30 bags in 30 days decluttering method

Here’s an exercise that will help move things out of your house… consider what would have to be moved if someone had to come in and move YOU. I did this in July when I thought my son would have to move me. I cleared out all drawers and closets so I could tell him to “this is ready” - even my bathroom closet and medicine cabinet! Start in kitchen with old pans, dishes, mugs etc. It feels great in many ways. Good luck!

We're not minimalist, far from it, my husband being more a collector of odd bits. Our parents left full big homes for their children to deal with. Our children wouldn't deal, they'd burn this house to the ground including contents. We're elderly, don't want to burden our children, we donate now.

Germanshepherdsmum

My parents didn’t have clutter, but dealing with their things and making decisions about them without a sibling to discuss with wasn’t easy. So I know what would face him.

My MIL went into a home in August, and we spent the last part of 2022, clearing her house. My OH is an only child and retired, so he didn't want to pay someone to come and clear the house. It was so time consuming, and because his parents had "dabbled" in antiques, there was a lot of stuff, e.g. 4 hall tables!!

He also found the receipts for some of the dark wood furniture, and a lot of it was several hundred pounds 30/40 years ago, but now only worth £10. The local auction house wasn't interested.

My mother is a hoarder, so dreading clearing her house when the time comes!

Germanshepherdsmum

Oh. Well living in a minimalist clutter-free house where everything is in its place, I know where that place is, there isn’t an avalanche when I open a cupboard and knowing that I’m leaving as little trouble and stress to others as I can makes me happy.

That's not negativity, it's Nirvana for people like me ).

This is what a lot of us are aiming for, and have started doing, supporting each other along the way. Telling us we are making excuses and that what we are doing is not enough - that is negativity. As you say, GSM, we are not all the same.

I have taken 17 balls of yarn to my craft group today. It was just one bag, but I wouldn't have used it, and other people were pleased to take it, which is a win/win. I plan to have another bag ready to add either to the collection pile or the 'tip' pile by the end of the day.

I realise that the momentum might wear off, but even if it does, I'll be a few steps along the road to feeling 'lighter', and I can always start again when I feel inspired. My house is not remotely like the ones on Hoarder Next Door - it's more that all the storage is full of things I no longer need, and there is no room for new things when I want to put them away. A few empty cupboards will be liberating, I'm sure.

I'm doing Danish Death Clearing. Every week I throw a bin bag of "stuff" away. This will take me the rest of my life.
However, I've been lax over the last couple of months (SAD) so ill join you for 30 bags in 30 days. Hugs

I have a box full of newspapers that are copies of wartime newspapers. I was given them by a friend years ago. My daughter, who was a history teacher at the time, wasn’t interested in them. They are fascinating to browse through but it’s one example of the sort of thing that I hang onto.

Doodledog

Germanshepherdsmum

Oh. Well living in a minimalist clutter-free house where everything is in its place, I know where that place is, there isn’t an avalanche when I open a cupboard and knowing that I’m leaving as little trouble and stress to others as I can makes me happy.

That's not negativity, it's Nirvana for people like me ).

This is what a lot of us are aiming for, and have started doing, supporting each other along the way. Telling us we are making excuses and that what we are doing is not enough - that is negativity. As you say, GSM, we are not all the same.

I have taken 17 balls of yarn to my craft group today. It was just one bag, but I wouldn't have used it, and other people were pleased to take it, which is a win/win. I plan to have another bag ready to add either to the collection pile or the 'tip' pile by the end of the day.

I realise that the momentum might wear off, but even if it does, I'll be a few steps along the road to feeling 'lighter', and I can always start again when I feel inspired. My house is not remotely like the ones on Hoarder Next Door - it's more that all the storage is full of things I no longer need, and there is no room for new things when I want to put them away. A few empty cupboards will be liberating, I'm sure.

Ok I’m sorry

Ok I’m sorry

Cupboards in kitchen have roll outs on top to the old shelves, nothing hidden from ease to view. Or so I thought.

Today we cleared out more of our mums' old kitchen items.

Two carrier bags, gone to Charity shop.

Thirty bags in thirty days have led to attending to the kitchen cupboards.

Our home is very old, thus very old wood cupboards needing varnishing/shellac attention every decade or so. It's time.

Considering painting. We painted kitchen cupboards in our holiday home to the sea - white and door fronts various different colours blues.

Always, one project leads to another.

I started doing some kitchen sorting yesterday. Removed loads of stuff we never use now to trays on the kitchen table.
When OH came in he asked what I was doing, went through the stuff, and decided that most of it should be kept "just in case". In future I'll do my clearing out when he is not around!
Love the idea of 30 bags in 30 days.

