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

Earlier this week, I took a few clothes (previously counted) to the charity bank, and today I have put three tops and a dress into a charity bag. I did buy two new work dresses and a blazer this week, but there’s one more out than an in.

I've also listed some baby sleeping bags and a toddler party dress on FB marketplace - hopefully someone will be interested!

Mucked out the dcs wardrobes today. Two bags for life in the charity bag. Will take with me to work on Monday and drop it off.

also tidied up the garage so there’s space to move about.

listed our old microwave on fb for sale.

Did the childrens clothes today. Quite a bit for the textile recycling and I got a box packed of things that are a little big. Movers come 5 weeks on Monday 😱😭

I have gone through dd wardrobe again and fund some more things that can go. She still has 5-6 bits but is turning 8 soon but she is tiny. I might get her try it on. I’m thinking in winter I will just buy one or two multi packs of long sleeve t shirts in future. I forget what I buy if I don’t buy it as it’s needed. Ds10 is busting out of his age 10 school trousers so they can go. I bag it up but I just can’t bear to part with it. Why? I need the room and had a massive cull last year. Feeling the urge to hoard again. But mil is coming soon and I don’t want her judging. Argh! What’s wrong with me?

So not too bad over the last few days. I sold a coupe of t shirts on Vinted, and have given away around 20 books.

Now feeling increasingly s… my hayfever is pure hell too . I’ve tested twice and negatives so prob just a cold my sense of taste and smell are normal too . I am just lying in bed mist if the day though then cleaning and doing laundry etc and yesterday had to do the school run since DH had to go into office after being at home during the train strikes . Rest of the time just lying on the Duda or bed feeling useless not even getting much of my admin or online shopping done so I’ll have to rally tomorrow . I was going to take DD to the movies already got tickets while the boys are going to a concert . This week has been busy but I’m trying think about all the stuff that’s gotten done which is great . DS excellent too predicted grades , his good news at the rheumatologist and today he passed his driving theory test on the first go when I’d been hearing many people recently failing it die to the hazards videos section . I put the fear in him enough so he practised I think so that paid off ! We also signed the contract with the landscaper and paid deposit so that’ll then progress soon hopefully . DD finished school next week and DS the week after and they both have end of term stuff on sports day , prize giving etc and more uni visits and medical app etc . We’re meant to be going to see my family in 3 w so need to book our flights now that the dog boarding is sorted as well . DH got the lawn mowed again ( once we’ve landscaped we’ll get the gardener it’ll be too much work but hopefully nice to sit in ) and will take the garden waste an FB other stuff to the dump tomorrow and a load to the foodbank . There’s a few bags to rag bank as well and I keep on adding to the charity shop boxes . I need to at some point try to sell those shoes etc items I have put aside for that but now no time or energy . Next well sell the motorcycle then I want DH to list the elliptical there’s also maybe a cupboard that I want to get rid and replace with a sideboard since it doesn’t look right in the room I got for . End of next week a bunch of DD school stuff will go but I’ll list it then .
Out lately :
-1 book I finished to charity
-3 dry cleaning metal hangers to recycling
-1 pair of DS small pyjama shorts to rags
-1 broken pen to bin
-5 pairs of old socks to rags
-1 pair of DH worn out trousers to rags
-1 old belt to bin
-2 old toys to bin

Can someone please give my head a wobble. I have a huge stash of ancient hotel travel sized toiletries. They never get taken on trips as I fill my own travel bottles of my big trusted products.
It feels terrible to bin them but also keeping them makes my house a landfill!

Could I offer them or plonk them in a food bank collection or is that unhelpful for the people running it?

@Ruralbliss . The word ancient is a clue here I think, can’t donate really old stuff. I am using cheap unwanted shampoo for cleaning, so is that a possibility?I use conditioner on my dog, and to shave my legs. Body lotions could go into hand bags and bathrooms as hand cream? I suppose it depends how many, and what kind of stuff. But if none of that works for you, I gladly give you permission to liberate yourself and bin the lot!

But any small soaps, I think can be used.I am weaning myself off liquid hand soap, which is much cleaner and more convenient but also more expensive and plastic heavy. Or you can shave them and use them for washing clothes !

4 tops in the charity bag from my wardrobe. I tried one on this morning and it is too small. It makes my boobs look flat. So as the others are all the same size and brand and just different colours. They’ve gone too.

Sold microwave £20

3 bottles of hair products sold and packaged up. Will drop at locker tomorrow.

Some more of dd bits listed on Vinted. Managed to get a small bag of dd clothes to donate. Not loads admittedly but better than nothing.

Not sure why dd has lots of party dresses she never wears them.

