30 bags in 30 days decluttering method

Can I put corroded batteries into the bins they have in shops for old ones? I do seem to have a lot of old batteries. I’m never sure that something isn’t working because it’s broken or the batteries are dead so I tend to hang onto them.

Pittcity

I watched the Stacey Solomon programme last night. Does anyone, except for those who are on social media, actually live with everything in neatly labelled boxes?

A lot of stuff is in boxes but not neatly labelled.

I can't promise to do a bag a day but some days I could fill a bin bag, others very little or nothing. Yesterday I had a good turnout of old clothes and old toiletries.

Before Christmas we sorted out toys and bags of other items to take to the charity shop.

I find difficulty getting rid of things that have sentimental value, items the DC gave us, old books, old china from DM and DMIL even if I don't really still want them.

Pittcity

I volunteer in a charity shop.😀We hardly bin anything. There are people who will pay by weight for clothing, shoes, books and bric a brac. This is mostly recycled and makes a few pounds for the charity.

I second that.

Even though it is a few years since I worked at a charity shop, we took in all sorts as we could get money from such people as 'the rag man'.

If you don't think clothing could be donated to the charity shop because it is damaged, take it anyway. Admittedly, this is 1980s prices, but we used to get £1.50 per bag (a bit bigger than the black bin bags) of clothing. Just make sure it is clean first - you don't want to know what kind of 'things' we "sorters" had to deal with!

Books brought in a few pennies from recycling so don't worry if they're a bit tatty. Just check with the shop if they accept books etc for recycling.

Many charities do home collection but often only for furniture or large items. Locally, Heart Foundation, Barnados and the Sally Army are the ones that spring to mind.

I often ask what the charity is accepting donations of when I drop of a bag off. That way I know who will take what and save myself lugging it around from place to place. No easy task now I don't drive!

Freegle is good for 'getting rid' of a lot of usable clutter, if the charity shops aren't interested - so long as you are comfortable with people coming to the house to collect it from you.

If you want to try and make a few pennies, car boots, vinted and ebay are good - just make sure you haven't chucked out things that could work as packaging, lol.

Another avenue to get shot of things that are in good nick but you can't/don't want to sell or the charities won't take them - pile them by the gate with a sign "free to a good home". A lot of people do that where I live and nothing seems to be out there for long!

There's an organisation near me (Hampshire) that takes old tools - hand tools as well as power - cleans them up/repairs them then sends them out to Third World countries. Well worth a quick google to see if there's an organisation like that near you.

I am constantly sorting out and have always got a carrier bag waiting to go to the hospice shop. Strangely though I don't seem to gain any space!
I made my husband watch the Stacey Solomon show the other day as he will not part with anything. It didn't have any effect! He gave up work after having a stroke 12 years ago but we still have a double wardrobe full of suits, shirts and ties. Along with about 30 pairs of shoes that don't fit now that his feet are always swollen and over 100 pairs of socks that won't fit anymore. He will not let me send any of this to charity as he might need them one day!
I'm not an angel though as I have about 300 books waiting to be read and boxes full of craft stuff that I'm slowly using up.
I will try the one bag a week system though.

Nice to see lots of you are making progress . It’s so frustrating though when you can’t always take your stuff to somewhere suitable for recycling etc.

Day 4 - lots of paperwork sorted. I feel I’ve cheated a bit though as some of it was just household admin which everyone has to cope with - not just we hoarders!

Among the stuff were newspaper cuttings of recipes and exercise routines which will never be practised, so, at least those were what I call “clutter”.

I live on my own and hardly ever cook fancy meals and I’m too lazy to do any exercise - so, out they go!

I've only done 2 bags, must try harder😬

I have excess pots of paint, brushes - was thinking of binning, however elder GC came round to paint school project last night, so we're still hoarding.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202301/medium-448744-20230127-134241.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202301/medium-672161-20230127-134250.jpg

Day 2: I took these to the village recycling hub only to find the clothing banks have been removed! We used to have a dog bin, tetrapak container, clothing/textile bins and bottle banks. First, the dog bin went, next it was the tetrapak bin. (Local authority explained that people were putting the 'wrong thing's into it. I hope it wasn't in response to the loss of the dog bin but it wouldn't surprise me 😳) and now the clothing bins have gone. Now I have a ten mile journey to dispose of my two bags. As it happens, I did take a few bottles down tho the local hub.... just one or two, you know... 😇
I also found a couple of £1 coins in the pocket of a pair of jeans I was taking for recycling. I've kept them! 😂

As I have said before, clearing the stuff out is not my problem - it's how to get rid of it. There are not many options available here in Germany. I could dump some in the rubbish, but our rubbish is charged extra if we exceed the 13 wheelie bins a year. Charity shops do not exist, at least not within 40 km of where I live.

Selling each individual item on eBay is very tedious.

I have heard that there are some local groups on various neighbourhood websites where you can offer stuff but there were about 20 people registered last time I looked at ours. The small ads in the local paper are always several pages, but I've never had any luck there. Car boot sales have gone out of fashion since COVID.

