# The problem with cleaning



## debodun (Jul 2, 2020)

I spent an hour this morning cleaning out the rest of the mud-room part of the back porch. One problem is what to do with what's there. If I move it to another part of the house, than that area will look cluttered. It's things that might be useful - not junk; things like gardening items, flowerpots, tools, ladders, cabinets, etc. The other is that when I'm done, it hardly looks any different.


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## Gaer (Jul 2, 2020)

Hahahahaa!  Join the club!  Love that old washbowl!  I have one too!  Hung it outside, but it fits in with my ole West decor!


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## Ceege (Jul 2, 2020)

Usually when we clean, we don't get to see the 'fruits of our labor' for very long.  Everything we've cleaned will get dirty or messy as soon as someone used that room or those items again.  But, when it comes to storage, all you can hope for is 'neat and clean'.  If these are things you might use again then don't worry about it.  These things will be there when you need them and that's where their value is.  
And then   there's my favorite rule for cleaning - Close  The  Door.


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## Keesha (Jul 2, 2020)

Throw it out!! 
The thing about cleaning is that it has to become a lifestyle not an afterthought. If you’ve spent your life scraping by doing as little as you can get away with and not wanting to throw anything out or fix anything then your home with be overwhelming at all times.

You have to fix the behaviour that caused the problems in the first place by having a plan. If you don’t know which direction your going, then it’s hard to measure improvement.

If your home is cluttered and you have no intention of throwing anything out then a lot of housework will be a waste of time since it’s basically moving stuff from room to room.


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## Keesha (Jul 2, 2020)

Ceege said:


> And then   there's my favorite rule for cleaning - Close  The  Door.


That’s my favourite too.
 If you can


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## debodun (Jul 2, 2020)

Keesha said:


> Throw it out!!


Keesha, you strike me at one of those minimalist lifestyle people.   

I have a big pile of items destined for the trash - old rugs, rusty tools, broken pots, innumerable plastic items. Didn't seem to make a dent. I did find three large pet carriers and two nice Christmas wreaths (good thing they were in plastic bags). I can put the carriers and wreaths out for my yard sale, if I ever get around to having one again.


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## Keesha (Jul 2, 2020)

debodun said:


> I have a big pile of items destined for the trash - old rugs, rusty tools, broken pots, innumerable plastic items. Didn't seem to make a dent. I did find three large pet carriers that I can put out for my yard sale, if I ever get around to having one again.
> 
> Keesha, you strike me at one of those minimalist lifestyle people.


Oh Deb. If you think that then I’ve fooled you well.
I would LOVE, love, love to be a minimalist; especially going into retirement living. Having only the things you need makes living much easier. With less things around then there’s less stuff to move around from room to room.

Most of our house is clean and organized BUT I have one entire room that’s  filled with stuff, mostly  bins of fabric from my sewing days ( another hobby .... I have many ). That’s hoarding. Not outrageous hoarding but hoarding all the same. Then I have boxes and boxes of beads and jewelry making items.

Caring for my parents was a true eye opener. I could clearly see where the mindset starts and how complicated it can get  but helping them has helped me make an absolute decision about our STUFF.

At the moment we have a big pile of stuff that needs to go to the garbage dump and a pile of stuff that’s going to goodwill.( our garbage dump is on a reduced schedule which has made it more difficult) 

I’ve got an added problem you don’t have though....
A husband. Lol

My goal is to become a minimalist and Ive got a ways to go BUT I seriously love being clean and organized. For myself, there’s no better feeling.


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## debodun (Jul 2, 2020)

It *is* easy to tell somebody else to throw everything out.


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## hollydolly (Jul 2, 2020)

debodun said:


> It *is* easy to tell somebody else to throw everything out.


 Take a boxful of ''stuff'... that you've not used in over 2 years.. and chuck it out or donate... if after  a month you've not missed any of it, carry on with another load..  take an hour a week, you'll soon notice a big difference in the amount of junk


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## Keesha (Jul 2, 2020)

debodun said:


> It *is* easy to tell somebody else to throw everything out.


Yes and whenever professionals help hoarders, they make a contract with the hoarder to categorize stuff  into :

Garbage
Donate
Stay

The best shows I’ve seen of people getting their house fixed while being hoarders, they make a deal with the hoarders to pick out 2 or 3 things and have someone else throw the stuff out.

Hoarders will always find a reason to keep stuff especially if they have money issues as well since they see monetary value in every item they own.

It’s an illness.


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## Aneeda72 (Jul 2, 2020)

At my age I am continuing evaluating whether I will use some thing again or not.  If I have not used it in a couple months, I throw or give it away.  I have bought dvd’s since they started making them.  Then my disabled son gave me a bunch I bought for him years ago.

I went through them all, his and mine, and when my daughter came gave a bunch to her, a bunch to my oldest son, and a bunch to my oldest son for my grandson who I do not see.  It killed me to give them away, but I needed to do it.  I am seriously downsizing.

