Thread: AS: Decluttering support Board: Limbo / Ship of Fools.


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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Here's a thread for those of us who wish to declutter.

Let's celebrate our small and large successes in the battle of the piles!

Here are some quotes to get us going -


"If you look at your entire house as one unit of junk,
you'll never do anything because the job is too overwhelming.
Take it one drawer at a time."
Janet Luhrs


"Clutter-clearing is modern-day alchemy."
Denise Linn


"Clutter is stuck energy.
The word "clutter" derives from the Middle English word "clotter,"
which means to coagulate -
and that's about as stuck as you can get."
Karen Kingston


"Don't own so much clutter
that you will be relieved to see your house catch fire."
Wendell Berry


"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know
to be useful or believe to be beautiful."
William Morris


"Less is more."
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (architect)


"In order to seek one's own direction,
one must simplify the mechanics of ordinary, everyday life."
Plato



[ 28. May 2013, 14:31: Message edited by: Belisarius ]
 

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Posted by Amos (# 44) on :
 
The men from the second-hand bookshop came and carted away thirty carrier bags of carefully culled books this morning. They left a cheque for several hundred pounds and we have regained some shelf-space.

There's still a mountain of Dickensian proportions to deal with from room to room, but I feel as if we've begun to achieve something.

[ 17. August 2011, 09:06: Message edited by: Amos ]
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
a favorite blog.

she goes further than I'd like, but it's good inspiration.
 

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Posted by Earwig (# 12057) on :
 
Oh, this is a useful thread for me! I need to organise and declutter my craft stash. I have lots of fabric, wool, printmaking stuff and goodness knows what under my bed.

In my back garden, I have a studio. I know, it's very cool. I just need to properly waterproof the studio before I can store my fabric and wool in there - otherwise, things get mouldy.

And then I want to organise a stash bash in town - there's a community art studio near where I live, and I've been thinking about booking it one Saturday and inviting people to come and give away fabric etc that they don't want from their own stashes, and pick up others they do want. Like swishing for crafters. And perhaps people could pay a couple of quid to enter and the money could go towards a sewing machine for someone in a developing country.
 

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Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
I've just taken delivery and assembled this tiny clothes rail which fits in the space behind the door, so I will be able to hang up my "active" clothes instead of leaving them on the floor!
 

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Posted by Chelley (# 11322) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Boogie:

Let's celebrate our small and large successes in the battle of the piles!

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That's surely got to be one for the quotes file!

Aside from that - a very timely one for me too - have been trying to declutter the garage and the study. I think it gets worse before it gets better - the hall is evidence of that at the moment!
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Earwig - what a great idea! Let us know how it goes.

I have 'done' our cutlery drawers today - we are now crumb free! I'll never forget when a 'friend' at a party said 'Oh, I'm so glad we're not the only ones with crumby cutlery drawers'


 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I was about to post with confidence that we don't have crumby cutlery drawers, and just went to check. Of course, what I seldom do is actually get the cutlery out... once I did that I realised that we do have crumbs in them but I'm glad to say we don't any more.

What I do have is a pile of paperwork awaiting my attention in the spare room. I bought some more files when I was grocery shopping this morning. I just need some motivation and it's much easier just to have another cup of coffee...

OK, Nen, sign off and get to it.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Don't - yesterday we hit my daughter's bedroom, the one that was full of all the stuff from university and various other things (like Ship's mugs under her bed) We've boxed up things like her kitchen equipment and her university notes, both of which will move back out with her, hopefully, and put it away at the back of a cupboard. But the hall now has various things for recycling and the sitting room now has the Traidcraft* boxes which have been supplanted under my bed by the Ship's mugs!

I used to be much, much better, but working two part time jobs for the past couple of years has meant that I haven't had any regular time slots for dealing with anything When I worked Monday to Friday, post and paperwork that arrived stayed next to my bed and was dealt with on Saturday morning; I took a mug of tea or coffee back to bed with me. Then Saturday mornings were for cleaning and anything else that needed doing.

Hardly being around means that the 15 minutes poddling around tidying things hasn't happened, it still does when I'm here, and living in a first floor flat means vacuuming and putting on the washing machine can be positively anti-social.

* someone else is taking that Traidcraft on, when I've sorted it, it leaves the flat forever! I need to lose some of the voluntary stuff to keep me sane and have time to keep on top of things
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
How does this differ from the thread in Heaven (of which you are all aware)?

Answers on a postcard before 0900 EDT (Canada).

PeteC
tealess grumpy AS Host
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
This time next week, our household will halve in numbers. My youngest daughter and her BF are leaving for o'seas - daughter to Europe for 5 months with a girlfriend, hippy BF to India for 2 months to live in an ashram. Being a true child of mine, she is a crafter. She has dozens of projects in train at any given time. As do I. THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING IN A COTTAGE!!!!

So, I am itching to invade the space she will vacate. Unfortunately she is leaving half a household of stuff behind her. I have negotiated that her bedroom will become the craft store while she is gone, so that I can renovate a) the entry, which is full of her craft junk; b) the laundry, which is full of her housewares
c) my bedroom, which is full of my craft junk and d) the bathroom, which is full to overflowing with her modelling stuff.

She is appalled at the thought I might touch any of her precious things, even though she will not be paying rent while she's away. Hoarding and shopping on-line are two of her comfort reflexes. I am SO going to box everything I can, when she's gone.

Is it very, very wrong of me to want her to find and marry a European while she's away, so she can inflict all this on someone else???? I so very much want my own studio space. And her room would be perfect.
 

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Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Chelley:
Aside from that - a very timely one for me too - have been trying to declutter the garage and the study. I think it gets worse before it gets better - the hall is evidence of that at the moment!

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quote:

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Originally posted by PeteC:
How does this differ from the thread in Heaven (of which you are all aware)?

Answers on a postcard before 0900 EDT (Canada).

PeteC
tealess grumpy AS Host

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quote:

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Originally posted by Boogie:
"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."
William Morris

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I sometimes worry that if I follow this one to its logical conclusion I'll have to evict myself.
 

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Posted by tessaB (# 8533) on :
 
A very timely thread for me.
I have just started sorting out the study. Before it was a room that nobody was allowed in. There was so much stuff all over the floor and desk and cupboard that I couldn't actually sweep the floor or get rid of the cobwebs in the corners.
Now, although there is still a lot of stuff to be filed, the floor is swept, the cobwebs are gone and beloved husband no longer sneezes when he is on the computer here.
I recommend having four boxes as you sort. One for rubbish, one for recycling, one for shredding and one with stuff to be kept and filed when you can reach the filing cabinet
One room down, seven to go.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
*hands Pete a soothing cup of tea*

As with most of my life over the past year, my decluttering is earthquake related. There are small cracks in every room of the house except the toilet, and insurance will pay to have them repapered or repainted. Because of the decorators' insurance all the furniture and stuff has to be packed and put into storage for 3 weeks.

My insurance will only cover the moving and storage of items of insurable value, hence stuff like my collection of calendars (for craft work) has to be weeded out to be stored elsewhere. Also I got rid of a bookcase so I have recycled two large boxes of books.

I am in a bit of a panic about it all, and am hoping I can hire someone who has the ability to hep me think it through.

Huia
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
*hands Huia a soothing cup of tea*

Huia, your sorting problems put all ours into perspective. Especially when the only safe room is the toilet, and there's never any guarantee the plumbing will be unaffected each time there's another tremor.

May you find EXACTLY the right person to help you with your packing. Lord, please send Huia the compadre she needs!
Amen.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
*Cups of tea all round, especially to PeteC *

Huia - I can't begin to imagine such upheaval - will be thinking of you

My cupboard of the day is a corner cupboard in the kitchen. A difficult one full of baskets, boards and sundry stuff. We host quite a lot of dinner parties as Mr Boogie runs a charity and we often have friends round too - but none of our stuff matches, so that's not a problem. But this cupboard is so cluttered stuff falls on the floor when you open it.

So culling must occur!
 

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Posted by Earwig (# 12057) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Earwig:
In my back garden, I have a studio. I know, it's very cool. I just need to properly waterproof the studio before I can store my fabric and wool in there - otherwise, things get mouldy.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Huia:
Earwig I just had my garage re-roofed. It was definitely worh doing as messy things can go in there.

I have found a young woman to help - I don't know her but she sounded OK on the phone - coming Saturday.

Huia

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I know someone who could have helped but she's in Hawkes Bay. She's just done it over here for her sister who was moving back to NZ after death of her partner. She couldn't toss quite a bit of stuff till friend helped her sort. She is a long time friend of mine.
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Mmmm. I have done this for friends too - easy to be logical about creating space when it's not your stuff and you don't have sentimental attachments to any of it. Much harder to do it for oneself!

Usually I leave it until it's so annoying I can't stand it any more. I truly admire people who do maintenance tidying every day to keep on top of things like paperwork. I tell myself if I just deleted 20 e-mails every day from my inbox it wouldn't be so hard to find things, but never keep to it. So there's a 10 minute per day habit I am failing utterly at!
 

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Posted by Avila (# 15541) on :
 
Okay so I have discovered the floor in my study adn have been inspired to get a 'proper' filing system going.

I tried in the past but the suspension files available don't fit the width of the filing cabinet. So now I am looking at getting one of those metal frames that sit inside the draw - but very few options, and HOW MUCH???

All I want is too be able to put files inside the filing cabinet - is that too much to ask?
 

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Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
Some great ideas here...

(am sitting in a hideously messy study, but I can blame my husband for that... except that I keep moving all our random piles and bit here when we do a tidy up... )

I'll be lurking on this thread as we have to face

a) dealing with sorting out my recently deceased mother's stuff (and she was seperated from my dad but they never seperated their finances/stuff so this will likely be a nightmare)

b) sorting out our 3 bed house full of stuff so that we can take 23kg each in suitcases to emigrate to the UK (eep!).

Prayers welcome!
 

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Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Avila:
Okay so I have discovered the floor in my study adn have been inspired to get a 'proper' filing system going.

I tried in the past but the suspension files available don't fit the width of the filing cabinet. So now I am looking at getting one of those metal frames that sit inside the draw - but very few options, and HOW MUCH???

All I want is too be able to put files inside the filing cabinet - is that too much to ask?

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Don't give up on the suspension files yet. I once got caught out buying them too small, and only then discovered that they come in more than one size. The smaller size is usually A4, the larger size Foolscap, but there are other sizes as well.

This page on ebay has some useful information. Also, check out an office supplies shop like Staples first.

Of course, you may already have done all this, and just have a weird filing cabinet.
 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Unclutterer.com is good. Erin Doland, who posts there, has a good book on the subject. And there's a good e-mail newsletter, for free.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Golden Key:
Unclutterer.com is good. Erin Doland, who posts there, has a good book on the subject. And there's a good e-mail newsletter, for free.

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Thanks Golden Key - going there now!

The corner cupboard is sorted - a full black bin bag of rubbish given away/recycled/thrown!

I dare not tackle the pan cupboard as that is Mr Boogie's domain (he's the cook round here). We have double of everything since we cleared out MILs house, so it could do with a declutter.

So I am moving on to my study/office/studio. First, the bookshelves. Well, one shelf will be more than enough for today.


 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Never upset the cook!
 

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Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Avila:
Okay so I have discovered the floor in my study adn have been inspired to get a 'proper' filing system going.

I tried in the past but the suspension files available don't fit the width of the filing cabinet. So now I am looking at getting one of those metal frames that sit inside the draw - but very few options, and HOW MUCH???

All I want is too be able to put files inside the filing cabinet - is that too much to ask?

---

This is your chance to get rid of suspension files!! They are horrible, take ages to label up and waste space. Just get normal folders that fit in the cabinet, and prop them up at the back with some small empty boxes or something (some people use magnetic bookends, and there are apparently some mythical types of file cabs which have a metal plate which you can slide back and forth)
 

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Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
A couple of links I came across:

letter from a "Reverend" on how he used GTD (Attention Lamb Chopped!!)

A UK-centric post about filing supplies
 

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Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Oh dear, way too complicated for Rev. Lamb (and even for me, too). But we've made a start here. And a weekend is coming up.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
OK, so the cleaning/sorting marathon starts in 3 hours time The friend who re-roofed the garage is coming to sweep it out and take some stuff to Dogwatch (old blankets) and the transfer station.

The decisions on what goes where are really important as I want to be able to unpack and sort easily otherwise the house will be even messier when it's unpacked.

Huia
 

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Posted by Avila (# 15541) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by ecumaniac:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Avila:
Okay so I have discovered the floor in my study adn have been inspired to get a 'proper' filing system going.

I tried in the past but the suspension files available don't fit the width of the filing cabinet. So now I am looking at getting one of those metal frames that sit inside the draw - but very few options, and HOW MUCH???

All I want is too be able to put files inside the filing cabinet - is that too much to ask?

---

This is your chance to get rid of suspension files!! They are horrible, take ages to label up and waste space. Just get normal folders that fit in the cabinet, and prop them up at the back with some small empty boxes or something (some people use magnetic bookends, and there are apparently some mythical types of file cabs which have a metal plate which you can slide back and forth)

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I inherited flap folders with info with the cabinent and the office and they are fine for historical records but I want to be able to open a draw and put the paper in or pull in out without having to shuffle through the folders (as labels not visible) extract, paper in/out and return trying to get in the same place it came out of so that there is some logic to the system.

It may sound silly but what iis the difference between A4 and Foolscape? I am sure I have had notepads calling themselves foolscape and to all intents and purposes were A4.
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
A4 size is letter size. Foolscap is longer and is also known as legal size paper.

eta: not precisely equivalent, but near as can be.

[ 20. August 2011, 01:35: Message edited by: PeteC ]
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
A4 is 210mm x 297mm or (approximately) 8 and a quarter inches by 11 and 11 sixteenths. I don't have any foolscap to hand, but it's longer.

Well, Tracey (aka Wonderwoman ) has been and gone and it may surprise you to know I have floors in my house. With a friend of mine working in the garage too we filled a 40 gallon drum (standard size for oildrums here) and topped up the rubbish the recycling wheelie bins. Also I found a craft place for people with disabilities who can inherit all the craft stuff I really don't need but is too good just to biff

This is only a start, but it's a good one. My next step is to make sure I have labelled boxes for stuff and I just don't give up and end up mixing up where I put things.

The other happy result is that I won't have to buy paper tissues for at least the next 6 months

Oh, and Tracey is willing to come back if/when I need her.

Huia

[ 20. August 2011, 03:54: Message edited by: Huia ]
 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Another resource is "Dealing With Clutter", at the Univ. of Illinois Extension site. There's a link to a Spanish version, too.

About.com's "Holistic Healing" section has quite a few clutter-related articles, often working from a more-or-less New Age spiritual framework. Other sections of About have decluttering info, too.
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
Tomorrow is all about decluttering.

As I mentioned on the other thread, I have great trouble working at it alone, so my best friend is coming over to have lunch, and after lunch, she'll sit in a comfy chair and keep up my spirits while I sort through boxes for a couple hours. Keep-throw-give away. I'm not going to subject her to actual labor because she has arthritis and needs to recover from teaching all week. Besides it's my mess.

Then, I'll join another friend who is trying to complete a six month project of getting all her stuff out of her parents' house so it will be clear for leasing, basically keeping her company and maybe filling a few boxes.

At least the temps should be down about 10 degrees.
 

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Posted by Chelley (# 11322) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Nenya:
I was about to post with confidence that we don't have crumby cutlery drawers, and just went to check. Of course, what I seldom do is actually get the cutlery out... once I did that I realised that we do have crumbs in them but I'm glad to say we don't any more.

---

But how does this mysterious fact happen?? We put the cutlery in clean and we get it out to use still clean and yet the crumbs appear! (And they don't seem to appear in the other kitchen drawers so it can't be from crumbs escaping when the worktops are wiped!). This is a very important question for a Coeliac who in all other circumstances avoids gluten containing crumbs!)
 

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Posted by Chelley (# 11322) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by tessaB:

I recommend having four boxes as you sort. One for rubbish, one for recycling, one for shredding and one with stuff to be kept and filed when you can reach the filing cabinet

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I've been using this kind of system but had to get everything out of the study first (which is why the hall now contains a mountain of boxes and paper) so I could clean it and then put it back together one box of stuff at a time! That's the slow bit!
I did get the garage done though with the help of friend's son who lumped the heavier stuff around for me. A very therapeutic trip to the tip (well recycling centre) came out of that.
 

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Posted by Chelley (# 11322) on :
 
And I missed the edit window to add... Huia - great result!
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Huia

B4 leaves in two days. I am itching to purge!!!
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Banner Lady:
...I am itching to purge!!!

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I recommend antihistamine or a little ointment!

Which reminds me I must declutter the medical shelf.
 

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Posted by QLib (# 43) on :
 
I'm packing to move house at the moment (and still not entirely certain of destination ). In some ways, I'm paying the price for my clutter-propensity. On the other hand, I put a bag of old clothes and bedding out for charity collection a coupla three weeks ago, and no one came for it. I've just used it as padding for a box of Precious Things. So that just goes to show....
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:


As I mentioned on the other thread, I have great trouble working at it alone, so my best friend is coming over to have lunch, and after lunch, she'll sit in a comfy chair and keep up my spirits while I sort through boxes for a couple hours. Keep-throw-give away. I'm not going to subject her to actual labor because she has arthritis and needs to recover from teaching all week. Besides it's my mess.

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What a good friend – de-cluttering is SO boring it's a great idea to have someone to natter with while you are doing it.

I'm not so motivated today, so the timers will be out in force.

Today's job is to sort all my paints and canvasses - I paint so much and very few of them see the light of day so I paint over them in white matt to re-use them. I had no idea how many tubes of paint I had until I gathered them all in one place yesterday – it’s going to be great to have them all organised.


 

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Posted by Taliesin (# 14017) on :
 

quote:

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I've just used it as padding for a box of Precious Things. So that just goes to show....

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Nooooooooooooooo ... this is the argument mrTal uses when an article comes in useful 25 years after the last time. That bale of wire in the shed that came out his grandad's shed... 25 years ago... 10 metres of it used by artistic child... gone back in the !"£$%^&*! shed.

I am so not motivated today.
ANd I don't even got a timer.


ETA: so glad Huia, that all is progressing ok. Good luck.

[ 20. August 2011, 14:35: Message edited by: Taliesin ]
 

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Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
Once a week I have a few people (anywhere from one to six) coming over to watch DVDs about music theory and music history, a different once a week I have a few coming over to jam. Between them I am FORCED to clean up the living room twice a week. MAJOR CHANGE of behavior!

Maybe I need a weekly supper party so the dining room and kitchen would get cleaned up?

Janine inspired me. I said my house was too messy and too bad repair to have people over (doors fallen off some kitchen cabinets, flooring torn out but not replaced, etc., market ate the money I was going to use to fix it up); Janine said invite people anyway. So I did. It's her "fault" the living room chair aren't piled with stuff anymore!
 

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Posted by Jante (# 9163) on :
 
Thought of this thread today when I had to find an important piece of paper for my husband to fill in his tax return. It took me half an hour of going through my supposedly efficient filing system! I keep promising myself that when we move next year I'll have more space and be more organised.
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chelley:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:
I was about to post with confidence that we don't have crumby cutlery drawers, and just went to check. Of course, what I seldom do is actually get the cutlery out... once I did that I realised that we do have crumbs in them but I'm glad to say we don't any more.

---

But how does this mysterious fact happen?? We put the cutlery in clean and we get it out to use still clean and yet the crumbs appear! (And they don't seem to appear in the other kitchen drawers so it can't be from crumbs escaping when the worktops are wiped!). This is a very important question for a Coeliac who in all other circumstances avoids gluten containing crumbs!)

---

It's a good question and I confess I've just had a peep in a couple of my other kitchen drawers and they do have crumbs lurking at the back. I further confess that I just shut the drawer on them and didn't set to and clean them out as I did before.

I've started a sorting system that I think and hope is going to work for me, based on the inspiring pictures of folders stacked plastic boxes in the other thread. Mr Nen found me an empty plastic box in the loft and I bought myself some nice folders and labels and a gold pen. If a piece of paper is not worth a nicely labelled folder it goes in the bin. I've always thought I wanted a filing cabinet, but the comments on here are making me think again.

I've only just started, though and it feels as though there's a mountain to climb.
 

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Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Taliesin:
ANd I don't even got a timer.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Jenn.:
Right, you've inspired me!

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Go for it!

Today I can't face the study so I will wander round the house looking for Hot Spots (Places which attract clutter) in each room. I can see one right now - the kitchen table.

It started with a small pile ...

So today's mission - a clear kitchen table, and to keep it that way.
 

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Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 
We are going to tackle the dining room table tomorrow. My wife said she'd rather work there grading papers when she starts teaching again than use the big office desk in my den which would be even more difficult to de-clutter! You've just inspired us!
 

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Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
Use a CD. I can get a lot accomplished in the 17 minutes of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, and the music is energizing.

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Too energizing: I'd want to go into my den and keep time banging on the drums!
 

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Posted by Taliesin (# 14017) on :
 
I am clearing the back room slowly... the aim is to have it cleared before the builders knock the wall down.

but where is all the stuff going to go...


 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
The purge has begun. I have declared that B4 needs to box up anything she would be too embarrassed for her parents to discover when we clean, and deposit said box with friends.

Fortunately, she knows we are serious!
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Progress report: today, ALL dirty clothes washed (that's 6 x 9 kg loads). All books in her room boxed (that's 4 boxes). Half her shoes packed (24 pairs). All spiral work books stacked into 3 piles each a foot high. Two crates of craft stuff removed from her room and put in the entry with the other mountain of craft stuff. One crate of blank art canvasses removed. One hatbox full of wool and unfinished knitting projects removed.

Dammit. She is SO my daughter!!!!
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
BL, I can tell you a way to get rid of some yarn. Worked very well for me the other day. I had an open plastic tote with no lid. It had possum/merino NZ yarn and lots of good cotton. Some cross stitch. I accidentally knocked over a bottle of balsamic vinegar with a dodgy lid and found it after it had dripped into tote for hours. I pitched everything. She probably wouldn't want it back if a catastrophe like that happened.
 

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Posted by Avila (# 15541) on :
 
Just won ebay auction for filing frame - organisation is coming this way!!
 

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Posted by Avila (# 15541) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Avila:
Just won ebay auction for filing frame - organisation is coming this way!!

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And just spent the evening labelling up lots of files to go in it. I also unearthed a multipocket folder now labelled urgent, pending, this week, next week etc so the papers waiting for something to happen to them have a home, not a pile!!

When the new season's paperchase begins in September I WILL be ready for it!!



All inspired by these threads, actually inspired to decluttering my life of bad habits so have set 'new year' resolutions on bedtime and eating habits too... Big ask maybe, but by law of averages one change ought to stick, shouldn't it?? But which one....

 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Well, I'm feeling overwhelmed with it. I've got my files and my box to put them in. And I've got trayloads and drawerfuls of papers to sort; I just don't know where to start. I've had a long day and I'm very tired.

So I've put them all away and poured myself a glass of wine.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Nenya:

I just don't know where to start.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Firenze:

quote:

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Originally posted by Nenya:

I just don't know where to start.

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Don't tell yourself you have to sort it All. Just slidle up to a pile and pick up something that catches you attention.

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Love the sidling idea. Slidling sounds even more fun.
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Yes, sounds like it involves socks, a wooden floor and some happy music!

I too have a new filing box, with a packet of new folders sitting on top of it, awaiting my attention. Every year I tell myself I WILL use winter to deal with the paper explosion. Every spring I know I have failed. I have two blanket boxes full of unsorted stuff which 'is just too interesting to chuck yet' - even though I haven't really needed any of it.

I think some slidling might be in order for me too - AFTER I deal with the mess B4 leaves behind her. She leaves in 5 hours for (hopefully) 5 months. I am hoping the time away will be good for both of us.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I'm with Firenze on the gentle start. when I was tidying the front room I found that picking up one item and delivering it to the kitchen en route to the toilet disposed of the pile of cups and plates very quickly ( of course it helps that I an om diuretics ).

Today I have cleared the scotch chest in the spare room and two of the 3 drawers under the divan. I have also walked to the hardware shop for very heavy duty black polythene to put on the garage floor as the 1950s builder didn't put in a dry course and dampness seeps in. The idea is that I will put bulky stuff that insurance won't pay to have stored, in the garage. A friend will store those sentimental, precious things that insurance just couldn't cover.

Now I have to make sure my bed is clear so I have somewhere to sleep tonight

Huia -- on a roll

[ 23. August 2011, 05:42: Message edited by: Huia ]
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
OK - today the study.

I will start early so that I don't lose impetus.

This is the last bastion of the piles. They think they are safe here and lurk on every available space, mocking me. "You have won many battles, but you'll never win the war" they sneer and smirk.

But I will! One pile at a time!

First I'm going to clear the desk off completely and nothing is allowed back until it has a definite place and final home.

Realistically, this is two weeks' work at half an hour a day.

*Grits teeth and enters battle*
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
The study is Mr Nen's territory and I don't think I'll be allowed past its hallowed door again if I mention the word "decluttering." It is home to some of the most important paperwork in the house, and you can usually see a fair bit of floor, so for now at least I'm happy to close the door on it.

I think my mistake has been trying to take on too much too soon. I have about 4 different boxfuls of stuff I want to sort. Every couple of days I get them out on my bed, gaze at them despairingly, file one or two pieces of paper and then clear them all off again. I need to have more focus... "Just this box... just this box..."

Good luck to all who are decluttering today.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Nenya:
The study is Mr Nen's territory ...

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The garage and the shed are Mr Boog's territory - cluttered? Oh yes! Do I care? Not in the least! If he has a major project on he does clear them out but, because I never venture in there I really don't mind how he keeps them. He's soon to have a music room/gym when Boogielet2 leaves on Sunday - another room I can ignore.

Good luck to you too Nenya
 

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Posted by Taliesin (# 14017) on :
 
Ok, I'm going to slidle into the bedroom and sneak up on a pile. I did a (big) cupboard shelf yesterday, and gave away the bits of girls' school uniform I'd been hording (freecycle is wonderful, a lady came and gratefully collected) but the net result was a cupboard shelf that just looked tidier and better stacked.

Ok, once more into the breach my friends...

[ 23. August 2011, 08:48: Message edited by: Taliesin ]
 

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Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
Made a good start on the bedroom. Waiting for DH to put stuff in the loft and get started on his side of the room. Maybe one day we'll have a romantic retreat!
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
This slidling and sneaking seems to work. I had 15 minutes this evening while the pasta bake baked for tea. I was going to hop online and then I told myself I'd just go and have a peep at the box in the bedroom... just a little riffle, you know... so there was a bit of putting that there, and binning that, and putting that in the recycling, and making a file for this - and hey presto I had an empty box! A repeat performance after tea gave me an empty file. So I don't feel quite as overwhelmed as I did, and I'm now enjoying my glass of wine.
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
One hallway (previously an impasse) has now been liberated.
Today I am liberating the bathroom, pantry and fridge from stuff left behind, and removing the soft furnishings in B4's room for washing. WOOHOO!
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
I'm just home from ordering six sets of bookshelves and two other sets of shelving. On to unpacking my books and hopefully some stuff from my mother. Have no idea what my sister has sent me in that regard but the extra two sets of shelves will be for display items.

Am tired of a room half full of boxes and ward robe in spare room has more.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Nenya:
So I don't feel quite as overwhelmed as I did, and I'm now enjoying my glass of wine.

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The desk with the shelf above it and the floor underneath it are now clear in my study/office/studio. A huge throwing out/recycling task awaits. Then the wires need sorting - eeek!
 

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Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :
 
I have a merchant chest - one of those with lots and lots of drawers (14, I think), all stuffed full of bits and pieces, old birthday cards, pens, you name it.

Today I am going to clear at least one medium sized drawer.

Honest.
 

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Posted by Chelley (# 11322) on :
 
I am laying on the sofa with a laptop and the Ship (I am on holiday though!) but this tells you how well my decluttering is going at the moment. It's all there waiting!
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Today I spent 10 hours clearing, sorting, packing, cleaning. A dint has been made.

1. I cleaned out the little tool shed in our backyard. TP never bothers to put his garden stuff in it anyway.
2. I purchased 10 large plastic lidded crates. I asked myself what is it worth to me to have all this stuff out of my house? Cardboard boxes would quickly perish in the unlined shed. This seemed the best option other than sending the lot to a rented storage facility.
3. I filled six of these boxes with B4's housewares and soft toy collection. I'm still working on filling the other 4 with her bric-a-brac.
4. I have washed all the soft furnishings stripped out of her room.
5. I have liberated the fridge from all her bottles. Tossing 10 bottles of half drunk water and 4 of half drunk booze means the fridge and I are much happier.
6. I have commenced the bathroom purge. By tomorrow it will be finished. I didn't get to the pantry, sigh.

I told TP truthfully that all thru today I have had The Gloria singing in my soul. His comment was that this was because God ever brings order out of chaos, and that living in cluttered chaos, and cluttering it more and more is a sign of distance from the One who formed us. An interesting observation.

I love my daughter very much, but I feel like at last I can breathe again. I am far too laidback to force anyone else to live the way that pleases me, but Lord knows this cleaning bee has done me a power of good. What is scary, is that it will probably take another 40 hours of work before her room is completely clear.
Whew!
 

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Posted by Taliesin (# 14017) on :
 
phew!
well done.


I feel the need to confess to 4624 messages in my inbox, 385 unread. And I do sometimes spend half an hour sorting, deleting and transfering. Tempted to wipe the whole lot and not even read them.
 

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Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :
 
5852 in mine, but all read. I sometimes make a half-hearted attempt to put them into folders, but then I think that the search function works so well that there's not really a pressing need to do so.

