Dedicated declutterers welcome

[LushLemonTart]

Thought I'd start a thread for us dedicated to streamlining our homes 🙂

Me!

Omg yeah, great idea!! What are your favourite hacks?

Hi @LushLemonTart , thanks for the new thread!
I've stalled a bit since my last update.
Been busy plus I'm having hip problems.
I'm giving some stuff away on a free Facebook page, quite a bit has gone but I've had a few no shows which is annoying.
Hi @Strictlycomeparent 👋
@Newparent101 guessing you've got a little one? I'm currently Swedish Death cleaning, and trying to be brutal, it's getting easier!

Marie Kondo says something like holding on to too much stuff is either a fear of letting go of the past, or a fear of the future.

It's just me, clean but messy, and DP, very tidy but apparently doesn't see dirt, here. We clash a lot over the state of the house!

Hello - newbie here!

DD is working abroad for a year then she's moving home to save up for a house. We're both chronically untidy so I'm determined to get the house into shape by June in the hope that we can co-exist in an harmonious environment 😊

I wfh and finish at 3 most days so I'm going to dedicate an hour per day to decluttering (don't want to get overwhelmed!).

Swedish death cleaning sounds interesting if a tad alarming 😂

I have a massively cluttered house, this weekend took lots of bin bags to the tip of broken stuff I thought I might fix or things so old no one would want them. Trying to ruthlessly do one room per week because the task was overwhelming me otherwise.

Hi all. Glad you made it here @CherryogDog .
Nothing happening here today. My ds2 os back from a world tour (RN), today so all attention is on that now.

I'll be back on it this weekend as am off work.

Best not to overwhelm ourselves.

@Strictlycomeparent I had to clean out my Dad's house after he died. He was a mild hoarder, very untidy, and had been storing stuff for some of my cousins who never came back for it.

Swedish Death cleaning is basically a huge declutter, gifting things to those who want it, having a note of which things might be worth selling etc.
I don't want my children to be faced with what is an awful task when I die.

Hello, I was on a previous thread and have followed @LushLemonTart onto this new one.

I am not bad these days but know that I have hoarding tendencies, so always try to keep some decluttering on the go!

Can I join?

I have very limited time but something needs to be done with my house as I’m drowning in clutter!

2DCs that no longer live at home but have left lots of their things behind, DPs who have both passed away but I still have half of their possessions stored in one of my rooms - making that room completely unusable and myself and DH who both have a fair amount of clutter! The whole house needs decorating but as it is nothing can be done just yet.

I’m going to be realistic and aim for the whole house to be clutter free and organised by the end of June 2026! Then we can think about making our home lovely again.

I can commit to 30 minutes a day at the moment, starting on Wednesday. So, Wednesday I will spend that 30 minutes in DDs bedroom.

Hello all 👋🏻

I have a minimal home but am always keeping on top of things that come in in order to keep it that way. I regularly declutter. I also have a 4 year old so we will be donating some things soon to the Christmas fair in order to clear out before Santa visits.

I'm on a major declutter just now. My FIL died in August and he had 4 garages full of stuff. Last night the 3rd one was emptied of stuff and the 4th one now just has gardening tools in that we need to keep the place in order. The 3 flats he owns have been cleared and the bungalow he lived in is down to a full garage of stuff (number 5 garage) and the rest of the house but we reckon one more big push before we put the properties on the market then one final one once they are sold.

That has urged me to get things cleared out. We hare having 2 rooms knocked into one in January so have been getting rid of so much stuff. I'm now attacking the huge attic and getting rid of engagement cards from my first marriage....I can't even remember who some people are! And old school books and homework diaries. I also found all the old letters my first husband and I wrote to each other. All very poignant as he died but teenager me was awful and I don't want anyone else to read them.

Need another kitchen clear out too. I have brought some great stuff back from fil but need to clear out stuff of mine to make room

Hi 👋 @Lostand44 , that's a realistic time goal.

