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.

Binned fourteen dried out ballpoints.

For donation one outgrown school jersey.

Two lightweight school anoraks.

Bagged up three pairs ratty trainers for recycling centre.

Teens agreed that excess baby clothes for dolls can be washed and donated, all now in a tub waiting.

Working my through a small pile of magazines, two or three each day.

Out goes

One sun faded dress
One blouse that gapes at the boobs
One old journal

Total is 2291

Twelve magazines from 2022 are in recycling bin.

Starting on 2023 now.

one pair holey underpants in bin.

I got sheets on the toss app today - went a bit off piste as baby was asleep in the master bedroom where we store our sheets and baby/sheets blankets so I went through the airing cupboard where we keep eldest DD’s sheets and towels etc.

It was really overdue an organise - totally rammed.

There were so many useless things in there. Also unearthed 3 bath mats - we currently haven’t got one down as I didn’t know where they were, as well as a stack of hand towels including one still in the packet.

I also found a lot of old beauty products - leftover massage oil from baby massage with my eldest 3 years ago, expired baby creams, baby eye wipes all sorts.

We also keep odd socks in there which had grown to a whole carrier bag and a little basket so I paired as many as I could, getting rid of any with holes and any too small for DD1.

I managed to get rid of 95 items - which sounds great but is depressing because we have SO MANY THINGS. We honestly must have thousands and thousands of possessions, no wonder I feel so overwhelmed!

So that brings me up to 264 items in total since I started counting.

I feel so much better about the airing cupboard now and can actually see and find everything, lots more space which is brilliant.

Highlights of the airing cupboard included a spare key for a car we no longer have, four unopened baby toothbrushes, a huge towelling dressing gown I wore right after I gave birth that I thought had been binned and the fabric base of a children’s tipi play tent!

DD isn’t at nursery tomorrow and we are away this weekend so not expecting to get anything done until Monday really now but raring to keep going! Must make sure I keep getting things out of the house too not just sorting. I drove past my dad’s today and managed to drop off a few things of his I’ve been meaning to for ages so they’re gone.

@Worryingme that sounds like my airing cupboard (without the car key) the plumber recently commented that it was “busy” so well done!

After my pants post the other day I thought I’d introduce myself properly - Ive been following the threads since 6 and you’ve all motivated me to get things on vinted (slowly trickling out about 1-2 items a week) and I really went for it at the beginning of the year with things that just got chucked - I’ve slowed down recently and really regret not counting because I think that would really have motivated me. I also cleared a lot of garage stuff selling some too small bikes scooters and toys on the first (and last?) dry weekend of the year and they sold really quickly.

I have a big pile of books in the hall heading off to the charity shop this week from a room move round and a load of toys I’m going to stick on market place.

I think it might be time to start going back and tackling the things I left when I was doing the easy wins binning stuff.

we don’t appear cluttered to a visitor but everywhere is jammed full - including some boxes sat in spare room I want to get to a place where everything has a home and that home isn’t wedged full.

Yesterday - six holey or perished rubber gloves from rack in utility.

Five magazines from last year. (Must change to online subscription.)

I listed some summery stuff on Vinted, and immediately sold a top and a dress. I'm actually a bit sad about the dress because I really like it, but I didn't wear it all last summer. It just clings too much and makes me look bulkier than I am. But the colour and feel were gorgeous. Oh well. I'm trying to sell enough to buy a nice, understated pair of every day earrings instead. Posting stuff this morning. Also DC used up a bath bomb we had lingering around.

832+3=835

@stealthninjamum thank you so much! lots of good ideas here. I like the goal of having clean surfaces. It is mad how much stuff builds up when you don't even realise it!

I am continuing my decluttering and starting to feel a little better about my house and life. I need to watch more decluttering inspo on YT I think.

Cable organisation is my next project (I have extension leads everywhere with so many messy leads and cables and chargers). Looking at some ikea organiser things. But to get rid of some of the old ones would also be good.

Managed to get rid of a load of kitchen stuff yesterday. Getting there... slowly!

So first load of the one coming back from uni’s stuff is in the house. Mostly found homes reasonably easily. Next load will be them, clothes, bedding, more kitchen stuff and whatever else is crammed into their room 😱

Today an IKEA kids storage cupboard, a very old side table, a small chest of drawers, a mirror, a bedside lamp and some serving dishes all went to the charity shop. A bat and ball set and some pavement chalks to a neighbour for when her grandchildren come to say.

Welcome to the newbies @Worryingme sounds like you are off to a good start. My decluttering goal is to know what I have and where it is without as you say everything being rammed in. It is very difficult when you or someone else wants to find the perfect place to pass something on. I’ve struggled with this at times. On some of the earlier threads @stealthninjamum used to post a brilliant list of places where stuff could be passed on. If you do a search in housekeeping for “Decluttering one thing a day” you may be able to find the list. I remember I had a box of teddy bears parcelled up in a cupboard for months waiting for “The teddy trust” to start accepting donations again post COVID!

