Decluttering Thread 13 - Hopefully Lucky For Some!

[MarmaladeSandwich7]

Good morning fellow sorters, chuckers & sellers! Starting a new thread as No 12 was almost full. This thread is one of my favourites & I find it hugely inspiring. I have a very long way to go as my house still resembles a jumble sale but I have got rid of a lot over the last few months plus made some money into the bargain. Last night I transferred several carrier bags of clothes that are on Vinted into a pink velvet storage chest that, ironically, hadn’t been assembled & was taking up space in DH’s office 🤣🤣🤣 It’s now in front of the storage cubes in the lounge & honestly, the pleasure I get from seeing it & the space created is immense.
I need a day to dedicate to Vinted as I have bags of clothes still to photograph & upload, some clothes to try on which may end up on there too & some TJC rings to photograph for selling. They were quite expensive but I rarely wore them & now they’re too big. I have a huge car bill to pay so the extra pennies will be great. Have a productive day all!

Really chuffed with my display case (Temu) which is showing off some of my vintage brooch collection beautifully. Love it so much I’ve ordered another one. Decluttering has slowed down a little as I’ve been ill but hoping to get some more stuff on Vinted in the next few days. Also want to take some bits & pieces to an auction house.

1 x old bathrobe hoodie
2 x too small trainers
1 x unflattering cardigan
1 x too big dress

Total is 4711

Oh yes & …….drumroll…… the charity shop bags have made it into the boot! Now they just need to get to the shop! 🤣🤣🤣

Hello, I haven’t posted on this thread before. I am on a mission to declutter the house. I’ve made a good start, I’ve got rid of a lot of stuff since the start of the year. But there’s still a long way to go.

I have a question about old photos. Maybe I should start a new post about it. It’s about photos from my past. I have lots from when I was a teenager and early 20s, mostly featuring people I don’t speak to now. Right now, I want to get rid of them. But will I regret it? I would keep ones of my extended family, but ones from random girls holidays in 2000. There are lots of photos from 18th/21st of people I haven’t spoked to in 20 years.

Currently, I have very little interest in my life before I met my current partner (father of DC). I was quite unhappy and in a string of bad relationships and quite frankly, I don’t want to be reminded of them. But I’m so worried that one day I might want to look at these photos! So what do I do? Bin or keep?

I had a quick look in my bathroom cupboard today and got rid of:

2 cleansers
2 moisturisers
2 serums

All opened and over 3 years old. The shelf looks much better now. I am annoyed at myself for wasting money on them in the first place but there’s no point in dwelling on that now. I have to remember to think more before buying these things.

W/E 17/5 Week 20

Aiming for at least one item per day.

Stuff used up and not replaced
Worn insoles

Recycled/binned
Annoying pair of socks

Charity shop
New bag started

Vinted
Sold and posted = 6
then went quiet again until today when 3 more have sold (will count next week)

Week 20 total = 8
Total for year so far = 154/365

Welcome @Darkspiderplant ! If you have the time, I would scan some/ all of the photos so you have a record of them, then you can get rid of the printed copies.

A belated April update from me. I decluttered 26 items (plus a couple of things that had previously been counted actually left the house), but the total number of things coming into the house in April was 38. It was my birthday and DD’s birthday during the month, so quite a lot of that was DD’s presents (books, notebooks, soft toys, and a wooden sword among other things).

The 2026 totals up to the end of April are now 79 items decluttered and 98 items in. I am feeling very demoralised. I have been quite ill (flu) for the first two weeks of May, so not only has no decluttering been happening, but the house has been neglected (DH looked after me and did all the cooking/ childcare/ laundry while I was ill, but it’s really clear who does most of the cleaning and tidying). I am still feeling very tired and only doing short days back at work.

We had planned to empty the understairs cupboard over the early May bank holiday weekend, to find out if DD’s old pram could be passed onto DH’s cousin who is having their first baby), but that didn’t happen. I can’t see it happening this bank holiday weekend either - a friend is visiting their parents who live locally and wants to see us, DD wants me to take her to Hobbycraft for bracelet making supplies, DH wants us all to see the new Star Wars film (I like Star Wars but can’t be bothered with this one), and DD wants me to help her reorganise her room, which is great but involves me having to find new storage solutions for things while DH just shrugs his shoulders. And, on the Monday, DH has agreed to spend a few hours helping another friend fill a skip because they’ve had a clear-out! He sprang it on me out of nowhere and I regret not saying ‘How about you deal with clearing out our house first before agreeing to help a friend?!?’