Last time we moved we gave out son a lot of tools, which now that we own a house again , I can borrow from him.    My motto “chuck it” and don‘t rebuy it.


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## debodun (Jul 2, 2020)

When my maternal grandmother passed, my mom cleaned out her house and brought many items here from there. Then my mom passed 7 years later. I was making some headway liquidating the contents when a paternal aunt passed and the attorney tapped me to clean out and sell her house. Three years ago my paternal uncle passed and I got to clean out his apartment. Fortunately he didn't have the quantity the other estates had, but it seems when I get to the point I can see floor in some places, some other relative passes.


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## win231 (Jul 2, 2020)

I have that same issue - cleaning up clutter in one room but moving it to another room.  I finally figured out how to solve that problem:
Just leave both rooms as they are.


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## Em in Ohio (Jul 2, 2020)

Ohio weather (hot, humid, and dry for weeks upon weeks) - So, I cranked up my bedroom air conditioner and arranged fans to blow through the remaining used or not-able-to-close-off rooms.  The result?  Feathers from four birds flying everywhere, despite cleaning and vacuuming their cage every two days.  It did force me to clean out my vacuum cleaners!  While chasing feathers, I found lots of cobwebs clinging to the undersides of furniture.  They are much more obvious when they are festooned with feathers!  So, for the moment at least, it 'appears' clean.  (Organized is another topic entirely!)


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## Knight (Jul 2, 2020)

debodun said:


> When my maternal grandmother passed, my mom cleaned out her house and brought many items here from there. Then my mom passed 7 years later. I was making some headway liquidating the contents when a paternal aunt passed and the attorney tapped me to clean out and sell her house. Three years ago my paternal uncle passed and I got to clean out his apartment. Fortunately he didn't have the quantity the other estates had, but it seems when I get to the point I can see floor in some places, some other relative passes.


Since you were tapped to clean out & sell estates, I'm guessing after creditors and claims against the estates were settled you were the recipient of the proceeds. And your recognition that you may have some of your mothers distrust of people makes sense based on how you describe yourself. 

As for cleaning. Looking at items you either need it & use it or you don't. The don't items --- don't need your home as a place to clutter for you.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Jul 2, 2020)

I purged last winter and made a big pile of stuff in our basement to go to the Salvation Army,then the virus hit.  Hubby took two boxes and then they closed up. 
The problem is I'm finding myself picking at the stuff. I'm like an ant carrying things back to the nest. 
On the other hand, I had a box of decorations for special occasions such as birthdays etc. I hadn't used them in years. My daughter just told me they will be visiting on my grandsons birthday. 
That meant making a birthday cake and decorating since he is still young enough to enjoy that sort of thing.
I checked the shelf where I keep such items and realized all that stuff was in the first box the hubby took.
So instead of nice little plastic candle holders I'll stick them in gum drops and make a birthday sign. I'm sure not going to rebuy that stuff.
I think you can't win with this sort of thing.


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## debodun (Jul 3, 2020)

My household adage: You'll never need anything until you throw it out.


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## Barbiegirl (Jul 3, 2020)

If you think those are things you'll truly use then may I suggest a little Rubbermaid storage shed? Assuming you have space for it in your yard. We loved ours - all the "clutter" we needed to keep like gardening tools, flower pots, spare lawn chairs etc stayed in there neatly out of sight until needed, so our main spaces didn't look messy.


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## toffee (Jul 3, 2020)

my motto is --if its not been used throw it out --other wise its harbouring-'
i  am cleaning out spare room -found containers of old clothes his and hers/
got a big sack and threw it  all in --ready for the cloth's banks ...now iam removing old shelves' in fact 3 very long useless
ones the previous owner put up --so out dated ... i cant stand mess and junk' keeping things that have no use '


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## fmdog44 (Jul 3, 2020)

I cannot watch one second of the show Hoaders".


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## RadishRose (Jul 3, 2020)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> I purged last winter and made a big pile of stuff in our basement to go to the Salvation Army,then the virus hit.  Hubby took two boxes and then they closed up.
> The problem is I'm finding myself picking at the stuff. I'm like an ant carrying things back to the nest.
> On the other hand, I had a box of decorations for special occasions such as birthdays etc. I hadn't used them in years. My daughter just told me they will be visiting on my grandsons birthday.
> That meant making a birthday cake and decorating since he is still young enough to enjoy that sort of thing.
> ...


Ruth, gum drops sound a Lot better than plastic holders!  I just stick them in the cake.


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## Knight (Jul 3, 2020)

I thought this might belong in this thread, kind of a do it yourself check on how you feel about stuff you no longer use.  

How To Tell If You Are A Hoarder
By 
HealthPrep Staff
Hoarding is an anxiety disorder in which an individual fails to throw away a large number of possessions with no value. Hoarding is believed to be a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Approximately two to five percent of the United States population is thought to have a full-blown hoarding disorder. Hoarders usually retain plenty of possessions in their homes and cars and may claim that they have a personal attachment to each item that prevents them from parting with it.

