Want some motivations to clean up - go watch the show "Hoarders"

[AngryAmish]

I watched this one yesterday about a lady who didn't think food went bad in her fridge. I was retching. Then, boom, I cleaned my kitchen.

[Patiod]

1. Ugh - no need. I can just visit my MIL

We had to clean out her bedroom last summer, and we threw out about 60 trashbags FULL of junk and trash. There were dog and mouse feces all over. And that was ONE tiny rowhouse-room. There is still another bedroom full, plus the basement. My SIL lives with her (b/c she has MS and needs periodic help), and although she is trying to keep the living room and dining room reasonably clear, I'm seeing hoarder symptoms in her as well. Another sister seems to have the same problem.

Now when my SO is quick to throw away the newspaper before I've had a chance to read it, I'm a lot more sympathetic.

[LynzM]

7. My mom is like that...

Not the worst I've ever seen (online, anyway), but the worst I've seen in real life. It's bad. :( Various of us have helped her clean up at times, and it just goes right back to it. It's certainly some kind of illness.

[Curtland1015]

2. My father is a "hoarder". He refuses to get rid of anything.

Once my sister and I went to his house and cleaned the living sh*t out of it. He was all "I can't thank you enough" and "this is so great, thanks for doing this".

The next time I went to visit, it was a pig sty again. Piles of junk everywhere. I pretty much gave up.

But for some people, hoarding things is like a mental illness.

[AngryAmish]

3. My father had it too when he got older

It is totally a mental illness. His memory got bad so he wanted to see everything so he would not forget it. So things would pile up.

Luckily he was pretty deaf so I just tossed things when he was sleeping.

[NJmaverick]

4. In my EMS profession I have had cause to go into some of their homes

One house was beyond belief. There was literally garbage piled 4 feet high and little paths to navigate the home. At least those parts of the home that you could get to. The second floor and some first floor rooms could simply not be entered.

[vadawg]

6. yup ive seen a few of these ones as well

nothing worse than having a dead dude there as well, especially the pet hoarders, simply put when you die your pets no longer see you as mummy or daddy, you just kibbles...

[NJmaverick]

9. yuck

[schmuls]

5. I saw it and it was disgusting - she had food sitting in liquids

from bad meat. She had pumpkins in her living room rotting into mush. I must say I felt better about my own place after seeing that!

[Bertha Venation]

8. I had to turn it off after a child found his playhouse being torn up

The mom said "this goes" but she hadn't told the child. The child found the guy in the front yard banging it apart with a sledge hammer and started crying. Too much for me.

But I think I'd like to watch the show. It might help me clean up my "corner" in the bedroom.

[madeline_con]

10. That's messed up. n/t