DC
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Joined: February 2009
Posts: 18
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Post by DC on Jan 20, 2010 13:35:21 GMT -5
I know I'm not the only person with the dubious luck to be in this position but maybe you all can help. My apartment is messy. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't. The problem is there is roughly NO floor space. As such, my mind is willing to clean but it feels like there's no place to put anything once it's sorted. If I get a box of things sorted out to give to Goodwill (having them do a pick-up since I don't have a car), I have nowhere to put it but back into the fray. I'm just feeling stuck and while I know that I can do this, I'm really not sure how to proceed. It's not a matter of the mental blocks I've had in the past - it's just being befuddled at where to start with the cleaning and how not to make it worse while trying to make it better! Help please!  DC |
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Post by anonymoose on Jan 20, 2010 13:41:21 GMT -5
I totally understand - my sister is the only one who's been invited to see my mess, and she laughs at me when I buy cleaning supplies...to use on exactly what exposed surface??
Anyway, are you able to take one room and shove or pile things to one side of that room to free up a chunk of space? If you can get that strip clean, you can start boxing, labeling, and piling neatly on that side...just working your way right to left or whatever.
Good luck!
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Post by 60isolderthanithot on Jan 20, 2010 13:45:56 GMT -5
What is really needed is a cleanout that involves getting rid of things. It's not possible to store any serious hoarder's total mass in an average apartment. Hoarders have been known to buy extra buildings as well as rent storage lockers to hold their stuff, always intending to clean it up, sort it, make things happen, start over, etc.
It's not the limited space that is the problem, can we agree on that? Because so many of us have experienced this situation of running out of surfaces, to the point where we cannot handle normal daily activities such as cooking, sleeping, sitting down to watch TV or read -- and this happens no matter the size of the home or the number of rented storage spaces.
We have to get real about these things.
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DC
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Post by DC on Jan 20, 2010 13:53:05 GMT -5
I know I have too much stuff, but not as much as you might think. These are not stacked to the ceiling boxes or anything. I have a bedroom, a bathroom, and then the main area of the apartment. The bedroom is not used - my bed is in the living room area. This is because I have two cats and they like to sleep with me and the bedroom wasn't safe for them (I'm a crafter - lots of dangerous things for kitty cats around). The *original* plan was to turn the bedroom into a craft room. That was a year ago. It hasn't really happened, as you might have guessed. I do have a storage area in the basement of my apartment building. I could take the Goodwill stuff down there temporarily till my sister can come get it. That might work!  |
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Post by momof3boys on Jan 20, 2010 14:12:44 GMT -5
If this was my apartment I'd try to throw some things out.
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eternal
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Posts: 57 
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Post by eternal on Jan 20, 2010 14:45:28 GMT -5
I have the same problem with too much stuff. It's frustrating to spend a lot of time sorting it, only to find it feels as if there is less space!
Do you have somewhere "inbetween" to put Goodwill boxes? Like a car?
(I just reread and you don't have a car, but is there anywhere else? A shed?
I have sometimes thrown things away that could have been given to charity, just because I know I need to get rid of the stuff quickly. It's a shame, but it might make things easier of you can get stuff out of the house. I don't know what your stuff is like, but with mine, sometimes I've suddenly seen it with somebody else's eyes and realised it's not as valuable as I think it is. Something that might have been nice once might now be old, dull and grimy, even if it's still useable. For instance, I've thrown away (with difficulty) working kitchen appliances that have become yellowed with age. Those things will be difficult for the charity shops to sell. If your stuff is good quality, you might find it difficult to just throw away, though.
I find that the bathroom is easier to clear and clean than the rest of the house. That might be a good place to start.
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Post by shopgirl on Jan 20, 2010 15:03:02 GMT -5
I understand. I have a room I just cannot seem to get started in, too. Partially cleared it a few months ago, but then cluttered it up again with even more stuff than before. I avoid going there because it's so daunting.
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Post by gifted on Jan 20, 2010 15:07:08 GMT -5
I also have no car, and I know how it complicates getting rid of things.
If you do not have space for sorting out stuff for Goodwill, then you need to throw things out until you do. It is called "amnesty." You will find that word frequently on this board.
If you have no room for a garbage bag, them you can just pick one thing up at a time, and toss it in the trash.
You are not being wasteful, you are making room so that you can donate some other things to Goodwill. You are saving your health by creating a calming environment for yourself.
