I just found out how tidy people keep tidy!!!!!

[MrsBobDylan]

I have not felt this excited since I discovered sanitary towels can prevent new boot blisters.

You had better sit down.

Tidy people have less stuff. That's how they stay tidy.

No one bothered to tell me this life changing information. Bastards.

We are downsizing to a flat from a four bed house with a garage. I reckon I have donated/taken to the tip, at least half of the contents of our house.

We didn't need all that shit. I don't think I liked most of it.

Turns out, two mixing bowls is fine, 3 pans, 10 mugs, one duvet cover/pillowcase for each bed, no spare bedding for guests since they can bring their own, 6 bath towels, one coat each, three pairs of shoes each...I could go on.

Since decanting half of my house, it is lovely and tidy. I move a few things from room to room each day and clear the kitchen at the end of day. All manageable. I even have time for a nap on the sofa fgs.

Now my cupboards are not filled to the brim, I can PUT THINGS IN THEM.

The easiest and most satisfying clear out, was the knick knack cull. Photo frame we got for our wedding? Gone. Glass vase from my Uncle Harry? Gone. Mini collection of ornamental owls? Get in there!

It is easier to clean a house with less stuff in it. Surfaces get a quick wipe, floors are mopped without have to slalom round tables, chairs and plant stands.

If you have a friend who feels overwhelmed by keeping house, please pass this on.

You're welcome

@Thedogshow

I’ve also been inspired to re-declutter as things had started to build up a bit again. We have been much better about buying fewer things but 3 growing kids and 2 recent children’s birthdays, plus homeschooling relics from earlier in the year mean things have crept back.

Set a challenge to declutter today:
50 clothing items (from 5 of us, including hats, gloves, shoes, coats)
5 towels
3 bits of bedlinen
10 items from kitchen
15 books
20 small bits and bobs from drawers
20 stationary/craft items
20 old or unused toiletries
5 larger household items: cushions/furniture/lamps

Feels so much better already

One issue I have is what to do with excess cups and glasses. They’re not going to be wanted by charity shop. Can you recycle drinking glass type glass?

I see glasses and mugs in the charity shop all the time. Are yours chipped/cracked/dirty? If not, charity shops should take them.

I put a spiky plant on the flat surface in the hall people always used to leave their stuff on
Genius

Btw anyone short of time who has bags of stuff to get rid of but literally doesn’t have time to go to charity shop, icollectclothing will pick up bags from your house (clothes, books and soft toys accepted)

Thatnameagain, some are chipped, lots are old, low quality IKEA wine glasses/mugs, non matching. Maybe 15 years old.

They were cheap to begin with and have been well used, so they’re just sitting here but all the charity shops around here are being quite picky because they have been overwhelmed with stuff after lockdowns I think.

@Thedogshow

Thatnameagain, some are chipped, lots are old, low quality IKEA wine glasses/mugs, non matching. Maybe 15 years old.

They were cheap to begin with and have been well used, so they’re just sitting here but all the charity shops around here are being quite picky because they have been overwhelmed with stuff after lockdowns I think.

You can't put drinking glasses glass into our recycling.

Honestly - just chuck it all away.

You could ask the local allotment owners if they want the mugs, broken crockery is good for drainage in the bottom of pots and tubs.

Or a local building site, they need them to drink out of and they get broken all the time.
Put the non chipped stuff on Facebook for free.

Ah that’s a great idea re drainage thanks. I can do that myself. And yes, the glasses probably just need to be chucked. They’re on their last legs.

🤣🤣🤣

@Thedogshow

Thatnameagain, some are chipped, lots are old, low quality IKEA wine glasses/mugs, non matching. Maybe 15 years old.

They were cheap to begin with and have been well used, so they’re just sitting here but all the charity shops around here are being quite picky because they have been overwhelmed with stuff after lockdowns I think.

Bottle bank - they are glass

Managed to get the whole family to sort clothes today. Entire car boot and back seats full of bags. Offloaded the boot full into the clothes bank containers in the village and kept the nicer stuff for the charity shop, which I will drop off after work tomorrow.
3 black sacks and about 15 carrier bags. Insane!

Thanks OP for the timely thread. We're in the process of swapping bedrooms with our two sons, so they can come out of bunk beds and have a bit more space for studying etc (14 and 15). We're only going to have room for a wardrobe and a chest of drawers (bought a bed with storage drawers), so really needed to get rid of a lot of clothes and shoes.

We've done a few hours today and shifted a car full, so not bad but now there's all the other 'stuff' I need to tackle. I don't really need a sewing machine that I haven't used for over 5 years (bought when I was going through my housewife phase, thankfully over now!).

