Decluttering one item a day thread number 18 – quickly stashing our clutter in charity shops now we can let people back inside our houses

[stealthninjamum]

Here we are again, still decluttering and still chatting and sometimes getting rid of some clutter.

This is a group of mumsnetters who aspire to live in a lovely clutterfree environment, usually scuppered by husbands, children, dogs and in my house ‘valuable’ bits of twig and stone or origami versions of aardvarks and komodo dragons.

We are slowly decluttering our houses, chatting and updating each other on our slow progress as we go. We only aim to get rid of one a day but often manage more. Newbies are welcome to join us.

Since the last thread charity shops reopened and things got closer to normal. I’ve now invited friends over for the end of June so have a month to get the house ‘guest ready’.

Previous thread here.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/4183135-Decluttering-one-item-a-day-and-counting-down-til-the-opening-of-charity-shops-thread-number-17?pg=38

Welcome back incessantnamechanger. I agree it’s hard starting let us know how you get on.

ellieq ooh I love a good trip to the tip you should suggest it if you think he’s ready for it!

singtothesky less than a carrier bag is still good. It’s crap you will never have to deal with again.

I’ve thrown away 9 photos so far and I’m still labelling the back of hundreds of dc photos. I’ve also been in the Room of Doom but I’ve mainly been moving stuff around that belongs in other places so I think I’ve only got rid of a couple of screws, some cardboard and a random piece of metal.

It’s too hot to motivate myself to do this.

Thanks green and stealth. I'm off to the tip in on moment. I have just pulled out most of my wardrobe and oh my God its overwhelming.

I was sorting into formal, smart, to sell but it's got too much. I'm going to put all this into a spare wardrobe and thin out once its all in categories. I'm so ashamed of myself.

I was watching a hoarding program on channel five last night, a old series where a women had three foot of crap everywhere and slept on it for ten years. She had it cleared then died! What a waste of her life.

I realise that the only answer is get rid of things regularly but with the pandemic and four kids I didnt cope with that.

Wednesday is going to be tip run and wardrobe day for a few weeks 😭

Picture of my wardrobe and bedrobe right now

incessant that does look overwhelming but you are making a good start. Are there any really cheap or stained clothes that you can get rid of straightaway? I just think if you saw a gap where you’d got rid of some stuff it would motivate you.

Talking of motivation after my last post my electrician called and said he has a couple of spare hours Friday to do some small jobs.

PANIC! He’s putting a light in the Room of Doom and I am determined to properly tidy / empty / declutter the Room not just ‘temporarily’ hide them in a cupboard for years.

So I set a timer for an hour. I have gone through my memory box and got rid of crap like old letters from friends, old photos where I was size 18, old cards, receipts, metal bits, plastic bits screws.

It is so good that I am dealing with stuff rather than putting it in a different part of the Room. So I found an old camera box with its papers / leads and i was able to reunite the empty box with the actual camera. It was an expensive canon digital camera that broke in 2010 when I was expecting dd2 and I never got it fixed so that camera keeps moving around the house whenever I have a tidy up. I am now going to take it to a camera shop to be fixed to give to dd1 or I will sell it on eBay for parts.

I have also got a bag of foreign euros with the Irish symbol on so probably from when I went to Ireland in about 2005. I’m going to find a charity shop for these so they’re in my handbag.

Stealth - it's so hard not to churn isnt it?

I have been to the tip and got rid of three car seats, a pram, a toy pram, garden umbrella, strimmer and a bag of clothes.

My wardrobe unfortunately will have to be churned before I can get rid because I want to group like items then thin from there. I'm currently putting elastic bands around 30 hangers so I can sort half here and half in outside the house.

I'm so ashamed it's got so bad. I will post my my legging pile next. I keep buying more oblivious to how many I had! God shoot me!

Tbh I feel like even my current organising is partly churning! I am getting rid of plenty but there is a lot of moving stuff around to gather it together etc.

Nothing out today, only ins as I got some more books for little one, and a puzzle, in charity shops (had a little trip to neighbouring town with a friend for browsing and lunch - SO nice to feel normal again!). Although actually I’ll be getting rid of a couple of puzzles in the next day or two (one incomplete and one without a box) so don’t feel too bad about that.

