Hoarding...not just on TV

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Cleaning products not hoarding...hmmm...



In Her kitchen, I found:

Ariel colour capsules x3
Ariel colour powder tabs
Ariel normal tabs
Surf capsules x2
Ariel stain remover powder x2
Ariel stain remover liquid x2
Vanish powder x3
Assorted stain removers

Dishwasher tablets (she doesn't have a dishwasher)

Fairy foaming spray x4
Fairy liquid x2

Plus a double cupboard full of various products. And at least 20 other tubs, pots and whatnots of cleaning stuff. I never did the front room, the hall, the bathroom or upstairs, but I think I could have filled up three wheelie bins with cleaning products, all used once, if at all.


Plus I saw at least 5 mops, 3 brooms, 4 vacuum cleaners and countless tv shopping specialist products. The steam cleaners are in a cupboard, apparently. None ever used.


So, cleaning products can count. Everything counts. Or then x and y don't count, then a, b and c and then nothing in the hoarder's house counts as hoarding.



She has loads of books, clothes, toys, videos, DVDs, small electricals, 3 fridges, at least 2 freezers, thousands of out of date tins, packets, jars, garden tools, garden electricals, electric knives, real knives, scissors, cutlery, pots, pans, salad spinners, kitchen gadgets, glasses, plates, cups, bowls, Tupperware and lock n lock....


Everything counts.



Oh. Bother. I forgot the stuff out on the back porch blocking the windows and the way from the kitchen door into the garden.

And the stuff in the garden.

They count, too.

Byatt

Jo-Jo, you're right, everything counts...

I've put two wooden stools in the car ready for CS, it's taken me hours to make that decision. They have never been used, I got them for very little, but it was still a struggle.

I'm going to get rid of the steam cleaner too which I've had for at least 5 years and used once...

blossomhill_2

I agree ... it's like the song "if you buy this record your life will be better " - except it is "if you buy this product ..." - only it is not better, it adds to the mayhem - there is no point in more vacuums if you can't vacuum the floor because so many other vacuums are in the way

I think the difference with JoJo and Jasmine's (see post#8) mothers is that they can't see the effect (is that right JoJo?), while those of us on the brink are still in time to recognise the damage and get it sorted before it reaches that stage

With Jasmine's mother she put all her stuff into categories in a warehouse - I would like someone to do that for me so I can see the size of each category, or for me to reduce it to fit what room I have and plan my storage and/or disposals accordingly, whereas it just bewildered poor Jasmine's poor mum

Byatt

I can't find part of my hoover, the extension part. It has to be here somewhere!

Some more stuff going in car...

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I put all the scissors I found into a washing up bowl. Overflowing. And filled an IKEA bag with foil, grease proof, cling film, sandwich bags, vegetable bags, meat bags, yellow bags, stay fresh bags, I ran out of room. The next time I went, she had emptied the bag.

And she was admiring her collection of scissors. Every single one of which was different (including the identicals). To take out one pair would have been beyond the pale. Was doing the same with the kitchen knives, too.

To remove one item from the hoard was to destroy it.


So seeing the size of the buckets of knives, the buckets of slotted spoons, the sheer scale of the stuff wasn't helping her realise she had too much, it was rewarding her by showing her how smart she was in having all this stuff.

Possession

Oh dear Jojo. Every post you make about her just indicates more and more how unbalanced she is. Don't go back there with all those scissors.
: (

Byatt

JoJo, your stories about your mother are hugely motivating for me, I am so sorry though that you have had to go through this, and *that* is even more motivating. My heart as a mum, goes out to you. I never want my DD to feel that way or to suffer.

xxx

kiss_me_now9

JoJo, please take care. I admire you for your courage and ability to stand up to a woman who doesn't deserve to have a daughter that is so willing to help her. But I really don't want you to get hurt again

Having a bit of a stumbling block, I've pulled all my DVDs off my DVD shelf and taken one of the four boxes from under my little bed out to look at and now I'm stuck in the rut of 'I haven't even touched a DVD in years BUT I could want to watch this in the future...' which is ridiculous. Apart from watching Black Swan with my mum a month ago, the last time I watched/looked at my DVDs was about two years ago.

whitewing

Unless you particularly want to sell the DVDs, why not see if a local hospice could put them to good use, either in the hospice or by selling them?

JoJo, your posts are really helpful to me.

Dexters_Indignation

There is a documentry on this...

http://allsp.ch/l.php?id=205

I think I am allowed to post that?
I think they are free to air as per the US site