Not quite a horder - decluttering

Meece

I have some boxes to go through which are in the middle of my office floor.  I need to get through them this week.  Then I will start back on my sewing room since I have brought things in there which I found in the garage.  Those things need to be put where they belong.

BUNKIE10

Well yesterday I went to the basement and cleaned both freezers and my storage shelves. Lots of out dated stuff down there. It took me all day but tomorrow is trash day so I needed to get done. I found 2 broken dehumidifiers my parents had and the new one I got 2 years ago just broke. Out they all go. The junk man can take them. They do not make things to last anymore. All this new digital stuff they put on everything goes bad quickly and it cost more to repair it than to buy a new one. Today I am tired so nothing to do but go through more......MAGAZINES. Yes I still have more.

Beatmon

Boy did I declutter this weekend! We moved our 30 year old son to his new home in Irving, Texas from OKC! He had been living with us for the last 6 months post broken engagement. He has a beautiful new home and a new job he is very excited about. Yeah ! I have a bedroom and closets back!

Meece

Good for both of you!  It's amazing what you can do with a spare closet!

Mandy1313

Yes, Daughter finally moved alot of her stuff out of her room (she has not really lived at home since she finished college four years ago) and I have a spare closet!  I was able to straighten up my closet and put summer clothes in the spare closet (we have small closets in this house).  I also shredded two bags of papers and got them collected with the recycling today!  My goal is to just keep up with the papers and to shred what I need to each week...here's hoping!

Meece

Dh is encouraging me to go through reciepts and dump most of them.

Teka

^..^

Hortense

This thread has been inspiring. I check it every so often to remind myself to keep at it. I'm making headway, but I have sooooo much stuff. It's nice to take a load to the dump, some to charity and be rewarded with space where there was none.

I'd just like to caution people to be very certain that every piece of clothing they donate is actually donate-able. That means that the donor would be comfortable giving it to their best friend as a gift to wear: No stains or underarm marks, no holes, no fabric tears - or pulls if it is a knit, no off smells. Nothing worn out or that has lost its shape anywhere, and nothing dirty.

I have volunteered at both the local church's free-clothing store and for disaster drives and can tell you from years of experience even the nicest people sometimes give the worst things. God knows why.

It's just awful having to sort through items that are stained, damaged or that smell - sometimes of urine or BO, or are mildewed and/or have bugs - moths or black beetles. Yup, that happens, especially when bags of clothing have been stored awhile before being donated and no one checked inside them before giving them away.

The sheer amount of donations that can't be used is amazing. Things with stains or discolorations that no one would want to wear, things with tears or holes in them, or hems and linings hanging, and things so out-dated that they are unusable.

That kind of stuff, honestly, ought to be thrown out, never donated, because the poor charity that gets it will have to toss it and possibly have to pay for its disposal, which creates an added burden. There are a few charities that take clothing in any condition because they sell it by the pound. If one of those has a drop box near you, by all means use it for everything you need to get rid of.

I have become far more careful about what I donate as a result of what I have encountered. I would like to ask that everyone here, please, just take a moment to look over each item carefully before giving it to a charity. You might be surprised by what you find.

Best wishes for decluttering!

Blessings2011

Hortense - you are absolutely right. We often get hideous donations at church for our homeless ministry, and have to ask ourselves..."What were they thinking?" 

However, Clutter Busters -  before you toss anything into the garbage, read this article. Many local agencies actually recycle fabric, keeping the majority of it out of landfill, and putting it to use to make other products.

http://somd.com/news/headlines/2008/7384.shtml

Gingerbrew

Thanks for posting that Blessings.  

Teka

^..^

Meece

Good goals.

I am still trudging through the garage, although it looks so much better.  Things were brought into the house to be put away.  I went through the office stuff, now I need to really work on my sewing room.  Some day I will have everything in it's place.  Working in that room this morning.

BUNKIE10

Meece - one room at a time. You are making good progress. We all are.

I am done with the living room, dining room, den/ most of the kitchen and the powder room. I am also done with my bedroom and the main bathroom. Now I am starting the guest room. My dads old raggedy dressers are still in there and the room has no headboard. I am looking for a older headboard that has lost its smell of stain they use. I live in a cottage style home so it has all these little weird shaped areas in the rooms. I need a storage unit that is built to fit the drop ceiling corner and do not know where to look. Someone said that those closet building stores can build one special. If I can do that I can dump the dressers because they are empty and I use them to hold stuff stacked on top. Even the TV is on one. I am trying to only purchase furniture I can take when I leave and sell the house. I want to be ready to move in two years. After that the basement is my last room to tackle. It is an old style rec room with ugly paneling and I use it to store stuff. It would be nice to have it redone to be another family type room. My house is paid for so I am trying not to take out loans against it to do these changes but on my budget it is hard.

Anyone have any ideas?

