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.

I managed to tackle the room of doom again. 5 black bags of clothes and shoes ready for the charity shop. It is amazing what builds up over time.

No, not quite the positive vibe you want lol.

Still 269

Using Toss & got "under the sink" earlier in the week, but manic work all week means I didn't get to it until yesterday.

Got it done, chucked/combined about 15 & feel it looks much better.

Today on Toss I got "pots & pans" and 11 out, with 2 into a "time will tell" alternative storage area in the kitchen to see if we retrieve them.

Box of other kitchen misc to charity shop yesterday.

One newsletter that's been around since Christmas, into recycling. Total is 1905

Well done to those managing to get rid of big items

Gone:

1 pair holey socks
1 pair holey jeans
3 flat old cushions
1 old jacket
3 digital detox sessions
1 coffee maker thingymsjiggy

YTD total 490

Lol @LivingDeadGirlUK !

Sounds like everyone is everyone well. Old pots and pans cam take up so much space @ChampagneCommunist! My dh wants a new wok but I've told him it's one in, one out.

Had a fairly busy weekend with friends and family, but managed to list a huge suitcase on freecycle, and it was picked up this morning. I've had it since I was 17.

Few other bits out while cleaning - and mainly by dh who cleaned the office:

Kids water bottle without a lid
Set of cardboard coasters
Blood test kit
Notebook
Birthday card
3 loyalty cards
2023 diary
2 Gift bags
Novelty chocs which no one liked

Dh also took 3 small items to electrical recycling

Total for this year: 312

Joining the thread to find more inspiration and motivation and keep track of the small wins. I am so tired of cleaning round things I don't want or need or being unable to find things because there is too much stuff stuffed into the cupboard/draw etc. Started vinting in December and aim is to get to 40 items listed before March starts at the end of this week to see what sells next weekend. (and do an audit of how many items and how much I've made since I started in December). I really need to commit to taking a boxload of books to charity every week as well and do a run to CEX with a box of old games/video console stuff and games to see if I can drum up enough tech toot to exchange for vouchers and upgrade from an iPhone 8 that refuses to start from time to time.

Sorted through one draw off dd leggings and pulled out 10!! Pairs to sell. She was 7-8 size for a long, long time to be fair and lived in leggings up till last year. Stripped beds and dried on the line. Tidied up a problem area by dds bed. Sold 8 of her things on Vinted, listed some more bits.

Really need to do some life admin so that tonight which should get rid of some paperwork.

119 out this month
518 this year.

Really need to do more still.

Itching to buy dd some jeans as she has none that fit, but I'm not sure if I should. Still think she needs to get to overall no more than ten pairs of any trousers before I look again at what she needs.

I might take a bag of raggy clothes to the dump tomorrow.

No real outs but next few books and DVDs gathered into the next charity bag. The rag bag is full so needs to go to the container this week. Husband thinks he has finally finished sorting all the lego sets, he has made a list of the missing parts so they can be ordered. Kids can then decide which they want to keep and which can be sold/donated. Even getting to this stage of progress has made a vast difference in the toy room.

DDs have been sorting books. DD2 will ask her school if they would like them tomorrow.

I feel like I’m just waiting around for other people. I had a no show for my bookcase, a no show for an olio food item, and I’m waiting for replies from a charity and scrap metal man about the bookcase and car batteries. I also realised that the long metal thing in my garage is an old light fitting with fluorescent bulb that was in the garage so I have asked the scrap metal man if he’d like the fitting.

i have loads of ‘outs’ which need to leave the house - a scruffy dress and an old jumper I’ve never really liked, 15 videogames, an old camera, an old steamer, a phone, some books, I’m sure there are others I haven’t mentioned.

im still sorting through artwork and schoolwork. I have chucked away some of the Mother’s Day and Christmas cards from dc that I felt were more made by school than them and put the Father’s Day cards in ex’s study. A friend of mine has seen a lady advertised locally who scans in children’s artwork so I might ask her to do it so I can throw it away.

@stealthninjamum that sounds like a lot!
If you have/install Adobe document scanner on your smartphone, you can easily take good quality pics yourself. There are lots of scanning apps. I've used them for copies of degrees and certificates and passports and the quality is good

I tackled my linen cupboard at the weekend where I'd thrown all of my son's too small clothes. A job that had been on my list for ages 2 bags for the charity shop and 2 to pass onto a friend.
Then checked a cupboard for out of date food and cleared it out

Thanks @Pigtailsandall i tried to use my notes app to scan some pictures but it wanted them in a pdf which doesn’t seem a useful format for making picture books. Do you know of an app that takes JPEGs?

my other issue is my phone is complaining that it can’t update because it has no space so I’m also doing a digital declutter on my phone.

I’ve found another two 35mm cameras. I didn’t even know I’d owned that many. I wonder if one belongs to exh. I’m tempted to put one in his study and give the other two away.

@stealthninjamum - is there a reason you can’t just take a photo of them? They would be uploadable easily then? I might be missing something?

@Realfastfoodie I attempted to take a photo of them and there was always a shadow, so when I did it under a light then the colour wouldn’t be good. Or my hands would wobble. It was going to take me hours - even after I’ve thrown out hundreds of pictures. Then my friend said someone could scan them and it seemed like a quick - if expensive - way of getting bags of crap out of the house!

Trip to the tip this morning with the knackered pots & pans from the kitchen and few dishwasher marked glasses.

TOSS gave me "a shelf in the fridge" and I found 2 ancient pieces of brie in the back, which were rock solid. Out!

Also, the lipsalve in my desk drawer which I hate. Why did I keep it? I have eleventy billion nice lipsalves at home. So it's hit the bin and replaced with a decent one

oh, yes, I hadn’t thought of the shadows! Great idea to get someone else to scan!

For scanning apps, I recommend GeniusScan. It’s free. It eliminates shadows. It realigns pages that may have been a bit squinty. It does photos and documents. It has text recognition. It can also identify business cards and receipts. And you can export directly from the app.

No, I don’t work for them. 😂

One broken plate binned. Total is 1906

I have listed loads of dance costumes on Vinted, one sold straight away, not out of the house yet though so not counting it yet.
Have also listed various old family tree books from my Dmum’s boxes of stuff on FB free pages. Not sure I’ll get any takers though as I’m sure most stuff is online now.
Listed an exercise mat thing I got free with some weights, a friend wants it but also not quite out of the house yet.

Dh & I agreed to try and give away an old piece of furniture we bought decades ago, it’s quite cool in a way, called a Besk (a bed/desk thing). But it’s missing various bolts and the mattress part is super dusty from being under our bed for years.

So, nothing ‘out’ but some jobs done.

269

Sorted another of dd draws which I had only recently done. But I was more ruthless. Put more outgrown things in a bag, sold three things on Vinted then got bogged down in life admin. Yet another annual review to wade through. That's tonight's primary job.

I should go to charity shop and tip. Might do that on Thursday.

Exhausting week with slightly sick smallest one (just enough to mean you can’t put her down!) Small bits and pieces only out, but feel a bit more on top of the day to day things.

2 vinted sales posted
1 broken container in the bin
2 teas to olio

I dug up a lot more dandelions at the weekend, which is definitely decluttering the garden! but not counting them.

2024 Total - 486
February - 113

49. Tin of hama beads
50. Box of colouring pencils

Both to Cubs.
Also decluttered some of my sanity making hama beads with 24 Cubs. 😂

Oooh, someone finally came to pick up an electric heater we don’t need!

487