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

Morning all!

I was up and at them still doing my taking care of myself and my health business, hit the supermarket before half 8, unheard for me! Did things that will help me in the long run like getting in all the cards for various events for the next few weeks (birthday season here!).

Whilst there, I took two full bags of food to the food bank donation point. I keep a good pantry - not very minimal, but I like the safety net. But I let it get a little too full during Covid, so i let go of a few things that are still good for other people, including some hand sanitisers, disposable masks and cleaning products. I’m happier with about 3 weeks worth of shelf stable items for me and the pooch, in case we need to isolate at all. The reality is, noone in my family would let me go without if I was unwell or cash strapped so hoards aren’t needed.

I have two more bags for the clothing recycling and this weeks glass recycling to go the bank too, will do that tomorrow.

This weekend, I will focus on my spare room, I have a cupboard of doom to pay attention to!!!

My aims today:
*deep clean bathroom and kitchen.

• take my parcels to post office
• list 10 things for sale/free.

I have listed a bag of free dressing up, an Easter basket/bunny ears and a bedding set on free sites. So far got interest in all so fingers crossed it all gets collected!

I did enter a Facebook competition to win some free barbies and lol dolls. Its going to be a tight few months so would be amazing for daughters birthday! (messed up my housing benefit now got to apply for universal credit who knows how long that takes! Started last night got to wait for them to call now)

With the Census, DH and I have been scratching our heads over 10years ago. We have concluded we weren't on it, as we were living abroad with the Army. So, it's both our first time as adults, despite being mid thirties. Plus including our two children.

What would you do with an outgrown kids scooter? Its 4years old, but works. But not pristine. Would someone take it for free on Facebook etc, or not worth bothering? (Its a decathlon one, not a premium brand)

aroundtheworld I would list it, in my experience children's things go quite quickly on free sites :) except cuddly toys unless they are things like build a bear or popular characters!

Outgrown scooter would probably get interest on my local 'Giveaways' Facebook page. Or put a FREE sign on it out front of your home, but that way is a little more likely to end up in a canal.

21 March is census night... Census instructions say "include everyone who usually lives here" and specifically mentions armed forces... although military adult DC won't be back here before August (& then maybe just 1 week). Military DC truly does not have a more permanent address, though, ours is their most permanent current address.

Student DC is going to be back for longer periods so I think can be more reasonably attributed as 'usually' here but 'temporarily away'

I've been rubbish this week with decluttering, still listing things on ebay and have been focussing on cleaning instead. Vinorosso good luck with your appointment, ellieq hope this week is easier with the kids back at school.

Thank you for the good luck wishes all. Apart from DP, I haven't mentioned it to anyone else in real life.

Well, I got side tracked in my kitchen. Cleaning out the cupboards.

So far, at least 7-8 items of food that is expired and thrown, 6 or so items for the food bank, all in date and new.

One glass to go to the glass bank and three storage containers to be washed and added to the charity bag. Oh, and I have accepted I will never use a masher, so thats going too. I rarely eat mash, and if the urge ever overcomes me I will be lazy and buy a ready made one

I’m even washing down the cupboard fronts and cooker hood. Gonna do the fridge today too.

I need to tackle the oven too, but that will be a tomorrow job, along with washing the bins and floor/skirtings. Cupboards were embarassing, I havent cleaned inside them since I moved in two years ago!

Can’t believe I’ve missed a whole thread... again. Obviously lockdown homeschooling is making me unable to think about decluttering!

First of all I wanted to say thanks for all your tips re eldest DC from the last thread (well one before last)

Decluttering wise, I’ve just tidied away all the homeschooling stuff, and found another tin worth of pens and pencils... We now have 3 big tins of spare pens/pencils. DH wants to keep them to use when the current ones run out, although I’m worried they’ll dry out before that time comes!

I’ve also gone through middle DCs clothes and filled another 2 boxes for youngest DC, but all that mean is that I’m putting off getting rid of clothes until DC3 grows out of them... how do you sort out hand me downs between kids? Do you make up outfits and give rid of everything else or do you just pack it all up and sort it out once everyone has outgrown everything? I’m obviously getting rid of anything stained/hole-y.

The house still feels really full, but I don’t know how to fix it, and it uses so much energy to try and think of solutions, let alone doing the actual decluttering.

times I get what you mean about pens/pencils we are drowning in them! And they don't draw or colour enough to warrant the amount we own. Im going to sort out and donate spare working ones to a local nursery or school!

