Decluttering thread 10 - Spring is here, time to get those surfaces clear!

[TidyClutterIsStillClutter]

thread 9 is full, and I can’t find a new thread. Can anyone point me to thread 10?
tia

Two huge bags of bric a brac for the May Fair from the shed.

general rubbish bin tomorrow and made sure the bin is full

feeling pleased with my efforts

Does anyone else sometimes get a mental block when it comes to decluttering? For weeks now I’ve been saying ‘today’s the day’ to clear this or list that, but somehow never get round to doing it… I’ve done everything but today; stripped and remade the bed, did laundry, deep cleaned the tumble dryer etc but none of it really shows as I’m living with so much clutter around. Not sure if it’s my hoarding tendencies or decision overwhelm but just don’t make any progress 😔

Right! I'm back on it now. Fallen way behind on my 2025 target buy I'm going to catch back up.

Dds summer clothes all came back out yesterday. Lots on Vinted and some sold buy I'm not going to hang for sales any longer than two weeks this time.

Also cleared out a lot of her Autumn winter cloters but I'm not really inclined to even try selling any of that.

All of her clothes now fit in her wardrobe and draws which is a first for years. I won't be putting her winter or summer bits aside for the first time ever this year. Feels amazing really

Massively, yes. I’m either overwhelmed and can’t start or I get stuck in and find myself massively overwhelmed by the mess it causes.

I do like Dana k white method, as recommended on these threads, for overcoming this problem but it isn’t as transformative as I think I need

This is awesome @IncessantNameChanger - such a change you have achieved!

Thanks I am well chuffed Reafastfoodie. I did feel a tint bit deflated after my 2024 plus outs last year didn't transform the house. But I can see it has paid off. Dds summer clothes was in two of ds draws and taking up 1/4 of his wardrobe but it's all fitted with tons of space back in her room.

My new outlook is only buying dd clothes when she picks them up when we are together in the shops which I try to keep to less than once a month. She then picks out maybe 12 items she loves per year. Much more healthy attitude from me. Also means I got her two pairs of Nike leggings in the Nike outlet for under £10 each rather than ten generic pairs she won't ever wear. Works out cheaper this way

I had a time of just clearing five items a day, generally stuff for the rubbish bin, would open a drawer or cupboard and choose five, 1 might be just a rubber band but over the course of a few weeks I weeded out a fair bit of crap, somedays I might bin ten or more, other days nothing but at the time life didn’t allow for anything more thoughtful.

Emptied/decanted beauty products into small travel sized bottles to take away with me tomorrow. The big bottles have been binned so I visually have more space.

dd used up 3 bath bombs at once….

binned two packing cubes which have seen better days.

Two pairs of too-small trousers.
Total is 3352

Tried to look through the large bathroom storage cabinet today. Gave up after rifling through 1 shelf as it just felt like too much to do. The amount of stuff in there is ridiculous and so much of it is duplicated many times over. There were tablets in there just laid amongst bottles of creams and hair stuff and they were years out of date.
I really must start using up old toiletries and tackle all the bathroom storage to sort them out.

Good morning folks, its Monday I am only working a few days over the Easter Holidays and I am determined to get on with it and reduce the clutter, touch up paint work, and get organised! I dream of being minimal but with a child its hard! I am going to list lots on vinted / marketplace etc. As i need the cash unfortunately, but tend to sell well on vinted so fingers crossed people buy! Wish me luck!

Thanks @Hasthisreallyhappenedand @RealfastfoodieI have gone through phases of doing really well but at the moment seem to be finding it tricky. I think I just need to start sometimes, as you say even just throwing out a few small items and often it will get the ball rolling… thanks for the support 💐

If you haven’t tried the Dana K white method (it’s the 5 step thing) then it’s good for getting started. I think I saw an app or something called “unfuck your habitat” and that’s rhetorical phrase that’s in my head at the moment!

Good luck Bird

One tin of paint used up in a project
Total is 3353

I’m really trying to focus on spending a couple of hours every day on my work portfolio- not really what my annual leave is for but at the same time it has to happen at some point.

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures: this has now changed to critically go through the framed artwork as we’ve agreed we don’t actually want all of it?
2. DS2 paperwork: blue badge started
3. my British passport application - Ceremony in May then passport application form
4. DS1’s gaming, PC, nerf collections to go through and tidy
5. Portfolio work - waiting for more to be marked, more to do, 2 hours a day done x 3
6. Bathroom redecoration: waiting for decorator to book a date

Not quite outs yet:
scooter hooks x 3 onto FB
see if anyone wants a mostly working prelit Christmas tree - put away until November when I’ll try again to give it away
one game
Several jigsaws - planning to give to work for a library maybe
contacts M-Z

Out:
3 odd socks given up on
tatty tshirt of DDs
526+4=530

Dana says to look for trash (there’s always trash…!)

she is right!! Love her accent

Newbie here…

I’ve just been reading some Gretchen Rubin and am feeling inspired to join. She talks about having a ‘Virtual Move,’ imagining that you’re about to move house and getting rid of anything you wouldn't actually want to pack up and take.

