Hoarding - Springing Ahead

GreyQueen

It's a subject which is close to my mind as well, as my 91 y.o grandmother, long since a widow, is very poorly and, sorrowful though we all are at the thought of it, not likely to be with us much longer.

As her home of 50 years is rented, it will have to be cleared and handed back to her council asap. The 'children' are in their seventies, the 'grandchildren' from 45-50, there will be a lot to do.

She was never a hoarder, the loft has been absolutely empty for decades, but there are outbuildings and the minutiae of a long life to process. I was there at the weekend and most of the things which are wood and in the wooden shed are worm-eaten, even tool handles, and it would be an act of folly to bring them into proximity with non-worm-eaten wooden items.

I guess that everything you can declutter from your life before the end will be a blessing to somebody who won't have to deal with it later.

It makes me all the more determined not to be a hoarder, to have what I use and to pass it on as soon as I've finished with it. It makes sense in the immediate term, as my home is titchy and more stuff = more grief, but it also chimes with my values of re-using stuff and getting it back out there to people who can enjoy it again and again.

I think of it as like a popluar novel. I read all sorts, some heavyweight non-fiction to stretch my mind, and some light stuff to relax me. I know fine well the light stuff isn't great literature, that it is of its time and highly-unlikely to be wanted by people several decades down the road. Particularly as the papers will have 'suntanned' or "foxed", the covers sun-faded, the whole thing gone a bit musty and coming unglued.

But while it's popular, I can read it and re-donate it to the charity shop, tjhe can sell it and get a quid or two, someone else gets the pleasure, they can re-donate it, it can circulate and give pleasure and generate money for good causes for several times before its too scruffy to be resold and may end up going into the book recycling.

How much more useful is that than keeping it on a shelf, and having to buy furniture to hold it, dust it, move it from home to home and eventually have someone deal with it when you are beyond the reach of all books?

You can think this way about any number of things such as clothing and housewares, use it or let someone else use it, we're on a planet of finate resources and its not fair to hog too many to yourself, particularly if by hoarding them, they die in storage and are rendered useless.

pigpen

GQ that is very like my idea of 'setting it free' to find its way along its path through its life before it expires. I however, need more time and space to sort stuff.


I have some baby bits heading to DD1 later and over the next few weeks.

katsu

Hello everyone.

I went to the tip and was disappointed to find that where I had filed a bag with glue tins etc from crafting that the man said they just went into household waste instead of recycling - I could have just thrown then out as I used them if I had known!

Still they are now gone along with 3 pairs of worn out shoes (including my much loved but split wellies), recycled light bulb and some old torn clothes.

I tend to collect things for the recycling at the tip as I hate sending things to landfill.

As always got back and realised I had missed some things.

Did take in some shelving from a friend but hoping it improves the storage and reduces clutter further.

skeeter93

I continued the getting rid of things while still useful chat with mum today as I packed up my books. It made me very sad to think how many have never been read, and how many won't be read again, as well as how many were crumpled, covered in dust or generally mistreated. It was hard but I've got 109 to sell or give away, and several more I want to read first, or replace with e books. I still have 5 times that many books, but I am dedicated to trying to buy ebooks or use the library, and hope as time goes on I'll be able to let go of more.

silvasava

GQ - totally agree with you about the books. I took 2 to the CS but came back with 2 but they will be returned for re-selling again to raise more cash for a good cause. Did get the kitchen cupboard sorted yesterday & listed some of the things on fleabay & prelurved. A few more things to go to the CS too and LOADS of old biro's & felt tips gone in the bin! Some paper given to a friend for her grandchildren to scribble on and nice clean tidy cupboards.
If i post on here the things I intend to do I feel they must be done 'cos I've publicly commited myself so it does help spur me on

GreyQueen

Yes, the public commitment feels very real to me, too, even though you don't know me IRL and I could tell you a pack of fibs and you'd been none the wiser (but I'd know I had an integrity gap and would feel ashamed ).

