Hoarders Anonymous. Thread #8. We Are Keeping On Keeping On. Fighting The Cluttered Fight.

[Solo]

We are a group of likeminded householders who 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 is), health issues within the family unit, wider family, or ourselves (me too) that means sorting out our households is challenging to say the least. So...

You are all welcome to join us for support, adding your 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 in our band of clutterbugs. We never ever criticise anyone! We even try not to criticise ourselves as it's not helpful to anyone, but this can be very difficult to achieve.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by clutter, mess, disorganization 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. 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

Some helpful links. They aren't for everyone, but have a look if you fancy:

• Help For Hoarders by Jasmine Harman (the author/producer of the BBC1 documentaries My Hoarder Mum and Me and Britain's Biggest Hoarders)
• The FlyLady Cleaning Method by Marla Cilley
• The Organised Mum Method by Gemma Bray
• The KonMari Method by Marie Kondo
• A Slob Comes Clean by Dana K. White
• The Getting Things Done Method by David Allen

And a LINK-#7

I'm not sure if The Flylady link is working, but if not, you know what to search for.

Welcome to thread #8 of Hoarders Anonymous. Thread #8. We Are Keeping On Keeping On. Fighting The Cluttered Fight (and winning, one small step at a time).

"Unexpected error" stopped posting?

@BlackeyedSusan Hope you made it, and off to a good holiday. Leaving this here for when you're back.
Just a thought, and may be a stupid one but... So I can light surface mop floors from wheelchair, but only useful for superficial maintenance. Anything more, especially scrubbing, (and all repairs etc) gets done from a wheeled dolly board a few inches off floor level. Just wondering if for the future something similar might reduce you getting leg and back issues. (Dolly board working does get the lower back if overdone though.)

@Boppingalong Welcome. ☕How cluttered a house 'looks' isn't the be all or end all of 'having to much stuff for the size of your space' issues, though often what prompts folk to realize they have or are developing an issue.
Motivation follows action, Sometimes that can be reading about someone else's action, or writing about one's own or intent. Not being alone with it all helps too, but I find writing it all down helps me spot things and patterns, and forces me to think logistics through, and recognize issues, which is huge in making progress.
(am eternally grateful to this threads community)

Fitting magnetic locks to cupboards could be a worthwhile investment, they where here and easy to fit. (kitchen ones future proof against random pre-teens and teen friends raiding, too) Also used larger equivalent of luggage straps to keep little ones out of cupboards and drawers at too small to know better stages.

@Revelatory I tried Flylady for a bit, to try and organize me out of randomly over cleaning. (I now recognize as displacement activity to avoid de-cluttering) Never got past the baby steps after realizing I needed to curb obsessive cleaning tendencies, and get rid of more, rather than cleaning it! The trick is definitely to customize it to suit your own situation, needs, and wants. The concept behind it, is useful once you understand how it works and adapt it.
Shine your sink here, means ensure the washing up bowl in it, is empty, clean, and welcoming, (is a nice bright color) and takes my eye off the rust spots on ancient sink and drainer, which are held back from joining up, by scrubbing with washing up liquid daily. (only thing that would make it shine fully, is replacing it, and landlord will only allow if old one is retained and stored, so another further down the line job.)

@BlueSummerBaby well done. I've been wondering about those boxes with windows and if they'd help in seeing how much is being hung onto and encourage using or loosing, or just another thing... Wondering if the cheaper ones with the windows up to the lid will just instantly break, as the more expensive ones have a different design.

Progress update: Thursday eve, two sacks, a box of redundant vehicle parts, bent curtain track, and a wardrobe side, brought back from big units, and successfully got to dump yesterday morning before work.

Thursday also saw some sorting through, and at least four boxes and two sacks worth of other peoples stuff, prepped to go to a charity shop that's hopefully interested.
Contents of some other boxes identified. (Though quite a few of my own not gone through, as can see they will be particularly hard = time consuming)
Two big boxes, one settee and two armchairs earmarked for the dump.
One huge piece of artwork (rented out successfully previously) identified as costing more to store than it now makes, so stripped of a couple of surface bits, and also earmarked for dump.

Managed to get my 'restricted dump access vehicle' booked in mid next week. Yay! But with huge faff, and still have to find able bodied person, to then be allowed in to actually use the booking. Comes of allowance either way.
Can theoretically have five visits between now and and end of March next year. But, only when it suits them, which seems to be only if it's expected to be incredibly quiet (rare) and they have all staff in. (even rarer)
They're making it so hard for disabled adapted vehicles and drivers, claiming huge policy issues. But come anytime in a hired vehicle, and no one see's any issues!
Good progress in many ways, but scarily small drop in the ocean looking at it all.

Watered lots of things last night after work, but greenery's massively shot up again already, so another job on the list.