Took DD to the movie then had to do chores, the dog and DD dinner etc ,although not feeling up to it really ,because boys will return at midnight from the concert .
DH went to the dump with a car full earlier and took stuff to food bank too after doing the weeds .
I will try to do some shopping or admin once DD is in bed . We still have to do an online form for the senior schools as well ,luckily she’s started it at school and she can finish it with DH in the morning I’m too ill to think now . We did book the flights to my country last night so that trip should be sorted now . I also looked at a new hotel for the Oct trip and I think we are decided on it now , the connecting flights we’ll still have to figure out , and also am looking at something for august maybe .
Out:
-1 pair of DD knackered trainers to bin
-2 of my robes can go I think since I got a nice new one on our weekend away
-dd half used shampoo and a conditioner ,didn’t suit her hair at all ,I’m recycling the packaging .

The office is mostly presentable - well the desk is clear and there is a clear walkway to it. I have various boxes filled and lined along the wall. If he has to take Zoom calls it looks OK.
I sold DC cot today so that is a big piece of furniture out. I dropped a bag of bric a brac to the charity shop and filled half a bag of fabric recycling so will finish that this week and get it to the clothes bank.

And a pair DD stained shorts I couldn’t clean to rag bank as well .

Hi everyone, fallen off the thread as we were away visiting family and then on holiday (which was nice but then came back to a cluttered house yesterday!)

Not sure what my plan is today as will be WFH so might be able to be able to get rid of something. Unfortunately I ended up buying the kids new summer stuff before we went away so that's a load more stuff in (they did need stuff though as outgrown things from last year - and no hand me downs!) and a load of returns to sort on top of everything else.

@IncessantNameChanger I feel that you and I both struggle with the same issue of getting rid of clothes, so you have my sympathy. My plan is to get through the backlog of baby/ toddler clothes, then just have one ongoing bag of outgrown clothes to go through every so often. I can only do this by keeping a few favourite items from each age, which makes me feel better about getting rid of the rest.

Yesterday I finished going through the box of 9-12 months clothes and filled another carrier bag to go to charity.

I put a pair of age 4-5 joggers in the current bag of outgrown clothes as DD put them on at the weekend and they were far too short (she’s 7 now). I did buy her a new hoodie and pair of joggers though, so not quite sticking to one-in, one-out.

Ordered three work dresses for summer from Next, but one doesn’t fit, so I’m going to return it.

Thanks @Zebracat!

I sorted them from a huge bag of assorted into a couple of small plastic crates of shampoo and conditioner which are now sitting in my shower ready for me to use once the big bottles are empty.

The lotions in a similar crate for me to slather over bod when I'm out of shower. I hate throwing things away and yet I want less clutter in my house! Conflicted.

Hi everybody! :) Can I join? Currently enjoying a child free AND a husband free day. Bliss!

So far, I've gutted little one's bedroom and got 2 massive bags of toys/clothes for charity. Half done our bedroom and 2 massive bin bags for the tip. It feels so good!

I have an observation; @IncessantNameChanger says her teen boys are minimalistic which is great but I'd say mine is minimalist like he isn't sentimental and doesn't want much apart from PS4/clothes but horribly messy in the same way you could mess up a hotel room which has hardly anything in it- dirty clothes anywhere but basket, clean clothes on bed, cups/plates/wrappers on floor, bed unmade so I'm just saying that you can see both sides in this house 👍🏽

@UnnecessarilyCheesedOff well done you. but I would put the big shampoo away unless it’s near the end, and then you get a little hit of joy with every tiny bottle that goes. I am having a good day. Knicker drawer sorted, 25 pairs of pants, 2 dog neckerchiefs🤨, and a big purse gone.
Im halfway through my wardrobe. It has the wrong arrangement inside really, parallel hanging bars not long enough for dresses and coats, but that’s been my excuse for chaos for quite long enough.
I have the clothes I am keeping hung up, but the bedroom floor is buried under shoes bags scarves and rejects. I need to have places for bags and shoes and painting clothes , but I don’t, just 1 big plastic box with a stupid lid. I have more shoes downstairs, might need to line them all up and cull the least satisfactory. So annoyed that I spent so much money for nothing.. I’m leaving myself little notes everywhere to reinforce the use what you have message.

Oh and welcome to@OddSocksandRainbowDocs from another newish declutterer. It does feel good.
@seperatedmum I know exactly the space you refer to. It s horrible but it would be much worse if every cubic foot was taken up with consumer goods.

@Zebracat Our hallway is so small (6ft by about 3ft) so shoe storage has always been a nightmare for us. We now have our 'regular' shoes in the bottom of our sideboard in the living room and our 'posh' shoes upstairs in a laundry basket in the bottom of a cupboard. Makes things so much easier! :)

@Zebracat true dat 👍🏽