2026 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD - our Year of Redistribution

GrannyKate

A bit of a lazy day today - still no snow although it is nearby and bitterly cold.  I didn't get much done today just pottering.  Spent some time doing email clear up and remembered to unsubscribe as I went along.  One email in late DH's in box - some photography firm referring to his support - he's been gone just over 7 years now!  Still perhaps he's enjoying his photography from some other world.  I unsubscribed to that as well.  

I need a shower so will combine that with cleaning shower tray which has a spattering of muddy paw prints - assume Mr Sox has been in there.  Top kitchen drawer looked to have a lot of bits and crumbs so I tipped everything out, cleaned it out and disposed of 3 of the 6 bottle openers in there.  

27 Emails read, answered, filed, deleted etc
28 Unsubscribed to a dozen or so email sites
29 Kitchen drawer cleaned out and three bottle openers binned
30 Christmas cake decorations washed and put away.  Cake decorating box tipped out and cleaned and a number of old decorations binned.  

DS2 says he will come and put decorations in loft tomorrow. 

DawnW

Ooh can I join?

I happily live with a certain amount of clutter as I am a vintage/ antique dealer. Most of my stock is boxed up and out of the way, but I love beautiful old things and have lots of them around on display, some of which will stay, and others be sold at some point.  It is the run of the mill kind of clutter that I want to get rid of though, not business stock - out of date paperwork, kitchen items that aren't used, clothes that aren't worn, all the usual stuff. I do declutter fairly regularly, but there does seem to have been a bit of a build up over the last few months, so I really need to make a concerted effort to get rid of some of it. It would really help and motivate me to keep a running total.

So, for today, I have bagged up a nice coat for the charity shop. It is a camel coloured maxi coat, which I love, but it really needs to belong to someone who leads a much less muddy lifestyle than I do    It is a designer brand, bought ages ago from a charity shop. It can go to the charity shop belonging to the hospice that I support. There is also an unworn top in the bag, which I should have sent back as it is much too big, but for some reason I didn't. I must make the effort to actually get these out of the house next week. After all, putting things in bags and leaving them on chairs is not actual decluttering, so I will count these items only once they go.

What did go today was a gifted box of Christmas chocolate biscuits which I regifted to DD2 and family. So 1 item gone. A modest start, but a start at least!

dND

I think it was a good day today 😁  This morning I had to pick up some tinted night driving glasses which I hope will address my slight astigmatism - For 60+ years I thought all lights twinkled and look like they're drawn in books i.e. star like. 🤣🤣  To do that meant 15+ minutes decluttering the snow and ice off the car 😱 followed by a very steady drive down into town and back.

DS1 is getting rid of CD/DVD towers and I have a surplice of CDs/DVDs all needing somewhere to store them. So 3 towers will be coming into the house Sunday but that should be balanced out by some moving boxes leaving shortly afterwards.  Most of the remaining morning was spent ensuring there was a space for the said towers and I think the place I've created is where they will stay.  Having decided that, I'm now seeing a way forward to place other items I definitely want to keep and that will identify more items I can put on the disposal pile.

I've moved all my vintage Tupperware into the dining room where I can't miss/forget about the 2 very large storage boxes of it that I'm going to try and sell over the coming months.

The empty drawer in the freezer has been cleaned and is almost full of the soups and stocks that I'd squeezed in everywhere else in the freezer in order to try and keep all my pre-prepared Christmas/Birthday/New Year meal for the UK family in one place.  I'd like to say that I then generated clear space on the other shelves/drawers but somehow it doesn't look much different.  🤣 Safe to say, I can quite happily live out of the freezer for a couple of months with only minimal shopping.  It might be an interesting menu but I am going to get both freezers organised this year.

Tree has now been squeezed back into its box and hopefully I will be able to report tomorrow that it's been decluttered up into the loft by DS1.

Stay safe and warm everyone. Dxx

ilovetea

Good evening. Hope you are all keeping well.
Not much decluttering done here. Good job as the bins and recycling bins are full. 3 weeks since the recycling men have been and not coming until next Friday.
Decluttered some chocolate into me .
Binned my old iron as it had started leaking. Maybe shock of being used..
That's all I'm afraid. Will do better tomorrow.

  ilovrtea  xx

jivjules1

Floss said:

jivjules1 said:

Total newbie and haven’t even started yet still got a relative with us from Xmas and can’t quite get on just do something tomorrow! No real idea where to start!!

Start small - a drawer, bookshelf or small cupboard.

Thank you! I did my desk top and then felt so good I did the drawers as well then hoovered up. Moving to the bookshelves tomorrow!

