Messy House; Messy Life Thread ??

Aaaargh! I’m definitely NOT a tidy freak

I’m definitely a tidy freak but I don’t like clutter.
Some of the descriptions on here of multiple lofts and cupboards and sheds full of stuff and piles of things on the floor and dust and dog hair are making feel really uncomfortable !
What happens when you shuffle off this mortal coil ??

I suffer from a mild form of OCD and I must admit my poor husband suffers because of it. I worked full time from the age of 15 years, even when I was bringing up my family, but 2 years ago I took early retirement as we were financially stable. I project managed a complete overhaul of the house and I'm 1/2 way through the garden. The mess in years house drove me to distraction, but I learnt a valuable lesson that less makes life so much easier and tolerable. We got rid of loads of ornaments, etc and furniture. The house is so much easier to manage and keep clean. Mess isn't possessions, memories and life. It is your home not s show house and if you are happy then why should you worry what others think. I wish my head at times would do one as it must be hell at times for my poor husband, but it proves he loves me. Now I've got yo get up as a picture is not right.

A Facebook Friend has started a Group to Declutter for January and I've joined it. You have to follow what she suggests each day, get rid of the number of items corresponding to the day of the month and of course can do additional stuff also. I love doing things structured like this. She may have taken the idea from somewhere else. I don't know but if anyone else wants to try it, here it is. I've actually made it into a spreadsheet so I can count how many things I've moved out of the house/garage. This is her guide .....
1. 1 broken Christmas decoration- no point putting it away (if none broke clear a piece of paper hanging around)
2. 2 out of date fridge items- Christmas was 2 weeks ago!
3. 3 items of clothing that you hate washing or never wear
4. 4 Bits of junk mail you are never going to read- or you’ve read and not yet binned.
5. 5 Shoes, boots gloves or scarfs you or the family will never wear again
6. 6 Odd socks that have been alone for months.
7. 7 Things from your most cluttered area of your house
8. Any 8 from above -it’s free form Saturday
9. 9 toiletries you’ve started and don’t like or will never use- or just empty and still there!!
10. 10 books you’ll never reread
11. 11 things you don’t love but feel guilty about throwing away
12. 12 items of clothing you’ll never wear again
13. 13 things from your kitchen that don’t bring you joy
14. 14 things that have been in your airing cupboard for over a year
15. Any 15 things from above FFS- free form Saturday
16. 16 papers, magazines or letters you don’t need (photograph or add to journal if you need info)
17. 17 things that don’t have a home and you don’t want to keep. Just walk the house with 3 bags; bin, recycle and giveaway until you’ve accumulated 17 (or more) things.
18. 18 things that don’t belong in your lounge
19. Underwear, socks and bras- 19 items that don’t fit, aren’t comfortable, have holes or
20. Medicines, potions and lotions. 20 things that are out of date, didn’t work, been open more than 6 months etc
21. Junk draw. 15 minutes and hopefully 21 items cleared. Before and after photos!!
22. Saturday again. Any 22 items from above.
23. Into your entrance hall. 23 things that you don’t want need or love.
24. Back into kitchen and the food cupboards. 24 tins you’ll never use, spices open over a year, festering fridge items or wilted veggies. List tins on Olio to pass them on
25. Hit your bedroom, open cupboards, root under the bed, explore bedside cabinets and get rid of 25 things.
26. Big numbers now so let’s split it up. Hit kitchen and dining area, clear out the mugs you never use, the odd non matching plate you look passed, the tablecloth you don’t like, the napkin rings you’ll never use and the glasses no one will drink out of.
27. DVDs, videos, CDs, kids books any sort of media. Ever watch, read or listen, ever plan to or are they just taking up space? 27 things gone and space back in your house!!
28. Kitchen draws how many medicine syringes, bottle brushes and takeaway menus do you need. 28 less than you have I’d wager!!!
29. Free form Saturday. Any 29 from the above.
30. So close now. Are your stairs clear yet? If not spend 15 mins and be ruthless. If you haven’t cleared anything out in the process just free form entrance way, hallway, stairs and landing to get rid of 30 things.
31. Any odd socks still left from start of month, anything left on your dining/ kitchen table, anything in your entrance hall. If all else fails check your wardrobe.
Ideas;
Pens that don’t work, keys long lost to history, creams, cleaning solutions and shower gels that have been sat with 1 inch left for over a year.
Takeaway menus, you only need latest and if you always order online not even that.
Travel mugs without lids, lids without mugs, skanky cleaning cloths, clothes you never really liked, food you will never cook, despite your best intentions. Tupperware items orphaned or misshaped.
If it makes you feel small or like you’ve failed, if you are only keeping it because of a sense of duty let it go. It can either bless someone else (charity shop, Facebook free pages or Marketplace, Freegle or Olio) or it can reduce the burden on you and go into bin or recycling.

Whilst I can admire clutter free minimalist homes I don't think I could live in one. We put things down on a flat surface and it could be days, weeks or even months before it finds its way back to its proper place. I like mementoes and memories where I can see them, not hidden away in cupboards and drawers.

I am naturally untidy, and I only clean when it really needs it, but I know where everything is and I can live with the clutter. If visitors choose to just drop in they have to take us as they find us; dust, dog hair and cobwebs included!