Has anyone heard of a technique called room hushing?
Basically take everything out of the room, and only put back what you need as you need it.
It's like clutter is a visual "noise " and by clearing it out you're "hushing" the noise.
Theoretically it would work for me, it's really annoying when I've tidied an area, then find other stuff that should be there and I haven't enough room for everything iyswim.
I'm going to give it a go in my kitchen.
I've got nothing in my loft, thankfully, but need to pull out stuff from under my stairs.
I know there's camping stuff (I'm too old for camping) but no idea what else is there!

I do hushing but on a smaller scale and not knowing it’s called that. So if I’m doing a cupboard / drawer / shelves I take everything out and then only put back what I’m keeping. It’s very effective

I have recently splurged some inheritance on brand new bedding and pillowcases so have methodically worked through all the old and non matching sets as well as spare duvets and knackered pillows.

A lady came today (put up for free on Marketplace) and took away 4 double duvets, 6 pillows and a bedspread.

Very satisfying and I now have a whole cupboard area for Christmas present storage!

I’m not too bad on keeping on top of decluttering but this is mainly because I have a 3 and 1 year old and a smallish house. I do find some areas I’m almost blind to though- today I looked at the shelf where my recipe books are kept and realised I never use them anymore. I use bbc good food. So I decluttered 15 down to 2, which felt great.

I've got a Little Village charity collection booked for tomorrow to take all the baby stuff from the loft - 10 bin bags of clothes plus furniture, prep machine etc. I know I could sell on Facebook or give away on Olio but I just want it all gone in the space of a day and glad it's going to a charity.

Then dropping off some electrical waste at Currys and an afternoon of sorting out the remainder of what's in the loft into two piles - keep & go to the tip.

My motivation is to get the loft insulation re-done then we can move on to decorating the house and I need all the clutter gone to make that do-able.

@24HoursFromTulseHill love your user name, I used to live a stone's throw from TH!
I didn't know Curry's took electrical waste, that's handy to know.

I'm hoping DP will help me pull out everything from under the stairs today, it's the only "junk" area in my house.
My dining room will yet again be a holding area while the stuff is sorted.
I don't get stressed about this anymore, I can trust the process.

Hi @BadSkiingMum and everyone.

I might get some more done today? I'm off work and there's snow so won't go far.

Would love to join you all. Started my decluttering project at start of year when on maternity and gave myself until Christmas to get it done.

I’ve managed to get rid of quite a lot and there’s been plenty tip runs but with two under 5 I feel like toys are multiplying and coming out to meet me!

determined to get on top of it by Christmas to relax in a nice orderly home before returning to work!

Too a bag of clothes plus a bag and a pair of unworn shoes to the charity shop yesterday. Not a lot, but something.

Loads of stuff went to the Little Village charity on Wed (15 bin bags of clothes plus buggy, high chair, baby bath etc.)
Just moved all the stuff to go to the tip into the front garden so we can load into the car more easily tomorrow.

Now I can book roofers into the loft to do a site visit & give me a quote.

I started decluturing last Christmas and although there's not as much progress as I'd like, I'm pleased that the overall volume of stuff in the house has gone down.

Wow, that sounds like a bit sort-out!

Not much to tell here - very busy in other areas of life - but will soon get more uniform ready to go to the school uniform shop.

Well done everyone.

I'm getting rid of crockery but buying new so doesn't count. We've had it years and some is chipped. I'll donate decent pieces.

Could you share more details please about the Curry's electrical waste? Do I need to buy from them to drop off?

@socialdilemmawhattodo
All big electrical retailers take handheld electrical waste / recycling.
You can find your closest place here
https://www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk/

For big stuff (fridges, washing machines etc.) I think retailers have to offer to remove the old goods when they deliver the new one and can charge a small collection fee, but smaller handheld stuff can be dropped off for free in person. They take anything with a cable, battery, bulb etc.

I keep a bag for life with e-waste in the cupboard under the stairs and then when it gets full someone drops it off at Currys or B&Q.

I’ve managed 3 car loads to the tip over the past few days. You wouldn’t know from looking at my house but I know it’s gone! This is going to be a long, slow process but I’m actually looking forward to having a clear house and almost starting again to fit my new lifestyle.

Well done everyone!