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.

No decluttering here yesterday but I did do a couple of sewing jobs that have been hanging around for a while- do that's a jacket and jumper fixed. Finally caught up with hoovering too so feeling positive.

Managed to get rid of a few knick-knacks from my kitchen shelf yesterday that didn’t particularly “spark joy”. Again, they were only small items but it was satisfying none the less!

I also chucked out a few jars of food that were months out of date!

I did do a couple of sewing jobs that have been hanging around for a while- do that's a jacket and jumper fixed.

It’s such a good feeling when you finally finish a job you’ve been meaning to do for ages!

Yes, I'm not big on sewing so its a really satisfying! Also, due to recent decluttering and tidying, my sewing basket went away again this morning rather than standing around for weeks!

I'm back! It's been so long since I've been on here that the thread slipped off the 'threads I'm on' list.

I've been really slowly decluttering, not that you'd notice - the usual things like receipts, broken pens (we have loads of old biros), some children's trousers with holes in them. I don't know if I mentioned when I was last on that I was so determined to do my bedroom that I ended up opening all the homeless stuff into a big ikea bag and taking them down to the Room of Doom and I've been slowly shredding old papers and loyalty cards. It's nice to know that half of my drawers in my bedroom are empty and my clothes are relatively organised but the surfaces are still full of clutter because the dc keep bringing stuff in like pictures for me and children's books they think I'd like to read.

I've also been using up old shampoos and conditioners as I read somewhere you can put them on your legs before you shave them.

vinorosso74 which charities take stamps? I might put it on the next thread second post. I tend to shred all envelopes but it wouldn't hurt to remove the stamps first.

Phew! I have caught up.

Reastie what did you do with the vases in the end?

Rainallnight you asked about whether we do by area or type of stuff. For me it's a mish mash which is why I never finish anything. There's a thread joke about the tidy up tetris whereby you clear an area but move half the stuff somewhere else and then move the stuff that was there... I think you find 'stuff' as you go. I used to have stationery in multiple places and stuff like scissors, wrapping paper, selotape all over the place so by doing areas I've learnt what I own and gradually grouped it all together, the best bit is I don't buy more as I know what I own.

purplefrog that was a good update - perhaps we should all buy new carpet as an incentive to help with the decluttering!

desertislandpenguin does your council have a section on waste recycling on their website? In my area I used to take paint to the local dump but they changed that. Now we're expected to put sand into it and to put it into our normal rubbish which feels like a backward step. I had a friend who had a skip last summer so she let me put some old paint in there, she thought it was going to be recycled or safely disposed of somehow. Alternatively you could go on youtube for art
tutorials, maybe create an abstract on a canvas? (That's the sort of thing I'd love to do but I'm not very creative).

StealthNinjaMum I cannot find the bloomin' website which gave me a list! Google isn't helping at all.
There were a few: RNIB, PDSA, Parkinson's Disease Society were some I recall. There are some smaller charities too. I did have to check the postal address to send them to via the charity website.

Stealth - I'm not sure I could recommend it with all the stress involved!

However, I am amazed how clean and bright the rooms are now. The carpet is lighter in colour, but perhaps it is because I cleaned all the light fittings! I also got into all the corners with a duster and washed all the skirting etc..

Some time soon I have to go through it all again with the hall, stairs and landing. However, there are only 2 bits of proper furniture there - a bookcase and a DVD unit, neither of which are particularly big or heavy. Although there is a lot of other clutter, most of it is already in boxes or crates, so it won't take too long to shift.

Last night I went through the crate of paperwork that came out of the ‘hanging file’ section of our big Ikea unit in the living room. I got through about 90% of it. This time I hope to properly label the completed sections, so things can be found easily. I have neatly filed current insurance documents, dog vaccination cards etc.. I threw out the instructions for our old TV, cooker, fridge, kettle and boiler. I was positive I had been through all these recently. I also threw out a lot of old leaflets from the DVLA and passport office.

What do you all do with old passports? I have just put these aside just now. I know I have some others somewhere.

I am another one who has a big bag of stamps collected for Charity. I am trying to avoid paying postage to donate it somewhere.

www.rnib.org.uk/donations-and-fundraising/fundraising-your-community/stamps-appeal
PurpleFrog the RNIB will send out prepaid envelopes. It's a shame charity shops don't have collection points for them.

