The decluttering on thing a day thread - part 11

[StealthNinjaMum]

We’re still here.

After 10 threads my house still isn't tidy!

So join me and a lovely group of mumsnetters who simply get rid of one thing a day and report back. Gradually we’re developing good habits, reorganising ourselves, often improving our mental health and having friendly chatter along the way.

So newbies are welcome, just check in with your news and join in the general chat about recycling, organisation and housework.

Previous thread here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3760076-Decluttering-one-thing-a-day-part-10-the-countdown-to-a-clutter-free-Christmas?pg=1

ALSO many of us have set a target to get rid of 2020 items this year and will report on that.

Decluttering is even better when you sell stuff and make money! I’ve already made £30 and have some people interested in a few more things.

I’ve also been through most of my books and put a few that I no longer want on the charity shop pile.

I’m still in two minds about what to do with my DVDs - we never watch them but some of them are random old films I really love and might want to revisit again one day?

Carrier bag full of general crap in the bin. My old work coat and one pair of DH’s trousers that have torn through the crotch. I’ve put 3 x manky pillows and one manky old washing basket in the car to take to the tip. I have have to sneak manky and broken old stuff out when DH isn’t there otherwise I get the don’t throw it out we can keep the manky pillow in case we have guests speech (we don’t have a spare room and we have spare non-manky pillows and a duvet)

Not much achieved this weekend. Another item listed on eBay, and the bathroom shelves cleared of nearly empty or long opened stuff. Odd and outgrown socks cleared from DDs chest of drawers. Plus made a banana cake so that got rid of overripe bananas, and the dregs of a flour packet.

Fell off the thread a bit, sorry! Studying part-time is taking every nanosecond of brain time I have. No big
tidying progress here, but a few things are sort of coming together now. Think I might be done with clothes, though I have a few things on the banister to leave there for a few months while they fester enshrouded in guilt think about passing on.

Four pairs of laddered tights
One pair of jeans
One more handcream

So 244/2020 so far

...and one fence panel thanks to the storm! Nothing else damaged either side so that's not too bad.

We keep DVds in folders, so they don't take up that much space. Our collection is massive, but fits on one shelf of our bookcase.

More outs today:

• DP's old phone (aka his 'torch').
• My best old phone with its case and cable. I decided it's not worth trying to sell it.
• A newish make-up bag.
• A couple of leaflets.

It seems like as the decluttering continues, it gets easier to ditch things I’d been unsure about at the beginning. Today’s outs: a pair of DH’s worn out shoes, a calculator and a digital camera that no longer works. Bit annoyed that one of the Freecyclers didn’t show up, but have relisted the high chair for someone else.

Seem to have spent most of today rearranging the furniture. Need to dump some bits in the loft soon. DC2 is now in the cot bed in the main bedroom. I still have some work to do there but I'm hoping to finish my part next week. The kitchen is a mess and is next on the list. Today's out is a shampoo bottle (as I have about a year's worth hoarded this is an out), a bath bomb I've been saving for 2 years, a bottle of inherited shower cleaner - tried it, don't like it won't replace, and my old car (replaced.so doesn't count).

And on a similar note to the bags - can I urge everyone to use your toiletries? I have recently binned so many tubes of things that were so old, the plastic had split! Tonight's was a foot scrub that split as I used the last of it up. I have another two I'm the cupboard.

I've finally copied and cleared the personal files from my old laptop. I've just got to take out the hard drive and then it too is going for recycling.

Outs:
2 booklets which came with it.

I've also placed another ad.

Hi I’ve lurked for a while now but thought I would join in. I’ve spent the weekend sorting out some of my craft bits. Found a few knitting projects that i have nearly finished so my aim is to get some projects finished this year.

I also have loads of body lotion and hand lotion so I am trying to get this all used up his year to as that would free up a drawer.

Dh has been building a cupboard in ds room in the eves so everything that was in there has come out and a few bits have been binned.

He’s also been in the loft and got some bits down to sell including a side table. I have a box in my ca too take to charity shop tomorrow (it’s been hanging around for a year!)

Once ds’s Cupboard is done and the selling/charity shop bits are gone from the spare room I want to empty the eves cupboard in there and sort it all out.

