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).

@Elleherd you have such a tough time - reaching up to a ceiling must be very hard work right now while nursing injuries! As always, I’m impressed with what you’ve managed to do - work done and crisis managed as best you can.
I’m hoping you get some sort of a break now 😴

Also off to check my filthy extractor!

In my decluttering, I filled a bin bag at hoarding parents but missed bin collection day.
Next week, I’ve got a deadline of charity collection to collect some stuff together.

The fire and smoke damage sounds awful. Managed a couple of bags to charity shop again last weekend. Am focusing on tidying and cleaning for the next day or two.

Finite there's been a lot of tough time recently. I keep hoping it's a sign that I get to win the lottery or something to balance it all out. 😎
I've come to the conclusion pain, tiredness, and strong pain killers and chairs on platforms aren't a very smart combination. Gave myself one nasty scare too many and decided mild stains are maybe not that big a deal.

A bin bag full is a bin bag full, even if it didn't get collected yet. Well done.
Good luck sorting as much as you can for the charity collection.

Thehillsarealive Well done on the weekend de-clutter. Good luck with the next couple of days improvements.

Hello. I feel this may be a good thread for me in the quest to declutter my home. It's not too bad but it's stressing me out. Too many clothes to list on vinted. I have sold a lot so it does get listed and moved but at the moment it's overwhelming.

Gosh Elleherd it's one thing after another with you. Glad you're ok from the fire and that it wasn't worse.

Hi Lego I'm a clothes hoarder too, amongst other things.

I haven't made any progress at all but I'm sure I'll get my mojo back soon. Well done to those who have managed some decluttering.

I have a DH who tends to hoard or collect tools. He's filled the garage and shed but also lots have made their way into conservatory. I've managed to get him to donate some of his older tools, he has about 3 of everything, to our ds who moved out into his own home. I also have started to be very strict with myself on a 1 in 1 out basis. So I bought a new tray for cooking Yorkshire puddings so I threw away old one. I had to push myself because there was really nothing wrong with it. I've also given D's some things he can use in his new house. China plates and dinner service, casserole dishes, a slow cooker I never use, a knife block. I currently have a skip and as DH retired in April we are both slowly putting things in it. We're on our third skip. We put things in it and people take them out. I've got DH to throw away old petrol lawn mower as he bought a new one. It's hard and I find it exhausting.

Caringcarer does sound like progress though if you’re on your third skip! I have my father’s and grandfather’s tools to clear out. I’m thinking of donating to ‘Tools with a mission’who can clear up rusty tools and donate them to people in low income countries to use to start their own businesses. Must sort through the duplicates/triplicates as you say.

I know it's serious but this really made me chuckle.

Thanks, he has less toys now. I’m finding the reducing by 50% thing useful as you don’t have to think too much in my house to lose 50%, and it does make a difference.

Managed to get it down to 33% though when I found that one kitchen drawer had 3 balloon pumps in, just kept the smallest and now it shuts!

@KingArthur1964 that must be so worrying for you. Could you go sick with stress for a fortnight and hire a skip to throw some things away if not really needed, take some to charity shop and did you know you can hire a small lock up for storage? I have one and sadly it's 3/4 full of things. My DS has helped DH and I get rid of some things, snow tyres. Yes really, how often do we have snow in UK outside of Scotland? DH had to be persuaded though they were not needed. Did you know some mortgages can go on until a person is 80.

I'd never heard of tools with a mission. I'll look them up and tell DH about them. He's kind so I'm sure he could be persuaded to donate some of his older tools to them. He might find it easier to let go if he knows someone actually wants and needs them. Thanks for that.

@Thehillsarealivewithbutterflies also pleased to hear about tools with a mission!

Hoarding parent has many, many tools large and small and this could be a great outlet 🤞

I am also feeling overwhelmed with the amount of clutter I have. My poor kids are having to jump over things in living room. It’s becoming like an obstacle course. I can’t live like this anymore.

