The decluttering one thing a day thread - part 12

[AlexTheLittleCat]

For StealthNinjaMum

We’re still here.

After 11 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/3799710-The-decluttering-on-thing-a-day-thread-part-11?pg=1

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

The book cull is done! I've closed my trades, got everything packed up and now I just have to find some paper that hasn't been drawn on to print the labels. I still have a box worth of unsold stuff to dispose of, and a signed book I shall put on Ebay. I'll be off for a bit as the house is in dire need of cleaning, but next week I'll hopefully get started on a new zone. My box room now has a tiny bit of space in it. Not enough to swing a cat, but perhaps a medium sized rodent

lol at lending my teenagers! It was more that I thought it was high time they learned to do it, and a reasonable way to ask DH to do some cleaning. Can't remember the last time we cleaned the cars which isn't great.

I have promised myself, and told DD, that I will write a jobs list this morning.

Welcome grasswillbegreener, can I be next in line to borrow the teenagers?

glumy I'm impressed you finished a zone and are moving on. I never finish anything but I'm feeling more motivated now.

jigolo I am now living in utter chaos as I struggle to declutter and clean at the same time. The canadian from the video a couple of pages ago said 'don't get stuff out if you can't deal with them now' and I need to follow that advice.

So this is day 4 of the utility room. I think I have found a website that will sell me some cut melamine mdf so I can put shelves up inside the tallest cupboard. This is where I miss my ex, it would be nice to have someone confirm my measurements are correct. I have chucked out lots of leftovers from ikea projects (the things that attach furniture together or to walls), screws, nuts, plastic things, instructions from an old washing machine. I have lots of tiny lightbulbs too which are probably from old xmas tree lights, they're going. There are a million tools so I need to go through those but I think I'll do that tomorrow and just do a bit of cleaning today.

Inspired by Stealth's efforts tidying the utility room, I decided to set to on ours. It is not very big, and mostly sorted. However, the cupboard shelf contents needed sorting so that stuff we are unlikely to need can go on the 'get the step ladder' top shelf rather than just being piled up on top of stuff I do use occasionally. This made space for bits that had been accumulating on the side waiting for a home.
Sorted the 'medicines/first aid' storage basket. We should be OK for winter coughs, colds, sore throats and any need for paracetamol!

Still found 10 items to declutter - one to charity bag, one to bin, rest are no longer required prescription medicines so they are ready to take to the pharmacy for disposal.
Thanks for the prompt, I had been meaning to get round to it for ages.

As I have the steps out now I may summon the enthusiasm to do the high shelf in the back lobby cupboard.
1349/2020

Finally had an out - a load of odd socks. I’ve kept a few (nicer, newer and less likely to be truly single) but must have got rid of 20+ between us all.

No other progress and we’ve had a nightmare trying to sort the Ikea order so can’t get our clothes fully sorted yet.

Well done Glumy must be very satisfying to declare and area done, haven’t really managed that as yet. Declaring a drawer or shelf done is satisfying but not quite the same 🤣 My big news the wardrobe sort out now means that I have space for gym and swim gear in one of the inbuilt drawers. This means it will no longer be stored in a heap on the floor or a heap on the chair in the bay window of doom. This does feel like a big step forward.

DS has successfully sorted (discs all wiped/removed) the 3 old laptops and they have now been passed to a local computer repairer that will either pass on to a charity for re-use or to another for scrap.
Following a work call I can also send back in to the office some items that DH would have taken post our holiday but are still languishing here due to his isolating/broken leg. Counting that as 6 more outs.

Um, thanks everyone but I seem to have been misleading . I finished the books but the box room is by no means done. However I'm moving onto sorting diy stuff as that feels more urgent (and is currently all over the place including the box room). Having got rid of a load of cardboard boxes does feel good though, and it's fantastic to have a bit of space in the box room.

Still great progress though glumy!

I think we are solving a few storage problems now. We’ve found a wardrobe type thing that should suit our needs, and a trolley that will fit in two awkward spaces - main bathroom (for loo rolls etc) and in a really narrow space in the kitchen which we can then use for potatoes and onions so they are actually visible and less likely to be forgotten long enough to grow new life forms :o

I also have realised that this house really does have a lot of storage space possibilities - when we have finished decluttering. We have a big airing cupboard upstairs and an oddly long and narrow cupboard downstairs - once we’ve got the clutter sorted I reckon we can have some pretty neat solutions in those and create more space in the living areas.

We already have two tall trofasts in the long cupboard - when we moved in this was a “club station” with everything the DCs needed for their activities like dance shoes. But then DH stopped working and took over the evening club runs and it fell out of use, and when DSD moved in for a while we put a lot of our stuff in there and haven’t got round to sorting it out yet despite her moving to her new flat in April 😳 so I think the trays are actually virtually empty. And while we could certainly use some space for club stuff (eg DS doesn’t really have space in his tiny trofast for his dobok 🥋) I think with all the Covid changes and them changing activities we don’t need as much space. I was thinking though that we could use some of the drawers to keep all the tuff tray supplies in - out of the toddler’s way but easy for us. The airing cupboard could store all manner of things - the top shelf is plenty big enough for spare bedding (might get some baskets but they are currently in our bedrooms instead) so other stuff could go in that cupboard. Sorry I’m waffling. I’m quite enjoying thinking about these things, because it makes me feel positive about being able to be sorted. Like I can actually visualise a better, less cluttered house!