I'm in too although I would like to make my goal one bag a week. Sizes can vary and may include refuse bags. I am a perfectionist and even decluttering involves making decisions which I have trouble making and developing some system type of a system with a hierarchy and a rationale. Because I can't live up to these impossibly high standards I tend to procrastinate. BUT I am happy to be part of this group!

I label my boxes, makes life and sorting so much easier. Freezer drawers too and I don`t have to search for contents. Matching boxes collected over a long time. Really useful, make of boxes, in garage and craft cupboards. Curver with lids in living areas

Well I have made a start!

I have booked a slot at Oxfam for donations on Monday and have also 2 friends coming to help go through papers which have become too daunting a task. My late DH was keen to rescue archives from landfill but so far I have had no joy in finding who should be keeping them now

During lockdown my poor DD had a fire in an uninsured barn/ garage where much of their belongings were being stored between houses.
She was so relieved that noone was hurt, and said that it was just "stuff" and told people who kindly offered her money to donate it instead to a homeless charity. I am very proud of my girl.

I started on January 1st following a thread on Mumsnet.
Day 1 one item ,day 2 get rid of 2 items etc.
16 items a day over the month. I’m struggling now as I didn’t have much stuff to start with.

Old receipts, job applications,contracts, payslips all gone after years of being filed away.

I was inspired by The Gentle Art Of Swedish Death Cleaning a while ago and made a start but ground to a halt…

Yes, I think I kept them at first because they represented a lot of work, but for 30odd years? If I ever need to look something up now, I’m sure google will help me.

Doodledog

I've just binned two lever arch files of notes from university in 1986 . I resisted the temptation to read through them all (they were all hand written) but glanced at the exam papers, complete with notes and scribbles, and rings around the ones I (presumably) answered. I have no idea why I kept them, but they must have been in three houses, unopened.

I got rid of mine - and my A Level ones a few years ago. I think Id kept them because they represented years of my work - and in some ways also lost hopes for the career I'd trained for and never really had. Even though I had decided I didn't like it!!

alcohol. I never drink it, don`t like it and off it went this afternoon. Down the sink. Empty bottles out with the recycling.

I’ve never been a hoarder fortunately. When I’ve done with it off it goes. I always prefer to give to charity or use freecycle rather than just tip. My motto is ‘use things, love people’ it’s just stuff. Memories are in our hearts not stuff.

My husband was a great clearer out and I tend to be more of a hoarder and get very anxious about letting anyone else sort my stuff out. So we had a scheme where he sorted through a drawer or cupboard but put all the stuff to go for me to look through. I then rescued things like the hoover bags or the spare or extra bag or whatever, but basically was happy for stuff to go when I had had a quick look over . Sadly I am now a widow and moved last year so that at present it is an effort to just get through each day but I know there are lots of things that I should get rid of, and hope that when the weather improves I will feel up to getting started. I do recycle stuff and get rid of the everyday stuff but it is the things that I have brought from my house which I just cannot sort out right now.

tattygran14

If you're worried about getting bulky stuff out of your loft, try putting it in a duvet cover, and lowering it down gently. Much safer than trying to hold it when you're on a ladder.

Where have you been getting tips tattygran? That's how I was cleared out by a burglar in my last house it was his Trade mark, he took your cover off and then systematically went around your house. I used to lower things from the tiny mezzanine on the stairs in the other house or shove a big box down an old carpet with DD standing at the bottom to catch it.
Only joking but it is true and your tip is a good one.

DH died 8 months ago. Been having a clear out since and have easily exceeded 30 carrier bags. Would the "stuff" from a 30'x10' workshop plus an 8x10 garden shed count?

Where we live Diabetes’s Society collect from the driveway once a month,maybe phone them——— I look at stuff and say “would my children like this,if NO out it goes,don’t want them
to have to clear out my stuff.Good luck everybody,start slowly
& think how lovely a tidy house will be,less work in the future.

I always have a charity shop bag on the go and still there is more . I just got rid of loads of clothes when I realised I couldn’t access what I wanted easily from my wardrobe draws and my ironed and folded stuff was getting creased because too much stuff . I like my clothes but some don’t owe me anything as had them 20 years and worn regularly I too am on a don’t buy any more until used up snd my husbands and with food . This sounds nerdy but actually put the date I bought them on in black felt tip and now the price to compare with a year ago and it’s amazing how much stuff has increased -a lot by 30% too . If it’s not used - out it goes to be recycled or given away . Been told a few times no more toys especially plastic so just get the grandkids useful new clothes and books now a days and daughters in law mostly vouchers . My husband got a £50 Film voucher for Xmas - no clutter , useful anx even using the used plastic card cut into strips to clean my penny whistle . I try .

If you're worried about getting bulky stuff out of your loft, try putting it in a duvet cover, and lowering it down gently. Much safer than trying to hold it when you're on a ladder.

I sorted out a full black bag of clothes to go to the charity shop early last year.

It's still in the boot of my car...

lizzypopbottle

One down, 29 days to go. Textile recycling bin next. There's one in the village.

Just been to ours with 4 bags full does that court as four days?
Christmas paper and ribbon drawer tomorrow,