Decluttering and organising thread 8 – it’s nearly summer

[stealthninjamum]

These threads are accountability threads for mumsnetters who are decluttering and organising our homes.

We’re all at different stages of decluttering from the beginning to the maintenance phase and use different techniques. Join us for support and chat .

We discuss all things to do with decluttering, the things that stop us decluttering, how to get over them, where to dispose of our clutter, how we can encourage our families to join us, and pretty storage solutions which is the fun part.

I’m doing one last big push to get rid of loads of stuff before the long summer holidays when it’ll inevitably turn to chaos again.

Useful tips
Some of us have found the Toss app (on apple) a great place to start with decluttering.

Many of us love Dana K. White (A Slob Comes Clean) on youtube and podcasts.

Many of us at the start just take a timer for 5 or 10 minutes to just make it seem less daunting. I used to start by clearing surfaces.

If you want to make a big impact quickly then increasingly charities will pick up your furniture, books and clothes so you don't even need to leave the house. Or if you have hundreds of books / CDs it's really easy to use the Music Magpie, ziffit or We buy books apps to get them taken away and earn a (very) small amount of money at the same time.

The BBC TV Program Sort Your Life Out is particularly inspiring.

When I do housework I listen to podcasts from a Slob Comes Clean, Clutterbug, the Declutter Hub and The Art of Decluttering. If you think you have ADHD then Clutterbug talks about this a lot as she has ADHD, and Amy from The Art of Decluttering did an ADHD season about 8 or 9 months ago which gave some good tips. My dc have ADHD so it’s something I’m very interested in.

Binned - handful of unidentifiable plastic bits off unknown toys.

Reduced two shoeboxes to one by putting the contents in right place.

I'm going to try to get dd tshirt collection under control this week. She has got over 40! Going to reduce that to 16. I doubt she even needs 16 so by the end of the school holidays I will reduce them.again to 10. I was doing well with her clothes until found more boxes under her bed of summer items I had bought and forgotten about.

In the ideal world she wouldn't have summer and winter things packed away. It would just all fit into her wardrobe and one set of draws. Hopefully by this winter we will be able to do that

My DH is a little blind to stuff but he has recently admitted that the house is much easier to tidy and clean.

He also finally let go of a box for his monitor, a bunch of "useful" bubble wrap and the user manual for the robot hoover. I binned a small toy chewed by that cat.

Also dropped off a huge glass vase to charity shop. Total at 949.

DD and I tidied Under Her Bed
Good points - there were boxes /baskets so everything was neat , but she had phone covers and chargers for phones she doesn't own now .
We sorted through , some will get recycled , some ok ones to Charity Shop.

I have a CharityBag Doorstep Collection next week and I can drop anything at the recycling in town.

I;ve got a dress to go out

I recycled a mascara to DD (well the truth was my lovely DD looked in my make up drawer said "Oh have you used that " ( Tarte Tubing Mascara) "Mine is 6 months old , I really like it 'cos it's easy to remove"
I'd bought a duo -one each- mine was still sealed . Her theory was Well if you haven't used it you ain't going to .
I've got a blue mascara for my holiday next month so I;m sorted .

Outs

kids’ clothes bundle (around 20 items)
old trainers to charity shop
a load of thank you cards for staff at school
2 pairs of tired jeans

total 34

Some packaging I should have got rid of weeks ago, I've finally put away the thing inside it! Total is 2432

I'm quite excited because I bought a shredder.

And I have a big bag ready to drop at the charity shop en route for lunch with a couple of friends.

Hello all, I have finally admitted I have a growing clutter (and general slovenly) problem which is not helping either my physical or mental health and have joined you all. I have 2 weeks leave after next week and plan to combine watching the Olympics with a house overhaul. I have made a start this weekend to get into the mindset, this morning I have cleaned out the drawers in the sitting room and thrown out multiple old remotes, birthday cards and sets of non working fairy lights etc. I still have a bag of charging leads to check and minimise, I am finding a Hit version of tidying and cleaning is more motivating and manageable than facing a morning of it and I am surprised how much I am getting done in 15 min bursts. I have also tackled the bathroom, my work is collecting for the Hygiene bank so I have put stuff in a bag and put it on my car passenger seat ready to take in with me next week, otherwise it will stay by the front door for weeks. Right, off to full the chargers and leads.