Anonymous

If the paneling is in good shape, you can lightly sand the surface and paint it.  It looks like beadboard, and is a good solution if you want to change the color of the walls without spending a fortune tearing out the paneling and repairing the damage to the wall underneath which is probably why the former owner paneled the walls in the first place.

luvmygoats

Bunkie - Echoing PatMom's suggestion. That is what we did with our living room/dining room combo.  It had dark paneling but oddly enough previous owner had painted the gable end and had put up a chair rail.  We repeated the chair rail with light paint above and slightly darker (beige tones, I know boring) below. I'm with you on cost. NO WAY was DH sheetrocking whatever was in there so it was my only choice. I would like to re-do the colors one day but like the look.  It is a large area but broken up with 3 doors, fireplace, large window.  We lived in another house for 18 years with a dark paneled den that I detested.  Only window was a French door.  Wish I had done this to that house.  I also had him add inexpensive vinyl crown molding just one layer as room does not really support formal look and we are not formal people.  I'm sure everything came from Lowe's, his favorite place.

Teka

^..^

Blessings2011

BUNKIE10 - Years ago, I was thrilled to get my first king-sized bed... but after buying it, there was no money left for a headboard.

DH and I went down to the Salvation Army and found a hideous, dark, Mediterranean headboard that appeared to have the look of beadboard in between the bigger sections. It cost  us $17 !!!

We spent a few days cleaning it up, covering it with KILLZ primer, and finally some glossy white paint.

It looks amazing in our beach-cottage style bedroom! We have pale blue walls, glossy white crown molding and trim, and white beachy furniture. We've sure gotten our money's worth out of that headboard!

Does your guest room have a closet? Is there room for one of the dressers to go in there? Just a thought...gives you more space in the room, and if it's a guest room, you might not need all the hanging space.

Another good way to add surface space is to use those round particle board tables (get a bigger one with four legs) and a glass top. You can put a round tablecloth and topper over it, and put a lamp or even the TV on it. And a box will fit underneath.

You could also find an old rattan trunk...fill it with extra bedding and linens, and use that for your TV stand.

If you don't use the table, you can also use a cheap, two-drawer filing cabinet as a base, put a round tablecloth and topper on it, and use THAT as a table, with plenty of storage for important papers underneath.

We did take one of our more ratty dressers out to the garage to store things like extra office supplies.

Meece

I like the pressboard table idea.  I actually use a TV tray as a nightstand in the guestroom.  I have the long tablecloth over it and a small box fits under the table.  I use an on sewingmachine cabinet as my other nightstand and do the same with it.  Makes a great place to put the Lego box for the grandkids when the come over.

I have a dresser in my sewing room closet to help store fabric and it does make more space in that room.  I could make more space in the sewing room by actually completeling a project or two.  I had everything I needed to make window treatments for the windows in there and completed them last week.  That got fabric and curtain hooks out of the sewingroom and a curatin rod out of the garage.  Baby steps.  

I have been sick this week and haven't felt like doing much, but I think actually sewing up something that I have the pattern cut out already.

Teka

^..^

BUNKIE10

That is a good idea blessings20. I have to look at the walls in this old house. I have a cape cod cottage style and the bedrooms have all these alcoves and not much wall space. If not an alcove then a window. Makes it hard to create anything.

Well I have been in bed with some weird symptoms from possible parathyroid disease....just great. Waiting for some tests to see if rads messed with my thyroid. In the meantime I am down to a few special copies of my favorite magazines and I still have more cookbooks to go through. That is what I have been doing. All my closets are clean except one. I call it the toxic room. My handyman put some smelly glue or caulk in it to cover a crack in the wall last summer and it still bothers me. Gives me a headache so I closed it up. It has all my cowboy boots and purses etc. Will have to go in there this summer and clean them out.

Gingerbrew

You have Cowboy boots Bunkie? That is so cool!

Ginger

BUNKIE10

Gingerbrew - Yes I lived in Southern California for 22 years and used to travel to NM, NV, Texas and AZ all the time. I started to collect boots and ended up with 35 pairs. When I left Ca for Mi I donated and sold about 25 pairs and still have 10. All colors including turquoise. Really miss the west.

Meece

I've been sick for two weeks now and today I feel like I'm turning for the better.  On Friday DS3 came by for dinner and we loaded his car with more of his stuff.  I found the HO train he had won as a 2-year old at a costume contest.  Well I made the costume and he just looked adorable in it.  So I have been keeping the train for safe keeping and finally thought it was time to surrender it.  Maybe had it out of the box once.  Also got some of his larger canvases gone.  Now, as far as I know we have one large box and a set of car tires and wheels of his and his stuff will be out of here.  

DH jumped on the band wagon and started de cluttering the yard on the side of the house, thus found the tires.  He worked outdoors this weekend and I joined him Saturday afternoon to clean up around my greenhouse.  It feels so goo to get rid of stuff!

Hortense

I've been inspired by this thread to begin decluttering and cleaning out my old, over-stuffed house. Stopping by occassionally to read what everyone has been doing has really motivated me and kept me moving ahead. Thank you, ladies, for posting!

I began with the junk drawer in the kitchen one day and have gone on from there as my energy allows.

