The Hoarders Anonymous Thread. Sorting It Out.

[Solo]

There was a thread that I was involved in some time ago which was started by someone trying to understand why her Dh kept so much 'stuff' and couldn't throw anything away.

The thread quickly turned into a support thread for many MN hoarders and there was a large support network that evolved from that thread.

Eventually, the thread died and with it, certainly my 'support and encouragement mates' circle...

From other threads where lovely Mumsnetters have supported and given rl help, there have come other hoarders, untidy people and those who are just plain stuck in a rut admitting they have a problem. People like me that have become emotionally attached to stuff and it has taken over their homes and their lives. People that cannot cope after loss of different types (parent, relationship, job etc) and it just turns into one big nightmare ~ it certainly did for me following my relationship breakdown, my Dad dying and another nine people in my life passing away inside 11 months.
Personally, I feel that being unable to let anyone in through my front door means that no one can hurt me; I've pulled up the drawbridge, so no one can get to me and shoot me again.

I've always been a bit of a collector of things. I'm a make do and mend type and I can make something out of nothing. Trouble is that once I started to lose important things (people mainly) from my life, I felt unable to let anything made of something go...what if I could never get or have another?! that'd be terrible right?

So! that is a part of my story and here is a thread of support and encouragement (I hope) for others feeling overwhelmed by their hoarding, clutter and stuff. I am hoping that I can get my life sorted out and that there are others that will come along on the journey and perhaps also sort out their homes and lives.

I want to raise my drawbridge and invite friends in. Anyone else? :)

So pleased this thread is still going and so am I !

Really been struggling with 6yo DS and trying to get him to school

Still plugging along at the house and I think I am getting to the bits that count.....as I had two comments from friends about how 'clear' the house is getting

That is not to say that I have finished, far from it...Our bedroom is clean but very cluttered and I have hotspots all over the house !

I wanted to share my new find with you guys...an app called 'Chore Checklist' it is free on Play Store but I paided for the upgrade so I can save my stuff on their cloud.

I love it, rather than panicking and not knowing what to do and seem to do the same jobs over and over and other jobs never. I now have an automatic self updating list, which I can tick as I go along.

My new routine is basic tidying if kitchen and bathroom, ironing ( ) and 15 minutes of decluttering every day and 15 minutes in a different room. Today is bedrooms.

I have only been doing this for a couple of weeks but I really feel I am getting somewhere. I am a week ahead on wotk/school ironing but still a mountain of home clothes ironing.

So how is everyone else doing ?

ps. Still not finished my memory boxes which I started last summer !

Fuzzy your poor DH, that's a long time to suffer with chronic back pain when it could have been fixed, but it's great that he's had such a good result! You're doing well with your jobs.

solo how are you feeling now?

I refused the flu jab and the pneumonia (I think it was) jab, the nurse was pretty awful about it - but hey ho.

babies that sounds like real progress

BABIES!!!! howthedevilareya?!! long time no see!!
You sound good! you sound in control and that is brilliant! :)
Thanks for the app info. Not for me; I'd just forget to use it, but it could help others.

I haven't done much for a while now; this cough is doing me in! but I did clean my kitchen sink, bowl and sink basket last night and I put all my cloths into a bleachy soak for over night. I don't know why I do it! I wash all my kitchen cloths, think I'll just have two out, then before I know it! there are a dozen and all smelly again. I've been tempted several times to just bin them and buy new, but the majority are microfibre and the ones you buy now aren't as good imho, so I won't. Yet.

ChippingIn :) I strongly believe that my ME was the result in part because of the Hep b jabs I had when I started my last job. I also believe that the MMR caused my nephew to develop his asperger's. My cousins eldest child was perfectly normal before he was given the flu jab and he regressed, stopped talking, walking, started hammering on his head with his hand etc. Not good. We have a family trait of autism, but my Dad, cousin, brother all seemed to be to a lesser degree. Then came these jabs with the next generation and the results seem to have become a nightmare.

I'm about to start a new thread asking for help with my Ds as we (he) might have a serious problem...must do housework to take my mind off it.

House is falling into disarray again after my major clean last week! Going to set my timer and tidy sitting room, and hopefully even Hoover it!

Sitting room tidied, and hoovered! Cleared fireplace as well, a real hot spot for junk! Timer being set for 15 mins again, going to put on a wash and tidy hall! DH is going to collapse at lunch time ??

