Author Topic: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2  (Read 1249051 times)

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2150 on: February 23, 2019, 09:08:11 AM »
@Roadrunner53 - ack. That sounds so awful. Luckily, this is a standalone house, and in a small town. So, I'm thinking the fumigation will be several thousands of dollars

horsepoor

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2151 on: February 23, 2019, 09:09:05 AM »
That is quite a story.  Sad that so many things were made, transported, purchased, stored, and then dumped without every being used.  Talk about waste.

That is why NOW I am even afraid to buy second hand furniture. What if it came from a house with bed bugs!

Bed bugs aren't generally an issue here, but when there was more of a breakout among hotels and whatnot a few years ago, I bought an antique sofa and arm chair.  It happened to be winter, so I stored them in my horse trailer for a month since bugs can't survive the cold.  Not necessarily an option for everyone, but tossing something in unheated storage in a colder climate will usually do the trick.


Roadrunner53

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2152 on: February 23, 2019, 10:19:34 AM »
I am sure the auntie didn't bring in the bed bugs herself. She never traveled anywhere. I am assuming this horrid apartment building was infested and they migrated to her apartment. She was too old to deal with it I guess. I was in this apartment many years ago and it was tiny. They called it a 3 bedroom but two of the 'bedrooms' were no more than hole in the wall for a twin bed to fit into. I don't remember a door on the 'rooms'. Maybe they had a curtain. No windows. The weirdest thing is that this place was so small but once the auntie left the owners cut it in half and made it into two apartments! I seriously cannot fathom how small the two apartments must be and can't imagine how they configured them. I also heard that each apartment was going for $3,000 each per month! Can you even imagine walking up 3 giant flights of stairs and having a kid or groceries and no elevator? Total insanity!

The auntie's parents moved into the apartment probably when they were in their late 20's and had 3 children. The auntie lived there her entire life and she was around 78 years old when she died. So the family had inhabited the same apartment for over 100 years!

chasingthegoodlife

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2153 on: February 23, 2019, 03:47:21 PM »
In the last few weeks I have:
- Been through all our cosmetics/medications and thrown out (via chemist) some expired medications/creams, passed on a few unneeded things to grateful others and used up the last little bit of some shampoos and hand creams. Made up several mini-medication kits for our bags and cars so we have things like bandaids and panadol to hand when we need them. For the next little while will check expiry dates before taking tablets and use the ones closest to expiry.
- Sorted through the cleaning supplies under the kitchen and bathroom sinks. Very little thrown away here as it will all get used eventually, but everything is dusted and organised neatly, sponges and rags freshly washed and folded, a few duplicate products combined. My husband and I combined households almost four years ago and I am shocked by the amount of excess cleaning products we still have. I guess I don't clean a lot haha. And also prefer some vinegar/bicarb/tea tree oil when I do. Many of these will not be rebought when used up. I don't believe we need so many specific products.   
- Brought home about 8 boxes from my parents' home (think I've already mentioned this somewhere on the forum). All the things I own in the world are now officially under my roof.
- Gone through two of the boxes that had my sewing things in them. Decided there are so many other things I'm more passionate about right now and I don't have room for these in my life. Passed on everything usable to a friend who teaches a beginners sewing class and will rehome. 

Next step is to:
- Go through my shoes. I don't have many, and as a result most are looking pretty worn out. I need to take them to the cobbler to fix what he can, bin anything unsalvageable, and work out what I really need to replace.
- Finish unpacking from our kitchen renovation. This is nearly done but there is at least one more box in the garage we forgot and a few boxes to go awaiting my husband's blessing. We also need to go through the cutlery together as we both have strong preferences about this and there is about 3x what we need for day to day. Some may get stored for larger gatherings though.
- Go through the rest of the boxes from my parents. These seem to be books/toys from my childhood and sentimental items such as yearbooks etc. I think most of this can probably go but I need to be in the right headspace to look through it. I lost a pregnancy recently so the childhood stuff is still a bit raw.

I'm also thinking about doing the whole Marie Kondo process from start to finish next week while I have the house to myself. I've downloaded the audio book from the library and will think about it a bit more. I've always lent towards minimalism (daughter of a hoarder, apartment dweller moving countries a bit, love a good declutter) but since moving into this house and the chaos of renovating things have definitely built up. I'm also curious if I'll learn anything about myself.





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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2154 on: February 23, 2019, 04:43:47 PM »
Declutter fail.
The 2nd thing in 5+ years I've had to rebuy...

I threw out lancets from when I had gestational diabetes more than 2 years ago. Then I failed my 1 hour test and instead of taking the good awful 3 hour test I'm checking my blood sugar. (Good new...not diabetic). The new box of lancets cost $12.