Sing - it's ok to churn if things also go out. I found when I started to declutter years ago ( I'm in relapse 😂) that the key is being quick so if your thinking "I'm not sure about this" make a mental note then quickly put it aside. The next time if you say "I'm still not sure" it was easy to get rid if I thought that same way the third time.

As long as your getting more out than in, then it's only ever getting better.

The problem with me right now as that I haven't had a clue where half my stuff was so I have duplicated and replicated most things.

Also I have clothes for the life I want, not the life I lead. So too much formal wear which really needs to go now.

incessant sing I agree with incessant that it is ok to churn as long as more stuff goes out than in. It’s stupid but I do like to organise things before they go so rather than get rid of bank statements from the 1990s I had to file them in chronological order and then shred them a year at a time! The Room of Doom is probably where the things I’m most emotionally attached to are which is probably why it’s the last part of the house to declutter - although I have been doing bits even since before I started on this thread but this time I feel I’m actually going to finish decluttering it and I’m going to decorate it.

Anyway I am delighted that I have filled another charity shop bag with stuff from the R of D and half a binbag and I have a pile of stuff to shred.

Yeah very true! I’m not generally bringing in much at all other than the odd mini charity shop spree for my 3yo. And she changes so fast I’m happy with that - I donate or recycle (if too tatty) things like puzzles and board games as she outgrows them, she wants to play with many each day so I don’t mind her having plenty of choice. With books I’ve started an “out of rotation” box which I’ll change every few months I guess.

Don’t think I’ll get any decluttering done today anyway - bit tired from being out in the sun 🙈 #partvampire and have other stuff I really should be doing before tomorrow’s busy day. I just need to be careful not to leave it too long or the contents of all the boxes of random shite will end up spreading eeeeverywhere

Decluttered, and waiting for trip to recycling centre
All broken or obsolete,, scattered around the house for years.

Anything that works is staying until the holiday cull.

Two home hubs
One phone and cradle
Battery charger
Two remotes
One clock
One mobile charger
Two pairs earbuds
One cable
Dud lightbulb

I can relate to what I call tidy-and-sort before decluttering. I do this with everything. Even when I'm 99% certain that something is destined for disposal. The categorising soothes me. I'm very fortunate in having enough space to do this.

Yes it is soothing to sort that het rid. Its comforting to take some time with more tricky items as then your more when it finally goes.

My clothes pile is horrific. I have about 90 items in my cars boot, 20 onna spare bed and my rooms looks no different! But everything in the wardrobe is grouped into skirts, dresses, leggings etc so the aim will be to rationalise each category until it fits.

So sort and then thin. Anything else is overwhelming. When its overwhelming I chip at it. Once it's done I then concentrate on in / numbers and then seasonal thinning. My God that's all hone so wrong within this pandemic.

I never put things away properly and now in a jumble sale

Today’s decluttering: a summer dress into the charity bag, as I don’t wear it anymore. It’s over 10 years old, and is a bit shorter and more revealing than I’d wear now. Plus, I suspect it would be a bit tight now (didn’t want to try it on and find out!).

DH also did some shredding today This morning there were some worrying rustlings from a box of his paperwork that has sat in the corner of our bedroom since we moved here (7 years ago!). He took it outside, emptied it into another box to check for mice or insects (none found), and has started sorting through and shredding things. Not sure whether he’ll get through it all or whether most of it will go back in a box in our room, but it’s a start!

Bedside table emptied and in the garden (now in the rain) and two more shelves emptied as planned. One box of DS3's stuff sorted and displayed / chucked out.

Agreement made about Lego - DS3 would love to build it if I sort it into sets. Back into the pile it goes.

Aim today is to empty DS3's last attic shelves so I can unpack some sewing stuff onto them.

mrstidyhouse that’s interesting, I’m not sure if it’s soothing, I suppose when I get into boring a job I usually quite enjoy it, I prefer it to housework anyway.

