De-cluttering, the never-ending process

maybee that is a very good use of your savings and it will mean less work in future. Well done for that, it is a very important maintenance on your house and I am sure you will notice the difference in comfort next winter

Riverwalk

MerylStreep

Rosie51
Don’t believe the people who want you to believe, dig a little deeper. I’ve been speaking to Rag collectors for 7 years.
There’s no point in me relating anecdotal conversations but here is an article from an ethical organisation who do know

what’s going on.
If you don’t wish to read the whole article scroll down to the picture on the left ( bales of clothing)
The paragraph that starts As the book Clothing Poverty

www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/what-happens-to-donated-clothes/

Worse than the picture of the bales of clothing is the one of the clothing in the landfill site in Ghana! 'Dead whites clothing'.

We've had conversations on this a number of times - am I right in thinking that the consensus is that any clothes that aren't up to date and top condition should just go in the bin, then they will be incinerated which will make fuel, or at least go into landfill in this country?

I think we mentioned previously the clothing in landfill in the Atacama Desert in Chile, shown on a Simon Reeve programme last year, much of it produced by manufacturers but never sold and worn.

Had a quote for replacing my windows and am going to replace most of them. Means I can’t have the porch rebuilt but I’m having a new front door which negates the need to have the porch redone (I was losing heat through the porch which was just thin glass). They can’t do the work for a couple of months but in that time I can work my way through the house. It was a relief realising that the windows had to be replaced and that I could have brown outside and white inside. I couldn’t face the thought of having more brown windows inside. The living room will have to stay brown but they’re mostly covered by curtains. Thank goodness I have some savings and lead quite a simple lifestyle. And I’m also using a company that are highly recommended. Feel as though I’m getting somewhere at last.

Forgot to add, in places like Ghana any clothes that do end up in street markets, rather than landfill, are ruining the trade of local manufacturers.

MerylStreep

Rosie51
Don’t believe the people who want you to believe, dig a little deeper. I’ve been speaking to Rag collectors for 7 years.
There’s no point in me relating anecdotal conversations but here is an article from an ethical organisation who do know

what’s going on.
If you don’t wish to read the whole article scroll down to the picture on the left ( bales of clothing)
The paragraph that starts As the book Clothing Poverty

www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/what-happens-to-donated-clothes/

Worse than the picture of the bales of clothing is the one of the clothing in the landfill site in Ghana! 'Dead whites clothing'.

We've had conversations on this a number of times - am I right in thinking that the consensus is that any clothes that aren't up to date and top condition should just go in the bin, then they will be incinerated which will make fuel, or at least go into landfill in this country?

I totally understand about batteries, I also have too many and am slowly not replacing them. I have a whole box of them in my garage

I did buy some very good lights via amazon last winter. They can be carried around or just remain in a stand and have movement sensors, can be permanently on or off. They switch on automtically with movement and are simple re-charged via usb in a plug. Batteries are needed here for the remotes and especially for the smoke alarms and I have one massive torch (like a cosh) and a smaller bright one. Then there are the tiny circular batteries for weighing scales and garage door. Batteries with N and S ends last much longer if the ends do not touch each other, I keep those in small boxes for now

Thanks fancy that. I have sorted them now. The problem was those little torches that take three small batteries. It dawned on me that if I knew that two of the batteries were new I could just add another one and I’d know if it was ok. Most of them were. I’ve been so worried about having working torches this winter that I’ve been changing batteries quite frequently. My house can be a total mess and it’s something like batteries that drive me nuts.

Sorry, cant find it.

I used to have a battery tester that worked. But it was one I purchased about 10 years ago.
It would say whether the battery was green[great], amber[limited power left] or red[no use].
I have had a google but not that surprisingly, I cant find a similar one at the moment.
I will have a look again at some point. But I dont hold out too much hope.

So stressed because I’d arranged for someone to paint my windows so was cleaning them but realised some of them had gone rotten and need replacing. I’d also reached a point where so many things needed doing on the house my head was spinning. Thankfully someone came round yesterday and we went through everything that needed doing and devised a plan of action and today I can focus again. But todays problem is batteries. I often put new batteries in something and it still doesn’t work and I’m never sure if it’s the batteries that are no good, so I end up keeping them. It’s usually torches.I have got a battery tester but it doesn’t really work properly. I’ve spoken to other people who have said they’ve never found a battery tester that actually works. I’m tempted to just take them all to the supermarket for recycling and just keep the ones that I know are new. I don’t quite know how I’ve accumulated so many batteries…

I have finished for a while now, this last stage was very satisfying, tiring but easy and quite a few things have gone. I still have a stack of felting kits downstairs, for cs and I added assorted seagrass storage containers and hemp containers suitable for drawer dividing, again for cs. The last black bag is in the hall ready for cloth bank at recycling site today

All this has made me more mindful wrt my clothes and my future sewing will be aimed at upgrading/replacing what I have in my wardrobe but replacing with better. I have not touched my precious fabric stash as it is all good quality

I am surprised at how psychologically easy it was this time, when my first wardrobe effort was so hard. Next time may well be at summer-winter changeover

Now can anyone tell me why I cannot let a lovely le creuset tagine go, could it be that it might be useful one day

Finished for today and shower next to get freshened to meet a new friends group this afternoon. Very satisfying today and no hesitation with everything that I donated or threw out.

