The Hoarders Anonymous Thread #7. Keep On Keeping On!

[Solo]

We are a mixed group of likeminded householders that are leading somewhat challenging lives; be that living with too much 'stuff' that we find difficult to deal with, houses that are falling apart (mine included), health issues within the family unit, wider family, or ourselves (myself included) that means sorting out our households is challenging, to say the least. So...

You are all welcome to join us for support, adding your own ideas to help others out, storage ideas, and even tips on actually getting those items out of the house which sounds so simple when you say it, but this part can be so very difficult; we are often attached emotionally to our 'things', afraid of letting things go just in case we need them.
Encouragement and support abound here, and we do not criticise. EVER! We even try not to criticise ourselves as it's not helpful to anyone, but this can be very difficult not to do.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by clutter, mess, disorganisation and generally don't know where to start. If you can't be bothered, but really do want to be bothered. If you think you are a bit lazy, or if you just need to see your highs and lows and everything in between on the screen here, join us, and we will help you. We'll virtually high-five your achievements - small or large, and virtually hug you when the need arises, and if you want a hug, just ask because we are here for you, here for one another because we get it. The art of washing up is sometimes our great achievement of the day, but it's still an achievement.

Welcome to thread #7 of Hoarders Anonymous - Keep On Keeping On!

Thread #6 HERE

This week has been very unproductive (again). Laundry mountains are still causing much frustration. I’ve been using a meal plan in the hopes of reducing food waste and introducing more variety. We’ll see how long I can stick to it.

Very sorry to hear you’re back in hospital @Elleherd I hope you are ok

@TalkToTheHand123 bin day always gives me a great sense of optimism too! Sounds like you are steadily chipping away, making progress

@Literaturemakeslifebetter I watched her recent video about clutter for your fantasy self. So guilty of this.

@JFDIYOLO I think I missed your post before. Well done for letting go of the old favourites that are past their prime - it’s tricky to do!

@BlackeyedSusan how are you getting on? Did you get the plumbing issues resolved?

Sorry to hear you are in hospital Elle.

Hi all. Hope you home soon too @Elleherd .
Thanks @Miaowse , stress levels have dropped a little. Hopefully I can push on a do a bit more, just need to plan better. Time will tell.

I sorted some of the stuff that was stacked on the stairs, threw away the junk mail and envelopes and put some toiletries away.

I also tackled my cardboard box mountain; the outside bin is now nearly full again (though I still have many boxes to go).

I spent a bit of time planning meals for the next few weeks and then cooked a more elaborate dinner than usual (bonus - there are leftovers to use up tomorrow).

I also got my sink sparkling, scrubbed the worst bit of the kitchen floor with some baby wipes, washed & hung out many loads of laundry. Folded most of the dry stuff (and put about half of this away).

I can’t think of any other positives. No proper decluttering, though I’m reading the Slob Comes Clean decluttering book and it got me thinking about just how much procrasticlutter I have.

www.aslobcomesclean.com/2015/12/day-twoish-procrasticlutter-decluttering-strategies-that-wont-overwhelm/

Been helping mum clear out her late partner's bedroom. (Separate). So. Many. Clothes. So many thousands of pounds spent on tailored clothes and handmade shoes. So much junk chucked randomly into drawers and cupboards with clothes. Essential paperwork tossed in and mashed up with it all. Like a nest with no logic, no coherence to it. I'm pleased to do it so she doesn't have to, and it's all looking so much better already, but what she had to put up with during their time together ...

This weekend I did the laundry shuffle - change and wash all bathroom towels, strip bed, wash bedlinen, new mattress protector, fresh bedclothes and velvet throw and cushions on, then wafted over the lot with some roomspray like I'd seen an Instagram influencer do ... Felt very bougie 🤣

Two binbags out, a few books identified for the next charity shop, Sunday dinner enjoyed, telly watched, quite looking forward to work tomorrow.

At which point remembered I SHOULD have been doing my tax return this weekend 🤔

Will try and catch up better later but can see lots of good work's been happening.
Well done! Got back yesterday afternoon but exhausted tbh, so launderette happened and one and 3/4s black sacks made it out, but ran out of time so Christmas tree (should have come down on the 18th for us) still up. Headed for work, trying to work out what time I can carve out of busy week.

Miaowse

if the laundry is getting you down because you can’t get it dry in this weather, have you got a launderette near you. They also have much bigger washing machines. One of my pals was struggling last winter so we sorted all her washing out and it was six big black bags so we went down the laundry for a afternoon got it all washed and dried.

