Decluttering one item a day (and having nowhere to put it!) – thread number 16

[stealthninjamum]

Once again this tireless group of mumsnetters are decluttering our houses by getting rid of one item a day. Of course this year I’m just piling the stuff behind the settee because the charity shops are all closed but luckily noone’s allowed to visit me to see my clutter mountain.

This is an accountability and general chatter thread and newbies and old hands are always welcome to join in the conversation while we keep working on our houses making them clearer, organised, and clutter free.

This year some of us are trying to get rid of 2021 items and some of us are working through the Toss app that tells us what to get rid of each day. Then we report back on the thread with an update.

Previous thread here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/4105255-The-countdown-to-Christmas-but-still-decluttering-one-item-a-day-Thread-number-15?pg=1

@FatLadySang

A late night and early morning flurry means 4 dc clothes out tonight and a pair of shoes on Vinted already in the Hermes system thanks to morning walk. Have to say I’ve found the vinted app much better than marketplace for clothes and I like that they pay postage and you get a label. Just have to remember to factor packaging into the price.

Unless it's something breakable mine all go in carrier bags / plastic tray liners or the odd recycled Amazon box. I started off using proper envelopes etc and realised it was nonsense.

@Hagqueen well done on getting on top of your finances.

@nocutsnobuttsnococonuts well done of tackling the letters. As scary as it is, if you speak to them, lots of companies will accept a lower minimum payment in return for blocking the card and a guaranteed payment.

Omg I just looked at that teddy bear place. I don't know if I want to raid the kids toy stash or buy a new family!!

Dud you say Cthulhu wearing Big Bang t-shirts @SleepingStandingUp ? They sound funny! We have a Cthulhu fez that guards the bookshelves

2021 day 58 update: One dress put in the charity bag - it has 3/4 length sleeves, which I don’t like, so I rarely wear it.

I also took one full bag of clothes to the clothes bank - counted them as ‘outs’ earlier in the year, but it’s good to get the bag out of my bedroom. Might try to take another one tomorrow.

Yes Ellie, DHs best friend drew them for DS . Bazinga t-shirts to be exact 🤣

333: some more coat-hangers out as they're chunky and we have little space.

334: I have a ton of postcards but randomly found another pile so I've kept one for each place and chucked a dozen or so

SleepingStandingUp that's excellent news about the washing machine! What a relief for you.

I haven't done much decluttering over the last two days. Here's what's left the house:

• a decent bolt of fabric someone took as they'll make cushion covers for themselves from it. It's been hanging around for 5-6 years so I'm happy it'll be used.
• a pair of expensive joggers that were so uncomfortable I decided regardless of the cost I just can't keep them.
• a nice shirt and a tshirt
• a large label from a top bought last year
• a reusable bag (went out with the fabric!)

I'm at 377 items out so far.

Six items in two days doesn't quite meet my goal, but I'll make excuses like I've been busy and it's getting harder as I realise a lot of the clutter doesn't belong to me, so it's hard for me to do anything about that. The place is looking much better, though.

335: I've consolidated and used up the end of a bottle of toilet cleaner so two bottles out, same for shower gel so I've bottle out and I've used up the last of a shampoo so one bottle out. We're still a bit over run from lockdown. Also used a travel toothpaste and realised one had gone off so two tiny tubes out.

Thanks lazy. I think it does get harder as you go so don't be hard on yourself, the fact it looks better is great and ultimately it's the goal

Oooh finished a hand cream - 250ml hand food soap and glory one in a pump bottle. Had to resort to using it up as a body moisturiser.

Also ditched purple conditioner which was almost gone.

DS is making bread, I'm making soup.
He has used 2 elderly sachets of ready yeast (BBF 2013 & 2018). And some mixed herbs i suspect date from 1998. I hope to use up garam masala of unknown vintage.

It's been beautiful weather this weekend so we've been making the most of it the garden. I have decluttered a load of dead branches, tons of ivy and about 25 metres of nettle roots! You can't see much progress though.

Also decluttered some of DS's hair, much to his disgust!

I got sick of DD's drawers aways being open with clothes spilling everywhere so I have sneakily removed a few borderline outgrown things plus a few more that do fit but she never wears. We have a few people who seem to have an unfortunate knack of buying her expensive clothes that she doesn't like. I should look at Vinted as some still have tags on.

Hope the bread today OK lijkk and that you are enjoying your new washing machine Sleeping .

lljkk I hope the bread turned out well. I will eat many things but would assume that yeast that went off 2013 wouldn’t work so I’d love to know how it’s turned out.

As I mentioned the other day it’s getting harder to declutter as I tidy. I have had a good day hoovering, moving furniture around etc and only found a few bits of paper to go and some antiseptic wipes that had dried out. I can’t wait for dc to go back to school so I can really sort out the Room of Doom.

Tackled the kitchen dumping area. Not much 'out' but stuff redistributed to correct homes, various packs of batteries consolidated (we had 3 open packs of AAA batteries for example) and some paperwork will go with DH to work tomorrow for the shredder.
Are we the only people who have keys that we aren't sure what for, but can't get rid of in case they are important?

