Decluttering thread 4 - progress rather than perfection

[Pigtailsandall]

Thread 3 got filled up so decided to start a new one - hope everyone can find it!!

Woosh! I just grabbed a 5 minute break from work (wfh today) and just tried to grab as much junk/stuff for binning from the study/loft where old diy and electrical stuff goes to die!

so that’s:

26 rubbish/recycling from junk room
2 broken sandals + 1 broken shoe (no pair)

116 total for June
395 total

1021 items down - a lady from freecycle picked up a huge packet of plastic a4 sleeves. It's made a real dent in the cupboard. I also put a packet of facemasks in the bin - I feel a bit bad about that but I hope we won't need them again! Also emptied out and recycled a jar of expired pistachio paste. I can see clutter building up and I need to clean and tidy a bit, but work has been insane the last few weeks.

@Realfastfoodie well done! I find I can do a lot in like 10-15 as long as I am focused. I get distracted by tidying and cleaning. I plan to do a sweep of the house on Saturday when DC and husband are at a kids party.

Well done @Vinorosso74, that sounds like great progress to me.

Progress every day @IndianSummer78 And @Nordicmom 👏

I’ve found another few sentimental items that have been mothed so they are going. And did a lot of sorting of baby clothes (too small for DC1 and/or needing bringing out for arrival in the autumn!)

That’s amazing work realfastfoodie

I think it’s day 3 or 4 of carrying around a Bag Of Crap and I am delighted with my progress. I emptied the contents of two drawers in our downstairs toilet into the bag: I would imagine it’s 100 hair bands,clips, lipsalves, bits of jewellery that belong to dds. I am going to give dds the chance to keep some of them but I imagine they’ll throw most of them out. The Bag is still Full of Crap but I am delighted at how much stuff I have put away and also how much stuff is in a pile to go.

There was also a toothbrush and holder in the toilet and soap dish. Before covid dd2 used to clean her teeth before we left the house but now does it upstairs that so that can go. I now have a completely clutter free vanity unit and window ledge in there so I’m thinking of buying a plant as the room is too minimalist.

I also threw away a dirty nail brush

Awesome @stealthninjamum - loving your bag of crap technique too!! I think I might try this… if something can’t find it’s home within a week then maybe I have to say goodbye! A plant for the bathroom sounds perfect, health-giving and calming!

@Pigtailsandall yes, my “5 minute break” was more like 10 but it just gives me the impetus to do whatever can be done, easy stuff. It doesn’t get the harder decisions made but it’s nice to just clear out junk (even if DH doesn’t always think it’s junk 😉)

realfastfoodie I get very bored with decluttering and housework but looking around the rooms everything is so much clearer. I don’t usually put things away because I kind of see them out of the corner of my eye when I’m doing another job. Well now they go into the Bag Of Crap, which I carry around with me, and each time I go into a room I put away the Bag of Crap items.

Dds have chucked out over 50 items from the drawers earlier - mainly hair clips/ bands, lipsalve and old makeup. Dd2 is now in her bedroom Kondoing all her makeup (she doesn’t have much really) and hair bits so that it fits in two little bags.

Massively fallen off the wagon. I’ve not been in the best place, stressed, quite low, which unfortunately resulted in a bit of emotional shopping. The house has fallen into a bit of a state too. Had a read through of here which encouraged me to at least make a start by clearing the fridge ahead of the food shop. Threw a load of past best bits, gave it a clean, so that’s something.

I think I may need to get on board with the bag of crap technique 😁

@Jaberwockky - sorry you are having a tough time.

I had this problem. I think the bag of crap technique sounds epic. Also I think I found the “just find 1 thing” or “just do one shelf” approach was best for getting started.

Today's outs are two skirts that don't fit and a bobbled jumper. Total is 586

My Bag of Crap is currently on the floor next to my bed, it literally goes everywhere with me. At dinner time I found a bowl and some Japanese knives in boxes that belong to exh. We still have a ton of his stuff so after looking at them for four years they’re now in the Bag of Crap and I’ll put them in his boxes tomorrow

dc have not yet noticed that I now constantly walk around the house with a Tesco bag over my shoulder.

dc have not yet noticed that I now constantly walk around the house with a Tesco bag over my shoulder.

😆 Loving this

This is amazing. I picture you now living a Next catalogue type show house. I'm still living in a full skip!

