Decluttering worn items

[chicklets123]

Now I don’t usually keep too worn things but there are some items I have a new replacement for but haven’t thrown out the old (bath robe and slippers) .

Do you have items you have held on to even though you have a replacement?

I could use some new towels too. Though the ones currently do work… just worn and not as plush.


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[G-dog]

Oh boy yes! Have I ever!  I have some clothes that are from the 90s that are worn and sad. But they have memories or are still really comfortable and fine for sleeping or lounging in the house.  Nothing that shouldn’t be exposed is revealed. But I should probably let some of these things go.

Worse are dressier clothes I never wore much and wear even less now.  I did get rid of some stuff just before the pandemic hit.  Then got stalled thinking places were closed or wouldn’t take things.

[ender]

Shoes... shoes.

[G-dog]

Shoes... shoes.

Oh yes. Those too. 

[Dreamer40]

I get rid of a lot of stuff. But I keep a pile of old towels because I always find a use for them. Especially since I have dogs. Same with old sheets - I’ve used them as drop clothes when painting. Sheets might also be useful to protect surfaces during kid art projects. Old t-shirts get torn into cleaning rags. Those are especially handy when DH cleans up his bike or the car tires. Old shelving or tables get used to organize my garden shed or garage. Old kitchenware/baking sheets occasionally get dedicated for use in our brick pizza oven since anything that goes in there permanently smells like a campfire. But I generally don’t keep things around that aren’t getting any use at all. I was raised by parents who keep EVERYTHING and it makes me insane.

[use2betrix]

I’m glad I kept my last pair of “nice” (overland) slippers after the wore out… I had them for a couple years then they had worn out quite a bit. Then my in-laws bought me a “new” (wal-mart brand) set of slippers and the soles detached in less than 6 months. Not wore out, fell apart…

I went back to my overland slippers and wore the fine for another year… This year for my birthday, my wife surprised me with a new pair, couldn’t be happier..

https://www.overland.com/products/mens-sydney-australian-merino-sheepskin-moccasin-slippers-51408?cl=chst

Worth every penny in my opinion, but we also don’t wear shoes in the house and have hard floors so I wear my slippers at all times.

[G-dog]

I get rid of a lot of stuff. But I keep a pile of old towels because I always find a use for them. Especially since I have dogs. Same with old sheets - I’ve used them as drop clothes when painting. Sheets might also be useful to protect surfaces during kid art projects. Old t-shirts get torn into cleaning rags. Those are especially handy when DH cleans up his bike or the car tires. Old shelving or tables get used to organize my garden shed or garage. Old kitchenware/baking sheets occasionally get dedicated for use in our brick pizza oven since anything that goes in there permanently smells like a campfire. But I generally don’t keep things around that aren’t getting any use at all. I was raised by parents who keep EVERYTHING and it makes me insane.

Sheets are also handy for covering plants from frost.  I am glad you have a system to keep things at a reasonable level. 

[RetiredAt63]

G-dog got in first about sheets and frost.  Other uses - ripped into strips for tying up tomatoes (that may be depression-era gardening).  If not in too bad shape, great for raking leaves - rake leaves onto sheet, pick sheet up by the 4 corners, carry leaves to where you want to dump them.

[chicklets123]

Shoes... shoes.

Oh yes. Those too.

Oh yes shoes! I do find it helps in selling some things that are not in use so it doesn’t feel as bad to let go.


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[chicklets123]

I get rid of a lot of stuff. But I keep a pile of old towels because I always find a use for them. Especially since I have dogs. Same with old sheets - I’ve used them as drop clothes when painting. Sheets might also be useful to protect surfaces during kid art projects. Old t-shirts get torn into cleaning rags. Those are especially handy when DH cleans up his bike or the car tires. Old shelving or tables get used to organize my garden shed or garage. Old kitchenware/baking sheets occasionally get dedicated for use in our brick pizza oven since anything that goes in there permanently smells like a campfire. But I generally don’t keep things around that aren’t getting any use at all. I was raised by parents who keep EVERYTHING and it makes me insane.

