Back on track!

Georgesgran, we soak our personal papers in hot water for an hour or so, after which time they get squashed into a (very mushy) ball and added to our main bin. I defy anyone to be able to salvage even the tiniest bit of information from such a ball

First job of the day - wiping down all work surfaces in the kitchen. I can't organise anything else until I've done that.

We still have stuff sidelined as ‘let’s put it in the garage for now’ during downsize move 5 years ago. I suppose I could start there but it’s too darned difficult.
I do wish we had wheelie bin cleaners here. Hosing water in and swooshing around with disinfectant is the easy bit - or would be if I ever did it. Manoeuvring it to a drain in the road and emptying would be the hard part. Tipping it over in situ risks Jeyes fluid getting into the grass.

DH has just removed all of the shower heads and is googling cleaning with bi-carb and white vinegar, should I be worried 🤣…

Thanks for the tip Starof1972
Most other Councils seem happy to have shredded paper in the re-cycle bin - typical Durham!

MrJ’s job cleaning our black bin with disinfectant and water. We’ve just booked to have the patio steam cleaned in March, next is to order a new shed and a small skip, but there’s no rush.

I'm feeling pleased with myself because I've just sold my "best" china on eBay. We no longer have a dining room so I would never use it again. It's left me with a lovely big empty cupboard for my other hoarded tat!
No, seriously, all my unwanted chattels will go and I'm so relieved to have made a start.

GrannyGravy13

DH has just removed all of the shower heads and is googling cleaning with bi-carb and white vinegar, should I be worried 🤣…

Ordinary kettle descaler is so much less smelly than vinegar.

Sorry I am a lost cause! I have never been organised and do not intend to be. Take each day as it comes. Take care everyone.

I do upstairs one day and downstairs the next. Only spend half hour up to an hour twice a week. Only 2 tidy people here. When family come to stay I clean whole house day before and do nothing until they leave apart from kitchen and bathroom

Georgesgran

I’m doing the same as PestyOne
Unfortunately, shredded paper can’t go in the recycle bin, so I’m a bit stuck wondering what to do with it.
The Council says to put it in ‘your own composting bin’ which I no longer have.
I’m also trying to declutter quite ruthlessly - it’s taken a week to do 2 rooms!

Shredded paper can’t go in the recycled bin loose, but bag in upon a recyclable bag and close…then it can …well here in Wales it can!

Purplepixie

Sorry I am a lost cause! I have never been organised and do not intend to be. Take each day as it comes. Take care everyone.

Ditto Purplepixie!

Our bins don't really get dirty - even the recycled tins and glass is all washed first, so nothing dirty ever goes in the bin. The rest is in black bags. In the Summer I lay them on their sides on the back lawn on a sunny day and hose them out. The water goes into the lawn, so not wasted. Then turn them upside down for a while to drain and finally leave them the right way up in the sunshine to dry off.

Bag it in…*

I finished wallpapering and painting a small room yesterday and intended to hang pictures today.

Unfortunately, when I took down my painter's scaffold the one ladder slipped and cracked the screen of my smart-phone, so I had to go to the nearest town today to try and get a new screen, which put paid to the picture hanging.

The screen had to be ordered and won't be in until after the weekend, so another trip will be necessary, but I did get some household shopping done on the way home.

In the intervals of re-decorating, I have sorted LOADS of old photos and negatives and discarded many, found a dozen or so catalogues from makers of log-burners -now why did we carefully keep those, after buying our stove? Discarded them, or rather used them for standing paint-pots and trays and a paste pot on, sorted through old magazines and journals etc. etc.

Only problem: there is now to much waste paper to fit in the recycling bin, and the snow is too deep to let me get my cargo bike out onto the road, and go down to the recycling plant with it, so the piles of junk will have to wait. Now at least I know what is going out.

A good de clutter makes me feel organised and gets the year off to a good start! Five largish bags for the charity shop- items I no longer use or want but are still perfectly saleable. My clothes are next in line and I’m intending to do a really thorough job this year!

Very small event but I'm pleased that my wool stash is organised again now. I keep left overs and projects-in-waiting in a drawer under my bed, so never a huge amount but it still seems to get in a muddle.

Regarding wheelie bin cleaning - we have three; general waste, recycling and garden waste. Every now and then I sloosh a bucket of soapy water into each one and then scrub the inside with a long handled broom. Tip them up to drip dry. Seems to do the job and I regard it as my gym workout for the day!

Shredded paper - I also soak it and then it goes into the compost bin. The worms haven't given away the state secrets yet!

PestyOne

I've just finished organising & clearing old documents and paperwork - concertina files and ring binders used to file bank statements, wage slips, utility statements, etc.
I've shredded old papers and put into recycling bin.
It's cathartic clearing and decluttering.

I hope you didn't put shredded paper in the recycling as I understand it can't be recycled - seems odd as you'd think it would be better, but apparently not. When I do a load of shredding I bag it up and give it to a friend who has guinea pigs for bedding. If she doesn't want it it goes in general waste or if you have a compost bin in the garden you can add small amounts of shredded paper to that. I was somewhat surprised when I read the list of what can be recycled.

suelld

Purplepixie

Sorry I am a lost cause! I have never been organised and do not intend to be. Take each day as it comes. Take care everyone.

Ditto Purplepixie!

And me! 🥹

Thurrock council don’t accept shredding in the recycling bin!

I wish the previous owners of my house had cleaned out the bins before they left. All three bins were chocabloc and had to be wheeled down a long steep drive. Unfortunately one bin had the wrong stuff in it and the bin men wouldn't take it ( fair enough) and I had to clean it out _ stinking nappies, rotten food, etc which had been in there for over 18 months!

Now that all family members have gone back home and I've used up their leftovers/excessive purchases in the fridge, I've completely emptied and gutted it. Lovely sparkling clean inside and out. As well as being dazzled I can actually see everything that's inside. I so hate a cluttered fridge. Joy!

it does get dirty and you still get flies eggs/maggots. If it is only £5 a bin, it isn;t a huge cost. It is £14 a bin here though

Well mine doesn’t get dirty Jane it all goes in thick black bags which are tied up so the bin never has anything dirty in it
Anyway all my food peelings etc go on the compost and I don’t eat meat or fish so i never put anything in that could have flies or maggots My bins defo don’t need cleaning and if they did I d just put some disinfection in and swill it round

Organised is my middle name haaaa..... I am soooo organised that i have bought everyone's birthday cards and almost all the birthday presents for someone's birthday in July ohh and I've bought this years Christmas cards in the sale. I thrive on organisation, leaves me with a feeling of accomplishment.

Despite the fact i adore Christmas I do like my home to get back to normality, i did miss the joy of seeing tiny fairy lights here and there so i have a couple of bits 'lit' up but im not putting that into a category of trimming up for Christmas 🤣😅😆.