I don't know if you've ever seen the programme on Bio called
'Hoarders'. Even if you haven't, it is what it says. It's a programme
that records hoarders receiving counselling and help to clear their
house of a colossal amount of junk that they have built up in their
house. Our house isn't quite that bad but was bad enough.
One of the last things that I expected when starting to exercise was that the changes would spill out into other aspects of my life. When you feel good, you want to look good. I used to hate shaving my legs and saw it as a necessary evil. Now I feel gross if I have missed a day. I'm also constantly doing my nails. Anyway. It seems to be an extension of this and the program 'Hoarders' that made me want to tackle the junk that is slowly building up in our house.
My parents have a habit of keeping boxes or things 'just in case'. I used to be the same way until a few years ago whilst sorting my room. I decided to be ruthless and get rid of everything that I didn't need/want and learn to say goodbye to material possessions. I'm by no means a minimalist but I have a grip on junk.
To give you an idea as to what I was up against - Dad keeps boxes as we may need them when we move out or "they may come in useful". They are stored in the loft where no-one can get to them and where they add to the mountain of crap already up there. Also in the loft is a crossbow that Dad made when he was 14 and a rocket, also a remnant from his teens. None have been used since his teens and yet still we keep them. Why? Mum is just as bad and thinks that cleaning is all about putting stuff in boxes and then forgetting about it. I have tried to sort the house out before and done an okay job but haven't been able to get them to sort out their junk so that we could make real head-way.
I did sort out the bathroom a couple of months ago because my Nanny was coming to stay. She is frail and has a twisted spine. If she were to catch her foot on something and fell, she wouldn't be able to get back up. I did a major clean-up and pulled everything out so that I could get behind it and you wouldn't believe the dust bunnies! The bathroom looked great although the bath was not touched. We don't have baths in this family and so it is used as a dumping ground for blankets and pillows. There's nowhere to put them and it is on my list of things to be sorted.
Recently, Mum has been talking about down-sizing and moving to Whitby. Dad has then said that in order to do that we need to sort out our junk but I think that the colossal task that lies ahead has been very off-putting for them. After watching 'Hoarders' I am always wanting to clean and have used the influence of the programme on my mum.
I started off clearing the central worktop and most of it was actually stuff to go in the bin. As bad as it looked, it actually only took half an hour. Mum came home and I told her that I had sorted it out and want to do the rest of the kitchen. I stated very firmly that in order to put stuff away, I need to have space in the cupboards in order to do so. If she wasn't prepared to help me then I would make the decision as to what could go and what couldn't and there was nothing that she could do about it. She didn't like this idea and so reluctantly helped. We did have a bit of a row to start with. I'm not sure how it started but she was shouting at me and I had to firmly tell her "Do *not* shout at me". I then told her that if she wants to move to Whitby within five years then she has to de-clutter the house now. She said that Whitby is just a pipe dream and after I told her that it always would be if she wasn't prepared to make changes, she quietened down and got to it. Other than a bit of tension over a cafetiere, it went smoothly and we have been able to collate 7 big boxes of stuff to go to the YMCA. There was even stuff in the cupboards that were wedding presents and have never been opened!
That was basically Mum's role in the big clean-up. I then sorted out the food cupboards and threw out everything that is expired and wiped down the shelves. The cupboards were so full before that stuff kept falling out and we could never find anything. Again, there were duplicates of everything! After cleaning them out, we have 9 black bags full of stuff to go to landfill all with stuff from the cupboards! Unbelievable!
The really gross thing is that we have had mice in the crockery cupboard and there was so much mouse poo! We knew that they had been in there and had laid the traps but they had clearly been around for a while before we saw signs that they were there and the clean that we had done at the time clearly wasn't adequate. I had to use the mini-hoover to get rid of it all and because the cupboards are so deep, practically had to climb in so that I could bleach the bloody thing. All the crockery had to be washed and put back in and there is now some semblance of order that is manageable - the cupboards being deep is a big problem as stuff gets hidden and so the parents (Mum especially) can't find it and so buy a replacement and round and round it goes.
The last thing to do was to sweep the floor and get down on the ol' hands and knees and bleach the floor. Now the kitchen looks great and is presentable to guests whereas before it was an embarrassment. I have the second half to clear which shouldn't take too long. Just laundry that needs doing and putting away, carrier bags that need throwing away and that half of the floor swept and cleaned. Once the kitchen is done, I have got to start on my room again.
Dad and I also have plans to clear the garage so that then we can clear the loft and sort everything out in the garage. Then we can do the rest of the house and store the things that we do need in the loft. I have also found a company that collects everything you are getting rid of and sorts it out. That means that we don't have to sort out stuff for charity and landfill which will save us alot of time. Unfortunately (sort of) Dad is starting work again and this means that we have less time in which to work on it. Still, little and often is the key and at least we're actually bloody doing it.
I had no idea when I started P90X that it would have such a big impact on my personal appearance and well-being to such an extent. I think that it's great that is has also led to me finally facing the house and sorting everything out. I do genuinely believe that the state of a house has a psychological impact on people. I'm also glad that Mum has seen that getting rid of material possessions doesn't mean that you are throwing away your identity and can actually be very therapeutic. Hopefully it will be easier from now on.
