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.

On a roll with sorting out the kids clothes. 4 vinted listings

One pair of falling apart shoes I kept for gardening in, they were starting to hurt my feet so binned those.
One contour powder used up, decided not to faff with the dregs round the edges because I've go so much makeup to use up. I don't have another but have decided to use an eyeshadow for it instead, it's the right colour and I'm sure it'll do the same job.
Total is 2789

Now that Christmas is drawing closer, I am joining the big declutter....

Day one:
12 items of clothing to charity shop
Glass dish disposed of
2 items of stationery to CS
1 item regifted

Total to date: 16

Try and keep a tally for September: 31 listings done. 13 sold. (Fb and vinted)
So so much left to do but trying to squeeze it in any spare time I have. Packaging is being used up too.
Got the back door curtain from the linen cupboard now the weather has dropped so will get DH to hang those this week. Will probably get him to do loft as well tomorrow if I'm still sore.

Another item sold just as I was leaving - quickly went back inside and wrapped it up; so 3 parcels posted.
Today is loft day although weather is lovely so think we might go to the park instead! My dc are light sleepers so can't access the loft once they are in bed.

Now we’re coming into Autumn, I have a renewed vigour for this decluttering lark & DH is on board too. Our landing has disappeared under all the stuff DD15 has dumped out of her room so DH is getting black bags to clear the lot. There are a few bits that can be sold eg a kiddie camera which was around £50 new. I aim to start tidying the storage cubes in the lounge & unfortunately I am losing the kitchen table again so will clear off my various piles.

I haven't posted in a bit but have chipped away at the background. Few things sold on vinted; t's only going in drips and drabs now. I dropped off some more uniform things to school, and recycled some stuff. Today has been a family cleaning morning in which a lot of things have left, but I think we're done now and will ho out this afternoon instead. We were out all day yesterday and the to do list is immense now

Out this week:
2 kids trousers and my top sold on vinted
6 uniform bits to school
Kids umbrella
1 activity book and one spelling book full, completed and recycled
Trainer socks that slip down
Small jewellery pouch
Honey that was very syrup-y and gross
Kids passport cover
Travel sized shampoo used up as no immediate travel plans
Mouldy bath toy
Broken hanger
Kids sandpit toy
Old loo brush (WHY did we have this??)

Year total 1449

Old water bottle out - started leaking. New water bottle in. Avoided everything else in the supermarket.
Loft stuff mostly done. I'll just need to get up there and tidy up the boxes.

1 listing done; 1 listing sold.
Threw out an old dusty screen protector (why on earth had I kept it!); and replaced my cracked one with a new one.

I love all the decluttering for autumn and Christmas that’s going on.

last week I had my roof and drive and some paths cleaned. I’ve just filled half a bin of moss and leaves didn’t clear up so the garden looks great.

Inside I’ve been organising my pulses/ grains / pasta cupboard. I have little storage trays and will lane them tomorrow.

I have also found a pair of trousers that don’t fit dd2 anymore and chucked out some more of dd1s schoolwork

Didn't get everything I wanted to do today done, but a nice day with the dc.
Have just listed a toy so I can give myself a tick ✅️ before bed.
Tomorrow is wfh so hoping I can carve out some time to crack on with organising the clothes and/or listing the remaining toys.
Hoping as well to meet with family soon so I can give them their stuff I have been storing since June I think!

Another IKEA blue bag down to the charity shop this afternoon - a cushion, books, a few bits of clothing, some mugs, some cards.

One top with too short sleeves into donation bag. Total is 2790

The second hand uniform shed is taking donations again (hurrah!) so I can drop off my bags on Wednesday when it next opens up. I also have a charity bag ready to go and added a pair of Frozen sunglasses which are now too small for anyone. One DC went to a party over the weekend and I did look in the goodie bag with trepidation, but fortunately it's almost all sweets and stickers which have a short shelf life!

I'm doing the eldest room since he has gone to uni. Got a small box of clothes to list on Vinted but I'm going to mindful not to keep re- loading and relisting. They either go within two weeks,or it goes to charity shop.

Feeling very flat today but I'm going to power on. I want to get his room sorted within two weeks really.

@IncessantNameChanger I’m with you. DS1 has let the building. Have had a little sniffle but blaming the soppy book I’ve just finished 🙄

Aiming to properly tackle his room starting tomorrow as did a long run yesterday and feel knackered and stiff today. Have started his left behind laundry 😂

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures
2. DS2 paperwork: blue badge started
3. my British passport application - need to get on with this
4. garden generally tidied for end of summer - started
5. loads of scout badges onto blanket - 8 left
6. DS1’s room

Not quite outs yet:
Running leggings to go to a friend - Need to message her to meetup
spare tap left from building works - on FB, bumped up
knackered suitcase to put on FB - posted
old school PE shorts to a friend
DD to return borrowed flute to old school, oops

Out:
stained tshirt, old bra, old knickers, old socks, some rubbish from DS1’s room
1195+5=1200

W/E 15th September

Decluttered
Dressing room
Wardrobes done, drawers done; very few items of clothing removed because (as I mentioned before) I want to see if I can lose some weight before doing a proper cull. Cupboard with hair and make up stuff done and quite a bit thrown out (including a couple of things that were empty; why did I put them back in there originally!? Rushing about I suppose.)

