Not quite a horder - decluttering
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We had our forced air system cleaned. It made a huge difference.
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Actually, we've only done it a few times. I think it takes a while to build back up. It sure made a difference the first time tho. Maybe the previous owners never had it done. Side benefit: No more big spiders coming upstairs. I guess they were living in there.
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I had all my air ducts cleaned several years ago to see if it would help the dust. Not really useful so I don't plan to do it again. What would help is if I replace all the windows. Saving up for that - money & energy.
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Wren - I have been considering that. Was it a big job? I have an older home and was scared it would mess up something or leave a scent. Even though I have all that hepa stuff I still get a lot of dust.
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I think they came in with a strong vacuum and sucked all the crud out. I wasn't there, however, so I'm not sure. Do you have a furnace company? They could tell you how they do it. I'm pretty sure it didn't leave a scent. I'm highly allergic to many scents so I would remember. We rented an older home and the doctor said there is something called 'old home allergy'. I guess there's just so much that can flake or make dust in an old home. I can't convince DH to pull the carpet out of our bedroom. I don't care what's underneath (we think probably plywood). I will paint it and put down washable scatter rugs.
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Getting the rugs out just has to help. My Grandma lived in an old log cabin and boy did she have various molds in there. I am a fan of duct cleaning and using filters on the vents. I think you have to check with your furnace company to be sure the airflow is not impeded.
My DD had her crawl space cleaned out and then they put plastic all over inside and it works for them.
I did see Dr today and have to wear a hyperextension brace for three months. I hope it relieves the pain and I will walk again. I wonder if I can go to physical therapy during this time because I need to be stronger to move about and have even a little bit of endurance. My Grandma's lived to 88 and 93 my Great Aunt 104. I am just so out of shape at 68. I need to begin getting things out of this house. We brought way way too much with us.
Does anybody have a book or something to use as a guide to make sense out of downsizing to fit a new and siimpler smaller space? I will need to have some things sold off and we are not in a good spot to have a garage or yard sale.
Laters my dear pocket pals
Hugs Ginger
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There are people who specialize in helping people downsize. One had a program at our senior center recently and has plans to do it again. You might check with senior centers close to you to see if anyone has one scheduled. Some of the assisted living places offer classes also. The basic idea is to keep only what you love and what makes you happy. DH and I once agreed that we could both move out of the house and it would still be full lol. Consignment stores take stuff that looks ok and works: furniture, appliances, dishes.
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Gingerbrew, have you tried picking a very small space, like a single drawer, emptying it, and only putting back what belongs in there that you would want to move to your new home or will use up before the move? The rest can be tossed or donated. I find that having even one small victory like that is energizing.
I used that method to get ready to move when the kids were really young and I only had an hour or so at nap time to get things done. A couple of decades later, most of the drawers stay relatively neat, and they do get gone through on a regular basis. It is always how I start the process, although some drawers take longer than others. We cleared out most of my Dad's dresser within a couple of days after he died, but that top drawer where he kept all the little trinkets from 60 years tucked away is still too daunting to really go through a couple of months later. Maybe next week.
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"Saving" that drawer is part of the mourning process, Patmom, and you will know when it is time to go through it. Meanwhile, you can put all those little treasures your dad collected in a special box, label it "Dad's Drawer." No need to sort for weeks, months, years. You'll have gotten a good look at all of it, and maybe culled a bit, but some things just don't lend themselves to scheduled decluttering.
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Patmom: I likeyour one draw at a time idea. It is helpful because the whole task seems so daunting.
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Yeah. My kids could clean out my house in a jiffy; they have no attachment to my stuff. Eventually, no doubt, that's exactly what will happen.
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I like that 1 drawer at a time too. I did my junk drawer in the kitchen. Easy peezy. Tossed a few things and found a plastic bin for the extras. You never have 1 big slotted spoon or butchers knife. I really need to redo the bathroom lotion, soap etc cabinet. Too many half used bottles of stuff that I no linger use. Toss, toss, toss. I also need to take some of the older towels I have been using and add them to my basement towels for my wet areas I get in spring. I have a few bins with new ones and what am I waiting for....minds well use them now.
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I love the drawer idea. Since I basically got to clean my parents house by myself, I took the stuff from my Dad's "special" drawer and regularly send things each Christmas with a little note to my brother & his kids and my son. Not sure if they really care, but i feel like I'm giving them something important that belonged to Grandpa & clearing it out at the same time.