My sister is visiting us in July. She loves abroad, has a lovely house, they have more money than us… I was really ashamed of the state of our house when she last visited two years ago, and it feels like nothing has changed ☹️

Bin the photos Spider, if they're going to trigger bad memories. The human brain isn't meant to remember everything and forgetting bad things is a blessing. If you never think of these people and never look out those old photos from time to time, then you don't need them.

Hire a cleaner and pay for it out of the household bills account, Ellie. He's literally ignored everything he could ignore. And still is, when it comes to home life. Do what men always do and milk the illness, since he's not playing fair. Clear out the under stairs cupboard and telly him you're too tired to cook dinner so he'll have to. Then leave him the washing up too.

You've got time before July to do something about the house. Gather actual rubbish and bin it. Don't waste time recycling it unless it can go into your kerbside pickup each week. Bag/box everything looks messy up and just shove it into a cupboard/spare room/under the bed. Don't worry if it cramps his space or inconveniences him in some way. I presume it's not solely all your stuff? Get the cleaner back again for round two once the place is clearer, claiming fatigue after decluttering on top of flu recovery. It's not as if he's going to help you deep clean so just make sure it comes out of joint expenses.

Do not help him look for anything he can't find, he'll have to clear out a bag/box (and deal with the contents) until he's found it. Just shrug like hell does and say you've no idea, when he inevitably asks where xyz is. If something is bagged/boxed for 6 months or more, don't ask him if he still wants it, he hasn't missed it in all that time or gone looking for it, so just get rid of it. I know I sound harsh with what I've said, but he doesn't deserve a medal or special treatment for doing the bare minimum whilst you're sick and slacking off on his share of household chores the rest of the time. Helping a mate when your own house is a shit tip and you've guests coming is a massive piss take.

Don't compare yourself to your sister though, maybe she has more money than you for cleaners etc, maybe she has a more helpful DP and life in their house is more equal. One of my ex's took up so much of my time because I was always cleaning and clearing up his messes, he did nothing much being too lazy. I added it up once out of pettiness and when I left him I had 7 1/2 hours back per week, because I clear up after myself as I go along. That's how much extra work he created on top of what I'd usually do. Your sister loves you and knows your house and she's returning, so she can't be that disgusted by it 😅

Two moisturisers used up
One unflattering pair of leggings donated
One pair old bobbly socks recycled
Total is 4715

Agree, bin the photos - you’re not in touch with these people and haven’t been for years. They don’t give you good memories. Bin them.

also agree with @IndianSummer78

I like reading about favourite items now on display, Decluttering is not all about getting rid of everything, but being able to appreciate the things we love.

Brace yourselves, the handyman came!! 😮 didn’t do everything though, due back on Tuesday.

Jobs:

1. Hang up framed pictures; part done
2. Bathroom redecoration: Mirror & pictures up; handyman friend to do one day…DONE ✅
3. Irish passports for DD & DS2
4. Front room - big project; few bits to go on FB free site
5. sort through food in pantry (shelving area) and tidy shelves
6. summer project: DD’s summerhouse tidy & clean & investigate setting up as her dance space; have started researching large mirrors/acrylic & dance floors

thinking we could maybe empty and clean the summerhouse over the next few days with the nice weather forecast…

Ok, I’ll bin the photos. I might take a picture of some of them but most will go straight in the bin.

I’m trying to get rid of at least one thing every day. It’s not much but most days, I end up doing more. Today I cleared out the spice drawer and got rid of all the ancient out of date spices.

I'd say keep any that make you feel happy - or any where you look really pretty! Your kids might like to see you looking pretty & dressed in bygone era clothes one day

May I join? My quest is a but different

I'm downsizing and started well at the beginning of the year got photos done have 'sold' the house but now need to declutter more and pack

I have got rid of huge amounts of stuff but there is still more

I think the reason I did well was I have an accountability thread on mn which kept me going despite my disability/energy levels so id like to use this as that? But ut means packing and tidying stats too is that ok?

So far today:

Packed orphaned tupperware
Decanted and frozen stew
Sorted out tea
Sorted packaging out for upstairs
Business Meeting
Moved pictures off the bed so we can stand it up
Packed ornaments in bedroom and gym

Now resting

DH is taking other people's stuff to the tip along with some small bits of ours (broken mirror, damaged wood, broken china)

I have managed to empty a chest of drawers!
Didn’t take long to gumtree free to give it away.
Took some empties to boots recycling, bought toothpaste and deodorant.
More books to charity shelf at Tesco.
Really need to post more things on Vinted.

Definitely tackling the growing mountain of clothes to be photographed today & put on Vinted! Any to be ironed will be put aside as DH is way better at ironing than me!