This morning' s going to big units and collecting a washer/drier, and whatever else can be managed in a couple of hours. Trying to get it into aunts tomorrow, and installed. Have work later today and evening, so job split into parts.
Will mean moving a load of things backwards and forwards at both ends, and have to remove her old one and figure out how to get it to the dump. (hoping it can be got into the back of a Zip car. (Dump is happy to let them in!)

I've got all kinds of boxes here. Some colour coordinated to match the décor, some pretty floral ones that amount to décor in and of themselves. The best though, from a practical perspective rather than an aesthetic one, are the brand Really Useful Box. They're clear so you can see what's in there, they're so chunky I can stand on them (at the edges and I'm not heavy, though), they stack exceptionally well and are so solid that I can fall into a stack and it won't collapse it'll barely move/wobble. They're expensive but will probably outlive me!

Washing machines are mostly metal and scrap people love them, so if you've any locally call them and they'll come fetch the old one. Otherwise the council come collect three bulky items for £22 here, you call to book a collection. So you could get a sofa and armchair gone too if you took them to aunts place.

I'm also a lover of really useful boxes, but can't really run to more, hence wondering about the cheaper garment storage ones as a temporary make me use or lose things.
We've lost free pick ups from scrap merchants, council clamped down on them. They now charge between £15- £25 per item to cover waste carrying licenses.

I did do the maths on council pick ups and if it might be worth taking the hit over bigger heavier stuff, - the official charge is £43 here, but neither property has an acceptable on the property pick up point, and lots of cctv, so you're expected to keep items inside, (or on doorstep which we cant) then carry them to the pavement in a timely manner whenever the truck arrives, (impossible for me, have to have help) or you have to unofficially backhand the crew to do it.
Last time actual total cost was a painful £73.
Putting items on the pavement before the truck comes gets you an automatic fly tipping fine even when collection's been paid for, with the truck taking the evidence photo. You can get around it if you're able to stay with the items, but there's no time slot so it can be all day and if they don't come, as has happened previously, you've lost a day and then have to get it all back in.
They also wont take cross loaded from a vehicle, it must be within your property.
There's a reason people fly tip here, or pay others to do it for them!

Knocked myself sideways with work last night and have ended up starting far too late today, but replacement washer/drier has made it from storage into vehicle, and about to go sort at aunts, and Ds going to join later and give a hand with actual machine/s shifting, which is much appreciated.
Also put together a small bag of recycling from the unit, and identified a couple more bits for going later, while I was up there. Small wins, but all better than nothing.

Yesterday launderette happened.
Then much appreciated borrowed labor got washer/drier unloaded and installed at aunts, and was up and running in theory.
Ds hired a Zip car and got the old machine to the dump, which consumed time and labor but a fraction of the price of all other options.

Lots of cleaning and churning at aunts to manage swapping machine's over. Painful reminder that things there deteriorate fast if a close eye isn't kept, while reminding myself I don't have enough time and energy for my own situation either, so some things have to give...

Machine was left with door open to air out. This morning came the discovery the drum slowly filling with water overnight, and straight onto the floor.🙄
Small positive: am semi expert at drying out kitchen floors as a result of ours...

Water supply to machine currently off, apologies made, today's plans disrupted, and yet another job onto the later list! 🤐

It's probably terrible of me and I am pushing away guilt on the basis that I wont just leave the situation as it currently is: but at least there's a washer/drier shaped space in the storage unit, so that's something I guess.😌

Currently resisting the urge to swear a lot and trying to restart the day!

elleherd it's most definitely not terrible of you. You've gone above and beyond. You've so much of your own shite to be dealing, with which is delayed due to all this. That washer dryer could also have been in your own kitchen so you didn't need to keep going to the launderette. You're not just going the extra mile but the extra 1000 miles for your aunt (who could at least get someone out to repair it and be grateful she didn't have to buy a new one, instead of leaving the repair job to you too). So at the very least you're entitled to feel happy about there being one less huge thing in the storage unit now. You've absolutely nothing to feel guilty for. I'm glad all the helpers came together for you and the installation and removal of old appliance went smoothly anyway, that's something. Fingers crossed you can get back on track soon.

It was bin day today so I put some stuff that was in theory useable but I wasn't using it because it's a bit rubbish, in there. Also got out some new things bought a while ago and binned the old even though the old still had life in them. It's gone now.

Update: More tree is chunked. A lot in storage moved around tin order to drag settee, chairs, and the old rental display piece to the front and close to doors, so they can be got out of the big storage unit later today and down to the dump. Lots tidied up afterwards. Paid the price physically but managed it all.
Have vehicle booking for dump, help to get everything out of storage and into the dump, and crossed fingers for it all to go right.
Hoping to find other things that can also go to the dump, but know my helper wont want to spend more time than they have to time at the storage unit, so that may get limited.