Now, that drawer... or shall I do some baking?
 

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Posted by jlg (# 98) on :
 
Do both. Bake something and while it is in the oven, spend 15 minutes decluttering a drawer or a shelf or a corner.

That way you won't get tempted to overdo the decluttering (and risking burn-out) and you'll have a nice reward waiting for you.
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
I automatically delete any email which as a FWD in it. All the hotel comeons, all the airline postings
(well I open those sometimes especially if I am travelling), all the passenger train emails. Except when I am away, I never let my inbox get over 45 or so. I am appalled that someone would keep emails, which are mostly trash.
 

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Posted by RuthW (# 13) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Taliesin:
Tempted to wipe the whole lot and not even read them.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Taliesin:
I feel the need to confess to 4624 messages in my inbox, 385 unread. And I do sometimes spend half an hour sorting, deleting and transfering. Tempted to wipe the whole lot and not even read them.

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I have 25 in my inbox, but this is mainly because I did the twice yearly purge a couple of days ago (I suspect in no small part down to this thread).

I sort by person, then delete. Some are bound to be chatty and I can get rid of them easily. Ones from SMT or my line manager(s) probably need consideration. If something has been a long conversation, I only keep the last one with all the other information in it.

Our house is getting a bit, erm, cluttered again. I enjoy a minimalist house, but at them moment I'm tired so not looking at any paper work, so it builds....


 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Yes - I sort emails by person as soon as I receive them and often before I deal with them. I delete stary spam as soon as I go there. So there are three emails in my inbox!

(One is a 'must read' about first aid which I do intend to read asap - it's been waiting 3 weeks, hmmmm)

My de-cluttering job is still the wires which lurk behind my desk. I unplugged them all and plonked them in a box this morning - so they'll have to be sorted today or no phones/printers etc will work!
 

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Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 
I never clear out my email inbox - it has 4378 emails in it, which go back to January 2008. I delete the spam / junk / circulars etc but anything that come for work stays exactly where it is. This has been invaluable on countless occasions and my boss used to rely on the fact that I could produce any email from the last four years.

I recently had a big declutter of clothes - went through my chest of drawers and threw out the holey socks, or the bra with the underwire poking through etc. I also went through my wardrobe and got rid of anything I tended not to wear, including a jumper which was very expensive but which I hate wearing. I've been holding onto it because it was so dear, but i'm honestly never going to wear it so it's gone.

I'm good at decluttering because i'm pretty ruthless. I occasionally come across things I want to throw but can't quite part with, but i'm ok with that - I just assume I need a little more time to get used to the idea of throwing them out and let it sit with me for a while before revisiting that item. I actually enjoy decluttering / sorting / tidying because I really like taking chaos and making it ordered. I love those programs where you have a really untidy house and the team comes in and declutters and they are left with a nice tidy result. I have a friend who keeps moaning about how cluttered and untidy his flat is and I am desperate to go round there and sort it out for him - i've offered but he has steadfastly refused. I once spent weeks with one of our elderly church members helping her clean out her flat and get rid of alot of the stuff in it. Her flat was disgustingly dirty (I threw out the clothes i'd been wearing afterwards) but it sparkled when i'd finished (and the council took away three lorry loads of rubbish from her studio flat). Perhaps I should hire out my services as a declutterer!

I'm lucky because I live above the church I work at and part of the premises is a very busy charity shop, so decluttering to a charity shop is incredibly easy for me - as simple as taking it down in the lift! It does help me to keep my house fairly clutter free - if its easy to get rid of stuff one of the barriers to decluttering is gone. I would say my house has plenty of stuff in it, but most of it fits the William Morris useful / beautiful criteria. Not all, but most.

Having said all of that - don't ask me about about the big cupboard! Everyone needs somewhere to be messy...
 

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Posted by Chelley (# 11322) on :
 
RIGHT... no more hanging around here... music's on... getting on with it now!
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Little Miss Methodist:
I never clear out my email inbox - it has 4378 emails in it, which go back to January 2008. I delete the spam / junk / circulars etc but anything that come for work stays exactly where it is. This has been invaluable on countless occasions and my boss used to rely on the fact that I could produce any email from the last four years.

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No - I never delete either - but I sort them into folders by name
 

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Posted by Chelley (# 11322) on :
 
If everybody else stopped posting on the Ship it'd be soooo much easier to get stuff done!
ITTWACW!
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
It's so much easier for me to deal with an overfull inbox than physical clutter. All I have to do is make sure it's junk and then hit delete.

With the physical clutter I have to decide what to do with it, and then handle the trash bags, storage containers, etc.

Moo
 

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Posted by JoannaP (# 4493) on :
 
I have not actually done any decluttering here as yet, but I have helped a friend - and possibly discovered a new irregular verb:

you have decluttered
I have acquired a useful addition to my wardrobe
 

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Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 
Oh?
 

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Posted by JoannaP (# 4493) on :
 
A gorgeous pair of little embroidered shoes, that will go very well with one of my favourite dresses.

So not new clutter for me. Not at all.
 

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Posted by Taliesin (# 14017) on :
 
I thought the cluttering irregular verb went like:

I am thrifty
you are cluttered
he is living in an unhygenic dump.

we are recycling/reusing
they are hoarding and don't know when to let go.
 

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Posted by Gwai (# 11076) on :
 
Let's remember not to go too far on the irregular verbs in this thread. That sounds more heavenly or circusy.
 

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Posted by jlg (# 98) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by JoannaP:
A gorgeous pair of little embroidered shoes, that will go very well with one of my favourite dresses.

So not new clutter for me. Not at all.

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A friend of mine who lives in Massachusetts is your soul-mate. Cute little embroidered shoes, I just know she would be fighting you for them!
 

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Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
Oh gosh you're all so good! I just paid some bills and I have nowhere to file them cos our file is full of old stuff that mainly needs chucking...

I wish I could have about four weeks off to have a thorough spring clean inside and out (with some professional help for the trees and garden as they're just beyond me)... oh well... Have to go and help a friend move house so the tip that this my house will have to stay unsorted for another day.
 

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Posted by Polly Plummer (# 13354) on :
 
About email: Mr. Plummer and I had to have separate mailboxes because he keeps all his mail in the inbox, more than 5000, and I file mine away, or delete, as soon as I read them - and we were driving each other nuts.

I make the most of this online tidiness, as in every other respect Mr. P. considers me completely hopeless at putting things away, though unlike him I can usually find what I'm looking for.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Today my 2X 15 minutes will be spent clearing out two very useful box type suspension file thingies - which are full of very un-useful papers.

I hate sorting papers, so I'm gritting my teeth for this one.



 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I had my phone statement yesterday and it went straight into the Phone folder I recently created. There are a number of statements missing, because they're in piles somewhere in the house, but they'll come to light, I know they will.

I have a lot of emails I couldn't delete but could probably do with making files or folders for them. Certainly at work I need to keep most things - a lot of stuff is done on email. Only today I had a query from something that happened in May and was able to produce the email. Very satisfying.
 

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Posted by Avila (# 15541) on :
 
My ebay file frame arrived yesterday, a flat pack type but the package had torn and was post office patched - one leg had escaped

Not to be defeated I have botched one together and the hybrid creature now in my filing cabinet and the files set in it all ready to recieve papers from the sort through of all that survived the throw out session.

Today the focus was on the rest of the house prior to a garden party tomorrow - with indoors on standby! About 50% was true decluttering and 50% sweeping into boxes to hide in study and await another day. (Note that a regular 100% sweep away is my usual approach so the base level out here is bearable)

ETA - Whereas the craft room planned when I moved in 2 years has long disappeared under junk and chaos, whilst the study has to be fought at the moment I am in denial about this room.

[ 26. August 2011, 22:11: Message edited by: Avila ]
 

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Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
Am quite inspired at the moment after helping my friend move and seeing her sweep 90% of her (perfectly good) make up, skin care products and other stuff into the rubbish.

Have tidied a little bit today and taken about 5 bags of stuff that's been sitting around for months to the Op shop.

Just a note though, I did have about 3 things to rescue from those bags that I thought I didn't need then found out I did. So I think it works for me to have a bit of thinking time in between deciding to chuck and actually chucking.

Anyone else regretted throwing things out?
 

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Posted by QLib (# 43) on :
 
Today, I got rid of almost all the stuff that doesn't go into standard recycling: shoes, batteies, 'alu' foil*, coins (to Unicef), old-fashioned camera. Only two bags of difficult stuff left, but I've found out where I can take it now. Feels good.


*Puzzlingly, this used to be about the only thing worth recycling once they stopped re-using pop bottles - so why does hardly anyone want it now, when they will take the bloody cans irrespective of metal used?
 

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Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
My housemates returned yesterday from a road trip to her old flat in Poland - she went for a holiday but also to retrieve the remainder of her stuff/empty out the flat.

Turns out she owns a super-expensive, very nice flatware set. We're talking cake forks and fish knives and mocha spoons (not tea spoons, and not coffee spoons either. Mocha spoons!)

So now we have given away all our cutlery and are now eating with this gorgeous silverware*. I quipped that it's like they went off and got married, because now we have lovely matching things in the kitchen

But this stuff had been bought by her mum years and years ago, and had never been used. It was still all in its packaging!

*it's actually stainless steel, so dishwasherable thank goodness
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
OK - after a weekend and a bank holiday off it's back to the routine!

Today I will be continuing to hack at the paper piles in my study. Friday was s l o w - but this was because I made certain each paper I was keeping had a place and I'd find it again.

More of the same today - this is the hardest type of de-cluttering for me, by far.





<typo>

[ 30. August 2011, 08:46: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
My shelving for books and assorted memorabilia arrived today. I have about half of it up and DIL will help tomorrow. Then the unpacking begins. I'll be away from Friday till Monday so won't want to walk into a mess when i return. I may go easy till next week when I have little planned.
 

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Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Eleanor Jane:

Just a note though, I did have about 3 things to rescue from those bags that I thought I didn't need then found out I did. So I think it works for me to have a bit of thinking time in between deciding to chuck and actually chucking.

Anyone else regretted throwing things out?

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Karen Kingston recommends filling the black sacks, and then keeping them around for three days to a week. If you haven't needed to break in to them for anything in that time, they can go!

I find that the awareness of needing things often happens overnight - I may even wake up thinking of the object in question, and rescue it on the spot, lest age related amnesia makes me forget to do it in the morning!
 

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Posted by Moth (# 2589) on :
 
I fill sacks for charities with clothes I don't wear, then often leave them until the next sack for that charity comes through the door. If I don't miss the clothes in that time, I put the sack out.

I managed to get ShadoK (a terrible hoarder) to throw a few things out recently - he even agreed to throw out the old work bag with the broken strap and the scuffed and torn leather, despite muttering 'but most of it still has functional load-bearing capacity' as he did so!
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
It is one weeks since B4 left. Yesterday I got to the point where I could open all the mouldy windows in her room and wash them and the floor. TP says it was a task which reminded him of Hercules cleaning the Augean stables.

By the end of the week I will have a craft room.

The down side is there is too much craft stuff even for one large room. Now I am going to have to cull MY hoard.
Gosh it's tiring having to make all these decisions...
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 

quote:

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TP says it was a task which reminded him of Hercules cleaning the Augean stables.

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BL, although I've met him only the once, I can hear that comment being made!

I've finally thrown out some tiny balls of leftover wool. DIL and friend whom you have met, are coming over today and we'll finish the last of the bookshelves and start opening boxes. It's been so long since they were packed I'm sure I've forgotten some of the stuff that probably went in there in addition to books. I foresee several trips to garbage and recycling room in basement.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I am churning through my junk, and have now filled yet another 40 gallon drum, in addition to the recycling wheelie bin. I'm really glad I opted for the largest free wheelie bin our council offers for recycling - the smallest one wouldn't be up to the job.

Banner Lady I reckon the craft supplies are the most difficult to sort, partly because you often don't realise the potential of stuff until an idaea pops into your head that demands its use.

Craft stuff is the only stuff I have lived to regret biffing.

Huia
 

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Posted by Janine (# 3337) on :
 
I was permanently scarred by the FG getting some bags of fabric meant for quilts down out of the attic & burning them. That was years ago and it still irritates me. I try not to actively resent it, since I'm such a perky cheerful type. Bless my heart.

He does things like that, sometimes -- he'll get it in his head it's time to clear & clean & coordinate, but it somehow is always MY stuff he works on. Not his.
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
For the craftroom, I am going to work on the same principle as when I de-cluttered the bathroom. Asking myself "Do I need this in here?" has had some interesting results. The item may be expensive but not at all useful to me. So I am trying to put in to the room only those things relevant to the sort of projects I am most likely to work on. And I am going to be extremely selfish, so that I am not babysitting items that belong to other family members.

Yesterday I got much satisfaction out of evicting an electric bass guitar and amp. It was given to B2 by a friend who moved interstate. B2 gave it to B4. B4 has only ever used it as a modelling prop. Ergo it is of no use to me whatsoever. I decided I would at least wrap it in waterproofing before putting it in the toolshed; but overcoming the guilt of doing something like that to an expensive item has been liberating.

"How much is this space worth to me?" was a question I had never seriously considered before. The answer is that it is far more valuable to me for my own purposes, than the value which B2 & B4 put on the guitar and amp; because it cost them nothing to clutter up my house with their junk. For me, this has been quite an epiphany.

Sisters and brothers, I have begun to see the light!
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Banner Lady:


Sisters and brothers, I have begun to see the light!

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I demolished two more piles today - phew, what a struggle!

Four more days at 2X 15 mins and I reckon I'll have a clutter-free study/office/studio. Wooohooo!
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
Crafters, I definitely sympathize. I have several boxes of wool for making hypothetical Renn Faire costumes, boxes of art supplies, even an electric sander, drill, and a jigsaw.

Has anyone tried those Space Bags they have been advertising? They look like they might be good for fabric and yarn. Also, amidst the hurricane and flooding disasters, I'm thinking they might be good for safeguarding books and papers like wedding albums, yearbooks, deeds and legal papers. Obviously they won't compress these things much, but they might keep water out.

I started the attack on my kitchen. I threw a boatload of out-of-date food. I had bought some plastic drawer carts to keep as extra pantry space, but they couldn't easily handle the weight of cans and jars. So I sort of ignored them.

Next I'm going to move a small bookcase from my bedroom where it has a bunch of unorganized CDs laying about it. The CDs will go in a large CD wallet to sit by my newly uncovered LP/CD player. The bookcase will become a little pantry in the kitchen for the cans and jars.

In the mean time I'm working hard to keep up with all the daily stuff: trash, dishes, cat boxes, clearing the frig, etc.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I'm kind of losing heart here. It's 7am, so I have 7 hours before I have to go out. A friend (?), said he couldn't see any difference from last week! I think the problenm is that I have plastic boxes, file boxes and ring binders all over the place so I can sort the stuff directly into them, as well as the rubbish bin and recycling crate, but it was disheartening.

And I still haven't found my cellphone.

Huia
 

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Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
Keep going Huia. My husband can rarely see the difference when I've been cleaning. It's his blindspot.

I have had a lovely day clearing the kids room. I sorted the clothes drawers and the toy boxes. I'm very impressed with the result.

Tomorrow is the bathroom. Our bedroom is still cluttered but I'm having a break from it. About 4 years worth of paper clutter live in there. We started filing 2 years ago, this is the previous 4 yrs stuff. I want to throw it out but I know there is stuff in there I need. Very frustrating.
 

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Posted by Gwai (# 11076) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Jenn.:
Keep going Huia. My husband can rarely see the difference when I've been cleaning. It's his blindspot.

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I tell mine, so that he knows to make the right noises.
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
As to noticing the difference, I'm trying not to put that expectation on Mr Nen... then I won't be disappointed when he doesn't. He did a sort out of some of his stuff in the study at the weekend; the trouble is, I know he now won't do any more for another six months. I'm trying to stick to the little-and-often principle.

My system is starting to work. Something came up at the weekend and I needed to refer to something I knew I'd kept... went to the file where it should be... there it was. There's still loads more to do of course.

Someone asked at some point if anyone had regretted their decluttering, and I definitely think it can go too far. I grew up in a small house with five of us in it and no one was allowed to keep anything our mother regarded as unnecessary. I had to get rid of all my school and university work and I'd dearly love to have some of it now.

[ 31. August 2011, 20:16: Message edited by: Nenya ]
 

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Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
Lyda*Rose, i have used vacuum bags/space bags with great success for yarn and fabric. Although it went badly when the cat scratched a hole in one, they have been otherwise strong and space saving. I found bagging yarn by type in sandwich bags within the big bag, nd keeping a list helped with accessing the yarn later.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I noticed a business has opened in our locality offering £5 per 10 kilo bag for old clothes and fabrics. Free collection if you have more than 10.

I darkly suspect that I have at least 100kg of bagged stuff already in cupboards, and could generate as much again if I took a Stern Line with the chests of drawers.

It's a nice thought that someone could be induced to come, take it all away, and give me money for it.
 

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Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Huia:
I'm kind of losing heart here. It's 7am, so I have 7 hours before I have to go out. A friend (?), said he couldn't see any difference from last week! I think the problenm is that I have plastic boxes, file boxes and ring binders all over the place so I can sort the stuff directly into them, as well as the rubbish bin and recycling crate, but it was disheartening.

And I still haven't found my cellphone.

Huia

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quote:

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Originally posted by Gwai:

quote:

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Originally posted by Jenn.:
Keep going Huia. My husband can rarely see the difference when I've been cleaning. It's his blindspot.

---

I tell mine, so that he knows to make the right noises.

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Yes, keep it up all. Reading about all your goodness almost makes me feel like I've been good myself!

And I do the same as you Gwai - even going so far as to say things like "Don't the benches look lovely and clean?". He's kind enough to play along.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I decided to ignore the less than helpful comments and just keep going, because when I looked at what I had achieved I knew he was - to quote a phrase Erin used in a different context -"Wronger than a wrong thing that is wrong".

Anyway i achieved quite a lot today, and I have enough craft supplies to open a small shop :

Huia
 

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Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
Well done everyone! I love this thread, reading about people's successes, no matter how small

In the last couple of weeks I had a lot of small trips away, so there's stuff all over the floor of my bedroom At least I've extracted all the laundry from it and can now start putting stuff away.

I also just bought a mug tree to store some of my jewellery on (much cheaper than one designed especially for necklaces, and there's always a mug tree in every charity shop!)
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
OK I am putting up my hand for help. I have always told B4 that she can have my paper patterns. Some of these are good vintage, some are extremely crap vintage. Some are home made, some are just plain There are crates of these (at least six).

I know she is not in the head space where she could ever cull this inheritance. I also realize that these days you can download just about anything you want off the internet. Next year, she wants to enrol in a fashion design course. What do I chuck? What do I keep?

Creative brain asking logical shippies for help here.
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
PS: She is whippet thin. The patterns I have are in all sizes. Do I just keep the thin classic stuff?

Aaagh!!!!
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
Does she know exactly how many crates there are? Would she realize if they were down to three? Or if there were sizes missing?
 

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Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Over the years, I've had several blitzes on the pattern collection, and have rarely missed the ones I got rid of. I suspect that daughter unit wouldn't either, especially as she doesn't know what was there to begin with. You could ask her if she wants the lot, which might lead to your storing six crates for the forseeable future, or you could keep what you think she might like, and give the rest to a charity shop. After all, she is getting the post decluttering goodies, isn't she?
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Banner Lady - is it worth pruning down to just decent classics in all sizes? - on the basis she might want to make for other people as well as herself. So you get rid of anything home-made, tatty or of not so good a make. I'm not sure of Aussie makes, but I'd be tempted to keep Vogue and Simplicity patterns, but I've very happily ditched other makes as horrible to make up and use.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
PS: She is whippet thin. The patterns I have are in all sizes. Do I just keep the thin classic stuff?

---

Yes - go for it - keep the thin classic stuff.



(ETA - From a completely non logical brain. It's sooo easy when it's someone else's stuff! We should just swap houses and do each other's de-cluttering.)

[ 01. September 2011, 10:24: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 

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Posted by Avila (# 15541) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by ecumaniac:

I also just bought a mug tree to store some of my jewellery on (much cheaper than one designed especially for necklaces, and there's always a mug tree in every charity shop!)

---

When I moved in I fixed up one of those rails with hooks for kitchen utensils and hang my chunky necklaces on that.

I am very proud of myself and having the holy glow of tidyness - I have a clear and organised study, and I have even tackled the junk in the craft room, now only crafty things allowed.

I concede that I only have 2 years of acculmulation and lots of legitimate storage options, so only molehills to face compared to some of you. But still proud of myself

...For now... the trick is keeping it this way!!
 

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Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
I snuck up on my boiler cupboard. So glad I did! I can find things again!
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
PS: She is whippet thin. The patterns I have are in all sizes. Do I just keep the thin classic stuff?

---

Keep the good vintage thin classic stuff. Take a deep breath and discard the rest. She's not likely to use much of it anyway, there's so much available online these days.

I'm working my way through a box of receipts. Supermarket receipts. Charity shop receipts. They go back to over a year ago. What on earth was I thinking of? But I have to sort through the shoeboxful carefully - during one lot of sorting I discovered a £5 note wrapped up in a receipt.

I'm trying to keep my purse clear of current receipts now as well... writing them in an accounts book and discarding any that I know I won't need again. I think the one from taking my kids out for lunch today can probably go.
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Now have almost all shelving organised and started on book boxes yesterday. These were packed by DIL when I left previous home almost four years ago.

I've now done three boxes. Loosely sorting on the way by groups. I found about 20 copies of Scripture in Song, volumes 1-3 held together with sticky tape. Some well out of date and not really desirable books and some I swear I have never seen before. A thin, new book called Home Tanning.

I know we had a place in the bush but tanning?
 

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Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
PS: She is whippet thin. The patterns I have are in all sizes. Do I just keep the thin classic stuff?

Aaagh!!!!

---

NO NO NO NO do not chuck the bigger sizes!!! Send them to me Do you know how hard it is to find vintage stuff in big sizes? (But seriously. PM me, please!!!.)
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Just wondering, how old is 'vintage'?
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Vintage is anything older than 50 years. But I have patterns ranging from the 1950's to 2000. Many are tatty. Some of the home drafted ones have great sentimental value - and are possibly the ones B4 would want to keep. She has quite a knack for pattern engineering (with some consultancy help from Mum).

But I would think at least half of what I have would be of little immediate use to her. I have men's, women's, teen's and children's patterns from across a number of decades.

Ecu: be more specific please. Tell me what size and decades you are interested in, and then I can tell you if I have anything worth sending! As I said, a lot of it is probably rubbish. Who wants to relive the 80's power dressing jackets and suits with shoulder pads in them that a grid iron player would envy?
 

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Posted by Amos (# 44) on :
 
Did two chests and the sideboard.
Need to do a few mountains upstairs in the next two hours...
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Amos, for some reason the song "Climb Every Mountain" popped into my mind.

Wonderwoman Tracey is coming in 3 hours and I think we will get to the end of all this, for now at least. At present the living room is full of boxes, both the cardboard filing kind and the plastic ones on wheels with my craft supplies, with other boxes to go to the City Mission's "Great Opportunity Shop" amd "Floyd's Workshop" a group who provide craft activities for vulnerable people.

I am keeping a couple of papers I wrote at uni, because I am proud of them, but a lot of other stuff has gone. My difficulty is that I never know what I might need. Recently I was asked for my results in School Cert, exams I sat in 1969!!! (I had them).

Go well all you other declutterers and reward yourselves for the effort.

Huia
 

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Posted by Zoey (# 11152) on :
 
This weekend I intend to slidle up to the sink side of my kitchen and make it clean + tidy. Shall try to post a report here when I'm done.

Wish me luck!
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Oh Zoey, you are brave - I have been ignoring mine.

I have finished for the weekend, several large black bags to the rubbish transfer station today (Whew!)

Huia
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
I'm not exactly decluttering - but we have friends coming to stay next weekend. As we really only "clean" when people are coming (usually surviving on a lick-and-a-promise) we need to Set To and gie the house a good bottoming. But I'm out today, working all week - so it looks like tomorrow is the day to clean 5 floors of house (the cellar needs a bit of a going over from the cat trays) Aaargh! And then, wer have to try to keep the place spick and span for a week... Inconcievable!
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
Dormouse:

quote:

---

But I'm out today, working all week - so it looks like tomorrow is the day to clean 5 floors of house (the cellar needs a bit of a going over from the cat trays) Aaargh! And then, wer have to try to keep the place spick and span for a week... Inconcievable!

---

Unfortunately, I think that word means what you think it means.

I'm sure you'll do fine. It's amazing what a powerful natural drug adrenaline is in the face of company!

Tomorrow my support buddy is coming over. The goal is to make the living room and kitchen to look more than reasonable when I feed her asparagus quiche, pea salad, and strawberry sundae. Then I'll pull out a box at a time and sort while we talk or watch TV.
 

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Posted by Amos (# 44) on :
 
This morning I have to put away the things I brought home from the office (which I'm also clearing). If I could fill another couple of black bags, that would be great.


There. Does that sounds realistic?
I wish my decluttering friend could come over--she gives me the impetus to be ruthless--but I think she'll be doing Saturday-type things.
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
De-cluttering incentive - effective, but not recommended:

Get a cat, let it have free access to all areas, and then miss out one month's flea-treatment in mid-summer.

The cats are now dealt with, and I have given everywhere an initial spray of flea-killer.
I then shut all the rooms and am dealing with one room at a time, emptying them of surplus junk, vacuuming, giving everything that will take it a hot machine wash, and thoroughly spraying everything else.
I will leave Mr RoS's bedroom until last, as it is full of stuff that really will have to be thrown, and I have to work up a of of energy to argue it out of the house (and not just into the car).
Unfortunately he doesn't get bitten, so doesn't see it as much of a problem. I'm the one scratching my ankles to shreds!
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Well now, I'm nearly there re- the study/office/studio.

I think a change of tack is needed today.

I will put out on the landing everything which doesn't have a place and only let it back in when it does.

Boogs - hoping for a clear studio and landing by Monday.


 

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Posted by Joan_of_Quark (# 9887) on :
 
Just finished off the dreaded cupboard under the stairs. Coffee machines I didn't even know I had, bicycle parts, and miscellaneous etc etc. I was procrastinating about this until I realised it was less awful than looking for the form I need to fill in. It's all relative. Especially incest*.

* Sorry - getting all the inappropriate jokes out of my system and giving up *$&£^%**ing before heading somewhere teddibly, teddibly, holey.
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Yesterday I worked for 16 hours clearing and cleaning. This is partly because I keep waking up at 3am with more bright ideas about how to create space, can't sleep, so have to get up and have at it.

But the craft room is almost habitable. The spare bedroom is back to being a spare bedroom. I can get to my laundry door again. And the dining room is no longer covered in my projects.

I was so tired by 10pm last night I figured I would sleep at least 6 hours straight. But no, bolt awake at 2.30am again. At this rate I'll be too tired to ENJOY my nice new spaces!
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Joan_of_Quark:
Just finished off the dreaded cupboard under the stairs.

---

Did you find Harry, by any chance? He's been remarkably quiet since he defeated He-who-must-not-be-named.


 

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Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Banner Lady:
Yesterday I worked for 16 hours clearing and cleaning. This is partly because I keep waking up at 3am with more bright ideas about how to create space, can't sleep, so have to get up and have at it.

---

You're a maniac! This is moving beyond inspirational... Here's to some more sleep, soon!

I created more clutter yesterday by buying new curtains for the lounge and dining room. But I am just going to *throw out* the old ones as they're mouldy and were 2nd hand anyway... Oh the ruthlessness!
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
I've been through five boxes full of books today and several more last Friday before I went away for the weekend. Am sorting as I go.

In with the books I found five tapestries stitched by my dad who died in 1999. Just the tapestries, not yet framed. Help!

[ 05. September 2011, 03:38: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I didn't realise the quanitity of stranded cotton and tapestry needles I have .

I am keeping a couple of small designs out of the boxes so I can stitch them in the 3 weeks I am away while my house is being fixed. Like BL I keep waking early and thinking about new ideas - however it is too cold (and I like my bed too much) to leap into action at those times.

Huia
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
It has just hit me what kind of habit I have when I am urged into action: I buy scads of cleaning supplies. I have about one or two each of about every cleaner on the market: 409, Soft Scrub, Lysol, Windex, Comet, scrubby sponges, scrubbing brushes, Mr. Clean eraser sponges, several scents of Febreze, etc, etc. I have about three boxes of stuff on the kitchen floor right now with more stuff under the sinks.

Watta dork!
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
It has just hit me what kind of habit I have when I am urged into action: I buy scads of cleaning supplies. I have about one or two each of about every cleaner on the market: 409, Soft Scrub, Lysol, Windex, Comet, scrubby sponges, scrubbing brushes, Mr. Clean eraser sponges, several scents of Febreze, etc, etc. I have about three boxes of stuff on the kitchen floor right now with more stuff under the sinks.

Watta dork!

---

So do I!

Time for a moratorium?



ETA: Actually, when I consider it, I do that with a lot of things - if I find something really useful I buy two 'just in case'. I also tend to 'stock up' as if there is about to be a world shortage. Hmmmm - some thinking it through therapy needed here for me!

[ 05. September 2011, 09:16: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 

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Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Boogie's idea of putting everything out on the landing and only letting back in what lives there.....was tried by me about ten years ago.

When finally we moved house..... the landing boxes were relocated to....our new landing!

Be warned.
Anyone attempting this should give landing space a time limit
 

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Posted by ElaineC (# 12244) on :
 
We had to clear a space for the heating engineer to service the boiler this week.

Instead of just putting the boxes back where they came from we went though them.

