De-cluttering

[Baggy]

Has anyone here who is a hoarder/untidy/allergic to housework ever succeeded in de-cluttering?

I suffer from all three of the above (Chuffy to a slightly lesser degree), but it's starting to get a little bit much now and we need to get organised.

Efforts at tidying end up with piles of things and paper which then get moved around from one surface to another, and even when we chuck stuff out or give it away it doesn't seem to have any impact.

Any tips?

 

[ttcycle]

I can hoard but like to keep it all organised and am not housework shy- just figure out where you need things to go -ie have a place for the stuff- if it really is a lot at the moment then go through and do each room at a time - sort out what you need and want to keep (be ruthless - if there is no function to it) and put it in a place where you both decide - and just get in the habit of putting stuff where it lives - another good tip is storage is essential to keeping it all neat - places to put stuff.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Come and do mine when you've finished!

 

[speccy1]

In a nutshell, be brutal!!!!

I`m selling my house in 9-12 months time and have started getting rid of cr*p already. If I don`t need it, want it, or use it, it goes. I learnt my lesson from moving last time, it was very stressful because I had collected so much junk, but not this time!!!

Try it, throwing stuff out is rewarding

 

[summerdays]

Has anyone here who is a hoarder/untidy/allergic to housework ever succeeded in de-cluttering?

Just to let you know that you are not alone in suffering from this illness - I've got all 3 symptoms and no I've never succeeded in dramatically reducing the clutter. Whereas it drives Mr Summerdays up the wall.

Even worse my aunt is an example of how far it can go ... you can't walk through her sitting room at all (not that they use it anyway on a farm), but its the sort of place where you can't sit down or eat without having to move things or even wash dishes. When my mum was over before Christmas, my aunt moved her tablets and it took them 3 hours to re-find them. So I don't want to become that bad.

 

[TVC]

Simple: If you haven't touched it or thought about it in the last twelve months then it goes.

I know a good skip hire company.

 

[snakehips]

Many years ago my neighbours' house was burgled while they were on holiday.
The police said the burglars had made a mess of the place. We had to explain to the police that their place always looked like that.

Snake

My Library

 

[LeeW]

I've just been having a declutter of my garage today. I try and do at least once every year now. Previously I'd just have large boxes of random junk and random junk piled up on shelves. I would highly recommend investing in some decent storage boxes, get clear ones so you can easily see what is in them and what is lurking at the bottom. Get a selection of different size boxes and designate each one to a particular item, I.E. Put all derailleurs in one box, chains and cassettes in another, brake cables in another, screwdrivers in another etc etc. When I had a major declutter about 2 years ago, I found about 5 slotted screwdrives for example as I kept thinking I'd lost them and thus bought another one to replace it. By keeping all my screwdrivers in one clear box I can see how many I have and thus bin or sell or give away the ones I don't need.

A year or two ago Lidl were selling various boxes at good prices so I bought loads of them, about 30 I'd say and I then set about filling them and getting rid of the piles of random junk and disintegrating cardboard boxes. It just happens that lidl have got some more identical boxes in right now, I've just bought some more. http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/index_7653.htm
Don't be put off by the 'lady shoe' label, the 'lady shoe' boxes are ideal for small bike bits.

 

[Gromit]

Get yourself 3 boxes, put in them stuff you need to keep, stuff you think you need to keep and stuff to throw away. Label all the boxes. Tap up the stuff you think you need to keep and put it somewhere. If you then don't go into that box after about 6 months then throw it away.

Repeat for each room. I managed to get rid of loads of rubbish that way. My stuff now fits into two car loads, excluding my two bikes.

 

[jig-sore]

3 words...

CAR... BOOT... SALE !

 

[fossyant]

I have a habit of keeping off cuts of timber..... need to clear out the garage too. The back wall has a steel storage cabinet (full height) and two wardrobes - but I can't get to them - full of junk though.

 

[LeeW]

I have a habit of keeping off cuts of timber.....

An open fire takes care of that

 

[BuzzyJace]

I second The anorak.

CAR...BOOT...SALE!

I made £170 in July selling old jumpers, cds and books. POW! It was quite fun actually.

Beware of the weird ones who arrive at 6.30am and go car to car as you arrive though.

 

[LeeW]

Another recommendation for the car boot sale, then whatever is left is either binned or goes to a charity shop depending on quality/condition.

 

[Arch]

Has anyone here who is a hoarder/untidy/allergic to housework ever succeeded in de-cluttering?

I managed a partial de-clutter when I chucked in the PhD and got a job, so it was a sort of 'all change! effect. I've done pretty well with about 3/4 of the flat, there's just the one corner that still harbours unsorted stuff, because it's where the sofa is and in the cold weather I don't use that corner, as it's the coldest spot, I get into bed instead. So the sofa has become a bit of an extra shelf.

I didn't really have a technique, I just tried to be ruthless. And I didn't try to do the whole lot in one day, or even one weekend, I just grabbed a box, or chose a shelf as and when I felt in a ruthless mood, and sorted it. I've still got far too much stuff, but I can close cupboards properly and so on...