Mums funeral is Monday. Decluttering guy is Thursday. God help him and me. I will try my trusted method of procrastinating so hard that he gives up and changes carer in pure frustration.

incessant I wish it was a show house, we have a minimalist toilet now and a sitting room that would be minimalist if it didn’t have things for sale.

incessaNt I hope the funeral goes well - as well as these things can go.

incessant I wondered if you’d heard of body doubling? It’s an adhd trick I heard of whereby people work alongside each other and are less likely to give up. So they could study together or declutter together, some people even do it online. Well I wondered if there was someone you could do it with - even online where you just have a two hour call and tell each other what you’re doing. I’m not suggesting you have adhd by the way.

I just filled the Bag of Crap up with things like candles and matches and Vaseline from my bathroom as they can all live with similar items and I have chucked out nail scissors, a makeup bag. My bathroom drawers are much clearer. My major job today is empty the B of C and then declutter more ivy and weeds and one of the herbs I bought for my herb garden a few weeks ago that has already died.

Shredding some paperwork this morning. Have opened and closed again the bookcase in the study as it remains too daunting! Have booked a haircut instead to declutter some of my frizz, not for three weeks however so may resemble a yeti by then😱Typing is giving me courage I will at least look through the top shelf for books that can go.

Three books identified. Two can go into work and the third is in the recycling pile.

Thank you @Realfastfoodie, I really appreciate hearing that. I feel a bit better for taking some control of my environment.

Tiny bit more progress today, got a small bag of rubbish and recycling out of the bathroom and gave that and the toilet a good clean. Also emptied the freezer of things like lone onion rings. Going to attempt to sort the cardboard in the utility room this evening.

I’ve made an actual list for Ikea - we need some furniture for DN, so will be trying to stick to that.

@stealthninjamum I really want to see how long it’ll be before anyone comments on the bag 😁

Great work @Jaberwockky, @Gassylady and @stealthninjamum. Take care of yourself @IncessantNameChanger, be as kind to yourself as you would be a friend. Decluttering / house clearing isn’t the most important thing.

jabberwocky sounds like you had a good day, I’m sorry you’ve had a bad time recently.

I’ll keep doing the Bag of Crap but it’s likely dc won’t notice for ages. Both have autism and retreat to their bedrooms a lot. And they don’t know how to start conversations so never ask me about anything I’m doing.

dd2 has decluttered 7 or 8 toothbrushes. She wouldn’t let me throw them away before so that’s good. I’ve gone through the Bag of Crap and shredded papers from it, put stuff away and binned stuff. I’m so chuffed with my progress I’m going to try to spend a few hours now organising playmobil and Lego.

I did another push in the loft and have sorted some stuff to put away for future arrival, but also found a little pile to add to the charity bags. I think we are up to three good size bags for charity now, so that should be a good number of things when I actually push them out of the door 🤞

It’s not quite your “bag of crap” method, @stealthninjamum, but I’m increasingly giving things one last chance to be useful and find somewhere to be, so I have a pile of things to bring down for my son to play with but several things I though “not now” and then realised they should go to charity too!

I will add that with one toddler and one on the way, there are quite a lot of “ins” too, off and on. I’m not counting those.

I'm sorry but the bag of crap is making me laugh! Love imagining women of this thread carrying a bag for life around the house, filled with crap their family didn't bother putting away.

I've not felt the best at the end of this week but we had a freezer lucky dip dinner tonight and cooked all the packets that had a little but left in them, plus some party foods etc. It was an interesting mix but DC loved it and freezer has some space. We had stuff like a lone fish fonger, spicy pakora, few samosas, chips, side of corn and broccoli

I'm going to count that as one item on my decluttering challenge. I also spent some time cleaning up and leaving Facebook groups and unfriending people I no longer had in my life. I'm going to count that as one item too as digital decluttering is important too! so up to 1023 now

Oh @Pigtailsandall, I suspect we are all carrying bags of crap whether literally or metaphorically 😂

And your freezer and digital declutters count for more than one each in my book!

I got rid of a dress that's too tight on the arms (what is it with my arms?! So many items with this problem). Total is 587

Thanks @stealthninjamum and @Realfastfoodie 😊

Successful evening spent in the utility room which is now totally clear of crap. Made some headway cleaning the back hallway and kitchen and front hallway (every time I clean I grow increasingly resentful of whoever designed this bloody house…) New socks are coming today for everyone, a set boring colour each, as I can’t seem to keep pairs or keep track of the novelty ones and who they belong to. All the old ones are going in the textile recycling. New pants and bras coming for me so I’m aiming for one in/one out.

To hold myself accountable and avoid buying unwanted crap, my shopping list for today:

. Kallax unit for DS/DN plus boxes.
. Shower curtain
. Those cardboard storage boxes to keep wires in.
. Food tubs for the freezer
. Storage boxes for the kitchen

That is is. No candles. No pot plants. No Daim cake.