Mr C was up at the crack of dawn this moring to get to the local dump site to get rid of a lot of rubbish.

We also have a couple of boxes to go to the charity shop and the jumble sale at church.

We can now get to the boiler without having to move stuff!
 

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Posted by sophs (# 2296) on :
 
We're going to be moving house in about 3 months. To either our own house (please God!!) or another rented one. It will be smaller. I have to declutter. I'm working up to the top floor where we have a library/games room/craft room. I'm allowed to bring two big boxes of material with me, the rest is going. And the box of cottons for patchwork. I can also bring what yarns fit in the trunk.

Which finally means that after years of everyone decluttering to me - I'm repaying the favour!

I've got to deal with the living room and bedroom first though!
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Cleared out a biscuit tin of old seed packets.

Some were already empty (kept to remind me what varieties I'd used in previous seasons). Some part used, and kept for the next season (and again, and again...), some never even opened (dating back to one year when I was unwell from early spring to late summer, and the weeds regained control). A couple of packets of sunflower seeds had come free with gardening magazines in 1997!
I emptied all the seeds out, put the paper packets in the recycling bin, the foil lined ones in the rubbish - and all the seeds on the compost heap.
Assuming that a tiny percentage of them will still be viable I should get some interesting weeds pop up in the future, although I might regret adding nigella seeds to the compost!
All I have left are three part-used packets of beans - this year's, so will still be useable next spring.

And I will have the pleasure of choosing a whole fresh veg-plot's worth of new ones when the seed catalogues arrive
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ethne Alba:
Boogie's idea of putting everything out on the landing and only letting back in what lives there.....was tried by me about ten years ago.

When finally we moved house..... the landing boxes were relocated to....our new landing!

Be warned.
Anyone attempting this should give landing space a time limit

---

Good point!

I am chipping away at it - I will report here as soon as the landing is clear, that will keep me motivated!


 

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Posted by JoannaP (# 4493) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by sophs:
We're going to be moving house in about 3 months. To either our own house (please God!!) or another rented one. It will be smaller. I have to declutter. I'm working up to the top floor where we have a library/games room/craft room. I'm allowed to bring two big boxes of material with me, the rest is going. And the box of cottons for patchwork. I can also bring what yarns fit in the trunk.

Which finally means that after years of everyone decluttering to me - I'm repaying the favour!

I've got to deal with the living room and bedroom first though!

---

I assume the box of cottons for patchwork is going with you rather than looking for a new home?
 

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Posted by sophs (# 2296) on :
 
'friad so. It's ended up as two boxes, and one of silk scraps. But as they are small boxes and I spent a lot on them I'm keeping them. The Mister can drag them out of my cold dead hands!

On the plus side, 2 bin bags of fabrics for rag/donation/charity projects and 5 small boxes to come with us. I've emptied 3 boxes and only have the pales, reds and randoms to sort out now.
 

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Posted by Janine (# 3337) on :
 
Ive a stack 2 feet tall of 100% denim jeans the FG has worn to work -- which means they are a ragged, tattered, burned mess. The only redeeming value is they're (a) clean and (b) cotton.

Somebody somewhere would think it was a fashion statement, I suppose, but the local sheltered workshop type place will take them and sell them
to the rag man.
 

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Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
We have a moratorium on buying tea at our house, until we've drunk through the giant stash of fancy leaf tea.

Unfortunately we've run out of basic builders tea. So I nicked a dozen teabags from work, to be specially reserved for the very few visitors we have who are not tea snobs.
 

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Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
This is a slightly odd bit of decluttering, but I've dealt with the bulging "Change of Address" folder, which to my shame has been building up for more than ten years, without me transferring addresses to my address book. I'm old-fashioned, I don't keep any addresses/phone numbers on computer, and only ones I also have written down on my mobile phone.

Some people have moved at least twice since I last amended my address book. No wonder I was having trouble tracking some people down during a ring-round recently.

It's all back in the folder, but the folder is now in the "Paper for Shredding" bag. (A sub-section of the Recycling Box, which goes with me to a shredder occasionally!)

I might get around to doing a seasonal letter and card posting in December now I'm organised for it, something I've not been able to face for the last couple of years for a variety of reasons...

More importantly, should the need arise, it's now clear who needs to be contacted in case of which emergency. This has changed significantly over the last couple of years.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roseofsharon:
I emptied all the seeds out, put the paper packets in the recycling bin, the foil lined ones in the rubbish - and all the seeds on the compost heap.
Assuming that a tiny percentage of them will still be viable I should get some interesting weeds pop up in the future, although I might regret adding nigella seeds to the compost!

---

Once, when I was moving out of my parents place I found an old packet of nigella seeds I had bought at a fundraising evebt at school. Rather than throw them away I scattered then in a barren spot in Mum's garden without telling her. When I next visited she showed me the welcome, but unexpected, addition.

Huia
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Pleased to say the 'manic' bit of decluttering is past - but it is pressure of deadlines and houseguests which is driving me on. More family is about to descend upon Chez Banner in the next 24 hours, and I have some liturgical pieces to finish rather urgently. Space is very necessary. But I will be glad when I can sleep properly again.
 

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Posted by Panda (# 2951) on :
 
I must cull some toys before the boys' birthdays - age 4 next week and age 7 the week after! Throwing out toys that are outgrown is easy when you have kids the same age, but what the 7-yr old is too old for the 4-yr old is just getting interested in, and then there's a 5-month old coming up through the ranks as well.

In any case there's a fair bit of overlap, but I'm struggling to keep it under control. Big boxes are not the answer - stuff is buried, gets broken, or hidden at the crucial moment.
 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Re losing track of things in boxes:

I find it helpful to use see-through plastic storage tubs. I usually get them at a big-box office store, when they're on sale--e.g., 3 for the price of 2.

A closed cardboard box is closed to my mind--I don't remember what's in it (even if labeled), and I tend to forget about it altogether. But a plastic box lets me see enough to at least have a reminder--books, papers, clothes, etc. And the boxes come in pretty colors, and brighten up the place!

 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Another great resource book:

"Your Spacious Self: Clear Your Clutter and Discover Who You Are", by Stephanie Bennett Voigt.

It focuses on helping you figure out what emotional entanglement you have with your clutter, why, and how to work with that...even if you start by moving just one paper clip at a time. And there's lots of practical stuff. A comforting, helpful, "nudging you in the right direction" read.

 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Fine tuning the craft room now, and making small attacks on other areas of the house still desperately in need of help. The brief-attack method while you are waiting for things to happen in the kitchen seems to be working very well. I am grateful for the tip. Thank you!
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
The landing is now clear - wooodihooo!



Now for that cupboard full of plastic boxes and lids, none of which seem to match, 'tho I'm sure they do really - I'll save lots of time once that's sorted!
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
The landing is now clear - wooodihooo!



Now for that cupboard full of plastic boxes and lids, none of which seem to match, 'tho I'm sure they do really - I'll save lots of time once that's sorted!

---

Boogie, I once had a cupboard of mismatched stuff too. Went through it some years ago, trying to convince myself that containers without lids could perhaps be used somehow. The operative word is "perhaps." It never happened so now I keep only containers and lids. So much simpler.

As for my boxes of books... I have gone through almost all the book boxes and have thrown out an amazing amount of stuff which wasn't worth even somewhere like Vinnies or an op shop. I am now able to pitch without regret. Not necessarily old stuff, just books which were really not worth keeping for many reasons. I never thought I could throw out books, but It's nearly finished. They are on piles in my new shelving, vaguely in subjects. Actual sorting and shelving properly will be ongoing for a while.

I realise now that when DIL and I packed them, that I was nowhere near emotionally nor psychologically ready to sort. Which is a shame as those boxes were moved three times in three years.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Loth I agree, but I do think you need to be in the right emotioal space to see that. If I get someone to take my crappy old books to the transfer station they get sent to the city's 'red shed' where all that stuff that isn't up to op shop standard goes. I too have dumped books like that but if they are in a reasonable condition and may be interesting to someone they go to an Op shop - it used to be the Sallies, but both their closest shops have been demolished, so noe it's Vinnies or City Mission.

Sandra from Fletcher's, who are going to fix all the earthquake damage, has rung and she will visit to fix a date for me to move out. I am nowhere near ready.

Huia - back to the mess.
 

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Posted by jlg (# 98) on :
 
And you probably never will be Huia. Packing and sorting and dealing with 'stuff' while suffering from severe emotional distress is, well, sort of an oxymoron (if you can follow my odd logic).

You'll get done what you manage to get done and then you simply have to shrug and move on once exterior events take over.

It sucks big time, but there's nothing you can do about it.

Here's a very-long-distance *hug*. To be honest, it sounds like you are coping very well under extremely horrendous circumstances. Don't forget to give yourself full credit for everything you are managing to do and for staying sane (even if it doesn't feel like it).

jlg//dealing with a microcosmic calamity, not your macroscopic one
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Thamks jlg - I think you're right. Even as the packers come in to take my stuff into storage I think I'll still be fluttering around. And if the worst comes to the worst I can put stuff in bin liners in the garage (though I would like to sort it so that when I return to my newly painted, crack-free house unpacking will be easier, and tidier).

I just bought myself a bit more time and the agreed date for me to move out is the last week of October or the first week of November.

As well as that I have found this . Staying there for a week will give me a break from the shakes and it's just a 4 hour train ride away, over the Southern Alps*. Now I have found it I have a reward to work towards which will help me through the times when I just want to give up. Self bribery works!

* As long as the Alpine Fault, the longest in the country doesn't decide to join the Canterbury party

Huia
 

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Posted by jlg (# 98) on :
 
Oooo, that little vacation house looks lovely! I wish I had a self-bribe like that.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Good news - the contractor arranges for the paintwork etc to to be cleaned before painting - I don't have to do it

Looks like 19th of October will be moving day

Huia
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Dragged out the various bursting plastic sacks of old clothes from the hall cupboard, weighed and re-bagged (and did not return to cupboard). I have about 35kg.

I am now going to do a systematic audit of every drawer and wardrobe. If I collect 100kg (and it's not impossible), I could get free uplift from a local recycling business.
 

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Posted by Amos (# 44) on :
 
The Amosling decluttered the shed yesterday while I was at work. A friend is coming today to help us finish decluttering and take it all off to the Recycling Centre.

Moving day is 10 October.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Go Firenze!

Amos, do you hire out the Amosling? Sounds like a helpful person to have around. Good luck with working towards the move.

Huia
 

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Posted by Amos (# 44) on :
 
Thank you all for your encouragement!
We drove a huge white rental van to the recycling centre/waste facility/dump yesterday, packed with stuff--including some of my more hideous sartorial misjudgements and some bits of furniture I'd come to hate.

Today, before the van has to go back, we're moving my office to the new house. Filled two big 'confidential documents' sacks for the shredder there.
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
We had two friends staying over the weekend. One of them, C, rummaged through my wardrobe and decided on what I had to throw out. There's a large pile waiting in the study for me to take it to the Charity Clothes bin next week. So I've been de-cluttered...However, he keeps saying "Next time we're over, you and I will go shopping!!!" So maybe I won't stay quite so decluttered for long! I think he sees himself as another Gok Wan!
 

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Posted by Celtic Knotweed (# 13008) on :
 
Well, I just gave myself something of an incentive to do some clearing up. I invited my parents round to dinner.

OK, these are the people I inherited the squirrel habit from, and the earliest possible date for dinner is a month from now, but that's only 4 weeks to excavate the sitting room again... (and to keep it from being re-buried as one/t'other/both of us get all stressed out about life and collapse again). I know what needs doing, it's not as bad as it was 2 months ago, the problem is that we are 2 hoarders in a 1-bed flat, and we both have full-time jobs and busy weekends.

So far tonight, I've managed to get most of the clean dry washing ironed (where needed) and ready to put away instead of inhabiting the futon or banister. Finished library books will go to work with me tomorrow, to be returned on the way home. Now I just need to find 10 min here and there for the non-routine stuff!
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Spent the entire day mucking out Mr RoS's bedroom, and spraying against the fleas that one of the cats has been infested with.

I have played up the flea problem so that I could have a free hand in clearing out a lot of stuff, and the room hasn't been this clean and tidy for years (I still wouldn't like a stranger to see it).
Unfortunately there are now piles of things on the landing - like his double duvet waiting for a visit to the launderette in the next town, as it won't go in my washing machine, some sailing stuff that needs to go in the loft, and a couple more loads for the wash (I did 5 loads today!)
 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Excavating the closet; have thrown out a bunch of stuff.

 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Hit a snag sorting craft supplies. Truly a dangerous thing to do. 60 more projects have now popped into my head.

Gaaaaah!
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Celtic knotweed that was brave. I usually only work with rewards.

Banner Lady something similar happened to me, but I am being utterly ruthless, well more than I usually am anyway-- sigh.

My helper had sick children this week, so only a fraction of what I was hoping actually got done. Fingers crossed they recover for the weeekend and enjoy their grandparents company.

I have my mind firmly fixed on my incentive, but am also playing with the idea of going further south as well.

Huia
 

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Posted by sophs (# 2296) on :
 
Our move doesn't have a date yet but I do have a job which will leave only one day a week when all 3 of us are in the house. Added to that housemate 4 (who is moving in with his GF) is unable to leave her house due to his epilepsy being really bad (8 absences in about 10 mins was yesterdays record).

How the hell will I get all this sorted in time?
 

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Posted by Earwig (# 12057) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Earwig:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Earwig:
In my back garden, I have a studio. I know, it's very cool. I just need to properly waterproof the studio before I can store my fabric and wool in there - otherwise, things get mouldy.

---

Well, thanks to the motivation of this thread, I phoned a handyman to come round and give me a quote for waterproofing the studio! He came round last night, and I haven't got the quote yet, but he didn't think it would be a big job. I have made the first step to decluttering my home!

---

A month after I posted this, another handyman (first one never got back to me) is in there sorting it all out! I now want to think how I will store things in there.

I like the idea of fabric folded neatly in clear plastic boxes so I can see what's where - ordered in colour so I can get stuff easily. I think I need some shelves to put them on - more money!
 

---

Posted by sophs (# 2296) on :
 
I have clear plastic boxes for my fabric. I have found out that the really useful boxes are the best as they are indestructible.

I've packed/sorted four boxes of books and am rapidly running out of boxes. We still have boxes that haven't been unpacked from when we moved in here two years ago. On top of the packing I had to deal with a mini crisis when Archie the Enormous Cat jumped on a desk and it slowly collapsed beneath him...Turns out it was being held up by all the boxes underneath it.

We need to buy some more boxes this weekend and make a concerted effort to sort out the Library otherwise it's going to be hell moving all the stuff!
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Now to the bookshelves.

This is hard - I have all my Dad's books, I know I'll never read most of them - but throwing them out is like throwing Dad out.



I think I'll try to do it one book at a time. All ideas of 'It'll be useful one day' must go - only my feelings of attachment to the book need dealing with, all other thoughts are just excuses.

If I can get it down to one bookshelf worth I'll consider it a victory.


 

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Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
Good luck Boogie.

I really really need to declutter the toy boxes before birthdays and christmas come and take over the flat. The thing is, it's not my stuff. And there is only 2 years between my children so just as the eldest grows out of stuff the youngest starts looking interested. We're also hoping to move in a year or so, but we might not have a loft and a garage if that happens so I don't want to put things in storage 'just in case'. This is going to be tough!
 

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Posted by Gwai (# 11076) on :
 
Boogie, remember that if you give away the books of your dad's that you are getting rid of, you will be sharing a part of your father with the world. I think that would help me be able to give up the books.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Thank you both.

I'm not sure who would want them, some are old technical manuals - but maybe I could try ebay?
 

---

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Oxfam!

Not kidding, I went to see if they would take an old computing book on some out of date topic. They practically bit my hand off.

Jengie
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
It's 7.30 am and Tracey (a.k.a Wonderwoman) should be around to help with the mess around 10,30. as long as her children are healthy. Thing is I've totally lost interest. I have a holiday as my reward for getting through it all, but at the monemt I can't even envisage reaching that point

Huia
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Forgot to say;

Boogie, I love Gwai's idea of sharing your father with the world, it sounds like he was a special person.

Huia
 

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Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
Thank you both.

I'm not sure who would want them, some are old technical manuals - but maybe I could try ebay?

---

Photograph/scan the covers and submit them to Retronaut!

And then get rid of them on ebay/oxfam.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
What an interesting site!

I could certainly scan some of the photographs and put them on.


 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Boogie--

There are also online libraries that you can submit books to. I think you can either scan them yourself, or send them snail-mail to scan. Don't remember particular sites. If you search on "book scanned text online" or some such, you should find them. Project Gutenberg is one example, but there are many more sites.

Also: are there any of the books that you particularly associate with your father? And/or have particularly good feelings about? You might pull those out and shelve them now. Then you know you have the most important ones safe. You can take your time with the rest.
 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
My closet excavation reached the floor! I swept and scrubbed the floor, and scrubbed the walls. While that's all thoroughly drying, I'm sorting, consolidating, or throwing out the erstwhile contents. Then I'll see how best to store what's left.


 

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Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :
 
We've completely cleared our bedroom and painted all the walls. Now it's time to put most of the contents back and find the rest a new home - not easy as our house is hoarder central. But it would be good to be able to reclaim our lounge which is currently buried under bedroom furniture and contents.
 

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Posted by JoannaP (# 4493) on :
 
This is, I hope, going to inspire me to go through my wardrobe and get rid of the clothes that are now too big for me.
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Nenlet1 gets married next spring and she and I and three of the bridesmaids have spent a very happy day seeing dresses and getting the girls measured for theirs.

However, it struck me during the course of our girly lunchtime conversation that on the wedding morning we're going to have a bride, bride's mother, bride's father, four bridesmaids, photographer and hairdresser in my house. Some incentive to continue Operation Declutter, I think. Alternatively I might just need another cup of tea.
 

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Posted by Avila (# 15541) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:
Nenlet1 gets married next spring and she and I and three of the bridesmaids have spent a very happy day seeing dresses and getting the girls measured for theirs.

However, it struck me during the course of our girly lunchtime conversation that on the wedding morning we're going to have a bride, bride's mother, bride's father, four bridesmaids, photographer and hairdresser in my house. Some incentive to continue Operation Declutter, I think. Alternatively I might just need another cup of tea.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Huia:


Feeling a bit less negative today and all set to see if my helper arrives - she has had sick children so hasn't been here for a couple of weeks.

---

Hope she arrived Huia

For me, today's cupboard is a strange one. When I started the de-cluttering two years ago I put all ornaments, candles, nick-knacks, lovely carvings from holidays - the lot - in there. To be sorted when the worst of the de-cluttering was over.

That is now, and the time has come to sort out that cupboard.

Putting the special stuff on one side is easy. But the rest? Hmmmm ....


 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
We have several bits in our house that just need fronting, easily available here, to be converted into yet more cupboard space!

Is creating more storage space a good thing or a bad thing? Discuss.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:


Is creating more storage space a good thing or a bad thing? Discuss.

---

It's a bad idea.

We allow nothing in the loft except Christmas decorations.

My wardrobe is small (1 metre hanging space) which forces me to keep my clothes sorted. When I can't shut the door and clothes are piled on top of the rails it's time to have a throwing out session!


 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Wodders I tend to agree with Boogie - too much space and, unless you are very self disciplined and can persuade everyone else in your house to be, is lethal. Stuff expands to fit the space available.

Having said that, it is helpful if your storage space is large enough to have things neatly organised, rather than just shoved in, especially if they have reached a point where the cupboard self-unpacks when you open the door ( , but I promise I'm getting better.)

Boogie, yes Tracey did come and we accomplished a fair bit. I think we are getting to the stage where I need to write a list of my priorities, because once something is done I have difficulty working out what the next place to be cleared will be.

Yesterday I cleared out one bathroom cupboard and today I'm just doing the wee cabinet because I need to do some baking.

Huia
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
(One) mission accomplished. The latter-day Steptoe has just been with his van, and taken away 80kg of assorted clothes and fabrics. I am £40 to the good and can open the hall cupboard without bursting into tears.

That just leaves me with a few trillion books...
 

---

Posted by Celtic Knotweed (# 13008) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Huia:
Celtic knotweed that was brave. I usually only work with rewards.

---

Huia - it's something of a minimal incentive, since neither of my beloved parents are going to pass comment unless the kitchen/bathroom are a health hazard and/or the front room is inaccessible. It's more because I need some sort of target date that I can't change.

Of course, having set this date, we then went to Newbury Show on Saturday. So all my non-food shopping from that is on my side of the bedroom waiting to be found homes... Think I may need to start tidying with that bit of the flat!
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
You know where the spade is, dear, and the flower patch needs digging.

Bury it. All.

AG
(for those not in the know, CK and I are an item - and I'm as bad as she is)
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
Despite living very low on the financial totem pole, I've finally opted for a housekeeper. I can only pay her for 4 hours a week. she's a friend. and she's great.

So recently, she's shown up and rather than working around us, she has made us tackle big piles of backed-up crap. I finally got rid of all my clothes that I've shrunk out of (holy roomy closet, batman!) and the piles of paperwork waiting to be filed are down by at least 80 percent.

As much as I whine about not wanting to do it, I'm very glad she is making me do it!
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Comet I have found that bringing in another adult has helped me thimk things through more clearly. I try to think of it as an investment, and it is definitely paying off. It helps me use my low energy levels in a more directed way.

Firenze - Well done - I wish I could make a profit from my deckuttering.

So the task for today is to finish off sorting the bathroom and to clean it.

Huia

[ 21. September 2011, 19:14: Message edited by: Huia ]
 

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Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :
 

quote:

---

I'm not sure who would want them, some are old technical manuals - but maybe I could try ebay?

---

Hey Boogie, I second the 'Oxfam' suggestion - esp if you can get around to finding your nearest Oxfam specialist bookshop, who will catalogue the stuff by subject and sell it for (reasonably) proper money. I just bought the Oxford Companion to Philosophy and Wood's Practical Guide to Noise Control from ours - one for work and one for pleasure

And being so sad, and into old technical tomes, I'd be happy to try to give you advice on the technical titles if you want to PM me...
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Huia:
Nenya - I don't suppose you could persuade her to elope?

---

We did suggest it - as indeed my dad did to us longer ago than I care to remember - but it didn't work in either case.

I wouldn't change it really. I didn't have half as much fun planning my own wedding.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Nenya, the reason I mention it was that my father, on hearing the cost of a cousin's wedding, turned to me and said, "Feel free to elope."

I've had a break from the decluttering to do some baking - now back to it.

The task for today is to round up round up any dirty clothing and wash it, all clean clothing and find a place for it. The problem isn't the lack of space, the hanging space in my wardrobe is 2.14 metres(7 feet!), but my indecisiveness as to what goes where.

I know it's a personal choice, but I would welcome comments on hanging, as opposed to putting things in drawers. I dress fairly simply and don't have heaps of clothes anyway.

Huia
 

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Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
I used to hang my clothes in colours. Then I started dressing gothy (everything was either black or purple) and sorted them according to types of clothing.

Now my wardrobe is a lot smaller by virtue of moving to the other side of the world and having my hanging space drop from 6 metres to about 1.5m. My system is also a lot simpler: I just put clothes away on the left hand side of the rail. So over time, they get filtered by frequency of use! I try and take clean clothes out of the right side of the rail, so I rotate my t-shirts fairly evenly.

Every few months or so, I look at the clothes on the right hand side, realise I haven't worn them for ages and decide if I want to keep or not.
 

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Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Huia:
I know it's a personal choice, but I would welcome comments on hanging, as opposed to putting things in drawers. I dress fairly simply and don't have heaps of clothes anyway.

---

I have two wardrobes. In one I hang all my skirts and the things that don't get worn that often like my smart winter cost or my jacket. In the other I hang all my blouses and shirts, arranged by colour, so that when I open my wardrobe it looks like a pretty rainbow.

I really don't have all that many clothes, so this system works for me, and I like that my wardrobe looks nice when I open the doors. My wool (large shelving system full) is also arranged by colours, as is my store of fabric (another large shelf). When I was 16 I worked as a volunteer at Oxfam for a bit and I rearranged all their rails while I was there so that it was all done by colours. I did the same when I worked briefly at a fabric shop, and the same today when I folded all the aprons at work, so clearly this is my thing.

[ 24. September 2011, 19:45: Message edited by: Little Miss Methodist ]
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I like the sound of the rainbow effect LMM. It might also encouage me to branch out a bit with colours a bit. At the moment much of it is either purple or black - and I don't even have the excuse of being a goth .

Sandra, the woman from Fletchers - the company who are overseeing the house repairs is "going to pop in next week" to see how I am going .

On the upside daylight saving has started here so I feel like working for longer.

Huia
 

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Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
Hi Huia,

This blog has some ideas on organising your wardrobe - see the post and the links:

http://www.alreadypretty.com/2011/06/organize-your-wardrobe-hone-your-style.html

For myself, I'm not that organised... if I'm feeling keen I hang things by type i.e. dresses, skirts, trousers, tops, jackets. And I do switch my clothes around for winter and summer and store the off-season ones in another wardrobe or a suitcase under the bed.

It's quite fun digging out the summer clothes and finding things you've forgotten about. But I also often look at them and think - most of these need throwing out and now I've got nothing to wear!

Cheers,
EJ
 

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Posted by Polly Plummer (# 13354) on :
 
What an appalling blog! My idea of organising my wardrobe is to have the clothes in it, rather than on the back of a chair or on the floor. Are we really supposed to spend so much time pondering our outfits?
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
I have most of my shirts in varying shades of white. Saves a lot of trouble, if you ask me.
 

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Posted by birdie (# 2173) on :
 
That blog post is like a communication from another planet!
 

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Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by birdie:
That blog post is like a communication from another planet!

---

It is definitely a different planet to Planet Clutter. It's closer to Planet OCD, but there are happy mediums for us all!
 

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Posted by birdie (# 2173) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eleanor Jane:

quote:

---

Originally posted by birdie:
That blog post is like a communication from another planet!

---

It is definitely a different planet to Planet Clutter. It's closer to Planet OCD, but there are happy mediums for us all!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by birdie:

And belts! She refers to belts, plural. I own one belt. It keeps my jeans up. When it falls apart I will discard it, and buy another. Who needs more than one belt?!

---

My little cousin who went off to South America a few weeks ago - that's who! She took 7 belts with her. I couldn't quite work out why she needed to many. Probably to match the gazillion outfits she had with her.

Auntie Doris x
 

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Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by birdie:
Who needs more than one belt?!

---

quote:

---

I cannot TELL you how many times my outfits have been sparked by a scarf, belt, or shoe.

---

Just one shoe?

I'm feeling quite virtuous today; I cleared a load of junk that's been cluttering up the den for Far Too Long and have even made plans for taking unwanted books to the church sale (although they'll probably be replaced by other ones ...)
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Polly Plummer:
What an appalling blog! My idea of organising my wardrobe is to have the clothes in it, rather than on the back of a chair or on the floor. Are we really supposed to spend so much time pondering our outfits?

---

You don't spend time pondering your outfits????

Actually my pondering in the morning is along the lines of, "Where the hell is my other shoe?" or "I know I saw a clean bra somewhere ,

Apart from winter hats and neckwarmers, (knitted for me by a very kind and skilled Shipmate ) I don't have accessories. My keys etc are tied to my backpack, so no handbag either.

Huia
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by birdie:
Who needs more than one belt?!

---

My son, he has at least 10 - and they are the only thing which hang in his wardrobe. All his clothes, clean and not clean, live on the big shelf that is the floor!

Well - my wardrobe may be small, but it's very cluttered just now. Clothes are piled everywhere - on the floor, on top of the rails ...

Maybe I'd better make it my next hot-spot for decluttering!



[ 28. September 2011, 05:00: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Huia, warm hats and mittens and scarves etc are not accessories, but necessities. A swish piece of chiffon tied nonchalantly to your already extra smart handbag as a French women might do is an accessory.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:

quote:

---

Originally posted by birdie:
Who needs more than one belt?!

---

My son, he has at least 10 - and they are the only thing which hang in his wardrobe. All his clothes, clean and not clean, live on the big shelf that is the floor!

---

So your son has a floordrobe
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Huia:

So your son has a floordrobe

---

Yes - lack of organisation is hereditary!

I had a floordrobe for years before this yen for a clutter free house took hold.

He doesn't live at home any more - but has left most of the belts (Maybe he doesn't need them as he's no time for sartorial elegance due to all that studying - hehe)


 

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Posted by Celtic Knotweed (# 13008) on :
 
Continuing on the belt tangent, that sparked me to take a look at the back of my chair where most of the belts live. I have 4 currently there (2 for jeans, 2 for work trousers), 1 in the jeans I'm wearing, and 1 in this week's work trousers. Of the 4 on the chair, 1 work one is reversible (black/beige), 1 work one I don't like, and 1 jeans one is almost worn out (hence I have 3 for jeans, as I'm wearing in a very new belt right now). In addition to these 6, I have 3 in my LARP kit, and one my Mum made when she was much younger which goes well with some of my smart clothes. Think that makes 10 belts? Plus at least 1 pair of trousers with its own belt. This is a fairly good indication of why I might need to do some decluttering!

At the moment I really ought to have spent some of this evening trying to get rid of the growing junk pile on my desk. I have 2 weeks till the parents come round, and I'd like to at least have all the loose junk in the sitting room assigned a cupboard/box/shelf/tidy stack/home in the recycling! After that I can start to tackle the stacks/boxes/cupboards/shelves...
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
New to the party, but wanting to make some headway in our cluttery home before our two boys and their spouses show up here in November...