(I also had to rebuy the same monitor and test strips I threw out, but my understanding is they expire. So I guess that's ok. That was $60.)

Fresh Bread

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2155 on: February 23, 2019, 05:00:50 PM »
Sorry for your loss ChasingtheGoodLife.

I also have four days alone this week and I'm quite tempted to pull out a few cupboards. I have MKed before but the rule is you only do your own stuff which means the spare room has never really been 'done' (hubby's dumping ground).

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2156 on: February 23, 2019, 07:16:40 PM »
My aunt (mom's sister) is mentally disabled. She is able to live on her own, and work a minimum wage job. Her partner of 30 years just passed away, so in the emergency, my mom was at her house. Sidenote: my aunt will never let anyone in her house under any circumstance. The house is. . . so beyond salvage. There are bugs, cat pee everywhere, and the ambulance crew couldn't wheel the bed in during the emergency due to the wall to wall junk, paper, garbage, etc that's stacked up. I feel so very sad for my mom, who just got done dealing with her mom & her stepfather passing away. Apparently, there are six cats living in the tiny house, and the bedbugs are so terrible that the entire house needs to be basically torn apart. Oh, and my aunt refuses to change or accept help, move into an assisted living situation, etc. It will eventually come down to my mom needing to take over legal guardianship.

I know that's only marginally related to this thread, but I've offered to come to help my mom during my sabbatical, so that I can assist with some of the "tough love" elements of talking to my aunt & assisting with the house stuff. Sweet mercy.

As for me, I listed three items on eBay today, and have three other items selling today. Progress!

@MaybeBabyMustache  - the health or building department and animal control may take options away from her. At a minimum, please make sure those cats are properly cared for. They are innocent and don't deserve to be tormented by bed bugs.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2157 on: February 23, 2019, 07:37:01 PM »
My aunt (mom's sister) is mentally disabled. She is able to live on her own, and work a minimum wage job. Her partner of 30 years just passed away, so in the emergency, my mom was at her house. Sidenote: my aunt will never let anyone in her house under any circumstance. The house is. . . so beyond salvage. There are bugs, cat pee everywhere, and the ambulance crew couldn't wheel the bed in during the emergency due to the wall to wall junk, paper, garbage, etc that's stacked up. I feel so very sad for my mom, who just got done dealing with her mom & her stepfather passing away. Apparently, there are six cats living in the tiny house, and the bedbugs are so terrible that the entire house needs to be basically torn apart. Oh, and my aunt refuses to change or accept help, move into an assisted living situation, etc. It will eventually come down to my mom needing to take over legal guardianship.

I know that's only marginally related to this thread, but I've offered to come to help my mom during my sabbatical, so that I can assist with some of the "tough love" elements of talking to my aunt & assisting with the house stuff. Sweet mercy.

As for me, I listed three items on eBay today, and have three other items selling today. Progress!

@MaybeBabyMustache  - the health or building department and animal control may take options away from her. At a minimum, please make sure those cats are properly cared for. They are innocent and don't deserve to be tormented by bed bugs.

The cats have been rehomed. It's been the biggest source of anger towards my mom, but on top of the fact that they just can't be in the house during the fumigation, she's obviously not able to take care of them (or, herself really).

diapasoun

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2158 on: February 24, 2019, 11:35:59 AM »
Hugs, MBM, that sounds like a hard family situation.

Donated several books to the library resale shop, and used up two little travel shampoos. I also pulled a sweater out of the mending pile and mended it, which isn't precisely decluttering but feels similar - it's getting rid of dead weight. I'm starting to feel a bit better about the volume of stuff I have. I'm not there yet, but it's better.

JanetJackson

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2159 on: February 24, 2019, 12:39:51 PM »
@MaybeBabyMustache Thank you to you or whoever in your family helped with the kitties.  I know it will be hard for all parties involved, but they will have a safer and happier life elsewhere.  <3  That sounds like a hard situation- and even if you're not directly involved, it can certainly weigh on you.  Sending you good energy, I feel for the situation.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2160 on: February 24, 2019, 03:59:51 PM »
@JanetJackson - it was my lovely mom, who has taken care of her sister for years, but even more so since there mom passed away. I think we've all been in a bit of denial about how best to support my aunt now that her mom is gone. It's really, really hard & there are no good answers. Thanks for the support.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2161 on: February 24, 2019, 05:20:07 PM »
MBM - that is really hard and I am sorry your mum is going to need to take guardianship.