It really helped her we went down on Friday late afternoon and she then had all weekend to sort and clean the rest of the house.

Thank you - I don’t have one very nearby, but there is one I could drive to. I used it in the past when my washing machine broke but parking is tricky. I should Google to see if any others have opened up since I last looked into this.

Glad you're feeling better Elleherd.

Miaowse do you have anyone who could either go with you to do the laundry or drive you there? I'm thinking one driving drops another off outside quickly with a couple of bags, then drives off to park elsewhere or goes home and returned to collect the other later.

I'm struggling with sending things to landfill via the wheelybin but trying to come to terms with it.

I'm no good at selling stuff, I'm rubbish at replying to the messages I find it such a hassle. So selling takes a very long time.

I don't want people coming here to collect things for free either. If I'm having the hassle of messages and collections I want paying, I really resent it otherwise.

Charity shops round here aren't taking donations. Everyone had huge clear outs at the end of lockdown so they're all still very much full up.

I can't leave out the front with a sign on "take me" because I can't be bothered with the hassle of potentially taking a bulky thing downstairs only to have to take it back up again if nobody takes it.

So landfill it is. I'm just going to have to accept the feeling bad part. I hate throwing useful things in good condition away. But there it is.

My home is so full and most of it I want. But some I'm keeping for no reason other than I don't want to put it in the wheelybin. If it's genuine rubbish, broken, stained, worn out or unusable then I don't have a problem. But good stuff, I feel bad and sad and the feeling lingers.

I'm the same if I sell something and the cheeky fucker tries to return it for some reason. I don't accept returns, I'm not a blooming shop! I feel sad though that the thing has gone somewhere it's unappreciated and unloved. Of course I never know what happens to it after that. I'd feel better if I know it eventually found a good home. Madness, isn't it?

I'm not particularly attached to objects as if they were sentient beings like some people get, I just hate the waste. I know how throwaway people are. When totally broke I've rescued many things from the communal bin, cleaned them up and sold them. I don't do it unless I need the money though, I'm not hoarding other people's junk. Got to draw the line somewhere!

I'll stop moaning now! Sorry peeps.

@BlueSummerBaby that is a very interesting suggestion and something that would never have occurred to me I hate asking favours so I probably won’t ever do it, but great idea!

I know what you mean about the guilt of getting rid of stuff. Good luck with making the decisions & getting excess out.

@Elleherd that is amazing - to deal with nearly 2 black bin bags of stuff at any time is good going, but especially when you’ve been in hospital.

Hi all. Haven't done much last couple of weeks. Something always coming up. Managed to keep on top of dishes as bit more than usual though and hoovered the stairs for the first time in about a year 🤭

Well done talk. It all helps.

I've started pulling the living room back from level 9/10 crap/muck/clutter. I can now see a bit of hoovered carpet. Taken several days worth of the very little spare energy I have.

I have been washing clothes regularly. Not caught up but have just about enough uniform/clothes to keep us going.

Today's rather random list:
Washed up 100 items. (Let's not contemplate when I last washed up)
Wiped down top of cooker
Collected some pots from living room and taken to the kitchen.
Emptied the living room bin to kitchen bin.
Started sorting the crap that was stuffed in the boiler stopcock cupboard. Separated out the loom bands, Lego , k'nex and beads from a washing up bowl of crappy bits that were scooped up from dd's floor God knows how long ago. (She's in 6th form so quite a while ago)
Washed off the loom bands so dd can decide if she still wants them. (Still likes craft) Quite easy if you stick them on fingers and I had to pick them out of the Lego anyway.

Put 2-3 inch depth of crap in a waste paper bin. (Out of that bloody bowl of crap)
Got a hand full of recycling (from tbboc)
Put a three or four things into the recycling bag from kitchen.
Wiped down draining board.
Collected the cups off the stairs.
Got a boy a drink, uniform and driven to school.
Chased up ex to contact a utility company we need sorting.

Juggled drying washing to hang it up to air.
Hung yesterday's washing to dry.
Sorted dirty washing, decided the most urgent and put on to wash. The washing machine is currently annoying me beeping....as it's just finished.

I need to finish washing Lego, k'nex and beads so I don't loose the effort.

@BlackeyedSusan your posts always resonate with me.

