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.

Ah that's good to know about eBay. I have more luck on there than Vinted too. Find Vinted buyers more likely to try and offer a lower price etc too.
Isn't still bids on Auctions on eBay? Haven't listed on there for ages.
Am not keeping a tally as just starting. Have you lot all been counting since the start of the year?

@LivingInaBuiltSite my son went through a Warhammer phase too - so many little bits of plastic and tiny pots of paint

I have put a few of my Vinted things on Ebay too do will see how they go. Wasn't sure if I should auction or buy it now so did a mix.

A couple more vinted sales and thrown away a calendar here. Need to feel a bit more motivation.

You can buy all your postage directly through eBay. I only do auctions. You can include offers though, there's a box to tick and you can also choose an auto-accept price if you want to.

I got a few Vinted sales too - a scarf and a cat accessory - which I was happy about. Also slightly happy about the cold weather as I finished the dregs of 3 candles from last winter. I do love candles so I'll probably buy more...

3 sets of savings account paperwork shredded, kids sleeping bag donated and one condiment that was unopened binned. Decent start to October.

Oh and one big email declutter session!

Total is 1535.

So behind on everything, but have got rid of a few tins for Harvest Festival today and also binned a few that were out of date and won't get eaten. Keep forgetting to take the bags of second hand uniform into school so they are still lurking in the hallway 😕However, we did bin a couple of bags-of-bags which had been sitting on top of the fridge for literally years, so not too bad.

2 outs on Vinted.... but I can't seem to find dd football shorts she wears under her school skirts so three of those in from Vinted.

I'm getting rid of ds12 more tatty polo shirts as they are 12-13 so also getting a bit small. But I already counted the new ones in ins earlier in the year.

Total for 2024
1660 out
158 in

121 a month out needed to hit my target for year end

river if that coach emails again, before deleting the email mark it as for junk folder, then at least it'll get sent straight in there with all the other spam and automatically deleted after a few days, if unsubscribing doesn't work.

Out goes a top with a weirdly too small neck hole. Total is 2821

2 outs. New pair of school shoes in. Also a new bag in so need to find one to get rid of - also want to try and sort the dc activity bags; one is a really annoying shape/size.

I decluttered 42 things in September, bringing my yearly total to 512.

This week I’ve got rid of a pair of knickers with a hole in (sadly as they were v comfy!), and two pairs of DD’s shorts (age 6-7 and haven’t been worn for the past two years). I bought her two new pairs of PJs, so I need to get the pairs that she’s outgrown out to declutter.

thanks @IndianSummer78 I didn't realise that 👍🏽

It took half a Slob Comes clean podcast to declutter the big cupboard in my utility room where I keep tools and various diy products. I have got rid of an empty box and various screws that are probably 25 years old and have never been used. I also chucked a really annoying fake duck tape that is impossible to use.

I also decided to get rid of another big blue ikea bag and a drawstring swimming bag.

i was thinking about diy jobs, I have several and the tools and hooks in the utility room so I might see if dd1 wants to help me this weekend.

hello all, long time no post! I'm back in decluttering mode and doing pretty well. Downloaded Olio which seems great so far for getting rid of old stuff that's been hanging around too long.

Am pondering whether to get rid of a couple of really good quality metal frames (very tasteful and classy) but the glass has broken! They have sat behind my sofa for about 7 years! I could get new glass but maybe it's time to ditch!?

Tech clutter is one area in which I need a hand for sure as well.

Wish I could declutter covid. 😷 nothing happening as just not able to tackle the to do list.
Have reduced a few bits on vinted, but no sales.

I haven't decluttered much but I did tidy the garden for winter, and listed some stuff for Vinted. I brought my winter trousers and jumpers down from the loft and felt pretty unexcited about the sight of most of them s I think I need to be harsher with my clothing declutter.

I did spend time this morning unsubscribing from loads of stuff, so counting that as 1 declutter. 1536. Little short of the year's target.

I put the majority of the kids summer clothes away and for the first time, that just ment moving them to the unused side of ds wardrobe as there's room to do that.