For a very gentle start, I began today with our en suite bathroom which basically just involved a cupboard and a wash bag…

Might move on to the main bathroom tomorrow…

@begone25 i used to be overwhelmed but as you start to see results it does get easier. A load of us used to really enjoy the Toss app (on iPhone) as it sets you a random area to declutter every day. And as someone mentioned there’s an unfuck your habitat app (UFYH) that you can use to randomly select a task for you to do - it’s not necessarily decluttering, it could be cleaning or organising but you can use it to declutter that area.

When I started decluttering I got rid of large items that made an immediate difference as well as surfaces. If ever I don’t know what to do I’ll clear a surface and I’ll make sure every item has a home - even if it involves going through drawers to put them in. My house is largely decluttered and tidy downstairs so I’ve been focusing on my study, papers and bedroom recently and I just tend to tackle something that doesn’t seem to have a home and in finding it a home I’ll end up tidying or decluttering a space in a drawer. Or I used to just set a timer for 15 minutes to do what I could and eventually it made a difference.

Today I have shredded a load of papers and also got rid of about 50 magazines that had belonged to dd1. I have also decided to get rid of all my nighties other than two. They’re all too small for me and by the time I diet into them I probably won’t like them because they’re all old. I decluttered all my pyjamas recently too so I’ll be down to only two nighties, so if I lose weight I’ll let myself buy a pair of pyjamas.

One thing to say is that counting helped me get going and stay motivated. It almost doesn’t matter what you count or how you count it. Just do what works for you.

I’ve just decluttered the box of a laptop that we donated to charity about two years ago and an old vegetable box. I used to use them under dd2s bed to store her dolls but she’s got rid of them ages ago so the box can go. I also found the instructions booklet for an Atari asteroids game that must be from
the late 70s/ early 80s and an instruction leaflet on an Atari console. They were in a box in my study from my mums house but I’m sure the Atari got decluttered 20 or 30 years ago. Seems a shame to chuck them out but I have no purpose for them.

I still need to list stuff on vinted and I have designs on sorting out the cupboard under the stairs. But that's a job for another day!

Bin: skirt, pants
Total 516

@stealthninjamum feels like some Atari loving geek would like them but then again, it’s not up to you to hold onto them until you find that person. So I’d bin them and move on whilst having fond memories of the games.

I have decluttered the leaves and mess off the patio by sweeping it, then it rained so I couldn’t properly clean it.
Nearly ready for DD’s birthday this weekend, not too many Ins but then again her friends haven’t given her stuff yet…

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures: this has now changed to critically go through the framed artwork as we’ve agreed we don’t actually want all of it?
2. DS2 paperwork: blue badge started
3. my British passport application - Ceremony in May then passport application form
4. DS1’s gaming, PC, nerf collections to go through and tidy
5. Portfolio work - 2 hours done today
6. Bathroom redecoration: waiting for decorator to book a date
7. DD’s birthday: wrap presents, write cards

Not quite outs yet:
scooter hooks x 3 onto FB
one game - to charity box
Several jigsaws - planning to give to work for a library maybe
contacts M-Z

Out:
5 more odd socks given up on
(have given DH his remaining ones to try and find pairs…)
530+5=535

I've forgotten to list my decluttering again. I've also had a lot of ins recently so I might need to pick up the pace a bit. I've done well with keeping paper under control this year but I still have too many clothes. I've also recycled a lot of magazines etc recently.

Days 103 to 105 (today) - dried-up superglue, small skincare pot which I got free with a purchase; kids electronic drawing pad the just stopped working; water bottle

Still gathering stuff for a charity bag. Need to be a bit more ruthless with clothes.

Outs today:

bags of playmobil 2

bags of outgrown clothing 2

Camping fridge 1

Mobile phone charger for cigarette lighter socket 1

garden furniture cushions 4

TOTAL 10

Realised it’s time to sort through old notes from school and uni.

Paper bin - large laundry powder box of class and revision notes.

DD took a stack of revision books to look through then possibly donate. Also some old workbooks.

Today DD took an unused video camera for language practice.

Six more laundry powder boxes of notes still to wander down memory lane with tomorrow.