Fell off last thread. Posted there today.

have decluttered a fair bit today.

kids art cart.
swimming stuff
pjs
andbhave gone through my make up drawer and binned some stuff

Thanks @gassylady I thought I’d find the list and found a decluttering thread I started in 2018! I must’ve been doing this for 6 or 7 years! I’ll have another look and try to find that list.

i haven’t done any decluttering today other than going through Lego again with dd1.

@Gassylady loads of big outs for you today, I bet you’ve reclaimed loads of space now that’s all gone!

That list of places to send things sounds perfect and may really help DP especially to feel better about letting things go, I will hunt that out.

No proper decluttering today as I’ve had both little ones, but I did get to dunelm with a black sacks worth of fabric recycling and a ziploc full off old batteries. I think I’m going to start doing as others seem to going forward and only count an item as out once it’s actually left the house to avoid piles being reabsorbed!

did finish off one bubble bath today which has been hanging around since 2022 so that’s one out!

264 out so far in total.

One plastic spatula, one plastic thingy for putting fake eyelashes on with which I never use and one coat that's unsuitable. Total is 2294

Ive been looking through the bedding OMG we have single, small double, double and kingsize. The single sheets are not really deep enough for the current mattress, the double includes some that are also probably not deep enough but have been used in uni, the small doubles are also from uni and fit nothing hetecat home. Arrghh seems daft to donate stuff that might be used again for uni. But need to label it clearly and store it somewhere so I dont forget what we have 😳😧

Decided to get rid of another two coats that have seen better days and some 20yr old earphones that have gone sticky. Total is 2297

What with running, work, life, kids, I’ve fallen off a bit. Welcome to the newbies 👋

2 DC have now finished school, hooray! One hopefully off to uni, the other to college in Sept. Have started compiling uniform to recycle/pass along.

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures
2. DS2 paperwork: started blue badge
3. clear out/check through shed contents
4. my British passport application (have an Irish one but life sometimes easier with a UK one and I’m allowed both)

Not quite outs yet:
Vinted stuff: need to delete the last few listings and charity shop them
21 items in a Music Magpie box but waiting for password reset email to actually confirm sale - 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; colouring books due to be collected soon?
Running leggings to go to a friend

Out:
6 white shirts
5 school tops (they are changing uniform so can’t pass along)
1 wrecked running socks from a long run last weekend (50miles, my longest yet!)
960+12=972

DS1 has also binned heaps of practice papers and returned text books to school (hopefully all of them 🤞) but I don’t have numbers for that.

Two dresses going today. A little too small. For anyone struggling with clothes decluttering I recommend wearing everything, not just trying on. Also to look in the mirror. By the time you've spent a day in something you can tell if it has any annoying features. I used to only check my makeup before I went out but now I check my whole outfit and I'm amazed how many things don't look how I thought they looked in my mind. It has helped with the declutter massively and we're letting go of a lot more when we thought we were done. Total is 2299

Three catalogues
One document
One hoodie

Total is 2304

Yesterday- finished the pile of magazines, slmost entirely consigned to the recycling bin apart from a couple of pullouts on srranging finances which is permanently on my to-do list.

Two nighties donated, I only wear pyjamas now. One old journal recycled. Total is 2307

I went through a box of too small clothes for DD and put a hoodie on vinted and some clothes into a charity shop bag… need to get to drop off the bag this week S it’s not fully out yet..

Vinted seems to be going in fits and starts for me and the things I think won’t sell are what’s going.. I’ll keep them going a bit longer before I send the other stuff to the charity shop too..

Vinted is doing my head in a bit, Dd is just discovering it which is less than ideal.

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures
2. DS2 paperwork: started blue badge
3. clear out/check through shed contents
4. my British passport application (have an Irish one but life sometimes easier with a UK one and I’m allowed both)

Not quite outs yet:
Vinted stuff: last one to post tomorrow, others deleted and in charity bag.
21 items in a Music Magpie box but waiting for password reset email to actually confirm sale - 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; colouring books due to be collected soon?
Running leggings to go to a friend

Out:
another pair of school trouser to pile
972+1=973

Delved into a drawer I haven't been in for 3yrs and couldn't remember what was in there. Out goes -

7 packagings from brand new tights
3 pairs of too small knickers
2 pairs of outgrown tights
1 t-shirt in an awful colour

Total is 2320

Went through the sewing box - lots of bits and bobs into the bin, box of safety pins to give to running group for events, random stuff to give away on eco fb site if poss.
Really the box is now too big but it was DH’s grandmas I think and he wants to keep it (for now….)

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures
2. DS2 paperwork: started blue badge
3. clear out/check through shed contents
4. my British passport application (have an Irish one but life sometimes easier with a UK one and I’m allowed both)

Not quite outs yet:
Vinted stuff: last one to post
21 items in a Music Magpie box but waiting for password reset email to actually confirm sale - 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; colouring books due to be collected soon?
Running leggings to go to a friend

Out:
2 more old school tops to recycling
pile of bits from sewing box to bin (just counting as 1)
973+3=976

4 more pairs of uncomfortable knickers and a worn out nightie are going. Total is 2325