Parts Of The Home Become Unusable

https://healthprep.com/mental-healt...odes&msclkid=da618c7fcd4f1dd86883d280979d6831

Definitely not my wife or me.


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## Knight (Jul 3, 2020)

RadishRose said:


> Ruth, gum drops sound a Lot better than plastic holders!  I just stick them in the cake.


When I read that I thought how unique & innovative.


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## Aneeda72 (Jul 3, 2020)

RadishRose said:


> Ruth, gum drops sound a Lot better than plastic holders!  I just stick them in the cake.


I was thinking that as well


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## Aneeda72 (Jul 3, 2020)

Knight said:


> I thought this might belong in this thread, kind of a do it yourself check on how you feel about stuff you no longer use.
> 
> How To Tell If You Are A Hoarder
> By
> ...


My neighbor is a hoarder, ugh.


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## JustBonee (Jul 3, 2020)

The title of the thread is "The problem with cleaning"  ....  And the  problem with that title is that you aren't cleaning anything,  you are just shuffling things from one spot to another.

There are services that  can help you understand your problem  if you really want the help.


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## Lizzie00 (Jul 3, 2020)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> I'm like an ant carrying things back to the nest.



LOL.....i SO feel your pain!


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## debodun (Jul 3, 2020)

Bonnie said:


> The title of the thread is "The problem with cleaning"  ....  And the  problem with that title is that you aren't cleaning anything,  you are just shuffling things from one spot to another.



I did make some room. I have a pile of things beyond repair that will be going out on the next trash day. Cleaning will lileky be put on hold for a while. We are due for a heat wave and I can't exert myself in hot, muggy weather. I've had a headache since I did the porch yesterday and it wasn't even that warm.


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## Aneeda72 (Jul 3, 2020)

debodun said:


> I did make some room. I have a pile of things beyond repair that will be going out on the next trash day. Cleaning will lileky be put on hold for a while. We are due for a heat wave and I can't exert myself in hot, muggy weather. I've had a headache since I did the porch yesterday and it wasn't even that warm.


“Beyond repair the items that need repair, will you repair them or will they just sit and take up space?  If they are broken, you should probably trash them, IMO.


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## debodun (Jul 3, 2020)

Didn't I say in the post that they are going out to the trash next week?


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## Aneeda72 (Jul 3, 2020)

debodun said:


> Didn't I say in the post that they are going out to the trash next week?


Yes to take stuff beyond repair.  My question/comment was about the stuff not beyond repair but which needed to be repaired.  Are you going to repair that stuff?-or does it just sit around?  In any event, take it easy.

its terribly hot here as well.  Can’t work in the garden in the afternoon at all.


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## debodun (Jul 4, 2020)

I don't have the patience, know-how or ambition anymore to attempt to repair things that may or may not work when I get done with them. For instance, there was a wall screw in light socket similar to the one below,. Who can say whether it works or not and I don't want to short out the power trying to test it or sell it at my yard sale because of that - out it went.


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## debodun (Jul 4, 2020)

One time I was having a sale and a guy stopped. When he left he said my yard looked like a dumster had exploded. Probably because I wouldn't negotiate enough on my prices to suit him. I don't know why some people feel they have to be insulting if they don't get things for next to nothing. Even Goodwill and the SA charge for their merchandise.


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## debodun (Jul 4, 2020)

I have yet to tackle the garage and cellar. The garage will probably be an autumn project. Much too hot for me to do it right now. The cellar is much cooler but dank. A few years ago I did tackle the cellar where my mom kept her "overflow" of vintage glassware and pottery. I brought it all upstairs, washed it and stowed the pieces here an there. What I liked went in the bottom of the cabinet where she had her favorite Depression glass. The rest put with yard sale items.


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## AmberTea (Jul 4, 2020)

I live in such a small dwelling place now that it is a breeze to clean (can ya imagine that though) I can clean it all in
about two hours total LOL


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## debodun (Jul 4, 2020)

A few years ago I looked at a smaller house that was for sale on the parallel back street. It was a split-level, the back of the house was down 4 steps (which I didn't like right off the bat) and it had what the realtor termed "a galley kitchen" I felt claustrophobic. It was so narrow, I'd have been banging my hips on the countertops all the time. I like a kitchen I can move around in.


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## debodun (Jul 4, 2020)

Barbiegirl said:


> If you think those are things you'll truly use then may I suggest a little Rubbermaid storage shed?



I have a two-car garage and one bay is being used for storage.


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## GeorgiaXplant (Jul 4, 2020)

AmberTea said:


> I live in such a small dwelling place now that it is a breeze to clean (can ya imagine that though) I can clean it all in
> about two hours total LOL


I can one-up you! My place is just under 300sf. I timed myself when cleaning the other day. 21 minutes, including the bathroom.


