Decluttering one item a day (and counting down til the opening of charity shops!) – thread number 17

[stealthninjamum]

This is an accountability and chat thread for mumsnetters who dream of living in an uncluttered haven of calm and tidiness.

Bit by bit we are slowly decluttering our houses and keeping our fingers crossed that charity shops will open on 12th April – although we’re also adding to the list of places in the second post that will also take our clutter.

The aim of this thread is to help us get rid of just one item a day or 365 a year. We just report back on our progress and then chat about anything and everything. The thread is for anyone so newbies are always welcome.

Previous thread here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/4144854-Decluttering-one-item-a-day-and-having-nowhere-to-put-it-thread-number-16?msgid=105205665

Found (and got rid of) old computer set-up disks. My computer doesn’t even have a cd/dvd drive, so those are completely obsolete now.
I also put lots of fabric napkins in the donate box. We just don’t use them as a family. We have cheap fabric ones that I sometimes remember to use, but these were fancy ones that we’d destroy by using them.
And some old paperwork gone too.

My desk area is overflowing again, so I really need to find a better way of organising it.

I've been upcycling some carpet offcuts for a project (may actually make some profit) - relevance being I threw out some of the carpet bits & am using up paint & old bits of wood & rusty but useable screws, too.

I'm having a nightmare here. Somehow or other, I've started clearing out several places at once and now, the entire house is in a mess. Apart from the bathroom. Thank goodness for the bathroom!

nordicmum I hope you’re ok, you’re doing so much.

sandandsea I’m a bit like that too. Over the last few weeks I’ve been doing painting photos, wires, arts and craft stuff and never really put anything away. And there’s already the piles of stuff waiting for charity shops.

So today I’ve mainly been tidying. It used to be that as I tidied I decluttered but the everyday stuff I tidy away is largely decluttered so it’s getting harder to find stuff to go. Anyway I have found pens and old photos. The house is looking better because I’ve been rearranging throws and the cushions on settees, tidying away empty cups, moving furniture.

You're all doing really well! Things stalled here until I know what's happening with my treatment plan and I've had a few things to sort out.
I am keeping on top of things as much as possible (mainly paperwork and using things up) but don't want to start anything major and not finish it. Bit fed up of several time wasters over an item on Freecycle which still hasn't gone!

Day198:
Toy meerkat picked up
Bag of bits returned to MIL
Some bits filled away to attic.
Baby clothes mini sort to give away.

Having left a trail of destruction around the house, I thought I would go through my arts & crafts box at the coffee table. This is now strewn with bits of rubbish, empty packets and tubes, stick-on flowers, crayons... you get the idea. I've kind of squeezed the good stuff into a smaller box. But, it only fits if I take out the PVA glue. It's a better box but I'm not sure if this is an improvement. I might need to re-think this.

Glass recycling gone. The dc helped me throw it in the recycle bin. This involved sitting them on top of the bin and letting them post the bottles through the holes.

Last week:
Empty takeaway boxes not collected so they went in the recycling
Thick instruction booklet for our TV box before last into paper recycling - that's released some space to put a computer drive away. That feels like a bigger out than it actually is.

Just found out that the local school accept various things for recycling, including empty printer ink cartridges which I used to take back to Currys when I bought new ones. Currys are not accepting these at the moment but the school are. So that's a win for me as well as for the school.

This is a slower process than it should be, but slow is better than nothing at all.

I haven’t managed to do any more decluttering today due to feeling too tired and sick all day but today to the dump went
-3 pairs of shoes and slippers I mentioned earlier

• another dog carrier bag
• another box of bigger useless puppy pee pads
• the cardboard box mountain
• pile of books from DH study plus a few others ( there’s a book collection )
• the before mentioned kindle fire that’s broken and a useless beard trimmer to the electrical collection I would have donated the kindle if it worked

-Lots of recycling from last nights food cupboard cleaning and generally -4 wooden magazine holders -4 plastic file holders both from DH study I’ve also finally gotten DS to flick through his pile of skateboard magazines and put them in recycling after a just a year of nagging ! They didn’t take much room but were just collecting dust in his shelf pointlessly he didn’t care about them although still skateboards so no point keeping them and lugging them to yet another house to collect dust for a few more years until he goes to university. Feeling pretty depressed about how long and how much back breaking effort it’ll take from me to go through rest of the house . I wish my body would co-operate . Kids will both be in holidays now for 3 w DS 3 1/2 but he alone doesn’t stop me doing stuff and next week they’ll both go away for a few days after Easter to grandmas so i then have a chance to tackle their rooms if I make it there . I’ll try to go do the remaining food cupboard and he freezer and fridge or some drawers tomorrow . Trying to look at the fishes areas to motivate myself and to just think it’s all a plus and we will have less with when moving ... tonight I will sleep though I’m dead tired although set on finishing an another book soon

Day 199:
Electric steamer recycled. We used it weekly for years but it's been glued I don't know how many times and now I've given up. It's so bad I can't even pass it on.

Photos and emails.

