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

Oh no @SleepingStandingUp what a nightmare. Hope everything salvageable dries out quickly.

I am still trying to run down my food stocks. I was doing really well with this until I re-stocked just in case of Brexit disruption/ lockdown shortages, but this morning I used my OOD milk to make scones which cleared out some flour from the cupboard too. I’ve been watching lots of “the minimal mom” videos recently and she suggested having a basket where you put stuff that needs to be used up promptly. This sounds like a brilliant idea but my cupboards are too stuffed to do this at present.

I’m also thinking about getting rid of my dish drainer. We mostly use the dishwasher but do wash a few things by hand. I’m going to put it away for a bit and see if I miss it. If not I’ll get rid.

A face scrub gone today and that’s my only out.

sleeping hope the laminate got dried in time. Again a very intense work week so not much done before today. Toss prompt was receipts and about 20 postal receipts have been cleared out. Post dealt with annoyingly I seem to be getting lots of random catalogues from companies I’ve never ordered from They’ve all gone in the recycling if more appear I will start ringing to be taken off lists

Day143: god I hate doing any attic related jobs with my H. Such a grump.

Some ups and some downs (baby stuff not a reflection of our relationship) although actually...

A few random outs and a bag of too small baby stuff put aside to try and sell once we completely change size range.

So today started off well (with lots of clothes washing and drying) in that I finished the job I started yesterday before the flood.

189: So a few toys in the charity bag
190: alas a few in the skip
191: along with a book that didn't survive the flood
More toys in from garage to house but that's fine, it can only stay if it fits into existing boxes.
192: some plastic boxes and cardboard box emptied by toy sorting
193: sadly the beautiful rocking dinosaur m brought eldest which the twins would love but which smells of wee... I know o could febreeze and scrub it but just wasn't convinced it would be clean enough really, wouldn't sell it on that condition either so it's hidden on the skip
194: programmes from all the ballets I've been to. I've kept the front cover as a memento but it's reduced the paper pile by a ton
195: couple of photoframes which have broken. I've got spares which I've retrieved from the garage so they'll only be replaced with what I have.

Then DH mentions the washing machine keeps moving

Then that it's leaking

So I pull it out and there's water coming from UNDERNEATH so I tip and and there the concrete block which should be insode and at the top on my floor.

Fml.

So now no washer, even more wetted washing and o don't think we registered it so it isn't under warranty.

I'm struggling to get much done. Everything I want to do seems to need something else doing first e.g. I want to get rid of some excess furniture upstairs that exH chose and I don't like but in order to get it downstairs I need to take down the bookshelves which means relocating the books....

I really want to get a skip but they're so expensive and the money I planned to use has gone on fixing the boiler. I have half-filled bin bags everywhere and it's all getting me down.

I've thrown out two finished perfume bottles and a dried up bottle of dds foundation today. That Toss prompt someone mentioned of under the kitchen sink is a good one. Maybe that'll get me moving again.

Did my knicker drawer today - 8 old pairs out. Also 3 coat hangers. Cleared dc clothes drawer to next size up so now have a box full of things to try to sell. Have given myself until the charity shops reopen and if not sold by then will donate.

I've had a difficult WFH week this week so no energy in the evenings to do anything other than eat and try to chill, so the decluttering has slipped.

But I have done a little:
I have finished the book I was reading so that's gone in the charity shop bag. I looked at the Webuybooks website mentioned upthread; there are 6 books in my charity bag and I entered all the ISBNs, to find the site won't take any of them. So the charity bag will go back in the porch, until the charity shops re-open.

All the unpopular chocolates have now gone so the box is in the recycling.

One of those cardboard drinks coasters that charities send out got squashed inside the sofa, so that's gone in the recycling.
My bank statement arrived during the week so I have gone through receipts and shredded all those that were on the statement.

I said to DH that we need to tidy up again as clutter is creeping back; he agrees, but hasn't sorted any of his stuff.

sleeping I’m sorry to hear that, a broken washing machine with three dc is my idea of hell. I hope you can get someone to fix it.

katef you’re doing well. As much as we call this thread a decluttering thread it is as much about organising ourselves slowly because we all have busy lives. You’re doing a great job despite being unable to get rid of stuff.

I tidied at a sloths pace today. I brought down my papers from the loft and stapled some of them together and shredded others. Two books are now in the recycle pile and a few other things are tidied. Apart from the papers my bedroom is largely tidy for the first time in ages. I also moved a few things sitting on surfaces into their homes.

