The problem with cleaning

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
I spent an hour this morning cleaning out the rest of the mud-room part of the back porch. One problem is what to do with what's there. If I move it to another part of the house, than that area will look cluttered. It's things that might be useful - not junk; things like gardening items, flowerpots, tools, ladders, cabinets, etc. The other is that when I'm done, it hardly looks any different.

mudroom.jpg
 

Usually when we clean, we don't get to see the 'fruits of our labor' for very long. Everything we've cleaned will get dirty or messy as soon as someone used that room or those items again. But, when it comes to storage, all you can hope for is 'neat and clean'. If these are things you might use again then don't worry about it. These things will be there when you need them and that's where their value is.
And then :unsure: there's my favorite rule for cleaning - Close The Door.
 

Throw it out!!
The thing about cleaning is that it has to become a lifestyle not an afterthought. If you’ve spent your life scraping by doing as little as you can get away with and not wanting to throw anything out or fix anything then your home with be overwhelming at all times.

You have to fix the behaviour that caused the problems in the first place by having a plan. If you don’t know which direction your going, then it’s hard to measure improvement.

If your home is cluttered and you have no intention of throwing anything out then a lot of housework will be a waste of time since it’s basically moving stuff from room to room.
 
Keesha said:
Throw it out!!
Click to expand...
Keesha, you strike me at one of those minimalist lifestyle people. ;)

I have a big pile of items destined for the trash - old rugs, rusty tools, broken pots, innumerable plastic items. Didn't seem to make a dent. I did find three large pet carriers and two nice Christmas wreaths (good thing they were in plastic bags). I can put the carriers and wreaths out for my yard sale, if I ever get around to having one again.

wreathsD.JPG
 
debodun said:
I have a big pile of items destined for the trash - old rugs, rusty tools, broken pots, innumerable plastic items. Didn't seem to make a dent. I did find three large pet carriers that I can put out for my yard sale, if I ever get around to having one again.

Keesha, you strike me at one of those minimalist lifestyle people. ;)
Click to expand...
Oh Deb. If you think that then I’ve fooled you well.
I would LOVE, love, love to be a minimalist; especially going into retirement living. Having only the things you need makes living much easier. With less things around then there’s less stuff to move around from room to room.

Most of our house is clean and organized BUT I have one entire room that’s filled with stuff, mostly bins of fabric from my sewing days ( another hobby .... I have many ). That’s hoarding. Not outrageous hoarding but hoarding all the same. Then I have boxes and boxes of beads and jewelry making items.

Caring for my parents was a true eye opener. I could clearly see where the mindset starts and how complicated it can get but helping them has helped me make an absolute decision about our STUFF.

At the moment we have a big pile of stuff that needs to go to the garbage dump and a pile of stuff that’s going to goodwill.( our garbage dump is on a reduced schedule which has made it more difficult)

I’ve got an added problem you don’t have though....
A husband. 🙃😉Lol

My goal is to become a minimalist and Ive got a ways to go BUT I seriously love being clean and organized. For myself, there’s no better feeling.
 
Last edited:
debodun said:
It is easy to tell somebody else to throw everything out. 😁
Click to expand...
Yes and whenever professionals help hoarders, they make a contract with the hoarder to categorize stuff into :

Garbage
Donate
Stay

The best shows I’ve seen of people getting their house fixed while being hoarders, they make a deal with the hoarders to pick out 2 or 3 things and have someone else throw the stuff out.

Hoarders will always find a reason to keep stuff especially if they have money issues as well since they see monetary value in every item they own.

It’s an illness.
 
At my age I am continuing evaluating whether I will use some thing again or not. If I have not used it in a couple months, I throw or give it away. I have bought dvd’s since they started making them. Then my disabled son gave me a bunch I bought for him years ago.

I went through them all, his and mine, and when my daughter came gave a bunch to her, a bunch to my oldest son, and a bunch to my oldest son for my grandson who I do not see. It killed me to give them away, but I needed to do it. I am seriously downsizing.

Last time we moved we gave out son a lot of tools, which now that we own a house again 😢, I can borrow from him. 😂 My motto “chuck it” and don‘t rebuy it.
 
When my maternal grandmother passed, my mom cleaned out her house and brought many items here from there. Then my mom passed 7 years later. I was making some headway liquidating the contents when a paternal aunt passed and the attorney tapped me to clean out and sell her house. Three years ago my paternal uncle passed and I got to clean out his apartment. Fortunately he didn't have the quantity the other estates had, but it seems when I get to the point I can see floor in some places, some other relative passes.
 
