Summer holiday declutter, clean and decorate!

[Pennyres]

Think I’m being optimistic that I will achieve everything but I have 5 weeks to sort my entire house out and am posting for accountability.

Live in a fairly small 3 bed, 1 ddog, older dc that don’t require constant supervision but my house is an absolute disaster. Not unhygienic or even on the surface untidy (although it can get very messy 🥴) but the whole house just needs a good declutter and clean, even the garden is just, I don’t know, unloved and uncared for.

Our biggest issue seems to be ‘things’, ‘things’ just in places with no real home, clothes everywhere, and bulging wardrobes, drawers, bookcases, kitchen cupboards ….. rather than buy more storage I’d rather tackle the issue head on and just have a good declutter. Sounds easy enough - pick a problem area, get a bin bag and start then clean that area - except it’s so overwhelming that I’m struggling to even think about finding the bin bags 🙄

So, today I’m going to …? What? What shall I start with to get me on a roll?

Two cupboards or drawers a day.

How about something small like the kitchen utensils drawer? Only keep what you really need, then wipe out the drawer and put everything back. Quick win to keep you motivated!

I’m doing the same thing! My daughter is out for the day today so I’ve seized the opportunity to do her room and throw out all the crap while she’s out!

I want to do a big sort of every room including cupboards and drawers and a big spring clean this summer. It’s going to be a big job! I’ve done some of the garden already but that’s it

Also sometimes I take before and after photos when I do an area, helps me see progress

Will be using the idea of before and after photos!

I’ve decided today I’m going to …. My chest of drawers - they’re fairly tidy and emptyish at the moment (due to what belongs in there being in the wash or ironing) so not only will they be an easy win, once they’re sorted I can keep them that way quite easily when I do the washing or ironing (ironing will be never 😂)

I think that is a tall order but you can make a series dent into it.

Watch sort your life out on iplayer tonight for inspiration and this link may help with getting the stuff out the house

anglodoorstepcollections.co.uk

I have gone big, been ruthless and just thrown so much stuff. Have got a big pile for the charity shop, lots on a local free site and a lot of waste. Some on vinted, but anything not sold on vinted in last 2 months has also gone. Decided if it hadn't been used, worn or looked at in a year, chances are it's not going to be so it's gone. My children not overly helpful but equally not being sentimental about anything and are happy to pass stuff on. It feels good. Have cleared,cleaned and now painting.

Gosh I could have written this!

I'm trying to focus on one room at a time and not necessarily get the whole thing done in one day.

We can do this!

I've been sorting our paperwork drawers, trouble is I'm fighting a losing battle with DH who wants to keep every single scrap of paper in case it's needed. I have quietly transferred everything to online statements. Plus I keep a simple document that I update as needed listing all our regular suppliers, insurance renewal dates etc.

And good luck with the chest of drawers, you've got this!

Glad I’m not alone in this! I hadn’t even thought of the paperwork yet, that’s going to be a full time job in itself, got a horrible feeling I’ll find paperwork in almost every drawer and cupboard!

Drawers have been emptied, cleaned, decluttered and the few bits I’ve decided to keep are back in! That was easy (to be fair, I chose them because I knew they would be the easiest, quickest thing to do!) I had to just throw the things I didn’t want away in the bin - not great for the environment but it was a needs must situation otherwise I’d just move it from one space to the next.

I find it helps to book a charity collection. We use Anglo Collections but there’s others that do it. Then there’s a fixed date to work towards, and you know you’re not going to have the hassle of taking stuff to a charity shop, and then refusing it cos they’re full etc. Then grab your bags & be ruthless!!

I am doing this too as I have some time off. Slightly regretting it today as it’s hot! I make sure I spend a maximum of three hours on it any given day (that’s quite a lot, some people will say you should only do 15 -30 minutes as it’s really draining ) but I don’t want to be doing it all summer. I then do something for myself.