Gone through the 2-3 year clothes for the fat twins - mix of DSs, nephew's, friends kids and a few bits I've brought. Just taken out bits that aren't good condition, not to my style etc so
336: small pile of clothes for charity shop
337: small pile of clothes to sell
338: some tiny school clothes to give to friend as mine won't qualify for nursery until 3

Now trying to not but much on Vinted....

The bread is fantastic, actually. Moister than DS's last effort. DS did use double recommended number of ready-yeast sachets. The ancient mixed herbs seem to have provided just right mix of other nice flavours.

The garam masala I added to my soup, finishing off the jar, the jar had.... ... BBF date of 1996. I reckon it's been through at least 6 house moves with me. And that soup turned out ok, too, in spite of stock cube with BBF 2018.

I am enthusiastically burning old wood in stove now.

Day 171: yesterday
Emails and photos
Long piece of wood to MIL's garage.

Day 172: today
Photos and emails
Two children's books to pass on

Mentally stripping the attic out for the next session up there.

We made carrot cake today. Yum. Ds (3) didn’t believe me that you put carrots in cake. So I showed him.

Sorted out books and a few toys and spare clothes to grandmas today. So that’ll go tomorrow.

V close to decluttering dh today. But have been ever so kind.

Bras broken. So that’s going.

339: Easter bonnet from previous year of kept. DS played with it and now it's broke so it's in the bin.

lljkk good going with the cooking, sounds lush and em I love carrot cake, I'm well jealous.

Broken toy stethoscope, a handful of kinder egg toys and a duplo instruction Manual from Christmas. Binned.

2021 day 59 update:

• Pair of knickers into textile recycling bag as they have torn.
• Second bag of clothes taken to clothing bank (already counted as decluttered, but nice to have the space).
• Moved a box of padded envelopes and a box of packaging from the toy cupboard into the understairs cupboard, so DD has more space in there for her toys.

I won’t mention the state of the overcrowded cupboard under the stairs It will be sorted eventually.

@EllieQ I find that I move stuff around the house and generally goes into the under stairs cupboard or garage. Then I spend a day sorting that space out. But at least I can close doors on it....

I’ve realises yesterday - the weather has had such an impact on my mental health and ability to tackle mess and clutter. I had never considered myself to be the one impacted but I truly am!

I feel like a foot has come off my chest with the sun’s arrival. It feels so lovely and motivating.

This morning, I decluttered a door mat shredded by the dog and gets dragged around the house (common theme here with an older puppy here!), a pair of threadbare knickers and gathered all the little bits of things that need to go upstairs in a bag so that in my break later this morning, I will put them away.

A bit of a one step forward two steps back weekend.

DC room cleared for re-furb to start this morning. So lots of stuff now added to Room of Doom (door very much closed!). I am considering this re-furb part of a long term project. I will be able to put furniture back in DC room but will need their input to de-clutter stuff before it goes back in to the room, or possibly out to the shed where they can set up the hobby items. DC won't be back until June so I will work around their stuff to continue on the Room of Doom.
More positively, most of the other rooms in the house are now sorted. DH on holiday next week and I am planning some gentle de-cluttering involving him - two drawers of cables and some sundry 'IT' items untouched for years.

@SleepingStandingUp - great news on the washing machine front...

@hagqueen - Me too! I have had a renewed vigour over the past few days. I actually did what I said in my last update and sorted out paperwork on Thursday night. I put a 4-6 inch pile in the recycling bin along with some shredding for pickup on Friday. I continued with this clearout over the weekend and now have another large pile to go out, plus a bag of shredded paper. Most of what I have gone through so far is financial. I am collecting it together in card wallets, one for each account or type of service, and still hope to scan a lot of the older stuff before finally disposing of it. However, I seem to have mislaid 3-4 years' worth and am racking my brains to work out where it could be. I searched in a few places this morning, but have had no luck so far. It is beginning to look like I have another storage box sitting... somewhere. Sigh!

On Saturday I spent part of the afternoon in the garden. We have now cut down some elder bushes which had sneakily got established and become small trees. I have 4 large garden bags ready to go to the recycling site tomorrow. (I was unable to get an appointment for Sunday.) There are still some of the bigger branches lying in a pile to cut up and I hope to dig down and round the roots before cutting through them. Let's hope this dry, sunny weather continues!

On Sunday I got rid of my two bags in the car at the Salvation Army collection bins at Tesco. I also took a couple of items in for the Food Bank collection there. One was a toiletry set which has been sitting on DP's chest of drawers for years. He at last admitted he probably wasn't going to use it. It is shower gel and spray deodorant, so I don't think they will have gone off!

At this pace I really need to update more frequently.

@PurpleFrog right?? I feel like its a revelation!! I think I do OK til Christmas as I love the holiday and the run up, but Next year I am so going to prepare for the blues in Jan/Feb.

I’ve just gone on my lunch so going to get the wash on the line, whip around the downstairs to today up, my dining table is a shitstorm!

Todays outs so far:

pair of pants which have seen better days (and keep riding up in all places..)
pair of DDS trousers which have holes in the bum .