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.

One pair of shower scrub gloves which I hate, binned. They came as part of a gift. That was the last of such things, now I can get back to using my regular gritty shower gels which I much prefer. Total is 1880

Can I (re)join you? I’ve been on a few of these threads over the years but life has got in the way recently. I’ve enjoyed following you all on your declutter journeys from the sidelines, though!

I like to think we haven’t got much clutter, but with 3 kids it seems to multiply at night and we’ve got back to being fairly cluttered without even realising! I’ve got a couple of days off in a few weeks and I’ve been telling myself I’ll do it then, but I’m just making excuses. There’s no reason I can’t spend 20 mins a day before then starting to get on top of it.

So today I’m aiming to find 50 things to go out. I like to set myself targets and count decluttered things each year. I did a bit after Christmas so my total this year is 46, which is pretty abysmal. Aiming for 2024 things this year.

I feel like “thinning” the clutter as I go is starting to be more my normal practice. I was tidying up some toys and found 3 that didn’t really work with the others so I chucked them. My son broke two things yesterday so I’ve just chucked them, rather than keeping for future fixing (it would have been too difficult and just stuck in our house for months/years previously). I also grabbed a few bits made of dried out playdoh which were a cute idea at the time but seemed to be disintegrating and causing a mess.

It's not going to be big impact like doing a whole area, but it will add up I think?

So with those few bits I’m at 480 for the year.

I'm sorry for your loss @Vinorosso74. Clearing after a death can be healing but you have to be ready. Don't let your dh rush too much

@KCSIE that's great! I remember when we did our kitchen in 2020. We let go of about a third of all the kitchen stuff, plus loads of food to the food bank. That's why I rarely declutter kitchen stuff now unless something breaks because we were so ruthless at the time.

@Clettercletterthatsbetter welcome (back)
I'm doing 2024 items too but I don't have a huge amount to declutter so we'll see. I'm going to visit my parents in April though and I know they still have a few random things of mine so will look through those to.

I sold 2 items on Vinted last night so will get those wrapped up. Aldo cleared and cleaned the garden a lot yesterday, and got rid of empties. Not a lot of decluttering but place feels tidier. Will total up later

Oh forgot to say @KCSIE that I count either each session of digital decluttering as "one" thing; I've seen others count 100 photos or 100 emails etc as one. Ultimately it's up to you, we're not in a competition and it's just for self-accountability🙂. I don't want to reach my target too soon or I lose motivation!!

Also well done @PissedOffNeighbour22 that is a very decent haul out!!

All the week's stuff to the charity donation centre yesterday, which felt good. Although I did bring some wool back with me.

@ChampagneCommunist I'm a sucker for wool as well.
@KCSIE That list is impressive.
I have lots of storage space in my kitchen so less incentive to get rid but I am now inspired to do it. I have 4 china tea sets inherited from various elderly relatives. I need to find a new home for them.

Yesterday I finished sorting the airing and adjacent landing cupboards, I have enough bath gels to last me for a long time, ditto bathroom cleaning stuff 🙄
Two king size duvet cover and pillows case sets, one fitted sheet and one flat sheet off to the charity shop (I could send more but reluctant at the moment!)
This morning the kitchen sink cupboard has been emptied and tidied, also the next cupboard that has tea towels, plastic bags etc . Again I have plentiful supplies! It’s good to actually know what I have rather than blindly keep buying😊
I’m rescheduling this wee’s online grocery shop to next week as I don’t really need anything, so one week’s worth of shopping saved 😊

I’ve been using my app to pick tiny areas to organise / declutter and no matter how much I think I have finished decluttering I can always find more. Today I did dd1s bathroom and chucked out two old toothbrushes. We also found half a dozen sets of toiletries and unopened sanitary towels that can go to the local food bank and empty nail varnishes.

i did my bedroom surfaces and chest of drawers and found three wires / cables, xh’s ipad, a decorative box and a hair bow. Last week I found a torch and put new batteries in it and put that in my bedside drawer for when we have a powercut. Today I found a magnifying glass that lights up so you can read in bed. I put more batteries in so that when dp stays over I can read.

i also bought a big pot plant today for the sitting room. The room looks so lovely and uncluttered now.

