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Decluttering

(999 Posts)
Doodledog Sat 21-Sept-24 11:36:44

It’s that time of year.

Who is looking to get rid of extraneous items and declutter their houses ready for winter and associated upcoming festivals?

I have two boxes of books waiting to be collected on Tuesday, and hope to add a few bags of clothing before they get here. My decorator is coming to do various bits and bobs, and I need to clear the decks ahead of that, which is my motivation for starting now.

I also need to clear out a huge kitchen cupboard which will become a walk-in larder if the carpenter ever gets back to me.

What’s on your declutter list? Record your successes and difficulties on this thread and support one another.

No lectures on why we shouldn’t need to declutter, please? We know grin. Start another thread about people who are disorganised or who shouldn’t buy too much in the first place and we can choose not to engage with it. This one is for support, encouragement and celebration of clearing ‘stuff’ from our lives.

Calendargirl Thu 24-Oct-24 10:57:08

petra

These are re- purposed donations. It was a damaged duvet cover.
So I made cushion covers to fit donated cushions.

They look very pretty.

Allira Thu 24-Oct-24 11:10:21

petra

Allira
I have banana every day. The skins go in the garden.

👍

I havent tried it but I will, as long as we don't get 🐀

Allira Thu 24-Oct-24 11:11:17

petra

These are re- purposed donations. It was a damaged duvet cover.
So I made cushion covers to fit donated cushions.

😯
Talented! They're lovely

Tizliz Thu 24-Oct-24 11:12:58

MissAdventure

Sorry, I think I'm being too pushy.

Just remember I'm the woman with 95 rolls of double sided tape! grin

The sticky will go off after a few years and you will not be able to unroll it. Give it away. A local small business might be interested

Allira Thu 24-Oct-24 11:17:54

I need someone pushy to inspire me

Tizliz Thu 24-Oct-24 11:30:23

Perhaps you should swap houses. I would love to sort out someone else’s mess but can’t do my own. Though I managed to get rid of a compost bin yesterday which I didn’t know I didn’t want 🤣

Allira Thu 24-Oct-24 11:32:31

If I try clothes on three separate occasions, think "No" is it time to get rid of them?

We've been invited to a winter wedding (outside) and I have no idea what to wear, nothing suitable in the wardrobe!

Rosie51 Thu 24-Oct-24 15:39:43

Allira When you say "outside" do you mean in a marquee? I went to a winter wedding in one and thought I needed to be wrapped up warm. They had so many electric heaters suspended from the ceiling framework we had to ask them to switch some off!

MayBee70 Thu 24-Oct-24 20:01:41

Allira

petra

Allira
I have banana every day. The skins go in the garden.

👍

I havent tried it but I will, as long as we don't get 🐀

I thought you soaked the skins and then used the water to water the plants?

MayBee70 Tue 29-Oct-24 18:59:08

Slowly throwing out ancient food from the freezer ( but struggling with how to dispose of some of it). I took some jars of mustard out of my fridge. It’s a tiny fridge and I struggle to find room to put things in. But they’re now just sitting on the table because I don’t know what to do with them. I wish I could buy really small jars of condiments. I have learned to buy small jars of mango chutney and mayonnaise though. And I’ve got a large plastic container to put on one of the shelves because the salad drawer is tiny. It doesn’t seem to measure smaller than other fridges but for some reason the internal capacity is so small. There’s a charity collection on Friday and I’m hoping to sort some clothes out. Going to go through my pandemic stockpile of lentils tomorrow! There are only so many lentils that anyone can eat and they also give me terrible indigestion, even if I soak them.

MissAdventure Tue 29-Oct-24 19:05:03

That's excellent news.
I threw out (yes, threw it out, in the bin!) an egg poacher saucepan thing.

I moved it from place to place, wondered about keeping at least the lid, considered advertising it on all kinds of sites.

Then I chucked it away.

Allira Tue 29-Oct-24 19:33:34

I've got two silicone egg poaching thingies. Just useless.

MissAdventure Tue 29-Oct-24 19:35:33

In the bin with 'em then!

Allira Tue 29-Oct-24 19:36:30

Are they biodegradable?

Allira Tue 29-Oct-24 19:38:43

Silicone is not biodegradable or compostable within a human lifetime. While it may break down into smaller pieces over time, it does not decompose fully, posing long-term environmental risks.

Oh! Used once, I'll put them in a bag with other "useful" used once kitchen gadgets and send them to upcycling or charity shop.

Greenfinch Tue 29-Oct-24 19:50:12

I could have done with the lid MissAdventure. Mine had a glass one which fell on the floor and smashed.
I managed to get rid of my granddaughter’s dolls house today on Facebook.It had been hanging around my house for too long. Next I must try to get rid of the rocking horse but that will be more of a problem because of its size.

Allira Tue 29-Oct-24 20:00:06

I always wanted a rocking horse when I was a child!

MissAdventure Tue 29-Oct-24 20:26:23

I think we'll have to start a gransnet swapshop.

Allira merrily rocking away on her rocking horse, Greenfinch poaching eggs, ans someone refashioning the silicone ones into a bra so they could be Madonna in a fancy dress competition.

MayBee70 Tue 29-Oct-24 20:57:08

I had an old metal rocking horse when I was little. It had no rockers but I used to stand on it in preparation for my career in the circus. When my kids were little I seemed to collect them. One was thrown out of the village hall so I had to rescue it. No idea what happened to them; I’m sure I wouldn’t’ve thrown them away. I do now have my daughters sons rocking horse and when I ask my son’s kids if I can pass him on to someone who’ll love him they say no we have to keep him.

Doodledog Tue 29-Oct-24 21:09:29

We are still away, so progress is stalled. I'm not doing badly over here though. I got rid of a lot of old hair products the other day - I've changed style and my hair is very different from how it was when I bought them, but they've lurked at the back of a cupboard for ages, and had probably gone off anyway. I also cleared out the bathroom cabinet and took some books to the swap place.

I've sorted out a wardrobe too, and have a bag to take to the charity shop. So overall, I think that's a win.

MissAdventure Tue 29-Oct-24 21:14:48

That's a lot to have done.
I so wish I could get down to our charity shops.

I used to regularly take a carrier bag of two of stuff.

MayBee70 Tue 29-Oct-24 21:24:44

This is a book I’ve had for years and Rocky looks just like him. I’m sure I’ve got another book about a rocking horse but I can’t find it or remember who it’s by. All I can remember is that it always makes me cry if I try to read it out loud (it does have a happy ending). This will do my head in.

MayBee70 Tue 29-Oct-24 21:26:58

I can’t let this happen to Rocky ( this is why my house is so cluttered!)

Doodledog Tue 29-Oct-24 21:29:07

MissAdventure

That's a lot to have done.
I so wish I could get down to our charity shops.

I used to regularly take a carrier bag of two of stuff.

Thanks, Miss A. To be fair, there's not a lot to distract me grin.

My husband will take the bag to the shop, but I want my sister to get first dibs before it goes. There are a few things in there that she might like, and she's smaller than me so they will fit her 😡

Allira Tue 29-Oct-24 22:00:26

I hope Rocky finds a loving new home 🙂

I felt sad when toys went to the charity shop; DD and I put them in the boot to make room at Christmas then I was going to have a think and sort through but DH thought they were all for the charity shop so off they went. ☹