Still throwing an item away a day – part 13

[StealthNinjaMum]

One of mumsnet's friendliest corners this is the 13th 'one item a day' thread to inspire and motivate a group of mumsnetters to declutter their houses, gardens and lives bit by bit, one step at a time.

Each day we get rid of just one item and report back. We’ve all got different challenges and problems and it keeps us going to discuss them and work through them together.

Newbies are welcome. It’s not just decluttering, join us in the chat about recycling, organisation, grumbles about hoarding family members and obviously our many successes.

Previous thread here.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3913755-The-decluttering-one-thing-a-day-thread-part-12?msgid=99387987

And for 2020 some of us are also aiming to get rid of 2020 items!

Wow, I love you guys, you are so helpful. I followed pollyannaperspective’s advice and used my largest roasting tin – usually I use quite a shallow tray and there was much less mess. Scared about taking it outside nanalisa60 as I’ve seen mice and rats in the garden but thank you for the suggestion.

So many newbies. Lovely to meet you!

theyareminerals I’m so sorry to hear about your cat. I hope MineralCat comes back.

Welcome, @Drowninginwashing & @Lamentations! Sorry about the cat, @TheyAreMinerals.

I've finally managed to get my piles to charity today - it was around 5 bags-4-life worth so it's great to have the space back again.

Today's item: 1 cushion cover.

Inaugural Chuck: a wooden cog toy of DS's with half the pieces missing

I took a break from the paperwork and did general kitchen sorting today. A couple of cookbooks which don't appeal into the charity bag.
Hellow further newbies!

My day 7 update.

Unpacking stuff from my mum’s house: Today I unpacked the china tea set that belonged to my grandmother, and made space for it to go in the kitchen cupboard.

Outs: While rearranging the cupboard to make space for the tea set, I found a pack of green tea with a best before date of 2018! It’s gone in the bin.

I also went through DD’s wardrobe and made space for all her new school uniform, bundled up stuff she’s outgrown to go to the schools uniform bank, and took photos of a couple of waterproof all-in-ones to put on a FB selling site at the weekend.

Oh no! Hope the cat comes back soon @TheyAreMinerals

I forgot I would be doing the school run again today so had the last minute stress of removing all the binbags and boxes of books from the back seat so the child had somewhere to sit. My charity shop drop off slot is not til later in the week.

I have not managed to declutter anything yet today so must go and have a poke about in some full-to-bursting drawers. I’m sure it won’t be too hard to find something to discard.

I took the takeaway containers to school and handed them over to a grateful food tech department. The next bag of them will go to the science department for practicals, and I do have another bagful lurking in the kitchen cupboards!! They must think we live on takeaways, but it's taken a few years to build this collection.

My next bag of clothes for charity is well on the way to being full. A couple of tops that don't fit any more (because they're too big for me now 😁) and some clothes that are too small for dd that missed the last cull by being in the wash basket.

I find it so helpful checking in on this chat! @TheyAreMinerals the fax machine made me smile! Love hearing about the random things other people keep as well.

Yesterday I gave a bag of towels to a friend, a coat to my friend's daughter and a load of library books my the kids' school went back in. I also sorted through my kids' wardrobes and chucked out stained summer clothes that will be too small next year and put aside any in good condition to ebay. I filled up almost an entire bin bag with clothes hangers. And I put a few more things that aren't selling on ebay into the charity bag.

We've got workmen in today so it's a bit difficult to do much but I sorted through a drawer and chucked out a notebook. Will try and do a blitz of an area later. I feel like I'm making progress getting rid of stuff but my house seems more disorganised than ever!

@MsAwesomeDragon Such a good idea to donate them to the food tech dept. I always feel guilty about just chucking stuff that could be useful to someone (probably why de cluttering takes me so long!) so it's good to get these ideas.

Finally listed some things on ebay, just within the £1 selling fees period. Only a couple, but it's a start...

One of my bad clutter habits of the past was buying a souvenir volume of manga whenever I went on holiday. It was a 'collection', sigh. So now I have about 10 random volumes in random languages and I have no idea what to do with something so niche. I don't want to bin them but I don't want to list them individually either. Two of them I don't even remember what language they're in....
Suggestions please!

Lots of helpful ideas for possible useful re-purposing of 'clutter'. Glumy are there any Manga societies that might have a use for your collection, possibly at universities?

