Decluttering Club thread 2 2022 - trying to reduce stuff a little at a time.

[londonmummy1966]

New thread for those wanting to declutter

Old thread here

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/4441273-decluttering-club-thread-20-22?pg=1

@Gassylady in case I have another baby but very unlikely as already have 4 and 48! I’m clearly mad.

6 things out today. Dd old shoes and a few more of the kids clothes to rag bag. Unfortunately I picked up four things from my charity shop volunteering. 3 toys and a spare cot quilt but that will come in handy as ds has started to wet the bed again so I have gone back to a cot quilt for him as they are easer to wash.

@IncessantNameChanger i had my last at 41 and that definitely felt late enough! The cot quilt idea is genius we had lots of cheap fleece blankets for the same reason

One book to the donations pile and one magazine to recycling today.

I emptied my t shirt drawer today, ironed everything. Removed I. 2 old ones for painting, 3 that are currently too small. I’ve had a serious spinal issue and gained weight but hoping I will be able to lose it now, after treatment, so I’ve stored them not dumped. I have felt really inspired by asking if I would buy the item now, thought If I keep my clothes ironed and folded in colour order they look much more appealing and it will stop me chasing miracles in ASOS clearance.
I want to do the same for all my clothes, I will know exactly what I have then. The T-shirts look lovely.
I also tackled my side passage. Gah it was shameful- my Christmas wreath, dead gardening gloves, endless pots, some with dead plants. Plastic boxes of earth, unloved walking boots, tools, weeds, cobwebs and crap.Took me and DH over an hour , but it’s great now, even painted the step. Boots clean and waxed!
I have lots of decluttering to do yet. There is a bookcase in this room that is a teetering pile of unfinished reading, next room has a bureau that can’t easily be opened or closed. I hate looking in my wardrobe, and the garage is unspeakable. But I do feel that an ordered home might be achievable by the end of the year. We have an A level student here too, hopefully going to Uni, and tackling their stuff will be a mission.

@Gassylady my last was at 40 but I think she was much of a doddle as the eldest I had at 29. I'm lucky they have been tiny birth weights and good sleepers. Not quite so easy when hitting school age with various SEN needs however. I think I'm having a pre peri menopausal hormones episode 😂 I'm just better at getting rid of the kids clothes when I'm in the right mindset otherwise I sit, paw over it, cry then put it all back. Sorting and bagging means it's easy job IF I'm in the right mood. Dd has ASD right at the cut off of diagnosis but had a mini meltdown after school, bit me and scratched my arm. So I could have got rid of it ten minutes after that, thinking why on earth I'd want to go through all of this again. She was hot and tired but I do think if I could can their SEN up and send it to the moon, I'm so over it all.

@Zebracat great idea! I'm using up ( slowly) of our shampoo, makeup duplicates and ready to marvel at the space it will free up. Its amazing just how much a tiny thin out and reorganizing can make room.

I'm amazed at how much stuff I keep finding!

We're moving so I'm really trying to get rid of everything possible before I start packing and I have 3 wardrobes to get rid of plus a 200l fish tank we've decided not to take with us.

I can start on the fishtank now but the wardrobes will have to be closer to when we move, just waiting for a date!

Forgot that I got rid of a breastpump and accessories as DP's friend's wife has just had a baby, so that's a small bag out from the bottom of the wardrobe. New summer duvet is on the bed, vexing me as all new king size duvets and bedding sets do - I always end up with excess fabric somewhere regardless of which way round I put it 😡Winter weight duvet has been stashed in a vacuum storage bag which turned out to be completely incompatible with my vacuum cleaner, which has annoyed me - might have to borrow MiL's Henry and see if that works

The school are asking for books and toys to be donated for the fair next week, so fingers crossed I can offload some stuff then as well.

Another book to the donations pile today.

DS finally got his predicted A-Level grades and he got the 4 A he was hoping for so very happy for him and proud of him . Added to the A in the EPQ he now hopefully has a chance for a place at one of his top 2 Unis !
He also got good news at the doctors this morning ruling out anything horrible about his back and now will continue with the physio that will hopefully help .
We had the weekly food delivery yesterday so decluttered all the old food out from the fridge , and I changed all towels plus we did my bed . A quick clean of the first two floors and a bunch of laundry washed . Sorted out kids weekend bags from their visit to MIL and they were put away and got the rest of the sheet sets ready for changing other beds .
DS went to pick up his retainer and we got his car MOT done and of the to do list .tomorrow there’s a senior school visit for DD DH will go to without since I’m not well atm , parents evening for DS and a therapy session . It’s just too busy atm .
found a few bits to go
-a stack of old newspapers to recycling
-2 pairs of old socks
-2 old dd T-shirts
-2 discoloured towels all to rag bank
a few admin things getting done too
but generally ive been
too tired to do much more . Still need to put away rest of my stuff from the weekend and fold the clean laundry .

Why can’t I stop highlighting the text aaaaaarghhhh!!!

