CLUTTER!!!

[NewMum0512]

Hi all,

My house is so overwhelmed with "stuff" and I can't live like this anymore.

I've tried tips like start small do a cupboard at a time etc but I often get lost down rabbit holes and it just ends up making more of a mess than getting rid of any of the clutter. I also find it really hard to know what I should throw out and what I should keep in case I never need any given item in the future.

How do you keep on top of clutter and do you have any help, advice or tips for me trying to get on top of it all?

I would love someone to come and blitz my house, even offering them 50% of anything they sell etc, I'm just so lost as to where and how to start!

I'm doing the challenge where I get rid of one article per day, adding an item per day until I get to 30 items per day. It works for me and some items are large , others tiny but it all makes a difference.

Your local animal shelter will be glad of towels and old duvets.

I keep a couple of duvet covers and use them as ground sheets on the beach and always get loads of compliments that it's a great idea😄but seriously they are actually great for putting your towels on to lay on.

Our council takes "textiles " for recycling

Do you like shopping? Where is the clutter coming from?
I’ve realised that I simply buy more than I can use…
Shopping is a favourite pastime. I need to find something else! Look at the amount of Christmas crap out there…

Having failed to declutter on my own I got a professional in and she was amazing and made the job fun. I hadn't laughed so much for ages. She arrived for each session with half a dozen bins for rubbish, recyclables, soft plastic, charity shop etc. Every single thing went through my hands and then either stayed or went in the right bin. And at the end of the session every bin went in her car and was gone. Money very very well spent

Absolutely love a clear out! I use the mantra ‘it was fun, now it’s done’ and I’m fairly ruthless. I love looking at all the cleared space afterwards 😅

'In case you need it in future' just get a new one if you do

Fabric recycling and donate old towels to dog owners

This sounds awesome! I’d LOVE someone to deal with the bins/bags that I want out of the house. That’s what slows me down looking at pile of things to sell

The rag bin. And old towels are usually welcomed at animal rescues.

@ShillyShallySherbet our local Dunelm has a recycling bin for old duvets. We have a local animal rescue and they are always pleased to receive old towels.

If an item is broken, such as clothes with holes, appliances that no longer work, or damaged books, and the cost of repair is high or it's no longer meaningful, you should consider getting rid of it. If an item is outdated and no longer meets your needs (for example, old electronics or clothes that no longer fit), you should also think about discarding it. Generally speaking, if an item hasn’t been used in over a year, it’s likely no longer useful to you. Unless it holds strong sentimental value or is seasonal (like holiday decorations or winter clothes), it can be discarded. I hope this helps!

That's pretty awful for the environment and your finances though

I think the truth is that you probably won't need the thing though. So just worth noting that if it turned out that you were to need that very thing you got rid of, you could buy or borrow another.
In my experience, people living in a lot of clutter often end up repurchasing things that they simply can't find!
I believe the trick to avoiding waste is to avoid buying things, particularly new.

Good point!

I don’t suppose you are in East Anglia are you? She sounds exactly what I need, but I’m overwhelmed by choice and scared of fake reviews…

Sorry Latenightreader, I'm in Southwest England. You could try booking just one session and see how you get on with someone local

Do you have someone who could come and help you get started and be ruthless? I flipping love organising things, and would happily spend an evening helping out a mate doing stuff like this. Can appreciate not everyone would want someone they know seeing all their clutter, but if you have someone who enjoys the process and enjoys helping out then might be worth it just to get you started!!

Weirdly I’ve helped a friend with this and have no problem being ruthless with other people! I’m really ashamed of how bad it is (messy as well as cluttered) so would not want anyone I know to see it like this.

These tips are brilliant! What I struggle with is what to do with things like old bedding,, towels and underwear? Stuff that is not going to be of use anymore but feels wrong to throw in the bin somehow

the charity shops sells them by the lb and they are shredded and recycled.

Following!

If you bag them together and mark the outside of the bag ‘rags’ my local shop takes them. Not all do so best to check.

it's really hard to get on top of clutter without a bit of outside help. I follow A to Zen on YouTube and learnt so much, not just simple tips on how to get started, how to organise stuff, but also how to find the motivation. Trying to solve it all by yourself can feel totally overwhelming.

If it helps, I read that we use 20% of our stuff 80% of the time.

So the remaining 80% is only used 20% of the time.

You can shed so much stuff and not even notice.

I also go buy the rule that if I can buy it easily for less than £30 it goes.

Underwear just chuck.
Bedding and towels, animal rescue places ?
Blankets or duvets homeless shelter ?