Appreciating that the most liked hanging clothes are ones I carefully made to fit me, mostly linen. Equivalent of 4 black bags worth has gone

Drawers will be done during this week, easy compared to wardrobe depths

Oh yes heavenleigh, I so agree with you about giving to charity.

Personally I know I could sell the 3 pair of unworn wider fit shoes that I have just bagged up for the salvation army but there is something fundamentally nice about giving away

On my break now, having spent a couple of hours on wardobe and `hidden` box storage. I already have some items of clothing that I am recycling as well as shoes. I have to be pleased with myself this year as I have no `new` items of ready made clothing, nor any need for more storage boxes and in fact might have some spare at the end of this session. I know I am doing well, judging by the number of empty clothes hangers, saved over the year

It isn`t just de-cluttering right now, it is combined with`do I wear it?` `will I wear it?` `does it fit?` Is it too big now?` and if in doubt then I will keep for one more year. If during that thought process, I end up with a clearer direction and a de-cluttered wardrobe, then well and good. It certainly is not a quick fix

I am writing lists this time, they will be stuck inside a wardrobe door, with washi tape which will not mark the paintwork

I have moved home 9 times since child. Two marriages there will be one more move to downsize within next couple of years each time and decluttered, I’m quite sentimental and have hard job to get rid of things especially things from grandchildren 🤣and cards from family on big birthdays, etc. I need several trunks to keep them in. I would love in some respects to be a minimalist but it will never be me, I love things. Wouldn’t go as far as saying I’m a hoarder though, although some people might say I am. Don’t like a lot of ornaments pictures, nick nacks. I must admit when I have a good clear out it’s a great feeling to give to charity, and they are always happy to receive good quality items,

Plastic coathangers.
Does anyone know what to do with them? The charity shops don't want them.

I was going to send in a search and rescue party if you didn’t return from the innards of your wardrobe, Karma!

I’ve sorted through two drawers and a sideboard cupboard today. There isn’t much to throw out, having only recently moved here, but I found a few things which had been mislaid and threw away some old paperwork.

I know, I know, once I get something in my head, I always want to get started, it is my capricorn nature

Wardrobe prep is done and two elfa units have become one tall unit, minus one solid top and minus 1 set of castors, using a piece of wood and rubber mallet. The hanging rail is only 2cm above that and only the right interior alcove has been used. Much better. All the elfa trays are back in and so is everything else, stuffed back into the wardrobe. No wasted space on that side now

There is a lot to be be removed tomorrow but I need a fresh head for that and need to work out what to do with all my shoes ie to store them compactly

I do know that there is a lot to go to the cs this week and for the next couple of weeks

I am gearing up for tomorrow as I want to bottom clean my wardrobe. Built in with a dark interior space on each side, I bought 2 elfa units, each with wire mesh gliding storage drawers, a shelf on top and castors. One unit on each side, allowing for shorter garments to hang on top

I cannot easily get into each side so the wardrobe is well overdue for a de-clutter and I might de-clutter one of those units. Wish me luck, I will either spring out of bed looking forward to it, or not

The Dunelm furniture take back is only selected large stores though.

karmalady

Gosh I worked hard this morning and did not wake up with that in mind. I changed bedding to linen for summer and in process went through my bedding store cupboard. I have had enough of the `superior` flannel bedding bought not so long ago from the linen cupboard. Always carefully washed but became hard , rough and not pleasant to sleep in

All that make of flannel has been binned. The older northern nights from qvc a long time ago is still nice, soft and usable so that will be my go-to for next autumn. The flannel I got rid of was bulky and has left a nice big space in my cupboard.

Dunelm is taking bedding of all kinds.
Presumably it will all be recycled in some way or another. We took a nearly new summer/winter down and feather king-size duvet, other single duvets plus a lot of unwanted sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers.
There was a large cage in the foyer.

Looking at the link, Dunelm will take a lot of other household goods too.

www.dunelm.com/info/about/take-back-scheme

Another de-cluttering stage starts. I have 2 x 3` hypnos hideaway beds side by side and thay each have very big storage underneath, a bit awkward as it means hands and knees work but one area at a time

I saw a clothes moth and have been on lakeland site twice already, only for ziplock and packmate vacuum bags, free p and p this weekend. I intend to leave a blowup single aero bed at the far end of one storage space, plus my accordian, leaving ample space for layers of vaccuumed packmate. Duvets, spare bed bedding, winter woollens etc. It has to be one area at a time or I will be boggled

Lesson learned, I need to leave a handy list in there too

The summer changeover has started and some unsmart winter trousers are gone this morning. Yay, I feel energised to get going again with plenty to do this weekend

german shepherd dog, the kit went to a delighted assistant at the cs. I brought the other 4 kits downstairs, to annoy me into taking them to cs,. They are lovely but I decided that I didn`t like felting and don`t want more ornaments

karmalady

I don’t want any more ornaments, particularly the gsd that will be first to go to cs

What is ‘gsd’ please?

When we had house clearers in for what we thought was MIL's tat TanaMa they actually paid us when they got under her stairs. What we thought was rubbish she had been buying up at car boots etc. was collectable China, old firms from Newcastle and places that are no longer in existence. We feel the same as you.

Have been de cluttering off and on taking much to Charity shops and warm clothes to local 'assistance centre for young people. However, on watching one of the t.v. auction programmes, was astonished to see similar/the same articles I had given away fetching, in some instances, quite large sums if money!! Wished I knrw mote about antiques!