That's a good idea, to count photo declutter as 1. I'm doing it multiple times a day whenever I sit down essentially, I haven't counted the photos of the sessions of decluttering them until yesterday when it said I had 198 deleted!

I like the idea of counting each session as 1 though, so I'll start that now and my YTD total is now 416.

Can anyone give me some advice about toys? My 7 year old just doesn't want to get rid of any. There's stuff I know he hasn't played with for months but if I suggest "giving it to a child who hasn't got many toys" he gets upset. I can't really just sneak things away (as I've done with his DVDs and books) because it's stuff like a play kitchen which are out and visible. Help!

@KCSIE I'd count as one too for the same reasons as @Pigtailsandall - I'd lose motivation if I counted everything as I'd hit the target very quickly.

I haven't started a digital declutter yet but when I empty and throw out physical photo albums I just count the pile as 1 or don't count at all.

We all do it differently so it's what works for you. I don't count things that go in the normal bin, recycling bin or are just being used up.

I only count what I sell, donate or take to the tip. Once I make it to maintenance decluttering I'll probably change my counting to include more things. I honestly can't see me getting to that point this year or next though. The amount of stuff in the house is unreal 😓.

Oh posted and lost it!

I sold 5 things today on Vinted. Its going OK dispite being a slow week. Sold about £130 since Jan now. We went to IKEA yesterday and bought £160 worth of mostly tat but I love ikea. Its a real day out for us 😆 we went for dinner bowls and stupidly, there was a stack of them right in my eyeline in the mug cupboard! Couldn't find the bowls we normally get so it's a total mish mash now.

Bought 8 lovely mugs I don't need reduced from £5 to £1.50. I'm not counting them. Or anything I bought yesterday in ikea. I'm refusing to acknowledge that happened.

I have almost got rid of three months worth of my 2024 target so ahead.

Total out 94
Total in 5
---
Total for 24
493 out
12 in

I think I’m a borderline hoarder…I hate throwing things out as I think I’ll need them at some point.

all my storage space is full of stuff- so much I can’t actually use it, so I have to buy new stuff all the time anyway!

how do you get rid of the mindset of keeping everything?

milking I think I was at risk of becoming a hoarder too. I'd reached capacity and was still buying bits. I read through the hoarders threads on here and then joined in on these decluttering ones because I felt it fit better, both threads had some tips/insights.
I watch Minimal Mom on YouTube regularly, she usually inspires me to get rid of something. I started to question my reality which is that I'm not in poverty any more, can afford to purchase small things when I need them, so can risk getting rid of things I was keeping just in case. That wasn't true in the past but is now. So I needed to stop living in the past.
I'm finding I'm slow to get rid of things, sometimes I need to think about it in my subconscious for a while first. Sometimes I'll go through an area and get rid of nothing, then weeks later I'll decide a few things can go and I'll go fetch them right away to put out. I've been through all areas once now in a year and going round again. Some areas, the worst, I've already been through several times in the past year. I always find something else to let go of. The more I get rid of the easier it gets. I've not regretted a single thing.
I've stopped saving things for best (what even is that? My life is dull monotony it's all best/worst equally), use them and get rid of the lesser one.

Today I went through two craft boxes. They've been done twice before. I've been thinking about how often they're used and how many supplies is realistic for a year of crafting. I've got way too much. Decided to reduce by a third again, keeping the best. Have reduced two boxes into one and used the second one to house some jigsaws that didn't have a place to go. Out goes one pile of ribbon, one pile of buttons and some packaging. Total is 1883

@milkingtime we’re all different but I was very much a ‘keep this in case I need it’ person or a ‘I can’t find wrapping paper and sellotape it’s quicker to buy more to wrap a present’. I just started slowly, and found I rarely missed anything that went out. It was slightly easy that I had decided not to have more dc so I could easily get rid of big items like a jumperoo, high chair, cot and I created an obvious empty space which I found motivating.