We have some serious "clutter magnets" around our house -- notably the garage, our mostly unused dining room, our bedroom closet and "Mollie's room, aka the smaller of our two spare bedrooms, official home of the cat. Other cluttery places include our mudroom and, on occasion, the end of our kitchen counter that often becomes a catch-all for mail, random groceries and whatnot.

We're both very easily overwhelmed by big jobs, and we've both had health issues lately that have made us procrastinate working on these areas. Despite this we are making a valiant effort these days to get ahead with our laundry and put away the warm-weather clothes for the year.

But I want to do more. But I'm intimidated. (It's a vicious circle, isn't it.)

It really helps me -- really -- to have some external source providing me with daily assignments or tips or targeted cleanups that just keep me on top of the housework.

I'm looking for a website or blog that might help me out, but the home-organization/simple living/de-cluttering websites I've visited either seem too OCD/Stepford Wife-y (Flylady scares me) or are so laden with a message of Christian fundamentalist female subservience -- you know, "Sorting my husband's dirty socks is a beautiful way that I can humbly serve the spiritual head of our home while he serves God on my and our eight homeschooled children's behalf" -- well, I want a tidy house, too, but it's not worth death by asphyxiating in my own vomit.

Soooo...any suggestions for a reasonable, non-agenda-ized home-organization website that helps us unstructured folk on a daily basis?
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I don't think a website would be the way to go for me at any rate. It would just be another reason to sit in front of the computer and put off doing anything...

At the moment my psychic discomfort zone is the craft room. I have 3 knitting projects mutely reproaching me from their several baskets/bags. One is more than a year old - a complicated bit of intarsia for which I've lost the plot. There is an almost-finished skirt beside the sewing machine. But I am sure that, even when finished, I will never wear it, so why bother? But then that rather puts a block on cutting out the fabric next to it. And leaning idly in the doorway is the sketchbook with my first watercolour from the art class. Which is what I would really like to be doing (new! shiny!) but feel I should address these other projects (if only to clear space for the painting).

Maybe I'll go and sand down the plaster in the scullery instead.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
I just spent the past hour sorting recycleables...between other commitments and illnesses we've just missed our local recycling dates this past month. (We don't have curbside service...we have to drive 9 miles to the next town, which offers a recycling station twice a week for a couple of hours.

I got a real sense of accomplishment getting that done -- we accumulated SO much junk over the course of the month -- and the garage looks tons better.

The back of the Jeep can be a real catch-all for us, between carting around dogs and their accessories and items to and from the antique store, weekend expeditions, etc. DP has an unfortunate tendency, if we're going anywhere that necessitates room in the back of the Jeep, to just fling whatever was in there already into a corner of the garage to "sort out later," which of course we clutterbugs find hard to do. We both went through this scary pile this morning and were able to reduce it quite a bit. We have a master plan for the way we want our garage to look, and I really think now it's just a matter of a one-day, full-tilt effort in rearrangement.

But since I was told I'm not even supposed to be bending over for any period of time (I sat on the garage step and did my thing)...I'm glad this de-cluttering exercise got done.
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
There is an almost-finished skirt beside the sewing machine. But I am sure that, even when finished, I will never wear it, so why bother? But then that rather puts a block on cutting out the fabric next to it.

---

The Unfinishable - A Great Stitch Reclamation Project might solve that problem for you, if you decide that you are not going to finish that skirt.
 

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Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
At one point I toyed with the idea of having a little whiteboard so I could plan what I was going to wear a week at a time, instead of just grabbing something random in the morning and hoping that it all looked ok.
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
I still have too much in my wardrobe. Problem comes from keeping 'possibilities' instead of dealing with 'realities'. It needs a purge, but will get one when we finally tackle renovating the bedroom and en suite (something that is screaming to be done in the next 12 months).

Meanwhile I'm still sorting craft stuff. You only have FOUR projects not finished? I probably have more like 40!!! Lots of stuff percolating on the back burner, many for other people. SHOULD PROBABLY STOP GETTING EXCITED ABOUT POSSIBILITIES. Nope. Not going to happen. Coz that's what makes my life fun.
 

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Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Blitzing the wardrobe. there is stuff I won't wear. But no space for what I need to buy.

What do I do first...throw?...or buy?
 

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Posted by Gwai (# 11076) on :
 
Do the chore first so that you can reward yourself with the fun.
 

---

Posted by JoannaP (# 4493) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roseofsharon:
The Unfinishable - A Great Stitch Reclamation Project might solve that problem for you, if you decide that you are not going to finish that skirt.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roseofsharon:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
There is an almost-finished skirt beside the sewing machine. But I am sure that, even when finished, I will never wear it, so why bother? But then that rather puts a block on cutting out the fabric next to it.

---

The Unfinishable - A Great Stitch Reclamation Project might solve that problem for you, if you decide that you are not going to finish that skirt.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ethne Alba:
Blitzing the wardrobe. there is stuff I won't wear. But no space for what I need to buy.

What do I do first...throw?...or buy?

---

I'd throw first so you can see what you need and what you have left to work with.

I quite enjoy purging my clothes and accessories etc. - my husband doesn't like it when I get into one of those moods! But then the stuff sits in bags in the spare room for ages waiting to be taken to the Op Shop. That cooling off period has been helpful sometimes as I've found I have actually needed something I've thought to chuck. (Sorry, shouldn't be saying that on a clutter thread, I guess...)

PS - "Belts, I've had a few, but then again, in fact it's several..." (to the tune of 'My way').

I think I have about 11 belts and only two of them actually hold my pants up. The rest are ornamental. I need to throw two away - one worn out and one too similar to another one. Takes all kinds, eh?
 

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Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Clarification : the chore is shopping, the treat is throwing.
Last time I had this attack of do-it-itis we ended up with an awful lot of space...a decided lack of suitable clothing... a very important function...and a totally stressed out me

 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
I was directed the other day to this slightly scary blog. While it's not directly about decluttering (something I'm sorely in need of, still being surrounded by last month's moving in boxes) it did make me think about the things I keep hold of and whether I need to deal with some 'heirloom guilt' and pass on some precious but no longer useful-to-me items. Perhaps the zero-waste philosophy is a way of thinking of decluttering that might add a little motivation.

But I made some small progress yesterday and emptied my suitcases and put them away, designated a temporary linen box until I get my proper underbed storage sorted out and stacked some boxes more effectively. Useful flatmate-type is back this weekend so after an event we're organising on Saturday and some catching up we'll be able to help each other out.

I know I need to re-assess my wardrobe at some point, but it's tricky. For me there's a balance to be struck between purging and attempting a capsule-style thing and the fact that I get bored of clothes very easily so need a bit of variety and rotation available. And it's even sunny so I'd much rather be out enjoying that than here at work today or sorting through my belongings on a weekend.
 

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Posted by Gwai (# 11076) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ethne Alba:
Clarification : the chore is shopping, the treat is throwing.
Last time I had this attack of do-it-itis we ended up with an awful lot of space...a decided lack of suitable clothing... a very important function...and a totally stressed out me

---

That's why I carefully did not specify which I was advising. Only that I would do the worse one first .
 

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Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
By a strange quirk of whateveronecallsit...i am (this week) instructed by my bank to use my credit card or risk having it withdrawn.....

hummm


Thank you Gwai!
 

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Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Don Aslett taught me easy cleaning techniques and the right tools in the 1980’s, but although he preaches much the same organisational methods as Flylady, I couldn’t ‘get it’ till I discovered the blessed Flylady.

I think I discovered her on a previous incarnation of this thread back in 2007/8. If that was the case, thank you whoever you were who posted about her.

I can’t sing her praises enough.

For a different approach and problems stepping out of squalor is very helpful.

Recently I have been using the [URL=http://http://www.markforster.net/autofocus-system/]AutoFocus System[/URL. I don’t follow it exactly but when the old procrastination and demand resistance has got a grip I find that I can often do something, anything, even if it is not what I really ought to be doing. So it seems to be having an effect.

Then at least I get some feeling of satisfaction at having got something done. Instead of declining even further into a state of complete inactivity.

I never thought I would say this, but I have a cleaning/laundry card index box and I write down when I do things. Otherwise I forget and think I did it last week when it was several years ago…It’s very helpful and quite encouraging when I look and find I did something quite recently and can leave it a bit longer. The cards also help with the AutoFocus system.

Today my house is decluttered (although that is a never ending process), clean and tidy. I have re-decorated quite a lot of it and if people want to visit this no longer entails massive crisis cleaning efforts. Now I am very pleased to have people visit even at short notice.

I may be heading into old age but at least it won’t be a dirty, smelly untidy squalorous one.

I hope.
 

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Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Duh. Missed the edit window. And I tried so hard to preview the post.
AutoFocus
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roseofsharon:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
There is an almost-finished skirt beside the sewing machine. But I am sure that, even when finished, I will never wear it, so why bother? But then that rather puts a block on cutting out the fabric next to it.

---

The Unfinishable - A Great Stitch Reclamation Project might solve that problem for you, if you decide that you are not going to finish that skirt.

---

Thank you, that's very interesting. There is always something behind it all. With the intarsia, it's partly the tedious complexity of following a chart, plus a feeling that an element I introduced could have been better. But I am driving myself to work on that - tends to mean knitting 3 or 4 rows and then having a violent attack of displacement activity.

The skirt is failing because I was trying to make a poncy designer idea (which I don't think much of in any case) in the wrong fabric. I wanted a non-boring skirt, and this isn't it.

But OTOH I finally got round to sanding and painting the scullery, so I can now have people to dinner.
 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Re Flylady:

I looked into her site years ago, during a previous incarnation of this thread.

She was very good in many respects, but I found her understanding of chronic health problems astonishingly lacking. She said, using her mom as an example, that clutter can cause health problems--and if you get rid of the clutter, you get rid of the health problem. However, it's often the other way around: someone has chronic, disabling health problems, can't keep up with household chores, and can't afford to bring someone in to help. That's been my situation--and, ISTM, may have been her mother's situation, too.

Fortunately, I'm on some meds now that give me occasional bursts of energy, so I've been very gradually getting things done. But it's an ongoing project.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Yes - I find FlyLady rather sweeping too (No pun intended!)

I love many of her methods but hate her presentation style. So I use the methods but never visit the web site.

The 'shiny sinks' idea really works for me.

I am struggling just now to be motivated for my 15 mins a day - so I'm going to make it the SAME 15 mins every day for a while.

That should help.



[ 02. October 2011, 08:27: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 

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Posted by JoannaP (# 4493) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Golden Key:
Re Flylady:

I looked into her site years ago, during a previous incarnation of this thread.

She was very good in many respects, but I found her understanding of chronic health problems astonishingly lacking. She said, using her mom as an example, that clutter can cause health problems--and if you get rid of the clutter, you get rid of the health problem. However, it's often the other way around: someone has chronic, disabling health problems, can't keep up with household chores, and can't afford to bring someone in to help. That's been my situation--and, ISTM, may have been her mother's situation, too.

Fortunately, I'm on some meds now that give me occasional bursts of energy, so I've been very gradually getting things done. But it's an ongoing project.

---

That is also my situation. I am better now than I have been for several years, but dealing with the accumulated clutter fron a couple of years of not caring about the state of the house and not having the energy to do anything about it is a rather daunting task.
 

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Posted by sophs (# 2296) on :
 
I'm hoping that having my own house will help me stop cluttering it. I'm generally ok with having people over so each time that happens the house gets a nice tidying. WE just have too much stuff!

We took the sofa apart and chucked it this weekend, we've still got one that isn't moving with us and at least one desk, two chests of drawers and some dining room cupboards. At the moment it's just getting everyone into one room and putting everything in boxes that takes so much time!

Still, we'll be in our new house in less that two months!
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I find FlyLady to be a bit intimidating, although some of the ideas are helpful, but I agree she has little understanding of chronic conditions.

Nothing like a deadline, especially if there's a reward at the other end, even if it does tend to send you slightly bonkers in the meantime.

I get a 3 week accommodation paid holiday, a whole lot of cracking fixed, the interior of my house painted and papered and some piles jacked up to level the kitchen floor. Today the woman from the company that is in charge of the work is coming to check on progress I think I am on track, but it's hard to tell. At this stage moving out date is probably the 29th of October.

Huia
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Panic! My house contents are being moved on the 31st, but the house has to be sorted by the 24th when the packers are coming to quote for the cost of moving and storage - so I have a week less than I had bargained for

I am exhausted and just want to run away.

Huia
 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Oh Huia, that's alarming.

It does sound like you've made a great start though, and you have some kind of plan of attack. It is very good that you have such a lovely treat to look forward to after all the stressful bit - that's the bit I always forget and end up wondering why my tiredness seems to persist for so long afterwards, sucking all my motivation away. This weekend is a case in point - very busy Saturday building up to an event but did I take it easy on Sunday so I could recharge? And am I now almost nodding at my desk? So I shall cheer you on (as I'm sure the more longstanding posters on this thread will) and hope that the whole process, while stressful, doesn't become too awful. Take care of yourself as well as your stuff.

I did get some unpacking done this weekend though, and managed to move a coffee table out of my bedroom and re-arrange the fridge. Once all three of us flatmates are settled in again we'll tackle re-arranging the livingroom.
 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Earlier in the thread, I mentioned the book "Your Spacious Self", by Stephanie Bennett Vogt. She's just started blogging for Huffington Post. Her first post is "Clear a Drawer, Change Your Life: A Surprising Path to Reinvention".


Thought you might find it useful. Her book focuses on getting to know why you clutter; clearing, while making yourself feel safe; mindfulness, etc. I'm finding the book helpful. YMMV.
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
I understand the need to live more simply. more spaciously, more mindfully...but I am also aware of those who are so anal about having a 'clean desk' 'clean life' mentality that they simply throw out whatever is not helpful or relevant to them at the present time. This can become so obsessive that they jettison much that is good - even relationships with other people (because these relationships are not of use at the moment). I have seen this happen, and I hope that what we should aim for is something in between the extremes of not being able to throw away enough to live well, and throwing out that which does have a sleepy value.

I am another who likes staging posts for chucked stuff. I gather it, I stow it for a while and if it gets to the garage then it needs to be disposed/recycled/relocated to someone who has a use for it.
I still hang on to stuff too long, but it saves me wishing I'd kept that thing because now I have now discovered the perfect use for it.

My mother taught me her Depression Era mantra: "Make it up, make it over, make it do, or do without." As a dedicated recycler, totally eliminating the clutter is something I feel will be impossible. I wonder how God feels about the clutter of the world? No clean slate mentality there that I can divine.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
To the Pain - moving a few things is a good start, and thanks for the reminder about self care. A friend took me home and fed me yesterday and that helped.

Golden Key, that sounds like a useful book to follow up when I get back - thanks. I noticed that in the neuro-psych testing I've done recently there were questions about 'hoarding' but I think my mess is less organised than that.

Banner Lady - I agree with the happy medium. I once visited the bedroom of an OCD friend and felt very uncomfortable. I remember thinking "I wish I could reach a spot halfway between this and my house".

Straight after I was told I had a week less to sort things. the moving co-ordinator rang and asked if it was OK to 'Pop over in a day or two'.
That was when I lost it and said maybe I would just stay in my damaged house and they could go and help someone else. Finally we got it sorted and it's back to the 25th. Unfortunately that's after a long weekend here so my usual helpers may not be available

Still, I think it will be possible.
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
I just cleared my email box out!

Between my inbox and sent items, I have just deleted the best part of 1300 messages. I'm usually quite fastidious - I've never had a job before where I'm so completely swamped in emails. But now they're all gone and it feels GOOD.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Why are the intermediate steps between a messy and a tidy house messier than starting point? (answers on the back of a postcard please). I can see myself making it for the deadline as long as I manage to keep at it but I won't feel really confident of that until the movers and the builders move in on October 31st.

Anyway fingers an toes crossed that things go smoothly.

Huia
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Cheering you on Huia!


 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Just bought 4 X 80litre boxes with lids, to put 'stuff' in (mostly knitting yarn, patterns etc). At the moment they are sitting in the hall while I contemplate the amount of time, effort and disruption to be undergone while I fill them and find a home for them.
So I fully understand what you mean, Hula.
Keep persevering!
 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Keep going Huia!

This weekend I cleared a path all the way around my bed (the two sides not against walls) and put away a great deal of clutter. I also moved my bookshelves to their permanent home so I can now fill them with the other items that are taking up space in boxes. It's a good feeling. Now I just have to find homes for the contents of five other boxes and all will be well. Why does it always take me so long to move house?!
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
To make space for my four 80litre boxes I have rid myself of a cabinet sewing machine that has been sitting in a corner of the half-cellar for 20+ years, gathering dust and cat-hair (one of Mr RoS's acquisitions that I have never had use for).
It has gone to TWAM
 

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Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 
Buying a new washing machine which was much larger and more expensive than the old one necessitated a partial clear-out of the laundry area in the enclosed "back porch". I don't do the washing at our house and I don't even like going in there! Today when my lovely bride leaves for university, I shall tackle the dining room, particularly the table which was built by my late grandfather back in the early sixties. It is cherry wood and quite beautiful in spite of a crack near where the extra leaves fit in...

I am going to work with the Auto Focus site in hope of curing my procrastination on cleaning matters - I already saved it off to my favourites.
 

---

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:

quote:

---

Originally posted by birdie:
Who needs more than one belt?!

---

Surely you need one brown and one black!

---

You could have one that is reversible as I have...


 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Last night flatmate and I cut down an old set of shelves to fit under one of the kitchen counters and filled it up with the groceries that I brought when I moved in and she brought back from her summer placement. This led to a nice clear kitchen and resulted in the unearthing of a rather scary potato-monster that had been growing roots behind some shelving. As my store cupboard supplies were a combination of my own and those left behind by my previous flatmate we will now never need to buy chilli powder ever again.

As a result of our efforts I even found a box to put away my tools under my bed. One day I'd like big proper storage boxes, but for now at least things are out of the way. Flatmate is also in the process of making the spice storage I had planned, complete with innovative hanging solution that I'd never have thought of. I also put a number of books onto the shelves in the living room and all in all have been rather productive. It's a good feeling, even if I went to bed exhausted last night.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Well done To the Pain.

I had the southern version of one of those Potato Monsters whem I moved from my last flat. My young helper, who came from a contry that has more dangerous wildlife than NZ, was initially a bit scared, but laughed when he realised what it was.

Huia
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by To The Pain:
This led to a nice clear kitchen and resulted in the unearthing of a rather scary potato-monster that had been growing roots behind some shelving.

---

We found one of those in the cellar - a friend had given us a small mesh sack of spuds which we'd completely forgotten about. A year later we found a Doctor Who type-thingy which really was most unnerving. Even though I knew what it was, I didn't want to touch it!
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
You have given me a great idea for a spring topic of Living and Growing at school - we can grow our own potato monsters and put googly eyes on them!


 

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Posted by rufiki (# 11165) on :
 
First post to this thread.

I have been doing well today. Sorted out a load of stuff and have a nice heap to take to the dump tomorrow (it's been over a year and I haven't found a use for those carpet offcuts!) I've rearranged the cupboard under the stairs so that I can actually find stuff when I want it .

But I have a problem. It seems that at some point in my past I decided to keep all my diaries. These are not interesting write-down-your-thoughts-and-dreams type diaries, just records of when things happened: birthdays, appointments, etc. I can't remember why I decided they should be kept, but there must have been a reason! What if I throw them away and then realise there was vital information in there?! Help!
 

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Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
The clutter that is my wardrobe....and the muddle that is my brain....have finally reached some resolution.

My dilema was do i declutter first and risk having no clothes?
Or, buy first, have an overcrowded wardrobe and risk having no clothes that go with anything else + i loath shoppping anyway.

Hubby took matters into his own hands and with no prior warning took me shopping today. I am barely over the shock!

Manifestly....there is no room in the wardrobe. Therefore, stuff has to go. Tonight. Right now. As soon as I stop typing.

Because THAT many bags cannot stay on our bed.....

(can't believe it was so simple)
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Took two quite big carrier-bags of books to the book-stall at the Cathedral sale today and only brought two new books home.

Good, bookshelf-decluttering piglet.
 

---

Posted by Celtic Knotweed (# 13008) on :
 
((Huia)) Just keep on at it - you'll get it done somehow!

Well, the parental Knotweeds were over for dinner last night. As a great many teachers/university lecturers over the years would probably agree, I need a deadline to get things done! A chunk of yesterday was spent hoovering (mostly done by Sandemaniac), putting unwanted clothes into the local charity box, and generally putting away the stuff that had been sitting about waiting to be tidied up. The flat is now mostly tidy...

I took some advice from this thread, and spent an Amazon gift voucher a reward for getting this done, so tomorrow 4 books will be arriving. Then I need to find some more shelf space!

Have to admit, mostly tidy means "don't look in the cupboards", and that I have a large stack of paperwork to read/file/shred/recycle. But I can cope with paperwork, most of the time, unlike Sandemaniac, who stresses at it all the time. I also have a useful box to decant my 2 shoe-boxes of sewing kit into!
 

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Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 
You know how one siple little job can turn into a much bigger one...?

I decided that I wanted storage jars to keep my rice/pasta/cous cous/lentils etc in. So I purchased some very reasonably priced glass ones (of the Kilner type) from Tesco and filled them up. When I came to put them away in the pantry I realised that they took up much more room than the sealed packets had done, so I needed more space...

I bought some extra shelves to keep in my pantry shelves to double the storage space, but that meant that I had to take everything off the shelves to fit the new shelves in...

Then I realised how grubby the shelves were looking, so I cleaned them. Then I decided that having tidied one shelf I might as well tidy the whole panty and thats where it all went wrong!

My entire kitchen is covered with the contents of the pantry. Some of it needs throwing, some needs reorganising, some can go straight back where it was, but it all takes effort.

I really only wanted somewhere to put my lentils, I didn't expect it to turn into this massive sorting job!
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Yep, I hear you Little Miss M. Bought the first really nice bedside chests we've ever owned yesterday. Elegant French rococo reproduction ones - selling point for us was the pull out tray at the top for the early morning cup of tea in bed! BUT it meant reorganizing the entire bedroom to accommodate them. Bed had to be put against a longer wall to fit them in. This led to spring cleaning the room as dust, lost socks, bookmarks etc etc were unearthed. Unwanted bits of furniture needed to go. The rug needed deep cleaning. The old curtains had to go too.Then the delight of dressing the room in a lighter, more eclectic style.

It was wonderful to sleep there last night - but the reorganization has led to at least six more sorting jobs waiting to be done in the middle of an already busy week. Fortunately I have already found homes for some of the excess furniture, so it won't be hanging around the house for much longer.

It now feels like a victory whenever a bag, a boxful or a a bit of houseware exits the building!
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
LMM, I know what you mean. Sorting things generates its own demands. I'm told it does get better.

The woman who gives the go-ahead for the move came today and was suitablly impressed with Tracey and my sorting and decluttering, so gave the go ahead for the moving woman to come and give a quote next week. Which is wonderful.

Best of all is that she took Tracey's number, so it may result in more work for her Honestly people who can come in and help without leaving you feeling judged about the situation are worth gold.

Huia
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Huia:


The woman who gives the go-ahead for the move came today and was suitablly impressed with Tracey and my sorting and decluttering, so gave the go ahead for the moving woman to come and give a quote next week. Which is wonderful.

---

Great news!

For me this week is set aside for dealing with 'hot spots' - one a day.

Today's hot spot is a shelf in my study which has sneakily being accumulating clutter for about three weeks.

I've already cleared it off and put all the stuff in a box - now I must deal with the box or it'll sit around for weeks.
 

---

Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 
Well, I got my pantry to a very tidy state.

I'm pleased with it, even if it was a job I could have done without this weekend! Whether I will be able to find anything now is an entirely different matter!

Huia and Banner Lady - I once redecorated my entire bathroom because I bought a new mirror to hang there and decided that the rest of the room was scruffy in comparison!

I think i'm a bit weird because I have realised that I actively enjoy sorting and organising. I guess it's partly the OCD, and partly just really liking the transformation of taking chaos and making order.
 

---

Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Had a quick tidy round last night in preparation for a 'condition report' on the flat today. I still have stacks of bags and boxes around the edges of my room but I'm getting there. Hopefully this time we won't lose marks for the state of the furniture (it's an unfurnished flat, you numpties!) and they'll get a move on with fixing the hole in the kitchen ceiling and the two windows that don't open.

This weekend I did clutter up the hallway a little by buying hardboard and chalkboard paint - I'm hoping to make us a rotating three-week calendar so we can chalk up our appointments and who's cooking and so on. If it still isn't raining this evening then I might take the board into the back garden and go at it with my power saw. Hopefully this will help to declutter my brain from all the things I should be remembering.

And Yay for Huia! So glad all your efforts have paid off and your friend might get some recommendations out of it too.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I have decluttered the desktop on my computer - it's not organised at all, but it is tidy!


 

---

Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
I went to a house clearance sale today, and came back with two big square canvas storage boxes - which meant I got down my craft supplies from the top of the wardrobe to sort out - which meant that I opened the bag full of blue yarn that I will Never Use....
....and this afternoon I took it, and some other bits and pieces that had been hanging around, to the charity shop!
 

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Posted by QLib (# 43) on :
 
I've had a good 24 hours. Last night, I experimented with hanging a pair of curtains that I've been lugging around with me for 5 years in the hope I could use them again. Somewhat to my surprise, they fit just as well as the ones that came with the house, and make the room look less grim.

Moving furniture around has created space and also helped me to decide what I can get rid of and/or replace now, and what can wait until I have more funds. At least three big items to go to the charity shop, plus one piece to take down to my daughter later in the week. I also cleared the garage, OK, I had to put most of it back again afterwards, but at least I know what's definitely going in the loft (once the loft is sorted) - and, who knows, maybe one day I'll even be able to get the car in there.

Friends coming tomorrow to move the last big piece that needs shifting (tho' they don't know that's why they're coming ) and then I will have one warm, comfortable downstairs room with TV, music centre and all vital books to hand. I hope.
 

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Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
Very well done and a warm handshake to the declutterers above.

Man, I had a salutatory lesson about clutter yesterday! We were sorting out my deceased mother's stuff. Six full rubbish sacks of clothes! (and more in the spare room wardrobe that we haven't touched yet) Soooo much make up and toiletries!

It really made me think what people would think if they were sorting out my stuff and seeing all the bits and pieces and extra things that I'll never use or am keeping just in case...

And yesterday was only the bedroom and bathrooms. No idea what we're going to do with the rest of a large house full of stuff. My brain was spinning for ages last night just thinking of more and more things we need to decide what to do with...

Oh well, we trek on.

Cheers,
EJ
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
I try (hard) not to think of the enormity of the task and just do one small section a day.

Today's task - one bathroom shelf.

(We have three bathrooms )
 

---

Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eleanor Jane:
Man, I had a salutatory lesson about clutter yesterday! We were sorting out my deceased mother's stuff. Six full rubbish sacks of clothes! (and more in the spare room wardrobe that we haven't touched yet) Soooo much make up and toiletries!

It really made me think what people would think if they were sorting out my stuff and seeing all the bits and pieces and extra things that I'll never use or am keeping just in case...

---

Eleanor Jane, I learnt that lesson the same way! I forget, 13 years on, just how many bags of clothes we bagged up and how much of so many things were being kept "just in case", but it was several very full car trips to the recycling centre over several days. (Mum had been a life long 60 a day smoker, and we pondered washing everything and sending what we could to charity shops... but after three attempts with the first machine load, we gave up.)

Hopefully, I'm organised and decluttered enough so that, whoever the job falls to on my behalf, it won't be as horrific as that week we had.

Hope the rest of the sorting goes well.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Today I tackled....[ominous music]....the kitchen cupboards!

Discover lost (and now discarded) treasures such as 6-year-old evaporated milk, best-by-2007 lychees and a small jar of Hungarian jam - which also passed its apogee some years ago.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Eleanor Jane, I know what you mean. I helped pack up the house and flat when my mother's 90year old cousin went into care. This was a building her family had lived in simce the 1930s - there was even some DDT (long banned ?insect or ?weed killer), as well as one of her 21st birthday presents, some soap - still in it's original wrappimg. At that time I vowed I wold de-clutter, but didn't.

At least these earthquakes have made me finally get around to it. Mind you I still have a couple of academic essays and reams of coloured paper and card, not to mention enough DMC cotton to encircle the world .

Huia

[ 25. October 2011, 18:52: Message edited by: Huia ]
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
I am still in recovery after helping to clean out a sacristy. This was the domain of a wonderful octogenarian who is now in palliative care. The church linen was always spotless; but in the last few days I have done battle with mouldy cupboards, mildewed matting, drawers that had mouse droppings and cockroach shells in them, and a spilled packet of ratsak on top of a cupboard where children's things were stored. I threw out two garbags full of used rags, and stored away at least as many unused rags.

It really made me wonder how many rags a place of worship needs!
And whether I will be like this too when I'm almost 90!?
 

---

Posted by Polly Plummer (# 13354) on :
 
Eleanor Jane, you've reminded me that, when clearing up after my mother's death, I swore to myself that I would never let my stuff, particularly my paperwork, get in such a mess as hers was, for my kids to deal with.

Well, it's not as bad as hers so far, but even so I think it would be quite a challenge to the kids, and I will definitely do something about it tomorrow (nearly bedtime now)
 

---

Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Yes, clearing out my parents house has been a major factor in motivating me to get my own house in order.

It was so upsetting. It has changed my attitude to possessions, especially furniture.

I don't want my daughter to have to clean up a mess.

The best thing they ever did was set up a Power of Attorney. But the financial/administrative chaos was appalling. Getting it all sorted out was a nightmare.
 

---

Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
Yup - I'm telling everyone who'll listen to make a very clear will and write down anything else they can informally (i.e. funeral arrangements, informally giving possessions to people). As soon as this mess is settled, my husband and I will make wills.