In terms of hand me downs, I keep basic stuff eg leggings, plain long sleeve tops and hoodies, winter coat etc. Plus a few special outfits like party dresses or specific costumes for school dress up days. I sell extras to fund things that need to be new. However my dds are very different taste wise, dd1 is into typically boyish characters and dark colours whereas dd2 is very girly. So there's no point keeping everything. Im trying to be more minimal with their clothes, they really don't need the 30+ outfits they each own!! So getting rid of the excess hand me downs helps! Currently they are all stored in age vacuum bags in the loft.

ellieq I hope you’re ok, fingers crossed next week goes well.

Like others I also have masses and masses of pens and pencils. Santa tends to bring each dc arts and crafts stuff. I have gone through most of the pens recently and thrown loads away and it’s helpful to know I don’t need to buy any more.

No outs today but I will empty my handbag as I didn’t get round to it the other day.

@Vinorosso74 good luck Wednesday and that's why mumsnet is great. It's a safe space to chat without the real world getting involved.

Day 178:
Emptied three coats' pockets and filled with new tissues.
A bag of play dough cutters to go to MIL's house.
Photos and emails
2 tuppawear pots

Best of luck vin

Times I attempted to do the pairing up thing but lost the will to live. Consequently the babies are often in outfits that are about 20° left of coordinated bit that's fine, we go nowhere and see no one lol. When they go up a size shortly I'm going to bundle it into outfits, work out what's missing and what's surplus, keep some surplus and get rid of the rest

143: the stickman family we collected for school lives in the bin now

Spent part of my
Morning sharpening pencils whilst the dc coloured

Managed to ditch 9 pencils that just would not behave themselves.

Aso used up a sachet of Dylan white brightened stuff. The box was taking up space so will use the final sachet on Monday when I wash out white towels.

Finished a showergel too so that’s gone and am back to bar soap.

Ummm... Not much out here tbh. I have been continuing with the diy job though. That might be it for me for now.

SydneyCarton - I know what you mean about the scum. My bathroom sink certainly doesn't look as nice. Please feel free to recommend any nice, natural soap brands to me. I'm open to suggestions.

Re soap scum. I have these.

kuou 2 Pieces Soap Saver,... www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07RPV6V9T?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

The soap sits on top of these and can dry.

Can I join in please? Love the sound of this. I’ve just found out I’m pregnant again so there goes my plan of sorting the baby stuff, but we’re moving house this summer so I’ve got lots to sort.
I really need to detach memories and “oh but this person gave it to me” from items I don’t even like!

Morning!

Still working through my kitchen, but got rid of a few more bits yesterday:

Tea strainer (why did i own this!?)
More takeaway chopsticks
The egg tray that came with my fridge - i hate it
More storage canisters
Egg poaching cups that suck

I also cleaned my fridge thoroughly and got rid of a few expired bits.

Today is mostly a cleaning day: bins to be emptied and washed down, clean the inside of the washing machine seal thingy, sort the floors and worktops.

I may find a few more bits for declutter. I also got rid of an old coat that is rather worse for wear, so thats now three bags for the recycling bank today!

Odd scraps of paper, and... Empty travel-size vial of hand lotion in recycling (why did I still have this??)

Last night I threw out some receipts from my handbag and also three pieces of scrap material from the playroom.

This morning I started to go through my photos. There are thousands and it will be a big job although fortunately before I had dc I was organised and labelled them. I have thrown away 29. I have also found a lovely one of dc with Father Christmas that can replace one of stbexh in the dining room.

I'm mostly cleaning this weekend too hagqueen. How do children make so much mess? I need to follow them around the house with a hoover . Welcome caliranch, when is your new baby due?

Put some papers from home schooling in the recycling, DD has posted all the work so I don't see any point keeping it all.
We need to do some very thorough cleaning around here. It is hard when we're all at home almost 24/7!

Ooh, a new thread! I will catch up with the old one later.

Good luck with your appointment Vinorosso and good luck to all those whose children are going back to school tomorrow - I am so glad we are past that stage.

Work is ridiculous at the moment so most evenings I have no energy for decluttering and nothing to post here. This weekend I have got on quite well - we have a decorator coming tomorrow so I have had to! As a result I have had to move a couple of small bookcases. I have gone through a lot of paperwork, and shredded lots, and put other stuff in recycling. DH has also done the same which is a result! Sadly, I have too many books to fit the bookcases we have. At the moment they are piled up in our bedroom and the half-empty bookcase is in DS's room - I will sort the books when I have to put them back so everything fits tidily. DH has also gone through the paperwork on the dining room table and got rid of a lot. There is more to do, but we have made a good start.

Thank you @stealthninjamum for the links - I will have a proper look to see if any of them are helpful.