Out today:

A blouse with some snags in the fabric and some faded trousers

@IncessantNameChanger - it’s it’s any help re keeping baby stuff, I figure if you ever had another surprise baby, would you honestly want to not be able to buy new baby anything as you kept everything from before?

Ds is only 2, I’m not sure about another yet. I am keeping stuff, but only favourites, not the basic clothes easily replaced or the ones that were gifts and I didn’t really like anyway.
I know I would want to buy some new stuff as likely born different seasons or a girl or just different styles suit better.
Plus someone else can put those things to good use already in the meantime instead of just sitting in storage.

Clearing the cellar is our current project. When we bought our house, it was on condition the elderly lady could leave anything she didn’t want to take. She basically took a suitcase with clothing and left 70 years of ‘stuff’! We have emptied the main house now. Just cellar left ready for new heating system in the Autumn.
Took two trailer loads of old tools, broken workbench, decades old tins of old paint etc to the local recycling centre.
Some old ladders left outside with ‘ free please take’ and they have now gone too.

@Caspianberg the idea was to sort it into piles and just keep the favourite things, so I must do that. I have already got rid of everything age 1-4 so not sure why I'm hanging on to these bits. I have found in the past that if I keep to much it gets lost anyway as it's harder to organize.

Omg to someone elses clutter. When did you move in?

Children with disabilities socail worker is coming at 6ish so I must tidy up.

@IncessantNameChanger - we moved in 5 years ago now. Full house clearance, full renovation, baby arrived etc.. cellar has been left until now.
All the old oil tanks and heating boilers will need to be removed so it’s needs emptying. Our own crap is in there to, so it’s mainly getting ours into labelled small boxes with lids to easily be moved out when needed, and binning 99% everything else

Sold ten pairs of brand new school socks on Vinted so that's 129 + 10 = 139 out.

I'm going to be brave and get rid of the outgrown clothes too. A

2 unexpected outs today. Lost my knickers at the gym 🤭 then ds was sick and I handed him one of my tote bags.

139 + 2= 141

I havent abandoned the thread. Just that life has got in the way.
Still doing the 5 pieces of paper throw away per day thing meanwhile though. Will need to do it for I dont care to think how long.

@IncessantNameChanger that really made me laugh, losing your knickers at the gym.
Still just small outs here. I have had some clothing ins but we've all needed some new things. Going to sort some paperwork out this afternoon.

I was mortified but got over it. They was the sweaty ones I had been running in! That will be an unpleasant surprise for someone 😂 I got rid of another shower gel bottle, aiming to have two in use in each bathroom, not my current 5000 around the house stashed away. Some more bits for the rag bag but I will count them when they are out the door.

Incessant I totally relate to the bathroom stash. I tidied mine today and I'm pleased to see my dedication to using up more than is brought in is starting to pay off. There's still a lot but it's all in the bathroom, properly organised and I feel I can breathe in there now. Like you, I eventually plan to go full minimalist in the bathroom.

Today's out: bathroom empties and random rubbish, plus a pair of work out knickers.

worn out knickers, that should say

Empty shower gel, old pair of knickers out today. Also sold three pairs of dd brand new leggings on Vinted. Her stuff is almost getting there now. It almost all fits in its proper place.

Still need to go through ds10 clothes again seeing as its season change, then I might do another go through dd which is an endless task as she has clothes everywhere. They need to all go back into her room

141+ 5= 145

Decluttered the big border in my garden today. It really is all part of the same issue -Stuff too much in, then don’t look after it. I have a grapevine with no support that I have never pruned, such a mess. I’ve just figured out a way to make a kind of triangular wire pergola for it to drape over, get Dh on it tomorrow.
my life is going to be so much easier if I can stick with this.
A friend came for coffee last week and remarked that she’d never before seen my kitchen peninsular empty. I felt so proud. There have been things coming in for dd18, but I’m keeping up with returns etc. Rather than feeling overwhelmed, there are now discrete areas that I know I need to tackle, and I will. Trying to do the garden on dull dry days. But I’m also keeping on top of the stuff I’ve done, so slowly, Order begins to emerge.

We recently moved from a huge house with many sheds and a double garage to a modest new build. The previous house had one wall of floor to ceiling cupboards in each room, we raised three kids there and their dad left me with all his belongings too.

Since moving I've been on a mission to become minimalist. I have a lonnnnnnnng way to go but each weekend more bags and boxes go to the charity shop, freecycle or the recycling centre.

I'm now seeing enough space in garage that I can begin to start selling stuff to make some money - before it was a case of get rid quickly in order to get some order.

We've also just taken delivery of one built in wardrobe but I'm determined to only use it for things we will definitely use so this weekend as well as move my DD back into her room and sort through her (many) belongings I'll be doing bedding, towels and paperwork or kitchen cupboards.

@Ruralbliss that sounds really hard. Well done on turning a bad situation into a positive. How old is your dd? My teens are boys so I find both of them are very minimalistic which is a miracle with me as a mum! Both of them for example have 1 pair of trainers! In fact that's the only footwear my 18 year has.

My little two I buy them too much but just cutting back on buying has naturally thinned things out.

Going list more on Vinted today I think