@BlueSummerBaby Aunt is grateful. She has no money for either a new machine or to pay to get this one looked at currently.
I couldn't put it in my kitchen until I can get the floor sorted, the timing and likelihood of which is getting further and further away. I'm running out of money to store things, and have a limited time I can get help to get large heavy things moved out or consolidated in one unit, so decided the sensible thing was to let the washer/drier go to someone else. Then hers broke beyond repair, so...
Just didn't expect it to not work properly, as it was fine when last used, but that was longer ago than I'd thought about.🙄

Think our bin men are rationing the service again. (or they just aren't emptying bins that still have room in them) Well done getting rid of a bit rubbish unused things, and the stuff you'd replaced with new even if their was still life in them.
They weren't what was good for your better improved life and freeing yourself from feeling you had to use them up them is good progress!

Bins not being emptied is the worst elleherd. You really don't need that to add to your woes. I think I'd put a sign on it next bin day saying please empty me, in case they think nobody lives in that block any more if it's looking like a building site. You've done well to let go of so much stuff for the dump in a relatively short space of time. Is it affecting you emotionally? I hope the help shows up at the agreed time and is helpful.

One of the reasons I started decluttering was because I slowly realised that just about everything deteriorates just sitting there. And almost everything does better, across the same period of time, if it's in regular use (and also being cleaned/serviced/maintained) instead of sitting idle. You'd think things would last longer not being used but it seems not. Especially anything mechanical. It's made me realise having reserves of things is a bit pointless and this realisation was one of the things that curbed my spending a lot.

I picked up a pair of worn-but-plenty-of-life-left sandles at the beginning of summer. They're leather and decades old, still looked in good condition. Thought I trod on a rock in the park, checked the sole thinking stone had stuck in and found it had fallen off completely, was in pieces on the track because the sole was plastic and had gone brittle. I was walking on the padded part. Even if you buy quality nothing really lasts. I noticed a cheap metal chair has somehow warped. I never expected that of metal. Glaze has cracked on china(?) ornaments. I'm wondering if there's anything at all that doesn't deteriorate to the point of damage with age. Coins perhaps, they seem long lasting, although I suppose some do get the pattern worn smooth or look a bit dinged up round the edges.

Yesterday: successfully dumped the large settee and two large chairs, and broke down the display work and dumped that. Managed to add an old adjustable drawing desk, and sack of un-recycable damaged clothes, carrier bag and a half of recycling.
Large chunk of padded cardboard used for lying on to work on vehicle also went from vehicle after Ds convinced me it was in the way, but that wasn't so smart as will have to find more. Aside from that, helpers got the job done, but now fielding complaints about working with each other, as ones actions hurt the other, and the other felt over criticized. No success comes without a price.
Very quick bit of garden clearing and watering resulted in a donation to the compost bin, before pain put an end to play.
About to go to big unit again today. Keeping on, keeping on.

Blue yes, emotional turbulence is an issue. Are you doing ok with it?
It's haunting my sleep quite badly. and why I'm skipping over going through most things that I know will be particularly hard going at the moment. Trying to not overload mentally
But, the big sack of un-recyclable clothing was one of those hard ones, made both easier and harder by it all being very badly damaged by a previous event. Annoyingly even though I'd gone through it and decided to let 95% go, I wobbled when it came to it. Went through again talking myself back to acceptance, but ended up 'rescuing' another two small and one large items from it for now.
Am accepting it as part of the 'must let it go' process even though it's bonkers! If it makes it work...

One really badly hoarded house I cleared up for someone previously, She had several boxes of brand new wedge shoes with embroidered uppers. She'd taken box lids of some and looked repeatedly over time. I saw tiny detritus collected in the boxes and took a pair out to remove it. Plonked them onto a shelf, and the wedge part just crumbled to chunks and dust from under them.

Because of how she was, she blamed me for "breaking" them by "putting them down too hard!" It took a lot to get her to see that even if I'd actually slammed them down, (I hadn't) things to walk in, ought to be able to take some level of force. Even Cinderella's glass slippers!
We got there in the end, but receipts where with them. So, she wanted a refund from the shop 22 years on. (and interest on the amount!) Long gone thankfully. So then wanted me to track down the manufacturers! She was 'owed. for them.'

It's easy to point at the 'craziness' but I saw it as her dealing with 'how could her 'investment' in beautiful shoes, and lost space keeping them for so long, possibly end in 'failure' as in no use from them, and sadness? Very extreme external reactions, but perhaps an exaggerated crystallization of what's happening in the hind brain that gets people keeping some of the things they do?