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## MickaC (Jul 4, 2020)

LOVE this THREAD !!!!!!!!!!
I've been minimizing for about 8 years.
First inventory reduction.....while still on the farm. Basically stuff that haven't been used for sometime.
Recipient for that stuff was my daughter-in-law. Van was loaded full, along with the 1/2 ton which also included my china cabinet. Contents of the china cabinet got packed away, and stored, at the time, entertaining pretty much had gone with the wind. Any get togethers were very casual, didn't need fancy stuff. As much as i loved those things, didn't want to clean that stuff anymore.......But my memories remain of that was given to me over the years.
2016.....divorced.....moved to town. Minimizing started again. Donated to places and gave away to friends, and to my foster daughter.
I don't buy anything for the house anymore, unless it's something i use and has failed working, no more dust collectors.
There is one thing i do collect.....and that is solar lights.....had them at the farm.....and continued with them in town.....love sitting out at dark, watching the magic they create, they're in my front and back yard.
Have had a soft heart for fabric.....don't really called it hoarding.....did stockpile with great sales coupon etc, always bought end of season or off season.....almost free.....sometimes lost out waiting, that's okay.
Last 2 1/2 years have down a great deal of sewing, and some i've given away.

I've watched those Hoarding Shows.......SCARY......Yes, i know, a lot of disorders play it's part with these people.....very SAD....

There is an addition to my collecting........FRIENDS and CARING PEOPLE here on SENIOR FORUMS.....


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## MickaC (Jul 4, 2020)

And on a note that i forgot about........cleaning and dusting have reduced greatly......time for more important things.


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## Knight (Jul 4, 2020)

debodun said:


> I have yet to tackle the garage and cellar. The garage will probably be an autumn project. Much too hot for me to do it right now. The cellar is much cooler but dank. A few years ago I did tackle the cellar where my mom kept her "overflow" of vintage glassware and pottery. I brought it all upstairs, washed it and stowed the pieces here an there. What I liked went in the bottom of the cabinet where she had her favorite Depression glass. The rest put with yard sale items.
> 
> View attachment 112249View attachment 112250


Pics of glass left over from yard sales? If so then maybe donating to a historical society or museum that displays this kind of glass would help you rid yourself of items you don't use & nobody else cares to buy. Holding on for sentimental value if donated would still be possible because you could still see the items & know others can appreciate the beauty of what was popular years ago.


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## GeorgiaXplant (Jul 4, 2020)

Deb, half your garage is used for storage of _what_? And for whom? You don't have children and have mentioned that there's very little family left. What's going to happen to all your stuff when you die? 

Here's an idea: instead of ever having another yard sale, put everything out on your front lawn with signs "Free"...whatever is left at the end of the day obviously has no value whatsoever to anybody. Put it all out for "the next trash day." 

Rinse and repeat one room at a time in the house. Collect everything in the room that you'd put out for a yard sale if only you didn't have to haul it all back in when it didn't sell. 

From where I sit, along with probably many others on the forum, all that stuff has been a vast collection of albatrosses for you for years. Sentimental value to you, but most of it probably with no ACV. Something you're particularly fond of? Take a picture. 

The Depression glass is pretty, but people who collect things are like us, older. Younger people? Shoot I couldn't give away Limoges china, Cambridge crystal or Towle sterling to my daughter or granddaughters. The sterling finally got sold to a precious metals dealer. The Limoges and Cambridge? Yard sale. Got a whopping $25 for 8 place settings + serving pieces for the Limoges, $20 for 24 pieces of the crystal. _This kind of stuff just has no value in today's world._

Have I missed all the lovely "things" I had? Not really. I have a very few really, really sentimental things left and displayed either on a shelf or hanging on a wall. A Tuesday's child figurine given to me by my grandmother the year I turned 8, a plate brought here from Germany by my great-great-grandmother, a vase my mother made in an art class in college.

You'll feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from you when it's done. And when you take a notion to clean house, it'll be a whole lot easier because you won't have to move as much stuff.


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## debodun (Jul 4, 2020)

After my mom passed, I called an auctioneer. He wouldn't take any glassware. He said it was too fragile to handle without getting broken. But he took the best furniture, then sold it, literally, for pennies.


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## GeorgiaXplant (Jul 4, 2020)

debodun said:


> After my mom passed, I called an auctioneer. He wouldn't take any glassware. He said it was too fragile to handle without getting broken. But he took the best furniture, then sold it, literally, for pennies.


Exactly. It has no value except to the owner; therefore, it sells for pennies. That's why I say put it out with a sign proclaiming it's free. It'll probably all go to good homes, and then it'll become their problem to unload it. The flocks of albatrosses will at least be gone from yours.