Day 2 - A bag of books to be taken to the charity shop. They’ll never be read again in this house and they’re in good condition.

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to get there until the beginning of next week, so they’re lurking on the upstairs landing. It would have been nicer to have got rid of them straightaway but it can’t be helped.

I think tomorrow’s task will be the same as today’s. More books.

2 days down. 28 more to go.

Just sorted the toy box. - 1 bin liner full of playable outgrown toys to take to the charity shop, and another bin liner full of broken toys, for the dustman, next week. I will replenish the toy boxes, with toys for 6/7 year olds (from the charity shop ofcourse )😂

My Bunty annuals are unsellable GSM, far too tatty, but on the rare occasions I look at them, I am transported back to the carefree days of being about 6-7 years old, and can remember the stories oh so well.

Just a cardboard box of clutter, but such happy memories on each page.

I loved my childhood annuals too. Bunty. School Friend, Girl, Beano … Maybe, if one day you decide you don’t need them any more, taking them to the charity shop would give someone else the same pleasure.

If it seeems too daunting, how about starting with a carrier bag, rather than a large bin bag, or even a small food bag and start with a small drawer or box etc.

Considering painting. We painted kitchen cupboards in our holiday home to the sea - white and door fronts various different colours blues.

That sounds lovely Norah! I might do that in my kitchen.

I have a box full of newspapers that are copies of wartime newspapers.

I would find it hard to get rid of those too MayBe70. If or when you do, I'm sure there would be lots of interest in taking them. Thinking libraries, crafters, local history groups.

My Bunty annuals are unsellable GSM, far too tatty, but on the rare occasions I look at them, I am transported back to the carefree days of being about 6-7 years old, and can remember the stories oh so well.

Even in a tatty state Calendargirl, these could be used by crafters, maybe for decoupage on furniture. I would snap them up if I found them in a charity shop!

Germanshepherdsmum

My parents didn’t have clutter, but dealing with their things and making decisions about them without a sibling to discuss with wasn’t easy. So I know what would face him.

It's making the decision on your own GMS I had to do that as well. My MIL was an only child as was her husband and she told me how awful it was to make decisions in her mother's house. I didn't have a lot of decisions we just went through it all and got a house clearer in. Mum was in the local care home and seemed to feel a burden had been lifted.
There were moments of distress when I found some unworn brand new suits of my fathers and shoes,I took them to the local refuse Recycling I shouldn't have but I knew the man at the gate and asked him if he wanted them he was delighted.
Maybe someone can answer a question, I have a box of all the cards and drawings my GC have sent me over the years. I can't make my mind up which would be the least distressful finding them or not finding any. Would it make me look hard? What do others think?

Tomorrow pretty lamps and shades. Hoping for a calm give-away.

Not just everyone finds this calming, or not here anyway.

Yammy, my own view is better dispose of them now before someone else has to make the decision. I kept cards, childhood paintings and the like then realised I wasn’t going to looking at them again and my son wouldn’t be interested. Burning them seemed the best way.

Can you get them digitised? Then they still exist on a computer, or memory stick, but are not lying about.

You could always take photos of them, Yammy, before disposing of them.

choughdancer

^Considering painting. We painted kitchen cupboards in our holiday home to the sea - white and door fronts various different colours blues.^

That sounds lovely Norah! I might do that in my kitchen.

I have a box full of newspapers that are copies of wartime newspapers.

I would find it hard to get rid of those too MayBe70. If or when you do, I'm sure there would be lots of interest in taking them. Thinking libraries, crafters, local history groups.

My Bunty annuals are unsellable GSM, far too tatty, but on the rare occasions I look at them, I am transported back to the carefree days of being about 6-7 years old, and can remember the stories oh so well.

Even in a tatty state Calendargirl, these could be used by crafters, maybe for decoupage on furniture. I would snap them up if I found them in a charity shop!

It is quite lovely, thank you.

Considerable amount of work, would be easier inland with dry air.

Just on here to cheer you on, I am loving this thread and the tales that go with it

2006, we had the full loft too, all that stuff that was `just in case` and in the end, was never wanted.

If it feels too much to start, then just one drawer or cupboard at a time

I searched for decades for my favourite picture book from childhood. I eventually found a copy on EBay that was so old and tatty it could easily have been thrown away but I was overjoyed to find it. I could hardly put it down when it arrived, it was like meeting up with a long lost friend.