Thursday 11 November 2010

Operation Clutterbust - minor breakthrough

I finished a tub of the Sainsbury version of Vanish. It had done sterling work on the shirts. Also I use bars of soap. But there I was, left with a very handy sized tub, sturdy, with a well fitting lid. I am sure it could have been useful for any number of things.

Apparently you should never use something that had contained soap or detergent for food. And as I type this I can think how it would be useful for putting things in for little bear. But what things? I could fill up my shelves with oodles of useful pots.

But I didn't. I threw it away. Because if little bear needed one then I could wait until the current one expired, I get through them at a steady but not too fast rate. Or I could use something else that was already to hand. I could use expiring margarine tubs, or takeaway cartons or anything, really.

It was really hard, however, to throw away something so potentially useful.

3 comments:

Morgan said...

I know just the feeling - I usually offer them to the FH to see if he needs anything to keep screws or nails in in the shed. He usually says no and then I feel I have permission to throw them out - but they have so much potential, and the lovely screw-on lid - it seems awful to throw them out, but I too have a steady supply.......this is all so challenging!!

Ian said...

Well done. Fighting the 'it could be useful' urge and only keeping the 'it IS useful' things is one of the key steps.

I just made that up, but isn't it convincing?

Morgan said...

There's a mantra somewhere along the lines of "is it useful? is it beautiful?" Only if "it" is one or the other are we allowed to keep it.

That doesn't accommodate the stores of stationery, the books, the recipes, the "just in case" heap, the "I stocked up whilst there was a good deal on" drawers full of things!

Today I have decided to eBay a box of M&B romantic Christmas novels I acquired last Christmas. Will weigh them on Monday at the PO and find out how much postage I have to charge and then they are heading out of here!

Does the YFG really NEED about 25 bottles of nail varnish in assorted colours? That's just an example of what I am up against!!