Just one thing at a time, the obvious trash can be tossed first.
Does it need mending? Goodwill does not want it. If you know it is trulyrare and valuable, then Freecycle it. If noone responds in a few days, then it is time to toss it.
You do not need to have it all ready for Goodwill at the same time. First you can just donate three things at a time.
If you live in a city and work downtown, you can bring one item of clothing, and leave it on top of a trash can, where a homeless person will find it, and make use of it.
And most importantly, refrain from celebrating your success by buying new stuff! If you really need to buy something to celebrate, buy chocolate or other consumables!
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Post by Chris on Jan 20, 2010 17:05:04 GMT -5
Hi DC, What has worked for me is to analyze things a little before I start. I have to get an idea of how much space I have for clothing, books, dishes etc. This is very important because it helps me decide how much I can actually keep. Now it wasn't as easy when I started this a few years back but now it has become a way of life for me to look at how much room I have before making decisions. It really helped me to start with a category. You can pick one like clothing or you can even pick trash if you have trash that needs to be removed. Or books if books are a problem. The process can be slow -- because really we have to deal with a lot of stuff. When I stared = every category was a problem but my worst ones were: clothing, books, papers, dishes.... mainly. I had excess stuff in all those categories. I guess what I am trying to say is that it may not be noticeable at first if you work in categories -- but eventually it all comes together and your home will be more functional -- you'll be able to store your clothing and things and you'll know how much room you have -- so that helps in knowing how much you can keep. Good luck to you. I found a lot of help in the book Buried in Treasures. |
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Post by illuminata on Jan 20, 2010 19:03:02 GMT -5
A suggestion, which may or may not help:
I'd purchase three things...two boxes of different trash bags and a plastic tote.
A tote may sound counter-intuitive, since the goal is to NOT hide stuff in totes, but a tote can be helpful. You can open it up and use it to help you sort things (just take them back out once they are sorted). If you need to use it to hold little things while you look through them (practically impossible when you have no floor space), you can turn it upside down or put its lid on it. If it is sturdy enough, you can sit on it while you pick up trash off the floor. You can use the lid as a tray to hold something, balanced on the trash, while you use the tote itself to sort. You can put stuff in it and carry/drag it down the hallway to the trash chute (if you have one) or downstairs to the dumpster. If you don't have a tote, a cardboard box will work, but if you have soggy stuff you might need to replace it every so often.
The trash bags are for putting either trash in for total disposal (in the chute or the dumpster), or for bagging up donated items. You can buy big black ones with yellow drawstrings for the donations and black ones with red drawstrings or self-ties for the trash. That way you don't accidentally throw away something you want to donate. And it is okay to sit them on top of the current trash, because you will eventually get to the point where you have clean places on the floor and you can then sit them there.
And don't get so worked up on donating items that you forget the ultimate goal is a clean apartment...as rory said in a post a few days ago when somebody was upset that he didn't put trash in a recycling bin, "It is more important that it went." Sure, donating is good, but in cases like your apartment it is more important that it goes.
When you come across a thing in a room where it doesn't belong, take it to the room where it DOES belong. Don't worry if you don't have a spot for it yet. Just get it in its right room. Toilet paper does not belong in a living room, and a photo album does not belong in the bathroom. Even if it is not in the right spot IN the room, at least it is IN the room, and once things are neater you can them put it IN the right spot in the room.
Finally...don't look at the W H O L E A P A R T M E N T. That makes it overwhelming. Just look at a tiny spot. One foot by one foot. Mark it off with a tape measure if you want. And then, just clean that one foot by one foot square. When that's done, move on to the next little square. Lather, rinse, repeat as needed. Rest when you need to, keep hydrated, give yourself little pats on the back, and remember...it didn't happen in a day and it won't get cleaned up in a day, but it WILL happen.
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toni
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Posts: 73
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Post by toni on Jan 20, 2010 20:06:01 GMT -5
DC - What is your garbage situation? Do you toss your stuff in a dumpster, do you have garbage pickup, etc?
I would toss as much trash as I could first, and maybe that would help clear some space?
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salmon
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Posts: 54
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Post by salmon on Jan 20, 2010 20:28:44 GMT -5
DC
Welcome. I am at the beginning of this whole process too. 2 weeks ago I did not know where to start. I guess the danger is not starting at all because its so overwhelming. I do have lots of floor space open but no counter space.