I think I started randomly picking areas to go through and I’d get rid of one or two items and as I never missed those items it just got easier. Like indiansummer i have now gone through every area of the house - many multiple times.

if you are struggling with knowing where to start a good place could be your hall ie the first bit visitors see or a room that people sit in with you like a kitchen. Or if you have an iPhone lots of us have downloaded the toss app and it gives you an area to declutter every day.

I’m no expert here, I have a bit of a hoarding tendency, in terms of keeping sentimental things and just not being good at chucking things away. The other thing I think is vital, and really the big difference, is to stop buying things as much as humanly possible.

@Owwmumo1 I hear you, it's tough with my 5 year old (especially as he has an incredible memory). Does he always say no or is it mood dependent? I sometimes test the water 'is this too baby ish now or do you want to keep it a bit longer?' Some days he's happy to get rid of things, other days he wants to keep everything so I know to give up temporarily. If you have a loft or garage can you move things into there and see if he asks for them back within 6 months? Or are you looking to replace with something smaller or more grown up as that often works with mine.

I had a go at photos today. Was harder than I thought but managed to get rid of a bin bag full of duplicates/blurred photos. I can't believe I've kept them so long but growing up I was taught you never threw out photos. Not sure why! More to go but glad I made a start.

The kitchen culling is almost complete and I'm so happy with what remains. None of the cupboards or drawers are bursting, there's room to get things in and out! We've built shelving into our front room so I've commandeered a shelf there for a beautiful bar shelf too, so a kitchen cupboard full of bottles no more👌

I've forgotten lots of bits so here's what I can remember that's gone today:
Tea towel
Mandolin
Spice grinder
Peeler
Utility knife
Scissors x2
2 boxes descaler
Teapot
Silver wipes
Brasso
Glue
9 CDs
20 books
Puzzle magazines x6
Mindful colouring x3
Hand blender attachments X3
Language learning flashcards
Baby activity ideas box, X2
Origami paper
Origami craft

YTD 475

Thank you for your kind words.
Here, we finished DD's room, tidied her wardrobe and started sorting stuff as it goes back. Have got a lot of stuff to go. The lounge and our bedroom are somewhat chaotic. Will crack on after I've been to the gym.
Had an item go via Freecycle last night.

@IndianSummer78 @milkingtime I second The Minimal Mom on YouTube and her podcast too.

I find her relatable, realistic and I like the fact that she says if something didn't work for her.

I had a kids duvet collected off freecycle yesterday so very happy about that. I also sold two things on vinted - just off to post them. I went through my packing material a and recycled loads... I think I just keep too much. Going to count the pile as one.

Also out 2 small plastic storage bags, a decorative garden stone, 3 sets of screws, a pen, dead cactus and yet another toothbrush!!!!! I swear it is my dh. total is 275 for this year.

Next I have to go through dc too-short trousers. We've had a massive foot/leg growth spurt!

@milkingtime to add to what others have said, I think something that can stop me is the fact I've spent money on something, and to then get rid of it feels like a complete waste. However, the money has already gone, keeping it in your home won't bring it back and the unused/unloved item will just continue to make you feel overwhelmed and unhappy.

The best way to make money is to not spend it so let go of the past (both the item and the guilt) and just try to buy less in the future, whilst getting rid of what you can at your own pace. Good luck :)

DH finally took four bags of books to donate to the library yesterday - mainly baby and toddler books that were sorted over the past few months. Glad to get the bags out of our bedroom!

Ive also given two pram suits to a neighbour who just had a baby. I offered her some 0-3 months baby clothes as well, but she said they had plenty, so I’ll donate them to charity instead.

If there are any other fans... Sort Your Life Out is back tomorrow night.
It helps to motivate me.