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.

I've started at last! We've been away for a few days so it's a lump sum start of things out of the house since June 1st. Only logging the things that have actually left the house!

Sold: 2 items of clothing = 2
Rehomed: 3 clothing, 4 toiletries, 1 pile of packaging = 8
Recycled: pile of papers & boxes = 1
Chucked: 1 item of clothing = 1
Total since 1/6/24 = 12

Realised I’d posted off both sets of photo ID for my driving licence and panicked I wouldn’t be able to vote, so applied for the Voter ID from my council this morning. Panic over!

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures - decide where to put shelves for small pictures - Think I’ve decided, need handyman, then decide on the big ones and hang them; handyman here today so hopefully shelves up soon 🤞
2. DS2 paperwork: started blue badge
3. clear out/check through shed contents

Not quite outs yet:
more stuff on Vinted - have listed more - 1 item sold, need to post POSTED ☑️
21 items in a Music Magpie box but waiting for password reset email to actually confirm sale - system is not working for me - need to try this again: tried again, think I need to set up a whole new account…
3 x old duvets to find a home for - need to contact local dog charity place
craft stuff listed on FB

Out:
1 Vinted sale
929+1=930

Finding it much easier to tidy/sort/ chuck/sell etc in the nicer weather & also since I quit drinking - so much more energy! I have been intending to clear the stool in our bedroom for over 2 years & actually managed it the other day. Now I need to try on some clothes that are still in their packaging & put the rest away. Next job is to go through all my jewellery & put what I keep in boxes. The lock on my main jewellery box broke. Building up gradually to clearing out my wardrobe!

One pair of flip flops that are making my toe sore. Gone. Total is 2238

@LivingInaBuiltSite consider trying ziffit? I sold piles of CDs dvds and books with it last year.

I am trying to organise my house, but have realised all I do is move piles of crap from one room to another. I need items to actually leave my home to have a chance.

Today I have listed five items of clothing on Vinted and managed to sell one - hooray! I have decided that unless I can make £5 per item, then it goes to charity. So I have bagged up about 40 items of clothing and shoes to go to a charity shop......just need to get it there now.

I just find decluttering so utterly boring, I have been at it all day and although I have made progress, it so very slow. How do you stay motivated?

@Livingoffroyalities I think we all go through that stage of moving stuff around and unless we do a complete Kondo or ‘sort your life out’ it will unfortunately take longer than we’d like and we might not notice the improvement straight away. I think I started to enjoy decluttering when I suddenly found elements of my life were effortless. Sorry for repeating myself for the tenth time for people who’ve been on these threads for years. But one day I had to wrap a present for a child’s birthday party. Usually it would take forever as we wouldn’t be able to find any of our twelve rolls of sellotape or seven pairs of scissors and I might even have to go out to buy more. Well on this day I found everything in the wrapping storage bag I’d bought and it was done in five minutes. Another time exmil asked what my last electrity bill was and I found it within a minute - at one point that would’ve been impossible. Housework is so much quicker and if I have unexpected guests over I’m not embarrassed about my home. My house probably was less organised than most (hoarder exh and kids with adhd) but I love it now.

I’m currently doing the last really awful fiddly decluttering- the playroom. I have thrown out one playmobil set box and 3 playmobil leaflets. I got rid of all the playmobil last year so these are leftovers. I recycled a storage box. I also found one completed Lego set with its instructions. That is going to be sold. I probably have 50 other sets to make and sell! I also have half a science kit to throw away.

Stealthninjamum I realised I was a grown up when I finished off a roll of sellotape before I lost it.

Livingoffroyalties I think most of us on here struggle with actually getting stuff our of the house. Little and often is the key.

My work pen had run out and my work notebook is full so I can get more of each out of my huge stash. I can barely close the drawer at the moment. Possibly some of them.need to go without being used.

Yes! jellycat I know what you mean. I once held an amnesty on pritt sticks in the house and we had something crazy like 17. Of course about 14 dried out because there’s no way we’d use that many. Now we only ever have 2 or 3.

I think that's it @stealthninjamum, the 'wins' will present themselves to me unexpectedly. I just need to be patient and keep chipping away at the clutter, little and often like @Jellycatrabbit suggests.

I think I will set a timer tomorrow, rather than try and complete an 'area' to try and keep the momentum going.

5 clothing items sold, and posted today.

Total since 1/6/24 = 17

Royalties I watch declutter and cleaning videos on YouTube for motivation, it does work. I often either think of something to get rid of or get frustrated with their lovely tidy homes and decide to Do Something about mine.

Currently watching RealLifeWithAli, CatherineElaine and BeckyMoss (who has recently moved and is doing all the initial decorating and setting up) for normal home inspiration. ColineCleans and PeelingAwayTheClutter for more dramatic hoarded home makeover inspiration.

One set of false lashes used up. Total is 2239

Like many have said, seeing the results spurs you on. I usually put on music or a podcast when I shift through stuff. Sometimes I choose a time slot - I'll declutter until 8.30 and after that can watch Bridgerton for an episode 😃 so reward myself. I'm more at maintenance decluttering stage now though I do still try to reduce our overall amount of stuff.

Sold and dropped off a shirt sold on Vinted. I packed it in a nice box I'd been keeping; similarly, donated a large picture frame on fb marketplace packed it in an old totebag! Binned a very grubby big plastic toy. I do feel very un-green but it wasn't in a donatable condition.