As I think I mentioned on another thread I write a To Do List at the start of each year. This year it includes sorting out our two lofts, three sheds and my craft room.

DH says I should throw out or give away the crafting materials and tools I no longer need or use. This includes thousands of pounds worth of precious and semi-precious stones, gold and silver findings, PMC clay and a mini kiln from my jewellery making days, together with boxes of unsold jewellery. Top quality mohair fabric for teddy bears. Boxes of card and paper for cards and stationery and so much more. And as for the boxes and boxes and boxes of fabric and over 400 reels of ribbon...... need I say more! He has no idea how much they have cost over the years, and I don't intend to tell him! I don't know what I'll do with it all but it will be hard to let it go.

The sheds are (mostly) his domain. Boxes and drawers full of rusty old tools etc. Tins of paint that are from our last house! Boxes of greetings cards from family going back 30 years perhaps. Lots of boxes of photos. And then there's the books, hundreds of them. Charity shops don't want books now. And you can bet your life that as soon as he throws something out he finds a need for it.

I have to feel fit and energised to tackle decluttering and at the moment days like that are few and far between. Roll on the Spring. Ask me in 6 months how it's going and chances are it won't have gone very far! Putting the Christmas decorations away is my only target this week. I'm considering turning our summerhouse into a storage space for all the Christmas stuff (my Christmas Village included) rather than the garden furniture which we rarely use.

Oh well, must get back to stripping the tree!

PS. Sorry for the long response. I'm a bit of a waffler aren't I!

FannyCornforth

What has everyone done with their dvds?

I tend to buy DVD’s and not get round to watching them. Same with books . And I used to video lots of things which, again, I want to watch. I feel that if I throw videos out they’ll just end up in landfill and I feel guilty about that so they remain on shelves or in boxes.

FannyCornforth

What has everyone done with their dvds?

Loads of them in posh boxes taking up room in a small cupboard that we don't need. CDs in boxes too, most not mine.
I got rid of 45s and LPs before they became collectable ?

spabbygirl I work to the creative piles method. It is written up by Sheila Chandra - Organising for Creative People.

I try to get a visit from a declutterer once a year. thanks to covid havn't had one for 2 yars now a new one is coming Friday.

It does help me to have a plan devised in partnership with a professional.

How about a kind of hobbies trolley that you could wheel out of the way Fanny and even cover with fabric? Maybe with baskets in it for your craft stuff?

What has everyone done with their dvds?

I’m going to give a lot of things to my dad to ‘look after’ for me, I think.
He has loads of room and lives alone, and the house will be mine eventually (hopefully a long, long way off)…

I live in a 1930’s two bed semi.
I have two small bedrooms (his and hers) an extended kitchen to incorporate a small table.
No -I definitely don’t have any unnecessary furniture!
I know that I’ve made the most that I can with it.
It’s just that it can’t contain my arts and crafts things, books, clothes etc that others with larger houses could and do easily contain.

I'm of the "That might come in useful" and " Wonder if that's worth anything?" mentality which I struggle to overcome.

Lucca

Calistemon

tread - thread

Thought you’d gone all Irish on us ……

It's watching The Tourist wot done it.

Before anyone says anything, I know he's from Belfast and that's more South.

Thank you, Calistemon I'll try that Re books, I take mine to Age UK, buy there as well, cheapest around, win win

I’m throwing out the grandchildrens baby toys as we speak.

I've thrown a lot out to the charity shops, given some away but when I suggested giving away some Fisher Price toys my youngest DGC immediately got them out and started playing with them again.

Calistemon

tread - thread

Thought you’d gone all Irish on us ……

Lol. Oh dear. I’m messy. But having a huge clear out. I’m doing a cross between the thirty day black bin liner challenge and the Swedish death clear out. I’m not tidy so I’ve decided to get rid of clutter. Day three of the black bin liner challenge. I’m throwing out the grandchildrens baby toys as we speak.

tread - thread

There's a tread about being overly sentimental about possessions.

I think that's me - much of my "stuff" has memories attached to it, either inherited, someone gave it to me, or it holds a memory of someone or somewhere.

Then I wonder ifI might throw out something then see it on the ARS valued at thousands of pounds, the new owner saying they picked it up for £2 in a charity shop ?

I doubt that, somehow.

Furniture is a good place to start Lucca.
I think I said before, you need to look for horizontal lines to make the room look longer or wider. So keep sideboards, and remove little cabinets and clutter. You can follow this through with striped rugs, curtains and cushions. If you choose vertical stripes it can make the room look taller too if that's what you want.

i think that you can be a bit cluttered at home but keep a clean house, it's when messy becomes unwashed dishes, piles of rubbish, a dirty cooker, fridge, microwave etc then there is a serious issue needing sorted. I never feel relaxed in a minimalist, magazine styled house, I always feel that to relax in that you are interfering with the "look" someone has achieved.

And any other unnecessary possessions?

FannyCornforth

I think that I need to look at ‘small living spaces’ on YouTube and Pinterest for inspiration.
Any thoughts please?

Do you have any unnecessary furniture taking up space?

I think that I need to look at ‘small living spaces’ on YouTube and Pinterest for inspiration.
Any thoughts please?