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

Started a mad tidy up yesterday as estate agents coming to value the house. Sort of decided this on a whim without really thinking about it and wished I’d left it a week. I thought I’d been doing well on my decluttering but realised im no where near being on top of it. Really soul destroying.

the house looks great just don’t open a cupboard, no time for thinking so only binned three biros that don’t work and a plastic peg.

the garage that looked really sorted is now full up of all the extra dog beds that are normally scattered over the house and other pet associated kit we normally have about for the senior pet and looks a mess.

have decided as soon as they’re gone this afternoon that im going to dejunk my wardrobe (but is actually an almost walk in eaves room) which is stuffed full of amongst other things laundry baskets of crap, who needs five laundry baskets to put crap in anyway. Not one has clothes in, craft stash that’s normally out and work in progress in three, one full of paperwork crap, and the other I have no idea.

i have five pairs of nice boots, trying to work out which ones to let go of without diverting them to craft stash for their leather and buckles etc.

tried to use my new local residents FB to give away stuff as olio kept giving me timewasters; they expect me to put my full name and address on the post and not say anything negative such as “I’m not happy putting my address on here but I’m not playing silly games” really over it already 😤 I pointed out that someone else made an anonymous post to giveaway and they didn’t like that and deleted it- my point still stands tho, I reported them to FB coz I’m no one’s fool 🤬 so just a few bundles out recently

Day 92 - a large A4 notebook with uni notes recycled (!) it's like 15 years old!

Today I threw out/sorted -

1. Gear stick knob from car which was replaced a few years ago
2. Two packs of contact lenses and contact lense cases
3. Jersey hairband
4. Sgl duvet (Replaced with new one)
5. Pillows x 2 (Replaced with new ones)
6. Trio of handcream unopened added to charity bag

Total Items: 26
Carrier Bag: 2
Day 92 - Day 2

Looked at how much second hand trailers are, as have so many larger items that need to be brought to recycling centres..old white goods, scrap metal, green waste and old mowers. Luckily they are not littered around but stored in a large shed. Trailers, it turns out are very expensive unfortunately so no quick fix on the horizon.

Day 93 - grey jumpsuit I lived but it looks terrible on me

Trying to work through my clothes - have started a charity bag and will aim to declutter at least 10 items

On our local Facebook groups people who collect scrap metal often post to say they'll be in certain areas on certain days and people message them.
Do you have groups like this?

They should be licensed to collect scrap metal and that is done through the local council, you could check their licence page and find ones in your area and give them a call.

Or if you live on a busy enough street leave outside with a sign on saying Scrap and someone will take it before too long.

Unfortunately not, there are people who offer to take waste away for a fee but they are usually unlicensed and are illegal dumpers. I'm not in the UK and the house is relatively rural.

We do have recycling days from time to time but they don't always take bigger items and I'd still need to get the items to the drop off spot.

Skips (which I've filled 4 previously) won't take electrical items or things with a motor.

I think a 'man with a van' might be an option to transport the waste, just have to find them, get a reasonable price and have it all ready to go. Longterm a trailer and tow bar would solve a lot of problems but I can't afford it right now.

achyelbows are you in UK?

If you are a man with a van won't be a great solution because, unlike cars which are domestic vehicles, vans are commercial vehicles and are charged to drop waste at the tip (even if the van owner isn't running any kind of business and just happens to drive a van).

The council will collect large items for a fee though. In my area its £20/item, so not cheap if you've got a lot, but easier than sorting out vans/trailers etc and it still costing you.

In my area anyone can weigh scrap metal in, you have to sign to say you own it and give the scrappers your details, the only other barrier is knowing where the scrappers are (mine is on a mini industrial estate off a suburban road and you'd never know it existed from the road), so ask around. I sell my old cars to them when the time comes, they weigh them and usually give me £100-ish depending on the price of scrap.

People will also buy lawnmowers, even broken ones, on eBay if they're petrol/diesel, sometimes they want the parts for other things and the leftover metal can be weighed in or left out by the kerb as a donation to the local scrap collection vans, if they CBA to scrap it themselves. If you just want rid start it at 99p bidding and state "buyer collects" and "broken, spares or repair only" on the ad in huge font.

Riverswims Facebook give away pages aren't usually like that. Try searches like "don't dump donate" and "YourTownName Freebies". I got a 'broken' (turned out it needed a new fuse!) lawnmower that way and an old but fully functional crib.

Out goes -
Too-small Wellington boots.
Total is 3335.

Vinted: skirt, 2x dress, bias binding

Total: 480

Day 94 - a batwing jumper which I actually did like but it didn't suit me and it feels a bit old fashioned

Not had much to clear out recently but today I managed:

2 sets of bedding
A chest of drawers
3 toys
2 kids’ books

total this year - 295

A tunic top I never wear into donation bag.
Total is 3336

Pair of dhs jeans in the bin (hole in the butt)

hair towel binned. It’s old and the electric and button fell off. Could I have repaired? Probably. Would I have actually done it? No. Also have two more.

finished a face moisturiser a hand cream and a mascara. And have binned some more socks.

Catching up for the end of March. I decluttered 20 items in March, which brings my 2025 total to 141 items (2024 total was 651: 2023 total was 403). While 20 seems low, it does include that bag of receipts that went back to c. 2020, plus a few receipts from 2008.

I also finally managed to donate the two boxes of baby clothes that I sorted through in early 2024 - it has taken that long to find a charity who would take them as several places said they didn’t had the storage space or had too many donations. This cleared some much-needed space for bedding storage, and I found storage boxes that fit the space and looked nice, which I was pleased about.

