Decluttering Thread 5 - Slowly Does It

[Pigtailsandall]

We filled the previous thread quickly! I'm still in the middle of my annual leave and working through my old sentimental items so I need to keep the momentum going! It's taking ages.

@incessantnamechanger
@EllieQ
@nordicmum
@IndianSummer78
@Realfastfoodie
@nordicmom
@CornedBeef451
@thingshavegottogo

@stealthninjamum
@pissedoffneighbour22

Sorry for anyone I missed! Hope you find us!

Been working a bit over the last week so not loads of progress. I've sold all the coats I put on Vinted, didn't make much but it's a few quid and they're not cluttering here anymore! Someone collected an item from Freecycle today.
Hangers, I've given some to charity shops, if they wanted them and have given some away on Freecycle.
Bank and credit card statements, I spent ages a few years ago shredding them. I have kept letters which have account details on just in case bit that's only a few pieces of paper.

I haven’t got started with Vinted, I probably should try and sell a few bits but I mostly just want to give stuff away as I feel awkward asking for money.

A new out:
old fitted sheet that will not turn properly white again

Starting a new pile for a Christmas charity collection I’m helping with soon:
Christmas onesie too small for everyone here
fluffy pjs I bought for DD that are too small and I lost the receipt (only George so not pricey)
a bubble gun toy thing

I need to go through Christmas wrapping type stuff as they always want donations of that too.

@LivingInaBuildingSite - I’m planning the same thing actually. I’m going to go through my Christmas/present drawer and really try to run it down. Identify people for things and a nice pile for the Xmas present drives locally.

I won one of the appeals which has resulted I going straight into conflict with the school saying they can't deliver. Great.

Still waiting for the judge to rule on my sons appeal

9 empty shoe boxes out today, their contents housed elsewhere. This has resulted in a much tidier cupboard. Total is 1588

Not an out as such, but I've bought some command hooks and I've made places for lots of things like the dishtowels, dust pan and brush, hooks for my son that are at his height for coat and bag. They are very handy!

Right, tomorrow I’m going on a mission. making a list here to try to be accountable

• baby bank
• tip
• charity shop
• fabric recycling
• Sort out a few giveaways to drop off/have collections so my “outs” box is clearer

a bundle of old healthcare uniforms I'm never going to need even if I do temping out in clothes recycling bag
So that's 2 bundles out for my new tally

Baby bank is done! That’s 90 things including a playmat!

Well done on the baby bank trip!

I have binned 2 dead plants from DDs room.

Have also hung up/re-bluetacked all of DS2’s posters in his new room.
Need to get a new clip frame for his minion poster to hang it properly.

Ds1 put up his new shelf unit, up to him what he puts on it. Was intended to be for his warhammer but he says he’s happy with them where they are (ie everywhere) 🙄

@LivingInaBuildingSite right, where are you recycling your fabric?

I'm also living in a building site (on and off)

I haven't managed to get anything actually out of the house today but have more piles. I've gone a bit ruthless and not sure if I've gone too far.

Im a bit concerned with one room smelling damp. I cant see any mould but I can smell a damp smell. Husband can't smell it. Considering buying a very expensive dehumidifier. It's not an issue in summer. Obviously need to get to the root of the problem. It does mean I'm washing all fabrics that smell musty and I could do without that extra job.

I've added a few bits to Vinted but from my quick browse things seem to go very cheap on there. Almost pointless.

Just remembered, I did lose £5 from my back pocket today. So I'm £5 lighter. Don't carry money in your back pocket people!

This weekend I sorted through my very sad underwear collection and binned half a dozen pairs of pants. They were 15 years old and a bit holey.

I also binned a cardigan as it had several holes that I intended to mend but after 6 months I've realised it's not going to happen.

I finally made an origami flower wreath. I'm counting it as decluttering as I made the flowers in January but couldn't figure out how to make them into a wreath so at least it's over now. It's quite nice but not really worth the hassle.

@tantdequestions I lost £10 from my pocket in the summer I was absolutely raging! I rarely carry cash and this was tooth fairy money that I'd put on go Henry for safekeeping then pocketed the cash then it must've fallen out and blown away 🤬 the irony

@tantdequestions our council issues separate white bags for textile recycling, it’s quite big so I tend to have one on the go all the time and only put it out when full.

