The Great Declutter Part 2

misswissy

longhotbath wrote: »

Ohh - school hols so havnt been on for a bit, but last child goes back tomorrow. Hurrah !!

going to do 100 items in 10 days again - so today..

Hello Everyone,

What a great thread. I need help! When clutter builds up it appears to clog up my mind. I can't think straight and it affects my motivation to exercise, eat healthy, do housework, etc.

I'm interested in how people deal with clutter hotspots. My house looks tidy at first glance but look left or right and the clutter is there. For example I have a huge pile of books behind my sofa. I can't throw them, don't really want to sell them, and some I feel I should keep but don't know where to put them, etc. They've been there for over a year! I feel like closing my eyes and putting them all in the wheelie bin. I'll get over it within a day or two.

Another hotspot is birthday and christmas cards. I just can't throw them away. I've kept every single one received for all three of my children (now 17, 15 and 13). They are piled on my dressing table in my bedroom. What do other people do with them?

I have no airing cupboard so a (large) corner of my bedroom houses, quilts, sleeping bags, pillows, bedding, etc. Its gets dragged out for sleepovers and dumped back afterwards. It drives me insane. Help!!

My loft is heaving, my cupboard under the stairs is heaving, my bedroom is heaving, all with stuff that shouldn't really belong in those places (like DH's tools!). :mad:

Perhaps its a severe lack of shelving and cupboard space. I don't know.

I am interested in the 100 items in 10 days. Is it 100 individual items? That would be about a third of my birthday card pile! I need to find the 'magic wand in 10 minutes' thread.

Any tips on how other people manage would be great.

dannie

My living room clutter has been attempted today. Loads of files and unfinished projects. Everything now in more organised labelled tubs. One large box has been recycled and a stored cup now placed in the kitchen. Only small progress made with the content of the files; recycling what's not needed but yet seeing what's not for me anymore. Also, a broken torch thrown away.

greengoblin

Mrsgibbs1503 wrote: »

50 extra bags of clothes recycled and loads given away!

:eek: I think all my clothes, coats and shoes would probably fit in 5 !

Well done for spreading the de-cluttering bug though :j

Keeping_Motivated

misswissy wrote: »

Hello Everyone,

What a great thread. I need help! When clutter builds up it appears to clog up my mind. I can't think straight and it affects my motivation to exercise, eat healthy, do housework, etc.

I'm interested in how people deal with clutter hotspots. My house looks tidy at first glance but look left or right and the clutter is there. For example I have a huge pile of books behind my sofa. I can't throw them, don't really want to sell them, and some I feel I should keep but don't know where to put them, etc. They've been there for over a year! I feel like closing my eyes and putting them all in the wheelie bin. I'll get over it within a day or two.

Another hotspot is birthday and christmas cards. I just can't throw them away. I've kept every single one received for all three of my children (now 17, 15 and 13). They are piled on my dressing table in my bedroom. What do other people do with them?

I have no airing cupboard so a (large) corner of my bedroom houses, quilts, sleeping bags, pillows, bedding, etc. Its gets dragged out for sleepovers and dumped back afterwards. It drives me insane. Help!!

My loft is heaving, my cupboard under the stairs is heaving, my bedroom is heaving, all with stuff that shouldn't really belong in those places (like DH's tools!). :mad:

Perhaps its a severe lack of shelving and cupboard space. I don't know.

I am interested in the 100 items in 10 days. Is it 100 individual items? That would be about a third of my birthday card pile! I need to find the 'magic wand in 10 minutes' thread.

Any tips on how other people manage would be great.

Could you take the books to the recycling at your local tip? Ours has a dedicated book recycling bin. Decide if you will ever read them again and the just be ruthless.

As for the cards, I just keep 'special' birthdays ie 1st, 13th & 18th other wise I would be over run :eek: If you insist on keeping them then get a large plastic box with a lid and clearly label and put either in loft/shed or garage out of the way neatly but personally I would just keep the specials and they should fit in a shoe box or seperately in each childs memory box.

Look for large storage zip up bags to house quilts etc and again label and place away BUT only keep the quilts/sheets etc you actually will use, the rest should go to the CS or recycling/freecyle etc.

The key is being ruthless and then being clever about storage.