I also had a discussion/ argument with DH about whether to replace our dining room table, which led to me pointing out that I felt really unsupported with decluttering as a process. He’ll take stuff that I’ve sorted to donate, but I pointed out that I was doing the decluttering for my things, DD’s things, and household things, but all he did was give own stuff (very rarely). I’d like him to actually take the lead on some things, like DD’s old bed, which he dismantled and stored behind the sofa last spring meaning to donate it to a local charity furniture store. He seemed to take it on board, but we shall see.

I find it hard to keep track of stuff I’ve decluttered number wise. Lost count ages ago.

forgot that I went through my notebook stash the other day and donated some to dd so she can use them for her “work” (she’s 5.5). Two have been filled up already.

I need to have a go at the dc’s art cart again. So much in there we can get rid of probably.

in the last 10 mins I’ve binned a pair of dds tights for school (becaude holey) and an odd sock. I used to keep the odd socks kicking about but am being ruthless. Every week or so I pair them up and if there are any odds they go in the bin. As a family of 4 we have far too many socks.

2025 decluttering, very late this week for good reasons!

W/E 30/03
2025 – (510 + 40 = 550) = 1475 to go

Digital
None this week

Stuff used up and not replaced
Hand cream x 1, sample size toiletries x 6 = 7

Recycled/binned
Pairs of socks x 3, spectacle chain, lipsticks x 2, primers x 5, eye pencils x 3, empty pen, garden rubbish bags x 4 = 19

Charity shop
Handbag mirror = 1

Vinted
Sales x 13 (quite the flurry, no idea why!)

Items in
2 small dogs and associated gubbins!

Day 95 - grey long cardigan. It's unflattering on me, particularly the colour, but I keep wearing it cause it's around. I have better cardigans!

I tackled the art cart. 14 used colouring books/note books binned.

numerous sticker books binned

tested all the felt tips and binned those without lids and/or which didn’t work.

put aside 2 of each colour pencil in a pencil case in the car with a couple of colouring books for the “pub bag” (as in the bag we take when we go out to eat)

@Thereislightattheendofthetunnel i will ring on Monday, I’ve either been working, sleeping or running since the email. Can’t remember what I’ve done since last posting.

I actually went to a job (work for the ambulance service) for a lady who was decluttering, had a professional in and everything. She was putting stuff in the loft when the ladder broke. She fell and hurt her neck (think she’ll be fine) but a warning to anyone using a doddery old ladder, please get rid of it!

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 - waiting to hear then go to a citizenship ceremony: Heard it’s been approved whoop. Now need to book a ceremony slot
4. DS1’s gaming, PC, nerf collections to go through and tidy
5. Portfolio work - waiting for more to be marked, more to do, always

Not quite outs yet:
scooter hooks x 3 onto FB
see if anyone wants a mostly working prelit Christmas tree
one game
Several jigsaws
contacts M-Z
have gone through my sentimental shite and have a pile to get rid of/recycle/pass along DONE

Out:
6 random bits into fabric recycling
524

Started my April decluttering with one outgrown jumper going into the charity bag. Also used up a scented candle last weekend, so got another one out today from my stash to use up.

DH put up two prints that I got professionally framed back in November, and I boxed up DD’s school books from Year 4, which have been sitting in a bag in the living room since last July, and put the box on thr recently-cleared shelf in her room.

Sold 2 items on Vinted. Takes my total for this year to 297

I'm slowly sorting through my clothes - I have a new pile to list on vinted later on this week; I'm swapping over my summer/winter stuff; and I have another pile to store that are a size too small

VInted: skirt
Local Facebook sale: garden furniture set
Bin: holy pants, paint splattered socks
Total: 496

Still haven’t managed to count up the vinted and eBay sales from the last few weeks.

went through the dry goods in the kitchen this weekend. Lots of out of date rice, lentils etc. How can things be YEARS out of date when it feels like I go through the cupboards regularly? I don’t count food items as they’re just waste, but still felt good to get rid of them.

I get married at Easter and am already thinking of whether to sell everything we’ve bought and not actually keep anything.

Not much out and the house is in a state. I’ve realised how many toys are in the loft in boxes and haven’t been missed though!! Maybe a good pointer to get rid!

Day 93 - 96

1. Old pyjama bottoms binned
2. Unworn child's pyjamas charity bag
3. Bedspread binned (not recyclable)
4. Book added to charity bag
5. Broken garden solar light binned
6. Toy show t-shirt added to charity bag
7. Empty compost bag binned
8. Garden pot old soil emptied
9. Two packets of seeds used up from 2021 stash

10. Length of string used to outline garden bed disposed of after use instead of hoarding 11. Unworn shoes to charity bag size 12 12. Old sandals binned size 12 13. One rubber glove (found in garden) 14. 6 empty coal bags returned to seller 15. Used up shampoo 16. Gifted Olay cream to be used up

Total Items: 38

Thanks for the tip about the lawnmowers being taken for free Indiansummer78.
I'm not in the UK but might put them up on Adverts. We have a ride on purchased around 20 years ago that worked for one season and around five broken petrol mowers - they just don't last more than a year or two.

I know a scrap yard around 10km away, I might see if they have a collection service.
I'm trying to avoid bringing too many people around as the house and sheds aren't that secure and my elderly parents were robbed a few years ago despite being home and having a loud dog. They took a shot gun from a house up the road though so it could have been worse.