The Great Declutter Part 2

Penelope_Penguin

loopylulu wrote: »

Well my OH and i have decided 2011 is the year we declutter the house as we have way too much in it.

Any tips and hints would be fantastic.

Do we go room by room? Or would it be better to do a little bit each day so it doesn't seem like such a mountain?

I've used the 100 in 10 method Clear 100 things in 10 days (I counted only week days when Iwas actually at home to do the decluttering, so usually about 3 days a week, so 100 days was about a 3 months).

We have a thriving declutter thread to give you more ideas.

gillian62

This could be a great thread.

I really have to declutter this year, started the other night - 3 bags of books for recycling.

I have a craft room that I need to find!! Everyone has bunged all sorts in the entrance so I can't get in. Think it may be better to get rid rather than sort out.

I have 2 freezers to start using up so I can save more money putting bargains in. A lot of stuff in there is MS eg, blackberries I picked in the summer. So I need to make some of that into jam & jelly to free up some space.

ali-t

I would do a room at a time and pick the least cluttered room first so it doesn't demoralise you if the gains take a while to materialise. I would also bring in a rule that items are not to be moved from one room to another unless it will permanently live in that room. Good luck.

gillian62

How do you get over the 'I might need this in the future' syndrome. Eg, I have a lot of kitchen appliances that I don't use very often, very rarely perhaps but don't really want to throw out as they will cost a lot to replace in the future, eg steamer, juicer, smoothie maker.

nodwah

gillian62 wrote: »

How do you get over the 'I might need this in the future' syndrome. Eg, I have a lot of kitchen appliances that I don't use very often, very rarely perhaps but don't really want to throw out as they will cost a lot to replace in the future, eg steamer, juicer, smoothie maker.

Basically I don't manage this :eek:

mineallmine

gillian62 wrote: »

How do you get over the 'I might need this in the future' syndrome. Eg, I have a lot of kitchen appliances that I don't use very often, very rarely perhaps but don't really want to throw out as they will cost a lot to replace in the future, eg steamer, juicer, smoothie maker.

It is hard but...
(a) thinking of how someone else will use these things more regularly and / or
(b) thinking of a charity that it could help raise funds for ( a local hospice shop here) - do you have a charity you feel passionately about that accepts bits like this.
Helps for me. So either freecycle or a charity shop that accepts electricals. Hope this helps.

Right another target - I'm aiming to get rid of 500 things by 1/1/11!!! I'm home so it's time to blitz this house.
:j

mineallmine

mineallmine wrote: »

Right another target - I'm aiming to get rid of 500 things by 1/1/11!!! I'm home so it's time to blitz this house.
:j

Oh my another tough target but I want to go to the charity shop later this week with loads of stuff and maybe freecycle some bits. Here goes:-

1.2.3. Rubbish from bedroom/bathroom (bin)
4.5. Recycling tins/plastics (recycling)
6.7.8. Rubbish from lounge (bin)
9. Cardboard packaging (recycling)
10. Toiletry challenge use ups Tommy Girl perfume (recycling)
11.12. Toiletries (charity shop)
13.14. Plastic recycling (recycling)

mineallmine

mineallmine wrote: »

Oh my another tough target but I want to go to the charity shop later this week with loads of stuff and maybe freecycle some bits. Here goes:-

1.2.3. Rubbish from bedroom/bathroom (bin)
4.5. Recycling tins/plastics (recycling)
6.7.8. Rubbish from lounge (bin)
9. Cardboard packaging (recycling)
10. Toiletry challenge use ups Tommy Girl perfume (recycling)
11.12. Toiletries (charity shop)
13.14. Plastic recycling (recycling)

I need to get rid of about 100 things a day. It sounds a lot but post Christmas this is proving to be easy so far - I'm being ruthless! Money for a hospice or clutter for my house?

15. Charity sack, where I've not used the bag, turned inside out ready to fill for another charity - plus if I use a big bag I feel a strong urge to fill it with charity stuff! (charity)
16. Old cosmetic bag (charity)
17.18. Brochures (recycling)
19.20. 21. Make up, unused (friend)

This is feeling good.

22. Mirror (charity)
23.24. Cardboard packaging (recycling)
25. Another cosmetic bag (charity)
26.27.28. Board games (charity)
29. Cardboard packaging (recycling)
30. More rubbish from bathroom (bin)
31. Unloved make up brush (charity)
32. Glasses case (charity)

museumworker

loopylulu wrote: »

Well my OH and i have decided 2011 is the year we declutter the house as we have way too much in it.

I've not really done a huge declutter before and am not sure where to start.

The aim is to have the house done by May 2011 so that when we come back from our holiday in Las Vegas the house is clear and we can then get the !!!!! cats we have been wanting for a long time :T.

At the moment with all the clutter if the cats decided to hide we would probably never find them again!

Any tips and hints would be fantastic.

Do we go room by room? Or would it be better to do a little bit each day so it doesn't seem like such a mountain?

Hi loopylulu - I also need to declutter in 2011. I did make some headway earlier this year, but need to finish off. Currently we have 18 boxes of 'stuff' in our dining room (moved from when we cleared out the loft for the extension a few months ago), and a spare room full of ???. The whole idea is to make the house feel lighter and more spacious, to make me feel emotionally less cluttered, and to make cleaning easier. I think it will help me focus more on the present than on the past, and enjoy the things we have. I will join in with the 2011 thread when its started!

nodwah

I was at work this morning and when I came home my Dh had attacked on end of the "study" (spare room/study/library/junkroom)
He made a good start but dumped a load of stuff on the sofa bed fo me to sort out! Filled one charity bag and one paper recycling already.

What on earth do I do with all these sundry types of cable and chargers?