@marymay62

MrsBobDylan - a lovely heartfelt post. When my mum died I asked my daughter if she wanted anything of hers, her answer was no, nothing, saying: ‘Nana taught me the names of the flowers I love, I think of her every time time I see a flower, there is nothing else I need’. You are right - whether it’s a mum or a grandmother or another special person we really don’t need a ‘thing’ to remember them by, only our memory.

Oh, how lovely. This brought a tear to my eye. 🌸 🌺 🌹

My lovely nana passed away last year 😢 she had so much stuff, she was always trying to give it to us all. Whoever stepped through the door would get a cup of tea/something to eat (even if they didn’t want it!) and a nick-nack or two. I can’t part with a porcelain doll she gave me that has a name written on the bottom in Nana’s handwriting.

I have learnt from reading threads like this, though, that it’s ok to keep special things but I need to get rid of all the stuff that is suffocating my special things!

Bottle bank - they are glass

As a pp said above, glasses don't go into the bottle bank, not where I live anyway.

Bottle bank - they are glass

The bottle bank is for BOTTLES.

The clue's in the title.

You could still add the glasses, we used to put glass jars in it - honestly what is the difference?

All glass items and better than landfill

@woodhill

You could still add the glasses, we used to put glass jars in it - honestly what is the difference?

All glass items and better than landfill

They have a different melting point so can’t be recycled with bottle/jar glass. That’s the difference.

Thank you.

Our council takes glass in our recycling so we are fortunate.

Just discovered this thread and need help decluttering so it's good timing. I find it so difficult! I find it so hard to get rid of sentimental stuff, especially related to when dc were young
Also stalled by environmental anxiety ie what to do with stuff I feel I can't sell/ give away? I can't bear to tip it. I end up keeping things that may will neverbe up cycled 'just in case'. Also lots of toys missing one piece that I keep until I find said piece and can then give away.

Can't imagine how anyone can manage with 1 coat! I have

• warm down winter coat
• several waterproof/ kagouls
• Goretex warm coat
• several lighter jackets (different colours)
• Barbour jacket
• autumn walk type coat
• 3 smart work/ evening coats (not worn in at least 3 years as I now wfh).

Dm is 82 and still in old family home with 50 years of clutter, so I'm dreading having to deal with that in due course. I have to declutter as can't bear to give my dc that job when the time comes.

@woodhill

You could still add the glasses, we used to put glass jars in it - honestly what is the difference?

All glass items and better than landfill

I don't know what the difference is, but what I do know is that ours has a big sign on it saying "no drinking glasses"

(Or sheet glass, but not sure how you'd roll that up and get it through the port holes anyway)

I’ve made a start on clearing out some clutter today, thanks to this thread. I have sorted out lots of books my sons have grown out of. I have also cleared out some drawers. Feel better for it. More to tackle in the morning.

Re coats - I had 9 coats and got it down to 5. Each with a different use. Is so nice not to have to choose between different raincoats for example - I just open the cupboard and take the 1 that is there.

@InvincibleInvisibility

Re coats - I had 9 coats and got it down to 5. Each with a different use. Is so nice not to have to choose between different raincoats for example - I just open the cupboard and take the 1 that is there.

I’m doing Project 333 and have two coats in current wardrobe - one warm, one waterproof. Love not having to choose between several raincoats. It transpires that the world does not stop turning if you walk the dog in your ‘slightly too smart for dog walking’ trench coat!

I think if you’re outdoors a lot but also work in a smart job it can be hard to reduce coats too far. Our kids have 2 good quality coats each, one puffer, one raincoat, but the adults have a smart coat, a puffer, a long raincoat & a longer puffer each.

This covers winter days on the beach, work, dog walking in the rain & watching a lot of kids weekend football. We are outdoors a lot.

There is no point in getting rid of coats you use all the time just for the sake of it. The key is focusing on things that you rarely or never use and getting rid of those.

@VanGoghsDog

How frustrating

We are very lucky as our council takes glass so haven't needed to use a bottle bank for years'

I need coats in the three different sizes I fluctuate between throughout the year

I have 5 coats (not including leather and suede jackets and zip-in-a-bag waterproofs. I use all of them regularly in different seasons for different styles. Is this too much?
Warm red woollen coat for winter smart trips to city/relatives etc
Camel trench coat for similar purpose in warmer weather
Gorgeous vintage velvet opera coat for parties, opera etc
Quilted 'school run' coat. DC no longer at school but it's my warm dogwalking coat
Seasalt waterproof for smarter country walks and milder weather.

How can you manage with one or two coats?