*sand in the gears. |
This makes a lot of sense. Kudos, pp. |
I would say only keep 2 oven mitts. That’s all I’ve needed for 20 years now. One right, one left. |
Send boxes to Thredup. They take forever and you will make next to nothing even if your clothes actually do sell - but it is VERY satisfying to send off big boxes of clothes you know will make SOMEONE happy, just not you. I've sent over, I think, five giant boxes just in the last six months. Love the suggestions so far. I really like the idea of low hanging fruit first (toss tons of stuff you don't actually want or need), then going space by space and making it manageable for yourself. That might be a room, a closet, even just a drawer. Just make sure that you are always in the process of tackling something. |
I help my parents with this stuff sometimes - and I found literally hundreds of plastic bags stuffed with hotel shampoo in their closet. My mom got so angry when I went to throw it away. And she's really not a hoarder - there is just something about this free stuff that people get so WEIRD about. I finally got her to let me throw it away, and I can't imagine her life is ever going to be worse because she doesn't have a 20-year-old half-used bottle of conditioner sitting around. In any case - this doesn't sound like hoarding to me. But I do think you have to get your husband to just start throwing that stuff out when it comes into the house. Your life is never going to be worse because you don't have ancient packets of ketchup sitting in a drawer. And a lot of this stuff is really about habit - get in the habit of throwing it out (or not bringing it in in the first place) and this will def get easier. |
Dana K White. She’s got books (library!) and a podcast. Her methods are really helpful—focuses on decluttering.
And then Flylady is great for cleaning and maintenance (but I got tired of the constant selling so haven’t followed for years). |
When I watched the show Hoarders (which can actually be great motivation TV for cleaning) one of the things that stayed with me is how they often described someone who had a cluttered but functional house until a trauma or series of traumas happened and then they kind of went off the rails. Which is pretty much how my parents are. I think for many people it can kind of be manageable for a long time or forever, OR it can get out of control. Which tracks with all sorts of other mental health issues right? Depression, anxiety, etc etc. |
One room at a time, and pretend you're moving. You're going to touch every single item you own. So spend on weekend on, for example, a kids room.
Get big boxes or bins. Put ALL the clothes in one box, toys in another, books etc. As though you're packing to move. Then clean and vacuum. Then "unpack". Organize as you put away. Purge aggressively. If you truly don't have enough space to put something, figure out the solution - a cube storage bin? A dresser in the closet? Keep boxes to put things on that belong in other rooms. A box for toys that should go in the basement, a box for things that belong in the bathroom etc, and move the box to that room when you're done. |
Kiss an item and send it away. Trust the universe, that the item will be found by someone who needs it. That's my mindset for donating. |
I think you have a lot of info. For anyone else looking for unique tips.
1. Take some precautions to keep things out away that you do get done. Order online: locks for closets. Any kind you can get. Ideas, depending on your needs a) baby locks or latches - young kids b) adhesive latches you can put up high - medium sized kids c) actual locks - big kids and up My rules on locking stuff, I always say YES to open, I just need to monitor and make sure too much isn’t coming out at once. Pro tip: order online, repeatedly if you have to. Don’t waste your time in stores. Don’t worry if something doesn’t fit your door handles/whatever. Keep ordering. You can return stuff later or let it go or post up to a neighborhood share. 2. This is probably a 40+ hour job. Divide it up over two weeks. Do an area you can lock up and finish up. As you keep going, your progress will cheer you and keep you going. |
This is a great way to let a huge for-profit company get a tax deduction for donating the vast majority of clothes you send them instead of you just donating the clothes and getting the tax deduction. yourself. The vast majority of stuff that gets sent to ThredUp doesn't sell. The last box I sent them of high end (some with tags still on them) clothes and handbags was not even accepted, they donated all of it. I was so pissed. This is a really scammy company, just schedule a Salvation Army pickup and take the tax deduction yourself. Don't support these people who are basically just stealing from others. |
Are we reading the same thread? |
+1. I have seen this happen in my own family. Hoarding is on a spectrum, and “cluttered house with more stuff than they really need” can become a full on hoarder house with age/trauma/depression. Not being able to get rid of things they don’t need, even if the person doesn’t seem to meet the definition of a “hoarder,” is not normal. |
+1 for watching Hoarders being motivation (although having cleaned out a hoarder house, I can’t watch much, as I swear I have a bit of ptsd from the experience). There’s a YouTube channel called Midwest Magic Cleaning contains videos of a man who cleans hoarder houses (and some that are really just super cluttered). The host has a quirky personality, but he’s simultaneously very frank about and empathetic with the people he’s helping. He has good practical tips about how to get started cleaning an incredibly cluttered space, and watching always motivates me to tackle my own cleaning projects. |
This is a good one! |