Floss

Binmen have been to me today, recycling on Monday - I have called the old, freezer-burnt food from my FF, which hopefully will be easier to manage.

Two jumpers bought in the Next sale have been returned, and I'm also collecting a bag of jumpers that I don't like / don't suit. 

I also spent time yesterday & today with DS2's very sick cat while they were away for DiLs family Christmas. He's not long for this world, and has lost more weight since I saw him at Christmas 😢

Christmas has been boxed up ready for the loft, although my wreath is still on the door as it smells lovely! Some things have been ousted, and the boxes have been rejigged & reduced.

Tomorrow will be spent stripping out the bathroom before the bath, leccy shower & tiles are removed on Monday, for a walk-in shower & screen to be fitted. I need to figure out storage for the cleansers / serum / moisturiser and toothbrush / toothpaste from the 2 small windowsills, as the new wallpaper (being done end of Jan) will be best without clutter... not the best photo, but you can see the window sills. Currently there are white roller blinds which will be changed to Romans.

Liverpool_Anne

Hi all, reporting in at last 😁. I have been decluttering but I have been very tired and kept falling asleep when planning to post. Had my B12 jab today so hoping I will be a bit more awake in the next few days 😁. OH and I have also both been down with the lurgy and are now at the coughing stage. OH mentioned we probably should have done a covid test as it seems to be rife here atm but I couldn't find the tests 😂. I found them tonight just before heading to bed so have left then out and we can test tomorrow. I am in bed now as I am using my kindle to catch up with everyone 😁.
Welcome to all the newbies, we love having new people on this thread 😁. Lovely to see some people returning after a break as well as the "regulars" 😁. The EDT has taken off at breakneck speed again I see 😂 and thank you @Mrs SD for the awards totals at the end of the year as well as continuing to cheer us all on.
Sorry I can't remember who said it but the room of non requirements is just brilliant 😂. I have a couple of them and several cupboards and draws of non requirements but they are somehow much less daunting than rooms of doom and I am feeling much more positive about being able to tackle them now 😁. Mind you it could be the effect of the drugs 😂, medication for the lurgy in case anyone is worried 😂.
As I am covering 3 days I will try to be brief. New year's day no washing, sweeping etc so spent some time deleting emails before going to the footy as well as a general scout round binning obvious carp. OH decided to have a minor sort out of the car so when I got home the lr had acquired several bags from the boot. To say I was not best pleased was putting it mildly but trying to be positive and since then I have helped where I can to get some of it sorted, now only 2 bags sitting waiting to go back but the car is going for an MOT on Monday so it will be after that. You might remember it took me several months last year to get them out of the hallway, it will be much quicker this year. Anyways lots binned and recycled and put into the bag of hard plastic to go to the tip.
Yesterday I had to go to the post office to post a birthday present and card and get some Australian dollars to go in the post for a birthday, that will be posted on Monday. When I got back I tackled the 3 draws in my bedside chest of draws. Mainly meds and various lotions and potions stored in them but as I had been gifted some things that needed to be put away and there were various bits scattered around the house, I emptied the draws and did a lot of putting like with like and now have it much better organised. I took things out of the boxes and they were recycled and have quite a few things to use up but at least I know where they all are now. 5 things put into the bathroom to be used first and the rest sorted into categories tidily 😁. I am very pleased with that 😂. 2 items put into the cs bag but they won't be counted until they leave the house 😁.
Laundry dealt with and even a couple of sessions of ironing have been done in the last 2 days. I was also gifted some candles so I have started on them after using up my last 2 though these are going to take a while as OH doesn't like the flavours so I can only burn them for short periods 😂.
Today I decided to tackle a job in the new toilet. There is a chunk gouged out of one of the floorboards, no idea what caused it as it was like that when I moved in but was never a problem when the understairs was just a cupboard but now needs sorting. I had been up in the loft to get the gubbins required to do the job but it had just sat there looking at me accusingly for a few weeks. So the gouge was hoovered, lightly sanded as per instructions, hoovered again and wiped over with a damp cloth and then I find the tube of wood filler has gone hard so that was binned😂. I will have to get some more tomorrow 😂 but I tried 😂. 
Oh yes I also decluttered the filling from my front tooth AGAIN. I have an appointment at the dentist on 13th but honestly I don't know how much longer we can keep doing this as it only lasted about 3 weeks but the dentist doesn't seen keen to do a crown or whatever it needs but I will have the discussion again when I see him. Luckily I have no pain as I think it's dead. 
I have caught up with all the posts so I will say hugs to anybody who would like one especially @weenancyinamerica, @grandmanerd, @Betharooni and @StickyTheStickInsect, hoping 2026 is a better year for you.
@daisy_1571 thanks for cleaning tips 😁. I have had a quick look and have made a sort of rota for all the rooms and while I won't be doing everything on her list, it would take a week in every room 😂, I plan to do a session in each of the rooms on their day and hopefully will get there eventually. I must just say though that I never make my bed as I prefer to air it after reading somewhere that you should do that, can't remember why but it made sense at the time 😂.
Right time to get some sleep

