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.

You are all inspiring me as I empty our house as much as possible.

Sold a waterproof kids set on Facebook market place today. Been listed for ages.

Spent almost all day sorting my own clothes out. Three huge black bags going charity shop in morning. Plus some bags and a few other bits.

The clothes was hard going and I even got rid of some stuff with tags and worn once. If it didn’t make me feel good when I put it on then it went.

Im going to start on beauty stash next and pass sone stuff onto my besties. Bubble baths and body butters. I so rarely use them I don’t need lots!

I also got rid of a load of old pants. In fact many weren’t even old just tried and not comfy. What a waste but needed to go.

Currently debating magazines that I subscribed to but didn’t get round to reading. I do want to get around to reading them but don’t want to be moving them.

School books of kids too. Think they need to go!

A day where stuff left the house. Just batteries, bottles to be recycled, an Amazon parcel I changed my mind about got returned, and letters to the previous owner of my house. I wouldn’t count them as clutter but they did take up a lot of space.

i also advertised a sports kit I found and had a few people show an interest and I am donating as rags an old t shirt dd1 wore to a sports event she competed in about 6 years ago. It was teeny and she is now bigger than me.

Two hoodies that are far too big now. Total is 2820

Really appreciate reading all the posts and getting more motivated. Today I put a nice pair of shoes in the for sale pile for adult DD. Finally faced up to the fact that my poor swollen feet need something comfy and low-heeled.

Raked around in my old wardrobe and found two winter jackets with tags on, and a fleece that I can get into. Defo keeping fleece, maybe sell the jackets.

no one probably will remember when I said I unsubscribed from a sports coach's emails coz I'd only met her once and she wasn't very nice? just checking emails and there she is again! 😡 so I've unsubscribed again 🫠
just returned a faulty item to eBay too hopefully more stuff leaves today.....

@CornishTiger I need to sort the beauty stuff too. Why do I have so much when I don't even use any of it? 😄.
I've not bought any more body butters since I found a load of expensive ones from the Body Shop I'd ordered a few years ago. They were absolutely rancid when I took the seal off one of them - it smelled so bad. What a waste of money (and bin space).

8 listings up. 1 sale.
Might list some stuff on ebay even though they've stopped doing discounted listings.

A slow weekend and I have yet to list all the cloth nappies, which will make a big difference!

But, I’ve got rid of this lot:

1x ancient all-in-one Shampoo/conditioner used up (it had survived at least two house moves!)

35x old bedding, tote bags and too-small kids clothes to textiles recycling

2x expired medications to Pharmacy for recycling

229 + 38 = 267

@CornishTiger for the magazines it might be worth checking out your local library and/or kindle unlimited. My library has lots of free online magazines available via an app once you join the library. I used it a lot for both books and magazines in COVID. Kindle unlimited also has lots of magazines and books but the subscription does cost about £10 a month currently. I currently read (or at least flick through!) good housekeeping, olive, good food, prima and a sewing magazine on there as well as read lots of books. Feels like good value to me compared to several pounds an issue per magazine.

W/E 29th September

Decluttered
Kitchen dresser 1
Kitchen dresser 2
Kitchen dresser 3
Dry goods drawer; all storage jars washed and labelled.
Drawers in main bathroom. (DH still working in there so still need to revisit)

Also decluttered myself out of half a dozen work related WhatsApp groups.

Donated
Ever growing heaps in the study but did manage to take two bags full to the charity shop when I went to town for a haircut: 3 beer glasses, 1 mug, 1 coat, 1 storage box, 1 hanging storage, 2 coat hangers (and a few cm of hair – to the hairdresser not the charity shop!)

Binned
Green lentils dated 2021
Cornflour dated 2022
1 x knickers
1 x pair socks

It should be the spare room next week but DH seems to be using that as a workshop so I'll give that a swerve and rejig my schedule to do more in the kitchen; plenty to go at there.

House already feeling more restful.

3 too small knickers out
Another 5listings done. Getting bored with listing so have done mostly as £1 bundles. Lots to do yet, wish I could do more but am absolutely exhausted still.

Husband spontaneously cleared out a tray of bits and bobs on our wall unit yesterday. I did wince a bit when he decided it was time to send some novelty coasters I'd given him to the charity shop ... but kept quiet and they are on their way to a home where they will hopefully be appreciated more!

I guess this redeems him for the coffee scoop incident!

Found a few more things to sell on Vinted but not listed them yet.