Baby clothes in the too small bag

Feeling crappy so not sure if I’ll declutter in the kitchen today but at least away ;
-10 more packets of plasticky always pads to foodbank from my upstairs stash

• finished another book from my drawer, 23 left now I won’t buy any new ones except on kindle if I have to until I’ve read these aiming for one a week or so instead of staring at the iPad or tv
• DD winter uniform ready to be donated to school second hand uniform sale if in good condition and tights and anything else worn out to rag bank ,am going through it today since it’s been washed and putting summer one in her drawer I will take it all in when we finish summer term since we are leaving the school when moving

- forgot DD used up a clay modelling kit with DH on Sunday she made two things one of which unfortunately cracked so had to be thrown away but she made a lovely little clay lidded box that’s waiting for painting and the packaging we got rid off at least it was quite big . She’s now been through 10 craft and science kits and a choc coin maker with DH since the beginning of the year. we have drawers full of these from birthdays and Christmases since she enjoys doing them but we never had time or remembered to use them so that was a resolution this year ;to try to do one a week or so . I did get her an egg cup painting one and hot cross bunnies baking ones for Easter we’ll do next weekend ! Planning to fold laundry later that’ll result in stuff for the rag bank and clothing collection at dump and maybe some kids clothes to charity pile too since I’m putting aside all DS and DD smallest size now .

Oh and I did get a bunch of old medication, vitamins and steroid creams to collection from my bedside drawer and kitchen when I cleaned those the other day so they are waiting to go out when DH next goes to pick up my prescription .

Couple of beauty products used up and a bar soap.

My box for the freezer arrived so that’s been packed with ice lollies. Yay.

And I’ve somehow managed to declutter my debit card. I’ve lost it. No idea where. So annoying.

Last used it in coffee shop with my loyalty card. I have loyalty card but no debit card so either I dropped it in shop (will go back tomorrow and check) or it’s in a handbag or a pocket of something. Sigh.

Day 200:
Birthday gift given out.
Birthday bags ready to go out the house.
Photos and emails
Glass jar recycled even though it's a lovely shape.

I never made it to the kitchen cupboards but went through the laundry bin and the giant mountain of laundry in the overflow basket in the utility room that never gets washed and has been bothering me for ages ,and reduced it to just a few items I need to do stain removing on or wash separately and the laundry bin is now all empty . I rehomed stuff that shouldn’t have been there to people own laundry bins so they’ll get washed with other similar items then some of them can go into clothing collection at dump , put things that were washed but stained that weren’t worth bothering with to ragbag etc . Glad I did it ,it didn’t take long and I had been thinking about it for a while . Next I’m still intending to fold the clean laundry pile and I know there’ll be stuff to rag bank and charity for sure so more outs ... I am on a roll so really trying to keep it going for as long as I can

I seem to have speeded up and have suddenly decided to get rid of quite a lot of things which I've previously over-looked. Consequently, I have a lot of clothes and bits & bobs all over the place. I've been placing ads as most of it is good quality (which is possibly why I was keeping it before).

I haven't counted it all yet - it's a lot - but, for sure, I've got a nice box going out today. This was a treasured favourite!

Out - a toy that DD brought home from a playdate in the summer has finally been returned to a friend.

In - big bag of hand me down clothes which won't fit the DC for at least 6 months. Sigh.

Well done to everyone doing better than me; work is still keeping me busy so keeping on top of the daily stuff is about all I'm managing!

I’ve slowed down on decluttering and general housework since dd2 finished school. I usually get up early and do painting or sorting photos and then take dd2 out for a walk.

I did manage to get rid of some books yesterday that I advertised on Facebook last week and threw away ‘baby shampoo’ that dd2 refuses to use as she’s not a baby. I’m quite good at using up toiletries but I suspect that ones been sitting in their shower for years. I have finished a naice soap myself and am now using a body moisturiser I stole from dd2 (she wouldn’t use it anyway).

Old handbag, and a belt, in textile recycling, which has been collected.
Purse - unwanted gift - in charity shop bag.
A few out of date sauces etc from the fridge put in food waste bin, and the jars and bottles in the glass recycling. Very satisfying.

Welcome to everyone new!

I've got behind with the thread again. I've been focusing on job applications in case I get an interview (not that I'm getting far, I must have decluttered half my brain when I had the children ) and still trying to sell on ebay.

Stealth I use To Do as a to do list and it's great, I'm much more organised and I don't forget to look at the list as much.

I'm going to declutter some outgrown toys over the Easter holidays.

~Oh dear. Due to lovely weather I was outside in the parks for hours today. Just got off sofa & found a big rip in seat of my trousers. I wonder how long that was there for, how many people got great view of my knickers. Oops. Clothing now ragged.

Not much progress otherwise.

Have been too tired today to continue but last night folded the clean laundry pile after sorting out the utility room randoms mountain which I have been washing through today . That resulted in 2 pairs of DS sweats and a hoodie to clothing collection ,a bunch of worn out pants, socks and t shirts to rag bank , and some more DD winter uniform to add to the ones I got out of the utility room so a decent amount going out of the house .
DH is super busy with work as always and dealing with with the house selling and our new house , our new puppy plus doing most of housework cooking etc since I’m still sick and can’t do much physical stuff . Am roping in the 16 Y old DS as much as possible to help but he’s revising for school internal GCSE exams in May . He already had exams after half term . He did well and got a very good grades and report but is pressing on . He’s in a super academic school and aiming high . I’m very glad he knows exactly what he wants to do and has a plan but don’t envy these kids with all the pressure . Hopefully he’ll be happy with whatever the results are in the summer . I am feeling depressed quite a lot and anxious enough to have completely screwed daily rhythm often I can’t sleep at night and then sleep most of the day today hence nothing gets done .

nordicmom congratulations to your son. I wish my dc were more driven. Homework is a battle in this house. I’m sorry you’re still ill.

I’ve realised I won’t finish either the landing or organising my photos as it’s probably better to spend time with dc. I’m probably 80% finished with the landing and It looks beautiful already so I’m enjoying it.

Today’s main task is to move the bookcase in the spare room and all the books. I am wondering if dc can be persuaded to get rid of about 200 books from the bookcase. There are a few box sets that might sell but lots were bought in charity shops so will be donated back.