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## debodun (Jul 4, 2020)

I tried the giveaway tactic a few years ago. I put boxes of items on a pallet down by the front sidewalk with a FREE sign. When I went to look a few hours later, there was more ther than what I put out. I think when people saw the sign, they brought things and left them. The only thing taken was the pallet, which I paid $5 for.


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## GeorgiaXplant (Jul 4, 2020)

debodun said:


> I tried the giveaway tactic a few years ago. I put boxes of items on a pallet down by the front sidewalk with a FREE sign. When I went to look a few hours later, there was more ther than what I put out. I think when people saw the sign, they brought things and left them. The only thing taken was the pallet, which I paid $5 for.


Do yourself a kindness and pick up on that message if no one will take it even if it's free. How soon is your next trash day?


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## debodun (Jul 4, 2020)

My trash service picks up here in Wednesday. I have a small receptacle, though. Only a few things at a time. I had to hire a junk removal guy 3 years ago when the back door overhang blew over in a wind storm. I think he charged me a little over $100 to cut it up and haul it away, but it wasn't something I could tackle myself and it impeded my egress from the back door. 




Five years ago a branch of a maple tree fell in my backyard and a tree service charged me $800 to remove it. Again, something I couldn't handle.


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## GeorgiaXplant (Jul 4, 2020)

Call the junk guy and spend the money. You _deserve_ to do this for yourself.


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## debodun (Jul 4, 2020)

I know there's a lot of old paint cans in the cellar. Many clean-out guys won't take them. They won't even accept paint cans at the town clean-up day (electronics and appliances either).


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## RadishRose (Jul 4, 2020)

debodun said:


> I know there's a lot of old paint cans in the cellar. Many clean-out guys won't take them. They won't even accept paint cans at the town clean-up day (electronics and appliances either).


You'll have to go online and find out where your closest Hazardous Waste drop off is.


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## debodun (Jul 4, 2020)

The two closest - at one you have to be a resident of that city to drop off hazardous waste. The other doesn't have any schedule posted on their page. The last one they had was almost a year ago.


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## RadishRose (Jul 4, 2020)

Guess you'll have to wait.


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## Knight (Jul 4, 2020)

Thank you debodun.


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## debodun (Jul 4, 2020)

I believe I read somewhere that it's okay to dispose of solidified latex paint, but the paint in the cellar is so old, it's proabably lead-based. When I am down there again, I'll try to remember to check. Not all may be paint, either. Wood stain and other wood treatment products also came in paint can-looking containers.


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## peramangkelder (Jul 4, 2020)

@debodun you keep your vintage items....they are not junk....they are memories 

Is *old paint* hazardous? ... *Paints* of this type are flammable, toxic and contain *harmful* solvents, resins and pigments; very *old* oil-based *paints*(1978 and before) may also contain lead [source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]


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## Aneeda72 (Jul 4, 2020)

You maybe a hoarder after all.  You have a lot of reason for not getting rid of stuff.  I think we all want a better safer life for you.  Keep you stuff, if you must, sell the house, and get yourself safe.


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## debodun (Jul 4, 2020)

Aneeda72 said:


> You maybe a hoarder after all.



Not so much me as it was my ancestors keeping things. I AM trying to get rid of things.


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## MickaC (Jul 4, 2020)

@GeorgiaXplant   Your comment on what younger people value is very different from ours at our age is totally on the mark.
Things like china, crystal, silver, and so on, and on, what we consider our treasures are far from theirs.
All those kind of things are packed up, since giving away my china cabinet, waiting to go a x-daughter-in-law that's married to once was a step son, and if she so wishes to split and share with two once step daughters.
So far, i haven't included my grandmother's china, hand painted, from England. 
Because i have no family.....siblings.....aunts, uncles, cousins, and have not so far been able to locate any from my grandmother's side, the china will probably go to x step kids.....their choice, what they do with it.
I haven't got things piled up in all sorts of rooms, all packed in containers, organized, neatly stored, downstairs.
I repeat and go through things every so often, to keep things somewhat current.
All the handwork, crocheted, table clothes, doilies, even crocheted curtains, in total of a very large container stored......i'm in total odds as to what has to be done with them......does not interest younger ones.
I sort through pictures often, sorting, no place for them to go.


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## peramangkelder (Jul 4, 2020)

We all collect things but 'hoarding' is a very misunderstood illness


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## peramangkelder (Jul 4, 2020)




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## peramangkelder (Jul 4, 2020)

@debodun in Australia there are places called 'Second Chances' that will take anything useful and distribute it for you....free


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## PamfromTx (Jul 4, 2020)

win231 said:


> I have that same issue - cleaning up clutter in one room but moving it to another room.  I finally figured out how to solve that problem:
> Just leave both rooms as they are.


Or stuff it in a LARGE walk-in closet as I have.


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## Robert59 (Jul 4, 2020)

My girlfriend could never be a Hoader because she has Bipolar and loves to throw everything away even if it's good or not. I have to dig in the trash can to make sure she doesn't throw away anything good. I had a pure brass dog and she throw it away. But I found it before the trash man picked it up.