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Yes, Teka, it would be so much easier if someone else went through things... I am plodding along, filing the recycling bins and gargabe can with a large pile to take to Goodwill. But feels like I have not accomplished much as when I look around, there is so much more to do!!!
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I need to get inspired. SIL is arriving March 1 and our guest room is also my sewing room, closet, out of season clothing storage, junk room, etc. etc. I have 3 weeks and it will probably take that long. I need to donate some stuff. How many pillows do I need anyway? I'm sure I have more. I cleverly made 1 box marked sentimental clothing. It has the few things with special memories attached.
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Cleaning out bathroom stuff today. I'm amazed at how many bath towels, wash cloths, and beach towels we have for two people. We don't have a pool and aren't near a lake. We only have three bathrooms, but I think we have enough stuff to supply camp.
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When my mother went into a nursing home in 1998, I had to rent her house out to raise money for expenses. DH and I went over to the house, and every single item I picked up had a memory attached to it. It was taking me forever, so DH finally asked if I wanted him to pack things up. I gratefully said yes. He went through the house and just swept EVERYTHING into boxes.
Fortunately, we were in the position to be able to afford a mini-storage for her things. Unfortunately, we knew that most of the boxes contained some serious junk: wire coat hangers, old rubber bands, expired coupons, and the general crap that elderly folks seem to accumulate.
In 2005, we moved into our new home with a 3 car garage. DH said there was no need for a mini-storage, so he packed everything up and unloaded it in the garage. We started the process of sorting through Mom's stuff. By then it was easy to toss the garbage. After all, it was taking up valuable real estate in my garage, where MY crap needed to go!
But I'd still get to a box of things that I couldn't get rid of just yet. Every spring we'd go through boxes and I'd sort through and get rid of more.
Finally, she passed in 2009. That year, I went through about 100 boxes and whittled it down to 40. I also let go of a lot of big stuff in an estate sale put on by a local company.
Each spring, we repeat the ritual. Things I thought I couldn't live without have been tossed or donated. Now, the few things I have of Mom's are special and meaningful to me, and don't take up a lot of space.
I was lucky to have the time and the space to allow the letting-go to be a process.
Now it's time for us to start going through OUR boxes of crap.
MIL's passing last week just brought that closer to home. We need to downsize while we're still physically able to do it.
(The good news is that we put a whole bunch of stuff in the travel trailer, so we didn't have to spend any money furnishing it! And I can't wait to see what Turbo Tax has in store for us in the way of deductions.. we donated a TON of
craptreasures last year!)0 -
Starting the bathroom...starting the bathroom.....
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I pulled crumpled up receipts from the past three months out of my purse and entered all the business expenses into my Excel file. Now I just have to provide totals and I'm ready for the tax lady. Just hoping the income side of the equation is bigger than the expense side!
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I have got to do a better job of medical bills etc to claim. It seems I never have enough and I know I must. My entire life revolves around Drs and meds. I do have good insurance though...I am lucky.
Looked at the basement today again and called my friend to come help me reorganize next week. That will give me a chance to get into those bins and start to downsize. I must have 20 kitchen towels still that have tags. Towels and sheets too. Need to get busy.
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I have dish towels that are too pretty to use. So they sit. I hope you get the assistance that you need Bunkie!
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Ginger, Or you can change your attitude: I deserve the best and should be surrounded by things I love. You'll appreciate them more than your heirs. Gifts and donations are also good ideas. It's easy to save things that are too good to use, but when does the right time come?
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Does anyone have embroidered pillowcases hidden away?
My grandma made them for me for every birthday and Christmas. Not only were they embroidered, they had the prettiest crocheted edging on them!
They are wrapped in acid-free tissue paper in my linen closet. I don't know what I'm waiting for...
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Yes. And I'm not sure what I'm waiting for either. They probably need ironing. Maybe that's part of it.
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I have the embroidered pillow cases with tatting or crocheted edges. I also have some little ones my Grandma made for the babies, of course none of the babies ever used a pillow but they are so pretty.
I also have a bunch of my Grandmas tatting on a big hair pin that was in process and not completed. Those are the things I cannot imagine ever ever getting rid of unless to a museum collection.
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I started using the silver flatware for every day and plan to move the "good china" into my every day dish closet. There is no need to save them and it is nice to have pretty things.
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