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.

Nothing decluttered but clothes sort done for dc1. Too small are now washed and folded into box for the loft for dc2.
Dc1 just needs some trousers/leggings - am really trying to keep things as pared down as possible.
Really want H to put together the new bed but don't think that's happening today or tomorrow 😕

Major DVD declutter today. 58 donated. Total is 2524

Very impressive @IndianSummer78 , that's a huge pile!

I did a bit today - 4 sets of very old docs from early 2000s, and one document folder. Also out a pair of kids shorts, 3 kids too-small underwear, and my socks which are super-sweaty when I put them on.

Also a kids loofah, and a pair of ballet flats of mine which are just too small sigh

Total is 1049

DCs have finally got back to me to claim the dvds they want. That’s three more boxsets and two dvd randoms leaving the house soon to clutter up their own gaffs.

Thanks Pigtails.

Went through more DVDs this evening, 23 broken cases recycled, although we're keeping the discs, will get alternative storage.
75 CD cases recycled because I'm going to get more efficient storage for them too.

Total is 2622.

Gradually ploughing on
Various clothes, books and cd's
Up to 274 now since I started in mid July.
Helped by a box of 40 Dvorak cd's

May do kitchen cupboards as it's raining now

Doing some tidying so the place isn't a tip when our cat sitter comes in so the usual odds and sods of general rubbish is going out. I'm despairing of DP. He still hasn't finished his shredding nor sorted through his things he brought from his dad's. I've put a load of his stuff from the bedroom in a large carrier so I can actually clean!
I just want to live somewhere tidy!

Ooh, just wanted to say hello! I found this thread and I'm very happy! I would love to start a process of declutering our rented home, in case we need to move out in the near future. House hasn't been properly decluttered for the last 4 years. I have hoarder tendencies, so I need inspiration and help 😅

One more school jumper added to second hand uniform store, and its all at school now gone.

Our eldest has just come back from a few days with the grandparents with so much new stuff! I know we’re lucky to have grandparents who want to spend time with and spoil our boys, but it’s obliterated my (tiny) tally 😂

11 minus 3 jumpers, one pair of trousers and two books = 5

Another 38 DVD cases recycled.
Total is 2660

@IncessantNameChanger i loved what you said about getting rid of two items for every one that comes in and our houses will never be this cluttered again.

welcome @MsNeis . These threads have been so helpful to me. If you need help starting lots of us have really like the iPhone Toss app as it randomly chooses an area a day for you to declutter. Otherwise I used to set a timer and clear surfaces. I still do use timers sometimes even though I’ve nearly finished decluttering.

im still doing a small amount of Lego but mainly focusing on having fun with dc and doing the half an hour a day it takes to have a tidy house. I dropped a candle holder yesterday and glass was everywhere. It made me sad, as it was a gift, but I realised I can’t remember who bought it so I guess it has less sentimental value than I thought!

I have also been shredding pension papers. A few days ago I started the pension closure / transfer process for a second very old pension and it was done in a couple of days. That’ll be three big binders of statements gone. Todays admin job is to look for new house insurance as I’m up for renewal in a couple of weeks.

i also used up a body lotion. I now only have two left (I probably started with about 8).

I brought my box of sentimental papers down from the loft and it is huge (I can barely lift it). I've put ot in the corner of the living room, and whenever DC plays nicely I look through some of it.

I'm finding it hard to declutter much from it, though. There's letters from my dead grandmother, birthday cards with some lovely messages and just some really pretty postcards and stuff. I'm just focusing on doing a first round where I declutter the obvious stuff - cards with no messages, duplicate or blurry photos, letters from people I'm no longer in touch with. I found a whole roll of photos from a friend's wedding - she married young at 24, and then divorced her abusive husband few years later. I don't think anyone wants to remember that.

Total out:
10 postcards
28 photographs
8 letter
A wall decal set I'll never use

Also had another pass at my summer stuff and out goes
T-shirt that's really thick
Sandals that hurt my feet

Total is 1098

One broken garden ornament binned.
Total is 2661

A moisturizer finished up.
Total is 2662

I shifted through more sentimental stuff last night whilst watching Netflix. I feel slightly embarrassed because have previously said that I had very little paper, but I had forgotten all about these sentimental boxes. My mum shipped them across a few years back. There's just so much old stuff. It's been fun looking through some of it, but I had tons of things like Xmas cards with nothing on them except "merry christmas from xxx" - plus about 40 graduation cards! I'm recycling all of those. I might keep a few with a special message but most stuff will go.

Last night I recycled 73 cards and 19 random photos. Also binned another pair of pants - I might actually need to buy some soon! I've gotten rid so many in the last year (they were really old, tho)

Total is 1191

I’ve been making the most of the dry spells the past couple of days, and not doing much decluttering in the house.

into recycling trolley - a dozen or so plastic bottles from the garage, as plans for another project are abandoned. Also one small cardboard box.

It feels good to get rid of that stuff.

Went through food cupboards today, and binned at least 20 things that were outrageously past their sell by dates, as well as identifying duplicates & making a list so I don't buy them again (7 jars of 4 different types of mustard, I'm looking at you...) and decanting stuff from bags and packages into the jars they supposedly live in. Now I just need to get the enormously heavy bin emptied....
oh, and put on some trousers so I can decently lug it to the dustbin....

Can I donate brand new stationery items such as folders paper pens ruler etc. elsewhere apart from charity shops? Don't think I can approach schools as last time I donated good condition uniform pieces to school to hand out to those who need, they sold them to them instead.

Pens for Kids for pens.

Is it worth seeing if any local education club or centres will accept the folders etc?

Another 7 DVD cases out yesterday.
Total is 2669

There was progress yesterday. DP finally finished his shredding! Apparently, he has to go through one more section on his old folder so that still can't go. The shredded paper is yet to leave the building but it's progress. The box of stuff is yet to be looked through. He also went through the bag of stuff I filled when cleaning our bedroom.
I finished a shampoo and used an eye mask up.
We go away this week so doubt there'll be any major outs before then.

1,090 after a clearcut of pens and the rag bag.

Sold the one item I had listed on Vinted so that needs to be packaged up and sent.

Got loads of stuff earmarked for the tip, the baby bank and the charity shop. Just need it to actually leave the house . . .

Ok, I am now being thoroughly ruthless and managed to declutter an entire box! I have 4 sentimental boxes left. Tbh, the last one was full of trinkets and rubbish so it wasn't so hard

Out went
27 photos and their folder (art project from high school!)
2 post cards
19 letters from an ex boyfriend from when I moved across to UK
1 pile of high school poetry (cringe)
Flag
Eye mask
Bookmark
Elephant ornament
Picture frame
Soft toy
Brooch
Old diary, shredded
Pad lock
Old cheque book
Very interestingly, 15 year old unopened deodorant!
The actual storage box!

Total is 1,252!

Pigtails- you're an inspiration.

The papery "debris of my choldhood" is currently occupying the room that is supposed to become a nursery. I meant to clear it when I went on mat leave - and the darling came early. Many months later and she's still sleeping in our room with "the nursery" still full of crap. We are chipping away (1 bag of 'not so sentimental' paper recycled today) but it feels like more comes in my parents and in laws, as fast as I can get it out!!