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

@Elenorrigbywoes

I am rejoining this thread as I found it so helpful last year when I decluttered loads. I am off this week so hope to declutter at least 100 items - wish me luck. I dumped three old plastic drinking cups, a tshirt and some artwork today so roughly ten items.

100 items is an amazing goal! Go you!

Hello, please can I join as well? We are drowning in stuff and haven't decluttered in years. I have a day off next week and wondered if anyone had any tips to be able to make the most of it / the most impact?

I just find that process so slow. Successes I've had recently were three big boxes of DVDs (one back to music magpie the others given away for free on Facebook) and getting rid of some old toys. It's just seems to take such a long time!

We also start a draw or a cupboard run out of time and shove it all back in!

Well done everyone - I spent the afternoon feeling comatose after too much lamb (and wine...) but have just walked round to the community library to drop off half a dozen more books. Getting there with the books but we have literally hundreds left to sort through. Still every little helps!

Hello @DollyPartBaked - try and find an area that really bugs you - perhaps a big cupboard - and focus on that first - have a roll of bin bags and everything you want to chuck either goes in the bin/recycling or a charity shop bag. Once you've done the first area take everything out and bin it and put the charity shop stuff in the boot of your car. Then move on to the next area - seeing it leave the house rather than cluttering up somewhere else really makes a difference. Ideally schedule a charity shop run for the weekend.

I found it really helped to chop the house up into small areas - eg a shelf/kitchen cupboard and set aside 10-20 minutes to do a little a day (again making sure things left the house) both getting things out and designating a space for everything so I know where it goes. It doesn't seem like much at the time but after about a month you start to really be able to see where you've been.

Thanks @ChampagneCommunist - I need to stop procrastinating and just do it. I have a lot of clothes to tackle and clear.
I find setting timers for 10/15 minutes helps me. Now the children are a bit older it is also easier and I try to get them to help. My number one tip is having an out plan for the item and getting it there as quickly as possible - is it to go to the charity shop, giving away, selling or bin. I used to keep items as they might be useful in the future- I don't do that now. At the start I would focus on one small area a drawer, shelf or a space and totally clear that - when you see clear spaces it motivates you to do more.

Out: a bra which somehow (I couldn't see a hole) the washing machine sucked the wire out of (and apparently ate it!). I should have thrown it out before because it wasn't comfortable and was getting worn out in the elastic but somehow that didn't seem like a good enough reason and felt wasteful. I have plenty more so I won't replace it.

Can I join?

I have a good declutter upstairs last month. In reality I need to clear more clothes and other things out of our bedroom, especially as we want to decorate and start the room with a clean slate. I need to clear out cupboards, drawers downstairs. DH off tomorrow, but planning to make a start again this week.

Thanks @londonmummy1966 and @Elenorrigbywoes for the advice - I've definitely fallen into the trap of making piles of stuff and somehow cluttering up the space even more without it actually going anywhere! And today I've got things out looked and them and put them back. Going to be ruthless tomorrow!

I managed to get rid of an umbrella that had been cluttering our hallway for 2 years + and never used!

I’d recommend Dana K White, either her blog or her book (s). She talks about a way of Decluttering that doesn’t involve making pile of stuff that then clutter up the house even more.

The Marie Kondo way is good but does make a mess and needs a time commitment. Dana’s way is more realistic and you can use small snatches of time.

I had a relatively productive day today. I got five bottles to the recycling centre, dropped a bag with ten items to a friend who volunteers in a charity shop and recycled ten books from the study of doom so about 25 items left the house today.
I read a cleaning blog last week and she recommended five things that can instantly make a house seem cleaner - clean the fronts of kitchen units and clean skirting boards. I started cleaning the kitchen units and it did make a noticeable difference. I did all the bottom ones today and will do the top ones tomorrow.

I sold a canteen of cutlery for £50!

Would never use it, so bit the bullet.

Cash added to my secret fund 😉

@ChampagneCommunist what is the secret fund for?

[quote DollyPartBaked]@ChampagneCommunist what is the secret fund for?[/quote]
A Tiny House by the sea. Minimalist, but cosy. Big enough for me, easy to maintain.

I know I'll need plenty more than £50, but it all helps. And it's two steps forward - #1 cash in pot #2 less stuff

champagnecommunist £50 is great but As you say time consuming. Looking at my log of what’s going out at the moment I’m not sure any of it would be sellable.

dollypartbaked do you have any big items that you can get rid of to make an immediate difference? I remember getting rid of a jumparoo and baby chairs and suddenly I had a big hall.

