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.

@Pigtailsandall that is an impressive load of stuff to go. I have one final box of emotional stuff to go that I think will be similar. I am putting off looking into it because it has letters from my first boyfriend, including the one where he dumped me.

Another day of shredding. I have sorted through my pension papers and kept a plastic wallet of statements from one - mainly as when I finally get divorced I’ll have information on its value before I got married. I also shredded pointless bank letters like changes of interest rates and sales leaflets from them. This week I’ve made two bags of shredded paper. I know the actual paper was a fraction of the size but I always feel really happy when I see bags of shredded paper.

Today's random assortment.
2 trousers and 1 dress that don't fit well, donated
3 DVD cases recycled
Total is 2675

I have just packed for holiday so it's interesting to see how much dd still has after packing for two weeks. I have just thined all the small summer things out ready to get rid of. I'm not sure if I will try to sell or just donate. I'm still a long way off being able to fit all her winter and summer clothes into the wardrobe at the same time which is disappointing.

I have turned all her hangers round the wrong way. I have,also got rid of a few things I have never seen her wear.

She is now ten but tiny. I think she only neeas 8 tshirts at most. I don't think I'm going to buy her any Autumn or winter clothes. She has stopped wearing long sleeve tshirts and leggings and lives in hoodies and shorts. I need to sit on my hands!,

Hopefully I have packed enough holey socks and pants to leave there as well.

Thanks @stealthninjamum, it's been a long process (and still is). It feels like good Feng Shui to only keep good and important memories.

Today's tally is just 8 photos and 3 letters that fell at the back of the box yesterday - shredded those immediately. Taking a declutter break today

Total is 1252+11=1263

Today's random hotch potch of items:

1 straw from a long gone carton of juice
1 pair holey undies
2 expired fridge condiments
1 body exfoliator used up, bringing me to success here with only one in use and one spare now
1 face cream used up, tons left
1 bottle of ancient Dettol used up for mopping floors this past year

Total is 2682

I’ve managed to get rid of a couple of bags worth today.

14 various cloth items (baby clothes, old towels, flannels)
43 electrical bits (old chargers, wires, random things that we’ve never used and can’t remember what they are!)

All down to the local recycling centre.

57 gone plus 5 = 62

Gathering stuff for another charity shop drop:
the bedding mentioned before
double inflatable guest mattress we no longer need
three crystal bowls that were wedding gifts but not to our tastes
three pudding basins of various sizes (somehow we had seven!)
a chest of drawers that I though I might shabby chic but really I never will

For the textile recycling:
a lot of outgrown pants and socks (will be replaced)
several threadbare favourite t shirts
a couple of towels that have seen much better days

This evening got rid of two DVDs and a stained top. Total is 2685

Yesterday I took two bags of clothes and toys to the charity shop that had been hanging around for a while. Then discovered two bags of toys in the boot, I must’ve put them in there about a month ago. So I’ll be going back today.

i also did more shredding and more Lego.

Oh gawd, Lego is something I need to tackle.
Got rid of 4 foamy play mats yesterday. Didn't feel like they were freecyclable as they were very well used, knackered and pretty grubby!

Got rid of some garden furniture that needed a bit of love - I’m feeling pleased I recognised I don’t actually have time to do it - and cleaning up the garden at the same time has made it so much nicer!

Sorting our loft and more boxes of kids clothes. Tricky as we know we don’t want another but I’m only 95% there emotionally.

Also enjoying a little “less is more” thinking. Am trying to sort the box of duplo out as we have some really old scuffed stuff mixed in with newer bits and I’m not sure they need so much!

Oh and how could I forget two vinted sales -bigger things too so clearing more space. Shoes that were too big (bought from vinted) and a cot mobile that was enormous, in lots of pieces scattered around the place causing problems and making me feel guilty as I shouldn’t have bought it!

Brings my total for this year to 1095.

