Diane Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 So just been having a bit of a late spring clean, and have a problem! My offspring are now out of school (youngest has just finished his second year at Uni so that shows you how slack I am) and I have lots of bits and pieces of school and sports club uniform that I don't know what to do with! The stuff that is still in good condition is fine - washed and ironed and donated to someone whose kids are at the same school - but I have two blazers, some school trousers, some sports kit, all with tears or small amounts of damage, and Year 12 sweatshirts with their names on, so not donate-able - even to an Op Shop. Do I just throw them in the recycle bin? It seems terrible.... I know that's what I have to do... I know it, but..... What does everyone else do? Oh, I should add I've just found my youngest's Year 7 Sweatshirt too - also with his name on! Now that has hung around for a long time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robfromdublin Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 If the kids don't want them, bin them. You'll feel better for the lack of clutter! Don't be one of those people on the news with old cars in the garden and rubbish piling out the windows! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diane Posted November 25, 2016 Author Share Posted November 25, 2016 If the kids don't want them, bin them. You'll feel better for the lack of clutter! Don't be one of those people on the news with old cars in the garden and rubbish piling out the windows! I know I know I'm hopeless. I have cookery books that I never look at, bags of old toy cars, shelves of the kids soft toys, and an old piano with a broken key out on the outside patio. Only time I've ever had a serious declutter was when we emigrated - maybe I need to do that again :eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 Cleaning rags. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 (edited) I'm the same! I still have two pushchairs, nursing chair, cot, baby clothes etc in a storage unit. My kids are 8 and 10, and I've no intention (and nor is there any possibility) of having another baby, I just haven't been able to let them go. Funnily enough this is something I've been thinking about this week. I've a few weeks off uni and thought I could use some of the time to declutter. I am going to get the baby things out of storage and let them go on a local page which is used for people to list free stuff for people doing it tough. I thought if it might make someone else's Christmas easier it would make it easier to let them go. Then I thought I'd do things by 'type'. So for example, I'll go through everyone's clothing first and get rid of/replace things that the kids have grown out of, re-sew loose buttons, remove any stains etc, and then donate anything we don't need to charity and then put the things we are keeping away neatly. Then I'll move on to books, then toys, then kitchen stuff and so on. I figured that by doing it that way rather than by cupboard or room, it will be easier to organise. We are considering moving back to the UK (more on the side of probably than possibly now), so I guess it will make packing easier. ETA: I am going to have a look at my cookery books and copy any recipes that I use into the handwritten recipe book I keep in the kitchen and then just get rid of them. I don't need books with recipes that I'm never likely to make. It's easy to find recipes on the internet these days, so they are a bit redundant. Edited November 25, 2016 by LKC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinbjulieb Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 (edited) We use any old clothes that can't be passed on or donated to any charities as cleaning rags, saves on buying them from Bunnings!! Edited November 25, 2016 by Martinbjulieb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evets Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 I have found emigrating the best way to declutter Anything that is in pretty good condition or even otherwise, try freecycle or gumtree. You will be surprised when things are offered for free how many people will contact you. Maybe take a look at everything, and decide what really holds the most sentimental value and offload the rest. There are probably loads of people in and around your suburb who cannot afford some of these items even going to the op-shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evets Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 ETA: I am going to have a look at my cookery books and copy any recipes that I use into the handwritten recipe book I keep in the kitchen and then just get rid of them. I don't need books with recipes that I'm never likely to make. It's easy to find recipes on the internet these days, so they are a bit redundant. Not to high jack the thread, but have you thought about photo copying them and storing them in dropbox, google drive or something similar. There are a number of programs that you can download that allow you to append to pdf files. What I personally do when I find recipes on the web, I use an application called Evernote and copy and paste including the picture. So when I am cooking I just open the app and recipe on my tablet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest241083 Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 ............always hard when you've settled in one place and collected..... ............I've inherited lots of stuff from family who have downsized or died... .............I pass a lot of stuff on as well.... .............charity's are pleased with good clean items..... .............and charity's abroad don't mind items with names on...! ..............one of the good things of living in small places and continually moving when I was younger... ..............meant few possessions...... ..............the armed forces were good to.......used to be allocated so many MFO boxes... ...............what didn't fit you had to pay for yourself.......meant a good clean out.... ................think LKC has a good idea.........clear out by type..... ..................easy to become distracted if doing rooms ime..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 If they're not synthetic, you can compost 'em if you're a gardener, but like Tink says, don't worry about the names as a lot of charities send stuff to 3rd world countries who are just glad to have anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diane Posted November 25, 2016 Author Share Posted November 25, 2016 Cleaning rags. 'Cleaning'? What's that, then???? Only joking (sort of!) - I use J-cloths! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vickyplum Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 ETA: I am going to have a look at my cookery books and copy any recipes that I use into the handwritten recipe book I keep in the kitchen and then just get rid of them. I don't need books with recipes that I'm never likely to make. It's easy to find recipes on the internet these days, so they are a bit redundant. I used to cut pages out of cookery magazines and stick them into a notebook - that's after I got bored of handwriting them out! It's a great idea to preserve the recipes you actually use, in one place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 I've thought of scanning and keeping them on my iPad before, but I quite like to adjust or make notes on the recipes so I know to add a bit less of something, or how many actual portions the recipe makes etc, which is why I quite like a notebook. I used to keep my recipe magazine recipes in a folder, but I lost it when we moved to Australia! I was absolutely gutted, there were a couple of recipes from Tesco or Sainsbury magazine that I just haven't been able to replicate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evets Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 I've thought of scanning and keeping them on my iPad before, but I quite like to adjust or make notes on the recipes so I know to add a bit less of something, or how many actual portions the recipe makes etc, which is why I quite like a notebook. I used to keep my recipe magazine recipes in a folder, but I lost it when we moved to Australia! I was absolutely gutted, there were a couple of recipes from Tesco or Sainsbury magazine that I just haven't been able to replicate! OK makes sense and agree, pdf's you cannot edit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 I here you, I too have lots of stuff belonging to others. A piano, a fridge, bed, you name it I have it. Waiting for my daughter to get a bigger place to take it but that does not look as though its happening anytime soon. I have got rid of lots of books though to the op shop. I am trying to declutter and its difficult as I put things in one pile and then remove them into the keep file and so it goes on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pommysheila Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 Hi Diane A few week ago I had a huge sort out, I am having some problems with my son and his partner more his partner but he feels he should be on her side, I get the odd gift turn up DVD and an email but I haven't seen him now for a year he is 40. So I am redressing my husband passed 2014 so one day I just went for it I had even got stuff that my Dad had sent my Mum so many cuddly teddys monkeys you name it I had it. All stuff that ment a lot to me and hubby that was hard but my son wouldn't care less about such thing's so I thought if anybody is going to throw them out it should be me. The church op shop I think thought I would never stop and they would have to build an extention all the rest went in the recycle bin or the front door BUT IT ALL WENT. Trust me you will feel great. Happy recycling xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 'Cleaning'? What's that, then???? Only joking (sort of!) - I use J-cloths! I usually sacrifice my worse piece of clothing when my bike needs a clean. We've hardly bought a piece of clothing for my youngest. Two elder brothers who were always the same size, so most thought they were twins, and lots of fussy rich second cousins whose hand me downs more often had tags on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 I have found emigrating the best way to declutter Anything that is in pretty good condition or even otherwise, try freecycle or gumtree. You will be surprised when things are offered for free how many people will contact you. Maybe take a look at everything, and decide what really holds the most sentimental value and offload the rest. There are probably loads of people in and around your suburb who cannot afford some of these items even going to the op-shop. my parents do that. They're always moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.