The 27 fling boogie from Flylady is a good place to start. Forgive the awful name. Get a bin bag, go round your home without overthinking and find 27 things to throw away. It gives you a quick sense of achievement.

Then I start focusing in on a room or area at a time. A whole room is overwhelming so just a space the size of a large cardboard box is enough per day if you find it too much. Have three containers - throw away, give away, put away and good luck! I tend to listen to a podcast or music while I am doing it.

https://images.app.goo.gl/SPFxWbqm71AxNBDQ9 This is helpful:

Thank you for all of the replies and tips! Have a full afternoon to work with today so am planning on getting a bigger area/job done. I think today I will focus on the washing whilst we have the weather for it! I’ll make sure I put it straight away once dry and iron and put anything that needs ironing because clothes are a big clutter issue for us.

Good luck sorting all the washing and clothes this afternoon. It should dry really fast!

In terms of ironing, I don’t like it so this is the solution i have found. Double spin on washing machine to get rid of most of the water, remove washing as soon as it is finished so it doesn’t sit there getting wrinkly, give it a really good shake, hang on airer, shirts etc on hangers. Most things don’t need ironing, those things that do, I use my steamer as I find that easier but everyone is different and I know some people love to iron. My MIL suggested I get a steam generator iron so I might in a few years.

Going forwards maybe Aim to work on your laundry for 15 minutes every day depending on what stage you are at so it might be putting a load on/hanging to dry day one. Taking down and folding day two and putting away (try to put away same day you fold, otherwise it builds up). It was the putting away that was my bête noire but now I make myself do it.

This afternoon, I am declutterring one more cupboard in my daughter’s bedroom, probably one more kitchen drawer/cupboard and then will get out to enjoy the nice weather later in the evening.

My whole house was stuck down by some lurgy at the end of last week so not much has been done here at all! I’m feeling slightly better so have decided to get back to it so I don’t completely lose all motivation.

Did manage to do a tip run on Thursday but that’s hardly made a dent. So, today I shall mostly be playing catch up with the normal household chores that have fallen by the wayside and again, tackling the clothes issue (which seems to be a much bigger job than I’d originally anticipated 🙄).

Hope everyone else’s decluttering and cleaning is going well and thank you all for the tips, I’ll be using them!

Do hope this week is better for you.

I am on a similar journey, but can only tackle it a couple of days a week, so I don't have your time limits. I think I am in this for the long haul...

I've picked up a lot of advice from these types of threads and it seems that each of us will relate to different ways of approaching the task. In case it helps, these are some methods which work or have worked for me.

Motivation, reading or posting on such threads or a YouTube clip before starting and sometimes during a session.

Grouping like items together, so I can see how many I have, work out how many I need and not keep the extra.

The permission to revisit a category. First time around, I may only be able to part with some of the excess, but in the future, I am more likely to be able to whittle the group down further.

Dana K White's container concept of fixing the size of the container into which a group of items must fit and adding items into the container in order of preference.

Reducing the size of the container on revisiting the category.

Ensuring that the category items are kept where you personally would first look for the item in question.

Not overfilling the container so it is easy to put things away. (This I really struggle with)

Stuff on which a decision has been made needs to leave the house asap so the decision is not revisited.

For me, no time or inclination to sell so charity shop, clothing bank or bin/tip.

Being more mindful of bringing in extra items into the house - a definite work in progress.

Questions I ask myself :

Do I know this to be useful or believe it to be beautiful? Wm Morris and Marie Kondo
If I needed this, where would I first look for it? Dana k White
Am I only holding onto it because it was a gift/inherited ? Clutterbug. NOT a good reason if not beautiful or useful.
When did I last use/wear it? (Reverse hanger trick is good for this)
Does it fit?
Would I want the DCs to see this and deal with it after we have gone? Swedish death clearance.

HTH someone else, but it has, at least given me the motivation to get on with the white ikea pull out wheeled draw today and find out what lurks in its depths.

