done that is a fab amount doneveith the kids over the weekend it must feel so much better. Glad the easel is gone lol.
@Gillster glad you binned the flip flops and didnt take them home to try and mend or something for them to just sit in your way forever! Must be great to have your dining room back!

raspberryblonde in real life I would never tell anyone my house had got that bad. We have tonnes of storage and the Room of Doom so it always looked a bit untidy but not massive piles of clutter like you'd expect. A lot of it was child toys and old furniture. Plus exh was a hoarder and I had to help him get rid of a mouldy settee, broken washing machine, old computers etc.

gassylady I kept a log and used to update it every time something left. It’s quite satisfying to realise how well you’ve done.

Welcome back betsy86 I am decorating my coat cupboard which is kind of like the cupboard of doom. I’ve nearly finished but not found shoe storage yet so it will all go back as messy as before!

Welcome random well done on the medical appointment. I booked a smear last week for the first time in years, they are forever sending me letters about it!

gillster that’s good progress, must be lovely to be getting back in order after having your bathrooms done.

gassylady ooh I have an old ikea kids table and chairs. I wonder if anyone would notice if they went.

greenwillow brilliant work. I need to declutter with my children too. After I’ve finished with the tools/ coats/ shoes that are scattered all over the house I need to tackle our bedrooms.

Hello everyone - may I join in?

One DC will be moving out in the next two weeks (living locally so we'll still see plenty of each other I hope). Looking forward to having a little space for some items currently parked in the dining room. I realise this is not really in the spirit of the thread

Getting rid of a big, ungainly craft/homework table that was a hardwood officce desk in a previous incarnation, and a bedside table with a wonky leg this weekend - the Salvation Army operates pick up trucks here (US), yay!

I decluttered the top drawer of my desk last week. Found lots of crumbs and oodles of pens that no longer work. Corralled the loose paperclips, returned hair elastics to the bathroom, found a packet of Rolos and ate them all.

I will tackle the pantry cupboard of doom tomorrow afternoon with the aim of fitting a few cat-related items in there (they are currently taking up precious space on my counter. If I have time I will also do the dreaded catch-all basket currently inside the kitchen door. Also the storage space at the base of the china cabinet that I haven't looked at for months. I decluttered the china cabinet itself a few weeks ago.

Welcome, mathanxiety! Sounds like you're making good progress. Keep us posted.

Welcome mathanxiety, sounds like you are well underway.

This morning I've sorted two scarves to go to the charity shop. They were quite dressy and I'm not a scarf person. Have also sorted a bit of paperwork and put some old bills in the pile for shredding.

Lots of things in this week as DD brought home all of her school work...every picture, every maths sheet, every page of handwriting practice! There is a lot. She wants to keep everything (of course) so I need to sort out the good bits. It is nice to see how she's come on but don't think I need quite so much evidence!

Sounds like you are busy Willow, holidays are about to start here so am expecting a fair amount of running around, although so far DD has turned down all suggested activities.

Welcome mathanxiety you’ve made a good start.

School breaks up tomorrow so I bought I bought a few gifts. We then went through the cards drawer where ages ago I separated all the cards into groups e.g. birthday cards, birthday cards with ages, thank you cards, new house cards etc and put them into clear food bags. We had loads of cards at one point and have been working through them rather than buying new ones. So we used up about 4 thank you cards. It’s fantastic going through existing stocks of things before I buy new ones.

I am also still tidying the CupboardOfHell (under the stairs). It’s painted now and I’ve removed the ugly shelf so it literally will just have stacked storage boxes until I can find some furniture or something to put in it. They’ll store shoes, hats, scarves, gloves and summer accessories.

I have also been going through dcs clothes removing the very dirty ones and ones that no longer fit.

I've been buying boxes

But my coat cupboard will have 6 identical stackable boxes - 3 for general shoes (1 for each of us) 1 for boots, 1 for scarfs, gloves, winter stuff and 1 for summer stuff. For the first time. I'll have a place for sunglasses.

I don't know if anyone remembers last summer the 'homeless clutter' podcast recommended by someone on the thread. I started to work through it and actually never found anywhere for sunglasses. Anyway here it is. I might go through it again.

clutterbug.me/2018/03/homeless-clutter-podcast-free-printable.html

It sounds bad buying boxes but the cupboard used to have four boxes of different sizes on the Ugly Shelf. Two wicker baskets that weren't terrible helpful are now going.

I've also been buying boxes! In my defence, (I say that a lot on here) they are to replace 2 others which have been in use for many years and are disintegrating.

Items out include 5 tea towels, an essential oil bottle and 2 items of school work (which is ongoing).

The pantry cupboard of doom is now set straight. On to the catch-all basket.

stealth your cupboards sounding good!! Its lovely when things have a actual home like you know exactly what box its meant to go into just makes things so much easier!
My cupboards upstairs i pulled out a big bag of clothes that need selling if there not gone by next week charity shop it is. Need to sort the rest out though majority of it is for dds Birthday in a few weeks so atleast that will be out soon and some bits are for end of school so be out also.... there must be some other bits in there i can get rid of once i start looking but once take stuff out i need to stop myself filling it with excess cleaning supplies and starting on a xmas haul i just want easy to use cupboard for a while lol. X

Thanks Betsy86 I have just been putting things in the cupboard. It really stores an incredible amount of stuff. I will get my boxes delivered today and will 'finish' that job. I would like more of a piece of light furniture to go in there but the 6 stackable boxes will do in the mean time.

Doing this means I realise that dd1 now only has a single pair of trainers! Everything is now too small and I am about to put her school shoes in the shoebank.

I also started going through my tools and diy things last week and I'll carry on today. We have a huge cupboard of stuff from before we were married so I imagine I'll be trying to sort out his toolbox and mine as well as chuck out old nails / screws / paintbrushes.

Sounds like a good sort out in the cupboard then stealth suprisng once you go through shoes etc snd realise whats to small or broken etc.

I need to do the downstairs shoe rack for the same reason i dont have much space by the front door theres a slight recess with coat hooks and shoe rack but at ths moment is crammed full. No idea how it gets so messy so fast you’ve inspired me to sort it out thanks xx
Good move on sorting the tools out bits like that can feel so cluttered!!

Most of my house is now in chaos due to us starting to decorate our main bedroom. Our house is so small that it's been quite a job just to clear the room. We're trying to take it easy and enjoy the weather at the same time so haven't been rushing it - just some prep work done so far. I'm so pleased we've started it though - it's been on my list for years!

Outs: A letter which has been on the fridge for months has been shredded. I know it's not much but at least the fridge looks tidier.

Got the back porch sorted out today. Hoping to freecycle a table I had there that was turning into Mt Junkmore.

Hi I'm new to this thread
I've got a rare opportunity to take 6weeks off to spend the summer holidays with dc and sort out the house. DT are 10 so can help too. Where do I start? I need to paint and adapt my stairs and paint the radiators in the lounge urgently but the whole house looks messy and scruffy.
Have you got a list or pointers of what to do? I want something I can tick off so I feel I've achieved. Do I do downstairs then upstairs or the other way round?

Welcome, @Namechangedtoprotect ! Hmmm, I think it's hard to say. I would perhaps suggest starting with whatever might give you the best feeling of relief, upliftment and satisfaction?? That way, you will be encouraged to keep going.

Well a start, I've moved the sofa in my living room, found a dead mouse (straight into outside bin) and swept and washed the area before putting sofa back. I've cats so a dead mouse is nothing new but that will improve the smell and its a start! Wasn't expecting such a drastic first day but I'm off.

Oh, well done, Name! Really good start! Keep us posted.

That’s a huge change for you and your DD Willow, I hope that it works out well for both of you and good luck with the mental spaghetti.

Have sorted out some cardboard boxes which have been living in the garage to go into this week’s recycling collection. Am trying to plan my week to get the charity shop bag out. It includes kitchen gadgets so needs to go to a particular charity shop that accepts electrical items.

DS has his birthday next week so is going to be more of an ‘in’ week I think!