Decluttering thread 7 - as the days lengthen we’ll feel more motivated to declutter

[stealthninjamum]

Sorry for the long thread title, I’ve just seen that the old thread has reached 1,000 posts.

For newbies this thread and the old one a day threads are for a group of mumsnetters who are decluttering. We’ll share tips and advice and inevitably the conversation moves on to organisation tips, pretty storage solutions and persuading our families to join in.

We’re all at different stages of decluttering so join us for support and chat.

@daffodil2023 I’ve superficially done every area once and most areas a lot more than that. It just gets easier as I’ve gone round because I realise I never miss anything. I’ve largely ‘finished’ decluttering but am mainly focusing on tidying and organising but I still find loads of stuff to declutter. I also had a Room of Doom which is almost finished now and a garage that was full of exhs stuff. That’s almost done too. I still get a real buzz from throwing things out and being organised. I feel like a ‘proper’ adult now - one who has pot plants that are alive, and food in the fridge that isn’t old enough to kill me.

In real life I have never admitted to anyone just how bad my house got, but I struggled with working, childcare, SEN kids and a hoarder husband and his wider family. I remember at one point his aunt or uncle dropped off a load of wood that was allegedly a cot for us to save for another relative. I took it to the dump as it didn’t seem to have four sides or a base and no one has ever asked for it. It’s been ten years now so I can claim ignorance if asked.

Yesterday I tackled the awkward kitchen corner cupboard. I opened the bag of hoover parts and chucked out a load of pointless paperwork - I don’t need to know how to use a vacuum cleaner in 12 languages! I also went through my shoe cleaning box. I had 5 tins of scotch guard / leather protector. I used up one spraying some boots if mine. I don’t know if this stuff works but I might protect all our shoes to throw another couple away. I also threw away some old tins of polish that was cracked and dried to the point unusable. The cupboard also has a small tiny of gloss paint that had dried out. That’s going too.

Today I’m going to do a digital declutter. I’m going to delete or move thousands of emails.

Three large bags gone to the charity shop and two to the bin!

Next on my list is to shred a ton of documents I have got rid of. I keep postponing it, though, as it's the dullest job on earth. I can't even put on some music as the bloody thing is so noisy...

Anybody has any motivational tips? <looks around expectantly...>

Hello thread, I am an intermittent declutterer (I tend to get the motivation once a month due to hormones).

Anyway, thank you for the motivating and interesting discussions.

Today I have decluttered a load of houseplants. I know they're not looking at their best at this time of year, but so many of them I have had for years and years and they are just never going to be a pleasure to look at again. They just sit there looking brown and mouldy. Recently I was bought a new Peace Lily as a thank you present, and it really reminded me what a houseplant should look like.

Secondly, I wore an old winter coat to the shops this morning and the zip broke. Again. And I thought, "sod this". At the next clothes recycling thingy I passed, I emptied my pockets, took the coat off, donated it and walked home in the rain in just my jumper. I should have done this at the end of last winter.

Looking to start decluttering.

May I ask best app suggestions?

@Tenmus I love that you threw the coat away on your walk. That's amazing.

Thanks for the kind words and support everyone. I'm really not myself at all anymore. We have both written a unemotional email to follow up the meeting. A part of me doesn't really care any more about anything. Dd is smart. I hate myself for thinking it but i resist the temptation to say "oh well she can always be a pole dancer" in these stupid meetings. Just for shits and giggles. If I'm squirming then I could repay it. Seriously I will NOT do this. Dd is bright and she will stand on her own feet and use her brain if it kills me.

I am stupid and presumed school would let me talk to OT and camhs. I'm going to go private so I dont have to beg or justify why dd exists outside of school. I keep trusting professionals to do what's best for dd. It's like putting my hand in a fire and being repeatedly shocked I'm burnt. These people are not out to help dd. Or they would engage with her family.

Anyway. I have to take before photos for my group "therapy" of my worse areas ( that would be inside of my house 🤣) a good area is the front garden. Anyway. I might just take photos of the living room, kitchen and my bedroom then do a massive no thinking cull. I know I can replace anything if I need to. I just need to feel some real pain and survive it.

It's never the right time. It never will be the right time either.

IncessantNameChanger that’s sounds really horrid for you both. I do hope that they see sense and take a better approach. I hope the hoarding group work is proving useful to you.
Little progress here but ticking over in picking books and DVDs to go to the charity shops. A couple of T-shirts and jumpers for the charity bag.

Port put the shredder and documents somewhere prominent, do a bit every time you boil the kettle.

One cardboard box has gone today that's been around for years. Total is 1985

Right today is new day. I'm going to go private psychiatrist/ therapy for dd and OT and that's that.

I'm going to tackle the house this morning. Take before photos. New disability socail worker wants to meet us Wednesday here so I need a good tidy up anyway as it all slipped waiting for that meeting. I will be going to the charity shop this afternoon if it kills me. I'm also going to park selling on Vinted for a few months as its all got very slow. It if doesn't shift in May when I relist it will go to charity or I will have it until next summer.