I went through the rubbish sack of stuff I picked out from Mum's house yesterday and started assimilating bits of it into my own stuff. But it really means I need to throw things out. How much make up and perfume can I actually use? I think now I have about 10 fairly full bottles of perfume and I only wear it occasionally when going out.

And the furniture!

And I didn't think we had much in the way of heirlooms (vases etc.) but actually when I look at it, there's more than I think. Where am I going to put the things?!

It's all a bit overwhelming - and add a semi-hostile and very grasping separated husband and it gets even trickier! I guess I've just got to breathe and keep going day by day. And do the best we can to keep everything civil and fair.
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Skip arrived today. Two hours of chucking stuff out of our decrepit non-weatherproof shed, and I am once more tired of breathing in extremely unhealthy stuff. Blech. Hack. Gasp. Groan.

I sincerely hope my kids are better at this than me!
 

---

Posted by Taliesin (# 14017) on :
 
I have crept on board the ship to waste half an hour, because it's half term, the builders are knocking down walls and I am trying to pack things into boxes for a week or so. Trying to throw away all that needs throwing away. Ended up with bags of miscellany (sp?) that I will have to sort out later, when I suddenly had to clear a room.

hmmm.
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
It's that last lot of bits and bobs that I have to deal with too. If it comes to Sunday night and I haven't done so they will go into a bag in the garage, which is the fullest it has ever been.

A few years back I filled a back rubbish bag with stuff and put it in the garage, intending to get back to sort it. I found it when I was clearing the garage. I biffed the lot.

Huia
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Huia:


A few years back I filled a back rubbish bag with stuff and put it in the garage, intending to get back to sort it. I found it when I was clearing the garage. I biffed the lot.

---

Now that's the hardest thing to do decluttering-wise!
 

---

Posted by bib (# 13074) on :
 
Trouble is, I start sorting things and then get caught up reading, looking at and reminiscing over various books and possessions. I think I need someone to come into my house and be ruthless for me.
 

---

Posted by Rowen (# 1194) on :
 
4 bags of stuffb to go to a charity shop tomorrow- and that is just a beginning.
This thread has finally inspired me to do a MAJOR declutter! Yay!
And about time too.
 

---

Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 
I bought some new furniture from our charity shop this week which is necessitating a long hard look at everything in my dining room. The furniture is a glass fronted cabinet with normal cupboards underneath, and a writing bureau with cabinets and shelves along with two corner units which fit onto either end - making one long shelving unit thing out of all of it. It's very nice (and was probably very expensive before it arrived in our charity shop) and looks much better than the rather beaten up and cheap sideboard that I inherited from a dead relative.

But... now I am faced with reorganising everything that was in the sideboard (mostly craft supplies) and deciding what goes into which cupboard and onto which shelf. I had to get rid of the sideboard to make room and everything from it is dumped all over my dining room table. The room is a tip (albeit one with nice shelves)!

I should also probably chuck some of it out at some point...
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by bib:
Trouble is, I start sorting things and then get caught up reading, looking at and reminiscing over various books and possessions. I think I need someone to come into my house and be ruthless for me.

---

An outsider coming in definitely helped me. Also having an absolute deadline. Of course I could have made one "I will get all this done by Christmas" but having the movers come this Monday is totally non-negotiable Some friends of mine in their late 70s, about to move into a retirement village, have had their adult children involved, along their areas of interest - the musical daughter to help sort the music, the crafty one the fabric, and so on. They have even found a furniture packer who takes their shredded paper! I am in awe of the organisational skills.

Huia
 

---

Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
The estate agent rang this afternoon. Someone wants to view tomorrow morning

Have been scurrying about ever since cleaning and tidying. I'd let things slip thinking there would be no more viewings before Christmas.

Quite pleased as the house is presentable without too much effort. Just a bit more to do tomorrow morning before they come.

Got a flyer from a charity today saying they collect furniture and do house clearances for free. I intend to get rid of as much of our present furniture as I can when we move, only keeping stuff I like or really need.

Apart from armchairs and sofas, anything I need for the new house I will probably get over time from charity shops. I have gone off buying new expensive stuff since all my parents furniture had to go to the tip. They spent a lot of money on it all and it was worthless. We had to pay to get it taken away.
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Today is Saturday. The movers arrive at 8.30am on Monday

Huia
 

---

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thyme:


Got a flyer from a charity today saying they collect furniture and do house clearances for free. I intend to get rid of as much of our present furniture as I can when we move, only keeping stuff I like or really need.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by bib:
Trouble is, I start sorting things and then get caught up reading, looking at and reminiscing over various books and possessions.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dormouse:

they wouldn't take them if there wasn't a clear "fire proof" (or fire retardant or treated to be fire retardant...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
I am losing weight so all the 'too big' clothes are going, however much I like them!

---

Wow - good reason to declutter!

I am posting from the library - with the help of 2 friendly staff members after I stuffed up the new system *insert rant about new systems here*

I made it!

Georgie-Porgy is in the Cattery and I am staying the night with two cats whose slave is a friend. Tomorrow I go to Nelson - reputed to be "sunshine Capital of NZ" but the forecast is for rain.

I feel so liberated - no more cleaning and stuffing things in boxes - just the taking things out in 3-4 weeks.

Go To it declutterers - it really is worth it.

Also I found out how much an almost empty house echoes.

Huia
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Enjoy the r & r Huia; you really earned it the hard way. Yay for the light at the end of the tunnel!

Now, I need to get to work: visitors tomorrow, and I have an avalanche of old paperwork all over the living room.
 

---

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Health problem flare-ups are interfering with decluttering.
 

---

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Apartment Therapy article on "5 tips to make your home appear cleaner than it is". It's especially for those times when someone calls and says they're just a few blocks away--but it could be handy at other times, too.

FWIW.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Golden Key:
Apartment Therapy article on "5 tips to make your home appear cleaner than it is". It's especially for those times when someone calls and says they're just a few blocks away--but it could be handy at other times, too.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
[QUOTE]
'Tho putting the dirty dishes in the oven might very easily backfire on me as I'd forget they were there until the next preheat!

---

Or forget they were there and invite the visitors to stay for dinner!
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Oh - and we have a glass oven door!


 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
Oh - and we have a glass oven door!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
Oh - and we have a glass oven door!

---

That wouldn't present a problem in my case, since it's so blackened you can't see though it anyway. What's wrong with stuffing them in the dishwasher?

---

If you are in a mess the dishwasher is full already!
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
And I don't have a dishwasher. I also have an oven with a glass door front, but then one could always hang a clean tea towel over it!

Good tips!
 

---

Posted by Taliesin (# 14017) on :
 
i love you all.

feel much better.

anybody else have to rake stuff from under the keyboard so it stops wobbling...?
 

---

Posted by QLib (# 43) on :
 
Another coulpa hours spent on decluttering today - useful in many ways, but in terms of quality rather than quantity. At the end of it all, I discovered that my house-moving boxes are getting damp in the garage, and there's still no foreseeable prospect of putting them into the loft. This may lead to a much bigger declutter than I intended - which might be a good thing - as well as meaning that next time I move I may have to pay for the packing service. I suppose that might not be a bad thing either.
 

---

Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by QLib:
This may lead to a much bigger declutter than I intended - which might be a good thing - as well as meaning that next time I move I may have to pay for the packing service. I suppose that might not be a bad thing either.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Little Miss Methodist:
I had a four bedroom house and they sent in 6 - 8 big strong guys, lots of bubble wrap, brown paper, tape, etc etc and they just blitzed my house. They were like machines. Admittedly, it meant that some stuff got packed that I might have thrown, but no big deal, I just chucked it when I got to the new place.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by birdie:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Little Miss Methodist:
I had a four bedroom house and they sent in 6 - 8 big strong guys...

---

When did they do it? ... I just can't get my head round how long it would take to pack up the whole house.

---

The day before I moved. I packed any stuff that was really important to me (my yarn, fabric and sewing stuff), they packed everything else. I believe I had takeaway pizza for dinner that night. They were very good about leaving stuff if I asked - I had one room in the house where my cats stayed while they were packing and where I kept stuff I wanted close at hand (kettle, tea bags, hoover etc), the rest they packed.

I do remember that they put some funny stuff in boxes - I would open a box and be bemeaused by what had been put in together, but it still wasn't me who had to do it.
 

---

Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
Feeling rather overwhelmed... sorting out my deceased mother's stuff and even the comparatively little that I'm keeping is overflowing all over our house. I've managed to get things into the house, but not remove anything in turn. I haven't yet found places for all the extra clothes and things. There's a fair bit of art to hang too...

Hopefully I can do a bit during evenings this week (and my husband can bring himself to help). The last three weekends have been over there so our house is suffering.
 

---

Posted by Enigma (# 16158) on :
 
My spare bedroom is a mess due to spreading clothes and other stuff around. I can live with this......but next weekend a friend is coming to stay so I have the reason to sort things out.. This will not be easy because I am essentially lazy in matters relating to housework!! Give me a kicking please my friends!!
 

---

Posted by cupbearer (# 16746) on :
 
Greetings, all; I just wanted to check in as someone with a history of cluttering myself. I've also recently been hired as a Peer Responder in the San Francisco area for people with a wide range of hoarding and cluttering issues. We're starting a program from the ground up and hoping to help de-stigmatize what is for a lot of people an overwhelming problem that's really just a more extreme version of the challenges a lot of us face.

I thought I'd add a voice of encouragement to all of us seeking to streamline and organize, no matter what level of disorder with which we're living. Thanks for having this thread. Clutterers Unite!

[ 07. November 2011, 02:46: Message edited by: cupbearer ]
 

---

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Enigma--

If you don't have the wherewithal (emotional, physical, etc.) to clear stuff out of the way right now, cardboard boxes can at least collect stuff--temporarily. When I can, I get big plastic tubs with lids, from an office warehouse store. They come in colors, and generally run about US $10-12.00. I can store things until I'm ready to sort, throw away, and consolidate. I can keep the stuff I'm keeping in the tubs, and the colors brighten up the place.

There are also underbed boxes available.

FWIW, YMMV, etc.
 

---

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
And the tubs are see-through, so I can tell at a glance what's in them! When I can't see stuff, I tend to forget about it.
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Welcome, cupbearer!

I saw a program recently that reminded me clutterers come from all sorts of backgrounds. This one was an ex-antiques dealer that had cluttered up his restored country house with both treasure and junk. He could hardly move in it, but it was all priceless to him. The person trying to help him made no headway at all; she kept urging him to 'curate' his hoarde in a more organized fashion - and her suggestions made a lot of sense.

He didn't follow through on any of it...but now I am looking at my piles of stored treasure & junk, and thinking 'If I had to curate this, what would I do?' One of my daughters wants to make Memory Boxes from my archives of memorabilia - these are deep picture frames which have themes. It's a perfect way to cull the sentimentalia I've kept. But I know it will take me on many many journies down memory lane when I do. This is going to take some time!
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
BL, I also saw that and could see he really was totally unable to do anything about it at all, let alone get rid of it. I followed that show up. Only a year after it was made, the house was sold to someone who was "in tune " with the place. They now run tours etc, so perhaps some progress was made.

I'm sitting here in my second bedroom and can see floor, desk, neatly stacked shelves etc. Have done a stack of filing of important papers re divorce and selling and buying property.

There are just a few more of Mum's boxes to do and they are in wardrobe. It's a good feeling and I didn't realise how much it was affecting me till it wasn't. If you get my meaning. I never thought I could actually dispose of books. Gave a lot away and recycled a lot.

Got rid of in various ways some of the stuff my sister had sent me from Mum's things. Much I didn't recognise, wasn't valuable and absolutely no sentimental value for me. Someone else was glad of some and some has gone to op shop. I have plenty of rags so tea towels full of holes went out.

Meant to add. I have my first pair of shoes in a deep frame. I think my sister must have done them when Mum was in nursing home as name and room is on back. Little baby sized pink leather ankle straps.

[ 07. November 2011, 07:22: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Taliesin:
i love you all.

feel much better.

anybody else have to rake stuff from under the keyboard so it stops wobbling...?

---

Yes!

I am a terror for eating online, I now have one of these. It works a treat!

Oh dear - I am so keen on de-cluttering I read the thread title "Pastoral care of the un/dechurched" as "Pastoral care of the un/decluttered"!


 

---

Posted by Rowen (# 1194) on :
 
Today I took one bag to my church's charity shop, and gave a bag of towels to a friend. My decluttering is finall going well! And about time too!
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Good work, Rowen. I started cleaning out my candle recycling cupboard yesterday. Then I began watching videos on how to re-melt and organize the old wax better. Now my kitchen is covered in wax and it is going to be a huge cleaning job before family arrive to stay on the weekend. And I hardly made a dint in the wax re-organizing stakes - which I've realized is going to take several days, and which I don't have.

Sigh. Epic fail.
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
No BL. Not fail, just experience.
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Not helped by TP "relocating" all my half sorted files into one enormous heap in the lounge room this morning. I see no sleep happening in the next few days. And possibly a divorce!


 

---

Posted by Rowen (# 1194) on :
 
So, divorced yet- lol?
2 more bags today.
One would almost think I had a premonition I am moving in the next year, altho personally I tell people it is just spring cleaning.....
 

---

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Did a little decluttering yesterday.
 

---

Posted by Rowen (# 1194) on :
 
As I go thru and de-clutter:
Something I just found... I have moved several times in my life, and I figured this was long lost. But it wasn't. In the bottom of a trunk, I found the letter my mum wrote to my dad, in 1962. He was away, so she wrote him about their little girl. And the letter somehow got saved.
I am so happy to have found it. Cried a little too.

 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 

 

---

Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
We're currently half-way between two moves, so lots of things in storage. Unfortunately, having decluttered lots before the first move, since we're seriously downsizing we seem to have aquired quite a bit more stuff :bigcry:

My current 'To Do - SOON' list stands at:

• put away clean laundry
  (which involves clearing out the airing cupboard so there's space)
• tidy the conservatory floor (being the handy craft surface for the two creative Opuses)
• clear the living room window sill (including the two vases of dying flowers)
• clean the bathroom

Future projects include sorting out the shelves in the living room, finding home for the burgeoning collection of board games, and decluttering the bookshelf in the conservatory. Oh, and exploring the cupboard under the kitchen sink.

Hopefully now I've outed myself as a clutter-ee (or clutter-er depending on whether I blame it all on Mr B or accept some responsibility ) I might manage to make a start...
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Beethoven:


Hopefully now I've outed myself as a clutter-ee (or clutter-er depending on whether I blame it all on Mr B or accept some responsibility ) I might manage to make a start...

---

Keep reporting back - it's a surprisingly good motivator.
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Well, I have cleaned out the entry AGAIN. It looks good - except because it the only space to put things needing relocation it fills up surprisingly quickly. My problem is keeping the laundry clear at the same time, and not simply shifting things from one to the other.

Nirvana = clean entry AND clean laundry!

Laundry is still chockers, but at least the clutter is out of public sight. Sigh.

Still wading through mountains of filing; but I have managed to evict three old pinewood toy chests in the last week, so that there is a bit less furniture in the house. With visitors expected every fortnight until Christmas, time is running out for culling.

 

---

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Beethoven:
Oh, and exploring the cupboard under the kitchen sink.

---

{Presents Beethoven with lighted pith helmet, gloves, and knee pads.}
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
I moved here at the very end of March after living several years with son and DIL. In this apartment I have what id called a storage room. It's a bit over 4' square with one corner cut out to carry pipes etc from upstairs.

I put in very sturdy shelving units and us it as craft storage and pantry as cupboards in kitchen are minimal. I sorted wool and sewing supplies severl weeks ago and also shifted some drinks storage.

Today I tackled the complete thing. Moved all the food, amalgamated like things etc. I moved food processor off top shelf where it was placed by DIL who is 10" taller than I am. Much safer for me and it might get some use.

I threw out very little, a couple of packs of pasta which she gave me which just possibly has live protein in them. Didn't want that spreading and I have plenty more. All nicely re-arranged and I know where everything now is.

I left it this long, so I could get an idea of just what was best for my needs.

So not exactly decluttering, but well on the way to it. It's a shame to shut the door now.
 

---

Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Yesterday I worked from home, so rather than taking a 25minute walk as my commute I took the same time to clear the area around my desk up a bit. It appears that tidying at 8:30am is far easier to me - I emptied one post-move box and got into another one without too much trauma and distress. The shelves perched atop my bureau-style desk are now pleasingly filled with photographs and my lovely deep windowsill is no longer a dumping ground.

Now, if only I could muster the motivation to tidy my desk at work...
 

---

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Bagged up a bunch of stuff yesterday, and threw it out today!

 

---

Posted by Enigma (# 16158) on :
 
Memo to self - have friends come to stay more often to keep yourself tidy!! I managed to clear and clean spare room such that little trace was left of previous chaos before friend came to stay. Lots of things recycled or thrown!!
 

---

Posted by QLib (# 43) on :
 
Several hours clearing and tidying this afternoon. Relatively little chucked out, but the place looks a whole lot better. Just as well, as the neighbours will be round mid week to let in the electrician - amazing what an incentive that is.
 

---

Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Golden Key:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Beethoven:
Oh, and exploring the cupboard under the kitchen sink.

---

{Presents Beethoven with lighted pith helmet, gloves, and knee pads.}

---

{puts pith helmet etc. in a safe place for later use... }

Well, the living room got tidied up (including dead flower removal. I remembered you lot every time I went past without dealing with them, and couldn't hold out against the collective accusing/supportive stares!) - and much to my astonishment, Mr B did his share without any prompting! Must have been that bad, then...!

The airing cupboard got emptied, but is now stacked even higher as a result of this weekend's frenzied attack on the laundry basket. I cleaned the bathroom too - well, did a quick put away and wipe round. The proper clean will have to wait for another day.

And Opus 1's bedroom got tidied to the extent that she found where the cat had done a wee on the floor. That's now been treated with the relevant cleaner (although the bottle is still on the floor next to the patch )

The conservatory, on the other hand, is still unexplored territory...
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Beethoven:


Well, the living room got tidied up (including dead flower removal. I remembered you lot every time I went past without dealing with them, and couldn't hold out against the collective accusing/supportive stares!)

---

Success!

quote:

---

I cleaned the bathroom too - well, did a quick put away and wipe round. The proper clean will have to wait for another day.

---

I'm not a great Flylady fan - too sickly for me. But her bathroom tip works a treat! I have used it for two years and never 'cleaned the bathroom' since.

I have a pile of cleaning cloths at the ready and every time I get out of the shower or bath I wipe over the whole bathroom (including the floor and behind the loo) with a little cleaning spray - then the cloth goes in the washing basket. It has become as much a part of my morning routine as cleaning my teeth - highly recommended.


 

---

Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
I have a pile of cleaning cloths at the ready and every time I get out of the shower or bath I wipe over the whole bathroom (including the floor and behind the loo) with a little cleaning spray - then the cloth goes in the washing basket. It has become as much a part of my morning routine as cleaning my teeth - highly recommended.

---

It sounds great, but doesn't it take ages? All those bottles on the bath and teeth cleaning equipment on the shelf to move?
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
I have a pile of cleaning cloths at the ready and every time I get out of the shower or bath I wipe over the whole bathroom (including the floor and behind the loo) with a little cleaning spray - then the cloth goes in the washing basket. It has become as much a part of my morning routine as cleaning my teeth - highly recommended.

---

It sounds great, but doesn't it take ages? All those bottles on the bath and teeth cleaning equipment on the shelf to move?

---

All bottles live in a basket and tooth cleaning stuff in a cup thingie. When we had lots of people sharing a bathroom we had a basket each.

It takes about three minutes as I have a well oiled routine which doesn't change.


 

---

Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
It takes about three minutes as I have a well oiled routine which doesn't change.

---

Three minutes to clean a bathroom. Respect.
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Forget the respect. Plane ticket and an invitation.
 

---

Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
Of *course* a friend turned up to return some DVDs last night with the house as a complete pig sty!

Was inspired to doing some tidying/ cleaning once he'd gone - a quick once over the bathroom, put away the washing, tidy up piles of misc stuff including washing week-old workout gear!
 

---

Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
Forget the respect. Plane ticket and an invitation.

---

Boogie and I live in the same country; it will be very convenient for her to visit me. *Puts kettle on*
 

---

Posted by Emma Louise (# 3571) on :
 
I've been lurking on this thread for a while now and each time I've seen it in "recent threads" it has inspired me....

Once I get going I'm fairly good at decluttering (I used to have boxes and boxes and boxes and boxes of books.... I don't anymore ) and the last few weekends I've really been "nesting" and getting our house sorted. Most rooms now don't really have any of the big "to be sorted" piles or boxes from when we moved.

The thing that makes the biggest difference to me is to have a "space for everything" as then it stops the dreaded piles of "stuff" forming. We now own half of ikea, but things are sorted and are able to be put away. I may have taken it a little too far - the trays in the lounge are all labelled (Teacups toys have to live in the lounge as her room is tiny, we have a small house), and the airing cupboard has labelled bits on the shelf for different sheets/ towels etc. It has really helped though.

I still have some craft and photo bits to sort out but I keep trying to reminding myself that if I haven't used them in 5 years I really don't need them.

Our house is small and storage is at a premium so I'm having to move from a "just in case it might be useful" mentality (my family always keep bits of ribbon in case of future packing etc) to an "I need the space I will have to buy xyz if I need it".

The house looks so much better already though, and is so much easier to keep clean!!!
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
Forget the respect. Plane ticket and an invitation.

---

I'm on my way

Seriously, I timed myself again today to be sure I wasn't exaggerating. 3 minutes.

Three secrets-


1) The pile of cloths - I would never do it without a cloth and squirty stuff handy.
2) Making it a routine just like tooth brushing so that it takes no thought whatever.
Bath, towel on, pick up cloth, squidge squirty stuff, wipe (Bath, sink, walls, surfaces, floor, toilet - in that order, cloth in wash basket, zip round loo with loo brush, done) 3 minutes.
3) Do it every day so that it's quick - dirt etc never builds up.


Go-on, I challenge you to the three minute bathroom boogie!



[ 24. November 2011, 07:38: Message edited by: Boogie ]
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I love the sound of the bathroom boogie. Good to know the decluttering continues.

The movers, blokes who have their priorities right, unpacked and set up the computer and the washing machine, which is a start and Tracey (aka "wonderwoman") is coming over today to help me remember where I put stuff . I want to start by finding the electric jug as boiling water on the stove takes forever.

I'm a bit limited as to what I can do in the kitchen as the builder missed the crack in the cupboard and has to come back, so it's no use unpacking stuff there - also there was a muddle in painting the kitchen (who would have thought the two paint ranges I specified would both have a colour called 'Milan'?). The wrong colour is a very pretty lilac, which I'd keep if it was in any other room, but it screams at the brick red lino.

Anyway, those problems are being sorted, I need to concentrate on setting the house up in such a way that I limit the potential for clutter, without becoming totally obsessed.

Huia
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 

quote:

---

Anyway, those problems are being sorted, I need to concentrate on setting the house up in such a way that I limit the potential for clutter, without becoming totally obsessed.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emma Louise:
I've been lurking on this thread for a while now and each time I've seen it in "recent threads" it has inspired me....

---

Hey - welcome to the thread Emma Louise

My niece lived on a narrow boat until very recently. She was the messiest person I ever knew until she moved on to the boat a few years ago - now she is sooooooo sorted and tidy.

My Mum and Dad had an incredibly tidy house and a place for everything. Whenever they left a room, they made sure they left it tidy. Dad said they were like this because they were lazy and hated tidying up. I'm beginning to understand what he meant (I'm a slow learner!).

Our sitting room is now a tidy, sorted space - and has stayed that way for long enough to know it's a permanent state. I love it. The kitchen is nearly there too. My next room is the utility room - because it's 'unseen' it becomes a 'hot spot' for clutter.

So my next project is to get it sorted, then tidy up something every time I go through there. I'll let you know!
 

---

Posted by Hgjules (# 16796) on :
 
Hello Everyone,
We are nearing the end of a long house extension (builders moved in in April and should have been done in September...) anyway despite the stress this is causing I am finding it a great opportunity to set up rooms in a leaner fashion than before.
I have somehow filled five or six charity bags with unwanted clothes (you know the ones you keep cos one day you'll fit back into them?!) and am now going through boxes of stuff heading either for the new study or the bin.
It feels great! Just need Spouse to recognise this new me instead of moaning about my hoarding tendencies. I know about them, hence this tiring yet necessary slog!
Thanks for this thread, it may help....although all it's done so far is keep me out of those boxes for a few more minutes!
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hgjules:
I have somehow filled five or six charity bags with unwanted clothes (you know the ones you keep cos one day you'll fit back into them?!)

---

Go for it! I am current world record holder (well, round here anyway) at 16 bags (= 80kg).
 

---

Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 
(Confession ) I have boxes of clothes in the loft neatly labelled with the weight I was when I outgrew them - 10 stone, 10 1/2 stone, 11 stone, 11 1/2 stone, 12 stone, 12 1/2 stone, 13 stone, 13 1/2 stone on the theory that one day I will lose weight and work my way back down through them.

The 10 stone clothes have been in that box since 1993....
 

---

Posted by Hgjules (# 16796) on :
 
Ooh I've clearly got a way to go, Firenze!

I was so adamant that it was a waste of money not to keep these clothes....it's also true that I wanted them to spur me on to lose weight. They didn't....but at least have been passed on now, hopefully to folk who don't need or even have several cupboards to store their clothes in.

Off to clear the spare room now so guests can actually sleep there one day!
 

---

Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by North East Quine:


The 10 stone clothes have been in that box since 1993....

---

Just want to say that you probably wouldn't want to wear clothes 20 years out of style. Just sayin'... Be strong!
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
oh I dpn't know Pete, my Pop alaways said that if he kept a suit long enough it came back into fashion . I suppose if I had lived through two world wars (and their shortages) along with a major economic depression I would be more careful about throwing things away.

Today I'm unpacking and possibiy culling more books. I'm looking hard at the needlework stuff as I'd have to live to be eleventy hundred to do even a fraction of it.

Huia
 

---

Posted by North East Quine (# 13049) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:

quote:

---

Originally posted by North East Quine:


The 10 stone clothes have been in that box since 1993....

---

Just want to say that you probably wouldn't want to wear clothes 20 years out of style. Just sayin'... Be strong!

---

You're assuming that they were in style 20 years ago; I've never quite got the hang of "in style" and am generally statisfied with "clean."
 

---

Posted by Hgjules (# 16796) on :
 
I'm satisfied with the fact that they fit, which often has nothing to do with the prevailing trends.

I do wash them too, obviously

Spare room about two-thirds done...it's at that yucky bitty stage now where outstanding things are small and require checking and maybe even reading.....which takes time!
 

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Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
Keep clothes for long enough and they become "vintage" (rather than out of date) - which gives them far more desirability.

Thats my theory. And I'm sticking to it, in the hope that one day I will find it to be true!
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
Forget the respect. Plane ticket and an invitation.

---

I'm on my way

Seriously, I timed myself again today to be sure I wasn't exaggerating. 3 minutes.

Three secrets-


1) The pile of cloths - I would never do it without a cloth and squirty stuff handy.
2) Making it a routine just like tooth brushing so that it takes no thought whatever.
Bath, towel on, pick up cloth, squidge squirty stuff, wipe (Bath, sink, walls, surfaces, floor, toilet - in that order, cloth in wash basket, zip round loo with loo brush, done) 3 minutes.
3) Do it every day so that it's quick - dirt etc never builds up.


Go-on, I challenge you to the three minute bathroom boogie!

---

heheheheh--

The main problem for us is living in a 100 year old house with no closets to speak of, no linen closet, and no medicine cabinet. The challenge is finding a place to store all those necessaries instead of having them end up on various surfaces in the bathroom!
 

---

Posted by Phoebe Esperanza (# 12767) on :
 
My problem with clothes is remembering the people who made them. The knitters and smockers who are now with God left their handicrafts for me to hold on to. Certainly there is another way to look at this, but I still hold on to them. Have thought of making a quilt or blanket from all those sweaters and socks---but then they'll just hang out till I get the courage to cut them up...
 

---

Posted by Emma Louise (# 3571) on :
 
I've found with "special" clothes from when I was smaller or from a style I wouldn't wear anymore I was ok if I had photos of them. I laid them out nicely on the bed so I still had the memories and then gave them away!

If they're not in a state to give away and be reused than a small patch of the material could be kept.... would still declutter!

LC - over here the older houses are much much bigger than the newer houses. We have a newer house so more boxier - no such thing as a laundry room, closets or even large rooms here either!!!

We are buying a cabinet to put on the wall in the bathroom so that medicine can be stored out of small people's reach.
 

---

Posted by QLib (# 43) on :
 
I threw out my old teddy bear. It had to be done - he's looked terrible for years and maybe letting go of him will enable me to remember his past glory. And I threw out the diaries I kept during the break-up of my marriage. I hope they've served their purpose.
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:


The main problem for us is living in a 100 year old house with no closets to speak of, no linen closet, and no medicine cabinet. The challenge is finding a place to store all those necessaries instead of having them end up on various surfaces in the bathroom!

---

Baskets - the answer is baskets
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by St Everild:
Keep clothes for long enough and they become "vintage" (rather than out of date) - which gives them far more desirability.

Thats my theory. And I'm sticking to it, in the hope that one day I will find it to be true!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by QLib:
I threw out my old teddy bear. It had to be done - he's looked terrible for years and maybe letting go of him will enable me to remember his past glory. And I threw out the diaries I kept during the break-up of my marriage. I hope they've served their purpose.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:


The main problem for us is living in a 100 year old house with no closets to speak of, no linen closet, and no medicine cabinet. The challenge is finding a place to store all those necessaries instead of having them end up on various surfaces in the bathroom!