Not so much decluttering as visual decluttering, I am going through a spell of clearing off horizontal surfaces and anything that is taking up a corner. I am tired of everywhere I look just being [mildly!] out of sorts. I am also discarding recipes that I will never ever make and sewing patterns that I will never make again, because they weren't flattering on me.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2162 on: February 25, 2019, 09:50:16 AM »
I got a couple items into a bag and in the car waiting for goodwill drop off.  I... couldn't... let go of clothing yet.  Not gonna stress over it.

I made a cardboard box to fit in the cabinet in the bathroom, and sorted through items I had in there, got rid of extra packaging and everything fits so much better now, and it allowed me to fit the extra TP in the same cupboard, so that's less visual clutter out in the laundry/closet room.  This feels like a huge win even though it was just little bits that actually left the house.

I mailed a Valentine card I'd carried around for years.  Kind of silly, but now I no longer have any pre made cards.  I used to hoard them!  I do still have a little assortment of envelopes, and some paper craft supplies.  I either make an appropriate card, or just write a note to express whatever sentiment I want to express. I love letters and cards, but no more acquiring without a recipient planned.




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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2163 on: February 25, 2019, 11:04:47 PM »
Took a gag gift (rubber band gun kit) to work and left it out for someone to take.

It was gone in 10 minutes.

Shinplaster

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2164 on: February 26, 2019, 10:00:28 AM »
One more large bag off to donation, and the next one started.  Having a bag for clothing and a box for odd things going all the time is really helping with my goal to declutter.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2165 on: February 26, 2019, 11:00:50 AM »
Currently seeing my recently widowed neighbour struggle, emotionally and practically, to declutter the family home of 20 years so it can be sold, because they were not mustachian in the least and now the house (less mortgage) is the only asset she has left.  Sad, and an awful warning.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2166 on: February 26, 2019, 02:07:23 PM »
Just cleaned out my computer cabinet. OMG! So much stuff! I pulled out an old printer that wasn't even hooked up so I pulled it out and will toss it. It is very old and probably not compatible with anyone's computer otherwise I would donate it. I was able to hoe out the cabinet of a bag full of stuff to donate. I still have about 30 boxes of labels of assorted sizes and tons of cardstock and various color paper and other odd ball stuff. I bought this metal drawer organizer a while back for under a sink but it didn't fit my bathroom and I was what the heck and I going to do with it. I rehomed it under my computer desk where the printer was and organized some crap. WOW, that feels good. However, I still have way too much stuff! I have downsized about 50% so I will further unload at a later date.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2167 on: February 27, 2019, 07:57:12 AM »
@RoadRunner re: the printer, electronics waste can be really problematic. I'd encourage you to offer it through a free site (people will use parts, etc), or to take it to an electronics recycling place. Most cities have them =)

Shinplaster

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2168 on: February 27, 2019, 08:07:24 AM »
@RoadRunner re: the printer, electronics waste can be really problematic. I'd encourage you to offer it through a free site (people will use parts, etc), or to take it to an electronics recycling place. Most cities have them =)

If you live near a Best Buy, they take electronics to recycle.  Or at least they do in Canada, so I'm assuming they would in the U.S. too.

Raenia

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2169 on: February 27, 2019, 08:57:45 AM »
@RoadRunner re: the printer, electronics waste can be really problematic. I'd encourage you to offer it through a free site (people will use parts, etc), or to take it to an electronics recycling place. Most cities have them =)

If you live near a Best Buy, they take electronics to recycle.  Or at least they do in Canada, so I'm assuming they would in the U.S. too.

Yes, Best Buy does recycle electronics here in the US too.  I have a box of electronics including a broken printer in my car now, waiting for the next time I have errands in that direction.

Fresh Bread

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2170 on: February 27, 2019, 02:25:04 PM »
I did an impromptu closet clean out last night and now have a big bag of donations. A few things were musty, one skirt was full on mouldy (I obviously don't wear it so out it goes) so I'm going to do a big wash today before donating and putting the keep pile back.

Still got to do shoes. I only own three bags but I need to store them better so they keep their shape. I think shoes are harder as if I suddenly need a pair it's a lot of money. Yet storing them in our humid climate means cleaning them of mould.

Anyone got tips on storing shoes? I think the ones I've wrapped in fabric bags might be ok. It's suede that really suffers. Maybe I should vacuum bag my suede ankle boots in summer?

Roadrunner53

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2171 on: February 27, 2019, 03:10:26 PM »
I did an impromptu closet clean out last night and now have a big bag of donations. A few things were musty, one skirt was full on mouldy (I obviously don't wear it so out it goes) so I'm going to do a big wash today before donating and putting the keep pile back.