Drawer - aghh

I'm on the same journey. I have done really well in some areas, but some big areas still to go. Good luck everyone - go for it!

(For the past 20 years every time I wanted a new toothbrush I have bought a packet, used one and chucked the rest into the back of the old airing cupboard. I have now found over 200 unused toothbrushes in open packets - can anyone beat that?)

I have radically decluttered and organised over last few years, but standards have slipped, and so this month is a declutter month. Working my way through the house - as one room is cleared, a hall, landing or other room is trashed, but I'm getting there.

Leaving clothes until last - last winter, I packed all but a few 'outfits' away. Essentially, woolen layers, leggings, trackies and trousers that I rotated every day. Everything else put in those big Ikea bags and stashed in a cupboard. So easy to find something and put away clean clothes!. Summer ruined that because I've got holiday clothes, summer dresses and a range of clothes for cooler days. Could easily stash half of them away. Or even get rid of some.

I hear you. I am currently on week 2 of 3 that I have to sort things out. Redecorating took priority; there were several areas of my house I haven't touched since having moved here a few years ago and the previous owner just left the house to fall apart. Since I am on a bit of a budget, I couldn't call in professional help.

So the garage front with the peeled paint has been sorted, the slowly rotting wood on the shed treated, filled and painted, an unused and overgrown part of the garden has been cleared and I'm in the process of building a makeshift bin storage. The downstairs toilet, which was, frankly, in a state (not due to uncleanliness, it just looked derelict) has been completely overhauled with fresh paint, furniture stickers and matching accessories like a big mirror and new lid.

All that took a lot longer than anticipated and so this week I will be tackling the bombsite that always emerges when you decorate and do DIY before I finally have some time left (hopefully) to declutter.

I think to start by taking out what is obviously rubbish. That should make a dent. Any plastic or takeaway containers in the kitchen - cull. Packaging materials like empty boxes and jiffy bags.

Then clothes such as not worn / too small / not my style anymore.

I like to think of having flat empty surfaces in each room as a goal. Flylady.

I’ve been trying to have a concentrated effort this week as have been mostly free all week.
So far I have gone through the camping stuff and got rid of some stuff we don’t use. There are still two roll mats and two sleeping bags with broken zips as well as two small 2 man tents but my older two may want the tents and mats for trips with friends. The sleeping bags are “good ones” so want to at least try to fix the zips before chucking them. I got rid of two carrier bags worth from there.

I also asked the younger dc to go through their toys and books. They chose another two carrier bags worth of toys to go and two bags for life full of books. We took most of this to the charity shop along with some clothes. There’s a bag of sylvanians that we feel like we should sell as they’re worth quite a bit (but I can never be bothered to sell anything) so they’re sat in the spare room for now.

I’m getting dc3 to work through some of the craft kits she’s been given.

Still need to go through the dressing up clothes as I’m sure there are some that are too small.

We’re continuing to use up toiletries and cleaning products. I’ve cancelled subscriptions on a few things to stop more coming in. I binned a disgusting perfume and a hair product that I hated the smell of (it smelt really fusty). I hate binning stuff but they were never going to get used.

I really struggle with clothes. In the past I’ve got rid of stuff that I hadn’t worn for x amount of time and then regretted it. I have a current favourite pair of jeans but it’s not the same pair as it was 6 months ago. I have summer clothes I haven’t worn for over a year but last summer was a lot hotter and we went abroad so I wore them a lot last year. Similarly I have a few winter jumpers that I barely wore last year as it was fairly mild but the year before I lived in them. I have a lot of “I haven’t worn it for a while but I would if…” clothes.

I'm tackling our home office & paperwork but it's a much longer job than I thought! I need to sort it and then keep on top of the filing.
Little and often is always the best way but I never seem to manage this & end up needing an "all or nothing" approach.

Well, today it's been the front garden (fully trimmed, may have broken the strimmer in the process) and a bit more work in the back garden. I am still stubbornly avoiding the inside of the house post-rennovation.