The Secret Lives of Hoarders_ True Stories of Tackling Extreme Clutter - Matt Paxton [49]
STAGE 1: BRAD AND ELLEN
Their hoarding was so early-stage that Brad and Ellen decided to try cleaning it themselves, without a professional organizer or a cleanup service. They called me for a consultation, and after walking through the house I wrote up a plan for them that focused on their main problems: Brad’s computer stash; Ellen’s teaching supplies; food; and the children’s clothes and toys. Brad and Ellen set aside a weekend, sent their three young boys to Grandma’s, and bought a few boxes of heavy-duty trash bags.
Brad and Ellen’s garage before the cleanup. Simple Stage 1 that just needed some rules for organization.
They finished the house in two days, following the plan guidelines. Brad started with his computers. He had saved them to fix up and donate, but he realized that he didn’t have the time. Instead, he found a computer recycling company to collect them. Ellen went to work on her teaching supplies. Once she started sorting through the material, she realized that a lot of it was already out of date. Also, advances in technology meant that kids were working from computers, not construction paper. She filed away her teaching plans and some supplies, but she tossed her outdated workbooks. Getting rid of the old computers and Ellen’s teaching materials cleared a lot of shelf space for toys and books in the kids’ basement playroom. Part of this family’s goal was to begin showing the kids, all under age six, a new skill: how to stay clutter-free. And Brad and Ellen’s efforts were a major step toward that goal.
Ellen went through the boys’ clothes and gave away anything worn, stained, or out of style. She boxed up the nice clothes that were too small and took them to a consignment shop. Brad loaded his extensive music collection onto his computer and then donated his huge stack of CDs. With the rooms emptying out, the couple started working on the odds and ends cluttering up the dresser tops, chairs, and corners. In the kitchen, Ellen and Brad were surprised by how much out-of-date food they had in the refrigerator and freezer, and they threw it all away. Cans and boxes older than six months but still good were donated to a food pantry.
Ellen continued to sort out clothing, books, toys, and knickknacks to bag and take to a donation site. She was training herself to not stack piles, but to place the donation items in a box by the front door that was small enough for her to lift when it was full. Follow-through is a difficult task for any stage of hoarder, so Ellen worked on taking that box to her car as soon as it was full so she could then go directly to her preferred donation site at the end of the day.
It took Brad and Ellen a day and a half to get the rooms completely de-cluttered. Then they were able to give the house a deep cleaning. They were shocked by the amount of dust and cobwebs that they had all been living with and breathing. Seeing how much underlying dirt had accumulated made them resolve all the more to stay de-cluttered.
Their cleanup plan also included follow-up rules to which Brad and Ellen could refer when they were cleaning, or making decisions about bringing in new things. For a Stage 1 hoarder the focus is less on the actual cleaning, which goes relatively quickly. The important thing is to learn and apply new skills. Early-stage hoarders have the same attachment to possessions that more advanced hoarders do. But because Brad and Ellen had fewer items, and hadn’t been living with the behavior as long, it was easier for them to de-clutter, break bad habits, and learn better ones.
STAGE 2: JACKSON
Once a plan is in place, everyone has to agree to the start date. Jackson, the Blondie hoarder, tried to cancel his cleanup twice. The first time he said he was sick. The second time he admitted that it was nerves.