Still got to do shoes. I only own three bags but I need to store them better so they keep their shape. I think shoes are harder as if I suddenly need a pair it's a lot of money. Yet storing them in our humid climate means cleaning them of mould.

Anyone got tips on storing shoes? I think the ones I've wrapped in fabric bags might be ok. It's suede that really suffers. Maybe I should vacuum bag my suede ankle boots in summer?

I am no expert on storing shoes but seems they should be allowed to breathe especially if they are leather.

Why are your clothes moldy? Where is the moisture coming from? You need to figure out how to eliminate the dampness.

Fresh Bread

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2172 on: February 27, 2019, 03:31:57 PM »
I did an impromptu closet clean out last night and now have a big bag of donations. A few things were musty, one skirt was full on mouldy (I obviously don't wear it so out it goes) so I'm going to do a big wash today before donating and putting the keep pile back.

Still got to do shoes. I only own three bags but I need to store them better so they keep their shape. I think shoes are harder as if I suddenly need a pair it's a lot of money. Yet storing them in our humid climate means cleaning them of mould.

Anyone got tips on storing shoes? I think the ones I've wrapped in fabric bags might be ok. It's suede that really suffers. Maybe I should vacuum bag my suede ankle boots in summer?

I am no expert on storing shoes but seems they should be allowed to breathe especially if they are leather.

Why are your clothes moldy? Where is the moisture coming from? You need to figure out how to eliminate the dampness.

It's Sydney humidity combined with poor building practices. Best option is to move cities :)

We have a heat transfer ventilation system which has improved circulation but if we leave the wardrobe doors shut then it gets bad. It's probably coming through the timber floor since that's the only thing left. Someone (not me) needs to crawl under the house and check the moisture levels since it should be bone dry. There's a foam insulation product you can get sprayed under your floor that can help. It's a long story but I'm not a fan of the one guy who seems to offer that service so that's tricky. In the meantime I vacuum bag my occasion clothes, ski stuff etc. and put dehumidifier packets in the drawers.

ETA : I even get mildew on saucepans that are stored in a kitchen cupboard against an outside wall. We will be doing a big renovation so was hoping to pinpoint any damp then but it looks like I'll have to get into it earlier. We had our walls filled with insulation and I think it has caused additional problems.
« Last Edit: February 27, 2019, 03:37:27 PM by Fresh Bread »

middo

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2173 on: February 27, 2019, 03:47:35 PM »
I did an impromptu closet clean out last night and now have a big bag of donations. A few things were musty, one skirt was full on mouldy (I obviously don't wear it so out it goes) so I'm going to do a big wash today before donating and putting the keep pile back.

Still got to do shoes. I only own three bags but I need to store them better so they keep their shape. I think shoes are harder as if I suddenly need a pair it's a lot of money. Yet storing them in our humid climate means cleaning them of mould.

Anyone got tips on storing shoes? I think the ones I've wrapped in fabric bags might be ok. It's suede that really suffers. Maybe I should vacuum bag my suede ankle boots in summer?

I am no expert on storing shoes but seems they should be allowed to breathe especially if they are leather.

Why are your clothes moldy? Where is the moisture coming from? You need to figure out how to eliminate the dampness.

It's Sydney humidity combined with poor building practices. Best option is to move cities :)

We have a heat transfer ventilation system which has improved circulation but if we leave the wardrobe doors shut then it gets bad. It's probably coming through the timber floor since that's the only thing left. Someone (not me) needs to crawl under the house and check the moisture levels since it should be bone dry. There's a foam insulation product you can get sprayed under your floor that can help. It's a long story but I'm not a fan of the one guy who seems to offer that service so that's tricky. In the meantime I vacuum bag my occasion clothes, ski stuff etc. and put dehumidifier packets in the drawers.

ETA : I even get mildew on saucepans that are stored in a kitchen cupboard against an outside wall. We will be doing a big renovation so was hoping to pinpoint any damp then but it looks like I'll have to get into it earlier. We had our walls filled with insulation and I think it has caused additional problems.

Without being alarmist, that sounds like more than just Sydney humidity.  When we moved into the Belgrave wreck in Melbourne the whole house was damp.  Yes, it was winter, but it shouldn't be damp inside.  We have found - in no real order:
  • Soil pushed against the side of the house allowing moisture to penetrate the weatherboards
  • Soil under the house touching the floorboards allowing moisture to penetrate the flooring
  • Termites eating the walls
  • A leaking shower base that is (mostly) no longer leaking

With each rectification we could feel the moisture levels in the house drop within a couple of days.  I would be looking for soil against the house, or leaking pipes/drains.