Coming in on this thread as I have a week off and want to declutter. I have a real problem with buying clothes from charity shops, I have over a dozen Seasalt etc type dresses in my current size, can't get anything in my wardrobes. I lost a lot of weight a few years ago and then, after a bereavement, gained it all back. I am now in a better place and have successfully decluttered 2 stones, only 7 more to go! I have a suitcase of clothes in every size of lovely clothes so do not need to buy any!
I have managed to pass on 2 huge black sacks of clothes to the charity shops over the last 2 weeks and now have a week off work.
This weekend's mission is to part with a large storage box of candles. Covid has left me with no sense of smell and DH hates candles with a passion so why on earth have I held onto every smelly candle given to me?
I do think that there is a sense of not having had much as a child (not deprived at all, just a generational thing compared to today) and the advent of social media making it so easy to see what others do and have, is why I find it so hard to let go of things.

This month's outs-
2 yoga mats to school
2 large bags of clothes to charity shops

I find it hard to ignore the financial investment in what I am getting rid off hence 23 car boot boxes!

Joining the thread as DH and I downsized considerably 20 months ago and although we offloaded a lot of stuff ahead of that, there's still a way to go. However, we are both self-confessed maximalists who over the years have amassed some lovely things which we've no intention of getting rid of although DH won't accept we no longer have space for thousands of books!

I feel you on the car boot sale boxes @KatyMac! We've done three car boots since buying this cottage in late 2024, making between £250 and £300 at each, but there's still around 15 boxes in the garage. I'm tempted to just charity shop the lot.

This week out -

Four Marketplace sales (totalling £235), one bag of clothes ready for the charity shop, six pairs of holey socks and two pairs of holey pants in the bin. Also, used up some old newspapers doing papier machè.

The candles are gone alongside a large bag of clothes that had been on Vinted for 2 weeks with no offers.
In terms of sorting out the house, 2 new coat hook racks have been bought to put on the upstairs landing which will make downstairs so much better and a new washing basket which necessitated a long overdue bathroom tidy and got rid of the chrome round the sink storage thing which I hated.

This month's outs-
2 yoga mats to school
3 large bags of clothes to charity shops
1 huge box of scented candles to charity
1 bathroom storage device which will go to the tip

Welcome to all the newbies, we all use the thread in different ways so just pitch in.

Today's outs -
4 x glue sticks dried up
2 x pairs bobbly socks
Total is 4721

I've sold 2 more things on Vinted, a jumper whuch didn't flatter me, and DCs sandals from last summer. I was very good and withdrew the £50 I had there so I wouldn't be tempted to use it!

Not a huge amount of decluttering but I skimmed the house and got rid of lots of paper and recycling etc. I used up last of my packaging too sending the Vinted items.
Few 9ther bits that have gone out are:

Broken hanger
Seedling and pot from school that never took off
Pair of holey socks
Outgrown kids top
Conditioner I didn't like finally used up
Ragged cat toy
Notepad used up.

Ins, 1 book

Total ins=131
Total outs= 390

Although DC will now need new sandals and a few new t-shirts. It's a constant battle!

@IndianSummer78 thanks

I just found out my DC and their family might be moving in cos of housing issues which makes my decluttering much more urgent

I'm late to the party but I'm trying to get DH and DS to help with decluttering, as one works part time and the other is unemployed, while I work almost full time. Any hints to get them involved?
I'm starting in the loft (we are due to have work done on the roof and chimney this summer). I've decided that if an item doesn't get used at least once per year then it's out. No saving of "just in case" items.
I brought down a box with old paperwork in it and shredded the lot. Why was i keeping 30 year old payslips?!
I've generally been reducing the amount of paper that comes in to the house through the mail and signing up to online statements and bills, and shredding old ones during quiet times when working from home.
I've also joined library. We have no more space for books so at least I can read and return (and I don't have to dust them!).
Torn clothing goes in a bag and most of our local charity shops will take it as they can sell it to rag merchants.

Ready to go to charity-
A hardback book I picked up from a bookswap but realised I have already read, 3 pairs of leggings, 2 t-shirts and I am still going!

Sorted today- 3 large drawers of tshirts, swimwear and sportswear. Sportswear sorted into correct sizes as am doing an activity week with school next month and needed a week's worth.
Bedroom floor tidied and box found to store things I have picked up for when the grandchildren come to stay in summer.

Skip is on the drive, can’t put anything in it yet (trades need to do a job first) but got a decent amount stashed under the hedge to go in later in the week. Currently moving winter and summer clothes from their different wardrobes.

tidied the garage again, must be on 7th passing of this, didn’t take long as really was lots of empty boxes but I want them for next week’s massive dejunk. Monday is shed day, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday is the loft (I think im going to be starting at 6,30am as the weathers going to be hot hot hot.