Glad to hear you sounding more positive @IncessantNameChanger just such a shame that you feel you have no choice other than to take the private route. Why not make the decision that if Vinted listings don’t go in May then you will donate them rather than try again next summer. I try and think that if things haven’t gone this season then next year they will be one year less current so better to give someone the chance of a bargain via the charity shop. I tell myself this even though my kids are not too big into trends/brands so most of our stuff is pretty generic plain tee shirts, hoodies, joggers, shorts etc 🤣🤣🤫

Can I join? I seem to try to declutter, then buy more stuff. Then buy boxes to put the stuff in!
Then I can’t find what I need so buy more. I have enough craft items to start my own group. Vinted and the charity shop are my go too. Freecyle seems to have died a death here.

This evening's decluttering was the kitchen cleaning cupboard. Managed to decant a lot washing up liquid and chucked lots of stuff (fridge de-icer??) that I always thought might come in. Some of the stuff I remember having when I was with my ex, and we split up in 2015.

It feels much more productive to declutter than sit around all evening in front of screens.

If you are on Facebook, see if there is a local Buy Nothing group in your area. That has taken over from Freecycle in my area.

I will have a look, Olio is good for food. But not for my clutter.

Welcome @Ladybughouse, I too recommend fb groups or simply leaving stuff out on the street on a sunny day. I live on a busy-ish street and stuff always gets picked up!

@IncessantNameChanger I don't know how you do it. I think private is the way to go if you can afford it. My brother has adhd and in the 80/90s he went through hell as they just insisted on fitting a square peg into a round hole. But he's done really well for himself. I have faith your dd will too ❤️

Dh is clearing papers from his office - hurrah - and I'm popping up balloons from a party we went to ages ago that are still lingering on and dc has lost interest. Also decluttering some wine while I'm cooking.

Didn't get to a charity shop. I threw stuff in the bin! Anything half decent is in the car waiting to see if I can give to the clothing bank.

I bought dd two pairs of Jeans on Vinted but I can see them fitting her so not counted them yet

18th 22 lids and tupperware pots
3 pairs shoes Binned, 6 to charity

Total out 72
Total in 3
---
Total for 24
626 out
19 in

Binned:
One broken plate
One bit of sports kit that's reached the end of its life.

Total is 1987

Just dropped off dc outgrown trainers to the charity shop. I'm lucky it's on route. I feel a bit exhausted by Vinted so taking a break from it. I have had a few difficult buyers recently.

Dh cleared out a whole lot of paperwork. Was quite a pile but I'm counting it as one as not sure what exactly it was. I finally had to bin my favourite bra too and I feel that soon I'm going to need new underwear!

Out this week
Dh papers
Bra
Lots of balloons
2 kids key chains
Pair of kids too-small socks
Old can opener, broken
Dried up pen
One cleanser used up. Almost to normal stock levels

Total is 366.

5 outgrown school cardigans out yesterday (bagged up and ready to go to school to be donated). I already had replacement cardigans in the next size up, so I have taken them out of storage (bag at the bottom of the wardrobe) and put them in DD’s chest of drawers. So the wardrobe looks less cluttered too!

One dress of mine to the charity bag.

This is so nice to hear, I look forward to doing it all again! I think this weekend I'll start on the cupboard of doom and see where that gets me, and use the joy of going round again as incentive to push through to the end

The organising part is the bit I find so rewarding, I love making labels for things and seeing everything stacked neatly or in rainbow order but when you live somewhere, you want to love it!

The story about the cot is shocking really, I also have family members that insist on passing on their stuff to me, but why should they enjoy the free space and not us! It's a no from now on.

So glad to hear it's way better for you now, sounds like you've shed a lot from your past in a really positive way :)

73. Quarter of a box of washing powder I was allergic to
74. Fridge cleared out. Embarrassingly, this included Worcestershire sauce that went out of date before we moved here!

2024 Total - 619
March - 61

latest outs -
1 another vinted sale
2 big trunks
8 medicine cabinet from TOSS

I had a day off work so sorted through 4 bags of junk from the garage. One was kids art supplies including paper that had been munched...then I found an empty nest in the next bag. Eek! We moved the bags into the spare room yesterday so hoping there isnt now a mouse in the house!

Paper and most of the paint had to get thrown out. I've made up 2 bags for the charity shop to go later in the week.

We also did a tip run and managed to recycle lots of bits from the garage and shed. First time we'd been there since they introduced a new booking system but it seemed to work ok.

Not been on for ages because of going away then work. The state of the house is showing my lack of presence too 🙄

@IncessantNameChanger big hugs for you and DD.

Out:
bunkbeds collected
mattresses x 2 collected
spare bookcase collected
scratchy bra binned
holey DS pants to fabric recycling
various to charity from DH x 8

Admittedly we have had Ins of DDs new bed and new mattress but it’s
progress towards a more organised house, and hopefully her bedroom/bomb site as the bed has drawers for bedding.

248+14=262

Need to get on with sorting blinds/curtains/both? For DDs room but can’t face being in there in its current state. She is supposedly tidying now while I have her phone!

I sorted a massive pile of paper work. Now going to have fun with the shredder.
Still got the drawer of doom to do both the paperwork one and the kitchen 🙈.
Made pile for charity shop. Really want to buy a label maker!