Hall tidied and swept! Apologies for taking up the thread, just feel like its a clap on the back for me! Next 15 mins are hanging out a wash and loading dishwasher!

Me again , hung out wash, loaded dishwasher, made a trip to the bin and shock horror fly lady style cleaned my sink! Next 15 mins will be clearing table and counters and if time sweep floor! Will take a break then cause I need to make lunch for DH

Woohoo cike! Great stuff :)

I've done a tiny bit in the bathroom and DCs' room today which is progress in itself for me!

WooHoo! you are schmokin' cike very impressed!!

Solo Big hugs :) Nice to be back, as such....the house needed it. :)

Every push I make 'house wise' makes a difference...even if it is just one bag going out of the door.

I am so pleased to have a daily (short ) routine which works for me. Ironing every day is unavoidable pain but it is working to eliminate the clothing mountain.

I will continue to spend 15 minutes a day (more if I feel like it) decluttering our bedroom...I am determined to clear our room before Christmas...wish me luck !

Cike Well done. Sounds like a very productive day, be proud of what you have done :)

:) Babies I have done a lot too, but seem to have ground to a halt and in mid everything so it's BAD!! cardboard boxes everywhere, full, empty, flat, made up. It's cardboard city here!! and there is still loads to do.

solo Mid way is a good place to be...cardboard city is the process you need to go through at the moment...you will come out the other side. If we keep plugging away one thing after another, we will get there in the end.

I hope so Babies! I really hope so. Driving me crazy!

It always seems to be in the middle of the "worse before it gets better" phase that I run out of steam!

Morning all, giving myself 10 mins for some breakfast, then setting timer to do exact same as yest!

Right, sitting room tidied and hoovered! Hall tidied and brushed! Next 30 mins is hanging up clothes, unload washing machine, hang them out, unload reload dishwasher

You are flying cike!!

Hello can I join?

I started a thread a while back about my dp being a hoarder and how I want to start decluttering, and as I find reading this thread very motivating I thought I'd delurk!

Also, I think writing down what I've done and what I want to do motivates me more and I feel more guilty if I do nothing

So we managed a clean out of the living room and a fair amount went to the charity shop, though it was mainly my stuff...

Dp went through his paperwork and binned a lot.

We have a crate for junk in the living room which is where I am tossing the bits I want to keep but have no home as it keeps the shelves decluttered.

This evening though I am very as I noticed my wardrobe has started to get that mildewy smell, but when I sniff my clothes it isn't from them. I have some very nice clothes that I don't want to lose to mold so I thought I'd go through and pick out some bits for the charity shop and try to work out where the smell is coming from. I realised it's coming from my dp's side of the wardrobe (we have one of those built in, full length of the wall ones)

His day-to-day clothes don't smell, but some of the bits he wants to keep because they're "special" absolutely reek of damp! I know it's not as simple as this when you're a hoarder, but if something is so special and he can't bear to part from it, why is it sitting in the bottom of his wardrobe slowly making my lovely clothes smell!?

Fortunately for him he isn't in tonight, and I won't text him with a snarky text as he's working and I'm not that mean. But tomorrow evening we are having a massive clothes sort out...

On the postive side of things, digging through his wardrobe has meant that I have finally emptied my old uni notes into the recycle bin so at least I have gained that space.

Sorry for the essay I needed to rant!!

Dooooooo...come on in!! :)

As far as your Dh's clothing goes; could you not get them washed, thoroughly dried and into space bags? it'd save room and protect them your clothes from damp. Just a thought.

Keep posting! it all helps everyone on here :)

Hi all :) I'm not feeling so good this week so I'm just focusing on laundry - did absolutely loads of washing and put it all on hangers to dry inside (yuk, but no other choice - we do have a dehumidifier luckily) - hoping to have pretty much ALL clothing put away by the end of the week.

Half term next week, we both have some time off and we have big plans - starting with our room on Sunday.

I am slowly clearing small areas of my home.:)

I am amazed at the amount of cleaning stuff I pulled out of one kitchen cupboard. Now organised/thrown/cleaned.

That is one double cupboard done...four more to go !

Afternoon, was helping at school bookfair this week so couldn't do much, I have a couple of hrs to spare so going to start the stopwatch

I have done more decluttering and cleaning of cupboards and my black and white kitchen is looking good !

Just one cupboard and three drawers to go.....tomorrow :)

Look at you two!
I on the other hand have done nothing much for days. Had Dd off at home again yesterday. She seems to be unwell a lot at the moment.