This is awesome. This looks a lot like a list of things we should all be looking for:

1. unwanted gifts that no longer give joy
2. furniture or other projects we aren’t going to do
3. things we use but we have multiples of that we don’t need

Outs

loads of kids’ ‘artwork’
school shoes that won’t fit in September
1 board game
old work trousers
too small kids crocs
bag of too small DDs clothes
hoodie
3 big boxes of books
bit box of party stuff - old candles, bunting etc
dress to a friend
bag of clothes that can’t be passed on to recycling

total outs = 47

Two dresses that I feel guilty about getting rid of because they fit, they look ok, they suit my lifestyle and they're good condition. But I just feel meh about them. Total is 2687

On holiday. Bought dd some new trousers, threw out some of my pants. Packed some leggings that dd said are two small so will donate them

Tidying utility.

Binned -
One pair holey tube socks.
Four half-empty packs of leather furniture wipes.
Ancient razor.
Cleaning sponge.

Two broken rubber extensions for taps.

Paper bin - four out-of-date forms with instruction leaflets.

Going through my clothes and shoes today. For some reason I struggle to not keep my high heels from about 15 years ago, which I’ll never wear again! I think they resemble nights out etc, a past life!! Help me get rid!! Xx

I had lots of amazing heels. I got rid of all them. Just remind yourself you can buy more whenever you need to. Keep your most amazing pair and get rid of the rest. I'm actually quite happy with very few shoes now. Every pair are comfy and fit.

Few small things out during weekly clean:

A conditioner that didn't suit my hair - it made it so greasy
old razor
some prenatal care paperwork that was still (!) in the magazine rack
Hyaluronic acid used up (3 left!)
kids activity book used up and recycled
half a pack of nappies from the back of DC drawer
several paper copies of old CVs (why oh why did I have these??)
photocopies of my degrees - they are scanned anyway
2 postcards from fridge door
cute shopping bag that's realistically too small for any real shopping trip

Also, my vinted had been on holiday mode for weeks as I was away on lots of small trips/busy with work/had visitors, so I just didn't have time to deal with it. I turned it on a few days ago and immediately sold a toy and a hoodie of mine. I wonder if the algorithm somehow favours you if you have it off for a bit?

1263+13= 1276

Still plodding my way through shredding my mum’s paperwork - did another batch at the weekend which went out in the recycling today.

I also went through my stash of plastic packaging (from clothes deliveries like Next) which has been building up since lockdown as that’s when I started ordering more clothes online. About half of it could be recycled with plastic bags, so that went to the supermarket recycling yesterday. I threw out a few that couldn’t be recycled but were too small/ ripped to be reused.

Washed some bunting that I’d made to hang in DD’s room while she was a baby, as she didn’t want it up anymore (now she’s nine!). It’s been packed up to go with my other keepsakes from her baby years (which are not organised yet).

Have been swept up with work and life so not been on here or decluttering either. In fact mostly buying stuff to take on holiday - although hoping to leave lots at my brothers as a kind of donation to them.

And now a hurricane is threatening to delay our flight 🙄

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures
2. DS2 paperwork: blue badge started
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
4. main job for the moment: orchestra folders for Sept - done loads more (just the 3 new pieces left to sort out) DONE ☑️

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 - Need to message her to meetup
spare tap left from building works - on FB
pile of unwanted files - on FB
spare Taylor Swift poster from DD to neighbour’s DD
bag of bags - on FB
cardboard box for charity (currently 4 items in it) Gone
☑️

Out:
4 charity bits plus box
DS clothes x 3
1119+8=1127

One pair of boot laces to a friend who's snapped as they were leaving today. Total is 2688

Dd2 emptied her wardrobe and gave me a mini mountain of crap to leave the house. I’ve taken some toys to the charity shop (along with bags that were already in my boot). I am going to have to sell some, put some on freecycle and give more to charity shops.

i also spent half an hour hacking some ivy off walls and a fence so that’s a bin load of ivy decluttered.

im currently in Starbucks updating my ‘to do’ list and diary as I am behind in jobs. I’d reached a point before dc broke up when I had weekly lists and I was keeping up with them and I’m now preparing for September when they go back.

Today's outs:
1 pair of trainers that have seen better days
1 pair of Wellington boots ditto
1 ancient spoon with a disintegrating handle
1 tub of vitamin C skincare capsules used up
1 pair of holey knickers

Total is 2693