1-3 LDFPA
4 - 7 lr bin thanks to OH filling it several times 😁
8 hand cream uu
9 & 10 dead pens binned
11 bathroom bin
12 - 16 500 emails permanently deleted
17 parcel, card packaging etc posted
18 - 20 draws sorted
21 bedroom recycling
22 candle uu
23 lr recycling
24 & 25 ironing
26 wood filler binned
Take care everyone
26/2026

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Daily To Do list - written the night before
2. Sort out sleep patterns - initial targets: bed by 03:00, up by 10:30
3. Don’t put it down, put it away + deal with mini tasks as soon as they are noticed e.g. refill olive oil pourer or salt cellar, stitch up a hole in a garment etc
4. Commence ‘Operation Financial Frog Tickling’ using the acronym - I.R.I.S. (Identify, Research, Implement, Sign Off) - One per quarter
5. Continue to keep kitchen clean & tidy - before going to bed
6. Plan & execute ONE Major Project - 2026 New Bathroom
7. Target 2026 items out

Saturday dinner was sea bass, boiled new potatoes & peas for DH & me, quiche & boiled new potatoes for DSis. Wudupa.

13 - 15 Kitchen recycling, magazine, plastic bottle - recycled 

16 - 17 Kitchen & lr detritus - binned

Welcome aboard the EDT pavlovs_dog, nice to meet you 😊 As you have such a big & important year ahead of you (thank you for sharing this with us 🥹) it is the perfect time to embark on your decluttering journey 😊  Hopefully making a decent sized dent in the physical  chaos will mean less mental clutter & time for you to relax. This “I'm trying to be a lot more strategic in packing away Christmas.  I saw a tip online about packing your decorations away in a way that facilitates the way you decorate rather than space efficiency, seems …. obvious now I think about it.  I always do the tree last, so why do I subject myself to digging through loads of tree decorations to get to the bits I need to add wintery joy in November?!” is a great idea 👏 & as you say it just seems so obvious 😉 This is your year & I love the sentiment “Bring on the redistribution and retribution - let battle commence!” 🥹

Lovely to see you Muddy_Walker ☺️ I have made a note of your 600 target. Enjoy yourself on the ‘26 for 2026 Thread’ 😊

Slowdown, it is a pleasure to welcome you 😊 Unfortunately I have no answer to your decluttering conundrum ☹️ However, I do believe that if you continue to declutter you will eventually notice a difference 😊 Good luck 🍀

Nice to see you EcoIntent 😊 Your boarded attic sounds wonderful & well done on keeping it relatively empty 👏 Good luck with decluttering the garage 🍀

Of course you can join us oceandreamer 😊 Nice to see you & congratulations on your retirement 🥳 Hopefully you will notice an improvement in your mental health in direct proportion to the physical decluttering 😊

Welcome back charlies_tribe 😊 Sorry to hear that you have been ill 😔 Hopefully your recovery will continue until you are fully fit 🙏 Ouch to the expense of a new roof 😩 Here’s hoping that some of the contents of the loft can be sold to raise funds 🤞

suzeesu2000, good news that your DH is joining in with the decluttering 😊 Although surely he can sell his own ‘bits’n’bobs’ 🤔 

Welcome back ilovetea 😊 I am quite positive that you will get back into the swing of decluttering very quickly 😊

Just noticed the time so am off to bed. Sleep tight 😴 

MrsSD Awards: 💐

DH Awards:

DSis Awards: 

Decluttering Target 2026: 17/2026

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £0

kr147

I'd love to join please! I'm already feeling slightly ahead as we cleared out the back room (dumping ground/utility) and did 4 trips to the dump and I have 3 big bags to go to the charity as well as some things to give away and a bike to sell! I am generally a collector of things and like to hold onto stuff and also have lots of.hobbies. my digital mess is huge and needs sorting this year!

Watty1

Handbag done.  Tiny step but all the old receipts and used tissues and wrappers have gone, the multiple pens put in the office, battery pack put in the office - and - that made me realise the office needs serious decluttering work.