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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Decluttering one thing a day part 10 - the countdown to a clutter free Christmas

999 replies

StealthNinjaMum · 04/12/2019 11:58

It’s the 10th thread and we’re still here!

We’re a group of mumsnetters who aim to get rid of one thing a day to develop good habits and gradually declutter our lives.

Newbies are welcome, those of us who’ve been here for some time have all seen dramatic improvements in our homes, the way we organise ourselves and even mental health. So if you’re new just check in and update with your progress and join in the general chat about recycling, housework and ways to be organised.

Previous thread here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3711883-Decluttering-one-thing-a-day-Part-9?pg=1

OP posts:
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SandAndSea · 19/01/2020 00:20

@3littlerabbits - I think I know exactly what you mean - I'm the same with my boxes. I know I want to go through them and cut them down, but I've felt really blocked somehow. My way round this has been to keep on, going for the easier wins, until I have a moment when I suddenly fancy doing it, and then I grab it! It's slow but I'm getting there.

SydneyCarton · 19/01/2020 07:44

Put the bunk beds up in the girls bedroom, and the double bed has been dismantled for hopefully the last time, although as ever DP says we need to keep it “just in case”! The chances of the DDs wanting to give up the bunks and going back to the double are nil, and we have a king size bed so no idea what scenario he is imagining. Fortunately my in-laws can store it, and the mattress is definitely going along with the old bed linen and double duvets.

The girls bedroom looks so much more spacious now and we may be able to move their play kitchen from living room, fingers crossed. Plus I took a bag out to the charity shop yesterday and a friend collected another two bags of clothes for charities in Romania and Uganda so my decluttering is having an international impact Grin

Now up to 194/2020 - almost ten percent of the way there Smile

IWillWearTheGreenWillow · 19/01/2020 08:57

Ooh, well done Sydney. We still have a 5 foot bed frame in the garage - my brother has the mattress and my DMum has the mattress topper for her sofa bed which is worthy but very hard on the lower back!). I don't want to get rid of it, I loved it and when DS2 or DD move out we will have space for it as a spare bed... But OTOH, they are only 16 and 15, and DS2 has decided against Uni, so it's probably going to stay in the garage for another decade!

Brilliant on keeping going Eleanor, 3littlerabbits and pickled - I'm like Sand and there are some things I skirting round dealing with. It's just too hard somehow. The mood will strike someday!

Hoping to list the Alexa devices and some excess pretty china on ebay today (we Do Not Need cups and saucers for 16 that match our "family gathering" plates. We don't have that much family between us, for a start!).

abitoflight · 19/01/2020 13:47

Done well this morning and big pile of stuff for charity and recycling
Sorted games and jigsaw cupboard, understairs cupboard and cupboard under the sink. Outs include jigsaws, old magazines, old map books, unwanted glasses, obsolete tools, cycle stuff, kitchen stuff
Too much to count but a good mornings work Smile leading to a nice carvery lunch

Reastie · 19/01/2020 15:16

I got the most lovely message this morning from a lady who we gave a nursing chair to (it took up space, we didn’t need it) with a photo of them using it with her tiny baby. She was so grateful and it’s made me feel really pleased I gave it away now. Also already sold a maternity dress on eBay after only listing them yesterday evening. Result!

Nothing else out today apart from some old hair bands of dds as I went through them all and threw away the ones looking a bit sorry for themselves.

StealthNinjaMum · 19/01/2020 15:43

Sorry I haven’t been on mumsnet for a few days but I have persuaded dc to get rid of half a shelf of books. I have also used up a little sample of a face scrub that must’ve been hanging around for years.

I spent my Saturday evening going through boxes of papers in my bedroom. Rock and roll! I have shredded lots of stuff and got other stuff ready to file. I reckon I will have my bedroom ‘finished’ by the end of January maybe even this year? lol as I originally said.

greenwillow that’s an amazing effort, nearly a quarter of the total.

pickledlilly I’m so glad you found the key! You’re lucky it was only three weeks. I had to bloody walk everywhere last week because I had decided to put the car key in my dressing gown pocket. I had to turn the house upside down to find it - which fortunately is quicker since I’ve decluttered.

reastie I love that answer from Alexa and agree that she is intent on taking over the world. Your house asks her quite sophisticated questions, in mine she makes animal noises and burps.

medwaymumoffour well done, it can be hard to get rid of children’s clothes, so that’s an amazing first step. I am guessing she’s your youngest.

suzie0003 you may have bought loads of new stuff in but at least you’re mindful of it. I’m so much better about questioning what I buy and stopping myself from buying things and you’ll get like that.

