Declutter Strategy Meeting, May 2017

Share your decluttering activities and ideas.
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Harriet
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Declutter Strategy Meeting, May 2017

Postby Harriet » Mon May 01, 2017 9:11 am

Do you sometimes think of your friends here, decluttering and having the same difficulties and successes you have? This thread can be a meeting place to see what each one is doing, and where and how they're doing it. We're bound to encourage each other when we meet and discuss strategy!

What's your strategy? :)

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Nancy
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Re: Declutter Strategy Meeting, May 2017

Postby Nancy » Mon May 01, 2017 6:25 pm

Yard make over May is my focus.

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Re: Declutter Strategy Meeting, May 2017

Postby blessedw2 » Tue May 02, 2017 9:10 am

I like that we should have a strategy - what a great idea d harriet.

my dd youngers room is the focus however I don't have a strategy and that is probably why a lot is not getting done. My day disappears before I can get in there. I do have to rethink it.

happy decluttering d harriet and d nancy! and all!
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Harriet
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Re: Declutter Strategy Meeting, May 2017

Postby Harriet » Wed May 03, 2017 6:09 pm

HRH found what he believed was a season of Hoarders I hadn't seen. I wasn't excited - still am not, really. I had felt they began concentrating so much more on the person's mental disorders and never really showing, for instance, Matt Pax ton doing his stated job of cleaning specialist. So I had started having a "none of my business" reaction to the ultra-personal stuff, rather than interest.

This is the 9th season - turns out it started in December '16 and I didn't even know. He went directly to the last (most recent?) episode to find out if we'd seen it. We haven't. But again, the yelling, the anger, the denial, the family members' pain and tears. Ugh. Almost like work to watch it. This would be a fascinating house to see cleaned, though, because it used to be especially beautiful and is historic. So I'll be appreciative. I know it would probably have suited him better not to find these I haven't seen, so he definitely did it for me - he always hated the germ/bacteria/health worries.

One new strategy here is that HRH is considering a dumpster rental again, to be shared by the 3 households. Ds has some need for it, definitely. We'd put the old mattress from dd's room in first!

Have benefited again here from the "company's coming!" strategy. :D The bedroom and bathroom looked so good for dd37's family's visit, also hall and stairs. Since these are rear areas of the house, it's really cool to know they are being kept to a standard, too. Because of the box-on-the-porch type purchase and delivery of the new mattress, dd18's room looked good. We had to be ready for experience, because you have to get it into the room it will go and prepare for an expanding (almost exploding) mattress when it gets air.

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Re: Declutter Strategy Meeting, May 2017

Postby Harmony » Wed May 03, 2017 9:29 pm

When I think of others decluttering, I often think of what is in their heads when they consider such matters. Those shows are all about that, and I think their mental needs need more attention than their houses do. I sorta understand the hoarding tendencies; it's the squallor I don't understand. I even understand grief and depression adding to this problem. I have also wondered if there's a mental hereditary component to this as well. I hear stories of hoarding passed down from one generation to the next. Pax ton is doing what he does best, cleaning OUT. They do have cleaning people at the end cleaning everything, but really anybody can hire a housecleaning service. It is the cleaning OUT that is difficult for these people.

My difficulties with my clothes is always because of size changes. It is not because I hang onto things, not at all. But I often find myself with things just a bit tight or not comfortable or dowdy looking... and then sometimes find myself with things that look sloppy on me... so I'll be unhappy with a rack full of clothes that don't seem to fit as I'm waiting for the size to change back again. I dream of the day when I'll be a trimmer me and I'll have one nice size all organized.

Right now I'm sorta stockpiling office supplies. Usual every day things I'll be using for the rest of my life, envelopes, pens, etc. etc. and once the business pares down my need of these things I shouldn't have to buy any for a long long while. I am keeping them organized in 1 box and 1 set of shelves. I'm not happy when my spaces get too crowded. I like a space for everything with some left over, that seems right to me.

I have my sights on 1 hall closet that is getting crowded and messy. It's due for a declutter.

I'd love to have a dumpster and just throw half this stuff out. Think I could be a minimalist. So tired of cleaning and dusting around everything. And old furniture that is wearing out. Cracked leather, yeah. I limp along in my efforts so as not to annoy DH.

Someday we'll do the shop. And the garage. 14 months to go.

Well, just my random decluttering thoughts right now. :)

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Re: Declutter Strategy Meeting, May 2017

Postby blessedw2 » Thu May 04, 2017 8:38 am

dd older worked with hoarders in the beginning of her career - now she does businesses -

Many of these individuals have had a couple issues
-#1 dd has found: health adds a lot to not cleaning their hoard because it is too much for them to handle now that they can't do things - dd has seen where major health issues: strokes, brain injuries, heart etc. put them back a year. They didn't deal with the clutter before they got sick and now they can't do any work. (they find it embarrassing).
2: family tragedy or abuse is another big one - they loose themselves and close their eyes to the clutter and the dirt - they can't deal with it or they feel that no one cares etc. then their things become the only thing that they think protects them... most people know better but sometimes peoples brains are wired where hoarding is an illness. (they put their things first and families last but many times its from being abused in youth, by a spouse or spouse leaves, drugs/alcohol or the world, to them, has been cruel so they give up and hold on to the stuff). They find every piece interesting, useful - some one will use it one day, or they feel protected by all the stuff around them.
3. dd says clutter is confusing and when they have too much stuff they over focus on everything -and they become depressed. it's too much for their brains (dd says she too gets brain strain when dealing with overwhelming clutter - its super draining for her as well - sensory overload - she has to walk out to catch her breath).