---

Baskets - the answer is baskets

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:

quote:

---

Originally posted by St Everild:
Keep clothes for long enough and they become "vintage" (rather than out of date) - which gives them far more desirability.

Thats my theory. And I'm sticking to it, in the hope that one day I will find it to be true!

---

It could - my friend makes a living selling vintage clothing!

---

Yes, but generally it's only okay to wear 'vintage clothing' if you weren't around for it the first time! (Or you style if very carefully).

[ 27. November 2011, 20:05: Message edited by: Eleanor Jane ]
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
baskets we've got. They sit, filled up with crap, on the countertop. Cabinets there's no place to hang. Some bright person decided the bathroom (!) needed a) 1 huge mirror and b) FOUR (count 'em, FOUR) large windows which are exactly at eye level for our neighbor--whose driveway is four feet away from the bathroom. Why?
 

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Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
Many years ago I lived in an apartment with a bathroom window that looked right out on the street. I had a dark shade hanging right up against the window, and a curtain closer to the room itself -- the window have a very wide windowsill which worked perfectly for holding shampoo bottles, cleaners, etc. -- the shade blocked it from the outside, and the curtain blocked it from the inside. (I supposed I could even have put some shelves in there.)
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Before I started doing the morning bathroom boogie I culled the bathroom bottles.

You won't believe the number of bottles/lotions/potions I had that I simply never used.

So I waited 'till I was in the right mood - then threw them all away! Now I'm utterly ruthless - if it's not used, it's not allowed in.

I find that this de-cluttering lark 99% in the mind. Now I need to use the same strategy on the untility room - which is still a total junk yard. My problem is that I'm such an 'all or none' person - once a room is sorted I can keep it that way, but getting it sorted is haaaard!
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
(I supposed I could even have put some shelves in there.)

---

When I lived in a very small flat, I shelved the bedroom window and filled it with plants - it increased privacy and obscured the view of the tenements opposite - and if ever a sunbeam managed to sidle down that far, the light through the leaves was pretty.
 

---

Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
Came home last night to find my lovely husband had totally cleared out two storage containers from under our bed!

That relieved my mind somewhat as I've been stressed about how much there is to do.

We've booked one way tickets to England as of late Jan! Eek! A whole house to sort and distribute to various places...
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
We've put rice paper privacy film over two of the windows, but it gets so bloody dark here every winter that I can't stand to do away with whatever light we get, however stupid the source. To lose a window would be an unthinkable sin. Did I mention I've got seasonal affective disorder?
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
We've put rice paper privacy film over two of the windows, but it gets so bloody dark here every winter that I can't stand to do away with whatever light we get, however stupid the source. To lose a window would be an unthinkable sin. Did I mention I've got seasonal affective disorder?

---

Lamb

I am trying to envision some kind of shelving set up with a light box incorporated. Crazy to block out light then replace it - but sometimes the craziest ideas are the best!
 

---

Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
I'm at the most messy phase of sorting out my study, having needed the two armchairs from there in the sitting room yesterday it has created a bit of space...and revealed all the dirt, bits of paper, things saved "in case they come in useful" and empty boxes for mobile phones, computers, cameras and associated stuffery...as well as files for which I have no home, pretty totes, AAARRRGGGG!!!!!

My desk is piled high with some of this that has been moved to get at other things, and I'm at the most discouraged phase.
Right, having got that lot off my chest, I'm going to get on with it a bit more.
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Plough on through St Everild - it will get easier, though I find a small treat at such times works wonders.

Huia

[ 30. November 2011, 19:04: Message edited by: Huia ]
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
The boxes of unsorted papers and unfilled filing boxes are now all in a corner of the bedroom. TP tells me he really can't help as I will need to look at everything. This is true. Because he is totally ruthless and will not keep anything of sentimental value whatever. My father's army discharge papers would be tossed - yet he will keep the rainfall , the temperature each day and what music he listened to in 1975 because it's "interesting statistics".

We do not think alike. But I tell him I can't start until he creates a filing taxonomy for me. Because my filing systems are never logical, and I know it will eventually drive him nuts.

It's like the stand-off at OK Corale!!!
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
I'm pausing for a break, but on my day off (I had to cancel lessons because our car needed to go into the garage) I have prepared my study to receive a guest (it's the second guest room).

This involved opening out the folding bed, finding dust bunnies, moving chairs, thinking that my craft shelves looked messy, which led to moving a lot of teaching stuff, which led to moving a lot of books, which led to filing a lot of papers (a lot of it in the recycling box!), which led to...and so on. It's nearly finished and I'm feeling really quite satisfied by the result.
My "in trays" still need going through, but I'm not sure I can face that this week! (They're not really in trays, as that implies that something goes "out" again. Things just loiter in my in trays...)
 

---

Posted by Emma Louise (# 3571) on :
 
I'm really enjoying that all of downstairs is now "decluttered" and things have places. The house looks so much tidier and it is much easier to keep clean. After a few hours or toddler the house still looks mad but it is so much easier to tidy up again after. My next task will be to get on !top of cleaning. I'm really bad at anything that has to be done regularly!!

Next task is "decluttering" photos stored digitally and to make up some books for each year of teacups life. I also have a corner on my deskspace that needs some decisions made about it.

We even have a list of things in the loft now - mainly camping stuff so I don't have to think its all there hiding above me.
 

---

Posted by Hgjules (# 16796) on :
 
Oh blimey my sister is coming to stay tomorrow! Spare room looks like, well I'm not sure what it looks like since it disappeared under all the stuff not deemed worthy enough to move into the new study. It's gonna be a long night!
 

---

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
In-laws coming to stay in a week, so the spare room got a makeover today. It looks good - but there is still too much to sort and I know there are not enough days to do it in before Christmas.
However progress is being made.

Baby steps. Baby steps....
 

---

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Doing batches of sorting and throwing away.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Pete arriving in less than a week - the room is repainted but otherwise a bit of a repository for random items - I must do something about it BEFORE next Wednesday!
 

---

Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
I've startd cleaning and decluttering as I'm moving house next year and want to only take things I actually want! The place is a complete tip though. Husband has a couple of days off and I was planning to get stuff done but it's so overwhelming

Baby steps. The kitchen is nearly done surfaces only, but hey) so I will finish that today. I don't know when I will get the courage to start on the lounge or our room.
 

---

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Pete arriving in less than a week - the room is repainted but otherwise a bit of a repository for random items - I must do something about it BEFORE next Wednesday!

---

Are you calling Pete a random item?
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 

 

---

Posted by Janine (# 3337) on :
 
Winter has hit -- well, as much winter as we get around here, temps near freezing overnite & highs in the 50's F expected today.

My usual haphazard methods of storing out-of-season clothing means I can't find my big fluffy red cape/coat. Dang it.

Top that with the World's Worst Cold-Sinus Revolt in progress -- I want to wear a coat, but I can't take the bending and stooping and dust-kicking-up that will be involved in unearthing my coat.

*Sigh*

I guess it's layering time. And I'll keep my lab coat on all day at work. Usually I'm the hot one, but illness can mess up an inner thermostat.

Speaking of work, I shifted to a different desk/workstation yesterday. Talk about kicking up dust. I clean up my territory regularly, but "moving" always finds unexpected dust. No wonder I'm feeling so much worse today.

Project @ work today, between all the usual daily duties, will be shredding or storing papers I unearthed. Right now it's in a big ol' cardboard box by my desk. Talk about horrible clutter potential, if I don't get it gone immediately.
 

---

Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
Started the lounge Just one corner at a time. It's looking better already. Any flat space in our house gets filled very quickly. How do you keep them clear??
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jenn.:
Started the lounge Just one corner at a time. It's looking better already. Any flat space in our house gets filled very quickly. How do you keep them clear??

---

Whenever I leave a room I tidy it up - completely.

Sounds hard, but when it becomes a habit it's OK. I am not naturally tidy in the least, so this habit has taken me a ~~~~ l o n g ~~~~ time to get into.

But it works!
 

---

Posted by Janine (# 3337) on :
 
And I'm sure if it's done so frequently as that, it doesn't take so long -- not much to tidy. But I can understand it taking a long time to develop the habit. Sometimes I wish I could develop a teeny tiny mild case of OCD, so I could feel driven to clean but turn it off before it became an unhealthy preoccupation. A friend with OCD is like that about cleaning and tidying. She will become wealthy if she ever figures out how to bottle it in small doses.

As for keeping horizontal surfaces clear, the FG's solution at time has been to get rid of the horizontal surfaces. Not always practical, that. ;D
 

---

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Janine:
[QB] . A friend with OCD is like that about cleaning and tidying. She will become wealthy if she ever figures out how to bottle it in small doses.
[QB]

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Janine:
Sometimes I wish I could develop a teeny tiny mild case of OCD, so I could feel driven to clean but turn it off before it became an unhealthy preoccupation. A friend with OCD is like that about cleaning and tidying. She will become wealthy if she ever figures out how to bottle it in small doses.

---

Actually, OCD doesn't always work like that. I have OCD, and one of the things I obsess over is cleanliness but my house doesn't always look immaculate. The need to clean with OCD is most often about removing a contamination of some sort, so often ordinary household mess will not make me "need" to clean because it's just messy or dirty, it's not "contaminated". For me, contaminants are mostly bodily fluids of some sort, so when I managed to walk over some blood on the pavement the other day, my shoes / long skirt were contaminated, but just having dirty washing up in the sink is not contaminated, it's just messy. Obviously it varies from person to person, but it's a common misconception that "you have OCD so your house must be immaculate" because the two don't necessarily go together.

What I do have, is a fairly low tolerance for things being disordered and that is linked to OCD. I will need to straighten things out much sooner than other people, and hate things being disorganised, but they can be messy, as long as there is an underlying order to the messiness.

The other thing i'd say about OCD is that it can be incredibly debilitating, so don't wish you had it, because even after therapy it still makes every day a challenge.

To prove a point, my house is a disgusting mess at the moment and I will be spending tomorrow rectifying this. I do find that having a routine really helps - I change the bed linen on Tuesdays (my day off,) wash the towels and the bath mat on Sundays, try to clean the kitchen sides every day (though this has been neglected recently) and try to put a load of washing on every morning so it doesn't build up. things like that really help.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Here is a cautionary tale about over filling your loft! Jeremy Vine is discussing it on Radio Two this afternoon.

"An Essex pensioner has spent 11 hours pinned to his bed after his ceiling collapsed under the weight of 7,000 yachting publications.

Richard Phillips, 77, had stored 150 boxes of magazines in his loft and firefighters found him buried under them but unhurt, after he was discovered by his next-door neighbour in Goldhanger."




crumbs!
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
Happy New Year de-clutterers!

Ohhhhhh what a mess my house is after the Christmas festivities!

Where to start?

I think I will start by putting the kettle on and making a list...


 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:

Richard Phillips, 77, had stored 150 boxes of magazines in his loft and firefighters found him buried under them but unhurt, after he was discovered by his next-door neighbour in Goldhanger."

---

• Tidy and clear out / rearrange all kitchen cupboards. They have been used in the same way for 5 years, there must be a more efficient use of space.
• Make better use of the storage in the dining room. After all, there's loads.
• Declutter THE Cupboard. You know, the one I have to shut quickly before everything falls back out again and where all the junk I don't know what to do with lives (I call it my "Monica Cupboard" after an episode of Friends).
• Clean up the Balcony. It used to be a wonderful place to sit in the summer with loads of veg growing. Now it's a repository for dead plants. I want to grow stuff again this year and will need to get rid of the crap first.

My house isn't desperately cluttered (one of the traits of OCD is to hoard and I know I have a tendency to do that so i'm careful about it) but those areas could all be worked on. So there they are. I'll update with how I get on...
 

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Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
De-cluttering goal for 2012 - get my life down to 37 kg including two suitcases!

We're emigrating to England in about three weeks so we're in full cleaning, sorting, selling, giving away, moving, loaning mode. Managed to sell/ give away about 1 1/2 boxes of books. Have 8 boxes left...

It's all a bit mad! Better get back to it...

Cheers,
EJ

[ 06. January 2012, 23:16: Message edited by: Eleanor Jane ]
 

---

Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eleanor Jane:
De-cluttering goal for 2012 - get my life down to 37 kg including two suitcases!

---

How exciting! Hope to see you at a future shipmeet.

When I moved here I had the luxury of leaving heaps of stuff in my parents' house (also my house) - but now they are moving house! And I have to try and declutter my stuff from the other side of the globe
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eleanor Jane:
We're emigrating to England in about three weeks so we're in full cleaning, sorting, selling, giving away, moving, loaning mode. Managed to sell/ give away about 1 1/2 boxes of books. Have 8 boxes left...

Cheers,
EJ

---

I don't know if you have Charity Barns up there but they take all kinds of stuff.

Huia
 

---

Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
Yes, I guess it is exciting, but I'm mostly stressed at the moment. Once my husband has a job then I can relax a bit 'cos I'll know we'll actually get to stay instead of doing all this then having to come home! (Unlikely, but possible!)

Never heard of Charity Barns. Our church has a Op Shop that isn't too fussy about what it takes so piles of stuff are going there, and we're selling things on-line (some for $1 reserve to get rid of them)

We managed to take a trailer and car-load out to my parents/ my shed (long story) but my brother is being a bit 'dog in the manger'ish as he's taken over nearly the whole shed as a car workshop. I do own 1/4 of the property so I feel I ought to be able to store some stuff there!

We're getting rid of nearly half our furniture and we've managed to loan quite a bit of it to friends, so that's good.

Anyhoo, I should get working... two and a half weeks to go!

Cheers,
EJ
 

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Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
Good luck, Eleanor Jane!

Fortunately family etc. were very considerate with Christmas presents for the Opuses - none of the usual Large Items appeared, as they're all familiar with our lack of space to put anything. New Year's Eve I put my foot down, and *made* Op 2 tidy her room (a job she'd been successfully putting off for a couple of months! ). This then spurred Op 1 into tidying up too - although it's taken rather longer to get hers done with anything like the same thoroughness. One room is properly decluttered now, though - perhaps I should pay Op 2 to attack the rest of the house, since she appears to be the only one of us with any aptitude for de-cluttering!

Our next move is starting to loom large - although we're not quite trusting enough to be certain it'll happen when it should... I do need to phone the movers to arrange quotes etc. though. Maybe that will be what finally gets me to sort the Consevatory...
 

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Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
Procrastinating on the Ship instead of sorting...

I started to make a list of clothes to take and clothes to ship over to England for spring/summer. There's so much not on the list! Have to bring myself to let go of stuff and look forward to lovely new things (but maybe less of them, and better quality). Oh, the pain of getting rid of shoes I *love* but are just a bit too un-comfy!

I think (hope) clearing out my clothes has taught me not to 'settle'. If an item doesn't quite fit in some way, needs hand-washing or ironing, isn't comfy (especially for shoes) or just isn't quite the right thing then it's not going to get much use and will just take up space. I need to be a bit more discerning in my shopping, I think.

It has been quite nice to Op-shop things like 2/3 of my kitchen implements and throw out badly chipped plates. We managed to fill a huge skip with junk from under our house/ around our property (much of it left by the previous owners). It's very nice to be all clean in our garage and under the deck.

Cheers,
EJ
 

---

Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I'm really struggling with this one just now and have to keep reminding myself that it's do-able, taken in small steps. Losing my brother at the end of November has meant starting to take over some official things to do with my mum and I'm surrounded by mountains of paperwork that I don't know how to conquer. I want to feel I control them rather than they control me but I feel pretty overwhelmed at the moment. That's before I start on anything that's in the drawers and cupboards... and let's not even think about the loft...


 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 


Many prayers for you Nenya - you've got a lot of stressful stuff going on.

Maybe some small steps at decluttering would help lessen the stress? Maybe just making one clutter-free area to escape to?

My utility room is a total wreck (again ) Tidying up elsewhere just means all the 'No idea where to put it' stuff ends up in there.

I think I'll try a metre at a time (it's a big room!)
 

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Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
The Conservatory goes from bad to worse, but on the bright side I cleared the top of my computer desk yesterday. The shelves still await attention, but the big pile of papers that kept threatening to fall down the back or all over the floor in front are now GONE! (To the dining table, where they await further processing - i.e. the Opuses taking them to their rooms. Deadline this evening, I think, then anything remaining goes in the recycling...)
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:


Many prayers for you Nenya - you've got a lot of stressful stuff going on.

---

Thanks for saying that, Boogie. I sometimes feel I'm making a mountain out of a molehill.

I'll try the small area at a time - indeed there's no other way really, if I think about the whole thing I'm simply overwhelmed - and I keep pegging away at a tray of papers I've got on my breakfast bar. It never seems to diminish but I guess if I hadn't kept at it it would be touching the wall units by now.
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
Well, Christmas, builders, guests, and the return of one adult daughter to the family home means Chez Banner is now quite chaotic again. SO much to sort, and still not enough time to do it. It would be great if I could turn the rest of life off while I tackle one thing at a time, but life just doesn't work like that.

Renovation work means we are playing musical rooms, which also doesn't help. To top it off, some clothing I had packed away, and which belongs to another family member, has gone mouldy. I have spent two days washing and treating whatever is resurrectable out of the pile; but some gorgeous garments will have to be tossed.
 

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Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:


Many prayers for you Nenya - you've got a lot of stressful stuff going on.

---

Thanks for saying that, Boogie. I sometimes feel I'm making a mountain out of a molehill.

I'll try the small area at a time - indeed there's no other way really, if I think about the whole thing I'm simply overwhelmed - and I keep pegging away at a tray of papers I've got on my breakfast bar. It never seems to diminish but I guess if I hadn't kept at it it would be touching the wall units by now.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Little Miss Methodist:
How is your decluttering going?

---

Very very slowly.

I'm facing up to the fact that I'm actually scared of paperwork and it's all to do with the way I was brought up (hello, psychological baggage) so trying to deal with it is a big thing for me. It all seems to take at least five times as long as I feel it should.

Your shower looks amazing, LMM. What did you use on the grout and sealant to get rid of the black mould that was ingrained? We have similar problems in our bathroom and dealing with it is like King Canute trying to hold back the tide.

I had great ideas about the wonderful state the house was going to be in by the time Nenlet1 gets married in April. I'm having to revise my ideas and trying not to get stressed about it...
 

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Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:
I'm facing up to the fact that I'm actually scared of paperwork and it's all to do with the way I was brought up (hello, psychological baggage) so trying to deal with it is a big thing for me. It all seems to take at least five times as long as I feel it should.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:

Your shower looks amazing, LMM. What did you use on the grout and sealant to get rid of the black mould that was ingrained?

---

Thank you! I ripped all the old sealant out completely, nothing was ever going to shift that mould i'm afraid. I used anti-mould sealant to relplace it. I'll see how it gets on! The grouting I used a Ronseal Grout pen. It didn't remove the mould (again, nothing would have) but it sort of painted over it. I had to bleach it properly first to ensure it was dead so it wouldn't continue to spread under the paint. Lakeland do a mould removing spray that they claim works brilliantly and i've had good results with their products before. Good luck!
 

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Posted by JoannaP (# 4493) on :
 
Things are going well here - so well that I am prepared to post on this thread.

Mr P had some colleagues in for a visit a couple of weeks ago and we worked really hard together (and that was a key point) to get the bits that they would see looking respectable. I am now focussed on keeping the bits that are clean and tidy that way, while Mr P wants to get the rest of the house up to that standard. So far, we are both winning
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Little Miss Methodist:

How is your decluttering going? I love reading about what other people are doing to their houses and have missed this thread which I found languishing at the bottom of page two...

---

Thanks for asking Little Miss Methodist

I have stalled a little. I am managing to keep the decluttered rooms tidy, but I have still got too many 'hot spots' for my liking. I'm going away to Mexico until the end of Feb tomorrow - so will start again with new vigour when I return!

I might start a 'decluttering journal' in a new notebook and do the lists thing too, that way I'll be able to look back on progress.
 

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Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
Well... how's it going you ask?

Our house is now completely empty of our stuff and was reasonbly clean two weeks ago when we left it. (Who knows what the tenants have since done to it, but I don't much mind. We'll strip it all out and replace when we eventually return to the country).

There was some fairly painful decluttering/ getting rid of stuff towards the end. I gave about three large rubbish sacks of clothing etc. to family, friends and the Op Shop. We managed to wedge 30 kg of clothing etc into a suitcase and that's all I have! I lost a cardigan on the plane so now I only have two!

We gave away/ sold/lent out about half our furniture - the rest went into very reluctant storage in my father's shed.

Seeing as we don't have jobs yet and are living out of suitcases, we're not really buying anything. I can't *wait* to have a job and a flat so I can nest and start to build up my wardrobe again. There are so many lovely things to buy here!

I am trying to make sure that the things that I do buy are really, really right. Too often I've bought clothes or whatever that aren't quite the right size or colour or fabric etc. and therefore just don't get used. Or household things that are useful but not lovely. I'll try and remember to buy less but to get good quality and things I really like and need.

Anyhoo, essay over now.

Cheers,
EJ
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Little Miss Methodist:
my Mother would go white at the sight of a visa bill and that kind of conditioning as a child is hard to get around as an adult.

---

I relate to that. For me it was my father, to whom paperwork was Men's Work and something that women shouldn't bother their pretty little heads about - and who spent weeks stressed and chain smoking over his tax return.

Mr Nen's also very capable in the paperwork department and the temptation is to leave it all to him, but we've had several talks about it and he's showing me how he organises things. I don't work on Thursdays and have earmarked part of today for paperwork... and am already thinking of all the other things I need to do instead.
 

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Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Little Miss Methodist:
Some decluttering goals for 2012:

• Tidy and clear out / rearrange all kitchen cupboards. They have been used in the same way for 5 years, there must be a more efficient use of space.
• Make better use of the storage in the dining room. After all, there's loads.
• Declutter THE Cupboard. You know, the one I have to shut quickly before everything falls back out again and where all the junk I don't know what to do with lives (I call it my "Monica Cupboard" after an episode of Friends).
• Clean up the Balcony. It used to be a wonderful place to sit in the summer with loads of veg growing. Now it's a repository for dead plants. I want to grow stuff again this year and will need to get rid of the crap first.

---

Ok so, I made progress on one of my goals this weekend!

I have an old 18 drawer card filing storage system that I "liberated" from my church and had decided to use to store all the bits and pieces I use for sewing. Yesterday I finally got around to filling up all the little drawers and neatly labeling them. So that is good work towards goal two above. It's not fully completed - I have lots more storage that needs an overhaul in the dining room, but it's a start.

I have also made a start with goal three - I tidied just the first metre of the cupboard (it's about three metres deep by 70cm wide) so I could get the hoover into it! Again, it's by no means finished or sorted completely, but it's a bit better.

A friend of mine has promised to come and help me clear out the balcony one weekend, so that will help, especially as the weather is starting to get a bit warmer so it's ok to work outside.

Anyone else doing any decluttering? I quite like to spring clean - one of the things I do every year around this time is go through my (relatively large) yarn stash and give it a good sort and tidy. I think that might be the project to undertake.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
That's a fab file card cabinet LMM!

I have lots of decluttering to do - currently trying to persuade HWMBO that the mushroom shed, with sheet plastic walls, would look well as a proper shed with concrete block walls so we could actually store stuff in it! We have given up the mushroom thing as the seed is too difficult to come by.
 

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Posted by Polly Plummer (# 13354) on :
 
I've just heard that I need to go into hospital in a couple of months (nothing major). I'll need to use the time before then to tidy up so Mr. Plummer can find things while I'm away - what an incentive!.
 

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Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
Can I once again recommend emigrating as the ultimate decluttering tool? I've been really good at not buying things... The huge choice of new things over here had lead to me being fairly discriminating but also unsure of what I like.

I've bought books (mainly from charity shops) but I'm going to give most of them back before we move into a more permanant flat.

That said, it is extremely odd being removed from things that I used for comfort and self-identification. Who am I if I'm not well dressed 'cos I don't have a big wardrobe of nice clothes? Who am I if I live with generic things all chosen by someone else (and the cheapest possible ones at that). Who am I without a house or job to define me?

It's all no doubt very good for me, but unsettling in the extreme...
 

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Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
At work a few weeks ago there was some clearing out going on, and a long wooden shelf was on the pile to be thrown out. I asked for it, and not only did I get it, but I got the loan of the work van (and driver) to get the shelf home!
I have now re-organised all my books and videos, completely rebuilding my plank and support shelves around the new unit, and I find that not only does it look a lot smarter, but I also have more room to buy more books and videos!
(The supports for the shelves are mostly round tubes such as whisky boxes, Pringles cartons and the inner tubes of rolls of carpet, cut to size)
 

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Posted by Theophania (# 16647) on :
 
I have a week off work with which I'm not meant to gallivant much or do anything strenuous.

This is a marvellous opportunity to sort, file, shred, mock, etc all the boxes of paperwork, isn't it? All the boxes I packed up and moved rather than sorting them first so I'd have less to move...

Motivation for this is somewhat elusive.
 

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Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
I have finally got myself a date to move-Easter weekend (as it is a handy long weekend and so my parents won't need to use holiday to drive the van for me).

This is leading to a combination of frantic packing, decluttering (but also buying things I ought to have but don't) and trying to get things finished off before I go. Not forgetting the job hunting

It is making me focus on getting rid of the junk I have hoarded though

Edited as word got chopped off...

[ 06. March 2012, 01:15: Message edited by: Mrs Shrew ]
 

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Posted by Beethoven (# 114) on :
 
We finally moved, and the conservatory decluttering still hadn't happened...! Fortunately things seem to have found new homes now, and we're gradually getting there with the 'putting away' part of unpacking. I'm already becoming aware of what will clearly be the clutter hotspots in the new house - at the moment one of them is so cluttered it actually can't take any more without everything falling on the floor - so while that's not exactly a success it does at least limit the amount that can gather there(!). The kitchen windowsill is going to be a danger point, so I need to get that cleared sooner rather than later, and then keep it that way.

I have discovered the widely differing approaches that Mr B and I have, though. I felt that we shouldn't be getting lots of new storage things for the bathrooms until we knew how much we needed; he felt we should get lots as we were bound to need it all. We compromised on getting some, and half of it is still unused as I've chucked out lots of things that were never ever going to be used Yay me!
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
Thought for the day… like the manna in the desert, yesterday's blessing breeds worms and stinks.

When I was broke™ the Lord definitely providentially kept me in clothes - my best friend works in fashion, she used to get a lot of clothes for free and give them to me, other girlfriends would also arrive saying "hey I bought this but I've changed my mind and decided I'm not going to wear it - do you want it?", I would pick up amazing good quality items in the second hand shop for €5 or less… but at this stage in the day I have Too Many Clothes and my wardrobe is breeding worms and stinking. I don't wear half the stuff because apart from anything else I can't see what's in there, there's so much of it.

This weekend I am going to force myself to have a clear-out. I'll give you a progress update later.
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
I did it

I cleared out my wormy stinking cupboard!.. and found a lot of stuff I didn't even remember I had. One LARGE bag of stuff has gone in the bin (worn-out) and another enormous one to give away. As Providence would have, a notice has appeared in the hallway of my building from a charity that is coming round later in the week for a clothing collection, asking for donations to be left downstairs. So I don't even have to take the stuff anywhere.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by la vie en rouge:


I did it

---

Woo hoo!

Well, I've made a start - the utility room
does have a floor after all :0)
 

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Posted by Jack the Lass (# 3415) on :
 
I am just having a break from finally sorting out the study. We moved here in November, I managed to get my books out and put them on the shelves quite early on, but what with sorting everything else out it became a bit of a dumping ground and I've never been able to use it as a study - trying to get to the books at the opposite side of the room from the door became somewhat like trying to climb the Matterhorn. Today though I am starting - slowly - to tackle it. Initially to be honest it is going to be more of a redistribution than a declutter, but amongst other things that will involve putting the desk together now that there is floor to put it on (and now that we've found all the various bits of desk, always useful!), so it will feel really refreshing. Plus I can start planning under-desk storage

I must confess that a lot of stuff is initially going in the cupboard and the door shut on it, but it is going in there in an orderly fashion (ie all the stationery* together, all the photo albums together etc) and I plan to spend half an hour a day sorting through bits of it. If I try to do it all in one go then I just get daunted and shut the door on it again, so I'm hoping this way will be a bit less scary.

*And* I found the Christmas tree (which we'd lost before we even moved)

Time for a cup of tea first though.

*Note to self: No need to buy stationery, ever ever again.
 

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Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 
Great work La Vie en Rouge and Jack the Lass! You definitely deserve a cup of tea each (or tipple of your choice).
 

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Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
I managed to sort out my tea collection yesterday. This took a surprisingly long time, as I really struggle to throw things away, even if it is tea I don't like and will never drink. I put it on my parents' compost heap which helped a little. Need to learn to let go and stop hoarding of feeling guilty for decluttering.
 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Am making some progress, in small spurts.
 

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Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
I had a big breakthrough yesterday with the decluttering. I sorted out my yarn and fabric stashes.

No longer do I have a series of giant vacuum bags of the stuff, instead I have fewer plastic boxes of yarn-the rest is going to charity, to my mum, or to the fabric recycling bank.

And I sorted the fabric by type and put each piece in one of those zippy top freezer bags-should make it easier to rifle through as well as preventing dust. I even have a list of what is in which box.


 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Hello, dear decluttering friends. Just thought I'd update that the family wedding is now days away and the house is as cluttered as it ever was, so I've just had to come to terms with that. I'm still determined that I will have a decluttered house one day, but that day is further away than I thought. We had someone in to clean the bathroom professionally yesterday so it looks great for everyone using it at the weekend. I picked up a few good cleaning tips as well.

