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Post by morningglory on Aug 5, 2010 13:58:29 GMT -5
Well, yesterday my daughter and I cleaned out and organized our pantry (really a smallish floor-ceiling cabinet). That seemed to inspire one of our sons, so he and our daughter spent hours after that cleaning out what we call "the utility closet" in the kitchen and then moved on to cleaning out his bedroom (about 5 bags of trash came out!). The utility closet hadn't been cleaned out in almost 10 years, literally.
Here's what I want to talk about. From the utility closet (a big closet in which I store cleaning supplies, hardware, lightbulbs, first aid kit, tools, and miscellaneous things of that nature), the kids bagged up three giant black garbage bags.
I had to go through them, to retrieve a few items that really should have been saved (like unopened mini-blinds that can be used to replace broken blinds in the house). Of course there were also a few things that I agree we don't need, but would be better to give to Goodwill than throw out (like 3 different vacuum cleaners!).
But the majority of what was in those bags really was junk that we didn't need to save, and that included wads of old torn or stained bedsheets (in case I might need rags or dropcloths), and also several Ziploc bags full of disposable plastic container lids.
Those bags of lids almost brought me to tears, because those are precisely the type of thing that a hoarder/squaloree has jamming up their storage areas. The original problem was that I hoarded plastic containers and their lids. The companies always change the designs so that when I buy new containers, the old lids no longer fit. But I always held onto them, thinking eventually I would buy containers that *would* fit the lids.
But then the cabinet where I keep containers and lids was getting to full, so I "solved" the problem by putting all the excess lids into a bunch of large Ziploc bags, and "storing" them in the utility closet. I don't know how quickly I forgot they were even there, but I'm sure it has been years since I have given them a thought (even when searching for lids to match my lidless containers!).
So this ridiculous situation--plastic bags full of plastic lids--was my attempt at dealing with a clutter problem. It is so sad and so laughable at the same time.
I find it ironic that a lot of my squalor consists of items precisely to do with my squalor problem! All those excess vacuum cleaners, the boxes and boxes of Swiffer cloths that the kids neatly arranged for me in the reorganized utility closet, plastic containers, plastic bags, tons of cleaning supplies, books about organization.
Heaven help us!
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Post by messymimi on Aug 5, 2010 14:25:57 GMT -5
Dear Morning Glory,
Congratulations on such a huge accomplishment! Kudos to you and your children!
Remember, this is part of what ails us. As we come to understand ourselves better, we will do better at knowing what is truly important to keep, and what is unneeded.
Again, great job on the clean out!
messymimi
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Post by AnnieOkie on Aug 5, 2010 15:09:36 GMT -5
Morning Glory-Great job by you and the kids!! I understand about the lids.  I have an entire drawer dedicated to lids.....disposable, Tupperware, etc. I do use some of them (I even use the cheapie, disposable ones for easy spoon rests). However, in your honor and in honor of my upcoming move to a new home.....I will clean that drawer out and only keep what I absolutely have to have... with maybe a couple held for use as disposable spoon rests. |
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Post by morningglory on Aug 5, 2010 15:55:15 GMT -5
Morning Glory-Great job by you and the kids!! I understand about the lids. I have an entire drawer dedicated to lids.....disposable, Tupperware, etc. I do use some of them (I even use the cheapie, disposable ones for easy spoon rests). However, in your honor and in honor of my upcoming move to a new home.....I will clean that drawer out and only keep what I absolutely have to have... with maybe a couple held for use as disposable spoon rests. Woohoo! I am so excited that you are going to throw out all those lids! Yay! Thank you!  |
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Post by moggyfan on Aug 5, 2010 20:37:24 GMT -5
Oh God, this is EXACTLY what I used to do x 100,000! EXACTLY. I never hoarded actual garbage; no, it was always stuff that seemed reasonable at the time--after all, those lids (books/shirts/plates/magazines/hangers/tools/plastic silverware/little packets of ketchup/cups/wrapping paper, etc. etc. etc.) were surely going to come in handy one day. You know what? I think EXACTLY like you--I totally could have written this, start to finish (well, except the kids part, since I don't have them!  ). |
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Post by morningglory on Aug 5, 2010 23:04:01 GMT -5
Wow--thanks so much for tossing lids in my honor, angelpuss! I feel great about that!
And thanks for the empathy, moggyfan! Your little list of items are all things I have hoarded, too!
I must say that it was exciting to see that at least MY KIDS recognized all these things as useless garbage! Thank Heavens!
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