I'd suggest hoarding some types of tree trunks, 😀the bark deteriorates, but the trunks don't crumble, break or split easily, no matter what! 😂

I'm fine elleherd. I'm in no hurry though so if I feel I've done enough and I'm unsure about decluttering something, I can leave it however long until I am ready to go back to tackling the area or until I am sure about the item. At the moment you're on a real mission to empty storage units for various necessary reasons, so I was thinking you're maybe not having time to respect your mental limits and was wondering if you're ok from that perspective, that's all. I'm sorry you're not sleeping well, I always find that makes everything seem worse both physically and mentally.

Oh gosh that's crazy you got blamed for the shoes. Wonder what she thought would have happened if she'd walked in them! I guess maybe she never thought about things deteriorating. It's kind of sad for the effort that went into making them that they never saw the lights of day and sad for her she never got to enjoy wearing them.
We hear so much about plastic being bad for the environment because it's around "forever" and see 100 year old trees still standing solid not bent and warped and houses hundreds of years old etc built from whatever, I just never considered things breaking down in ordinary homes over a few years or decades. If I'd realised how short the lifespan of some materials was, especially when they're not in use, moving their parts/fibres and receiving regular cleaning and maintenance, I'd definitely have not acquired so much stuff in the first place.

I came to the conclusion about ten years ago that everything should be used, not stored, even if "used" just meant displaying it. It's what started me very very slowly decluttering things. I think it may have been the shampoo that started it. Insect repellent animal shampoo in a plastic bottle. Something changed in either the composition of the shampoo or the bottle or the two reacted together or something, anyway, it somehow ate through the plastic and leaked everywhere! Then I tried storing the shampoo in a clean metal container but the container rusted internally and the shampoo became unusable (it was supposed to be blue, when I poured it out to use it was brown!). I'd also had to get seized brakes cleaned up on a car standing idle at one point, had had leather bag go mouldy in a cupboard and the realisation just slowly dawned that everything needs using because nothing lasts.

@BlueSummerBaby i love those really useful boxes! We have a few currently but my dream once the garage has been decluttered is to get some shelving for in there that will hold those boxes. I find being able to see what’s inside them is key - if I can’t see it I forget that it exists!

@Elleherd that sounds like huge progress and lots of big items gone. It seems like you are always helping others, I’m glad you had a little help for a change. Sorry to hear that it caused conflict between the helpers that’s not what you need. Nothing wrong with skipping over anything too draining, the key is keeping momentum. I work on the basis that once I’ve tackled the “easy” things there will be more space and I will have strengthened my mental decluttering muscles making those decisions easier.

i agree with you both about things not lasting anymore. I have stopped buying from Amazon and also completely avoid Temu because I find things just don’t last or are such poor quality they can’t do the job they are intended for. I have always liked to keep spares and backups /things that could be useful. But I have realised these things are only useful if I remember that I have them and know where they are. So often we will say “I’m sure we have one of those” look at each other blankly as we realise we have no idea where it is - probably right at the back of a huge stack of boxes in the garage! Then we either do without it, or buy another. The new item joins the pile, making it that little bit harder to find anything else in there. The useful things have become a blockage and are now taking serious time to sort.

I have been chipping away over here. On day 20 of the baby steps now and reaching that point where the initial enthusiasm and motivation are waning and I am having to exercise my discipline muscles! Feeling a bit deflated as there is still so far to go. But my home is already so different to how it was at the start of this.

So far:
2 minute hotspot clearing has now cleared the downstairs hall, stairs, upstairs hall, family bathroom floor, youngest’s bedroom floor.

5 minute room rescue continues in the garage. It still looks awful. However, being in there every day has had the effect of stopping me feeling so overwhelmed I do nothing when I go in there. I have cleared the top layer of bags/things that have been thrown in there and unearthed another lot of items marked for the tip or donations. DH took a load 2 weeks ago and we couldn’t even see these items and had no idea they were there so I am taking that as a win! At the moment a lot of it is completely mixed boxes with no rhyme or reason or loose things piled. So I’m focusing on categorising and putting in shopping bags with labels for now.

15 minutes of decluttering daily - I’ve finished all my items in our bedroom, and our en-suite. Have a basket of flannels I need to go through, we have so many and I’m sure some are on their last legs. My hanging clothes are in my youngest’s room so need to get to those - but tricky as decluttering is usually done when they are in bed. decluttered a shelf in the kitchen yesterday which is one of the most cluttered areas.

