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.

Oh - also made a clothing sale on Vinted, and sold a bundle of books to Ziffit!

Oh yes, as a pp just mentioned, I am on a ‘use up’ of toiletries and food stuffs too. I am re-purposing toiletry gifts (where I can’t donate them), so am using floral body sprays that came in a gift set as a room spray for the bathroom, and large tins of body butter (lovely, but I never take the time to moisturise all over!) as facial cleanser / moisturiser (just slather some on, rub it in a bit (maybe with a face cloth to exfoliate too) and rinse off well with water and pat dry. Works well, is ‘de-cluttering’ and I haven’t had to go to Boots (to do a £100 toiletries shop, Eek!) for ages!

Meanwhile, DH's contribution has been to eat a couple of tins of food past its sell by date...

This is mostly my DH's contribution as well 😂

I have been tidying up so counting bits of tat that I find when digging under the kids bed or emptying bags as 10+ items but I'm not going to put the in my monthly / yearly total.

I'm going on Amazon photos every day and deleting about 20 photos each time. I screen shot lots of useful info I never do anything with. I won't surprise you to find out that I hoard photos and my phone storage if full too.

It's been a year since my mum died so I will start to throw out some more of her stuff too

I get distracted easily and think "I could maybe sell that?". But I am not organized enough 😅.

@Allshallbewell2021 , could your daughter do it as a project? If your aim is to find homes for things, then you could let her keep the money (or agree to use it for something for her).

I spent some time in the garage sweeping the floor and somehow produced a big bin bag of dust. I found small bits of tiles, wood and put them in the bag too. I took it to the tip with a broken washing up bowl and an old tool. I have advertised a bike with stabilisers, some scooters and a wallpaper steamer on marketplace but if noone’s interested I’ll put them on trash nothing.

Thank you, that's a good idea. 👍

One pair of worn out slippers and a too small top are today's outs. Total is 2150

I posted first thing today about how stressed I was about the new loft bed and how it wouldn’t fit properly and how I’d made a terrible mistake… I’m pleased to report that things were not as bad as I feared. We shifted the bed around so it’s along one wall and not blocking half the room, and fitted the desk underneath, and it looks great and the room looks so much more spacious. DD is very happy.

I’ve listed a highchair & toddler reins on FB, and have a few more things that I’ll put on there. A pair of DD’s winter boots have gone in the charity bag. The boxes/ bags of stuff to donate or to sort are back in DD’s room but neatly stacked in one corner. And DH said that the old lamp from DD’s room should go to the tip, without me prompting him or suggesting it, which is a small miracle 😆 It may take several months for it to get taken to the tip, but it’s on its way!

@EllieQ so pleased it all worked out! I had a stressful day off a few weeks back when I assembled our new loft bed. It wasn't hard, but just heavy!

We have had more ins than outs recently with new kids bedding and blankets etc. We also got a new (well, second-hand but new to us) sofa to replace an old one. Need to up my game but May is already looking busy.

Out recently:
3 cotbed sheets
Gro clock
Handbag
Some glow stars
Dress sold on vinted
Wine glass which I broke but won't replace as we have many

Total is 716 for the year

@ellieq I’m glad the day ended well and you and dd are happy with the room.

Today’s out is a broken scooter (I even advertised that it needed to have a screw tightened). And I spent much of my day trying to find Lego bits.

One baby dress takes me to 2151

One moisturiser/face mask thing used up - it was a gift from a friend and nice, but I wouldn't buy it again. Also took a couple of charity shop bags out of the house - still a couple more to go, and one for the textile bin.

I listed an unopened foot spa on Olio - DP's panic purchase for my birthday a few years ago - but no one's taken it even at a tenner, so I'll delist it and that can go to charity as well

I had a pair of my sons very expensive Superdry trainers that no longer fit in the bin today. Normally I'd give them away or go to the clothes bank. But the sole was hanging off so I decided to feel some pain, in the bin they went.

Sorted out about 15 of more smart dresses, listed them.on Vinted for £10 and under, some new with tags. No offers so they to will be charity shop this Friday.

Listed some brand new boys school trousers for half the retail price and they had no views either. It's safe to say its all going to charity come this Friday so I should have a big out number going out.

Was saving a few smaller items for dd to take on her residential but that was today so they can go too.

Had a few in. I bought dd lots of jeggings in various colours and sizes but after her trying them on we are only going to keep one of each size and colour. Old me would have stashed some to grow into. Buy I know I can buy more next year if I need them.

Bought dd some Nike airs on Vinted to as her trainers are fit for the bin but that's one in, one out so ok I think

I'm considering getting rid of a large piece of exercise equipment I bought, I've probably used it 5 times in as many years. It did cost a lot of money though.

Some unopened old calendars given away today, glad someone had a use for them and they not just going into the bin.

Is anyone else drowning in paperwork? I swear I've shredded loads but there is still tons of the stuff.

Bag of clothes to the charity shop today, a number of "I'll get back into that!" clothes now 2 sizes too small post-babies.

One mirror to go tomorrow.

I’ve given away a pile of carpet tiles on my local buy nothing group.

And I’m meeting a friend for lunch and giving her an old blender and also a baby present that has been knocking around the house for a couple of months.

I've also taken a bag to the charity shop with clothes and jewellery in it. Nice to get the bits and bobs out the house.

This morning's top which was too small when I put it on. Total is 2152

Went out for dinner tonight. Ds12 tried on a few T-shirts that clearly are to tight so all the boyish ones can go. Can’t see dd wearing his dinosaur T-shirts.

the new school trousers sold on Vinted so that’s good.

it’s my hoarding class tomorrow night. I haven’t done my homework! I’m trying tonelax about dd and her school issues but now it’s moving from tax credits to UC and student finance forms. It’s always something to get in the way of decluttering. I need to timetable a set job every day I think at a set time.

One face cream used up. Total is 2153

4 bags of clothes, unwanted gifts and children's books to the charity shop. 🥳

Hi, can I join you all? Often feel so overwhelmed with clutter, frozen about it yet hate it so much. Years ago I ended up in a Women’s Refuge with nothing but my safety, I know more than most that objects aren’t the important things in life - maybe because of those dark though, I keep more cluttery things now “just in case”.

We are having a major change round of bedrooms and my eldest two DD have just been accepted for the house next door to us, there’s a lot to do!!!!

Today I took two black bags to the dump and lots of recycling/packaging. I also gave old child bike to a lady in the village who is very appreciative of hand me downs.
Tomorrow I need to tackle on top of the fridge freezer and the kitchen cupboards.

Welcome @AtalantaX sounds like you’re doing really well.

last week I realised I had three sprays of weed killers for patios and paths so I have just used up one doing a patio and a section of a path. I’m slightly regreting starting as I think it’ll be a big job.

i also took a bag of stuff to the charity shop.

Attacked my mending pile and threw out a couple of items that in retrospect, are not worth mending. Unfortunately one was a faux-leather jacket that I liked a lot until its sad demise, so I then bought it again ten minutes later on Vinted. :-/ Still four items (and crucially, the cardboard box originally containing them all) out though.