Had a sick day today as I’ve got a bad cold, but managed to do a bit of cleaning so the drowning in filth feeling has eased off a bit. One thing out today: finished up a tub of body butter! It took ages as I rarely use the stuff, so I don’t need to replace it.

I've done a load of cleaning and tidying today. I even vacuumed and dusted the stairs which I almost never do. I'm also on top of the washing. (This is news I can't share with anyone else.)

Outs:
3 leaflets I'd been keeping.
A fancy oil bottle.
An old cheque book.
A magazine.

Thank you for the information on stamps, it’s such a nice thing to do to give them to a charity.

purplefrog I have a fireproof box for important documents in my loft and that includes birth certificates, passports, driving license, exam certificates. I have all my passports - about 5 I think - and they don’t take up any space. I don’t know why I keep them.

I still need to get one of those boxes, Stealth.

Another 3 outs tonight, including a clothes brush and roller - not the first I have thrown out. I really don't know how I came to have so many of them.

Rain - Sorry to read that about your mum. Hope she feels better very soon.

Purple & Stealth - I've also kept all my old passports, but I really don't know why. I think I will consider getting rid of them.

Out: a store card and a key fob.

How do charities make money from used stamps? Does anyone know?

@SandAndSea as far as I am aware charities sell the stamps to a third party who sort and package them for sale to stamp collectors. I’ve seen charities saying that they get £20 per kilo.

I know Oxfam take stamp albums and collections and they sell some directly on their website. I have a couple of old stamp albums , but they are not taking up much space. Once I get rid of more big things I intend to see about eBaying some stamps, but that will require quite a bit of research first.

I have stalled on the decluttering, while trying to just keep the house ticking over. It is much easier to clean and tidy the rooms I've decluttered, but the utility room has silted up with things waiting to go out, again. And DH has been looking for documents like his degree certificate for his new job, so the study is covered in boxes again 🤨🙄.

DH is on gardening leave for the next 3 weeks, so I'm hopeful he might deal with some of his stuff. I can't power this all on my own!

Stealth, I need a fireproof box like that; it's on my list but we've not got there yet.

This week I'm hoping to get to the bottom 2 drawers of the big filing cabinet which haven't been sorted since before DS1 (now nearly 19) was born... And I need to rootle through the drawers in my desk again. It's a victorian lady's bureau, so has three drawers below the fold down desk bit that I have a nasty tendency to just Shove Stuff Into. Ideally, I want to go paperless, but I need to keep some stuff on paper for clients, and that doesn't lend itself to drawers very easily!

@sandandsea in the ‘olden days’ passports got filled with stamps and Visas and so had memories. Of course most of my recent holidays were in Europe so my passports are boringly blank. I suppose when I get them out once or twice a year it’s a little bit of nostalgia.

Hmmm... you haven't convinced me to throw away my old passports yet. I have two burgundy ones from this week's sort-out, and a blue one lurking somewhere else. As far as I remember I have a US visa in the blue one, and some stamps from Tunisia in one of the others, but I think that must be the extent of my exotic travels. Maybe with Brexit passports will get interesting once more!

I have all my old passports which I think I'll keep.
Started clearing the stuff on top of bedroom cupboard so have decluttered a lot of dust! About to (finally) order storage trunk. I found a Rubik's cube still in packaging which I'll let DD have. Also discovered some of those Ikea wooden small drawers which I'm unsure whether to keep or not, we have some white eggshell paint which could make them look good again and be useful for storage but do I need them? Some old bedding to go in dust sheet bag.

@Stealth - I haven't got many stamps in mine. I'm sentimental about the photos though. Years ago, passport photos were the best photos of me (after several goes, with make-up and pouffed up hair).

I am pleased I took a massive bag to the charity shop. It's given me the motivation to tackle a bit more of the house.

I love reading all your updates, it's so inspiring!

@SandAndSea That's great. Has anyone managed to do Marie Kondo with little children in the house? I like the idea of categories as I think it may help me get rid of more? But not sure I have time to do them all in one go.

Stuff taken to the tip and a few more things sold on ebay.