Do you use the towels for blankets for the dogs to lie on?


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[chicklets123]

I’m glad I kept my last pair of “nice” (overland) slippers after the wore out… I had them for a couple years then they had worn out quite a bit. Then my in-laws bought me a “new” (wal-mart brand) set of slippers and the soles detached in less than 6 months. Not wore out, fell apart…

I went back to my overland slippers and wore the fine for another year… This year for my birthday, my wife surprised me with a new pair, couldn’t be happier..

https://www.overland.com/products/mens-sydney-australian-merino-sheepskin-moccasin-slippers-51408?cl=chst

Worth every penny in my opinion, but we also don’t wear shoes in the house and have hard floors so I wear my slippers at all times.

These are similar to the ones I can’t let go (Kirkland /Nuk nuks)


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[chicklets123]

I get rid of a lot of stuff. But I keep a pile of old towels because I always find a use for them. Especially since I have dogs. Same with old sheets - I’ve used them as drop clothes when painting. Sheets might also be useful to protect surfaces during kid art projects. Old t-shirts get torn into cleaning rags. Those are especially handy when DH cleans up his bike or the car tires. Old shelving or tables get used to organize my garden shed or garage. Old kitchenware/baking sheets occasionally get dedicated for use in our brick pizza oven since anything that goes in there permanently smells like a campfire. But I generally don’t keep things around that aren’t getting any use at all. I was raised by parents who keep EVERYTHING and it makes me insane.

Sheets are also handy for covering plants from frost.  I am glad you have a system to keep things at a reasonable level.

This is a great idea!! I could use this to cover some furniture from dust outside


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[jac941]

I’m glad I kept my last pair of “nice” (overland) slippers after the wore out… I had them for a couple years then they had worn out quite a bit. Then my in-laws bought me a “new” (wal-mart brand) set of slippers and the soles detached in less than 6 months. Not wore out, fell apart…

I went back to my overland slippers and wore the fine for another year… This year for my birthday, my wife surprised me with a new pair, couldn’t be happier..

https://www.overland.com/products/mens-sydney-australian-merino-sheepskin-moccasin-slippers-51408?cl=chst

Worth every penny in my opinion, but we also don’t wear shoes in the house and have hard floors so I wear my slippers at all times.

These are similar to the ones I can’t let go (Kirkland /Nuk nuks)


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My forever slippers are Ugg Dakotas. I wore my last pair until the sole fell off. I can’t recall exactly when I bought them, but they lasted at least 13 years. I blame COVID work from home for their final demise.

Like the others, I keep worn towels and sheets for cleaning and lining dog beds. But most other worn things are sadly destined for the landfill.

[rockeTree]

Just chiming in to note that worn fabric and shoe recycling beats the landfill and can be done via goodwill in many places (label the bag so they don't have to sort it) or via a wide array of drop-box type organizations, some of which are vaguely scammy fake charities but all of which will recycle the materials for profit or more noble purposes. Or your city may have a program, frex https://sfenvironment.org/textiles

[SimpleCycle]

Just chiming in to note that worn fabric and shoe recycling beats the landfill and can be done via goodwill in many places (label the bag so they don't have to sort it) or via a wide array of drop-box type organizations, some of which are vaguely scammy fake charities but all of which will recycle the materials for profit or more noble purposes. Or your city may have a program, frex https://sfenvironment.org/textiles

Totally this.  We do our textile recycling via a scammy fake charity box near our house.  They're totally doing the recycling for a profit, but they are recycling it!

[SunnyDays]

I love my old bath towel - so soft.

Vets and animal shelters will happily take old towels and sometimes sheets.

