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

I'd like to join if I may. :)

Today i cleared 3 drawers of DC clothes. One of my DCs has severe sensory processing issues and so we have loads of clothes he has never worn (or grown out of) because he cannot cope with the textures.

I have put them all in a wash (although some are literally unworn) and will dry and iron then try and sell them as a bundle on facebook.

I was thinking of £1 per item. They are pristine entirely. Does that seem reasonable? I have never done this before!!

8 receipts Tossed. Rather more than I was expecting as almost all shopping is online now, and one was a car park ticket, but every little helps.

DD2 has decluttered a front tooth- taken out by dentist as it had a few knocks over the last couple of months and the root had died. Fortunately it’s a baby tooth so she’ll get a new one but she currently has a huge witchy gap and it looks a bit gruesome on a small four year old

alexthelittlecat not sure if you’ve been keeping up with the thread but I’m sure you’re sixth person to get rid of a calpol syringe this year.

I ended up getting rid of about 12 things from bathroom cabinets. They included bags, rings, an electric razor manual, an out of date eczema cream, nail transfer things, a sparkly nail kit and I moved stuff dds don’t want to my bathroom like shower gels, more body lotions as they won’t use them.

Welcome gooutsideandplay that sounds like a good start. Bundles of clothes probably are better than selling individual items but wouldn’t know the price, I would look on eBay or Facebook to see what others are sold as.

2 lipsticks in (the style and beauty lipstick thread proved too tempting), but also decided to get rid of my silicone and plastic kitchen utensils - that will be 6 or 7 larger items so I don’t feel so bad.

I also cleared out lots of manky fridge stuff.

@Iceisnice sometimes I take the credit here on behalf of my husband. He likes to randomly sort things at inappropriate times like when we are just about to leave the house or when we have a newborn.

Day 142:
Two cook books listed on freecycle
Photos and emails.
One empty medicine bottle
Glass jars and toilet roll tubes... some of you will know this is a big thing for me as I think as long as I have a stash of jars and tubes I can face any apocalyptic threat. But enough enough now.

@GoOutsideAndPlay welcome. I second the idea of bundles. I normally sell them at £5 so it's cheap for people

@footprintsintheslow ha ha ha. Totally ok to take the credit, you are the inspiration for your DH! My DH takes 2x as long to leave the house as me and the 2 DD, no idea why but I would love it if it was due to decluttering... maybe one day!
Well the day started really unproductive partly due to being awake at 3am, I came downstairs at 4.30 and organised my next online grocery order so at least the insomnia was somewhat productive! I have almost finished organising and decluttering the kids toys. Have half a bin bag of stuff that is not played with and as we are having the constant refusal to pick up from eldest DD so naturally youngest DD is copying I have decided to donate to the charity shop when they are open.

Meant to add that I still have to go through cuddly toys, will probably attempt that tomorrow with DH help.

Gosh, six pages into the new thread already!
It's going slowly here. Been distracted by the boiler breaking down but thankfully repaired today and the house is warming up. It's been at 7 degrees for the last few days brrrr.
I've got rid of some magazines and junk mail and sorted a box of DVDs for MusicMagpie but can't get to the post office until Saturday. Threw away some more treats that fussy dog didn't like and a used up reed diffuser. I found some children's clothes in the car boot which must have been spares from my childminding days so they can go in the charity bag. That's about it but at least it's something I suppose.

Stealth I did remember reading about the calpol syringes when I got rid of mine! We must all have houses full of old calpol syringes. I also threw away two baby vitamin spoons as I had four...

No more outs, just a quick tidy in the Room of Doom (sandandsea I found more cardboard boxes) and fixed my oven gloves instead of buying new ones.

KateF Glad your boiler is fixed. iceisnice Good luck for the next seven weeks!

I watched the minimalists on Netflix this afternoon when I was meant to be working. It was interesting. I’m with them on the homes should be functional and beautiful thing.

We had kitchen designer up today and I told him I wanted minimalist sleek functional superb storage and child/family friendly. Not much of a brief then.....

But we want to be able to display things we love. And also use them. Not stuff them away in a cupboard or drawer. But also be able to find everything. Home for everything.

Dh is largely letting me lead on this so it’s exciting.

@GoOutsideAndPlay mines small but o do 50p a vest, 75p a sleepsuits, 50p t-shirts, 1-1.50 dungarees, £1 jumpers, £3 coats and then do little bundles on Vinted. I have brought large bundles off FB Market Place, just make sure it's well displayed. I'm always suspicious if there's too much piled atop each other

174: the last of the boxes of clothes sorted and checked and put onto Vinted. A few bits put into the charity bag.

175-6: small bundle of clothes sent and a dress sent elsewhere whilst out food shopping as my children are decluttering red apples by the ton. We have to have enough because wars are fought over them.

177: all cardboard from DSs medical delivery in skipm. Normally lurks in the garage for weeks.

2021 day 28 update:

1. General decluttering: More work paperwork shredded. I am nearing the end of the pile!
2. Toss app prompt: Today was ‘Under the kitchen sink’ and while I didn’t have time to go through all of that cupboard, I did get rid of an empty bottle of washing-up liquid that was sitting right next to the replacement bottle

Another fairly calm day here with homeschooling, hoping that tomorrow will be the same.