Boogie! You recommended a book which you'd found particularly helpful for adults diagnosed with ADHD. I thought it was on this thread but I can't find it. Could you remind me what it was? I'm talking to someone on another forum about it.
 

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Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:
I picked up a few good cleaning tips as well.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:


Boogie! You recommended a book which you'd found particularly helpful for adults diagnosed with ADHD. I thought it was on this thread but I can't find it. Could you remind me what it was? I'm talking to someone on another forum about it.

---

Here it is Nenya He has a great attitude to ADD - and lots of tips on how to deal with it/make the most of it.

I dip back into it often.

(One of his chapters is about the war on piles - I'm constantly in that battle!)


 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
Piles are indeed painful...
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:
Piles are indeed painful...

---

I've never suffered from the medical sort ....

The ones which invade every surface in the house, including the floor - yes indeed!
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:
I picked up a few good cleaning tips as well.

---

Please share!

---

Ok. In no particular order and sorry if I use some product names which you can't get outside the UK:

Use Viakal (limescale treatment) for limescale on taps and tiles

Use clear antibacterial cleaner for towel rails

Use Windowlene (window and mirror cleaner) liberally to make things shine - tiles and chrome as well as glass

Use paper kitchen roll to dry everything properly - any cloth leaves marks

Use caustic soda for drains and toilets

Don't mix products

Don't use kitchen cleaner in bathrooms (it can destroy some of the surfaces)

Use cheap sponge pads with a slightly abrasive surface for scrubbing

Thanks, Boogie, for the book link. I've passed that on. I now remember the previous discussion about the war on piles and can only say that both sorts can be most trying.
 

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Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 
I took about two weeks worth of recycling out to the bin tonight and am getting rid of the old newspapers tomorrow. Zeke replaced the Hoover last week and will try the new machine out this weekend.
 

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Posted by Rowen (# 1194) on :
 
My house is packed, prior to vacation, prior to moving...
Much stuff to my church's charity shop.
Much stuff to friends.
Much useless stuff to the rubbish tip in town.
Feeling proud about all this decluttering... And I guess there may be more when I unpack.
 

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Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :
 
Well done, Rowen.

quote:

---

I even have a list of what is in which box.

---

Hey, I found my list, which was lost! Verily, there was much rejoicing.

Especially, since it pertains to a massive hoard of car and motorbike spares which are squished into the 2 foot space under the ground floor of the house (no proper cellar ).

One day I'd like to move house. I think perhaps it might be best to weigh this one in...
 

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Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
I am moving tomorrow -everything is in boxes! Like Rowen, i expect to do more clearing out on unpacking, but am feeling proud of having done a lot already. Now to move 300miles, unpack and make the house usable ready to start new job on Tuesday!
 

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Posted by Enigma (# 16158) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mrs Shrew:
I am moving tomorrow -everything is in boxes! Like Rowen, i expect to do more clearing out on unpacking, but am feeling proud of having done a lot already. Now to move 300miles, unpack and make the house usable ready to start new job on Tuesday!

---

Well done and hope all goes well!! I haven't moved home for 25 years but I still well remember the decluttering on arrival. This was not of my own doing but my sister-in-law when perusing the clothes that I had just packed without thinking saying such things as, 'Why on earth are you keeping this? It might fit you but it makes you look ancient!'
I think another clear-out with her help might be in order.
Actually having said that, one of the jackets of which I was particularly proud but which was thrown out had the look of recent high fashion in my opinion.
 

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Posted by Eleanor Jane (# 13102) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Enigma:
Well done and hope all goes well!! I haven't moved home for 25 years but I still well remember the decluttering on arrival. This was not of my own doing but my sister-in-law when perusing the clothes that I had just packed without thinking saying such things as, 'Why on earth are you keeping this? It might fit you but it makes you look ancient!'
I think another clear-out with her help might be in order.
Actually having said that, one of the jackets of which I was particularly proud but which was thrown out had the look of recent high fashion in my opinion.

---

Yes, but 'having the look of' just doesn't work unless you're actually young enough to have not worn it the first time! I'm old enough to have worn the currently trendy 80's/90's stuff the first time, so I'm treating the retro looks with great caution. I wouldn't wear an original 80/90's piece (but 20 year old Uni students can do so with amplomb!). I will wear things tinged with a 80s retro feel, but not head to toe and not too obviously. 90s retro does my head in...

Retro from before my time i.e. 1940/1950's is just fine. I don't like most of the 1960s/1970s style things so I avoid.

Anyhoo, have fun with your sort out!

Cheers,
Eleanorjane
 

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Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
90's is retro now?
We don't take much notice of high fashion where I live - I wear pretty much what I like, and I have my own style (such as it is). I'm looking forward to summer - I've got a 'new' dress which was originally a Victorian nightgown!
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
My problem with decluttering is that even when I do it I still can't find anything! Mind you if I did my filing occasionally it might help.
 

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Posted by Theophania (# 16647) on :
 
Pretty much all my stuff is now in boxes, piled up in one room so workmen can get at the rest of the house. I did do some getting-rid as I boxed, but not nearly enough.

What I wish I'd bothered to do is sort things more and box categorically. Some are fine and labelled. Many are from when i moved at New Year and packed in a hurry and haven't properly unpacked before repacking: this means many are labelled helpful things like "random" and "stuff". One is labelled "random bits etc." which could mean anything...
 

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Posted by QLib (# 43) on :
 
Been drowning a bit, after a sudden influx of clutter from what was once the family home. Fortunately, as part of the last batch, my younger daughter endowed with me with her old lever arch files, so I've at least got all my academic paperwork in order, and in files that not only fit but will also stand up straight in a bookcase.

Pretty much everything else is sorted into boxes and one batch has already gone to two charity shops. I feel a bit more on top of things, but sometimes I wonder if it will ever be straight.
 

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Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I have done a mammoth clothes decluttering. Mountains of stuff which doesn’t fit, doesn’t suit, very dated style etc. It was all a bit scary and emotional. I now have a few outfits which are suitable. And some which aren't but I will have to keep until I can get some more clothes. I am going shopping soon for a capsule wardrobe.

Basically I decided I had spent too long in horrible clothes because I was waiting to lose weight and get back into my thin clothes and make/buy some decent stuff.

I have decided to dress for what I am now and worry about what to wear when I lose weight if I ever lose it.

So I went to a Colour Me Beautiful style consultant. I have had very good results from this firm in the past.

I thought my colours were sorted, I just needed a style and fashion update. But it turns out that as my hair is now grey and the ageing process has altered my skin tone I am now in a completely different range of colours. No wonder I felt like crap all the time. Wrong colours, wrong styles, wrong everything.

I was surprised how emotional I felt during the consultation. There is a sort of grief for the loss of the old me, but I also felt very excited at the prospect of liberating the real me and expressing her in her clothes and colours. Especially as now I am retired I don’t have to fit anyone’s expectation of how I ought to look. Some of the clothes I love but rarely wear because I thought they weren’t me turned out to be just the thing which made me very happy.

I have a large collection of fabrics in my old colours. I was waiting to lose weight before I made them up………I am trying to sell these. But I don’t really know what to do with them. The good clothes went to a charity shop. Do people make their own clothes any more? Can I sell them on ebay? Is there a market? I have never done this. It seems like a huge amount of effort and stress for probably not much reward. The money is gone, I doubt if I can recover it. Maybe a car boot sale would be a good idea.

It has taught me a lesson. No more accumulating a pattern and fabric stash. Only buy what I will use and no more till it is used.

I have carted some of these clothes and fabrics and patterns through a house move and stored them for over 20 years. I even got extra wardrobes to store them in. I think I was quite batty.
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
So I've reached the point that wherever I look there is a pile, a drawer, a cupboard that needs sorting. How do you decide where to start?
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:
So I've reached the point that wherever I look there is a pile, a drawer, a cupboard that needs sorting. How do you decide where to start?

---

One corner of your most used room.



Now I MUST get off the computer and do some tidying - visitors today!
 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
We had a big tidy for the quarterly flat inspection at the end of last week so I returned from a weekend away to a lovely tidy house. I must remember that feeling!

We now have about 5 weeks to pack up and move out (initially to house-sit for some friends, then who knows where) so it's time for boxing up and purging and evaluating my belongings again. I'm sure it will get worse before it gets better, but hopefully the longer-term benefits will be worth the effort.

I have started by coming up with a small wardrobe of clothes to be used over the summer and packing them away in a suitcase. Hopefully this will mean that I am excited to wear them again when I arrive at my next port of call. Everything else in my wardrobe then needs to justify its existence to be packed up or will be going to charity. I may even be able to dismantle one of my wardrobes fairly soon to make way for all the boxes!
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:
So I've reached the point that wherever I look there is a pile, a drawer, a cupboard that needs sorting. How do you decide where to start?

---

One corner of your most used room.

---

Thank you. I'll do it.

I've also been re-reading this thread to inspire myself, and have downloaded a couple of the book recommendations to my Kindle.

Still feeling overwhelmed... but not so quite alone in it. Thank you, Boogie. Enjoy your visitors.
 

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Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
What Boogie said.

Also, start by throwing out obvious rubbish and things you feel able to discard. Give yourself amnesty from recycling, donating, selling, whatever, at this stage. The only objective is to get stuff out of the house.

Don't get distracted by indecision. Anything you can't decide to throw away store somewhere. You can make final decisions later.

Everytime you move from room to room take something with you and put it in the room/place it belongs.

Good luck.

[ 07. May 2012, 11:32: Message edited by: Thyme ]
 

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Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
I got rid of the kids for a day and spent it clearing. 30 bags to the charity shops. Emptied a few boxes that got filled while I was ill and unable to do much. Found missing chequebooks. Feels very good!

The thing that has made a massive difference to me has been to stop thinking about selling things or finding the perfect recipient and concentrate on getting things out of the house. That means sending pretty much everything to the charity shops. I could make money from some of this stuff, but I'll manage without the extra cash for the sake of clearing the house before the move.
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I've done quite well today, have pretty much cleared my breakfast bar (a place which attracts clutter) and sorted quite a way through one of the many piles of paperwork. Paperwork's the worst thing. I don't have that many clothes and the few ornaments we have are non-negotiables. But the paper... the magazines... the letters... cards I want to keep from people I care about... the Sunday newspapers that are cherished by Mr Nen until they become history...

I need to keep this up, though. I've had blitzes on it all before, only to stop after a few days and leave it for weeks before I do any more.
 

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Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
Yes, the huge cleaning effort followed by the crash and burn syndrome. That was my life for a long time.

Regarding the papers, I had several areas of 'piles' of paper. Especially the dining room table.

Two or three years ago I finally got it cracked and the table has been clear ever since. Such a joy. Sometimes piles start growing again elsewhere but they don't get out of hand anymore.

My primary mission is keeping the cleared surfaces clear.

Try this: Always throw away junk mail as soon as it arrives, straight in the bin.

Have a small number of boxes of appropriate sizes for magazines, newspapers, cards from friends, and one for stuff that needs action, replies, bills paying and so on.

As soon as the mail or paper arrives in the house put it in one of these boxes or deal with it and file or dispose as required.

Concentrate on keeping current each day so it stops accumulating.

Deal with the backlog a bit at a time, just what you can each day without going into crash and burn. Maybe put the whole lot in its own box for sorting at leisure.

One suggestion for Mr N's newspapers. Put them in their own box. Tell him what you are doing and where it is. Leave him to it. When the box is full tell him and ask him what he wants done with the surplus.

Don't let him put stuff on the cleared surfaces. Put it in a box. Tell him where it is.

The husbands often start spontaneously decluttering their stuff once we get a system going and the pile system has gone.

I know it sounds like a lot of boxes but they don't need to be large, as the idea is to empty them regularly, and they can stack neatly away. Meanwhile you will have lovely clear surfaces.
 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Got rid of lots of stuff over the weekend!


 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Sent a couple of big bags of clothes to the charity shop a couple of weeks ago and have managed to pack up four boxes for the impending move. I think I will miss some of the clothes, but I have so many that I have kept that they really aren't worth worrying about.

I have also planned and half-packed a suitcase of clothes to get me through the summer (so hopefully by the time I start wearing them I will have missed them a bit) and started to arrange storage for the unimaginable quantities of stuff I own - tonight is earmarked for packing up warmer clothes and possibly venturing forth to survey the boxes under the bed!
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I had loads of stuff in boxes in the cellar of some friends' house in Manchester and I sorted it down to about half a suitcase to bring with me and 2 boxes at 2 cubic feet each of stuff that is being shipped - books, photos and photoslides. Loads of stuff to charity shops or the dump that I will never want again - if I haven't missed it in the 6 years since my dad died I doubt I'll miss it now!

eta: and the clothes appear to have shrunk rather markedly - it must be a very damp cellar!

[ 22. May 2012, 11:15: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Making progress.
 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Flatmate and I spent some of the past Saturday afternoon dismantling a pine-and-canvas wardrobe, taking it to a friend's house, reconstructing it (in a slightly different order) and filling it with our winter coats, ballgowns and party frocks. We lost count when we were at 10 frocks each, but justify this by considering ourselves the stewards of a sort of dress library for exchange students.

I spent the rest of the weekend enjoying the sunshine so yesterday's catch-up packing effort of filling a suitcase with clothes and framed photographs was a bit meagre. Hopefully I'll manage to keep going this week and make some use of my Jubilee bank holidays to put more of a dent in things.

The countdown starts now - I only have 3 weekends left until the move. The last I'd like to use for moving the big stuff (possibly with a van or friend's trailer) and getting the deep cleaning moving, the middle I'm away so next weekend is when things really have to get packed up. Plan is to try and keep the momentum going by packing at least a small box each evening. If I get really brave (and am home from work early enough) tonight I might disassemble the other wardrobe in my bedroom to make some space to stack boxes and things.

Wishing fortitude on everyone decluttering to move, it always leads to me feeling unsettled and irritable.
 

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Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
Hay Festival is coming up, and my neighbour always does a table sale outside her house on the first Saturday. Over the last few years, she's encouraged the lady across the road to join her, and this year it's going to be her, the lady across the road, me and our new neighbours next door to me.
It's surprising what I've squirrelled away that could possibly be converted into cash.
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
Can anyone join this thread? I've managed to find a local cleaning company who will call every week. First, they are going to do a major clean on Thursday am. We've been tidying up prior to the clean - so far, there have been three trips to the local dump, and a vast number of half used cough medicine bottles and such like in the recycling. The amount of clutter is gradually going down.
We've then got to get to grips with our spare bedroom, as we have visitors in July.
 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Got home a bit late. Did fill a box with books though, so I don't feel the evening was truly wasted.

Next step is, I think, to get some furniture out of the way to make space for all the boxes. And to be truly ruthless about what I decide to keep. Now I have a Kindle I'm trying to be better about not holding on to books I 'might' read again, but my skinflint nature resents paying £3-5 pounds for a book I already own and may have only paid 50p or £1 for. For now I'm bringing those ones into work and giving them a chance to sell before I donate them. Hopefully this means that when I do decide to donate them they will have become an annoyance in the office rather than an option for leisure time at home.

If I can sneak some time in I may also try to consolidate some of my fabric stash by cutting the pieces for a Jeans-and-T-shirts quilt I have been collecting bits and pieces for but it's hard to know whether taking the time now will be worth the effort for less packing hassle.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by St. Gwladys:
Can anyone join this thread? I've managed to find a local cleaning company who will call every week. First, they are going to do a major clean on Thursday am. We've been tidying up prior to the clean - so far, there have been three trips to the local dump, and a vast number of half used cough medicine bottles and such like in the recycling. The amount of clutter is gradually going down.
We've then got to get to grips with our spare bedroom, as we have visitors in July.

---

Of course!!

And many welcomes! Good luck with your preparations for visitors.

My husband goes away for ten weeks soon, so some
serious decluttering will ensue. I have warned him that most of the stuff of his Mum's he's been hoarding will go - he was cool about it.


 

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Posted by shamwari (# 15556) on :
 
I did a major clearout of sheets etc no longer used.

Took them to the Noah enterprise.

Feels good.

[ 02. June 2012, 13:10: Message edited by: shamwari ]
 

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Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
We did our table sale yesterday. I made a grand total of £2, and I spent it all on drink!
But I did make a neighbour's cat happy (the neighbour bought a mat for her to lie on in the window) and a teenage boy went away clutching the video of The Invasion of Time (Doctor Who) - I've upgraded my copy.
 

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Posted by Mrs Wogan (# 11103) on :
 
Well done everyone! I have a deep clean booked for Saturday with carpet shampooer and window-cleaner (inside and out). I've already put it off from this weekend). I have been trying to clear out papers and old magazines- I was shocked by the number of trips I had to make. It seems I need to re-instate my 'one in, one out' policy- wish me luck!
 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Taking a couple of small items of furniture to a friend's garage for the duration tonight. I've really not got long before the move and it's beginning to loom over me.

Does anyone else get unsettled and anxious when moving house?
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Not decluttering per se but this morning I have taken a load of warmer clothes off my clothes rack and packed them away in a suitcase so there is more room on the rack - I have been meaning to do it for A LONG TIME - it took about 10 minutes!


 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Plugging away, a bit at a time.

And welcome to newbies on the thread!
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
... so there is more room on the rack ...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jenn.:
Decluttering is good, but also hard. Does anyone else feel guilty throwing out things they were given as gifts - no matter how long ago it was?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jenn.:
Do you guys throw stuff, sell it or donate it?

---

I throw away the worthless and donate the rest.


 

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Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
Thanks for the encouragement. I have just emptied a few kitchen cupboards and got rid of all of the out of date stuff. That turns out to be a lot of stuff. I can't have done proper baking since my daughter was born nearly 4 years ago, or if I did it was with out of date stuff. Oopsy.

Decluttering feels good though. I'm determined to start the new house with a clean slate. Only stuff I want will come with me. I have about 10 weeks to make it happen
 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jenn.:
Trying to declutter a cupboard a day and pack a box a day. I have 10 weeks til the move but I'm already feeling rubbish about it. Which is silly because it's a really positive move, but I really hate moving house.

Decluttering is good, but also hard. Does anyone else feel guilty throwing out things they were given as gifts - no matter how long ago it was?

We've also decided to give stuff away rather than selling it, sending it to charity shops if friends don't fancy it. Given the volume of stuff I am beginning to think this is nuts but at the same time people have been so generous to us so it would feel wrong to sell things to people who are worse off than us (and no one with more money would want our cast-offs they were all so cheap). Also I think the hassle of selling things would be more stress than its worth. Do you guys throw stuff, sell it or donate it?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jenn.:
Do you guys throw stuff, sell it or donate it?

---

I throw away the worthless and donate the rest.

---

A friend does garage sales but she's been cleaning out her Mom's house with several outbuldings stuffed with unopened "collectables" like Avon products in fancy containers.

I keep thinking I should garage sale but that takes storing the stuff until you have enough for a garage sale. Plus a garage sale is a lot of work. Better to the stuff OUT by donating specific items to friends and the rest of the useable stuff to charity thrift shops.
 

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Posted by Grammatica (# 13248) on :
 
I'll be reading this board regularly for a while, as I need to declutter. I might need to consolidate as much as I need to declutter; I have accumulated several files apiece for a number of important topics, stored in various places, each containing much that isn't important.
 

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Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
This links a bit to the cycling thread.... I have filled a wheely bin with plant pots and seed trays that I really don't need and that are in no state to be reused even after a scrub - all because I needed to liberate my bike from the junk at the back of the garage, and to create space for the car to move further forward so that when I open the garage door I get to the bike first - otherwise I need to move the car to get to the bike, and usually I end up taking the car rather than cycling. There is still a fair bit to go from the garage, but it's a start.
I've also slightly tackled the roof-space by bringing down a box of management & technical books - outdated ones have gone for recycling and two are now on amazon to resell, the others I plan to take to work for a book-sale, although I've got reservations about that because some of them are unread and the others haven't improved my career

[ 13. June 2012, 20:35: Message edited by: daisydaisy ]
 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Another box packed last night after a long day at work and one of the three of us has moved out. So I'm down to 6 days to go and all the big furniture that was supposed to disappear on Tuesday night is still with us but we have a plan to remove it all on Sunday.

There are craft supplies scattered all over my bed. Got to deal with those as soon as I can. Perhaps I'll instigate a system of putting things into departed-flatmate's room as they are ready to go - that way I will have more space and they will be nearer the door!
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
My wardrobe is decluttered - and I was ruthless!

(Now for the shoes!)
 

---

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
...plugging along...
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Like everyone else... pegging away... trying not to be overwhelmed by the mountain... doing it bit by bit...
 

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Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
pulling my head out of the rabbit hole long enough to see that action really does need to be taken.....


there are mountains of stuff that i have no further use for

it needs to go
 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Day and a half to go... all the big furniture is gone or dismantled, we've taken a large load to a charity shop, donated any unopened food within its use by/best before, binned most of the rest, started clearing kitchen cupboards and nearly eaten all of the 2kilo ham that has been waiting in the freezer since New Year. Ham sandwiches (the day after a roast ham and a cheat's carbonara) are just the thing for fuelling hungry movers.

The rest of today will be spent truly clearing as many rooms as we can, delivering belongings into storage or to our temporary home and eating chinese takeaway bought with the £16 I made selling books and furniture.

Tomorrow the dreaded cleaning. If I never post again, I've either been beaten by the dust bunnies or sooked up by a disgruntled carpet washer!
 

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Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
I am discovering that once the first load of stuff goes and the sky has NOT fallen on my head, it gets easier!
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
okay! my tough play has closed and I've given myself a day to mourn (I always mourn characters when we close a play. they become friends...) so today is the start! I got the dishes out of the way first (couldn't make my morning smoothie without washing up) so now I have to decide: the redneck front yard, the entryway from hell, the avalanche-danger kitchen cabinets, or the bedroom that resembles a city dump.

I'm leaning towards the bedroom; my kids "clean" the house by dumping all homeless crap into my room. I honestly have a path to my side of the bed. it's awful. That being said, we have beautiful weather for the first time in an age and getting the yard tidy would mean getting some sun exposure.

eeny, meany, miney....

screw it. look out bedroom, here I come!

(pray for me...)
 

---

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by comet:

screw it. look out bedroom, here I come!
(pray for me...)

---

Good luck comet!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ethne Alba:
I am discovering that once the first load of stuff goes and the sky has NOT fallen on my head, it gets easier!

---

Yes it does!

I have now emptied all drawers and cupboards in the bedroom and have put this in big bold letters on the mirror -

"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know
to be useful or believe to be beautiful."
William Morris

I watch 'hoarder' programmes and realise it isn't emotional attachment that's the problem, it's the 'this might come in useful' worry that's the problem. Some of those folks even keep newspapers 'just in case they're needed'.

So it's all going. If it's something I truly couldn't buy again then I'm giving it more thought. But, honestly, most of my crap is crap anyone can buy anywhere!
 

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Posted by Enigma (# 16158) on :
 
Today was the first day of cleaning and the de-cluttering of my house with my niece who needs the money . We started upstairs. This involved her opinion on my clothes and shoes. The best quote from her was 'did you wear these shoes when you were older?' She worked hard - and so did I and I am exhausted yet can't sleep.
 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
And we're out!

It took the sneaky application of some spare keys and hours and hours of cleaning and an indecent quantity of bleach, but the place looked prety respectable when we left. Now we just have to see how many of the spots and stains on the carpet will be counted as three years' worth of 'fair wear and tear'.

I am a little bothered by the waste - the flat had large onstreet bins and I think we filled a whole one by ourselves. It's amazing how being out of sight really does mean out of mind. And I know we threw things out by the end of the day just because it emptied a room. At least most of them were consumables (and we probably should have ditched more, but the knowledge that you paid money for something and wil use it in the future makes it hard).

I totally identify with the desire to keep things that 'might come in useful', Boogie. I was trying to be ruthless but it's something I struggle with. At least I managed to only keep fabrics that are destined for speciifc projects, I know it will be a while (if ever) until I get around to those projects but it is a step in the right direction. I just need to keep that up when I (hopefully) move into a flat with a full-size basement at the end of the summer.

Now I start the challenge of living for at least six weeks wearing only clothes from a single small suitcase (with a supplementary holdall of shoes and hosiery). I've done it before, I just need to do it this time while working in an office full time. Perhaps this will help me appreciate the joys of living simply. Or maybe I'll be so bored with these few sets of clothes that I will get a bit carried away when all my other lovely clothes come back into my life.

Comet, you make it out of there alive?
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by To The Pain:

Comet, you make it out of there alive?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by comet:
barely.

I actually worked for about an hour when a friend called and made me an offer I couldn't refuse. a hike in the backcountry. which I accepted (as if I wouldn't!) and left the room in chaos. if I have time today I'll try another hour, but it may have to wait until Sunday when I have a longer period of time to really sink my teeth into it. metaphorically speaking.

progress was made, though. a full trash bag of donations, another of trash, another of laundry. progress!

---

Hope you labelled them. Wouldn't want to be confused now, would we?
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
it's happened. a friend once did me a "favor" and took my trash to the dump for me. only it was my laundry. we had to go dumpster diving to get all my clothes back!

so yes, I label!
 

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Posted by QLib (# 43) on :
 
I've got rid of a whole car load of flat-pack cardboard boxes which I've been keeping since I moved last August. A friend is going abroad for a year and putting all her stuff in storage - the bad news is, she's threatening to give it all back to me in a year's time. And I've just discovered that I've lost the keys to get the roof bars off the roof - they probably went missing in the move. Maybe they're even one of the few things I've managed to throw away.

Still the garage and under-stair cupboard both look a heck of a lot clearer.
 

---

Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by comet:
I actually worked for about an hour when a friend called and made me an offer I couldn't refuse. a hike in the backcountry.

<snip>

progress was made, though. a full trash bag of donations, another of trash, another of laundry. progress!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
I watch 'hoarder' programmes and realise it isn't emotional attachment that's the problem, it's the 'this might come in useful' worry that's the problem. Some of those folks even keep newspapers 'just in case they're needed'.

So it's all going. If it's something I truly couldn't buy again then I'm giving it more thought. But, honestly, most of my crap is crap anyone can buy anywhere!

---

• Tidy and clear out / rearrange all kitchen cupboards.
• Make better use of the storage in the dining room.
• Declutter the big "shove things in out of sight" cupboard.
• Clean up the balcony.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
I watch 'hoarder' programmes and realise it isn't emotional attachment that's the problem, it's the 'this might come in useful' worry that's the problem. Some of those folks even keep newspapers 'just in case they're needed'.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Campbellite:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
I watch 'hoarder' programmes and realise it isn't emotional attachment that's the problem, it's the 'this might come in useful' worry that's the problem. Some of those folks even keep newspapers 'just in case they're needed'.

---

I watch those shows and think, "Heck, our mess isn't all THAT bad!"

---

Oh yes - me too! But I also recognise a little of their difficulties in myself, especially the need to keep junk (I'm a schoolteacher, you see!)

The sock drawer is now sorted.

No sock will be allowed back in without a partner and marriage certificate.


 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Little Miss Methodist:

I saw one of the "Hoarder" programs the other night and there was a guy on it who was really struggling to give up some newspapers because he couldn't get rid of them without going through every one... It freaked me out so much that most of the magazines went into the recycling on Tuesday! Not all of them mind, and the box is still in my flat waiting to go out, but psychologically, they've gone (though I did feel a bit anxious about it).

---

This exactly!

I got rid of all my TES magazines and lots of plastic trays - and felt a bit anxious about it.


 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
No sock will be allowed back in without a partner and marriage certificate.

---

That seems a little narrow-minded. Surely a civil partnership would be equally binding?

I'm putting off sorting through yet another drawer of paperwork. Some of the stuff I'm unearthing is 15 years old. It's fairly interesting to revisit, fairly easy to get rid of. It just takes so much time to achieve so little. I must get to it... my only remaining time available before the bin men come tomorrow...
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
No sock will be allowed back in without a partner and marriage certificate.

---

That seems a little narrow-minded. Surely a civil partnership would be equally binding?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Janine:
So they just don't have much in common any more?

---

You could always send them for counselling and see if they can overcome their differences.

I'd say it's down to the attitude of your family to "odd" socks. If they will wear them as a pair under clothes that don't show them, or on days when they're doing scruffy jobs around the house, there's no need to ditch a perfectly good pair of socks. If they languish at the bottom of the sock drawer being neglected they're better off going in the clothes recycling or being donated to a play group for making hand puppets.
 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
I very rarely wear matching socks. But the 'pairs' I put together have to feel the same on my feet so I have semi-regular sock culls to weed out any individuals that don't have potential mates.

Does this mean I have swinging socks?
 

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Posted by Campbellite (# 1202) on :
 
The Joy of Socks?
 

---

Posted by Campbellite (# 1202) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:
I'm putting off sorting through yet another drawer of paperwork. Some of the stuff I'm unearthing is 15 years old.

---

quote:

---

There is a fine line between filing and composting

---

I am posting this on my file box right now.


Thanks all, I just read this thread for inspiration. I have decided this year as I am not getting any younger it is time to trim down. So I am making this the year of give away. Why should my children have to wait until I die to enjoy some of my stuff. My diamond days are over. Donate, better to help a good cause then to be sitting in the my closet. and throw out. I am keeping way to much paper that I really do not need. Also time to weed out the books, so much can be found on line, I do not need much for reference any more. And last, who are the people in these pictures?
 

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Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :
 
Have been forced into this by a burglary....I'll check in with a progress report tomorrow, when I have filled bin bags with paper from all over the study. Can't face it now...
 

