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Decluttering

(447 Posts)
MissAdventure Thu 14-May-26 16:31:34

Anyone?
We had a nice little thread going, no rushing, just sharing, discussing, and encouraging each other. .
I've fallen out the loop, but still have a long way to go.

MayBee70 Thu 18-Jun-26 21:46:18

Have done a lot of decluttering work on the garden over the past week. I have a very sweet baby pigeon living in the garden at the moment but annoyingly it’s taken to sitting on a metal garden bench that I spent ages repainting last year and also a fence that I also repainted. I moved the bench away from its original position outside the back door because of pigeon poo and put it in the centre of the garden. Fond as I am of the little bird I gave it a telling off tonight. It’s happened just as the holly tree has stopped shedding lots of leaves which I was having to sweep up all the time.

karmalady Fri 19-Jun-26 11:09:07

I needed to be busy today but also needed to concentrate on the job, transition for me, from family staying to being on my own. The transition will happen mentally, if I don`t stop and think

What better than a bit of de-cluttering for that transition to happen. Not just any old and easy de-clutter but gifts to me that were given a long time ago and became dust-gatherers on the mantle-piece. Time to go, so they are going and like magic, the mantlepiece, a solid piece of oak, looks lovely

I also did an area on top of a bookcase behind the kitchen door. stuff has gone or actually been put away properly

Anyway it worked and so did roomba, all over downstairs. I am back to my old self in a cleaner. fresher, tidier room

HelterSkelter1 Fri 19-Jun-26 11:22:13

Yes I dont want any gifts now. Ever again. Not even plants as I now more than enough to look after.

I just need a gift of time. An hour or 2 help. The shed needs clearing out. One bicycle gone already ... great. But another which the owner DD1 wants to keep... for the moment. Although it needs TLC which will cost.

And more things in there to go. But I need a hand to lift things out. Its not too bad and its far too hot to even think about it but when the weather cools.

fancythat Fri 19-Jun-26 16:08:47

Gifts - oh yes. Nearly got to that point myself.
I have a couple of people at least, who think I want fancy bowls, plates etc.
I have got I can barely shut the cupboard door on them all.

karmalady - sounds like you did well.

MayBee70 - Lovely about the pigeon, but I understand about the mess that birds make.

MissAdventure Sun 21-Jun-26 16:47:52

My poor cupboard is in a hell of a mess!!!
It's too hot though, to do anything.
I really need a wallpaper scraper, and I know there are several in there, but I've no idea, and now can't fit even one of my feet in there, its so full.

valdali Sun 21-Jun-26 18:04:10

Too hot to tackle anything, but I found a stash of dischclothes & cleaning rags & glass cloths, some unused, on the top of the shelves in the garage yesterday.
I have been looking for them for a year! Since we had our new kitchen. My cleaning cupboard has been very easy to find things in without them, so I'll just put the best ones in, I think.

And stash the rest somewhere upstairs where I'll never be able to find them if I'm decorating or cleaning things on the patio & need them...

MissAdventure Mon 22-Jun-26 07:42:27

I absolutely hate knowing my cupboard is in such a mess, but I've normal housework and washing to catch up on.
I've not got much energy at the best of times, but my liver is playing up, the swine!!!
Thats my excuse, anyway, and I'm sticking to it!!

MayBee70 Mon 22-Jun-26 13:26:47

fancythat

Gifts - oh yes. Nearly got to that point myself.
I have a couple of people at least, who think I want fancy bowls, plates etc.
I have got I can barely shut the cupboard door on them all.

karmalady - sounds like you did well.

MayBee70 - Lovely about the pigeon, but I understand about the mess that birds make.

The pigeon hasn’t been back so I feel awful now. I’m resigned to having to have plastic chairs and benches in the garden, though, as everything else gets ruined by the bird poo.

MissAdventure Mon 22-Jun-26 19:40:40

I may have found a cleaner!!
Yippee!!!

PiscesLady Tue 23-Jun-26 10:44:42

I'm so pleased for you MissAdventure. I hope she/he is good.