My eldest has already decided to ditch his uni course. I want to falk apart but I won't do that. I have to remember that the shity things in life aren't things that crop up to stop you, it's all just life, good and bad. He is talking of swopping courses so not coming home. I think he is making a monumental cock up but he is a adult and thus instead my choice to make. No wonder so much radio silence. His mh is in the bin but he won't talk ( except a call yesterday when I had to hide my upset). I don't think he will stick anything out. I think he has got ASD too. He is so rigid in his thinking. But eat can I do? No parents to advise me and dhs parents are just crap. If I told mil this she would just look at me and not acknowledge it. Then be utterly shocked if I he topped himself and saying it was so unexpected. But it's been my fear since he was about 13.

For INC - its sounds like a tough week. While not meaning to dismiss your worries, very normal to swap courses ans have major mental health wobbles early on at university: most of us make it through wiser and more resilient, and I hope that applies to your son as well.

Sounds like you've made amazing progress on the clothes.

I piled up all the outgrown baby clothes ready to go into the attic (there is a cousin who will need them in a year!) and threw out all the coat hangers from my "next size up" stash. I am wondering when it stops making sense to keep one of those. Usually I buy a few bits when I see them in the sale, but they do stop growing as fast, right?

@IncessantNameChanger im sorry that sounds incredibly stressful, as op said it is really common to swap courses, but it is good he has realised it’s not right early on before it’s too late to change. My autistic dd1 had a wobble at school and told them she was leaving so I rang round and found her a different school and she seems happy. So it could be that he’s made a good, brave decision. With regards to his mental health could you afford a private counsellor or mental health professional to talk to? I’m guessing he wouldn’t see one but it might help you to know how to speak to him. I see a psychologist because dd2 has mental health problems and it helps me to know how to support her. I do understand how sick you must feel with the worry of suicide and no one to support you. Has he moved a long way away, would it annoy him if you visited with a food parcel just to see him?

@Mistralli I've found that 5yo is when they want to pick their own and develop their own interests. In addition I overbought and accumulated too much with the 'next size up', but maybe you are on top of how much they need and not buying bargains in the sales, etc.

3 listings sold so 8items out. Have finished up all my medium size parcel bags so now cutting big ones in half/to size. Made a significant dent in the parcels/wrapping/boxes pile.
Still have not found this blasted duplo block, but am going to have a better look tomorrow as feeling better.

Thinking of you @IncessantNameChanger. Other posters have given you a lot of wisdom and advice. I do also hear you about the difficulties when you can see how much your child is struggling but others who are meant to love them put their heads in the sand.

He was doing a foundation year at a RGS up north 500 miles away in biology as he wants to study micro biology as a degree. He has the points A,A,B, distinction but not science A level as he did BTEC science. The course,swop would be ditching science completely and never being allowed on it as he doesn't have the right A level. He'd be studying politics so it's massive change and he doesn't want to study politics but wants to stay at that uni. So a major change he can't go back on really.

It's his choice. He said degree subject doesn't matter. But as a scientist you can't get a research job in a lab with a politics degree. But it's not my choice to make. He has to travel 3 hours each day to where the foundation degree is from his halls and he isn't prepaired to stick that out

3 toys, a pack of baby cutlery, 11 clothing items and a box of baby safety bits to SIL
Another farm gate sold
Large antique storage cupboard sold
Huge plastic indoor playhouse sold (this was taking up loads of space in our living room and I'm so glad to have it gone, along with the accessories for it.
18 Vinted sales
2 eBay sales

Total so far this year 1766. I don't think I'll hit the target of 2024 by the end of the year, but I didn't think I'd still have this much to get rid of, given I got rid of a similar amount last year too.

92x cloth nappies and bits cloth that were too worn or grotty to sell have gone to recycling

2x books to charity shop

I’ve thrown out some random broken bits and bobs, but nothing that really counts.

267 + 94 = 361

I’ve also listed a whole load of stuff for sale, so I’ll give that a few weeks then figure out what to do with anything remaining