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Housekeeping

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

997 replies

TidyClutterIsStillClutter · 27/02/2025 17:33

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

OP posts:
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6
ememem84 · 29/03/2025 21:45

Took a boot load to charity shop today including two old laundry baskets (which I gave to them and they said they’d dump) slippers 7 shirts I no longer wear, 5 jumpers, towels and some books.

also just finished a face cream.

listed 3 items on eBay. So fingers crossed these sell.

Mudkipper · 29/03/2025 22:07

Got rid of a dozen pairs of M&S knickers. Today. Black cotton ones that go on forever, some of them dated 2011. They no longer spark joy.

MiddlingMarch · 29/03/2025 22:26

I decluttered some things!
3 bags of rubbish, a bag of outgrown clothes, a broken hairdryer and some massive cardboard boxes all taken to the recycling centre. Felt good.

Pigtailsandall · 29/03/2025 23:12

Day 88 - dry sharpie. Was getting ready for bed and had to find something quickly!

AllMyClothesToTheTip · 30/03/2025 08:50

Listed 6 things on Vinted yesterday, sold 3. Done 2 tip runs in last 2 days. Created a huge recycling bag of clothes for H&M. I need a few things for summer, so planning on buying from there to get rid of my stash.

Still working through my kitchen. Not got much time now, and will have to do a cupboard a day.

Once DC finishes GCSE’s going to do a Stacey Solomon Sort Your Life Out in their room and decorate it too.

Realfastfoodie · 30/03/2025 09:26

Well done everyone! I’m currently in “shove everything in a big box” mode rather than actually getting much out of the door. I managed a few bits. And I do feel my mindset is improving - if things can’t be mended immediately I’m trying to just get rid of them rather than keeping them as clutter forever.

last few items -

2 storage containers
1 wrapping wrapping gauze
3 medicine cabinet declutter
11 - assorted things passed on including an old ride-on and some unneeded books and toys
2 - sets of fairy lights

2025 total - 341

EllieQ · 30/03/2025 10:33

No new decluttering since my last update, but I was able to rearrange the storage for bedding (spare duvet & pillows) after finally finding suitable storage bags. The old storage bags (which were too big and had started to split) have been binned, and the new storage bags have moved down one shelf to go under the bottom shelf in DD’s room (this space was previously taken up by the two boxes of baby clothes that took me over a year to donate!).

The newly empty shelf has now been used for a couple of large art projects that were dumped in the dining room without a home, so things are slightly more organised. I do need to sort through that whole set of shelves as it’s not really well-organised and is another case of us putting stuff there when DD was a baby and never sorting through it and freeing up space for how she wants her room to look, if that makes sense?

Having a bit of a decluttering slump otherwise. I feel frustrated at times that it is always me doing it or driving it - DH would probably say that’s because I’m the one who wants to hold onto things, but he’s just as bad! When he does declutter it’s just his stuff rather than household stuff or DD’s stuff, so I’m doing more (and thinking about more) than he is. And while he would do something practical when I ask (he does most of the actual donations, especially if it involves driving), I would love him to offer. Like I’ve got two bags of textile recycling in the corner of the bedroom and it would be great if he offered to drop those off at a donation point.

It feels like an uphill struggle at times, especially when I’ve cleared some space and stuff just gets dumped in it. It is exhausting always having to be the one saying ‘can you move that/ tidy that/ not leave that there’.

Sorry, that turned into more of a grumble while I’m sitting in bed drinking coffee that DH brought up for me - he’s a good guy really, just not the tidiest or most organised.

CosmicScouser · 30/03/2025 15:20

Just threw out:
1 very old broken iPad
3 very old broken smart phones

JK3 · 30/03/2025 19:30

sold 13 items on Vinted
used up some nail varnish

total outs = 387

Pigtailsandall · 30/03/2025 20:00

Day 89, gloopy nail polish. People are having ice vinted success I see! Are you all selling summer stuff? I need to list a few things too.

EllieQ · 30/03/2025 21:39

Two dried up pens out today, though this means they are in the bag of pens to be handed in for recycling at some point. But it’s better than them just sitting on the dining table!

stealthninjamum · 31/03/2025 13:57

Dd2 found 8 or 9 old dried pens in her pencil case so we chucked them out. I’ve also donated a craft toy and found two educational games I might advertise for free on our of our local home ed groups.

Acheyelbows · 31/03/2025 14:04

Hi,
I'd love to join. I have a lot of stuff that I need to let go of and have moved in with parents who also have a huge amount of stuff.
Can I check how it works..is it 2025 items in 2025 or 365 items in 2025?

I have an awful habit of taking up new hobbies and seeing value in things that others can let go of easily. I do have lots I could sell as well but there's a lot of work in that.

An example would be Lego sets belonging to my youngest (grown out of it now) but I would have to check all the pieces, dismantle, include the instructions and box it up to sell it. They're expensive sets but the task seems too overwhelming. Then I think I could use them at work..work with kids but I will have to store them at work and may only use them a couple of times. The decision process hinders any progress in these areas and I abandon that task.