Fresh Bread

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2174 on: February 27, 2019, 04:02:50 PM »
It's a brick house on piles so there shouldn't be the soil or termite problem. Having said that hubby keeps storing wood against the house on the other side. I'm dealing with that. I'll look for leaks but the underfloor of the kitchen is really hard to reach. I guess if I pull out the kickboard I would see internal stuff. We just had the sewer replaced so can't be that. Our water bills are dead low so I don't think it's any incoming pipes.

We just spent $$$$ with an architect to improve the house and it's better but still needs work. To be honest everywhere we've lived in Sydney has been the same, it's better in this 50s house than when we lived in a new build apartment that had no ventilation. It keeps me minimalist.

Sorry everyone for the diversion.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2175 on: February 27, 2019, 04:31:42 PM »
It's a brick house on piles so there shouldn't be the soil or termite problem. Having said that hubby keeps storing wood against the house on the other side. I'm dealing with that. I'll look for leaks but the underfloor of the kitchen is really hard to reach. I guess if I pull out the kickboard I would see internal stuff. We just had the sewer replaced so can't be that. Our water bills are dead low so I don't think it's any incoming pipes.

We just spent $$$$ with an architect to improve the house and it's better but still needs work. To be honest everywhere we've lived in Sydney has been the same, it's better in this 50s house than when we lived in a new build apartment that had no ventilation. It keeps me minimalist.

Sorry everyone for the diversion.

You need a professional person to come in and identify where the moisture is coming from. Mold is unhealthy and dangerous to your health. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/an-insidious-mold-31-01-2002/

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2176 on: February 28, 2019, 01:32:18 AM »
I did an impromptu closet clean out last night and now have a big bag of donations. A few things were musty, one skirt was full on mouldy (I obviously don't wear it so out it goes) so I'm going to do a big wash today before donating and putting the keep pile back.

Still got to do shoes. I only own three bags but I need to store them better so they keep their shape. I think shoes are harder as if I suddenly need a pair it's a lot of money. Yet storing them in our humid climate means cleaning them of mould.

Anyone got tips on storing shoes? I think the ones I've wrapped in fabric bags might be ok. It's suede that really suffers. Maybe I should vacuum bag my suede ankle boots in summer?

I am no expert on storing shoes but seems they should be allowed to breathe especially if they are leather.

Why are your clothes moldy? Where is the moisture coming from? You need to figure out how to eliminate the dampness.

It's Sydney humidity combined with poor building practices. Best option is to move cities :)

We have a heat transfer ventilation system which has improved circulation but if we leave the wardrobe doors shut then it gets bad. It's probably coming through the timber floor since that's the only thing left. Someone (not me) needs to crawl under the house and check the moisture levels since it should be bone dry. There's a foam insulation product you can get sprayed under your floor that can help. It's a long story but I'm not a fan of the one guy who seems to offer that service so that's tricky. In the meantime I vacuum bag my occasion clothes, ski stuff etc. and put dehumidifier packets in the drawers.

ETA : I even get mildew on saucepans that are stored in a kitchen cupboard against an outside wall. We will be doing a big renovation so was hoping to pinpoint any damp then but it looks like I'll have to get into it earlier. We had our walls filled with insulation and I think it has caused additional problems.

Spray foam insulation is potentially DIY-able, although this chap has more skills than most -

http://manhattan-nest.com/2018/12/07/fall-checklist-diy-spray-foam-insulation-with-dow-froth-pak/

SunnyDays

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2177 on: February 28, 2019, 02:56:52 PM »
If you have a lightbulb (incandescent) in the closet, keep it on at all times and the heat from it will dry the air, hopefully enough to prevent mild and mildew.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2178 on: February 28, 2019, 03:23:04 PM »
Donated a small bag of clothes that hadn't been worn in forever. I usually always have a "goodwill" bag going. I've slowly been going through my book collection.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2179 on: March 01, 2019, 05:24:27 AM »
It's a brick house on piles so there shouldn't be the soil or termite problem. Having said that hubby keeps storing wood against the house on the other side. I'm dealing with that. I'll look for leaks but the underfloor of the kitchen is really hard to reach. I guess if I pull out the kickboard I would see internal stuff. We just had the sewer replaced so can't be that. Our water bills are dead low so I don't think it's any incoming pipes.

We just spent $$$$ with an architect to improve the house and it's better but still needs work. To be honest everywhere we've lived in Sydney has been the same, it's better in this 50s house than when we lived in a new build apartment that had no ventilation. It keeps me minimalist.