1 large bin bag and 2 carrier bags of donations have gone out, about 3 carrier bags worth of rubbish. Cardboard box of recycling and 2 larger items earmarked for the tip. Also got DP to hang some curtains that have been lurking in the garage at long last, and build some bathroom storage that has also been lost in the garage.

writing it out feels like I have made progress. But it’s disheartening on the days i am home with both the children because there is just constant mess, and all my beautifully cleared areas need clearing again by days end! Kitchen always seems a mess no matter what I do, laundry piled high. But that is life especially with small children. I am reminding myself that there will be less mess created when more decluttering has happened and there are less items in the house.

keep on keeping on everyone! We can do this ☺️

Blue I am cautiously pushing both my mental and physical mental limits and trying to draw back when I overdo it, hoping whatever damage is incurred isn't permanent or is repairable. It feels ridiculous to have mental limits But I have, and yet although frustrated by them don't see having physical ones as ridiculous.🤔

The lady with the shoes was considered a 'difficult character' by most, and was quite extreme. But she'd done quite a bit of good in her time, easily forgotten by others sadly.
I suspect nowadays she'd have been diagnosed with various things and maybe not have ended up as confrontational or defensive if there had been more understanding in her time. The world hadn't been very kind to her and she'd run out of tolerance for a great deal of it.
Very much a case of acquiring for a life she (mainly) didn't have and I actually learnt a lot from sorting out her home. She certainly challenged me to find unique ways of dealing with some very serious problems and help her to find some humor in the extremes she created.
I developed a genuine soft spot for her regardless of some of her more 'interesting' reactions.

Life does have interesting ways of teaching us things just don't last and the supposedly natural order of what should end first, is often not reliable either.

@Boppingalong Being able to see box contents is very helpful and my theory is for some people their issue (or part of it) is needing a visual map to stop things and tasks mentally vanishing. However I've learnt full labels of contents as well if theirs lots of smaller items, but, use good quality labels, especially if you have to move them around to clean.

Beware the spares, as you already know. I find it works for a bit as I have specific places where such things live, hooks for them etc. But, with the exception of glasses which is very much my bad habit, unfortunately others do not put things back where they get them, and are known for cavalierly Amazon ordering as a response to me asking what they've done with them or trying to get them to find them. (every so often I force adult Ds to clear out his junkmobile car, and there's a incoming flood of scissors, tape, pens, work gloves, knives, saws, screwdrivers, tape measures, cloths, cutlery, you name it!

'Keeping momentum,' 'exercising discipline muscles' and dealing with 'deflation' as well as overwhelm, is where this thread is really helpful for many of us. It's a form of accountability as well as encouragement and combating feeling alone trudging through treacle.

The top layer clearing in the garage sounds like it's working well.

1 large bin bag and 2 carrier bags of donations have gone out, about 3 carrier bags worth of rubbish. Cardboard box of recycling and 2 larger items earmarked for the tip. Also got DP to hang some curtains that have been lurking in the garage at long last, and build some bathroom storage that has also been lost in the garage. Well done!
writing it out feels like I have made progress because you have! Acknowledging it is part of what creates motivation to do more, especially if you don't get it from elsewhere, and are constantly stemming a tide driven by others. And even when the children surface mess up places, you know that it's one days mess and crumbs, easily enough cleaned up, and you are progressing with the bigger long term goals.

Yesterday: mainly a big churn in the big storage unit, but expected, as trying to clear a load of boxes of a hopefully re saleable product from the back walls, and get them towards front, so they can be put up on selling platforms. If that doesn't work, then offered up FoC.
Hoping to move stuff from other units (for now) into the cleared space over the weekend.
Also need to get back to tackling the damaged units clean up and move contents. Went last night, and there's a terrible smell of damp. Did earmark three items for dump, and another for freecycle. (photographed)
Couple of garden bins came home to be pressed into service, and a carrier bag of rubbish went out. About to venture up there for another go.

boppingalong for the laundry I definitely recommend doing a load a day. It makes a huge difference to keeping on top of it. I put it on right away when I first wake up. By the time I've done all those little morning tasks that are part of my routine of keeping the house running smoothly and got myself ready, the laundry is done and goes out on the line or airer. Fetching it in later and putting it away is part of my evening routine. If I need to turn on the radiator in that room for an hour to get it dry on the airer, I do that even if I don't need the heating on elsewhere, to keep momentum and the routine going so laundry doesn't pile up because there's nowhere to hang it out tomorrow. To achieve this routine I use the short setting on the washer, which is currently 40 or 60°C for an hour, which I find adequate for almost everything, occasionally very dirty things require a longer wash which I can do when I do the big clean.

With my last machine I had to compromise because I had a choice of 30°C for half hour or 40°C for 1hr 45min, which was too long for daily basis when I needed to get going. So I used the 30°C one daily, which got most things mostly clean. Then when I was home all day I'd do the longer hotter wash with things like any underwear in the laundry basket, jeans with ground in dirt (it would build up a bit with the 30°C washes not quite getting it all out), anything still stained after the last 30°C wash etc, any towels or bedding needing doing. And this worked quite well as a compromise between just getting the laundry pile done, even if imperfectly and getting everything that needs it through a hotter, more adequate wash on a semi regular basis.