Also finished a moisturiser was using as a primer (tons left), and recycled some school paperwork and some dc drawings. Total is 816

Had a busy May so getting back on this. Dropped a bag to the charity shop today, there wasn't loads in it but it's gone. Binned some old hair chalk things of DD's which I didn't realise we still had. Found several notebooks which I will keep together and will use up for my to do lists, shopping lists etc.
Got something to put on Freecycle, a few small toys for the second hand toy shop.
Only two more weeks of exams then I'll not be working so can focus on some pre summer holiday decluttering!

Another pack of eyelashes gone and a too small top. Total is 2241

Had a quick sort through of the shelf of games yesterday, and put 6 toddler/ pre-school games in the charity bag. Hoping to go through some more of the cupboard (all toys) today.

I spent about four hours yesterday in the playroom sorting through Lego. I found two completed sets that can be sold added to one I found Friday. I’m not going to sell them as there are some sets that it would be good to sell together so i want to do them. I have most of the boxes and instructions.

Thanks to @stealthninjamum for new thread.

I filled a big charity bag with clean damaged clothes and took it to dunelm on Friday. It was slightly out of my way, so in future I'll try to have more bags. Had to walk through the store to the recycling point, and resist everything on the way there and back 😀 job done!

And I've just realised that I totally forgot the rag bag of torn and mangled school clothes that's been in the garage for a month now. It's been there so long that it's become part of the scenery.

Paperwork/life admin piling up relentlessly.

I came across some decluttering audio books on the Audible Plus Catalogue, and downloaded a couple for encouragement.

Went through my craft drawers today, too much in there making it still messy and inacessable. 4 small bags of items I never use, a pile of plastic packaging and a pile of card packaging. All binned. Now it'll be easier to find what I want. Total is 2247

DH has shipped off more of his dad’s old camera stuff and he sold one of his drones for now that’s gone too . He’s been offered a pretty good price for all of them definitely worth having ! He also shipped the 2 bits of sports equipment he sold recently . Also a couple of returns have left the house . A few bits to rags from clean laundry and might have some more after DD next week school camping trip . I’ve already earmarked old uniform and some school sports stuff, shoes and trainers earlier so they’ll go in a few weeks . Will save good looking uniform for the second hand sale in the fall rest to dump clothes bank and shoes to shoe bank . Been very busy with end of term stuff and preparing for summer holidays now . Also trying to schedule more house maintenance jobs in . 2 are happening in the next few weeks and I want the rest in the diary asap. Just want to cross things off my never ending list but sick and tired DH procrastinates as always so I’m just reminding and nagging grrrr if I can’t do it myself . Dreading DS returning with all his stuff we’ll then have to go through , get rid of the damaged and worn out items ,and store the rest neatly ready to go in the fall in the attic . Soon might get DS or DH to take the next charity shop load to that warehouse drop of point again . I think there are several boxes full again now after it was done on Easter holidays .
No active decluttering really atm but a few bits gathered in maintenance.
Out lately :

• 1 old razor handle of mine
• 1 pair of DD small waterproof trousers
• 1 DD stained T-shirt
• 4 pairs of old socks
• 1 pair of DD discoloured pants
• 1 packet of unsuitable dietary supplement
• A bunch of old Covid tests
• 2 old cameras
• 4 camera lenses
• 1 drone I have earmarked before
• 1 ugly frame of a panting I’ll reframe

New total is 1082 I think

One top that doesn't fit
One conditioner used up
One moisturizer used up
Total is 2250

I sold one item last week on Vinted after almost a month of no sales, and then two almost simultaneously last night. I swear the algorithm notices when you sell something and pushes other items up.

So out a top and a shirt, posted today. I also binned a bottle of something we'll never drink. DH cleared out all his notes and papers, and found a big pile. Counting that as one.

Really need to work through notebooks and other stationary here. Doing pretty good with beauty products. Total this year is at 820

I will look at Ziffit, thank you.

Have had a few nights shift which inevitably means nothing gets done around the house, but DH did find some shelving units that work as a temp solution to our lack of wardrobes. I need to sort through my clothes and tidy them up even if nothing goes.

But woke up today with the worst migraines I’ve had in years so just trying to rehydrate, take tablets, and chill. Have a few days off this week so make up for it.

so just posting so I know where I am.

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures - decide where to put shelves for small pictures - Shelves up yey ☑️ have put some framed stuff on them but need to be more brutal and get rid of some.
2. DS2 paperwork: started blue badge
3. clear out/check through shed contents

Not quite outs yet:
more stuff on Vinted - have listed more - 1 item sold, need to post
21 items in a Music Magpie box but waiting for password reset email to actually confirm sale - system is not working for me - need to try this again: tried again, think I need to set up a whole new account… will try Ziffit next
3 x old duvets to find a home for - need to contact local dog charity place
craft stuff listed on FB

Out:
930

Trying to get organised.

We bought a robot hoover recently, we have 3 dogs and the dust and hair was really getting me down. It's helped massively with the hair and dust, but it's actually made us worse with regards to doing housework, and I'd say the house is dirtier than it was before.

So I'm picking a room a day to give a good clean. Today was the bedroom, so it got dusted to within an inch of its life, hoovered everywhere, windows washed, skirtings washed, walls swept and ceiling etc de cobwebbed. I also sorted my makeup and hair draws on the weekend and had a good old purge of the wardrobe.

I'm feeling much better today.

My office is tomorrow

DS said I could take his ancient pc to the recycling centre, so it’s now sitting at the back door waiting to be taken to the garage.