Any tips?

stealthninjamum · 31/03/2025 14:14

Hi @Acheyelbows I think we all have different targets, some do one a day some do 2025 a year, I started many years ago with one carrier bag a day and stopped counting them when I reached 1000. Now I don’t bother because it stresses me rather than motivates me.

I’m in a similar position with Lego and have spent about six months making sets to sell. But it’s the last big bit of decluttering and it’s in the playroom which my teens don’t use so I close the door on it. I have thought about donating all of it or selling it in bags by the kilo but some of it is stuff like Star Wars or Harry Potter or minecraft with some quite specialist bits so I think it would make a child happier if it were a whole set and I could make a lot of money as we have so much.

I don’t want to put you off doing it but I do think there is merit in doing something you know will be hard or time consuming at the end. I know that I have now decluttered every area of my house so I do daily housework to keep it tidy and then decluttering is an activity when I have time so I’ll try and do 15 to 30 mins a day of organising/ decluttering afterwards. The danger is you enthusiastically start tipping drawers out, neglect the laundry or washing up and find your whole house is a mess.

Acheyelbows · 31/03/2025 14:24

Thanks for that stealthninjamum, the house is a mess and I tend to relocate rather than remove stuff.

I'll hold off on the Lego for now as I don't have the head space and will try the carrier bag idea. Clear stuff into a bag and straight into bin with no time to rethink it might work well for me.

My brain sees endless possibilities for every item which is holding me back.

CosmicScouser · 31/03/2025 20:08

Just chucked a pair of old work shoes.

Total count since 30/03/2025: 5 items

CosmicScouser · 31/03/2025 20:09

EllieQ · 30/03/2025 21:39

Two dried up pens out today, though this means they are in the bag of pens to be handed in for recycling at some point. But it’s better than them just sitting on the dining table!

It is indeed! You've just avoided all those future moments of frustration where you pick up a pen only to find out it doesn't work!

CosmicScouser · 31/03/2025 20:10

Pigtailsandall · 29/03/2025 23:12

Day 88 - dry sharpie. Was getting ready for bed and had to find something quickly!

Keepin' the streak goin'!

CosmicScouser · 31/03/2025 20:12

Mudkipper · 29/03/2025 22:07

Got rid of a dozen pairs of M&S knickers. Today. Black cotton ones that go on forever, some of them dated 2011. They no longer spark joy.

🤣 oh god. I really have this exact situation going. Maybe not 2011, like. But long ago enough.
I keep them because I don't wanna wear my good pairs if I know no one's gonna see them! Suppose I should just get replacement new basic ones for that purpose.

IndianSummer78 · 01/04/2025 02:07

Gloopy nail polish. Why is it that no matter the size of the bottle, I get no more than 3/4 of the way through it before it thickens to the point of being unusable?
Too small jumper that's just uncomfortable.

Total is 3344

IndianSummer78 · 01/04/2025 02:21

achyelbows if your mind is frizzled by the thought of selling then my advice is donate. Get it gone ASAP. A charity somewhere can make some money from it. This is assuming you're not sitting shivering in the cold, using a foodbank and your car held together with string. In which case you probably should sell, one item at a time to minimise the overwhelm.
A tip for craft supplies I found on a decluttering YT channel - only keep enough supplies for the next year. Items that could be crafted with will always crop up, even if you can't afford to buy some in future. You know roughly how many things you're likely to make in a year, you'll have an idea of the type and amount of supplies you'd need for such projects and you're probably still shopping for or otherwise aquiring more supplies continuously, so get rid of the rest because chances are you'll never ever use it.

Pigtailsandall · 01/04/2025 13:21

days 90 (yesterday) and 91 (today) - 2 packets of men's socks. I bought them at least 2 years ago, too small for DH who has massive feet, and I finally dropped them along with some food to a homeless shelter locally to us. It was also good to get a lunch time walk :)

CheesePlantFeet · 01/04/2025 16:14

Vinted: coat, skirt, 2 pairs of shoes

Total : 476

Acheyelbows · 01/04/2025 19:37

First carrier bag of garage items disposed of this evening.

  1. Plastic outer bag of a grow frame
  2. Cardboard growing trays (3 small)
  3. Two old newspapers and a cardboard sleeve
  4. Cardboard growing pots (4 small)
  5. Plastic packaging
  6. 3 unused odd sized leftover round paintbrushes (lidl set)
  7. Broken trowel handle

Some old books bagged up for the charity shop.

Total items: 16
Carrier Bag: 1
Day 91 - my day 1

CosmicScouser · 01/04/2025 22:14

Today..:

Scruffy old t-shirt - binned;
Old phone charger - put aside to be taken to office tomorrow (for customer use if required);
Extension lead - put aside to be taken to office tomorrow.

Running total of items removed since 30/03/2025: 8

This is just the beginning 😌