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## win231 (Jul 4, 2020)

pamelasmithwick said:


> Or stuff it in a LARGE walk-in closet as I have.


I was thinking of a common scene in sitcoms:  Someone opens a closet door & is immediately buried in stuff.


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## GeorgiaXplant (Jul 5, 2020)

Aneeda72 said:


> You maybe a hoarder after all.  You have a lot of reason for not getting rid of stuff.  I think we all want a better safer life for you.  Keep you stuff, if you must, sell the house, and get yourself safe.


Those aren't "reasons." They're "yabbuts." For every suggestion, there's a "yabbut I can't because..." Deb! Just in case you're feeling guilty about unloading stuff into the trash because it meant something to somebody else in the family (even your mother), stop with the guilt. It wasn't your stuff to begin with, and there's no reason why you should feel responsible for any of it. There's plenty of reason why you should get rid of it. Yanno, like your own safety, like peace of mind living in an uncluttered home with stuff that _you_ want.

_If even the Salvation Army, Goodwill, or the Kidney Foundation don't want it, that should be a wake up call and send a strong message that it doesn't have any value._ 

I'm done. You've been dithering about all that stuff for years, and I and others have been trying to encourage you for years, to bite the bullet. You aren't going to. Not now. Not later. Not at all. You're only going to continue to complain about it. I'm not going to continue to beat a dead horse.


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## Knight (Jul 5, 2020)

GeorgiaXplant said:


> Those aren't "reasons." They're "yabbuts." For every suggestion, there's a "yabbut I can't because..." Deb! Just in case you're feeling guilty about unloading stuff into the trash because it meant something to somebody else in the family (even your mother), stop with the guilt. It wasn't your stuff to begin with, and there's no reason why you should feel responsible for any of it. There's plenty of reason why you should get rid of it. Yanno, like your own safety, like peace of mind living in an uncluttered home with stuff that _you_ want.
> 
> _If even the Salvation Army, Goodwill, or the Kidney Foundation don't want it, that should be a wake up call and send a strong message that it doesn't have any value._
> 
> I'm done. You've been dithering about all that stuff for years, and I and others have been trying to encourage you for years, to bite the bullet. You aren't going to. Not now. Not later. Not at all. You're only going to continue to complain about it. I'm not going to continue to beat a dead horse.


On the bright side there is a silver lining to Deb's posts.  I posted a thank you & I meant it because her yabbut's point out to me how lucky I am to not live in a home the is so badly deteriorated & not filled with items put out to the curb as free stuff that nobody will take.

I believe you are right in there is no helping Deb other than reading & responding to her posts. I think her mother did her damage raising her to be unfriendly & suspicious of people.  For her IMO it's a way to socialize without having to talk face to face.


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## Aneeda72 (Jul 5, 2020)

Knight said:


> On the bright side there is a silver lining to Deb's posts.  I posted a thank you & I meant it because her yabbut's point out to me how lucky I am to not live in a home the is so badly deteriorated & not filled with items put out to the curb as free stuff that nobody will take.
> 
> I believe you are right in there is no helping Deb other than reading & responding to her posts. I think her mother did her damage raising her to be unfriendly & suspicious of people.  For her IMO it's a way to socialize without having to talk face to face.


I actually think this thread is a good way to take our minds off our own problems, and like knight said be relieved we don’t have a house like this or a problem with throwing stuff out.  It is a struggle for Deb,  maybe we can help, maybe not.  Doesn't hurt to try.

Oh, love the thread about the neighbors as well.  But kind of glad I don’t live next door to you Deb.  No insult intended.  I think you are great in your way.


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## katlupe (Jul 5, 2020)

When I moved here from years of living in a large house, I had so much stuff that I did not want to part with. Considering the size of this small studio apartment, it was apparent that a lot of stuff would have to go. I ended up selling a lot of items that I loved, but knew I would never use.  An electric canner, cast iron cookware, guns, a solar oven, books and more things I cannot even remember. Now today I am piling up books to take pictures of to sell. If I haven't looked at it in the last year, out it goes. I am still going through photographs which take up a huge amount of precious space because they are in a trunk that I could use for something else that I need and use.


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## debodun (Jul 5, 2020)

This is what I have to tackle in the cellar. I did not put these things there. They were either left by the people my parents bought the house from or what was put there by my parents.
https://www.seniorforums.com/media/albums/my-creepy-cellar.602/


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## Aneeda72 (Jul 5, 2020)

katlupe said:


> When I moved here from years of living in a large house, I had so much stuff that I did not want to part with. Considering the size of this small studio apartment, it was apparent that a lot of stuff would have to go. I ended up selling a lot of items that I loved, but knew I would never use.  An electric canner, cast iron cookware, guns, a solar oven, books and more things I cannot even remember. Now today I am piling up books to take pictures of to sell. If I haven't looked at it in the last year, out it goes. I am still going through photographs which take up a huge amount of precious space because they are in a trunk that I could use for something else that I need and use.