3littlerabbits the only downside of this approach is that you can pick and choose ‘easy’ areas and there are some that we will never get around to unless we’re really motivated. Your 10 minute timer approach is a good idea - it’s how I do it, and as mentioned above I’m finally doing my bedroom and that leads to two of my mental block areas - paperwork and wires/ leads/ electronics. But I’m actually determined to get there.

OP posts:
StealthNinjaMum · 19/01/2020 15:45

I have started a new thread but feel free to continue on this one til the end.

Link here

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3799710-The-decluttering-on-thing-a-day-thread-part-11?msgid=93249009

OP posts:
IWillWearTheGreenWillow · 19/01/2020 19:32

Thanks Stealth, it's this thread that keeps me going!

Today's out was 4 out of date little bottles of fruit "concentrate" that would apparently make my children volunteer to drink water all the time this was a lie. Actually, the thing that improved water drinking was the water / ice dispenser on the new fridge that I was very rude about when it arrived. Oops!

@Reastie, I think you're right about the need for a separate swimming towel. The DC are 18, 16, 15 and 9 and we usually do self-catering UK holidays that require house towels and beach towels taking with us. If I went down to a total of two towels per person, no-one would be able to have a wash when we got back until I'd done heaps of laundry, and that really doesn't sound practical! or like something I'd want to do

550/2020

ememem84 · 19/01/2020 21:36

I had a towel cull last week maybe (whenever I sorted the airing cupboard). All swim towels bar one or two are stored under our bed. we have two bath sheets and two bath towels each for dh and I. The littlies have 6 hooded towels between them. Different colours.

Dh has 3 microfibre gym towels. I have 2. We have 4 hand towels. So two In use and two in cupboard. I have about a million flannels. But with two under 3 it’s necessary. Ds is spectacularly sticky.

I gave all my unwanted towels to my riding instructor to use when the ponies get wet.

ememem84 · 19/01/2020 21:37

I don’t think I’ve got rid of anything today.

SandAndSea · 19/01/2020 21:57

I almost didn't have anything out today but then, completely out of the blue, I heard from eBay that I've sold something. I had planned to take it to charity on Saturday, but we had a change of plans. I'd also meant to delete the ad but had forgotten. Funny how things work out sometimes.

Now, I've just got to find a box...

Bluewavescrashing · 20/01/2020 09:55

Yesterday--pair of socks that don't sit right and annoy me. Pair of outgrown school shoes.

Today--old bag of rabbit hat that has dried out, random puzzle pieces

ememem84 · 21/01/2020 13:03

Today - gym pants. I put them on this morning and realised they were see through. So they’ve been binned.

MotherWol · 21/01/2020 13:24

Such a good weekend of outs! Two books, a handbag, an iPod case, some lansinoh, a swimming costume and a pinboard, all passed on to people who actually want and will use them. Got a few things coming in - I'm starting swimming lessons, and I need some kit that actually works - but I feel like I've chosen it much more carefully so I'll actually like it and use it and not end up replacing it in a few months.

SandAndSea · 21/01/2020 13:25

Well done, Blue & em.

This thread is like that curled up tube of toothpaste, after someone's started a new tube. It feels wrong discarding it before we use it up properly.

SandAndSea · 21/01/2020 13:27

Well done, Mother! But, what's lansinoh?

StealthNinjaMum · 21/01/2020 13:50

sandandsea i love the toothpaste analogy.

Or maybe it’s like a moisturiser that I can’t bring myself to throw away, for sentimental reasons, even though I have a new better one. Think that explains my hoarding tendencies.....,

OP posts:
SandAndSea · 21/01/2020 14:16

Stealth - So, am I hoarding this thread? Or... trying to maximise the available resources?? Wink

(For some reason, this is reminding me of the IT Crowd, the one in which Jen warns everyone not to google Google.)

SandAndSea · 21/01/2020 14:17
SydneyCarton · 21/01/2020 14:27

SandAndSea Lansinoh is cream made from lanolin, you put it on sore nipples after breastfeeding

bluewaves What is rabbit hat????

SandAndSea · 21/01/2020 14:31

Thanks, Sydney.

IWillWearTheGreenWillow · 21/01/2020 14:39

Have we still not finished this thread? Grin. Sydney I suspect rabbit hat is a typo for rabbit hay... or I could be making that up.

Going to walk jewellery for donation up to the charity shop in a minute, I've not been out today except to walk the dog on the field and I'm going a bit mad.

SandAndSea · 21/01/2020 14:53

Hay!! Thanks, Willow. It seems obvious now.

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