Ohio weather (hot, humid, and dry for weeks upon weeks) - So, I cranked up my bedroom air conditioner and arranged fans to blow through the remaining used or not-able-to-close-off rooms. The result? Feathers from four birds flying everywhere, despite cleaning and vacuuming their cage every two days. It did force me to clean out my vacuum cleaners! While chasing feathers, I found lots of cobwebs clinging to the undersides of furniture. They are much more obvious when they are festooned with feathers! So, for the moment at least, it 'appears' clean. (Organized is another topic entirely!)
 
debodun said:
When my maternal grandmother passed, my mom cleaned out her house and brought many items here from there. Then my mom passed 7 years later. I was making some headway liquidating the contents when a paternal aunt passed and the attorney tapped me to clean out and sell her house. Three years ago my paternal uncle passed and I got to clean out his apartment. Fortunately he didn't have the quantity the other estates had, but it seems when I get to the point I can see floor in some places, some other relative passes.
Click to expand...
Since you were tapped to clean out & sell estates, I'm guessing after creditors and claims against the estates were settled you were the recipient of the proceeds. And your recognition that you may have some of your mothers distrust of people makes sense based on how you describe yourself.

As for cleaning. Looking at items you either need it & use it or you don't. The don't items --- don't need your home as a place to clutter for you.
 
I purged last winter and made a big pile of stuff in our basement to go to the Salvation Army,then the virus hit. Hubby took two boxes and then they closed up.
The problem is I'm finding myself picking at the stuff. I'm like an ant carrying things back to the nest.
On the other hand, I had a box of decorations for special occasions such as birthdays etc. I hadn't used them in years. My daughter just told me they will be visiting on my grandsons birthday.
That meant making a birthday cake and decorating since he is still young enough to enjoy that sort of thing.
I checked the shelf where I keep such items and realized all that stuff was in the first box the hubby took.
So instead of nice little plastic candle holders I'll stick them in gum drops and make a birthday sign. I'm sure not going to rebuy that stuff.
I think you can't win with this sort of thing.
 
If you think those are things you'll truly use then may I suggest a little Rubbermaid storage shed? Assuming you have space for it in your yard. We loved ours - all the "clutter" we needed to keep like gardening tools, flower pots, spare lawn chairs etc stayed in there neatly out of sight until needed, so our main spaces didn't look messy.
 
my motto is --if its not been used throw it out --other wise its harbouring-'
i am cleaning out spare room -found containers of old clothes his and hers/
got a big sack and threw it all in --ready for the cloth's banks ...now iam removing old shelves' in fact 3 very long useless
ones the previous owner put up --so out dated ... i cant stand mess and junk' keeping things that have no use '
 
Ruth n Jersey said:
I purged last winter and made a big pile of stuff in our basement to go to the Salvation Army,then the virus hit. Hubby took two boxes and then they closed up.
The problem is I'm finding myself picking at the stuff. I'm like an ant carrying things back to the nest.
On the other hand, I had a box of decorations for special occasions such as birthdays etc. I hadn't used them in years. My daughter just told me they will be visiting on my grandsons birthday.
That meant making a birthday cake and decorating since he is still young enough to enjoy that sort of thing.
I checked the shelf where I keep such items and realized all that stuff was in the first box the hubby took.
So instead of nice little plastic candle holders I'll stick them in gum drops and make a birthday sign. I'm sure not going to rebuy that stuff.
I think you can't win with this sort of thing.
Click to expand...
Ruth, gum drops sound a Lot better than plastic holders! I just stick them in the cake.
 
I thought this might belong in this thread, kind of a do it yourself check on how you feel about stuff you no longer use.

How To Tell If You Are A Hoarder
By
HealthPrep Staff
Hoarding is an anxiety disorder in which an individual fails to throw away a large number of possessions with no value. Hoarding is believed to be a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Approximately two to five percent of the United States population is thought to have a full-blown hoarding disorder. Hoarders usually retain plenty of possessions in their homes and cars and may claim that they have a personal attachment to each item that prevents them from parting with it.

Parts Of The Home Become Unusable

https://healthprep.com/mental-healt...odes&msclkid=da618c7fcd4f1dd86883d280979d6831

Definitely not my wife or me.
 
Knight said:
I thought this might belong in this thread, kind of a do it yourself check on how you feel about stuff you no longer use.

How To Tell If You Are A Hoarder
By
HealthPrep Staff
Hoarding is an anxiety disorder in which an individual fails to throw away a large number of possessions with no value. Hoarding is believed to be a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Approximately two to five percent of the United States population is thought to have a full-blown hoarding disorder. Hoarders usually retain plenty of possessions in their homes and cars and may claim that they have a personal attachment to each item that prevents them from parting with it.

Parts Of The Home Become Unusable

https://healthprep.com/mental-health/how-to-tell-if-you-are-a-hoarder/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=376073530&utm_content=1144592243338599&utm_term=hoarders full episodes&msclkid=da618c7fcd4f1dd86883d280979d6831

Definitely not my wife or me.
Click to expand...
My neighbor is a hoarder, ugh.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top