De-Cluttering Your House

[naomi24]

How good are you at getting rid of stuff you don’t really need and don't use? I’m in the process of clearing out the junk we’ve accumulated over the years, but I’m finding it really difficult to be brutal about it. Any tips would be most welcome!

[Tilly2]

If you haven't worn it or used it in the last two/three/four ......... years, take it to the charity shop. Good luck!

[B00]

I can me pretty ruthless to be honest, if it's not been used/played/looked at within 6 months it's binned unless it has a proper home, which is usually where It can't be seen thus avoiding annoying me.

This sometimes backfires big time on me though, I accidentally threw away part made Lego Christmas models of Mini Boo's a few weeks ago, then had to buy new ones in order to make up for it.

[mazie]

I did this about 6 months ago naomi... I hated the job. So much junk, not just ours but the kids as well! I shredded lots of the paper stuff and took it to the recycling. I had about 6 bags of stuff for the charity shop (books, clothes, shoes, ornaments etc) 35 years worth I went through and felt so much better when it was done. Sold some as well and gave friends other stuff

If you haven't used it for 12 months get rid of it! Oh, and good luck ;o)

[mallyh]

we moved from a well stocked 3 bed house to a 2 bed bungalow so i had to be brutal ,25years worth of attic stuff went .and anything we didn't use was either ditched or charity shop ,broke my heart to throw things like old toys my children used and boxes of letters from oh when he was in the navy.any clothes we didn't use went ,all kitchen stuff not used went good luck xx

[Tilly2]

It's the books! I make a pile of 'these can go books', then I go through the pile and put most of them back on the bookcases. Hopeless.

[mallyh]

lol tilly i did that with my many reference books but i have now got rid of them as ab covers most things lol x

[Tilly2]

If you have any Clarice Cliff junk, Naomi, I will be happy to take it off your hands.

[Rosetta]

I'm not great, books and old bank statements etc in particular. I dont know what to do with the documents, I keep having a nagging feeling I may need them in the future so they tend to get moved not chucked. Books I have a real problem getting rid of, my Kindle helps but I am a bit tight as I wont buy them when I have a perfectly good paper copy. I can throw out Mr R's books no problem ;-)

[ludwig]

I'm pretty good at it. I use freecycle as it saves you the bother of having to dispose of bulky or awkward stuff. People will come and collect it.

http://uk.freecycle.org/

[woofgang]

I am getting better at it. I find its easier to do decluttering in waves. Something i couldn't bear to part with six months ago seems to become get riddable with time. I did pass on quite a few books (not treasured copies) and buy the kindle version. For me (and I know I am weird) I go into it with the rule that I am allowed to keep ANYTHING if I genuinely want to. Its amazing how when you look at something and ask yourself "do I REALLY REALLY want to keep this?" the answer is "NO". I use that as my sole criterion, I don't keep things that might come in handy, or I should love but don't or because of who gave it to me, or because it was expensive when I bought it. I don't keep old technology or DVD's or books I will never want again...oh I do have one other criterion, I forgot. Its "If this vanished would I replace it with another one?"

[naomi24]

I always seem to be saying ‘it might come in useful’, knowing full well it won’t, but still I’m reluctant to bin it. And I find it really hard to throw personal mementos out – like family pictures that are clearly not good. I wouldn’t mind, but I haven’t looked at them for years and if I keep them probably won’t look at them for even more years so why am I keeping them? I'm finding postcards I sent my parents when I was on school trips and I'm laughing and saying 'ahhh' as I read them! I need to be brutal!

Tilly, I do have some Clarice Cliff – I’m keeping that. ;o)

[mazie]

Make an album with you old postcards naomi... I would keep those

[Retrochic]

Find a spare cupboard (ha ha) and put in it everything you have not used for ages or no longer want but are loathed to part with as it 'may be useful' . Once a year go in and dispose of the things -charity shops or sell on Ebay,and start over again .

[Retrochic]

Naomi -don't throw out personal mementos of your childhood - I threw out a load of photos and wish I'd kept them. You could put them all in a box and just forget about them they don't take up much space and are irreplaceable,or get someone to put the photos on disk or memory stick for you.

[Tilly2]

It was worth a try, Naomi. :-)

[naomi24]

Haha! Indeed Tilly. :o)

I’m good at disposing of newer stuff – novels I’ve read, and my bread-maker which I never use are all headed for the charity shop along with an unused and still boxed George Foreman grill thing – but it’s the old stuff I have problems with - and clothes. I have clothes I never wear – and some still have the labels on!

[mallyh]

oh naomi george foreman grills are great .

[B00]

Would the clothes sell on Ebay? Might as well try and get something back for 'em.

[mallyh]

ordo a car boot sale

[andy-hughes]

I am ruthless. the present Mrs Hughes is the total opposite.

Occupying our garage is a collection of children's school notebooks from children she taught twenty-five years ago. They have not ben touched since we moved house nearly nine years ago!

In our previous house, the understairs cupboard was so full of rubbish that the door would not close. When Mrs H. went away on holiday with the children, I hired a skip and emptied it completely, and all that was left was the garden chairs and a battery charger.

On her return, the present Mrs H. went predictably ballistic, until I challenged her to name three things I had discarded and she was unable to do so.

You have to drop the 'this might be useful' mind set - if you haven't used it in a year, it's not that useful, and if you need it, you can buy another one.

Set aside all the sentimental items which are irreplaceable, and then take a deep breath and bin the rest. After a day or so's fretting, you will have forgotten what you have got rid of!