[Dreamer40]

I get rid of a lot of stuff. But I keep a pile of old towels because I always find a use for them. Especially since I have dogs. Same with old sheets - I’ve used them as drop clothes when painting. Sheets might also be useful to protect surfaces during kid art projects. Old t-shirts get torn into cleaning rags. Those are especially handy when DH cleans up his bike or the car tires. Old shelving or tables get used to organize my garden shed or garage. Old kitchenware/baking sheets occasionally get dedicated for use in our brick pizza oven since anything that goes in there permanently smells like a campfire. But I generally don’t keep things around that aren’t getting any use at all. I was raised by parents who keep EVERYTHING and it makes me insane.

Do you use the towels for blankets for the dogs to lie on?


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Yes, sometimes as blankets. Or an extra layer of warmth under their beds in winter if the floor is cold. Also for clean up if one of them makes a mess or is sick. If one of them gets into something and I can’t give her a bath right away, extra towels are also handy to throw down over furniture so they don’t make more of a mess. I also throw them down on the floor by the door in winter to dry off wet dog after walks.

[Metalcat]

No. I live in a one bedroom apartment, I don't keep anything I don't need.

[jac941]

Just chiming in to note that worn fabric and shoe recycling beats the landfill and can be done via goodwill in many places (label the bag so they don't have to sort it) or via a wide array of drop-box type organizations, some of which are vaguely scammy fake charities but all of which will recycle the materials for profit or more noble purposes. Or your city may have a program, frex https://sfenvironment.org/textiles

Totally this.  We do our textile recycling via a scammy fake charity box near our house.  They're totally doing the recycling for a profit, but they are recycling it!

I need one of these places to figure out how to recycle the plethora of junk plastic toys that my kids seem to accumulate. So much garbage comes home with them. I’m looking at you “party favor” bag.

But yes, textile recycling is good.

[Zikoris]

I don't buy a replacement until the thing I have is basically unusable, at which point it goes in the garbage/recycling. I hate shopping and am overall pretty anti-consumption, so buying a new thing when the old one is still functional is just not something I'd ever really do.

[chicklets123]

I get rid of a lot of stuff. But I keep a pile of old towels because I always find a use for them. Especially since I have dogs. Same with old sheets - I’ve used them as drop clothes when painting. Sheets might also be useful to protect surfaces during kid art projects. Old t-shirts get torn into cleaning rags. Those are especially handy when DH cleans up his bike or the car tires. Old shelving or tables get used to organize my garden shed or garage. Old kitchenware/baking sheets occasionally get dedicated for use in our brick pizza oven since anything that goes in there permanently smells like a campfire. But I generally don’t keep things around that aren’t getting any use at all. I was raised by parents who keep EVERYTHING and it makes me insane.

Do you use the towels for blankets for the dogs to lie on?


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Yes, sometimes as blankets. Or an extra layer of warmth under their beds in winter if the floor is cold. Also for clean up if one of them makes a mess or is sick. If one of them gets into something and I can’t give her a bath right away, extra towels are also handy to throw down over furniture so they don’t make more of a mess. I also throw them down on the floor by the door in winter to dry off wet dog after walks.

I slowly started pulling out the items I was going to donate to use for the dog. I bet these will end up back in the linen closet


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[chicklets123]

I don't buy a replacement until the thing I have is basically unusable, at which point it goes in the garbage/recycling. I hate shopping and am overall pretty anti-consumption, so buying a new thing when the old one is still functional is just not something I'd ever really do.

This is a great philosophy to follow


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[draco44]

I'm with Zikoris on minimizing consumption, though I admittedly land on more of a "store one extra" policy for certain products, especially things like toiletries that get used fairly quickly. And +1 to those textile recycling for profit "charity" boxes for when things can't be mended or donated for use as pet bedding at an animal shelter.

I also think it is important when buying new (or new-to-you secondhand items) that you to try ahead and think about the eventually disposal for that item. So for example, if you needed to buy a new robe, you could select a cotton robe over a polyester one, since the cotton one will be biodegradable/compostable and probably also less prone to pilling, and won't be shedding plastic microfibers every time you wash it.

[Rosy]

Robes? Slippers? - I haven't owned either one in many years - Florida, no need to.:)
This thread reminds me the bedroom closet is due for another extreme de-cluttering.