It might come up in the BabySteps but if it doesn't I recommend you build something similar into your routine. You're doing well with the BabySteps by the way. I had to spend a month on each one to get the habit established, so it took ages to build my routine and start seeing a difference. It did work though. With decluttering I had to get rid of a fair amount before I could see an obvious visible difference in the state of my home and the amount of space in it. To start with it seemed like it wasn't making any difference even though bags of stuff was leaving the home. As FlyLady says, the house didn't get like this overnight and it won't be fixed overnight either. If you keep going though you'll get there. Once you get to the cleaning side of things you'll realise it's a good system for nowhere getting that bad and because it's a rolling cycle you don't beat yourself up or start feeling behind if you don't get to something. Decluttering is key though, you can't get to everything to clean if there's too much stuff in the way or it takes too long if you have to move too much out of the way first.

My update. Here I've weeded out so much unnecessary stuff that I can see now, from looking around, that it's mostly magazines, craft supplies, and clothes which are the excess items. It seems pointless culling useable things and it's obviously going to take time to use them up. So I've stalled again with decluttering. The focus now has to be on not bringing more of those items into the home, no more absentminded purchases. I've developed a new habit of having a donations bag constantly on the go and if any clothing is found that doesn't fit it goes straight in there so that's helping.

It seems pointless culling useable things and it's obviously going to take time to use them up.
For you this is probably a sustainable sensible situation. For some of us, and I'm definitely one of them, there are so many usable things that there isn't enough space for them at home. So re homing them has to be the mission for a lot.
Glad the donations bag is working for you.

Update: last couple of days has been major churning of big unit, but with purpose
Most furniture that I'm hoping to be able to get rid of soon, is now wiped down, photographed, and moved to the front of the unit near doors. Most of the stuff displaced by that has been relocated to the right 'sections' while waiting to get sorted through. Small amount of extra space has been freed up.
One carrier bag to recycling, two small rolls of poor condition roofing felt earmarked for dump.
Had spotted Anglo collections had a slot for tomorrow and decided to try them, but while I was working out logistics of getting a load packed up and back here for collection tomorrow, they became fully booked up until next slot in a fortnights time.
Not booked that as no idea what shape I, the world, or weather will be in by then.
About to go to damaged units and see what can be done there.

Yesterday resulted in six sets of badly affected shelves cleaned in damaged units and moved to out of town big units. (lots more to do still)
Wasn't well enough prepped to set them up in the unit they should go into, so have had to go into the one I'm trying to clear out, for now. But it's a small step forward.
Carrier bag of recycling out. Annoyingly 95% from consumable stuff coming in.

Some DIY at home got progressed but not finished. Fully cleaned up for now.

This morning's been a small amount of garden maintenance and two more bits of tree chunked. Taking a break then back to it all.

Between yesterday afternoon and today: Laundry and accounts happened But the big one is finally, the fallen tree trunk is entirely reduced to sensible sized chunks that contractors can reasonably be expected to remove as promised when they finish demolishing the bunker and take the remains. The gap the trunk occupied is chicken wired for now.

Followed by big clear up and two large sacks of general garden cuttings and tree trunk chippings also waiting to go to garden recycling. But physically done for.

Congratulations elleherd I was really hoping you'd manage to finish the tree, that's a huge achievement. Hopefully the chicken wire keeps the dog out and the contractors take the chunks away as promised.

You're definitely right about my unwillingness to cull useable things. If I had a storage unit it would make no sense at all, it's purely because they're all here at home I can make that choice.

I've thought about storage units or boarding the loft etc and every time I've thought - but the cost of that outweighs the cost of replacing the stuff I'd store there. As well as it then being inconvenient to go get the stuff whenever I wanted it, alongside concerns about the deteriorating condition of things if they're not being stored in a clean, aired and centrally heated home. So I've never done it. But if I had, then coming to my senses, realising that I wasn't saving money but costing myself, as well as taking time to manage/maintain it all, then getting rid of the stuff so I could stop paying out in both time and money would definitely be the most sensible option.

I also would never have considered the type of disasters you've experienced with flooded storage units, that type of thing would just have made everything so much harder for you. The amount of work involved in sorting it out has clearly been huge. Especially with your physical limitations meaning you can't just go down there to fetch and carry all day every day whenever you feel like it.

I know it's hard but I think you're doing really well with identifying what is rubbish and tipping/recycling it, plus identifying things that it's better to let go of to free up space. I am sorry you're struggling with the emotional side of it, but I'm wondering if a year or two ago you'd have even been able to do it, letting go of so much? I suspect you've made more progress than you realise right now. There'll be a cleared out bunker by the end of all this too, I expect some went into the storage units but I'm sure you'll have got rid of some too. If they're demolishing the bunkers at least you won't be able to re-hoard it, small silver lining.