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Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by St Everild:
Have been forced into this by a burglary....I'll check in with a progress report tomorrow, when I have filled bin bags with paper from all over the study. Can't face it now...

---

 

---

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
{{{{{{{St. Everild}}}}}}}
 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Ouch.

Puts all my moving-stress into perspective.

I hope your home still feels like your home and nothing of true value (whatever that represents for you) has gone. Remember to take care of yourself as well as your things, the psychological effects of burglaries can reach further than you expect.

ETA errant 's'

[ 22. June 2012, 09:54: Message edited by: To The Pain ]
 

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Posted by Eigon (# 4917) on :
 
Little Miss Methodist - about the magazines. What I do in your circumstance is to put the old magazines, one or two at a time, in the pile of magazines that I am going to read next. Then, the next time I sit down with a cup of coffee and a biscuit (or three) I can flick through whatever comes off the pile next, decide whether I want to keep it or not, and either put it back or put it to leave the house. Every time I go down to the launderette, I take a pile of magazines with me to leave for other people to read, and anything that I've cut up or torn pages out of goes in the recycling.
It's a painless way of doing it, because it means you don't have to sit down and go through them all at once, as a chore.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I've currently got the time, but no energy, and am quite unreasonably cross about it. I hate chest infections and it's not as if I get them that often.

quote:

---

Originally posted by St Everild:
Have been forced into this by a burglary....I'll check in with a progress report tomorrow, when I have filled bin bags with paper from all over the study. Can't face it now...

---

I'm so sorry St Everild - hope that it's not so devastating to deal with as it sounds.
 

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Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 
Feeling the urge to reorganise the way I use my kitchen cupboards, so i'm making a start this afternoon...
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I'm very sorry to hear that, St Everild.

Hope it goes well with the cupboards, Little Miss.

I spent a couple of hours this afternoon going through the drawers of old kept sentimental stuff. It was hard going... a lot of it was work my kids had done at school when they were very little. My son especially was very serious and earnest about his school work... I kept some special bits and chucked the rest... it's been emotional and difficult.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Nenya when we cleared Mum's stuff .after she had died I found a card I had made when I was 6 or 7 that she had treasured

I also helped one of her cousins clean up before she went into care - that was a huge job, but so much easier as I had only known her about 10 years.

Well done on facing the hard work.

Huia
 

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Posted by birdsoftheair (# 15219) on :
 
Hi folks, another newbie wishing to join this thread. We have one week to empty and decorate Aged P's 2 bed bungalow which is filled to the rafters so that we can move in to care for him. And oh, that also means we have to clear and move our own 3 bed house So, I have been reading your very good ideas on how to let go of stuff. Because we live on an island and have to ship everything in, we get into mega save it mode 'cos we cant just nip out and buy it at some future date. But we do have a recycling centre so we will be making good use of that. At least it helps other folk on the island buy useful stuff at low prices.

I did get that heart sink moment of where do we start, doing Aged P's bedroom but having chosen one corner and completed it it seemed doable.

How are you all doing?
 

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Posted by Enigma (# 16158) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by birdsoftheair:
Hi folks, another newbie wishing to join this thread. We have one week to empty and decorate Aged P's 2 bed bungalow which is filled to the rafters so that we can move in to care for him. And oh, that also means we have to clear and move our own 3 bed house So, I have been reading your very good ideas on how to let go of stuff. Because we live on an island and have to ship everything in, we get into mega save it mode 'cos we cant just nip out and buy it at some future date. But we do have a recycling centre so we will be making good use of that. At least it helps other folk on the island buy useful stuff at low prices.

I did get that heart sink moment of where do we start, doing Aged P's bedroom but having chosen one corner and completed it it seemed doable.

How are you all doing?

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Step by step is the only way you can do it. But don't wear youselves out - make sure you have time to rest.
 

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Posted by Mr Curly (# 5518) on :
 
Mother in Law has returned from 6 weeks overseas and can't remember where she hid her precious rings.

Mrs C and I dread the thought of one day cleaning out that house, but now, we'll have to look out for the rings as well. MiL made a comment to that effect on the phone last night.

mr curly
 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Mr Curly--

A thought, FWIW: I have some neuro problems that can a) cause me to knock over or misplace things, and b) have difficulty seeing or finding them. I find that using a flashlight helps me focus on and find individual objects, especially with shiny things like rings. IME, works with or without other lights on.

YMMV.
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Not so much decluttering, but certainly sorting and tidying happened here today. I have a small storage room in my apartment which I use as a pantry and as storage. I put some very solid metal shelves in which have been good, no bending or moving. However the shelf part had metal at a wider spacing than many bottles etc needed so sauces fell over . I found downstairs in garbage area that someone had moved out and left five big wire baskets and the frame for them. Didn't want the frame but happily brought baskets up and spent all morning re-organisng pantry into them. There's a small mesh on bottom so bottles are now secure. Things look much better and I found I don't need some things in next grocery order.

I think I have made two cakes in the 16 months I've been here. So why did I have two packs of four different colours for icing? And similar. I found some tins which I knew I had bought but couldn't see.

At least I shouldn't have any more bottles of vinegar tipping over and oozing all through shelves and a box of yarn because lid wasn't tight.

I feel very self satisfied.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Not decluttering in the physical sense but more sort of e-decluttering - my PMs are now down to 5 in and 3 out!


 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
WW That is such a boring job.

Cleaned out my fridge yesterday - the freezer's next.

[ 27. June 2012, 09:08: Message edited by: Huia ]
 

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Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
still here, still moving. Feeling ridiculously stressed though, so I called a removal firm. I'm getting a quote including packing We'll see if that is manageable. I feel like I'm doing ok, but hubby works all day and doesn't want to do much in the evenings. I cant get much further without help.
 

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Posted by Little Miss Methodist (# 1000) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jenn.:
still here, still moving. Feeling ridiculously stressed though, so I called a removal firm. I'm getting a quote including packing We'll see if that is manageable. I feel like I'm doing ok, but hubby works all day and doesn't want to do much in the evenings. I cant get much further without help.

---

Go with the people who pack for you, if you can afford to!

I did for my last move and it was amazing. What would take you several weeks of intense work to do, they do in a day. Ok, so once you've moved you find they've packed stuff in weird boxes and brought some stuff with you that you didn't want, but that always happens when you move anyway!

I really can't recommend it highly enough.
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
I'm starting Project 333 on the first. Anyone want to join me? clothing clutter is my worst, so I'm actually pretty excited about this. I'm not ordering their official program (I'm broke, plus I don't feel it's necessary) but just going on the basis of 33 clothing items for 3 months. the rules are that underthings don't count, workout clothes don't count (if you only use them for workouts), jammies and grubbies don't count, and wedding rings and similar don't count. for myself, I'm also including the caveat that show clothes don't count, as it's essentially a work uniform and I don't even keep any of my costuming here at home. I'm also declaring that socks don't count - I'm calling them undies. I hardly ever wear them in the summer anyway.

anyone else like to play? I'd love to see other people's "keep" lists.
 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
Good move, Jenn.

I started packing three weeks before we moved and still had to spend a whole weekend and take two days off work to get everything done. And we are three autonomous adults. Stressed me out beyond belief, so anything you can do to improve on that sounds very good to me.

I believe a friend once used a removal company's packing service and while they were very good - nothing got broken, everything wound up in the appropriate room in the new house - she thought they moved some very peculiar things, like the contents of the wastepaper bins! Still, if you know that's a possibility then it lets you concentrate on whether things should be coming with you and delegate the packing up and the getting them there to someone else.
 

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Posted by Enigma (# 16158) on :
 
The spring clean of my house I now declare officially to be complete. I will now need to move out so I can keep it clean.
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 

quote:

---

comet: going on the basis of 33 clothing items for 3 months.

---

I probably use less than 33 clothing items for three years! But I'm a guy.
 

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Posted by Jenn. (# 5239) on :
 
I'm really unsure if we'll be able to afford the packing, but we might just have to make cuts elsewhere to make it doable. We are in the slightly awkward position of being in a part furnished place, so they will struggle in some rooms to do it for us. I'm hoping we can sort something though.
 

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Posted by birdsoftheair (# 15219) on :
 
Thanks for the kind advice Enigma, I had to rest as I got laid low for 2 days with a nasty upper respiratory tract bug

Normal service is resumed today, even though my voice is still squeaky .We are going slow and steady as Mr B has chronic pain issues and I am just very unfit. But progress is still being made and the garage is nearly cleared so that we can store our furniture in.Just need to move the Harley out to its new home!

Jenn, having moved several times in 10 years I really sympathise with the horrible stress and I would definately get packers in if possible. Even when we have moved ourselves, we still ended up bringing a black bin liner full of rubbish 600 miles to our new home!

That project looks good Comet, but even though I dont have that many clothes I still need to relocate the ones I cant wear due to size issues. Mind you the only time I lose weight is when we move, so maybe I should hang on to them?
 

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Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by comet:
I'm starting Project 333 on the first. Anyone want to join me? clothing clutter is my worst,

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Huia:
Nenya when we cleared Mum's stuff .after she had died I found a card I had made when I was 6 or 7 that she had treasured

Well done on facing the hard work.

Huia

---

Thank you. I was hoping I was going to be glad about the freed-up space, rather than thinking it'll be good that my kids won't have that stuff to clear when I shuffle off this mortal coil. As it is I just feel sad. Those things were irreplaceable and now I don't have them any more.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thyme:
Project 333 sounds interesting Comet. I've just decluttered a massive amount of clothing but I need to get rid of more.

Does it need its own thread do you think?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Huia:
Nenya when we cleared Mum's stuff .after she had died I found a card I had made when I was 6 or 7 that she had treasured

Well done on facing the hard work.

Huia

---

Thank you. I was hoping I was going to be glad about the freed-up space, rather than thinking it'll be good that my kids won't have that stuff to clear when I shuffle off this mortal coil. As it is I just feel sad. Those things were irreplaceable and now I don't have them any more.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by comet:

I've been brave and decided to unload all the clothes that are so nice but don't quite fit - you know, the "stuff I'll shrink into" collection. It was hard! but I figure, when the shrinkage happens I can reward myself with new stuff. no use hanging on to the old. it's a struggle, though.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
How can I persuade myself?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thyme:
Comet, I didn't see your post about the laundry before I wrote my previous. Yes, in theory handwashing could be answer. I know from bitter experience that I procrastinate terribly over handwashing. Also, there is a bit too much for handwashing but not enough for the machine if you see what I mean. But it is a thought. It could be solution for items I want to wear again very quickly.

---

When I'm on holiday I take the smalls into the shower and wash them there - it's a good routine (I find routine helps a lot to prevent procrastination)


 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:

quote:

---

Originally posted by comet:

I've been brave and decided to unload all the clothes that are so nice but don't quite fit - you know, the "stuff I'll shrink into" collection. It was hard! but I figure, when the shrinkage happens I can reward myself with new stuff. no use hanging on to the old. it's a struggle, though.

---

I've done that with all my clothes except the jeans - I can't bring myself to get rid of gorgeous jeans (which I have in all sizes from 10 to 16!)

How can I persuade myself?

---

Tell yourself that no one over the age of 25 should wear jeans. Frightfully unbecoming.

I've been reading Miss Minimalist's book on my Kindle and she had some timely things to say about decluttering sentimental stuff and how hard it is when it comes to things related to your kids' past. But you can't recapture the past with things; your kids are the people they are today and keeping their year 3 maths homework won't change that. I feel a very little better about it; and I have kept some things, so I may make some nice scrapbooks.
 

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Posted by Enigma (# 16158) on :
 
Nenya said:
Tell yourself that no one over the age of 25 should wear jeans. Frightfully unbecoming.

I am over twice that age and I still wear jeans -albeit adapted with stretchy bits. It is possible peeps. And if I am unbecoming to others I am happy with me. Sometimes!
 

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Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:
Tell yourself that no one over the age of 25 should wear jeans. Frightfully unbecoming.

---

But if I didn't wear jeans, what would I wear?

 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:
Tell yourself that no one over the age of 25 should wear jeans. Frightfully unbecoming.

---

You are JOKING!!!

I look great in jeans.


 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Enigma:
Nenya said:
Tell yourself that no one over the age of 25 should wear jeans. Frightfully unbecoming.

I am over twice that age and I still wear jeans -albeit adapted with stretchy bits. It is possible peeps. And if I am unbecoming to others I am happy with me. Sometimes!

---

I am over three times that age, and I still wear jeans. I make my own, so that they will fit.

Moo
 

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Posted by Janine (# 3337) on :
 
Godlet moves with girlfriend Red to New Jersey tomorrow. They sold off many of their belonging, but were still left with some household goods, desk,nightstand... and I agreed to take some of the stuff. As if I needed more.

I raised him that way -- you throw away nothing if it's still good. Rather, you find someone who needs it.

I bet I could outfit three households now...
 

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Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :
 
Jeans are wonderful at any age. Even as business attire, in some places.

 

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Posted by Janine (# 3337) on :
 
Sure, people even send "nice" jeans to the cleaner's for starch and a crease.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by comet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boogie:
How can I persuade myself?

---

well, a total limit of 33 items is helping me a lot! don't want to take up one of those slots with something that won't get used.

---

OK (big breaths)

I will keep just two pairs that don't fit, and see how I go from there.


 

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Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
33....that's quite a lot now i come to check out my wardrobe....

Mind you having the entire contents of a caravan recently offloaded in our home is playing pop with the de-cluttering
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
I didn't say, did I, that I thought no one over 25 should wear jeans. I was just suggesting it as a way of motivating oneself to have a clear-out of them.

I should be decluttering again this afternoon, there are still drawerfuls of stuff to sort. After the trauma of last weekend I'm kind of reluctant so have made myself a cup of tea and hopped online instead.
 

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Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I have 75 items I currently wear. I am shocked. I didn't think it was that many. Also I have counted outfits, ie matching dress/trousers/jacket as one item. In my defence I only have four of those. Four sets that is, not items.

There are 60 items that are not being worn for various reasons.

This is not counting cleaning/gardening type things.

This does not include three items I put out for donation.

During this week I will go through and see what I can cull this time round. Also make a better separation in the wardrobes(closets) between the various categories so I can see more clearly what there is.

I think I can throw out some current cleaning/gardening stuff and demote other stuff into that category.

Dearie me, how delusional was I thinking I had a small but perfectly formed capsule wardrobe?

I can't do any more right now. I am too shocked.
 

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Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I have decluttered 3 items from the currently wearing or not wearing categories.

I have decluttered 18 items from the gardening/cleaning category. I had a lifetime's supply and I don't do a lot of either activity anyway

I can't really remember now what category I counted the decluttered items as on the first count. So I have assumed they were mainly cleaning/gardening.

But at least it is 21 items out of the house.

So there is a lot more space in the wardrobes.

I'm going to leave it at that for now. There is other stuff I know in my heart ought to go but I can't let go of the idea that I might wear it again.
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thyme:
I have 75 items I currently wear. I am shocked.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by comet:

anyone else down to 33, or close to it? how's it going?

(next week - books! eep!)

---

I'm down to 50, so a way to go yet
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by comet:
...3. when I have very little in the way of clothing, picking out stuff is so easy. too easy - I worry a little about looking like I'm always wearing the same things...

---

I worry about this one but actually I think we are the only ones that notice, I'm sure nobody else does.
 

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Posted by Jay-Emm (# 11411) on :
 
You've got all the combinations,
3 trousers, 3 shirts and trainers&shoes, jumper&coat give you over 100 days of noticeably different outfits. At this point, for us, adding other clothes really duplicates (which is good for the nose) or start getting things which clash (although allow the range to go from casual to formal-which is a plus but doesn't gain from the combos)

On your side of the gender line, dresses are a bit one outfit items. But then you could add skirts (& vary tights/sock flavours) other tops and more shoes and quick hairstyles, you'd have three decades of nice variations from 20 counting items (and almost able to wash them).
 

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Posted by Janine (# 3337) on :
 
Until the cool weather returns, I suppose I could live in the half-dozen sundresses I bought this past Spring. A couple of jeans, a couple of T-shirts, a couple of nicer casual shirts...

Oh, Lord, the task is monumental.
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
After the trauma of trying to sort sentimental paperwork I've left that well alone and have been sorting the understairs cupboard while Mr Nen's away this week. Three bagfuls of empty carrier bags. What's that all about?
 

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Posted by Enigma (# 16158) on :
 
One bit at a time - sweet Jesus - that's all I'm asking of you?
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Nenya, is Mr Nen related to HWMBO? We have bags of carrier bags here too.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I'll see your 3 bags and raise you a wicker laundry basket. The rationale is that it is a supply for putting things in that you are taking out of the house. Except you can't use that bag - it's a good, strong one better for (some yet-to-be discovered purpose) and you can't use that one because it's a souvenir of that little place on Corfu, and that one we've had for ages, and look this one has a picture of a kitten on it...
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
I'll see your 3 bags and raise you a wicker laundry basket. The rationale is that it is a supply for putting things in that you are taking out of the house. Except you can't use that bag - it's a good, strong one better for (some yet-to-be discovered purpose) and you can't use that one because it's a souvenir of that little place on Corfu, and that one we've had for ages, and look this one has a picture of a kitten on it...

---

It all makes absolute sense when you put it that way. Glad we're not the only household with empty carrier bag issues.

I'm working up now to sorting the paperwork on the breakfast bar. It always builds up there, no matter how hard I try to keep it clear. I've bought some clear plastic wallets to sort everything into. I just need to, um, do it.

*clicks off humming "One more bag along the world I go..." and "One bag at a time, sweet Jesus..." *
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nenya:

*clicks off humming "One more bag along the world I go..." *

---

Darn you Nenya - I will start laughing next time we sing that at church - along with "Lord of the Bags"

Huia
 

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Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
what amounted to a very small wall of unused blocks....gone!

a dozen bricks....gone!

assorted wood....gone!

assorted guttering offcuts....gone!
 

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Posted by Janine (# 3337) on :
 
<envy envy envy>

I have seized the day. Or several portions of several days. Whatever.

My little half-bath is really really small. If I stand in the middle of it I can almost touch all four walls, it's that small. So, I decided to attack it, trying to kill off all the problems I need to kill, in the house as a whole, in at least that one room. I figured it would make me feel more motivated.

The house is pretty much all-original, built around 1970 by a developer who laced the subdivision with his three or four slightly varied floor plans. There was one roof replacement done about halfway through its life, a few changes in appliances, and that's it. Poor house is a true cosmetic mess.

It would not pay to do anything costly or delicate inside until the roof is replaced. We've been very lucky with leaks so far (none at all for many years past the roof's prime, and none unmanaged for now, but we're in the 2012 hurricane season again, so that could change at any time). I could just see spending several thousand dollars on nice kitchen cabinets or other important decor, only to have it ruined by a new leak, so nothing gets done, it's all depending upon the stupid roof.

It gets so everything depends on the roof. Is the concrete floor -- stripped of tile and nasty 1970's carpeting years ago -- looking depressing? Can't do a thing about it, think of the roof. Are the walls a problem? The dingy, spotted, dented and sometimes altogether cut-out bits of sheetrock, do they depress me? Can't do much about it, wait for the roof.

Well, unless I save up several thousand dollars and hire a surprise band of wandering roofers behind the FG's back, it ain't gonna happen tomorrow. In fact, he's taking a little mini-retirement off work for a few months right now, and one thing he hopes to accomplish is that roof. But, for now, what do I do?

Tackle it room-by-room, I guess, starting with the smallest and easiest-controlled. (In other words, which rooms can I successfully hog all for myself for a while?)

I stripped every movable thing out of the half-bath. I stainblocked the ceiling and walls; scrubbed up the cheap white porcelain of the simple toilet and pedestal lavatory; whited-out the 1970's metal medicine cabinet (long ago missing its mirrored sliding doors) and placed a mirror in it; and I've rounded up some little decorative shelves to hold the few limited toiletries & makeup I require in there.

I removed the warped old luan door with its shredding finish, and hung up a pretty shower curtain instead. We're three adults in the house; only the dog is likely to barge in without a tap on the wall to see who might be in there. I don't miss the door at all.

FG immediately asked why I did that -- I cited improved air circulation & cooler temps in there -- and he said a louvered door would take care of that. I'll expect that immediately after my new roof, honey. For now, it's curtains.

I have to say that one little room has brightened up my attitude. It's such a restful thing to pass the door or go in there with all that clean white white white all around.

I may gather my courage and tackle the bedroom next.

[ 22. July 2012, 20:35: Message edited by: Janine ]
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Janine:

I have to say that one little room has brightened up my attitude. It's such a restful thing to pass the door or go in there with all that clean white white white all around.

---

Dazzling perfection Janine

Well done.

Now I hust need to do something similar... (sigh)
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
I live in a city that has just introduced a ban on plastic carrier bags being automatically given with store purchases. So the carrier bag stash is important. Yes, I have green bags in the car for groceries. Yes, I have a store of plastic bags that fit the small bins in the bathrooms and bedrooms. Yes I have a box of paper carrier bags and a bag of large disposable totes in the laundry for mission purposes. I use all these stashes regularly, and consider it essential recycling. I'm with HWMBO on this one!
 

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Posted by Janine (# 3337) on :
 
I use and re-use those plastic bags until they're shredded. And even then they can help stuff a box to mail or something. I like that they tend to degrade faster in sunlight.

I've noticed a problem with that half-bath I was talking about above -- All that empty, white, sparkly order is so mesmerizing, it'll take an agony of deep thought over each item, when it comes time to put anything beyond my toothbrush back in there.

And don't let's even think about decorations.
 

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Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
It sounds lovely Janine. Keep it all minimalist and Zen.

As for the bags, I have 'bags for life' in the car, in the house, and I always forget to take them into the shop.

My wheelie shopping trolley is brilliant for the shops I can walk to. I don't forget that.

I am currently living in my daughter's 'granny annexe' which is a tiny area between the kitchen and the garden I have enough gear for four weeks so it is a challenge to keep it all neat and tidy for daytime use!
 

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Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Janine, your white white white half bath sounds great! May the effects spread out towards other rooms. This weekend I attacked my linen stash, much of it inherited and very little of it really needed. So I've kept what each bed in the house might need, and taken the rest to a charity shop. This was triggered by discovering that the old airing cupboard where the new combi-boiler was installed shouldn't be used for storing anything combustible - what a waste of a cupboard! So I now have an empty cupboard and what I am keeping is stored in boxes under beds - something I've been proud of avoiding until now, so it'll get me decluttering some drawers so nothing goes under beds.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 
How annoying daisydaisy! How about keeping vases in there?

I never have anywhere to keep vases - they move round from cupboard to cupboard.

My news is that the back kitchen (ie utility room) is completed - yay yay yay!

My next job is the bedroom (again) as I decluttered lots of stuff from the study into there. Now it's time to do the real sort out of that stuff.

Now that I'm on school holidays I use the timer - half an hour decluttering - then other more interesting stuff, then another half hour torture - aaand repeat!


 

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Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Vases is a possible, although I keep those in the utility - but as they are at the top of the wall cabinets then at some point I know I'll have to keep them lower down, which will lead to another serious declutter (do I really need a cupboard-full of candles?).
The empty cupboard is between bedrooms, upstairs, and if the fitter had told me of this restriction I'd have asked for the boiler to have been put in the cupboard below that one, in the kitchen where I store pans - the obvious place for it. I think the fitter wanted an easy job, but I should have thought about the consequences myself. Something to remember when this boiler is replaced.

Edited to add... but of course it's the perfect place for the vacuum cleaner !!

[ 23. July 2012, 09:25: Message edited by: daisydaisy ]
 

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Posted by The Intrepid Mrs S (# 17002) on :
 
originally posted by daisydaisy

quote:

---

(do I really need a cupboard-full of candles?).

---

EVERYONE needs a cupboard-full of candles!

Mrs. S, having to make do with a box-full in the garage
 

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Posted by Thyme (# 12360) on :
 
I decluttered a lot of candles and holders but I think I need to have another go. I feel ready to get rid of a few more.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thyme:
I decluttered a lot of candles and holders but I think I need to have another go. I feel ready to get rid of a few more.

---

I burn my candles - in the long, dark winter evenings I always have two on the go in goldfish-style candle bowls.


 

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Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
we have 24 hrs to transform one student hell-hole and one dumping-ground-of-a-spare room into two inviting bedrooms.

Let this be a lesson to anyone who is dragging their feet in the decluttering dept.

I am repenting, on my knees.
 

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Posted by Enigma (# 16158) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ethne Alba:
we have 24 hrs to transform one student hell-hole and one dumping-ground-of-a-spare room into two inviting bedrooms.

Let this be a lesson to anyone who is dragging their feet in the decluttering dept.

I am repenting, on my knees.

---

OK - repent over - get up off your knees and get on with it. You'll feel so much better.
 

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Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :
 
My house is drowning in Agape. Fortunately it will all be gone in two weeks, but living with it while I sort it is extremely challenging, though husband and daughter have been very accommodating.

Once its gone, I am hoping the enjoyment of space will propel me into creating more.

As for old linen - I have been very grateful to the cathedral parishioners who have donated their unwanted white linen for recycling into altar undercloths, credence cloths and lavabo towels.
But again this project takes up space. *Sigh*

I love doing this kind of thing, but I really, really need a workroom for it all.
 

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Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
Moving day on Saturday!! Cue chaos with cardboard boxes and parcel tape.

Remind me why I own so much stuff again?? *sigh*

Any tips/words of wisdom/virtual gin gratefully received
 

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Posted by Cryptic (# 16917) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by ecumaniac:

Any tips/words of wisdom/virtual gin gratefully received

---

Get more boxes than you think you'll need.

Get big industrial tape dispenser from hardware store.

Use marker pens to label every box in detail.

Moving sucks big time - enjoy the gin!
 

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Posted by To The Pain (# 12235) on :
 
All of what Cryptic said.

Accept offers of help, but only if you can give clear instruction and relinquish defined tasks.

Plan a day of eat-with-no-preparation meals for before and after the moving day (or put together a picnic basket).

Give yourself a break on recycling etc - do not be above using disposable dishes/cutlery either.

Make sure you know where the tea/gin is, even if you have to drink it out of a plastic cup/jam jar.

Set up your bed first. That way, no matter how much there is still to do, you can fall into bed without having to wade through a box to find your sheets.

I am about 2 weeks from a moving date upon which I will have to retrieve all of my belongings from storage in friends' houses across the region in only about 48 hours, then assist with a dance festival for a week. Moving stresses me out enough as it is! All I can hope is that my flatmate will be as longsuffering as she has previously proven herself to be and that I can keep a lid on the stress. If there is enough space in the spare room then hopefully I will be able to declutter as things come out of boxes and never let them all the way into the flat.
 

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Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Sticky labels are your friend.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Good luck with the moves, packing and movement.

I'm currently in major upheaval, decorating and decluttering as I go. Having moved my daughter out in February, finished work at the end of May and taken a month to recover from a chest infection (pneumonia?) I'm finally getting around to reorganising the flat and furniture to take advantage of the space created by moving out daughter (contents of her bedroom - ish, she chose a different bookshelf and bagged one of my useful chests). The kitchen is much tidier and sunshine yellow, daughter's ex-room is now magnolia and needs refurnishing which will hopefully start decluttering a couple of other rooms.
 

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Posted by Mrs Shrew (# 8635) on :
 
With the prospect of my first free weekend in ages, I am planning to spend some time Filing paperwork.

I truly don't understand how I have got three huge drawers of paperwork in less than fourth months since moving in, but THEY MUST BE STOPPED.

I have files, dividers and sticky labels. Let the sorting commence (on Saturday)!
 

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Posted by Janine (# 3337) on :
 
FG tossed a good sturdy low bookshelf out with the trash today. He's adamant about going paperless. He's trying to make sure we get rid of books by wiping out the places where they breed...
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Furniture relocated in daughter's room - I now need to do a massive reorganisation of the desk, filing cabinet, artworks, bookshelf ... my sinuses say this isn't nice and can we stop now, but I want it done! It was bigger job than it sounds, because the bookshelf that is now in my daughter's room was the one that was in the sitting room, which meant moving the contents of two bookshelves and reorganising what went back into which.
 

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Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Janine:
He's trying to make sure we get rid of books by wiping out the places where they breed...

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Mr Nen would like to do that - he reads one book a year at the most and doesn't understand my need to have the books I love around me and how difficult it is for me to get rid of any. I've been known to get rid of them and then buy them again.

I'm working on my dressing table at the moment, little by little. Lots of bits of clutter plus a trayful of the ubiquitous paperwork. I'm trying hard not to feel discouraged, but it's not easy. I keep reminding myself of how clothes, at least, are not my problem. I have the smallest wardrobe in the house and all my clothes are in there - unlike Mr Nen who has overflowed into the spare room.
 

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Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Nenya:

I'm working on my dressing table at the moment, little by little. Lots of bits of clutter ....

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This is the worst kind! I have a tray, which I sweep it all in to, then take the tray downstairs to sort out. It's easier to deal with out of its natural habitat!


 

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Posted by Ethne Alba (# 5804) on :
 
Enigma ...you were so right. Felt GREAT once done!

Managed to throw LOADS of stuff away.

....in the greater scheme of things, do I need a broken jug/ sheaf of old work papers/ one odd sock (i know, i could have made it into a glove puppet...) / a broken string of beads that i hated anyway/ a torn scarf etc etc etc that i once adored, when to keep them would have meant justifying spending ages treking up to the loft.......????


Nooooooooo.

I need to get a grip.
 

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Posted by Polly Plummer (# 13354) on :
 
I felt pretty good this morning for clearing out a load of stuff and putting out a big bag for the local hospice when they came round collecting; and then when I came home they'd put a card through the door saying thank you. I've never experienced that before. Now I have a double warm glow!
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :