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

I've got 2 people interested in a big item I'm selling. It's a welcome distraction from the decorating.

It is 10 days since I last updated.

Since then I have listed and sold another eBay item. That also got rid of a small box and some bubble wrap. I also spent two evenings in the garden filling the brown bin for collection last Friday. I removed a climbing rose bush which grew in the corner between the porch and living room window. It was there when we moved in, but it had started looking very sorry for itself and seems to have lost a lot of its leaves this summer. I decided it was getting unsightly and it was time for it to go. I still have to deal with the roots, which go down into the gravel. As a stroke of luck, the window cleaner came later in the week and thoroughly cleaned the sap from the porch side window and frame! So, on Saturday morning I went out and washed the rest of the sides of the porch and the front door, including the green-tinged guttering and drainpipe. I at last decluttered the residue from the previous doorbell from the door frame. (Why the doorbell-fitter, i.e. DP, didn't do it at the time is beyond me...) I also removed the cobwebs from the house number which have been there for months a while. The rain came on heavily before I had a chance to clean the doorstep, so I will do that sometime later this week. I have bought a new outside doormat so want to put it down on to a clean step.

But, my most satisfying accomplishment this weekend was to catch the teenager in a cooperative mood near the bathroom and point out a lot of nearly empty bottles which have been sitting in that state for MONTHS, AND a lot of opened hair products that have been on the shelf for AGES. I explained the meaning of the symbol with the open tub and numbers, and I have just about halved the clutter on the shelf behind the toilet and in the shower cubicle.

Well done, Purple. What symbol?

Today's outs so far:

An old, joyless nightie has gone to the rag bin.
Some underwear, BNWT, which have never been my size - to charity.
A borrowed item, returned to owner.

Trying to declutter old mail - 5 letters from 1987 shredded. Stamp saved for charity. Find this very hard as they brought back many memories.

Haven't posted for a while but tried to read when I could.
My biggest and saddest decluttering last Monday was a stray cat and her kittens from my garden. I'm hoping to get her back from the animal charity I had to ask take her as I can't look after a cat and brand new babies at the minute and I didn't want to leave them in the garden. I'll add pics as I know everyone loves a cute cat/kitten photo!

This past week I've been emptying my nanas house which she's sold so even though the "out's" aren't mine and it wasn't much in the way of rubbish that could go straight in the bin. I still feel like I've done something.

Not many outs in my own house apart from general rubbish, recycling and some clothes bagged for the charity shop. I have brought stuff in as I'm trying to change furniture and decor. So I've added a mirror, side board, coffee table, candle stick holders x2 and a chair for DD's room.

I desperately need to get Ds2's go kart out of the sitting room.

Willow - just blame it on autocorrect!

I always spot spelling or grammatical errors once I click POST, never before....

Well done on looking after all those lovely cats, Munch.

I've been going through an old box and am struggling to get rid of paperwork from it. I have got rid of some though and have found some docs which I need so have filed them properly away now.

It's ongoing.

Just came back from dm's house where I've done a charity shop run - one of many, including my own stuff!

Now sitting down while I cool down - urgh my 10 minute rest timer has just gone off

Off to do the dishwasher then have a look whatelse I can get rid of. I've already added a too small T-shirt to the charity bag.

Just decluttered the fridge shelve and gave them a wipe down so plenty of jars, ood left overs, and empty packets thanks dc chucked in the bin.
Done the dishwasher, folded washing and now just waiting for the washer to finish so I can get that load hung up, set the dishwasher away and do the school run!

Hi everyone!

I realised this morning that I haven't been on here in almost 2 weeks! sorry folks!
I'll catch up with the full thread later on but welcome to all newcomers and well done in progress so far!

I've been doing more paint stripping, it's taking bloody forever (I'm currently waiting for the goop to work now). Mum has offered to come help me for a day next week which is great though, hopefully will get a good chunk done.
I deep cleaned thr washing machine this morning, and sorted out the health section of the kitchen cupboard, chucked a load of OOD potions and pills.
Also out were a pair of miniwoogles trousers with a hole in, they're in the new textile bag.
Have also packed away wooglettes first set of clothes to be handed down to my friend at some point (shes 6 weeks old now and already in 3-6 month clothes!!!).

Hopefully will start the fat decluttering tonight too, doc said I can drive so I'm going to the gym later!

Well done, everyone!

I've just done some more box work and have shredded about 1cm of papers. These were docs from a job I had 13 years ago; expenses forms, holiday requests, emails etc. I haven't needed them so far so I think it'll be OK.

Hello everyone, hope you don’t mind if I join you. Been reading the thread for a few weeks & reckon I’ll be more effective in my decluttering if I document it here.

Day off with my youngest today so not sure much will get done. Currently trying to sort through dc clothes to sort for charity, rags & hand me down etc, seems never ending!

Welcome, @Ownerofmultiplechimps! Keep us posted!

Welcome ownerofmultiplechimps!

Have a great day sorting and sifting!

Good job on the papers sand, I love the relief of getting rid of paperwork!

Thanks, Woogle! I'm currently waiting for a buyer to arrive. Fingers crossed!

Still waiting...

My buyer finally turned up! That's another big item gone and a few quid made.

Four bags of odd items donated over the last five days. The Salvation Army wouldn't take my table [boohoo] so hoping Freecycle and FB Marketplace ads will yield results - 'Free to loving home...' The table is currently out on my back deck anyway, leaving more room in my back porch. I need to cover it over with some plastic painters' cloths in case of rain after I take some photos.

Happy birthday to biggestlittlewillow!

Were having a maintenance day today, so lots of cleaning and hopefully some decluttering.

sand, was it you that got the shark vacuum with headlights? I just ordered one!! £80 off on amazon cos I buggered up the Dyson 😬😬

Brilliant weeks worth of outs there mathanxiety! Fingers crossed someone comes for the table :)

Hi namechangedtoprotect this approach can be slow (which is good as you don’t need to spend much time on it every day) so I’d suggest you try to make a big impact with little effort to begin with to motivate you.

In my case I got rid of big toddler items (e.g. cot, changing table, jumperoo, little tikes cars) and it made a huge difference when I could see extra carpet! I also cleared surfaces e.g. window ledges, dining table, kitchen worktops as that also makes you feel really good. That’s when it becomes like ’tetris’ and you find homes for the things you tidy and tidy those drawers and end up moving stuff around, grouping similar items together as well a chucking lots out. You will slowly start to spot improvements to your life and it’ll be easy to keep going. For example one of my earliest achievements was my airing cupboard. Two years on I still have the tidiest airing cupboard ever and love getting towels out. (I would die if anyone in real life read that!)

namechanged if you want one of us can set you a challenge?

Ah I see greenwillow just mentioned that!

greenwillow wow that’s a big decision! Good luck willow 3, I’m sure she’ll do well with less pressure. And congratulations on having another adult in the family!

namechangedtoprotect you decluttered a dead mouse. Think that’s the most unusual start anyone’s made, is it too early to say you win the thread?

munchmunch you say not many outs but that’s quite impressive. And what cute kittens, I hope you get the cat back.

yay! wooglecone glad to hear you back. I can’t believe how much you get done with two tinies around.

sandandsea 13 years ago! I would’ve kept them too

Welcome ownerofmultiplechimps I hope you manage to get rid of something.

Well I’ve been really busy. I have been making enormous daily to do lists. Lots of admin tasks are done. DC finished school on Friday so progress will be slower but I have sorted out a lot of their clothes and have two big carrier bags to be donated and a few bits of rags.