Good luck, I still have a way to go but have made huge progress just from reading this thread.

Callisto

misswissy wrote: »

I'm interested in how people deal with clutter hotspots. My house looks tidy at first glance but look left or right and the clutter is there. For example I have a huge pile of books behind my sofa. I can't throw them, don't really want to sell them, and some I feel I should keep but don't know where to put them, etc. They've been there for over a year! I feel like closing my eyes and putting them all in the wheelie bin. I'll get over it within a day or two.

Another hotspot is birthday and christmas cards. I just can't throw them away. I've kept every single one received for all three of my children (now 17, 15 and 13). They are piled on my dressing table in my bedroom. What do other people do with them?

I have no airing cupboard so a (large) corner of my bedroom houses, quilts, sleeping bags, pillows, bedding, etc. Its gets dragged out for sleepovers and dumped back afterwards. It drives me insane. Help!!

My loft is heaving, my cupboard under the stairs is heaving, my bedroom is heaving, all with stuff that shouldn't really belong in those places (like DH's tools!). :mad:

Hi Misswissy,

I've found I just have to be 'firm' with my most annoying clutter and find a place for it or get rid of it, although I can never keep my PC desk free of paperwork (one of my hotspots, along with the kitchen dresser drawers and the spare room!)

It does seem that you don't have enough storage, do you not have a bookcase to put the books on or an ottoman/blanket chest to put the bedding in? If you do have these and they're overflowing, then perhaps it's time to get rid of some items - donate to charity, give to family/friends or recycle.

I used to hoard birthday/xmas cards, but I sorted through them and have kept a few from each year, and recycled the rest. Are the cards addressed to your children? If so, I'd see what they want to do with them.

Don't get me started on OH's tools, he has them in a wardrobe and a chest of drawers as we don't have a secure shed or garage!

mollythewestie

I can sympathise with the hoarding birthday/christmas cards, I find it really hard to throw them away.
However I bit the bullet a few weeks ago and only kept the ones from very special occasions, eg. 21st birthday, Engagement, Wedding, Birth of DD and DDs 1st birthday. Also ones that meant alot to me eg. the last christmas card from my grandmother and special handmade cards, the rest have been (or will be!) binned.
It breaks my heart to do it, but we just don't have the room to keep them all.

longhotbath

spending this afternoon decluttering a bookcase (one shelf too overloaded, and fixings sagging), cleaning the bathroom, cooking a cake and being cross at my family for not clearing up after themselves!!

NCT sale on Saturday - hoping to sell quite a bit. Will report back later!

greent

I had cards going back to when I was a baby. I was ruthless a few years ago and got rid of most. I kept any from DH & the DC. I kept some from my 18th & 21st off special people. I threw away wedding ones that I couldn't remember who the people were that they were from! I threw all my leaving & pregnancy work cards away. I've kept a frew from my 40th this year, but not many. DH only keeps cards from me & the DC. THe DC I sort their cards and they have more than us, but I still get rid of lots.

And by throw, I do, of course, mean recycle via a charity

Books - I have very few keepers now. I regard most books I get as disposable - I pass them on once read (friends/ WI/ charity/ freegle - anywhere I can!) The children get to keep theirs, though

The spare bedding sounds like it needs a chest/ small cupboard in to keep it all neat (it would also get dusty in my house ) - would probably take up similar room, but look better and therefore make you feel better about it?

misswissy

Thank you everyone for your replies,

My first declutter job then, will be the cards. I actually do have plastic memory boxes for each of the children but they are overflowing, hence the last 3 years cards are now sitting on my dressing table.

I will go through each memory box, (which incidentally also contains every drawing they ever brought home from nursery, school or did at home!) and just keep a few from each year which should free up some space for the ones on my dressing table.

Now... committing to a timescale... hmm

I'll say this weekend, so hopefully next Monday I'll report that my dressing table is clutter free.

I'll tackle the books and quilts after this. Thanks everyone for help. I'll be following the thread with avid interest.

I'm on a mission!! :T

greent

Pictures - my friend scans them all in and then disposes of some.... I've used some as wrapping paper for grandparents etc - they like iot and I don't feel guilty about getting rid of a picture. You can't physically keep them all and stay sane with that amount of paper....