One of the last things that I expected when starting to exercise was that the changes would spill out into other aspects of my life. When you feel good, you want to look good. I used to hate shaving my legs and saw it as a necessary evil. Now I feel gross if I have missed a day. I'm also constantly doing my nails. Anyway. It seems to be an extension of this and the program 'Hoarders' that made me want to tackle the junk that is slowly building up in our house.
My parents have a habit of keeping boxes or things 'just in case'. I used to be the same way until a few years ago whilst sorting my room. I decided to be ruthless and get rid of everything that I didn't need/want and learn to say goodbye to material possessions. I'm by no means a minimalist but I have a grip on junk.
To give you an idea as to what I was up against - Dad keeps boxes as we may need them when we move out or "they may come in useful". They are stored in the loft where no-one can get to them and where they add to the mountain of crap already up there. Also in the loft is a crossbow that Dad made when he was 14 and a rocket, also a remnant from his teens. None have been used since his teens and yet still we keep them. Why? Mum is just as bad and thinks that cleaning is all about putting stuff in boxes and then forgetting about it. I have tried to sort the house out before and done an okay job but haven't been able to get them to sort out their junk so that we could make real head-way.
I did sort out the bathroom a couple of months ago because my Nanny was coming to stay. She is frail and has a twisted spine. If she were to catch her foot on something and fell, she wouldn't be able to get back up. I did a major clean-up and pulled everything out so that I could get behind it and you wouldn't believe the dust bunnies! The bathroom looked great although the bath was not touched. We don't have baths in this family and so it is used as a dumping ground for blankets and pillows. There's nowhere to put them and it is on my list of things to be sorted.
Recently, Mum has been talking about down-sizing and moving to Whitby. Dad has then said that in order to do that we need to sort out our junk but I think that the colossal task that lies ahead has been very off-putting for them. After watching 'Hoarders' I am always wanting to clean and have used the influence of the programme on my mum.
I started off clearing the central worktop and most of it was actually stuff to go in the bin. As bad as it looked, it actually only took half an hour. Mum came home and I told her that I had sorted it out and want to do the rest of the kitchen. I stated very firmly that in order to put stuff away, I need to have space in the cupboards in order to do so. If she wasn't prepared to help me then I would make the decision as to what could go and what couldn't and there was nothing that she could do about it. She didn't like this idea and so reluctantly helped. We did have a bit of a row to start with. I'm not sure how it started but she was shouting at me and I had to firmly tell her "Do *not* shout at me". I then told her that if she wants to move to Whitby within five years then she has to de-clutter the house now. She said that Whitby is just a pipe dream and after I told her that it always would be if she wasn't prepared to make changes, she quietened down and got to it. Other than a bit of tension over a cafetiere, it went smoothly and we have been able to collate 7 big boxes of stuff to go to the YMCA. There was even stuff in the cupboards that were wedding presents and have never been opened!
That was basically Mum's role in the big clean-up. I then sorted out the food cupboards and threw out everything that is expired and wiped down the shelves. The cupboards were so full before that stuff kept falling out and we could never find anything. Again, there were duplicates of everything! After cleaning them out, we have 9 black bags full of stuff to go to landfill all with stuff from the cupboards! Unbelievable!
The really gross thing is that we have had mice in the crockery cupboard and there was so much mouse poo! We knew that they had been in there and had laid the traps but they had clearly been around for a while before we saw signs that they were there and the clean that we had done at the time clearly wasn't adequate. I had to use the mini-hoover to get rid of it all and because the cupboards are so deep, practically had to climb in so that I could bleach the bloody thing. All the crockery had to be washed and put back in and there is now some semblance of order that is manageable - the cupboards being deep is a big problem as stuff gets hidden and so the parents (Mum especially) can't find it and so buy a replacement and round and round it goes.
The last thing to do was to sweep the floor and get down on the ol' hands and knees and bleach the floor. Now the kitchen looks great and is presentable to guests whereas before it was an embarrassment. I have the second half to clear which shouldn't take too long. Just laundry that needs doing and putting away, carrier bags that need throwing away and that half of the floor swept and cleaned. Once the kitchen is done, I have got to start on my room again.
Dad and I also have plans to clear the garage so that then we can clear the loft and sort everything out in the garage. Then we can do the rest of the house and store the things that we do need in the loft. I have also found a company that collects everything you are getting rid of and sorts it out. That means that we don't have to sort out stuff for charity and landfill which will save us alot of time. Unfortunately (sort of) Dad is starting work again and this means that we have less time in which to work on it. Still, little and often is the key and at least we're actually bloody doing it.
I had no idea when I started P90X that it would have such a big impact on my personal appearance and well-being to such an extent. I think that it's great that is has also led to me finally facing the house and sorting everything out. I do genuinely believe that the state of a house has a psychological impact on people. I'm also glad that Mum has seen that getting rid of material possessions doesn't mean that you are throwing away your identity and can actually be very therapeutic. Hopefully it will be easier from now on.
No comments:
Post a Comment