Alternatively any grotspots like a really cluttered surface you cringe at or a cupboard that is so rammed that you have to empty it to find things?

I’d always suggest people start with something like that to motivate them further if they can see a difference.

I would also just set a timer and do what you can without putting things back. Don’t be too ambitious at the start.

Not a great day, stbexh has not had dc this weekend (he never has them actually) but with Covid and the holidays my house looks some cupboards have exploded and covered the house in toys and stationery. Anyway my outs are some old door hinges, an empty weed killer bottle, some padlocks and a Lego Joker mask.

My post pile has expanded again and some of it has moved into my bedroom so tomorrow’s job is filing and shredding.

I just found myself emptying the ‘greetings card’ drawer and found myself getting rid of 37 items. They were mainly unused greetings cards that can go to a charity shop but also invitations for dd2s 7th birthday party.

I’m now up to 707 items ‘out’ for 2022.

I'm back after another long break from decluttering and this thread. Still hunting for a secondary school for my ten year old ds but in a better headspace now.

Nothing decluttered but four months of buying practically nothing has helped to gently thin things out. I'm not buying any footwear until I'm down to one pair of converse, one boots and pair of trainers. As all my shoes are falling apart that should fruitful this year. I'm sure it will be liberating to just get rid of all footwear and start again.

I hate change like looking for schools. That makes me want to cling on to what I know. But I'm getting there. Nothing in is easier than something out and it's much easier to bin things when they are worn out.

Nothing out yesterday. Although nothing in either.

I managed to vacuum pack up some blankets and a duvet though. They’re still in the airing cupboard. But are packed away neatly.

@londonmummy1966 thanks for the new thread and putting those links up. My efforts are becoming very intermittent, partly a good thing as finding clutter now requires looking in cupboards and drawers. I don’t have things strewn on every surface anymore! My mood isn’t fantastic at the moment with several stressors ongoing and I’d rather escape into a good book than do yet more decluttering. Still haven’t sorted either the old photos or the stamps- definitely stuck in procrastination mode

@stealthninjamum my STBXH has never had them either. puts self he also recently took a company car too small to comfortably fit them 🤬 and I'm confident he could change his circumstances to take them sometimes but he's got comfy like that 🤬

[quote seperatedmum]@stealthninjamum my STBXH has never had them either. puts self he also recently took a company car too small to comfortably fit them 🤬 and I'm confident he could change his circumstances to take them sometimes but he's got comfy like that 🤬 [/quote]

• outs self

separatedmum that’s shocking about your ex. Mine half heartedly tries but dc don’t want to see him anymore. I invited him over for lunch on Easter Saturday and even then dc spent the minimum time with him. And I had no break from cooking and housework.

I have had a quick tidy up and started on the pile of papers. A few things have gone in the bin but I’m not really classing them as clutter outs as I don’t really count every day paperwork as clutter.

@stealthninjamum that's as really shame and obviously his loss but it's still sad for you. no decluttering as yet today 🙊

I've ended up having to do some work today so not done as much as I hoped (just having a break now!).

I've got rid of a bin bag of stuff and have a few piles on the go (including a bag of crap for my DH to look at / find homes for).

Going to list some toys on Facebook this afternoon. My DC are 3 and a baby so still have a lot of equipment and are different toy stages!

Where do people store their paperwork? We do not have a study or a spare room to stash stuff in unfortunately!

4 unopened bars of soap went into the care home where I work today (bought back in lockdown when you couldn’t get the liquid stuff we normally use).

Nothing else done today, work days are exhausting so I tend to just sit down, then do the minimum for the dc in the evenings.

So new out total = 6

Nothing in today. DDs birthday tomorrow so a few bits, I have been quite stingy though and explained her sleepover party means fewer presents.

@DollyPartBaked every out is a win even if you are too busy to do all you wanted to do! On paper storage you could use a wooden trunk on wheels that was wide enough to take several box files for different categories of paper work. It could be wheeled into a corner/under desk when not needed/used as extra seating/a coffee table/bedside table etc?

@Gassylady - sending you lots of hugs - I am quite low at the moment which leaves me feeling really tired and unable to do much. I took a break from the major stuff I'd intended to do today and just sorted out some bundles of costume jewellery and put them on ebay - nothing out but 2 have sold so will be leaving the house shortly.

THe biggest out today was DC1 going back to college