I went out to the shops today which is very rare for me know as I had a voucher to get dd free earrings from Claires club. I wanted to buy her Stitch jeans but couldn't find d them in Primark so walked out empty handed which was a new experience for me. Only bought ds a suit from a charity shop. I could order the jeans from click and collect but I'm not going to as its a trip into outer London.

9 listings sold so about 20 items out. After slugging through work last week, am in bed today decluttering boxes of tissues 🤧
No plans to do anything except sleep and listen to podcasts

Not posted here for a while, but I have been following everyone’s progress. Just delurked to say that I have had an email from eBay to say that they are getting rid of selling fees for private sellers. Not sure about existing listings, but definitely holds for any listings put up from now onwards.

Just listed lots of things on Vinted. Not sure if any of it will sell but it gives me permission to donate it if it doesn't go. Things are definitely looking a lot better now. Dd has lost her new cargo trousers do I'm debating buying more from.Vinted or just holding to see if the turn up. It's frustrating that dispite this level of decluttering I still can't find things!

Primark in Stevenage was full of Stitch items on Sunday 🤗 we didn't leave empty handed but we bought needed occasion wear

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before but I’ve been dithering about a famous five box set for a few years. There were two missing books. I have finally concluded that the missing books will not turn up so I have put them in bags for the charity shop.

i have also sold a sports equipment that belonged to dd1.

@stealthninjamum well done,I can relate to the dithering over items too. Once a decision is made, you wonder why it took so long.

Had a good empty out and clean of one shelf of the pantry, esp where the toaster lives.
And rearranged sofas/armchairs so I can at least sit on a comfy one! We have too many from various houses/offices that are all basically knackered and we need to invest some £££ soon.

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures
2. DS2 paperwork: blue badge started
3. my British passport application - after half term trip to Belgium
4. garden generally tidied for end of summer - started
5. loads of scout badges onto blanket - 8 left
6. DS1’s room: ongoing…plus some scout badges to his blanket
7. bring down the wardrobe; DH & I failed on this, too heavy, need another adult
8. IKEA wardrobe for DD; sort her clothes, her wardrobe to my room for DH

Not quite outs yet:
Running leggings to go to a friend - remember to take to Parkrun
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
my long gone mother’s recliner that DS1 was using for gaming 🙄 (need to get downstairs before listing on fb): half downstairs, need DH for the other half
old duvets bagged up & donated to dog charity - waiting for collecting lady
curtains poles - need to measure and put on FB

Out:
4 OOD food items
lots of crumbs from the toaster 😂
1482+4=1486

DD also emptied a bin full of rubbish from her room, hoping she’s used todays inset day to sort her bomb site, will investigate later.

1 item sold and will post it tomorrow.
Otherwise decluttered a 2hour nap 😴

Might try and find that missing duplo block depending on how I'm feeling. Maybe might do some listings but quite unlikely.

I had a nap yesterday. Still don't feel 100% over covid yet.

Does anyone list on ebay? I'm wondering if that's worth trying now it's zero fees. I have a big bag of Vinted stuff now but I just want it gone. I didn't get any views for what I put up yesterday.

@IncessantNameChanger I list on eBay as well as Vinted. I tend to get a fair bit more money for my stuff on eBay so put on things I want higher prices for. I put a couple of used coats on eBay recently and got more for them than I paid brand new.

Thanks, I will give ebay a try again. How does the postage work now? Do you do auctions or but it now?

Starting on sorting out DS1’s warhammer collection. Like Lego but worse 🙄😂
Have found some complete sets that he must have never used. Plus a pile of unopened boxes of characters he never built. Would like him to part with it as he won’t play with it but doubt that’ll happen. May just box it up and store in the eaves cupboards for him but at least not gathering (more) dust.

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures
2. DS2 paperwork: blue badge started
3. my British passport application - after half term trip to Belgium
4. garden generally tidied for end of summer - started
5. loads of scout badges onto blanket - 8 left
6. DS1’s room: ongoing…plus some scout badges to his blanket
7. bring down the wardrobe; DH & I failed on this, too heavy, need another adult
8. IKEA wardrobe for DD; sort her clothes, her wardrobe to my room for DH

Not quite outs yet:
Running leggings to go to a friend - remember to take to Parkrun
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
my long gone mother’s recliner that DS1 was using for gaming 🙄 (need to get downstairs before listing on fb): half downstairs, need DH for the other half
old duvets bagged up & donated to dog charity - waiting for collecting lady
curtains poles - listed on FB free site

Out:
6 items of rubbish/bits of plastic from the warhammer boxes so far
1486+6=1492