Recipe bookshelf in kitchen dresser (part). Just because I have been meal planning and decided to scan through some of the books I haven't looked at for a long time.

More emails and bookmarks on my laptop, and going through my password manager to delete any no longer needed (loads of work related ones). This means I can stop paying for it at the end of this month.

Donated
Numerous things piled up in study to go to charity shop. Will bag them up later this week before I go into town.

Binned
Empty product tubes/packages.
4 separated nail polishes.

Now onto the master bedroom...

Sold 1 cardigan.
Listed 1 toy.
Organised the clothes and presents mostly (new and secondhand ones to grow in to)

Got rid of about 36 things from ds room. Mostly empty boxes and broken hangers. Binned one of my old belts. Arranged to drop off some clothes to the local clothing bank tomorrow too.

@IncessantNameChanger do you have carte blanche to get rid of stuff? I don’t but am hoping to get away with some stuff. He knows I’m swapping the bulky bunk bed for a standard double. And swapping his big wardrobe for a smaller one in our room. But other than that I only have permission to clean. DD apparently has permission to adopt any of his cuddly toys (that he still has at 18! Apart from the most beloved 3, one of which he usually sleeps with, aww).

more laundry found …

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures
2. DS2 paperwork: blue badge started
3. my British passport application - need to get on with this
4. garden generally tidied for end of summer - started
5. loads of scout badges onto blanket - 8 left
6. DS1’s room: started

Not quite outs yet:
Running leggings to go to a friend - Need to message her to meetup
spare tap left from building works - on FB, bumped up
knackered suitcase to put on FB - posted
old school PE shorts to a friend
DD to return borrowed flute to old school, oops

Out:
more rubbish
1200+1=1201

I've got the back garden tidied up so will class that as a decluttering win. Fences painted too. Need to paint front step then will bin old clothes used for painting.
I've done the usual Monday get everything for rubbish and recycling has gone out.
I'm hoping to make progress inside this week.

Living - I'm only getting rid of empty boxes for IT kit he has long since broken or out of warranty. Broken hangers, old A level sheets, 14-15 clothes. Empty deodorant cans, used reed difuusers, out of date food 🦠🤢🤮 etc . So stuff that I'd normally get rid of without him complaining. Once it's more tidy / clean all of his tat on the surfaces he might want to keep I'm going to box up so ds16 can have his room. Then the plan is to get it all back out when we "code red" for his return.

I did wonder if I should count any of it as its not my stuff. But it's my decluttering time.

I did wonder if I should count any of it as its not my stuff.

Of course it counts! It's your house! It's reducing the number of THINGS in your house, and that's the point!

I've just binned a whole load of tights - the thin type for work, which I haven't worn since pre-Covid. They were all the ones that were in circulation at that point so some of them were getting a bit snaggy. Plus, if I ever need them again, I still have quite a few unopened pairs lurking in my supplies. I used to buy them in New York when I went there regularly - they were nice, had a very fine fishnet pattern on them but were quite sheer. It feels like another life, but I do still occasionally need things like that for the wedding/funeral/Event cycle of life.

This evening I want to sort out two big drawers - one of tops, one of bottoms and PJs. Even if I don't get rid of much, at least I'll know what I've got.

@IncessantNameChanger of course it counts! It’s all about getting rid of unwanted/unneeded stuff. It causes a domino effect with moving other dc around, who then might get rid of some of their stuff, and so on.

I will properly venture in there tomorrow and see what’s what.

Still struggling to get around to counting/listing what has gone out since July when I last posted my count.

I'm getting a bit overwhelmed with the amount of clothing that needs to be put on eBay or Vinted. I've lost 5st now so I have so many clothes that are enormous on me but have to be wary of getting rid of too much in case I can't keep the weight off! I have a huge mountain piled in the spare room and just the thought of going through it all fills me with dread.

We've just had new front gates and had sold the previous one on eBay. Waited a week for the buyer to pick it up and he changed his mind 😑. Also have some furniture listed on freecycle and same with those, people just keep changing their minds.

Morning. Can I join?

I an hoping that a long awaited house move is going to happen in next few weeks. Whilst I wait to hear if house is ours I need to get busy.

I really struggle with getting rid of stuff so it helps if it’s going to a better use and home!
Facebook market place is frustrating so unless it’s really worthwhile I’m not bothering.

Last week I shifted some of my son’s old clothes onto an acquaintance following a Facebook post offering. 8 items

I have a ton of children’s hangers that don’t fit his clothes anymore so am taking those to a charity initiative. It’s just hard to park where they are.

I have some play doh cutters I’m going to offer to foundation teacher at school.

Sorted out some books ( they was hard for me) and dvds. Listed dvds on Facebook. No one biting so charity shop bag awaits them. May hold off and see if I find more and decide if ziffit/music magpie worth it.

I’ve disposed of expired medicines and had recently cleared out a bathroom cupboard.

I do have some Thomas trains that need listing too.