I cleared the freezer out hunting for something that wasn't actually in there...and found four packs of fish fingers. Must remember not to buy them again

Fairly productive week-end: one bag for the bin and three for the charity shop. The latter included what looked like 345788998765 coat-hangers...am I the only one who seems to accumulate a ridiculous number of them?

I'm a bit "!!!" at what I've just unearthed in my small house. It's hard to believe that, after all the years of decluttering, I've only just seen all this. I knew the box was there but I honestly thought it had some potentially useful things in it. I can only guess that this is how I saw it a few years ago - more proof (as many of us on here have found) of how much I've changed through the decluttering process. What once seemed 'useful' to me, now looks like pure clutter.

The following filled a box, roughly equal to a kallax cube.

Outs:

10 'like new' CD-RW disc cases in a similarly new looking box. (I kept them in pristine condition for years, despite being empty!!)
11 empty DVD cases.
10 floppy discs - mostly with old software from a PC I got rid of about 10 years ago.
4 various sized DVD 'donut' holders. (Enough for about 110 DVDs.)
3 wallets/envelopes.
1 random CD.
1 box with lid.

There are quite a few more floppy discs in 2 holders which I want to go through before I let them go.

Welcome to all the new people! Rain - So sorry to read that about your mum.

@Keiki I’m on a bit of a toiletries mission and have been using body (and face on my body) scrubs up over the last week - think I’ve used up 3 small miniatures and am now working my way through body lotions and butters that have been around a while.. I’ve taken up swimming so I need them more than I used to but I really like the m and s beauty advent calendar - I didn’t get one last year so have decided that if I’ve work through a load of stuff I will reward myself with asking my mum for it for my birthday in November..

Also went on a hunt in our freezer for something and binned a couple of dodgy looking items in the bottom and have a few things to work our way through..

I feel like my momentum is slowing but I'm determined to keep going! Did a bit if decluttering in utility room today.

Anyone know what to do with old plates etc? They're not a set or anything, just odds and ends from uni days (so also very cheap!). Some are chipped. It seems they can't be recycled.. I don't know whether charity shops will take them if chipped?

I don’t think charity shops would be able to sell chipped plates. Odd bits should be fine.

What do people do with dc’s outgrown swimsuits? I don’t suppose people want to buy used swimwear but it could go in charity rag bag maybe.

I've just put old swimsuits in the textile recycling.
Not achieved much today well I did some cleaning. All this using stuff up has meant the recycling box is full with no room for more so I can't even get all the recycling out!

halcyon - Yeah, I think I'd give them to charity, unless your school has a jumble sale coming up or something like that?

I had a long wait in the car this afternoon so I've cleared out both my car and handbag. I also had time to get rid of a load of coppers in the supermarket, do a charity shop run, file my nails, sort my diary and eat a load of satsumas!

Outs:
A mini-mountain of receipts, tissues and melted sweets.
1 used-up cheque book.
3 cafe cards I don't seem to benefit from.
3 train tickets.
3 business cards.
1 rail ticket wallet.
1 ood voucher.

Trip to the dump with box of rubbish. Dead batteries also disposed of in supermarket as forgot at the dump.
Starting to declutter the indoor freezer - two chicken breasts, left over take away curry, onion bahjias and a naan bread. More menu planning needed to make more of a dent.
Finally, got on top of one of my volunteering roles. All paperwork filed. Electronic docs stored and draft docs prepared for the next meeting. File put away.

Hope to get loft boarded in the next few months so will start to bring items down and sorted so there is less to go back. It also means I can get rid of some v large cases that currently straddle the rafters to form a base for a jenga like stack of the rest of our cases.

Gave up hope of feeding the dry bread to the ducks. It's been in the kitchen for 3 weeks and I keep forgetting to take it out with us. Now binned. Also went through the entire kitchen bowl of cheap and binned a small handful of items. Then put away my orchid flower pots under the sink, and sorted out 3 in the process - one for the bin (cracked), and one for charity.

Argh autocorrect- cheap = random tut, 3=2.

Had 5 days off due to holiday. Back on it yesterday--threw away a tube of ibuprofen gel 12 years out of date. We moved here 6 years ago! Lordy.