Sorry everyone for the diversion.

You need a professional person to come in and identify where the moisture is coming from. Mold is unhealthy and dangerous to your health. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/an-insidious-mold-31-01-2002/

Do you have a clothes dryer that is vented to the outside or is the vent inside? If inside, that moisture can cause problems. I would buy some small fans and place them facing the areas where you are finding mold to dry up the areas. You could invest in a dehumidifier too. It will suck out the moisture in the air and fill a catch pan with water. Typically it turns off when the pan is full and you will need to empty it. Very effective in drying up damp places. My mother had a musty basement and my husband installed a humidifier. It took a little while but it dried up the basement and that disgusting smell was eliminated. My mom's basement had a drain in the floor so no one needed to empty the dehumidifier. The water trickled down the drain.

Shinplaster

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2180 on: March 01, 2019, 10:24:45 AM »
Three shopping bags full of odds and sods dropped off at Goodwill this morning.

better late

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2181 on: March 01, 2019, 12:42:09 PM »
As part of my clearing out 5 things every day challenge I shredded checkbooks and registers from old closed out accounts. That felt awesome. Those were our spend-ier years. Nice to have them done and dusted.
I keep having these thoughts like if something happened to me and DH our kids should NOT have to deal with this stuff.

ETA changed spendy to spend-ier. We are still spendy in many ways
« Last Edit: March 01, 2019, 08:05:43 PM by better late »

chasingthegoodlife

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2182 on: March 01, 2019, 03:15:54 PM »
Great work everyone.

Fresh Bread that does sound a bit abnormal to me too. My grandmother had similar issues when she was living in an apartment on the Gold Coast - for her I think the building wasn’t built very well and especially the bathroom had terrible ventilation.

Husband is leaving for a week today and I’m committed to trying the whole Kondo process. My stuff only of course. I’ve listened to the audio book twice now and despite my long held belief that I’m a minimalist I think there will be a big change.

I struggle most with the waste and consumption side of things. I buy most things secondhand to begin with and if I know something will find another home eg a nice silk scarf or leather bag, it’s easy to send it back out into the world. The initial purchase price was just a donation to charity! But a pilled and worn pair of track pants that are going to landfill and need to be replaced with a new pair? HARD.

I did my shoes last weekend and ended up with three piles: joy, no joy and ‘so much joy but seriously lady these are falling apart and you need to throw them away’. Still pondering that last category but I deep cleaned the area I store my shoes, put aside the boots that need to go to the cobbler and arranged everything attractively with a new painting on the wall. A lot better.

But probably the most useful thing I learnt was that my hiking boots were stored in such a difficult spot to access it was unlikely I would ever use them for the short weekend hikes I want to be doing. Have moved them and will see if they get more use.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2183 on: March 01, 2019, 06:59:31 PM »
-Sold a phone (unopened, was a gift) on eBay for $150! Will get it mailed out this week. So happy, as I had no idea it was even there until I started decluttering one of our hall closets.
-Continue to try & wear clothes that I don't normally wear. If they don't make this cut, they go into the donation pile.
-Replaced my ski wear that was too small. The last time I bought ski wear was pre-kids, & 15+ years ago. A lot has happened to my body since then, but vanity, pride & $ have prevented me from buying things that fit properly. I still have my ski jacket to go. It's a size S. I'm more of an M/L these days, and fit into it.... barely. That's up next.
-Got rid of a bunch of junk off of my desk at work, & cleaned out/reorganized my to do list to better focus my time by high priority project

LinneaH

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2184 on: March 02, 2019, 03:46:04 AM »
We had a water leak and water was shut off for several days, now back again since yesterday. This could have turned out so much worse, in the end the result indoors is
- messy because I had to move a lot of crap out from the laundry room so plumbers could work - this should have been taken care of long time ago but it wasn't. Now sits all over the basement area living space (none of it has gotten wet luckily). It's mainly bags of clothes etc to give away and throw away. I was planning to sell some but not a lot of money so I think I'll just focus on getting it out of the house. There was also about a liter (less than half a gallon) of clean water on the floor, which is tiled and waterproofed so no damage, just a quick mopping of the floor.
- dirty floor because plumber etc of course needed to walk in and out. This I took care of yesterday evening but once all is sorted, I will clean the floors once more <- obviously no big deal
- need to keep a small lid to an inspection gap open for a couple of weeks to dry out. No big deal, this is in a corner of the basement where we normally don't go. We don't have animals or really small kids so no worry (it is about a feet deep so not dangerous but slightly dirty)
- need to patch and paint a few holes on the basement wall where the pipes used to run. The pipes have now been moved to a MUCH better route and in the end this area will be much nicer.