I made a start on the artwork pile that came home from school at the end of the year. Not gone through it all, but a big wad to recycling.

Total is 950. Still v short of the 2024 goal!

I have a shredder I bought for my guinea-pigs ( not to shred the guinea-pigs but their paper ) anything like loo roll tubes or paper that was safe for them to eat got shredded into confetti cut for bedding .

Piggies are long gone but it is very satisfying , if a bit noisy, to shred a bag of papers .

Also got a garden shredder which is awesome

Our shredder overheated so DP called it a day and took a huge bag of his shredded paperwork to the dump along with the garden waste. There's still loads of his paperwork to go.
Got him to sort through some shirts, 3 are knackered, the others look a bit grubby but OK so will wash and see if suitable for charity shop

One thing I'd say, @Danceswithweasels, if your physical and mental health aren't currently tip-top, is to be gentle with yourself. I read something about making a "Ta-Dah!" list saying what you've done, either instead of or as well as a To-Do list. I just think you should congratulate yourself on a brilliant start and not worry if not every day is as productive.

I took a holdall full of assorted things down to the charity shop today. I'm taking a leaf out of some posters' books and have assigned a biggish basket (the twin of my ironing basket) to be the "needs to be gone" place, and when it's full I'll take the contents to wherever they need to go.

I love a good shredding session, lol!

Not actually getting anything out atm but have had a marathon few days sorting and filing orchestra music - was being stored elsewhere, currently in my front room until a new home is found (hopefully where we rehearse soon).

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures
2. DS2 paperwork: started blue badge (have done loads of this apart from the blue badge like travel cards etc)
3. my British passport application (have an Irish one but life sometimes easier with a UK one and I’m allowed both) - waiting to come back from holiday before getting on with this

Not quite outs yet:
3 x old duvets to find a home for - emailed local dog charity place
craft stuff listed on FB; colouring books due to be collected soon? Forgotten about these, not sure where they are or who was collecting them! Putting in charity box
Running leggings to go to a friend - maybe next Parkrun? Need to message her to meetup
spare tap left from building works - on FB
pile of unwanted files - on FB
spare PE kit & uniform as Dd is changing schools - to friend
school blazer to friend - after Friday
spare Taylor Swift poster from DD to neighbour’s DD
unwanted music from orchestra - being collected tomorrow
bag of bags - on FB

Out:
1060

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures
2. DS2 paperwork: started blue badge (have done loads of this apart from the blue badge like travel cards etc)
3. my British passport application (have an Irish one but life sometimes easier with a UK one and I’m allowed both) - waiting to come back from holiday before getting on with this

Not quite outs yet:
3 x old duvets to find a home for - emailed local dog charity place
craft stuff listed on FB; colouring books due to be collected soon? Forgotten about these, not sure where they are or who was collecting them! Putting in charity box
Running leggings to go to a friend - maybe next Parkrun? Need to message her to meetup
spare tap left from building works - on FB
pile of unwanted files - on FB
spare PE kit & uniform as Dd is changing schools - to friend
school blazer to friend - after Friday
spare Taylor Swift poster from DD to neighbour’s DD
unwanted music from orchestra - being collected tomorrow
bag of bags - on FB

Out:
5 x pieces of music (several folders worth) to a friend
1060+5=1065

Worn out pyjamas into recycling. Total is 2434

This weekend I have emailed two charities about taking the baby clothes - the first said they weren’t taking any donations at the moment, so I hope the second one will accept them.

Had a quick go of the playroom - lots of odds and sods into the bin. Small toys, party bag bits, paper, etc.

I’m just grabbing bits and shoving them in bags to go at the moment. Finding clothes that don’t fit or aren’t in good condition, toys and things like magnet books that cause more mayhem than happiness. Fundamentally our house is still quite chaotic though and I can’t get it back until the upstairs is carpeted and we get some spaces back.