A successful hour completing a dump visit (12 items), no longer prescribed medication to pharmacy for disposal (3 items) and a bag of DC too small clothes to the local charity shop (31 items).

Still haven't got the mugs cupboard sorted and have various other part completed tasks around the house - not that I am a procrastinator!
1569/2020

Glumy you could try listing them as a bundle on eBay? I'm sure there are lots of collectors keeping an eye out even for the random stuff.

Had been viewing the massive charity shop pile as a huge insurmountable task That required a car and a charity shop you can park near which was proving impossible but inspired by another poster, I decided to try to tackle it bit by bit so I took a bag for life of items into work with me Today and dropped them at a charity shop In the middle of town in my lunch break. It’s only a small dent in the pile but it included 7 pairs of kids shorts that I only decluttered yesterday because I decided there was no way they would fit next summer and they’ve left the house immediately.

I agree about the fax machine, that made me smile too. We still have a working video recorder.

picledlilly well done on the charity shop pile. It’s a bit like this thread, just do small things and they build up.

So bearing that in mind today I’m only getting rid of one thing – a cook book. It’s a big one and has just one recipe that I cook so will photocopy or scan it and get rid of the book.

@StealthNinjaMum i I just got rid of my video player/recorder. Now if someone would take the rest of the VHS cassettes!

Today I went through DS's secondary school binders and notebooks and put most of it into recycling bags. Accumulated about a ream of looseleaf paper. I did keep some of his English essays and Latin work. I found one enormous file of SOMEONE ELSE'S notes he had borrowed. She must be wondering where they've been SINCE 2008!

The builders brought down an old cast iron radiator that's been sitting in the attic for ten years. They were going to take it to the dump but I thought someone must want it, considering that a man rang the doorbell and asked for a rusty old pipe the guys had left in the front garden last week. I put it on Facebook and a guy is coming tomorrow!

I'm actually teleworking but I managed to sort the paper while listening to something online.

I agree that little and often feels much more manageable and much less daunting PickledLilly

My day 8 update:

Unpacking stuff from my mum’s house: I went back to a folder full of sentimental stuff (including letters and postcards I’d sent mum that she’d kept), and took out my original NHS card and my immunisations record, which I’ve put with my birth certificate. I also had a quick look through a box of letters from university (back in the days before email, never mind social media), which was funny and sweet. I already have a memory box with letters, so they can be added to the box.

Didn’t get rid of anything today, apart from putting some junk mail straight in the recycling.

Had a haircut today so that’s about 6 inches of hair decluttered!

Today's items:

Another cushion cover. (It should have gone yesterday but I bottled it because it's relatively new, but it doesn't look good anywhere so it's got to go.)
1 glasses cleaning cloth.
2 boxes and some packaging.

Yesterday: a library book that I found in DD's room. I'll blame lockdown but at least the book is back at the library now (they have bins for returning books although the library itself is appointment only).

Today I plan on sorting the DC's lockdown home school work and pictures. Even the good stuff males me feel really negative and drained about the whole experience so a lot will be recycled.

We have just got new cushions so will be joining SandandSea removing the old ones. Did have a bit of a a debate with DH as I wanted him to take to the tip for recycling and he wants to just put them in the bin! We need to do another tip run anyway.

We decluttered all the pictures and bits of paper from the front of the fridge last night which looks a lot better.

Also out two shoeboxes for nursery crafts.

I have realised that after 4 or 5 weeks of doing flylady she hasn’t suggested I do kids rooms and they’re probably the worst bit for me. So I have found 5 princess outfits that can go. I need to look for rapunzel and Anna and Elsa wigs to go with them. I’ve also found a StainedShirtThatWillNotBeCleaned that is a rag and an old swimming costume.

I am also intending to start putting stbexhs stuff from the utility room to garage. That might take a few weeks if I spend 5 or 10 minutes here and there sorting it out.

I've just been through my herbs and spices (inspired by a previous post on here) and have 12 going out. TWELVE!! The oldest was dated July 2008! Actually, that's just the oldest where the date was still visible, but you get the gist.

I also cleared the crumbs from the toaster, we must have some kind of hive mind . I'll put them on the garden next time, thanks Nanalisa. It must have been exciting to live in Manhatten.

Welcome to everyone new.

Out: some garden things haven't used in ten year and even brought in the house move.

Sandandsea I'm the same with the kitchen, I always find ancient things.

I've been reading through and I've realised I've missed welcoming quite a few new people. Sorry about that and a big welcome to all newbies!!