Have just popped the washer on inc some items from Mum's. They're not dirty as they were put away clean but they'd got a bit fusty in storage. I shall iron them nicely when they're still pretty damp, let them finish on the clothes airer then off to the c.s. in a day or so. They're the kind of things which will look much better after such treatment.

Have already lined up the two big bags I shall take tomorrow after w*rk, to which I will add the three books I'd finished and parked on the side until the next bag was ready to go.

Interestingly, Dad and I were chatting at the bus station this afternoon (he'd run me down there) and he remarked that Mum doesn't seem able to declutter on her own, and he can't help her, but she seems to be able to take help from me.

He made some thoughtful observations about them having been 40+ years in the same house, and how the jobs he had in his early working life involved wearing your own clothes for hard manual jobs, so clothing got worn up and then away, whereas the latter decades were with employer-provided uniforms but with a mindset of being very poor you tend to hang on to everything Justin Case.

It was a good chat, shame the blinking coach arrived at that time and we had to part. Dad's a virtual minimalist, Mum and Kid Bruv are hoarderish, I'm somewhere between the two poles but working on simple living.

Am absolutely shattered as whole family up in the middle of the night due to medical emergency with Nan so shan't do too much more today, other than process the 'ins' and ready the 'outs' so that they can be dealt with efficiently after work.

Keep on at it, my lovelies, steady as she goes. It's about changing habits and mindsets as much as about the Physical Stuff.

pigpen

GreyQueen wrote: »

Yes, the public commitment feels very real to me, too, even though you don't know me IRL and I could tell you a pack of fibs and you'd been none the wiser (but I'd know I had an integrity gap and would feel ashamed ).

Quite right.. and it doesn't really matter to anyone else here if we make progress or not so no one would benefit from an untruth. My conscience wouldn't allow me fib unless it was to save someones skin.. usually my own

silvasava

Due to all you lot helping me get my 'arris in gear I've already sold an item on Fleabay for 40 squid!! Off now to see what else I can get rid of and make some space & get some dosh

Happygreen

Sunshine today so I need to get urgent things done - BUT I have a pile of papers to file (important ones ,so stacking won't do!) . I'll feel like losing some weight after they've been tidied up! Fingers crossed I'll get it done today! Large bag of stuff for CS almost ready.

anirtak191

Not so much do cluttering but it was. I have a little magazine table by my settee, and it was annoying me so have tidied up round that. Hadn't realised how much stuff had piled up on around and in it. So that's all been tidied/sorted/bined and the corner looks a lot better along with the coffee table not looking so cluttered as I done that as well. Now I just need to get the hoover run round and I think my living room will be looking better than it has in a while.
Even tho I tidy round I always forget to do the tables. But they have now been done and some piled papers I forgot about putting away are put where they needed to go as well.
Now just need to sort out the kitchen again. I have no idea how hubby gets it the way he does when he cooks. I cook a meal and wipe and tidy away after me as i go. Hubby leaves juice go dry from stuff that's been chopped and knives out and pans feel like they left everywhere. And never wipes things over as they been finished with. Like the frying pan, if something has been cooked in it I swill and wipe with a paper towel whole its still warm. Hubby just leaves it until the next time its going to get used or I go out behind him and sort it all out.
Its actually getting annoying as since the council done the kitchen I been trying to make sure it doesn't get like it used to. Would leave dishes in sink until there was enough to fill dishwasher,leave pans on the side until next use instead of putting them in cupboard. But its just feeling like he's not bothered witch on some days makes me feel why should I bother.
But then he also has a go at me if I don't eat. And most the time that's cos I've gone out there to do something and end need up tidying after him and I can't be bothered to cook for myself when I'm done as I don't like to cook when it feels a mess or the sides havnt been wiped. There's nearly always a pack of anti bac wipes, a cloth or kitchen roll available at hand to clean up straight away but its like they are invisible to him.
Same with making t. He makes most of it and the little trolley its made on where we keep kettle,sugar,coffee and tea usually takes me ages to clean as the sugar has usually gone dry and I have to dissolve with boiling water before it wipes up otherwise I'm scrubbing for ages and my wrist hurts by the time I'm done.

Maybe an electric prodding stick or something would work lol