Meg thank you for mentioning that book! I’ve used a spare audible credit on it :)

Oh and gassy I hear you on the gym kit problem! I have my stuff in my trousers drawer currently. When I first joined the leisure centre early last year, my plan was to put my gym stuff straight back in the bag (in the long cupboard actually :o we have coat hooks in there), but there’s no point in that now - we are encouraged to go ready dressed, and I also like to wear my stuff if I’m working out at home, so it makes more sense to get straight into them in the morning. The new clothes storage has lots of drawers so I could use one for that, and there are shelves so I will be able to use one for my (small) weights.

Think I might give that book a go too thanks Meg - not to be confused with “All that remains” which is also an excellent read by Prof Black anatomist and forensic anthropologist! Can’t believe you are still without charity shops such a waste if you do have to dump it all. Quite a few folks locally have been leaving stuff like plastic toys out with a help yourself note. Stuff seems to shift

Nine board books and lift-the-flap books are going onto "outgrown" toy shelf. Will cull later.

Nine unloved Puddle Lanes for sale or donation.

I brought an old printer to the recycling centre today. It was taking up space and I had sort of stopped seeing it if that makes sense. I made a detour and dropped it off today - it was simple to do so not sure why I put it off.

gassylady our charity shops are still a bit restricted, I am lucky to have donated about six bags of stuff but my clothes donations are now mainly going into clothes banks when they're not full up.

Today was a housework day. I'm feeling despondent about the utility room. A lot of it is my stbexh's and I said I wouldn't throw it away but it's all clutter. His flat is too small for all his clutter. Anyway I couldn't work out how to do an online order to have new chipboard shelves cut so I might take dc shopping tomorrow to a wood merchants.

Putting washing away just now I decided to get rid of an old dress, cardigan and scarf. My wardrobe is looking so uncluttered it's awesome.

I forgot to say I sold a big toy today and the woman collected it! I love these days when stuff actually leaves the house.

Meg that is more tricky sympathies. Elenor I know exactly what you mean about stopping seeing things i have several things/areas just like that 🙄 Stealth would he consider paying for a self storage unit so his clutter wasn’t in your way?

Also struggling to get charity stuff out of the door, our local one is accepting donations but only first thing on a few days so I've not managed to fit in. Have you tried second hand bookshops Jigolo?

Clutter that isn't yours is the most annoying type I find Stealth, must be even worse when the owner doesn't even live there!

Sing sounds like you are coming up with some great ideas. Like the sound of the trolleys.

My only out yesterday was an empty and broken CD case. Tackling the fridge today as we're about to go away for a few days.

gassylady he wouldn't agree to pay for self storage. I don't want an argument so might just put all his stuff in my loft which is fairly empty. That would still annoy me but I suppose you have to compromise sometimes.

singtothesky that trolley idea is inspiring. I have been thinking of buying a bathroom cabinet as our main bathroom doesn't have storage but I might buy a trolley and then it doesn't require me to do any diy. I'm decluttering that bathroom as part of flylady but everything is useful it is just on the window ledge looking messy.

Welcome claireyjs, grasswillbegreener and gobbolinothewitchescat

Stealth You are doing so well with Flylady! I haven't looked at this week's, being doing more decorating around small child wrangling. I have been sorting random drawers like the Secret Slob videos. One of my little ones loves them, she cuddles up on my lap and wants to watch "tidying videos" whilst we eat biscuits. I agree that Flylad probably doesn't have a room of doom.

Develsko I have a shed of doom (I tidy it and it fills up by magic as it is not big enough) and a loft of doom too.

LittleMissDareDevil Congratulations on your little one, it's a lot to declutter with a baby.

Flylad . Maybe that's the male version?!

I too have the same issue with cleaning and decluttering - it's either clean and cluttered, or messy and decluttered, it's never both.

I made my first trip to the charity shop last week to donate clothes that I had folded and saved during lockdown. I was just about to unload the largest bag when I realised it was a duvet which I was getting rid of as we converted the spare room into a bedroom for DS. Now I don’t know where to put it as it is not accepted by charities or recycling. I might try animal rescue.

Have managed to finish the back lobby cupboard and have some vases that are in the charity shop box along with some shirts and games - off to the very local recently re-opened shop as today is their drop off day.
Also sorted my files for work projects and papers now shredded and I am on my way to being ready for the academic year, just need to finish the digital declutter of e-mails.
On the downside, delivery of DH office boxes arrived and are now in the garage. Positively, there is only one part filled box of papers and maybe 6 wrapped framed pictures, so much better than the many crates I had anticipated. DH says he will go through this at the weekend.
1379/2020