She has had many elderly where they are ready to pare down but they have that one adult child who sees "everything" as a memory and won't let their parent get rid of things but they won't let it go to their own house. dd says those are the most difficult of all of them especially when the adult child thinks that the things are worth money and 99 % of the time they are not worth what they paid for it.

I think the one thing is where I really think it is wrong is a parent/adult child who puts their children or their elderly parents in danger because of filth/hoarding. dd has seen problems for the elderly and has had to report it.
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Re: Declutter Strategy Meeting, May 2017

Postby blessedw2 » Thu May 04, 2017 8:44 am

I have had the same things with cloths... so frustrating. Glad you don't have to buy supplies for awhile d harmony. you are doing great!
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Re: Declutter Strategy Meeting, May 2017

Postby Harriet » Thu May 04, 2017 12:51 pm

Ya'll are so smart - good insights.

In this one we started watching, the woman already legally lost the house and there's a new owner. She's forbidden to enter, so why are cameras here? Just to see the day an auction guy pulls out anything valuable, to pay down her debt? That's not about the house. The clean up is already legally bound to be just removal of everything to trash. It's too late. It's not squalor, just stuff. The house's future will be somebody else's. What difference does it make if a new owner makes their home out of a bare house - everybody does that.

I suppose I am looking for a story. A story of any kind needs a beginning, a middle and an end - change. Either that or you're just staring at somebody. I feel empathy for the person but have the feeling I should turn away from their super-personal humiliation because it's not my place to watch them suffering and lashing out. I suppose producers can't know at the outset how the show will turn out - maybe someone will surprise them.

Once most of these shows resulted in change and clean-up that transformed someone's home and gave them new breathing space to get well in. The hoarder worked, other people worked, and they were better off. Sometimes there was a big surprise failure, but usually something positive. There were practical lessons to learn for the viewers. More and more it's just about finding the very worst tragedy that's already gone too far to help, but is shocking.

I am probably really searching for the true cleaning shows that aren't on any more. So I'm bound to be disappointed. That's not what these are, so I need to get over it, lol.

blessed, I think it's great your dd has helped people. I didn't think about businesses needing her services as an organizer - that seems like she could make a good living helping businesses. I hope she enjoys it all and gets to see progress she makes on jobs. Ddil tells me that ds has been pining away to start a new small business ever since he sold his. (it would always be part time for him since he's a fireman) Some people do very well with being their own boss, if they are self-starters, and your dd probably "rubs off" on some clients and encourages them to see possibilities.

Clothing here - dd18 can wear many of the clothes I saved for when I got as small as I used to be (and never did, lol, and HRH says don't because it might not be healthy. Not that I'm in danger of reaching it. ). Slowly she has stolen them from me and that is as it should be. Natural attrition! ;) Every once in a while, a saved garment finds a great home with her, used and appreciated even if it drapes more than it used to on me and has a completely different look!

But I have enough of a problem with the clothes from when I was larger than now, because they are not valueless, just not perfect. That's very difficult for me. I have a hard time with the line between "would I buy this again?" and "would I actually call it unusable?". I guess I can say there must have been success over the years, because the obvious throw-aways or donates are not here any more. All this could be answered with fast weight loss :lol: but mine is slow and ordinary.


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Harmony
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Re: Declutter Strategy Meeting, May 2017

Postby Harmony » Thu May 04, 2017 3:47 pm

About clothes and sizes: I had kept a lot of stuff I was hoping to wear again when I got skinny, hahahah but the dresses all got way out of style (padded shoulders, anyone?) and I had a great purge one day. For a while just about all I had fit well, and just a few things in an old suitcase too small. Now I seem to be between sizes again.

Those shows aren't about really helping people. They are all about shock value and ratings. The more shocking the situation, the more people just watch :shock: like a bunch of voyeurs. And that includes me, however I do find I get a bit motivated to get up off the couch and go clean up the kitchen or something. If DH is around, I always tell him, "do NOT ever say anything to me about the cleaning up or we will someday look like this."

I used to like Clean House because those people didn't seem so mentally over the edge and they were willing to pare down. With their yard sales, they used that money for the redecorating, and sometimes there wasn't really a lot to work with. I do think that one might have encouraged some to keep things for the eventual sale... and lots of time people don't really want our junk. They'd rather go to I kea! Especially kids these days. Our stuff is all garbage to them. Nobody wants dishes that don't go into the dishwasher, etc.

My big problem here is always paper. I keep trying to organize, file, corral stuff but it's a constant battle as it gets dragged out over and over. Someday it will be different, I hope, I pray, I wish.

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Nancy
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Re: Declutter Strategy Meeting, May 2017

Postby Nancy » Thu May 04, 2017 4:23 pm

Harriet I hate that show and refuse to watch it any more.
Cleaned the mower and picked up what I cleaned from under it off the drive way. The place is looking better now.


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