I didn’t really find anything new to go today. I shredded some papers from yesterday, put things in memory boxes, moved a few pens and bits of stationery out of the Room of Doom. I also took the two bags of charity shop stuff to the charity shop, the foreign coins I found yesterday went to Oxfam, and yesterday’s broken camera has gone to be fixed.

I have uncovered nearly all of the Room of Doom’s carpet and so the electrician will easily be able to replace the lights tomorrow. There are a few boxes of Lego and piles of paper but it’s so much better than it was.

Great job on the Room of Doom Stealth. Sounds like there might be light at the end of the tunnel.

Out today, one bedsheet that mysteriously developed a huge hole and a ragged towel. Also put a broken computer mouse in the bag of electrical bits for the tip. I suppose all will have to be replaced although we do have a spare mouse.

Good luck to all dealing with paperwork. I reminded DH about his numerous bags and boxes the other day and received a Look.

A productive day all round by the sounds of it. I moved all my clothes so they are ( mostly) all in cupboards and draws now. So the next mammoth tasks is sorting everything then thinning it.

This is the stuff that didnt fit into my wardrobe! It's a mpv car and it just got put into another double wardrobe 😱

Sounds like you’re making great progress Stealth!

No decluttering here today - got a call from school just before lunch saying that there was a possible Covid case in DD’s class, and all the children have to self-isolate until the test results are back Extra stressful as DH has an interview by zoom next week (the first one he’s had since he started job-hunting). I was planning to go out for a coffee while he was being interviewed, but I could be at home trying to keep DD quiet instead. Really hoping the test is negative.

Sorted through some old audiobooks and short stories for children. So relaxing being able to concentrate on just one thing without a screen and all its distractions. Took them out of their cases, and into a shoebox. Now they take up half the previous space, and LOs can follow the story in accompanying books. Culling can follow later.

Decluttered - nine double cassette tape cases into plastics recycling bin.

The electrician is here, the Room of Doom is having a new light.

So I have been in my bedroom. I tidied it during lockdown but it’s already a mess. I have just filled a bag up with stuff that belongs in the rest of the house. I did find one old biscuit tin which I am going to recycle. Someone has also collected some toys I advertised on Facebook. It’s hot and rainy so hard to motivate myself. Might do some filing and paperwork.

Better news today - the Covid test was negative, so no need for self-isolation and DD can go back to school

I also decluttered a pair of DD’s sandals from last summer, which I’d offered in a freecycle group and were finally collected today. They were from Clark’s and still in fairly good condition, so I’m glad someone else can use them.

What a relief Ellie! We spent last weekend waiting for test result from a child DS is at nursery with, it was very stressful!

Looks like sorting the clothes will give you a lot of space Incessant.

I've found out one of out local churches runs a baby bank so am going to give them a call next week to see what type of things they will take.

ellie that’s good news. Dd1 does covid tests twice a week and my stomach churns in the half an hour that we wait for the result because I am so anxious at the idea of homeschooling and isolating again!

incessant have you ever thought about having your colours done? I had mine done about five years ago. It wasn’t cheap but my wardrobe is now largely composed of clothes that go and I have saved loads of money on not buying clothes that don’t suit me. There’s a really helpful Facebook group called the style sisterhood where women and stylists talk about what suits each other in a kind - but honest - way.

I have just ordered dd1 an office chair so she’s more comfy when doing homework so I’ll collect that and it’ll be a diy day. We do diy together and I thought I’d ask her to declutter some books too. She says she doesn’t mind working with clutter in her bedroom so it might be a hard job.

Mainly paperwork out today - filing cabinet sorted to make sense of house files, and my personal stuff weeded. Can't think why I held onto a DBS check from 2005!

The R of D has a big ugly shelving unit which used to be crammed with my papers. As I’ve shredded so many papers I no longer need it. I will put it in the garage (it belongs to stbexh). I filled two carrier bags today with empty box files and folders from it that can go to a charity shop. In its place I’ve ordered a small bookcase. I am so chuffed that my masses and masses of papers from four years ago (when I started decluttering I think) will soon fit on a small bookcase (and in two organised plastic boxes).

Tomorrow I’ll collect the bookcase and chair I mentioned earlier from Argos to make with dd1.