I ought to change my name really, my building site days are behind me, mostly, I hope!
Just some snagging that may get done one day when the builders fit me in again…

Maybe UsedToLiveInABuildingSite for a while until I think of something more fitting

Questions mould spores will be in the air long before you can see mould. Have you checked the most obvious - blocked guttering? If not, go outside in heavy rain and check if any are overflowing. You can keep clothes in a plastic box to keep the mould out. Pull all furniture well away from the wall to increase air circulation and decrease the chance of visible mould occurring. If it does occur you'll see it right away, not when it's taken over your furniture and destroyed it. Flip your mattress over weekly, the bit you lay on gets warm, the underside that's colder will attract dampness and has the potential to mould if the problem is bad. This probably wouldn't happen until you had visible mould on the walls though. Air the room as much as possible to prevent a harmful buildup of mould spores which are damaging to health. Mould needs warmth and damp to thrive. A certain amount of heat and a dehumidifier will both help to dry out the room. If you can't heat it enough though you may be better off with it being really cold, in terms of mould control. Buy a basic damp meter from a DIY store, they're fairly cheap and will tell you which places have a problem, just switch it on and poke it on the wall in various places. That will give you an indication of where to look for the source of the problem

No outs today but did take the latest full bag to the donations point

actually it must've been birthday money, not £10 from tooth fairy 😱

I'm focusing really hard on using things up - foods we have had for ages, skin/beauty stuff, and kids crafts etc. We go away next week (!) and our friends will stay at our house so I'm slightly obsessed with leaving everything tidy and neat, but also as uncluttered as possible. I don't want to come back to lots of stuff. We had a few food tins DH bought years ago for some experimental cooking and I've told him he needs to cook those dishes! Our friends will get our house a deep clean when they leave which sounds so nice, and I want to kind of start afresh.

Out so far:
1 just-expired food tin, used up in cooking (yay)
broken hanger
dried up pen
2 plastic wine glasses recycled
small wall art piece I didn't like
papers relating to an old account set-up
CD
small art piece sold on Vinted

Total is 1892

pigtails I really like the sound of that, coming home to a fresh start

CornedBeef origami flower wreath sounds beautiful

LivingInABuildingSite I'm glad you don't any more, it sounds like my idea of hell

Tallsmall sorry you lost £10, I'd be annoyed too

That's a huge declutter to the baby bank RealFastFoodie I bet they were happy

Fingers crossed for your other appeal Incessant

Today's outs:

5 lengths of ribbon
3 rubber Poppy Day bangles
An old jewellery box from a bracelet (if I don't display my jewellery I find I forget about it and don't wear it)

Total is 1597

Thanks all! Yes it felt good. I’m getting better at just skimming a few things out each time I do something (eg doing the washing or next size up /season change for clothes).

I’m currently tackling some boxes from my parent’s house. This batch is papers, cards, certificates, newspaper cuttings. I’m trying to be really good. Even keeping 10% is quite a lot of stuff. I have to be brave 💪

I've got rid of a local paper which I've finished reading and a plate which I dropped on the floor and smashed! I've got enough so I won't replace it.

I've done at least one pass through of everywhere now, some cupboards that were rammed full have had a few goes. Feel daunted by having to start seriously on round two and be a bit more ruthless this time. It's going to be slower because of that. It is encouraging now I can see a difference though.

Total is 1590

Took a bag of textiles to the recycling bank on the way to work, and DP and I had a kitchen clear out last week and got rid of some OOD flour and pasta (Covid panic buying!), old sticky/dried up sweets (those bloody party cone things) and some other bits and pieces.

@tantdequestions - I can only speak for the charity that collects from my local banks, but this is how they break it down.

40% second-hand clothing in developing countries
19% industrial cleaning cloths
21% filling industry (insulation etc)
14% fibre reclamation (making new fabrics from existing fibres)
6% waste (natural breakdown)

What the reality is I don't know, but stains or holes shouldn't be a problem. I do get a bit funny about donating underwear though, because you never know who's sorting through it 😕

Also saw a Wanted listing on Olio this morning for swim nappies, and I have an unused box of about 25 sitting in the hallway so I jumped at the chance and sent a message. Just waiting to see if she can pick up.

Plodding along nicely here. I took playmobil to my friends house. I have another lot for sale that I’ll take at the end of the month. I also found a sylvanian families set that I might sell or give to charity.

I have shredded half the papers that I found earlier in the week. The Room of Doom has some papers and folders on the floor so I’ll tidy it at the weekend. I also found some writable DVDs and CDs that I might advertise on Facebook for free.

I also used up one of dd2s shower gels that was a present. I have started on one of dd1s shower gels. Both get gifts of toiletries that they don’t like and so I’m using them up and they don’t mind. I don’t think I’ve bought a shower gel for about a year but might be on the last one - before the inevitable Christmas gifts.

I sold another 3 items on Vinted which I'm super pleased about. Also finished a cleaning product that I won't replace, and finally binned some receipts I was holding onto, a newspaper that had a story of my local town (not v interesting( and a few more dry pens. I might need to actually get some pens at this rate.

Total is 1900

One old chipped cat bowl out.

Old car game but like scaletrix hopefully collected tomorrow.

Otherwise I’m working nights and sleeping days atm so nothing much happening.

Swim nappies are gone, hurrah! Also listed an unused inflatable pool seat for toddlers, but I may have priced this a bit high - plus probably the wrong time of year to sell something like that.

Taking a bag to the in-laws with some Tupperware containers to return, which is taking up floor space in the kitchen.