Not done amazing the last three days - two birthday presents out, and a big bag of baby clothes for my friend. Hoping I will do better tomorrow, but I know that's doubtful as I always struggle with Fridays and I have a fair bit to do tomorrow.

I had a poke through the crockery cupboard and am recycling 3 glass gu pots. I’ve also removed a couple of dinosaur plates but am quarantining them in a different cupboard for a while first to make sure my son doesn’t miss them.

In the living room I spotted a couple of scouts print outs that have been hanging around for weeks so I put them in the recycling.

Hello old hands and newbies! I'm really behind with the thread as this week has been a slog. DD is emotional from home school, DH is emotional because an old friend of his has just died and my mental reserves are generally a bit depleted.

Anyway, onwards and upwards! A few bits and pieces out this week :

• two cans of baked beans BBE 2016 (only DH likes them, and he has obviously been looking at the BBE date and putting them back in the cupboard for years!)
• few tatty bits of clothing into recycling
• one pair of someone else's socks returned to our childminder
• two soap dishes that don't drain properly and make the soap all slimy
• empty bottle of shower gel. There's 4 more in the cupboard so it counts
• numerous pieces of school work scanned and recycled

I should get rid of our baby name book footsteps but I quite enjoy planning my theoretical next DC and marvelling at what it considers to be a name or not. It doesn't include my aunt's uncommon but entirely recognisable name, ppfor example!

Good luck with baby ice. My waters went really late in labour, I thought DD was going to be born in them! I get irrationally annoyed all the time about how unrealistic labours on TV are!

Right, off to plan a day of 'home school' for the 2 year old as the big one won't do any work if he is having fun..

Thank you @RaspberryBlonde. I know what you mean about unrealistic depiction of labour! I had to have my waters broken with my first and I just remember thinking, this doesn't happen in the movies! Good luck with the home learning, we are having the same battle here too!

Thanks for the welcome and advice about bundles. :)

Today I got rid of an almost new pair of good wellies which I bought online and are too small for me. I think I expected to lose weight and for my calves to shrink. A friend mentioned she was after a pair of wellies and so it worked. :)

I am doing DS1's last 2 drawers today. I will have an ikea bag of clothes to get rid of.

Toss has given me jackets - again . I’ve already got rid of one and ticked it off and the two I have left are a raincoat and a warmish winter coat (we live in London so quite temperate climate and no extremes of weather) which is everything I need. Might see if the children have anything otherwise I’ll delete it.

Feeling smug as I went for a run this morning at 7.15 (only time I can get out during the week what with work and home schooling and everything). Felt like a terrible idea for the first five minutes and then it was great

Yesterday
Out- 4 black bags of bathroom junk including old nappies, potty and loads of crap
We are re doing the bathroom so it feels sooo good to get rid of so much

In- a dress but i don't like it so will be back out soon 🙈

We are getting a skip eventually and I am beyond excited!!! I feel I will be able to deeply cleanse my soul haha

Toss has given me dish cloths. I don’t know if it means things I wash up without or tea towels. So I decided to get rid of 7 tea towels and one handtowel I now have 5 tea towels. I am tempted to get rid of all of them and buy new ones as I have just realised I don’t like them. I probably only need 4 tea towels as I never use them. I either put things in the dishwasher or wash up and put things to dry.

ememem I would like a kitchen like that. raspberryblonde Sorry about your DH's friend. SydneyCarton Congratulations on the run.

A spot of digital decluttering, ironically I am reading some Tao of Dana feng shui decluttering emails and deleting them six months later . She's a bit new age and spams you every few months when she runs a new online course, I don't join the courses but the emails are motivating and they have pretty pictures and I try and read them when I want inspiration.

I’d love to join this thread if that’s ok...

I don’t have a huge amount of stuff I think in the grand scheme of things. But in all honesty - I am really struggling to maintain my home - partly due to mental health, partly pure laziness. I also don’t feel motivated to take care of parts of it because I don’t like or care so much of it? When I moved here a few years ago I came from my parental home and I had to buy everything. I went overboard on the trinkets and decor and don’t love most of it - so its got to go, and I’ve got to only bring in things I either love or need. No half measures.

Today, I have prepped an old phone thats sat in a drawer for a year - its going to a family member whose phone broke later today. Pleased as I’ve been holding onto old phones for ages - for no reason!!!

I’ve also got a slow cooker (used once!) and some mason jars to put on FB market place tonight.

Had quite a productive morning:

• Another new bed sheet utilised as material for cushion covers for DDs room.
• card utilised as phonics flashcards for youngest DD.
• 2x ood vitamins binned 2x LG bagsof shredding done and now up to date with that job
• toddler duvet as we have no space to store.
• 6x kids clothes outgrown.
• 1/2 tub of filler dried out.
• packaging
• frogtape roll with little bit left on but is no more good
• kids toy from magazine
• 30 playdoh cutters that are never used.
• 1x kids red paint used up
• 1x broken sharpener
• last hot chocolate tub used up. Trying to kick the habit as it isn't doing me any favours and I don't even really like it to be honest.