So not too bad - it will force me to get rid of stuff that I should have moved out of the house long ago :-)

---

Outdoors on the other hand... Half of the garden and all of the driveway/parking is a huge hole (I probably need to vent a bit in the garden thread), and there needs to be more digging towards the neighbour... and it will cost money. But we have the money set aside bc we knew about the risk (+100 years old water lines) and we have the best neighbours and really good plumbers etc.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2185 on: March 02, 2019, 09:33:45 AM »

Outdoors on the other hand... Half of the garden and all of the driveway/parking is a huge hole (I probably need to vent a bit in the garden thread), and there needs to be more digging towards the neighbour... and it will cost money. But we have the money set aside bc we knew about the risk (+100 years old water lines) and we have the best neighbours and really good plumbers etc.

Given it is winter I am glad they were able to do the digging you needed.  I had an outside pipe replaced last fall before the ground froze, but the grass had no chance to regrow.   Here's to all our lawn and garden areas recovering from plumbing and winter!

I'm a red panda

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2186 on: March 05, 2019, 06:50:21 AM »
The guest bedroom set has been sold. I'm actually quite sad, as it was a beautiful set, we got it just before we were married (in 2004) and I just loved it.  But we really don't want to utilize the space in our house as a room with a bed that is slept in for 12 nights a year, so we got a murphy bed and will make the room into an office/photography studio.

I apparently way underpriced it, at $475 (and took $425 from a guy who said he'd be there the next day, and was)- I had 15 messages in 24-hours.  I kind of was thinking of it as a bed with free mattress (aka: Please get this 15 year old mattress out of my house), but apparently everyone on facebook saw an amazing deal...   It cost about $1500 new for the bed and dresser (no idea about the mattress), so I'd say we did OK.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2187 on: March 05, 2019, 07:13:57 AM »
My neighbour is downsizing and has been trying to give me stuff and I have tried to remain strong, but am finding it difficult to continuously say 'no thank you'.  She had some fancy cocktail glasses that weren't my taste but I took them to give to a friend that had a party last year and only had one fancy cocktail glass.  They match her fancy kitchen.  I dropped them off last night and she was thrilled.  One shoebox came into my house and one shoe box left my house.

I have also sorted through all my seeds.  I have them all sorted.  The oldest seeds that are probably not viable are all together with an elastic.  One part of my garden was really unproductive so I am not going to count on it for food production this year.  Instead I am going to heap it with compost, leaves and straw.  I realized that I could top all the future organic material with a little bit of soil to hold it down and then scatter all this old seed as a green manure and if some of it grows - bonus harvest.  If it doesn't grow well - green manure.  I will just keep testing the germination rate by sprinkling down a few seeds and keeping good records and then I can use up the seed if it is still viable.  Most of the seeds are greens, peas and beans.  None will cause issues for future plantings once I get this soil amped up. 

former player

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2188 on: March 05, 2019, 09:51:37 AM »
Currently seeing my recently widowed neighbour struggle, emotionally and practically, to declutter the family home of 20 years so it can be sold, because they were not mustachian in the least and now the house (less mortgage) is the only asset she has left.  Sad, and an awful warning.

Neighbour's decluttering finished. More than 100 black bags full and multiple trips to the dump.  If she had done this six months ago the house might have sold.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2189 on: March 05, 2019, 09:55:56 AM »
All the 2015-2018 catalogues are in the recycling.  Three inches of space on the shelf is now free.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2190 on: March 05, 2019, 10:58:03 AM »
I had my first decluttering fail this weekend - had a wonderful idea for a gift to make for MIL for next Christmas, went to find the supplies, and then sadly realized I'd donated or thrown out the potential centerpiece of the item, because I didn't have any use for it at the time :(

On the other hand, I've contacted the library about donating some board games - one of the local libraries does a weekly adult game night, so I'm hoping they will take them.  Waiting for a call back from them.  I also contacted my school athletics office about donating my old sport equipment to the team, just need to set up a day to go over and drop it off.  And, we finally sorted through the storage locker in the basement, and a number of things have been tossed or added to the donation box.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2191 on: March 05, 2019, 07:05:24 PM »
Currently seeing my recently widowed neighbour struggle, emotionally and practically, to declutter the family home of 20 years so it can be sold, because they were not mustachian in the least and now the house (less mortgage) is the only asset she has left.  Sad, and an awful warning.

Neighbour's decluttering finished. More than 100 black bags full and multiple trips to the dump.  If she had done this six months ago the house might have sold.

Ouch. Hard to imagine the extent of it.