I'm working on more specific categorisation of items here, in the hope that if I can see how much I have in any one category it'll at least stop me from buying more. I'm starting with summer dresses as it's season appropriate so I can wear them and check they all still fit. Everything is temporarily chaotic as I root through all the summer clothes to find them all. I need to find some way of stopping buying more every year though, so hopefully this will do it. I've read a few magazine articles/posts on here where people say they only wear summer dresses on holiday or they only have a handful. I don't know how many I have but it's a lot more than that. Whenever I buy more I always tell myself I can wear them with cardigans and tights in spring and autumn too, but that's not taking into account I also own actual springs/autumn clothes and only have one body to put them all on!

Have spent the day trying to get swollen bits down, only to get work from tomorrow to Monday suddenly come in, so dragging myself up and off to prep for it, and back later.

Thank you to everyone for the good wishes about my new job just checking back in after a week and a bit away on holiday (not that a holiday is really a holiday with young DC!) - I'm still not on top of all the housework either, feeling utterly exhausted most of the time TBH. Not sure if it's a comedown from all the stress of redundancy/ job hunting, not enough time without the DC at home making mess, or if it's some sort of bug I'm coming down with...

@BlueSummerBaby I have to do two loads of washing every day to keep on top of it I've done plenty of clothes sorting recently too as the DC have had a growth spurt, we have a clothes recycling bank near us which is very handy, plus I book in a collection regularly when the charity shop come and get everything which is still in decent condition. The collection was an absolute godsend when I cleared out the loft a couple of years ago, I must have got rid of 12+ black binbags of stuff

@Elleherd , as usual, I am in awe of you keeping up with everything!! Especially the gardening, I hate working outside when it's over 20 degrees and can't wait for autumn at the moment. I hope everything is resolved soon with the storage units!

The sudden work offer was in Europe, and was interesting but very exhausting, and tbh ended up costing more than expected, but nice to have a change of scene.
Very cobbled and very difficult to get around independently. Very not designed for independent wheelchair users, and what accessibility there is, assumes a second person will be available to get you up and down kerbs and often very steep ramps where any exist. Lots of situations where wheelchair users even with help, are just expected not to exist please.

Got back very late last night and now trying to work out which way up everything is and all the things I'm supposed to be doing, after switching off everything mentally.

@BlueSummerBaby sorry I thought I'd responded on Friday but clearly I didn't actually click the post button!

I do hope my experiences with storage companies will help others realize that unless you're in a position to be paying premium rates, you are very much at the mercy of these companies. Most act like problems are rare, but I've now been in long enough to know they are anything but for many, and even when you've done your homework well, it's very pot luck, especially if you aren't in and out quite quickly. (the best use of them.)

getting rid of the stuff so I could stop paying out in both time and money would definitely be the most sensible option. Totally agree, though translating sensible from theory to reality, can be harder than expected.🤔
The trap I fell into was needing space for business purposes and then seeing that space as multi purpose. I've created a complicated web for myself.

Could I have done this a year or two ago? Parts of it, but nothing like as much. The mental progress is huge though much more is needed.
Very grateful to all the folk who've given me a place to talk it out, as it's absolutely key to keeping momentum and progressing for me. When I live silently in my own bubble I find myself distracted and overwhelmed or lulled into kicking the can down the road, (as well as diverted by others) and before you know it another week goes by.

Re the bunkers tbh it's not helpful to loose them after losing the shed. We're also going to be loosing the 'conservatory,' part of the hall, and part of the kitchen, and part of one bedroom, as they reduce space to squeeze more "dwelling units" into the original footprint of the building and permitted extensions. Overall shrinkage is going to be significant which is likely to delay and complicate getting out of storage.

Well done attempting to categorize clothing properly. All learning experiences you make while doing it appreciated.
I also have only one body to clothe, but it's one constantly changing size and shape with major fluctuations. As with lots, I note a familiar pattern of trying to be prepared and in control of what I actually have little control over!

@KittyTalbot It's probably a combination of things, possibly exacerbated by heat.
I know I often fail to to recognize I am no longer as young and able as I think I am, and how fitting family holidays, work abroad, and general change of work and sleep patterns, etc have considerably more after effects than I expect them to.
I'm hoping to try a collections company soon, but afraid the storage unit situation is going to take a great deal to resolve, but the immediate goal is to get it to a point that is manageable and go from there

I might actually be hoarding bits of tree trunk.

I don't think I have too many things I've learned from clothes yet.

The main one I've learnt from experimental buying is just because it objectively looks good on me doesn't mean it suits my personality. So over the last few years I've weeded out lots of things that fit and are in good condition but which just aren't "me".

I need variety, capsule wardrobes aren't my thing. I get too bored too easily.