What’s great is I have fewer drawers of crap where things are just chucked in. Tonight I’ll organise the school work while watching a film. Tomorrow, if dc go to their dads, I’ll do a bit more Room of Doom.

@lifeofbriony o found ziffit much better

@stealthninjamum no chance 🤣 this concrete is meant to be at the top inside of the washer

@KateF can you do a reverse to do list?

Buy new furniture
Clear old furniture
Move bookcases - will they go back in place?
Move books
Sort books for keep / clear - ziffit / we buy etc
Etc.
If you right it all down you might be able to find a start point

sleeping so it’s unfixable? Noooooo. I wish I could declutter some of my wine stocks by handing it to you through the Mumsnet app.

That’s a good idea to do a reverse to do list. I’d never think of that.

Thanks Stealth, I'm gonna drink red wine once the kids are asleep.

Gotta call tomorrow to see if we're still covered. Otherwise it's panic shop for the quickest delivery. Thankfully my Mom is local and will take two bags and Mil is pretty near and will take some too.

I like a good flow chart / mind map

@SleepingStandingUp blimey! What a truly rotten couple of days you have had. I don't know if you know but John Lewis normally have an extra years warranty on their electrical goods and I found there prices very similar if not the same when I had to replace our washing machine in April. Hope your next few days are a lot better.

Thanks sleeping and stealth, I'll try writing a list. Unfortunately the shelves are fixed to the wall rather than bookcases so it's a bit of a mission and will leave holes in the wall to fill and repaint. I do need to get organised and try to sell some stuff but I work 8-6 so can only go to the post office on a Saturday morning and I keep oversleeping! I'll get there eventually but I may still be on this thread this time next year!

[quote SleepingStandingUp]@lifeofbriony o found ziffit much better[/quote]
Thank you @SleepingStandingUp I will have a look.

Whoops, I fell off the thread. Love the new title--it's frustrating not having anywhere open to actually get rid of the stuff. I did manage to give away a big bag of children's clothes to a friend though.

Today just one skirt that I love but is too small for me and would, if I ever lost enough weight to wear it again, be way too short for anyone over the age of 20.

I was just about to do an M&S order of mostly children's pants and socks, but then changed my mind when I realised how many things I would have to add to the incoming list . So I abandoned it. We can all keep doing the morning scrabble through the basket of clean washing for another month. Also doing a YNAB budget reset in Feb so trying not to spend any money.

@KateF, pretty sure we'll all be on the thread this time next year. We have two birthdays in our house this month, and just the presents from the in-laws will probably equal everything I've already chucked.

@SleepingStandingUp what a nightmare! Hope you have some calm days ahead.

Does anyone else fantasise about their house burning to the ground? Obviously when everyone is out...

One item out for me today, a Christmas plate that the design had worn away from, and it never gets used even at Christmas so it’s gone!

I think I will find a box and try and get rid of something on ziffit 🤔

What a stressful couple of days, Sleeping, hope you can relax tonight!

2021 day 30 update:

1. General decluttering: Went through the rest of my pile of paperwork and have recycled/ shredded everything that I don’t need to keep. The next step will be sorting through and filing stuff I need to keep - not as easy!
2. Toss app prompt: I skipped today’s prompt as I’d done it before, and the app told me that I had done all the categories and had finished! I was very surprised as I thought there would be more!

I’ve found the daily prompts very useful so I’m on the lookout for something else - any suggestions?

Thanks ice, I'm hoping the curse wears off altho concerned that's two disasters since I fret I set the roof on fire and it comes in threes

Erm not with my current luck itchy feet

Feet could you advertise collection only for now?

I'm watching the Voice and trying to not do anything wrong

Out:

• gave bottle of wine away
• one pair of very old trousers
• an old razor handle

28 items out in total

In:

• nothing!

sleeping what a nightmare!!! Fingers crossed for a quick delivery of new machine.

Nothing much else out today. But if I’m honest I did enough last Monday to keep me going for a few days!!

@EllieQ coincidentally I just found this list that might be useful:

www.becomingminimalist.com/101-physical-things-that-can-be-reduced-in-your-home/

@threeitchyfeet look on the bright side - if you hadn’t decluttered you would still have the influx, but on top of the old clutter! Fingers crossed for lots of consumable/ experience gifts rather than plastic tat!

I found another pair of silicone tongs so am running them through the dishwasher and will add them to the donate pile. I have so many wooden spoons, I’m not discarding any just yet, but may pop a few in a drawer and see if I miss them.