Fresh Bread

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2192 on: March 05, 2019, 07:08:34 PM »
The guest bedroom set has been sold. I'm actually quite sad, as it was a beautiful set, we got it just before we were married (in 2004) and I just loved it.  But we really don't want to utilize the space in our house as a room with a bed that is slept in for 12 nights a year, so we got a murphy bed and will make the room into an office/photography studio.

I apparently way underpriced it, at $475 (and took $425 from a guy who said he'd be there the next day, and was)- I had 15 messages in 24-hours.  I kind of was thinking of it as a bed with free mattress (aka: Please get this 15 year old mattress out of my house), but apparently everyone on facebook saw an amazing deal...   It cost about $1500 new for the bed and dresser (no idea about the mattress), so I'd say we did OK.

I am hoping to get hubby to agree to a sofabed for our spare room. My dad stayed in it for a week or so and we've had friends stay as per sitters, but they could have easily had our bed. It really could be so much better utilised. We swapped the spare mattress to our bed as ours had got uncomfortable so we are half way there I think. The bed is just an ikea one.

former player

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2193 on: March 06, 2019, 02:11:35 AM »
Currently seeing my recently widowed neighbour struggle, emotionally and practically, to declutter the family home of 20 years so it can be sold, because they were not mustachian in the least and now the house (less mortgage) is the only asset she has left.  Sad, and an awful warning.

Neighbour's decluttering finished. More than 100 black bags full and multiple trips to the dump.  If she had done this six months ago the house might have sold.

Ouch. Hard to imagine the extent of it.

Funny thing is, you could walk round the house and not particularly notice - it wasn't a horder house and is nicely decorated and in good repair.  It does all now look much more like a show house, though.  It has all made me reassess my need to declutter some more, as it demonstrates just how much stuff one ordinary house can contain.  Something close to that "show house" look seems to be the right point to aim for to know that one's decluttering has worked!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2194 on: March 06, 2019, 02:24:36 AM »
Got rid of a bag of clothes and a bag of books, bibs, and toys. Gave them to a friend who is single-handedly trying to support his mother, sister, and baby on about $1200/month, so I fee it went to a good cause.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2195 on: March 06, 2019, 04:38:17 AM »
The guest bedroom set has been sold. I'm actually quite sad, as it was a beautiful set, we got it just before we were married (in 2004) and I just loved it.  But we really don't want to utilize the space in our house as a room with a bed that is slept in for 12 nights a year, so we got a murphy bed and will make the room into an office/photography studio.

I apparently way underpriced it, at $475 (and took $425 from a guy who said he'd be there the next day, and was)- I had 15 messages in 24-hours.  I kind of was thinking of it as a bed with free mattress (aka: Please get this 15 year old mattress out of my house), but apparently everyone on facebook saw an amazing deal...   It cost about $1500 new for the bed and dresser (no idea about the mattress), so I'd say we did OK.

I am hoping to get hubby to agree to a sofabed for our spare room. My dad stayed in it for a week or so and we've had friends stay as per sitters, but they could have easily had our bed. It really could be so much better utilised. We swapped the spare mattress to our bed as ours had got uncomfortable so we are half way there I think. The bed is just an ikea one.

My house is large. But the idea of a guest room is just so silly. How much does that square footage cost? Just to hold a bed that's empty 95% of the year?

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2196 on: March 06, 2019, 12:21:37 PM »
I've had a setback  in the paper decluttering effort: gardening catalogs. I've bought a variety of plants from a couple of nurseries online, and all of them seem determined to both send me a million emails as well as the periodic paper catalog. In addition to that, I'm getting mail from several other companies that I haven't sold.

Worst part is - while I'm not doing it right now, I will in the future be buying a bunch more plants. So I kinda want at least some of this. In the meantime, recycling bin.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2197 on: March 06, 2019, 08:14:38 PM »
-Put a shirt I can never figure out how to wear into the donation pile
-Found the manufacturer's guide to a bike we sold & recycled it
-Put a couple of books aside for my dad to read, and donated the rest

jengod

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2198 on: March 06, 2019, 08:39:43 PM »
* outgrown kid shoes gifted
* outgrown kid shoes donated
* outgrown kids books weeded for Little Free Libraries/donation

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #2199 on: March 07, 2019, 12:48:50 PM »
My bossy mom (it’s true and it’s fine!) came over and helped with an audit of Thing #2’s clothes. Packed up a box of outgrown and never worn.

Also freed up a cheapie chest of drawers that will be useful for storing linens until we can get the moisture out of our linen closet (probably going to have to strip to the studs but oh well).