I have been so unproductive but I just spent 30mins putting stuff in my garden waste bin, so perhaps the daylight and fresh air will help my mood. I also moved some of our recycling into the outside recycling bin. There is not much spare space now but I can probably squeeze in a few more broken down boxes before bin day.

I have so much laundry to fold & put away.

@TalkToTheHand123 I moved a pile of papers from my stairs and it showed just how much the carpet needs a good hoover (still hasn’t happened ). Well done with the dishes, I’m mostly sticking to my nightly dishwasher routine.

I hope everyone is doing ok. I’m going to spend 5 mins folding some laundry…

My stairs carpet never needs a hoover....it went to the tip years ago!

Ps, I write it all down as it when seems like you've done nothing compared to some people (no criticism) you can see you've done lots of little bits which do make a difference when adding up together.

I am afraid it is going to have to be another random list day...

starting with, I have put some folded towels in the bathroom linen cupboard.

plus got boy to school. (the girl comes too but she helps. rather than an achievement. )

yesterday I sent down a carriier bag of recycling with ex and a small bin bag from the living room.

omg...

trying to get people to come and do work... weeks it has taken them then they arrive with about 20 minutes notice.

there has been a hell of an autistic meltdown and a very loing noit yet fully recovered period.

tomorrow is lots of work to get ready for the plumber. (tidying stuff away) Thursday is cleaning up after the plumber.

Friday is nervous breakdown.

Made sure the dishes were done tonight. Last couple of days not had the energy and hate leaving them. Only thing I've done.

Early night for me now in the hope I can be motivated to do some tomorrow as long as nothing comes up (which usually it does).

Another mostly unproductive week.

I have re-organised my current cardboard box mountain so the kitchen looks a tiny bit better. I need to fold & put away laundry so I’m going to set a timer for 5mins and see how much I can get done.

Removed a pile of magazines, books and cards from on top of the box where I keep my stationery. Redistributed those elsewhere. Is messy, but temporary, they'll be recycled when read. Box didn't contain the thing I needed, but realized I hadn't looked in it for years so did some decluttering. Kept about one third of it and stored in a more appropriate space. Cleaned the box and used it to store something else. The bedroom looks tidier as a result and the area where the box was is now clear. Such a small thing but the decluttering took hours. It's some progress anyway.

Well done everyone! My partner has over his 70 years accumulated boxes and boxes and piles of stuff; his own and other people's that have passed to him.

So much recorded media - CDs, dvds, videos, records, reel to reel tapes, 8mm film, photographs, slides, books, magazines, filled notebooks ...

And old defunct tech - there are eight dead video / DVD players in a tower under the TV table dating back to the 80s. Every mobile phone we've ever owned. Digital cameras, video cameras, dictaphone, palm tops - stuff from the 90s that we now use our mobiles to do.

They're never sorted, explored, reduced, used, looked at, enjoyed, watched, listened to, read ... They're just there.

Now after thirty years we have three rooms we can't use; they're simply storage. This three bedroom house is in effect a one bedroom flat.

Any attempt to suggest 'while I'm at work, why not have a go at a box?' is met with resistance, anger, reaction.

About five years ago I read Konmari and managed to discard 300 books, quite a lot of clothes, paperwork, household stuff etc (all mine, to be clear) and really enjoyed it.

Watching Sort Your Life Out and learning about Swedish Death Cleaning etc has sparked me to wanting to do more - my 60th is looming and I just want a nice home while still young enough to be able to sort, clean, decorate and enjoy this next phase of life.

And I don't want to leave a distressing and overwhelming mess.

I'm easing back in, with a Declutter Jar - bits of paper with 1-10, pick one out, collect the number of things on the slip to discard daily. Yesterday 7 - a whisk, wooden spoon, tongs, burned down candle, broken light pull, pastry brush and salt pot (all on the tatty side) OUT.

Tomorrow we're combining a walk with recycling the glass at the bottle bank then food shop.

Love the declutter jar idea @JFDIYOLO

Well done @BlueSummerBaby

I set my timer last night & did my laundry folding and putting away. 5 mins did make a difference.

Slow start today, but I just spent 20mins in the kitchen and have emptied the dishwasher, swept the accessible bits of floor, chucked some junk mail and old masks, folded more dry laundry and put on a wash.

I saw the declutter jar on Mrs Hinch Insta - she does 1-20, but when I picked out the slip that said 17 I though maybe I will go more gently with 1-10. I've done 3 slips so far, all little bits and bobs but every little helps