There's enough comfortable clothes in the world that I don't need to wear the uncomfortable ones, that's been a discovery too. Which allowed me to weed out a lot. It doesn't matter what style you like there are comfortable versions to be had. Also, as long as drawstring waists, A-line cuts and elastane are involved in the fabric composition and garment design, a size too big or too small isn't an issue.

Wear it all, don't just try it on, wearing it for a day makes you weed out more things you didn't realise were uncomfortable or difficult to get on/off just from trying them on. Reach up with your arms to a shelf and sit in your car and put your hands on the wheel, because if you can't do these things without being restricted the item is of no use to you.

Indecision in the morning is a problem. So now my clothes are worn, washed and stored as outfits. Separating clothes by season is proving very helpful, no more thinking about whether I'll be too hot or cold, I'll be fine so long as I picked something from the correct drawer for the season.

Clear plastic boxes aren't the best for clothes unless you can throw a blanket over the stack or the room has no windows. I've lost some items to partial sun fading causing random stripes very visible once unfolded. Having said that, Really Useful Boxes are still my favourite because of how sturdy and easy to stack they are.

You think you know what's in there, but you'll forget, so label the boxes and drawers with the season/size/style or whatever variables you have.

Most things can be machine washed and dried even if it says not. Life is short and time is precious, so if it doesn't survive or slowly shrinks over time I shrug my shoulders and figure it just wasn't meant to be. In summer I line dry though, because the sun and wind are free.

Currently I'm trying to put the same style of clothes with each other so I can find things more easily and see how much I've got of each type, to stop me buying more unless I need it.

That's all I can think of right now for clothes.

I have found a new useful thing though. I bought a declutter guide from a YouTuber I follow and it's helping where I'd got a bit stuck. Becky Moss is the channel if anyone else wants it. There's a free part but that's just the practicalities, I needed the detailed part too.

Got to holiday in twilight. Delayed due to car battery dying. Died on the way home too. Had to replace on the way home! Thanks for your cheering on.

Well done Elle. Yaboo sucks to your stupid council rules on collections and tips. (Ablist twats)

Absolutely shattered. To be expected but bloody annoying. (Used up considerable spoons on the holiday, packing up house and car and getting car mended)

I am trying to recover and unpack and get washing done. If I unpack quickly there will be space to get a washing machine in before term starts.

Been going to ex's to do washing but so tired not getting there very soon and only getting a bit done. Only 4 loads so far.

Still unpacking bags.

Today:
Found flasks, wiped outside, emptied, rinsed, soaking insides with boiling water and detergent.
Found water bottles. Wiped outside, soaked and rinsed insides. Draining.
Washed up a lot of ceramics and put most away.
Soaking cups that went mouldy. (Oops, bastard fatigue)
Found some of the plastic containers out of bag to wash.
Found a couple of bottles and wiped down. (Been loose in the boot of the car with mud and sand)
Spun,rinsed,spun hand wraps (one pair a day needed)
Collected some dirty pots to take to wash.

Keep having to rest. V annoying.

😂Might also have a few small bits here, and a large painted branch or two, used at Christmas.
You've perfectly described our tip services.🙏😂
Well done managing to get off and do the holiday and get back, regardless of difficulties. Not surprised you're shattered.
Really hope you can get that machine in, it sounds like it would make a big positive difference for you.

Blue Thank you, lots of thoughts there. A lot of what I actually wear, as opposed to what I'd like to be wearing, is based around wheelchair, leg braces, and various bits of body worn disability tec, practicality and working, but also having to scrub up for other types of work.
The size thing is problematic here. Last year was quite typical in starting the year at 14, shrinking suddenly to 10, then swelling to 18, without any intent. Extremes are currently slowed down by side effects of medication, but unlikely to be long term solution.
Thanks for the free declutter channel heads up.

Yesterday ended up mainly trying to physically recover. But also lots of plant watering, a little bit of cutting back, and disposing of fruit that turned while away, small bit of reorganizing drawers.
While it's a physically small thing, big bit of metal moving forward: I tackled a complicated cleaning and restoring of of something that was put away dusty, tangled up, and full of sadness, and has stayed like that for many years after something awful..
Have sorted, cleaned and restored it, and the box and packing for it completely, and it's now hanging reflecting sunshine as it should be.

Today's been learning about washing machine valves in the hope of aunts machine being sortable later, and some serious electrical re-wiring happened, that hopefully can be certified next week. Bit more to do, but supplies needed to re do a bit and finish. (Landlord wouldn't do it, as the current situation is legal even if it does keep overloading and tripping the fuse board to the point of having to run trip hazard extensions from another room. )
About to take a leaf out of your book Susan and try and get on with a load of bits I've been trying to ignore. Unpacked and sorted food (ate it!) and associated bits, but not the rest of the work bags yet.
Can't find the bottle of specialist laundry liquid I got before going of for the weekend, anywhere!