No structured decluttering I think until then. Trying to keep on top of the rubbish and paperwork though

I’m not at work today or tomorrow, so I’m trying to do some decluttering each day. This morning I have shredded the last of my mum’s bank statements (about three years’ worth) but kept the last one in the folder (from a couple of months before she died - my sister probably has the last ones as she was the executor of the will). It’s been a few years now but it’s still hard to let go.

The empty folder will go to DH as he needs one for paperwork from his fairly new hobby.

The next set of paperwork to go through will be the folder with all the utility bills from mum’s house. Might do that this afternoon or tomorrow morning.

The second charity I contacted about donating the baby clothes has declined, but suggested another charity that I could try, so I’ve emailed them.

@GloomFighterNC sounds like a good plan, the thought of two houses in one gave me a cold shiver. I’m becoming very down at the same disinterest from my OH @EllieQ he thinks he’s a hero for tackling the loft at his mums. No thought for the fact I’ve done lord knows how many NCT sales, charity bag drop offs and eBay sales over the years. He too will leave tolls etc everywhere then moan at the kids leaving a pile of school stuff in the corner of their play/TV room. Totally i

Forgot to say that eldest who has moved back after dropping out of uni has put lots of clothes into rag bag whilst we have been away this week. Great but why they didn’t get checked before my car drove them 400 miles 😡

@gloomfighternc. I’m sorry for the loss of your parent. It sounds like you are going through lots of changes at the moment. I would be as practical as you can given you need to live and use the desk. It would be lovely if we all did room a, then room b, then room c in a nice order but I don’t know of anyone who’s ever done that. What tends to happen is we chip at an area, move to another area, go back to the first etc and that seems to work.

I have been slowly making Lego sets with dc which I quite enjoy doing. I also helped dd1 get rid of some of her GCSE notes and dd2 gave me some more clothes and cuddly toys to take to the charity shop. We’ve also got a big bag of jigsaws and board games to give to my nieces and nephews. That was hard because it reminded me my dc don’t like board games that much and I love them.

Ive been buying a few things for a holiday next week and it’s been great that I’m organised and can do one-in one-outs or I buy things and know I have the space. I bought a new swimming costume and chucked out an old one, I also bought a summer hat knowing it would fit into the personalised bag I bought for accessories and that I didn’t already have one.

@Gassylady that made me lol sorry!

@stealthninjamum you sound very organised!

Went clothes shopping with DD - she loves shopping, I do not. Don’t even want to think about how many items came in…did have to get new school uniform as she’s leaving the school she’s been miserable in and moving to a new one in Sept. Hope it works out for her.
Now have a heap of clothes to name.

so much seems to be coming in right now, stuff for DS2 going to work and the gym. Stuff for the 2 going to scout camp this weekend, summer stuff, etc.

Someone did come round and collect masses of music that my orchestra doesn’t want anymore, gone to a local secondary school so that’s good.

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures
2. DS2 paperwork: started blue badge (have done loads of this apart from the blue badge like travel cards etc)
3. my British passport application (have an Irish one but life sometimes easier with a UK one and I’m allowed both) - waiting to come back from holiday before getting on with this

Not quite outs yet:
3 x old duvets to find a home for - emailed local dog charity place
Running leggings to go to a friend - maybe next Parkrun? Need to message her to meetup
spare tap left from building works - on FB
pile of unwanted files - on FB
spare PE kit & uniform & blazer as Dd is changing schools - to friend
spare Taylor Swift poster from DD to neighbour’s DD
unwanted music from orchestra - being collected tomorrow - GONE ✔️
bag of bags - on FB

Out:
Approx 30 pieces of music (3 large bags full)
1065+30=1095

Thanks @LivingInaBuiltSite i can’t emphasise enough how chaotic I was 5 years ago and how organised I am now. But I still have a tonne of clutter to go! It’s never ending.

Does your dd know how to sew? I’m terrible at sewing labels on so pay dd1! Thankfully dd1 is about to start a levels so we have no more need for labels for her, just dd2.

@LivingInaBuiltSite I would LOL to if it wasn’t my life 🤣🤣 Today”s later find was a carry on type bag we thought had already gone. Basically pushed to the back of a shelf so overlooked. Quite small but seemingly made of lead it was so heavy!!