My biggest problem is making decisions about the the wide variety of stuff we have stashed everywhere over the years. My basement is impassible in some areas which I know is a fire hazzard. I've been throwing out a lot, donating what I can to a favorite thrift shop and putting bulky things out by the street for others to take - like the large Rubbermaid storage bins I have emptied - which so far they have. I am a big believer in free-cycling. If someone else can use something I no longer want, then, good for them!

I decided to paint the bathroom walls after sorting through everything stashed in the bathroom cabinets and tossing a ton of things we didn't need. A few weeks ago I painted our small kitchen's walls and got my husband to finally hang the utensil racks I'd bought at IKEA - a year ago. I put a coat of white paint on the upper cabinets yesterday. They look so fresh and clean! This past week I emptied and painted my daughter's closet. It took three coats to get it looking decent. I replaced everything and it looks so nice now!

Today, I plan to clean her room. And, my son's. Both are in their 20's and live elsewhere now, but come back to visit. They have been thrilled with the progress I have been making. My husband is quite astonished, but he likes the changes. I cleaned out and organized our paint supply closet in the basement and hung all the brushes in order on the pegboard side wall with new hooks. It looks great and now we can each find the supplies we need. Will wonders never cease?

Blessings2011

Ladies - you've been busy!!! Hope all who have been sick are feeling better!!!

BUNKIE - I know what you mean about those toxic smells! But I wonder if the longer you keep the door closed, will the smell work its way into the boots and purses stored in there?

Maybe you could put on a good air filter mask before you go in there, and perhaps set up an air purifier machine for a while to clean the air? 

I've also heard that you can use bowls of white vinegar, or freshly ground coffee, or baking soda, or charcoal, and set them around to absorb odors. Haven't tried any of those, so can't vouch for how effective they are.

~~~~~~

Does anyone else have a "Community Pickup" day in their area? Twice a year, we can throw just about anything out at the curb, and giant trucks will come by and scrape it up and haul it off.

That is, whatever is left after the scavengers leave. Sometimes there are literally traffic jams on streets where neighbors have started to put stuff out, and people in pickup trucks are trawling the streets for treasures. 

I don't mind, but what I hate is those people who sort through all the stuff and leave piles of junk strewn all over the street.

We've found that's a good way to get rid of old, unrecyclable, bulky trash without having to haul it to the dump. 

BUNKIE10

Blessings - That is something I did not think about. I as going to get a can of coffee and put it in there. There is no window but the door opens to the flatroof so I am going to put a screen in there as soon as winter is gone. It has a new door but no screen. I do have a purifier down stairs I coulod spare for a couple days. Good idea.

If we get a fresh batch of snow tomorrow I can open the window in the room and the closet door while closing the main door. I have been doing that for several weeks. I am going to order some non toxic caulk for any projects that come up this spring.  

BUNKIE10

Hortense - You are doing very well. Keep up the good work. When you are done you will feel so much better.

Meece

Good to see everyone is getting back on track.

I feel as if I am 90% now.  I have a fairly normal voice and am gaining strength back.

I decluttered in the back yard and greenhouse yesterday.  When it coming to living plants, they keep cluttering even if we don't spend the winter months out there.

This weekend I cleaned every one of my kitchen drawers and several cabinets.  Unfortunately I only chose one item to discard!  Since I have been out of work I have done a lot of cleaning up and organizing.  The biggest challenge has been in the garage.  I have been going through boxes out there and bringing things inside.  Then I need to put things where they belong inside.  I get more done when I work for several hours out in the garage, but that means the stacks of stuff to put indoors grows a lot!  I am sooooo trying to make sure everything gets put where it should go this time.

I was proud of myself when DH came in Saturday and asked if I knew where a specific tool was and I went straight the othe box it was in.  I think he was proud of me as well.

Hortense

Good going Meece! 

Gingerbrew

Good show Meece! 

Bunkie, have you considered putting a coat of paint over the stinky patch? That is what wer are told to do with underlayment that has dog or cat urine smells. Maybe this would solve your problem, of course you will needair circulation to get rid of the current smell. 

One time I bought a table cloth from Ebay and the seller had sprayed a ton of fabric freshener onto it. I aired it, I washed it numerous times and finally the smell is gone, about 2 years later.  Lingering odors are a real pain I hope this sorts out for you soon. 

So I fell and gave myself a concussion. I had a cat scan yesterday. They tell me I have Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, this is seen from enlarged ventricles. I am now beginning the path to figuring out where I stand at this time with this codition. Some of the symptoms that indicate problems are incontenance (Not total but going very frequently too,) I do this and use poise pads daily. Gait, mine is all messed up but maybe it is from the periferral neuropathy I have. Dementia, which I had lots of speech deficits during and after chem but still have problems with sentence construction in conversation and train of thought.  So Which is which and when does it matter. When it matters a shunt is the solution but not everyone is a good candidate.  I have so much to learn and don't want to but dementia has always been one of my fears. The idea of being trapped inside my brain and unable to communicate horifies me. My mom  was so confused in the years leading up to her death, I would like ot avoid most of that. 

Dumping a bit here, perhaps we can call it decluttering my brain.  

Love GInger