To throw away stuff I had planned to donate to charity.

[safariboot]

Because hardly any of the charity shops are open (understandably so) and the ones that are might not even be taking any more donations. Our house is cluttered from years of hoarding, I'd say a 4 to 5 on the "clutter image ratings", and I'm trying to do something about it though progress is slow at the best of times. There's a pretty big bag, mostly clothes, waiting to go.

YANBU - Bin it.

YABU - Keep it until it can be donated.

Well done on your update OP

I've put out loads of stuff (not many at the same time though) with a free sign just at the end of my driveway. Usually put it on a Saturday morning & they've all gone by Sunday afternoon.

A middle way, if you can afford, is to get some professional help to deliver your stuff and sort/sell/donate/bin it. I'm really against waste normally but if you do have a clutter problem, piling up stuff to recycle or donate can be part of the delaying tactics. It's hard work and your effort may be better spent elsewhere.

The shops will be open soon and people will be coming around with vans to collect donations again too. Hang on a bit longer, it's better that someone benefits from your things rather than throw them away. I have a lot too.

I've got the same problem. I'm planning to cut up anything cheap or worn out into quilting squares for a future project. Or is that still hoarding?

I read about icollectclothes.co.uk a while ago, but decided not to use them because I think they sell the clothes for profit and just give £200 for each tonne they collect to charity. I'd rather wait until the shops open and make sure the individual charities get maximum profit from the clothing I donate.

Mind you, it's probably still a better option than just chucking the stuff out with your rubbish.

Is the stuff you’re throwing Nd away really likely to be stuff people would buy from a charity shop or is it stuff they would discard anyway?

ive had to burn clothes in the sink. I can't stem the tide of stuff coming in so it has to go out somehow. This is NOT what I would normally do.

Read up on cotton and what it's production does to the environment. You won't burn clothing again after that.

There is NO excuse for putting usable stiff into landfill. It's an abhorrent waste. We have people in this country struggling to get by. Their kids would love books and clothes and nice things to put in their houses.

I never ever get rid of anything unless it's on its last legs.even then I will cut clothes up for cloths when they are beyond wearing.

We are so flippant about the environment. We buy disposable drink bottles and microwave meals in plastic trays. We buy cheap clothing in Primark and then bin it without thinking of the cotton implications.

Well done for starting to deal with your hoarding. It's hard to deal with objects when you have an emotional attachment. All I can advise is it's a constant on going process.

DDIJ

Would a skip help or am I over simplifying?

Please don't chuck it, give it away on Freecycle or Olio. I have given away loads of items on the Olio app, everything from old hair styling tools to pint glasses and old clothes. There is always someone grateful for them.

Well done OP 👍

YABU

Freecycle or nextdoor.co.uk

I was in Uniqlo yesterday, and they had some kind of clothes recycle/donation bin.

Can you come and sort out my junk if you've finished yours

What do you suggest I do? My own possesions fit in a small daypack which I have to put under my feet. I have one small space to lie down in and I spend 95% of my time in that space. How can we store all these items that keep accumulating for however long it takes to be able to get them out? My DC have nowhere to sit and do their work. Every square foot of my house is devoted to storing this utter crap, a lot of which has been put out by the local charity shop as being unfit for sale. I don't want to have to burn things inside my house but what actual alternative do I have? The children could easily be crushed if I don't do something.

Why is it accumulating? Don't buy more. Sort through it, organise it, give away what you can. The clothes didn't appear in the last month I assume so you can wait a month longer? Phone around for collection places, put them on Freecycle, gumtree, your village Facebook group.

You chose to bring it into the house so you have an environmental responsibility to get it back our of the house in a reasonable manner.

Lots of the charity collection metal bins are operational in the carparks near here. Infact the local primary school has a "Bags to school" collection bin where a set £ per kilo is donated to the school fund. Just make sure your bags aren't huge as they'll not fit in the shoot.

Give it to any taker you can find, OP, even if it’s one of those companies that flog second hand clothes to developing countries. It needs to stay out of landfill.

15 years ago, when I had only recently started working and also given birth, I rescued 10 massive bin bags of children’s clothes dumped beside a glass recycling bin. My DCs still use some of those clothes and others have been passed to other families. Good clothes should not be thrown in landfill.

@DDIJ

What do you suggest I do? My own possesions fit in a small daypack which I have to put under my feet. I have one small space to lie down in and I spend 95% of my time in that space. How can we store all these items that keep accumulating for however long it takes to be able to get them out? My DC have nowhere to sit and do their work. Every square foot of my house is devoted to storing this utter crap, a lot of which has been put out by the local charity shop as being unfit for sale. I don't want to have to burn things inside my house but what actual alternative do I have? The children could easily be crushed if I don't do something.

What we suggest you do, is what we have been telling you for years on this forum. Stop letting your parents over the threshold, stop allowing them to fill your home with junk. You are a grown woman, with kids of your own.

What we suggest you do, is what we have been telling you for years on this forum. Stop letting your parents over the threshold, stop allowing them to fill your home with junk. You are a grown woman, with kids of your own.

I thought it was that poster.

Honestly I'd ban them from the house refuse to have anything else and clear everything out or move a long distance away. Neither is an easy option but it's frankly insane your house is being used to hoard other people's junk adversly impacting on you and your kids lives.

It's the children being used to courier the stuff in.

Tell them they can't bring things in explain the situation to them. Tell your parents to stop using the kids and if they don't stop seeing them until they or the kids can comply.

I'd be worrying as there is a gentic predisposition for hoarding apparently and last thing you should be accepting is any lesson that this is normal behavior.

Frankly I think you may need outside agency and support becuase you do just sound defeated with entire situation as it's your house you should have the power to stop this situation.

Having been guilty of receiving stuff from my mum that belonged to my dad. Hes been gone eleven years this year and I only just come to terms, with the fact - I don't have to keep it. All of his clothes have gone to Charity today. I don't wear them, haven't worn them them ever.

It was this realisation along with the fact, if I don't clear it, when I eventually go, then my son will be responsible, so the more I clear now the easier it will be for him.