Anyone want to join a decluttering and cleaning thread?

[QwertyWitch]

I want to get my house clean, decluttered and organised before school starts in September.
I started on the shelves in the living room today which are meant to be for some books and ornaments but have become filled with random paper and objects.
This seems to be the case everywhere I look!
Time to tackle it.

Be ruthless! I was before my baby came and I can't remember anything I got rid of now!!

Another trip to the charity shop yesterday, and another two full bin bags are gone.

And I haven't even started on wardrobe organising yet. This is just from the cupboards and drawers, some things new with tags.

And today, I've unsubscribed from various websites I am no longer interested in, and decluttered about 200 emails from my inbox. Also organised my phone storage and deleted about 50 unwanted files, and uninstalled a couple of apps. Feels good.

I've gone through my wardrobe, which is huge, taken out several bin bags of clothes that don't fit and reorganised the remainder. It was a bit of a mess before and stuffed full but now it's tidy and I can see what I have.

Can I join in? My house is a terrible state. I tried to make it better by switching bedrooms around but became ill midway and have never finished it, so really every room apart from the bathroom is awful.

Too much stuff, not enough time or storage, and I'm quite sentimental abd also poor, which results in me finding it difficult to just get rid of stuff if I think it can be reused or sold.

Lacking in motivation too...

Cleared out the bottom of my wardrobe today. It's become a dumping ground for stuff that doesn't fit where it is supposed to go.

Listed a few things on Vinted but will take them to the charity shop if they don't sell within the next week.

I cleared a corner of the living room today.

I have been through my college paperwork today and found a big stack to bin. I am using a website called Evernote to cut down on needing to keep articles and folders of papers but it is hard to let go of so much work. I keep telling myself that I probably won't need to re-read this stuff.

That sort of de cluttering is also very satisfying and useful! I need to do something similar with an old laptop and my phone this weekend.

I didn't manage to get the wardrobes sort out finshed, nowhere near, so need to get my skates on with that this weekend. Also paperwork, stuffed into a large metal file and overspill in a large drawer.

Oh god. It’s got sooo much worse as I’ve dragged everything out!! Aagh! Wish me luck!

I know that feeling well! Best of luck

Thank you @fallingleaves12 !

Can be so hard when you know that you can't afford to replace items should you need to. My suggestion is to do it by stealth one or two things at a time in a big bag. Keep adding gradually. You will forget what is in there. When full take to charity shop, repeat...
Anything you want to sell, do it or get rid, it can be a faff but Vinted is the easiest I think?
Look after the things you keep, hang them, mend them. I have done this and am starting g to see some light! Good luck

In reply to this:
Can I join in? My house is a terrible state. I tried to make it better by switching bedrooms around but became ill midway and have never finished it, so really every room apart from the bathroom is awful.

Too much stuff, not enough time or storage, and I'm quite sentimental abd also poor, which results in me finding it difficult to just get rid of stuff if I think it can be reused or sold.

Lacking in motivation too...

@Mimilamore thank you. I know you're right. I got rid of a wardrobe but haven't yet got rid of enough clothes to have done so! I'm going to start by going through and taking out anything I dont wear, that'll leave me with about 10 items 🤣

I have actually sold a bit, and bought a bit , on vinted. I'm going to lust a load of stuff cheaply to get it gone, it all adds up abd then can buy one more suitable, wearable thing (I have lots of nice dresses that I never go anywhere to wear, and are too small)

Well I had a pretty good weekend on the decluttering front!

This weekend was the car boot fair. I have never done one before (though have done other types of sales) and was somewhat daunted when we pulled up to see hundreds of cars and people milling around, but it was actually quite enjoyable once we got going. Top tips include a folding table, an extra pair of hands, snacks, a thermos of coffee and try to display things nicely, rather than in a big pile. I also 'priced to sell', so let lots go for £1 or 50p and gave several items away.

Sold about half of what I took: shoes, a few small sports items, glassware, china, a large and well-loved toy set (which I was delighted to sell to a lovely grandmother), a couple of books and some children's clothes.

I am determined not to put much 'back', so even though I was exhausted last night I boxed up the remaining glassware/china and put it in my boot for the charity shop (tissue/bubble wrapped so it would be safe) and have now printed off the postage label for the baby bank for the remaining clothing.

The corner of our spare bedroom/my office is looking slightly more civilised - a small stack of boxes and one full basket, so not perfect, but definitely less overwhelming than before. I am finding this thread helpful to keep me going.

@Mimilamore
I have hoarding tendencies and keep things for emotional reasons so completely understand. Sometimes time helps - you look at the thing and it doesn't matter so much now. Or it's about accepting that things mostly come into your home one-by-one, so they have to leave one-by-one too. Just try to do several 'ones' a week and you will start to see a difference.

@BrutusMcDogface

Next jobs:
Right this minute, pack up my parcel for the baby/children's bank.
List a pair of sports shoes on FB local group or marketplace
List more children's clothing on Ebay

How’s everyone doing?

Just back from a weeks camping so not much has happened here! I’ve got two bags to take to charity today and I’m going to sort my craft stuff into the now empty kallax boxes in my bedroom so I can find space for my camping stuff (previously lived in my parents shed). Struggling a bit to get motivated tbh after the holiday but hopefully will be back at it by the end of the week.

Sorted through DD1's clothes today. The problem we have though is DD2 is 3 years younger (they're 4 & 1) so we're keeping clothes for DD2 to grow into so I didn't actually throw anything away. It's more organised though, and we do always have a box to put clothes that DD2 grows out of into to go to charity.

"so I can find space for my camping stuff (previously lived in my parents shed)."

I read this three times before realising that it probably wasn't you who lived in the shed, but your stuff.

Yeah, they eventually decluttered her and she had to get her own place! :)

Tackling the airing cupboard today. The floor in there is disgusting. Need to go through a few boxes to see what needs to be kept. I'm halfway through it.

Sorted the units in my dining room yesterday got rid of loads of paperwork and took some bits to the charity shop
Going to sort my wardrobe out next as just got back from holiday so thought I’d do it before I put my holiday washing away

I still can’t see the floor. Tell me it’ll be ok?! 😂😂😭😭

On the plus side, I’ve managed to sell a few things which is great 💪

I've listed a few things on Vinted which haven't sold so that's persuaded me they have little value and it's reasonable to take them to the charity shop. Just need to get round to taking them there . . .