September Clutter Control

[Harriet]

“Clutterers are interesting." says Terry Prince, a Sacramento professional organizer. "They’re creative. They’re people with a lot of interests.” About one in three of her students, she points out, are teachers—notorious compilers of paper clutter—and many others have craft hobbies, along with an unrealistic number of projects in process and a large backlog of supplies and materials for which they claim, “I’ll get to that someday!”.
- by David Dudley in Conquering Clutter

Hello interesting people! No matter where you are in the DE-cluttering process of your home, you are interesting to us, and the progress you are making is interesting, too. Chime in here and let us know your progress. Your efforts may inspire someone else, plus, you just deserve a pat on the back!

If you'd like some partners as you work, find us in these rooms, preceding their Focus cleaning the following week:

Aug. 31 - bathrooms
Sept. 7 - office/other room
Sept. 14 - closets
Sept. 21 - laundry
Sept. 28 - storage

[blessedw2]

I love that Harriet!!!
also I am so happy you posted the routines and I am now getting back on the routine of it.


good afternoon, made donation run... unfortunately had very picky new lady (not usual one) accepting things and had really poor selection process, but she is a volunteer and I am thankful she does that. she didn't even take the brand beige new pumps my mom never used. she kept things not so good (piddley stuff). So the good Christmas (my mom never does any thing 1/2 way . . not like me ) was not taken. I could do a free garage sale.. which has always worked well for me. but I just tossed everything and it was hard. I just can't keep all the stuff, good or bad. dh tends to be a keeper and if it is new or like new seems to have a hard time letting go. Also mom gave me yards of a really expensive material she had planned on making a jacket with, I think she had hoped I would make it for myself but it was not my type of thing so I donated that. she doesn't mind. I find that many times donations are made because the person was never able to fill their dreams with the item and it then gives it to family members as a way to continue the dream or limit their guilt of getting rid of it. I know I have heard of families having one person keep all the family's antiques but not willing to take the items themselves. then they get made at the person when they sell it. "you're selling grandma" type thing. I know no one wanted the extra sweaters my dg made, so I kept one and donated the rest. I just can't do that to dear kids as they will keep things too, especially dd13.
I know when I collected for Katrina I got things that were not useable. 1/2 used cream, holes in blankets, spots etc. and had to toss lots of stuff as undonatable. I can see why this dear woman may be overwhelmed and said no to lots of donations even good. I wouldn't want the decision making. Actually clearing the clutter has made me a better limited shopper...so that my things don't end up in a landfill somewhere.

rant over. soap box taken apart.

[BookSaver]

There is a new show on A&E called "Hoarders." I have recorded 2 but haven't watched them yet.

I have read some posts on a tv forum, though, and many of them say they are finding the shows inspirational in terms of making them WANT to clean so they don't end up like the people on the show.

I have seen the commercials and am able to say ... well, at least I don't have pumpkins rotting in every room of the house. My papers and fabric do contribute to dust and dirt, but at least they don't decompose into goo.

[Nancy]

Have you ever seen the show clean sweep?
They usually take a team in and do too rooms
have a yard sale paint and organize the rooms
after clearing them out of every thing.
I find that show very motivating and inspiring
even if it's only one or two ideas I get from each one
it's good to get these ideas.

[BookSaver]

I have seen Clean Sweep and enjoyed it very much.
I thought they were not filming it any more?
I like their process of first making a very quick pass through to sort everything and dump obvious trash, and then calling in Peter Walsh to help make decisions.
I did NOT like the yard sales.
I think my favorite designer was Angelo.

[blessedw2]

I also like how clean is your house. but what I really liked about clean sweep is they help the people get to the root of keeping things especially at the hoarder level. you can watch them on line (you tube). it does give you inspiration to work and I say a prayer for the people on the hoarder show as I know they are dealing with trauma.

glad to you! I love having sweethearts like you all to work with.

[BookSaver]

OK I've tried watching the recorded Hoarders shows but can't get through them and will not record any more. I feel too much for the people. The illness is just too sad.

DH and I helped declutter DMIL's garage and garden shed on Sunday. When DFIL passed away several years ago, DMIL encouraged all of the kids to go through his workshop in the garage and take whatever tools and things they wanted. Then the rest set until this weekend she was finally ready to let it all go.

We had a neighbor's big flat trailer for metals that he will recycle (DFIL's workshop was for metal rather than wood), and one brother's big trailer and 2 pickup trucks for trash to take to the dump this week. DMIL has a fire pit on the patio and we collected a pile of wood and cardboard to burn. Also their town is allowing a hazardous waste drop-off at the end of the month so all of the jugs/jars/bottles and paint cans were put in boxes and went to a brother's garage until that date.

Shovels/rakes/other tools were hung up on the garage wall, new jugs of weed killer and oil for the mower on a shelf. Other than that I think there were maybe a dozen usable items located, like parts for the mower, new blades for a saw, a manual for a tool someone still has. Both trailers and trucks were overflowing with discards. The big work bench and all of the various shelves cleared off and wiped down, and the floor swept.

The garden shed we totally emptied because the door is too hard for Mom to open anyway. There's room for the riding lawn mower in the garage now so they may just dismantle the whole shed if that's what she decides.

Then we all ate pizza and sat around the fire catching up on family news. Dad would be proud.

So no decuttering in my own home, but it was fun to work with the brothers and sisters to do that big job. DMIL can use and enjoy the cleared space now, and we don't have to worry any more about her tripping over stuff in the garage.

Eventually she'll be ready to move out of the big house and it will be nice not to have to deal with the garage and shed then.

She wants us to clear a bunch of furniture from the basement next, and we are planning that for Mother's Day if we don't get to it this winter.

[Harmony]

Booksaver, that is a wonderful thing for you and your family to do for your dmil. Some people won't let you help touch their stuff. Good for her accepting your help.

I didn't know this subject was on this thread, and I began talking about the hoarder show on today's pwyc. I've been watching them all. On this show they seem to be picking people that for the most part do not really want to change and are very resistant.

I enjoyed the show Who Wants a Clean House better. It was more entertaining and they left those people with somewhat decorated spaces, new paint, etc. This hoarder show is more serious and they end up leaving mostly with emptier spaces.

I really feel for those poor people.

[Harriet]

I haven't heard of Who Wants a Clean House, but it sounds interesting. HCIYHouse always makes me smile and I truly wish they would make more of them - in any country! The only recent news I've heard about Kim or Aggie is that Aggie made a guest appearance on a dance show in England similar to those we have here. I was sorry they came "to America" and filmed almost all episodes in California with a couple in New York City - they missed the whole middle of the country.

Dd29 gave me permission to donate the stroller we've been keeping here (will free up 4 square feet of space, and she only needs umbrella strollers now) and the few hanging clothes she still has here. I am going to allow dd11 to consider using the fabric from one formal gown - it looks like the same fabric scarves are being made of now and selling for $20 apiece.

Read that a uniquely useful recyclable container is a contact lens holder. Suggestions were lotion/lip balm for purse, holding one day's worth of your pills/vitamins just in case, shampoo and conditioner for a trip that would require only one shower away from home. They mentioned holding a pair of earrings but I didn't think that one made as much sense.

[Harmony]

Well I don't know if thats the correct name for the program, it is either Who wants a Clean House, or just Clean House. They make the people sort and purge and have huge yard sale; they add some money to what they get and after the purge, clean and decorate. I think they do 3 rooms. People are so resistant! It is on Style network, and I only get that if it's a freebie from Dish.