I just got back from holiday and felt a wave of horror as I looked around the house. Piles of stuff, such a mess. A couple of months ago I moved from a three bedroom house with a sitting room, dining room and conservatory to a small two bed with a sitting room. There is no space for anything, including no space to organise. I hate it and I hate myself for it. I feel so sorry for my five year old. This thread has made me feel a bit less alone and I’m going to look at the tools.

https://www.twam.uk/donatetools

They seem very organised, they have a postcode checker so you can find your local tools donation site (volunteer network) and some of them will collect from your house. They don’t seem to have volunteers in Scotland atm though. There’s also a list of what they can take.

Something that helped me was get an empty laundry basket look around downstairs and see if there are things that should be upstairs. If so gather and take up and put away. Then when upstairs look for anything that needs to be downstairs and take down and put it away. Never go upstairs without looking downstairs if there is something that needs to go up. Also pick one room to declutter/tidy at a time. When you look at the whole house it just swamps you.

Hello, can I please join?

My house is growing under the amount of 'stuff' that I have - so much so that I just cannot move stuff around to decorate the spare room. And when my sister came to stay last week, she had to sleep on the sofa - there was just no way of getting to the bed, let alone clearing everything off it.

So I've rented some storage space, and have just about cleared everything from that room into the storage space.

And the plan 🤞is to make sure that only 50% at the very most comes back!

If all works out, I'll then be able to do the same thing for another room.

I know I'm spending money that I could be saving, but honestly, packing stuff away on a hot muggy day does make me question why I've kept so many things!

Hi everyone! Id love to join - am a bit of a hoarder / have issues with impulsive buying. Also diagnosed adhd and ocd which I think is a part of this. I’m constantly tidying up after myself and also clearing things out and then over buying again. My DH says my tidying is just ‘moving big piles of stuff around’ lol which is not far from the truth.

Please can someone direct me to the previous threads? I’ve tried looking through the housekeeping boards but I can’t find and keep getting advertised beautiful clothes - currently have two tabs open and trying not to buy!!! I’m interested in the psychology of hoarding and someone mentioned this had been discussed so if you can remember which one and post a link id really appreciate it.

Hi, I hope it’s OK for me to join too.

I’m tidy and organised by nature. Keep on top of laundry and cleaning as lone parent with demanding job.

But have 20 years worth of family crap to sort through following relationship breakdown and downsize, where I had to be out quick and no time to sort through everything when I moved. It’s all boxed and bagged but is taking forever to get through.

I too have tons of kids clothes/toys. I didn’t want to donate as I’m skint. Have been selling on Vinted and making about £100 a month. But there’s still so much to go!

In case it helps others, I do find it easier than a car boot sale. Apart from fact I haven’t got a car, saves having it all ready in one go. Has really helped me a lot. Also find it helps with getting rid of stuff with memories, as listing on Vinted is a good way to let it go and it’s going to someone who really wants/needs it. Some people have sent lovely messages about how their kids love the stuff I’ve sent.

I am selling on Vinted too. Mostly clothes. It’s sad letting them go for less than a tenth of the price I bought them at when they are unworn but people don’t generally buy otherwise. I need to reduce prices quicker - I’ve got two black bags full of things I need to get rid of and I keep holding on for a decent price (ie £5 instead of £2) instead of focusing on what matters more which is the mental space I will free up! Also it’s such a small difference anyway!!

My latest trick tho, to fulfil my shopping addiction, is going into a charity shop on a weekly basis to see if there are any steals - for me or to sell onwards. Latest was a £600 pair of shoes, brand new. I know I need to sell them but I really like them - which keeps happening. Not good

Lampshade I don't have a link to the threads but if you use the search function they'll show up. They're all labelled Hoarders Anonymous so search that term and specify the Housekeeping forum for the parameters

Welcome to all the newbies

Whoever is moving piles of stuff around, that's "churning the hoard" and is typical

Thehillsarealivewithbutterflies
I’ve just realised even the dog has a little hoard of toys that he never plays with or chews!

I know it's serious but this really made me chuckle.

So the drawer of cat toys is not normal. Rats, time to reassess!

Elleherd bloody hell, how scary and stressful. Would your DC not help with the platform /clean up? For a stranger from afar it seems insane that you are being left to deal with all this. You are definitely well overdue some spectacular good luck.

Welcome to all the newcomers. I’m a regular but not posting much at the minute.

Good luck everyone and every little thing you discard/rehome is a positive step. Keep going!