HelterSkelter1 Tue 23-Jun-26 11:03:31

MayBee70 I have aluminium benches in the garden which are very light to move about and can ve wiped clean easily. Touch wood ... I have had them for almost 10 years. Very hardy. And they were quite cheap from Homebase when Homebase was open.
We did have a plastic large oval table but that was blown over in a strong wind and a lump broke off it. I have kept it, the table not the lump of plastic, and it is a useful height for potting up etc. And can be scrubbed and covered with a tablecloth for summer meals. A friend has very heavy chairs and table. Look lovely but too heavy for me to move about on my own.

HelterSkelter1 Tue 23-Jun-26 11:05:26

Goodo MissAdventure. Hope she is a roll up sleeves and crack on person. And will help you with the Big Tidy.

MissAdventure Tue 23-Jun-26 11:52:05

Well, she's only a young lady, but her mum assures me she does a great job of cleaning and tidying.
She's saving for a holiday.
So, we'll see how it goes.

MayBee70 Sat 11-Jul-26 17:02:33

My partner has taken our shared dog away for a week so I’ve got to crack on with decluttering for the next few days. The dog wakes me up far too early which results in me having to go back to sleep and I end up losing a lot of the day as I’m useless if I haven’t had enough sleep. And I can’t focus if there’s someone sat on the sofa when I’m trying to get things done. So this is the week when I have to achieve something because I can’t carry on living like this! I’m still procrastinating, though…

MissAdventure Sat 11-Jul-26 18:32:56

I threw away a charcoal toothpaste, and a skirt today.
The trouble is, i seem to be collecting cluttet faster than I'm getting rid of it.

MayBee70 Sat 11-Jul-26 18:58:15

I keep buying things that I think will help me or improve my life!

MissAdventure Sat 11-Jul-26 19:29:05

I've just discovered my vacuum is broken.
So, had to buy anothet cheapie one because the cleaner is coming on monday.
This cleaning lark is costing me a lot, one way amd another. smile

MissAdventure Sun 12-Jul-26 17:50:27

Just thrown out an aquarium light, and a few other "fishy" things.
It's meant I've been able to pull out the sideboard, hoover behind it, and untangle the sea of wires.

I can now switch my lamp on, later.

MayBee70 Sun 12-Jul-26 18:00:30

I slept till 3pm. Procrastinating by watching the tennis but must spring into action when it finishes…I’ve got a lot to do…

MissAdventure Sun 12-Jul-26 19:16:51

Honestly, its just neverending, isn't it?
I'm going to be disappearing on the 19th August, for who knows how long, and I've given up hope of making any headway before I do.
It doesnt help that my boy puts about three loads of washing out, every single day, plus hasn't enough storage in his room, which he refuses to sort out.

So i have a tower of washing in MY room, instead. angry

HelterSkelter1 Sun 12-Jul-26 20:40:56

I had a cataract op this week so no bending for a while and no housework! Well its too darn hot for housework, gardening or decluttering anyway so nothing much happening here until it cools down.
I can plan though. And some of the white cotton single sheets and tablecloths which were in line for decluttering have been hung outside on the sash windows and have successfully deflected the hot sunshine. I am so glad they weren't sent to the charity shop as planned.

MissAdventure Sun 12-Jul-26 21:13:02

Thats a huge plus.
I expect they look quite nice, too?
All floaty and airy.

HelterSkelter1 Sun 12-Jul-26 21:18:32

Well they look unusual and one was so floaty and airy (and not well secured) it actually floated away in the breeze last night and I had to retrieve it from the pavement. Luckily no one tjought I was giving it away.

MissAdventure Sun 12-Jul-26 21:21:15

Some poor soul probably thought they'd seen a ghost! grin

MissAdventure Sun 12-Jul-26 22:00:06

I'm planning to bang some nails on the wall inside Brian.
Not exactly the polished, sophisticated look I want inside my cupboard, but at least I'll be able to hang some stuff up, so it doesn't take up floor room.
As it is, I've boxes of stuff, which simply doesn't all need to be in boxes.

Anyway, it's an evolving situation, so putting up something like shelving may not suit as I clear and tidy.

At least i can pull out nails, a blob of filler, and the job's a goodun.