This is my method so far. Take whats useful, and leave the rest.
I made the bed nice for myself. I have a queen size bed and I used to sleep on half of it with clutter on the other half. Well, I washed all the linens and made it nice so I have a big relaxing space to sleep. Right now the bed is in the living room because the bedroom is too cold and this saves on the heating cost. So the bed is also a place to sort and organize but the rule is it has to be cleared when I go to bed. So far I've only used the bed as a space when sorting laundry.
The two most squalorous places are getting cleaned first: kitchen and bathroom. I have no counter space free, so how do I begin? The first thing I did was wash the dishes and clean the sinks out. Partly because of the squalor, but also because I couldn't clean the refrigerator out without a place to do it. So a week or so ago I defrosted the freezer. Some stuff had to be thrown out, lots of it. Some of it had to stay frozen until I put it back. And the big chunks of ice had to thaw. I used the sink.
Yesterday I cleaned out the refrigerator. I put all the stuff in the sink and sorted through it. A lot was past the expiration date and get tossed. I needed to empty the whole thing out to scrub it down. Now I have a very clean refrigerator and sink.
Thats all so far! My whole kitchen table is covered with clutter as is my kitchen counter. I need to do part of it at a time to have space to do the rest. The cleaner things are, the easier it will get.
One step at a time!
Salmon
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Post by CaringFriend on Jan 21, 2010 1:53:56 GMT -5
I want to add to eternal's suggestion of tossing things even if they may still look "good" to you (i.e. yellowing appliances). I learned a lesson very quickly on that subject. I searched for the same item on ebay to see what it was worth and was shocked  to discover that the same item, but brand new and unused, was worth very little. We think our possessions are so special and valuable. Just sit back and watch the very serious hoarders on TV whenever they talk about the possession of the moment they happen to be holding - how valuable and special it is. Also, as I was sorting and decluttering and would come across items, I'd spend time deciding to "Trash or donate?" Then I realized that if I was spending so much time making that decision, the answer was simple - trash it. Another thing, I would be looking at potentially usable items to donate, then suddenly realize that it would probably be sold for maybe 50 cents. My time and that of the thrift store worker who had to handle it and price it were worth much more than 50 cents! And then there's the cost of gas to deliver it. Ugh! Those considerations have helped me toss many things I would never have considered tossing a couple of years ago. Initially there is a tinge of guilt, but once the item is in the trash and gone, I have forgotten about it. Chris also hit on something very important when she said: "What has worked for me is to analyze things a little before I start. I have to get an idea of how much space I have for clothing, books, dishes etc. This is very important because it helps me decide how much I can actually keep. Now it wasn't as easy when I started this a few years back but now it has become a way of life for me to look at how much room I have before making decisions." True! True! True! My first apt. was only 2 rooms and a bath. Not 2 bedrooms - 2 rooms - a kitchen and living room w/sofa bed. It was always neat because I could only have a limited number of possessions. My "desk" was a plastic cleaning caddy with a handle which I kept on a closet shelf. It held my bills, receipts, calculator, stamps, pen, pencil, and even tape. And all of those items were kept there, readily available when I needed them. Moving into larger spaces tricks me into thinking I can have an unlimited # of possessions. Not so. I never learned the "One in - one out" rule until I found another valuable organizing site. That was a novel idea, but one that made so much sense. I designate spaces for clothing, shoes, books, etc. A new item means an old one has to go. While I am in a store holding something in my hand, admiring it, my mind goes back to where that item will be stored and which item will I have to trash? Often I really like what I have at home and decide not to buy this new item Yikes! Sorry for such a long post, but others have sparked memories that fit this situation. |
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Post by howardsgirlfriend on Jan 21, 2010 2:33:13 GMT -5
What you need is called a "staging area"--a place to work on projects, not to store them. The first time I created a staging area, I had to take stuff outside. I realize you can't do that, but using the storage locker for donations sounds like a great idea. You could probably use your bed for a staging area, but don't bite off more than you can chew--you and your kitties should be able to sleep in your bed every night.
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Post by sparkle on Jan 21, 2010 13:27:38 GMT -5
DC. Thank you for posting this. I've found a few ideas here that might help me deal with the same problem. Please keep this thread going if you find something that works for you. I'm so sorry that I can't contribute solutions right now but know that you have helped others by asking the question. I'll let you know if I find something that works with my mess.
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