Hmm, I might have tried to keep the solar oven.  Power outages.


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## Ellen Marie (Jul 5, 2020)

If you would buy it again, keep it.  If not, throw it out.   I saw some pallet wall hangers that were painted and helped with organizational needs....
https://images.search.yahoo.com/sea...z?p=pallet+organization&fr2=piv-web&fr=mcafee



__ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/157696424426853246/


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## katlupe (Jul 7, 2020)

Aneeda72 said:


> Hmm, I might have tried to keep the solar oven.  Power outages.


I have less power outages here than at my off the grid house. There it was due to not enough sun through the dark days we have here in NY. Or equipment break downs. My neighbors here told me they could not remember a power outage here and they have both been here longer than 25 years. I really was not about to put the solar oven outside on the picnic table and run up and down all day moving it to cook a meal. It is one thing if you have one on your deck or yard right outside the door. It cooked food really good though.


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## debodun (Jul 7, 2020)

I fell on my face this morning carrying trash out to the garage. It felt like I tripped on a small stump. I went back and looked all over where I fell and couldn't find anything sticking up like that. Started on the cellar and tripped on the stairs twice carrying things up. I gave up cleaning for today.


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## Aneeda72 (Jul 7, 2020)

debodun said:


> I fell on my face this morning carrying trash out to the garage. It felt like I tripped on a small stump. I went back and looked all over where I fell and couldn't find anything sticking up like that. Started on the cellar and tripped on the stairs twice carrying things up. I gave up cleaning for today.


Where you hurt?  If I fall I have to go to the ER, so I try very hard not to fall.  I have a very bad spine and have to get CT scans if I fall, ugh.


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## debodun (Jul 7, 2020)

Not hurt, but it knocked the wind out of my sails for a minute. Reflex is to reach out with arms to break the fall. I always worry I'll break a bone or dislocate or sprain a joint.


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## Aneeda72 (Jul 7, 2020)

debodun said:


> Not hurt, but it knocked the wind out of my sails for a minute. Reflex is to reach out with arms to break the fall. I always worry I'll break a bone or dislocate or sprain a joint.


Yup, although that’s a worry I don’t have.  My protective reactions are gone so I just fall .


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## debodun (Jul 7, 2020)

I've heard you should go limp if you feel yourself falling - less likely to be injured that if you tense up. Difficult thing to do.


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## debodun (Jul 7, 2020)

I called the junk removal man that helped me a few years ago getting rid of the back porch overhang that blew down. I asked if he took paint cans. He said yes, but his fee is $5 a gallon and it has to be solidified. 

The area trash company holds a "town clean-up day" twice a year, but they don't take ANY paint during the cleanup - no hazardous waste either (even latex paint, painted wood, electronics, batteries, gas cans, car oil, pesticide containers - anything toxic, corrosive or ignitable) even yard and garden waste. Ummm....what's left?


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## RadishRose (Jul 7, 2020)

Pay the fee if it's solidified.


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## debodun (Jul 7, 2020)

You wouldn't believe what was in that galvanized tub. A birch log about 15 inches long and 4 inches in diameter, a rusty metallic cylinder that looked like a fuel tank to an old camp stove, small wooden planks, a rubber hose to who knows what and an old Christmas tree lightbulb. I have no idea why these were saved.


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## Knight (Jul 7, 2020)

debodun said:


> You wouldn't believe what was in that galvanized tub. A birch log about 15 inches long and 4 inches in diameter, a rusty metallic cylinder that looked like a fuel tank to an old camp stove, small wooden planks, a rubber hose to who knows what and an old Christmas tree lightbulb. I have no idea why these were saved.
> 
> View attachment 112719


Are those pipes wrapped in asbestos? Have you thought about renting out your home to a movie maker that makes scary movies? Or one that needs a home to destroy for a movie?


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## Aunt Bea (Jul 7, 2020)

debodun said:


> I called the junk removal man that helped me a few years ago getting rid of the back porch overhang that blew down. I asked if he took paint cans. He said yes, but his fee is $5 a gallon and it has to be solidified.
> 
> The area trash company holds a "town clean-up day" twice a year, but they don't take ANY paint during the cleanup - no hazardous waste either (even latex paint, painted wood, electronics, batteries, gas cans, car oil, pesticide containers - anything toxic, corrosive or ignitable) even yard and garden waste. Ummm....what's left?


Try this link.

Select the material that you need to get rid of, punch in your zip code and a radius.

https://search.earth911.com/?what=C...&longitude=&country=&province=&city=&sponsor=


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## debodun (Jul 8, 2020)

Knight said:


> Are those pipes wrapped in asbestos?



