Clutter and hoarding - help!

Sofa_Sogood

Well if you get visitors when you get home Savvy Sue, stick a duster in their hands - might as well be doing something apart from chattering

Seriously, I'd like to buy a steamer and maybe a breadmaker. But I've looked in all the cupboards .... nowhere to put them!

Is there a site anywhere that helps you to downsize everything? What I mean is, for two people, it's not necessary to have 24 plates is there? Ditto for cups, glasses, cereal bowls etc.

And how many pans do two people need? That sort of thing. I'm sure there's a site somewhere, just can't think where to look.

Can anyone help please?

Savvy_Sue

Sofa_Sogood wrote:

Well if you get visitors when you get home Savvy Sue, stick a duster in their hands - might as well be doing something apart from chattering

If they mention the dust, I will ... I've been known to clean a friend's cooker from time to time, just the top bit you understand, I hope she hasn't been offended! I think my kitchen isn't too bad - well I'm sure Aggie and what's her face would be horrified, but I don't prepare food on the floor, do I?

Sofa_Sogood wrote:

Seriously, I'd like to buy a steamer and maybe a breadmaker. But I've looked in all the cupboards .... nowhere to put them!

My breadmaker lives on the worksurface, but I've got a long one in a sort of galley extension to the kitchen so it's like a walk-in cupboard really. But if you're going to use something a lot, why put it away? I used to use my food processor a lot more than I do now someone's hidden it!

Sofa_Sogood wrote:

Is there a site anywhere that helps you to downsize everything? What I mean is, for two people, it's not necessary to have 24 plates is there? Ditto for cups, glasses, cereal bowls etc.

And how many pans do two people need? That sort of thing. I'm sure there's a site somewhere, just can't think where to look.

Can anyone help please?

Flylady? Haven't had a good look, but there's bound to be something there, there is for all of life's other problems!

Sofa_Sogood

Thanks Savvy Sue, I'll try the Flylady site. I love the place, but never get past the sink cleaning section It's one tip that really works for me.

Can't show off things like breadmakers though, we downsized so much to live in a quieter and nicer area, I might as well be in a caravan. Which has just given me an idea. :j

We had a caravan which we used as a second home for holidays, albeit for short breaks, but it held everything we needed. Maybe if I can remember what was in the very few cupboards we had there, I'll know what I don't need here.

I think there'll be a big charity shop box being filled soon. Clutter gets me down .... and it's all my clutter! lol. I'd let Mr S do it but his idea of decluttering means dumping everything :rolleyes: I had to look in the bin the last time and retrieve birth certificates and marriage lines :eek:

I'll look on Flylady. It's at times like this I wish he had a laptop and we had broadband - I'd ask him to look

As for cleaning other peoples' cookers? You're mad! No seriously, I enjoy cleaning other people's things, like clearing up after parties. Not sure about cookers though

Savvy_Sue

Sofa_Sogood wrote:

As for cleaning other peoples' cookers? You're mad! No seriously, I enjoy cleaning other people's things, like clearing up after parties. Not sure about cookers though

Well it was usually when I was round her place and we were looking after half a dozen kids while the other mums had a couple of hours off, and then they'd reciprocate for us another week. When it was all quiet I'd go into the kitchen and make a cuppa, and just give a quick wipe over while the kettle boiled. Bit of elbow grease and it was much improved. Anything rather than change a nappy! :rotfl:

Sofa_Sogood

Savvy_Sue wrote:

Well it was usually when I was round her place and we were looking after half a dozen kids while the other mums had a couple of hours off, and then they'd reciprocate for us another week. When it was all quiet I'd go into the kitchen and make a cuppa, and just give a quick wipe over while the kettle boiled. Bit of elbow grease and it was much improved. Anything rather than change a nappy! :rotfl:

To be honest I hate to see a cooker top that's dirty, whether it's mine or a friends. But the inside can stay as it is, as long as the door stays shut

We should all do 'job swaps'.

I love filing (which looks strange in this topic lol), but hate ironing. Can't do it anyway now, but can't find a friend that likes her filing to be done in return for them to do my ironing.

Which won't come as any surprise to anyone I'd imagine

Edinburghlass_2

I was child sitting for friends once and tackled their full sink of dishes as I was a bit bored, they came home and went out again as they thought they had come into the wrong house :rotfl:

I might add that my own sink can remain full for all I care....

I did have a wonderful neighbour that would do any ironing when she baby sat for me, I used to try and find reasons for going out just to get my ironing done

Sofa, the bread making machine would probably end up staying in that cupboard after the initial enthusiasm over daily bread making wore off :rolleyes:

When I feel like baking bread I buy a Tesco ready mix for about 70p and it takes very little time and tastes yummy

Savvy_Sue

Sofa_Sogood wrote:

I love filing (which looks strange in this topic lol), but hate ironing. Can't do it anyway now, but can't find a friend that likes her filing to be done in return for them to do my ironing.

just give up ironing. I did, years ago! Get clothes out of machine, shake 'em a bit, and either tumble dry (shirts especially) or hang up with their creases right. If you don't have a tdrier, put shirts on hangers. Look at them hard, and think "by the time I've had that on for half an hour, is it going to look any more crumpled than it does now?" Job done.

You do have to be a bit disciplined and not just dump stuff in heaps at any point. If things are always badly crumpled, find a jumble sale!

Sofa_Sogood

Edinburghlass wrote:

I was child sitting for friends once and tackled their full sink of dishes as I was a bit bored, they came home and went out again as they thought they had come into the wrong house :rotfl:

I might add that my own sink can remain full for all I care....

I did have a wonderful neighbour that would do any ironing when she baby sat for me, I used to try and find reasons for going out just to get my ironing done

Sofa, the bread making machine would probably end up staying in that cupboard after the initial enthusiasm over daily bread making wore off :rolleyes:

When I feel like baking bread I buy a Tesco ready mix for about 70p and it takes very little time and tastes yummy

I want to buy the house next door to your neighbour's, any of them

I had a feeling someone might say that about the breadmaker. My other half wasn't keen, but living in the back of beyond, I thought it might help him. I mean me

Never seen the Tesco ready mix (but not seen Tesco's more than twice, apart from online lol), so I'll look out for that.

Is 70p cheap though?

Sofa_Sogood

Savvy_Sue wrote:

just give up ironing. I did, years ago! Get clothes out of machine, shake 'em a bit, and either tumble dry (shirts especially) or hang up with their creases right. If you don't have a tdrier, put shirts on hangers. Look at them hard, and think "by the time I've had that on for half an hour, is it going to look any more crumpled than it does now?" Job done.

You do have to be a bit disciplined and not just dump stuff in heaps at any point. If things are always badly crumpled, find a jumble sale!

I'm so lazy and out of it SavvySue, that I've got my husband to shake 'em lol. He's not bothered because he rarely wears a shirt and tie, so his t shirts etc are hidden under overalls. But as we've just been reunited with the delights of tumble drying again (even though it's in a new shed), it's not as bad as it could be

There must be too many clothes. The middle bedroom's full of ironing. So that's two bedrooms out of action

I need an organiser don't I?

Or a big jumble sale

That's it now. I've decided. Husband's shirts and T shirts are going to the charity shop or being dumped. Well, all but about 30.

He must have about 150 and that's not a lie. It's madness.:eek:

Edinburghlass_2

I want to buy the house next door to your neighbour's, any of them

does that mean you will baby sit for me and do my ironing :j



Is 70p chreap though?

who the heck cares??