Yep! When I got the new furnace, the business that installed it said I had to remove the asbestos that was within a 25 foot radius of the site. I hired a hazardous waste company to make sure it was done properly. That added $6000 to the cost.


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## debodun (Jul 8, 2020)




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## debodun (Jul 9, 2020)

Worked on this table for a while this morning. Everything removed except for what looks like a rolled up Persian style rug. There's a big pile of disintegrated cardboard on the floor behind the furnace which looks like a job for a cooler day. Also two old fuel oil tank gauges. I don't know why whoever took them out didn't take them away. I wear a mask when working in the cellar. Don't want to inhale any more dust and mold than I have to which I likely stir up moving things around.


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## Aneeda72 (Jul 9, 2020)

debodun said:


> Worked on this table for a while this morning. Everything removed except for what looks like a rolled up Persian style rug. There's a big pile of disintegrated cardboard on the floor behind the furnace which looks like a job for a cooler day. Also two old fuel oil tank gauges. I don't know why whoever took them out didn't take them away. I wear a mask when working in the cellar. Don't want to inhale any more dust and mold than I have to which I likely stir up moving things around.
> 
> View attachment 112944


You couldn’t pay me to go down there


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## debodun (Jul 9, 2020)

The guy I talked with the other day that does junk removal said that is only what he does - just a removal service. He doesn't actually do clean-outs. The homeowner has to have what they need removed to be outside of the house in a pile and he will come and pick it up.


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## MarciKS (Jul 9, 2020)

Every time I clean it turns into one room resembling the aftermath of a tornado while I get side tracked & start digging around looking for other things that go with something I've located or something I remember having but don't remember where I put it. And then I start rearranging the room & it turns one little room that should take a few min to clean into a 4 hr venture.


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## debodun (Jul 9, 2020)

I can relate to that.


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## debodun (Jul 9, 2020)

Aneeda72 said:


> You couldn’t pay me to go down there



And that is a fairly neat part of my cellar.


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## Aneeda72 (Jul 9, 2020)

debodun said:


> And that is a fairly neat part of my cellar.


Yeah, I don’t do cellars, I barely do basements


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## MarciKS (Jul 9, 2020)

Occasionally I clean the basement but I have to take allergy pills before & after & mask up.


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## JustBonee (Jul 9, 2020)

debodun said:


> I've heard you should go limp if you feel yourself falling - less likely to be injured that if you tense up. Difficult thing to do.



There is something to that  .....  you  hear of drunk drivers hitting and killing people,  and they aren't hurt at all.


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## Aneeda72 (Jul 9, 2020)

Bonnie said:


> There is something to that  .....  you  hear of drunk drivers hitting and killing people,  and they aren't hurt at all.


That is simply not true, IMO, you can’t get anymore limp than when you pass out, and you most certainly can get hurt.


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## jujube (Jul 9, 2020)

debodun said:


> View attachment 112783



How close are you to Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Hoosick Falls or Troy?  I ran the Earth911 search and found places in all four that accept paint. It looks your search was looking for "CRT televisions", not paint.


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## debodun (Jul 10, 2020)

The closest of those choices is Saratoga which is about 20 miles away, but you have to be a resident.


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## debodun (Jul 15, 2020)

I found two boxes of badly rusted and outdated plumbing and electrical accessories. They've been in a damp cellar for decades. I went through them and threw 90% of it out - things like items that were so rusty I couldn't tell what they were, electric sockets for non-grounded circuits and fuses (I have a circuit breaker now). I did save some things like a toilet flapper and faucet seating wrench that were still in the packing. I did find a few interesting things - a spool of copper wire, a little plumbob and a roller tool that says HYDE-300 on the handle.


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## peppermint (Jul 15, 2020)

I'm still cleaning my own house....and I did clean my Mom's home
when I was a teen....I'm 75 years old and clean my home. .If I'm not feeling well, my husband would help....


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## Knight (Jul 15, 2020)

debodun said:


> I found two boxes of badly rusted and outdated plumbing and electrical accessories. They've been in a damp cellar for decades. I went through them and threw 90% of it out - things like items that were so rusty I couldn't tell what they were, electric sockets for non-grounded circuits and fuses (I have a circuit breaker now). I did save some things like a toilet flapper and faucet seating wrench that were still in the packing. I did find a few interesting things - a spool of copper wire, a little plumbob and a roller tool that says HYDE-300 on the handle.
> 
> View attachment 113767View attachment 113768


2 of those 3 can be useful.

Use the copper wire to hang the plumb bob from the ceiling in a room you use most. Long enough to get a good reading on whether or not your homes foundation has begun to crumble along with the exterior brick. If your as you call it your disaster is leaning now any additional leaning could be noted so you could get out before total collapse trapping you inside.


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## debodun (Jul 17, 2020)

I am happy I had the forethought to wear a mask when cleaning in the cellar. It turned from light blue to a powdery gray. I shudder to think of all the mold spore bearing dust I could have inhaled by not wearing it.


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