Clutter and general mess seems to have a habit of increasing when we aren’t looking and least expect it. It accumulates subtly, away from plain view and without you even noticing it getting worse and worse. For hoarders, (or individuals with strong storing inclinations as a nice way of putting it), this mess frequently appears as junk, items that are often unusable, or just a collection of things that have in general gotten totally out of hand.
Become a hoarder no more, with these 8 tips to help with decluttering. But should you need any help with this, Mooving Matters can take the hassle and headache of decluttering away. We can solve this problem for you to make life easier. Mooving Matters services the North Shore of Sydney, Australia……anywhere from Wahroonga, to Pymble, all the way to Woolwich, Hunter Hill and even Drummoyne.
A hoarder’s house can sometimes be akin to a minefield. A lot of the time its not just a little messy, often or not its regularly hazardous, unsanitary, and, now and again, unacceptable for everyday living.
Below are 8 decluttering tips for those we refer to as hoarders that should help you get to a good start.
1. SEEK ADVICE FROM PROFESSIONAL MOVERS & PACKERS
Getting help for a hoarder can come in many different aspects. You should really start by seeking sound advice from professionals. Especially if you suspect someone or someone close to you is a hoarder. Having an expert, authorized guide on your side will permit you to deal with the pain of releasing things in a sound manner. This often comes in the form of getting sound advice from a qualified counsellor.
Once you’ve consulted a counsellor, you probably should find someone that the hoarder can trust to help bring the initial phase of dealing with the hoarding problem. This usually comes in the form of a partner, or perhaps a family member who can help ease with this transition.
Understanding this process can help a great deal to resolve the issue, and letting them know they have support will go a long way in the end.
2. PUTTING A STOP TO THE JUNK PILES
As previously mentioned, having the expectation that a hoarder should totally stop the collection of unneeded items is probably unreasonable and improbable, and can possibly blow up and result in a serious glut of shopping binges, which doesn’t help anyone. Changes should be implemented slowly, and gradually introduced to help deal with the matter at hand. We can’t just rip off the band-aid and expect things to change over overnight.
All things considered, in the event that you or somebody you love is a hoarder, the objective should be to try to free up your home of a bigger number of things than you get.
We should be trying to focus on getting rid of things that are deemed not essential. Focus on additional cleaning up days and fewer shopping days.
3. ITS OK TO TAKE SMALL GRADUAL STEPS
As previously mentioned above, we need to start with small gradual steps when you are dealing with a hoarder. For those of us out there who are “go getters” we may inclined to rush into it and employ the “cold turkey” method by simply forcing a declutter into their home and cleaning it up yourself. Doing so will likely result in a bad reaction from the hoarder, and they may fall into an even more rapid decline when it comes to their hoarding problems.
Instead try to implement a plan where you can start declutter the hoarders things slowly by slowly. Maybe start with decluttering a small section of a room. Then you can move onto decluttering each room one by one, in a gradual manner. Phase 1 can include decluttering their primary room first. Then maybe you can move onto the lounge room etc etc.
Look at it from a perspective that the first step will eventually lead to the last step. But we have to take the first step first, then only move onto the 2nd step when we are sure they are able to handle it.
4. MAKE IT EASY TO ADAPT BY SHOWING THEM A CLEAR PATH
The principal thing you ought to do while cleaning up a hoarder’s house is to make paths where they walk be very clear of any mess and clutter free. The key living areas within a house should be paid extra attention such as the kitchen, the bathrooms and also their bedrooms where they normally sleep. Its essential that we get the basics right and keep these areas clutter free so they can adjust at a faster rate. A potential safe route is essential in the house while cleaning up. All things considered, you will not have the option to clear the messiness until you can really get to the messiness
5. REMOVE THE UNWANTED USELESS GARBAGE FIRST
People that are trusted, such as family and friends can really be of benefit here and help alleviate the problem fast when it comes to a hoarder. The majority of hoarders have a serious problem when it comes to other people handling their items. Primarily they fear that their stuff will be disposed of without their knowledge, or possible be even taken without being informed.
The most important factor here is that you first ask the hoarder for their OK or permission for you to potentially get rid of non essential items. Items that really in the long run they don’t need at all. You can often find all sorts of crazy things that hoarders will collect over time, stuff that most people would consider rubbish.
This is a great gradual step to take, and often results in a small win for both sides, as the hoarder has given their consent. From here on in the decluttering process should begin to flow more easily, and we can start to concentrate on decluttering more bigger items, such as sentimental items the hoarder may hold dear to the heart, but ultimately really need to go.
6. KEEP THEM INTERESTED
The most ideal approach to keep them interested when cleaning up is to restrict the measure of time spent on each cleaning up session. It helps to slowly implement this with manageable tasks such as 20 minute cleaning sessions. Or 30 minute decluttering where you concentrate on one room first. This can be progressed on a daily basis, or perhaps 4 out of the 7 days for example.
Another popular method used is to take photos of different stages of the declutter. For example a before and after photo. This often results in extra motivation when the hoarder sees the progress they are making whilst gradually going about the completion of the task.
7. KEEP THEM ON TASK
Many people who have clutter problems usually also suffer from being able to concentrate for long periods and have attention deficiencies. Generally the average person will be able concentrate longer, hence we need to deal with these averages in a clever yet effective way.
Turning off common distractions such as the TV or mobile phones, can often go a long way to keeping them concentrated. This can help you stay the course at hand and get the task completed. Of often helps to only have 2 designated piles, a yes or a no pile. There is no maybe pile that should be allowed. We make a decision to either keep it, or dispose of it. The word maybe should not even be considered when dealing with a hoarder.
It’s a good idea once the hoarder has agreed to remove the item, that we do so immediately. Get rid of the item or items right away and get them out of the house so that the hoarder cannot see it and change their mind.
8. DON’T EXPECT OVERNIGHT RESULTS
Things don’t happen overnight when it comes to dealing with hoarders and the decluttering process. We shouldn’t expect it to happen right away, it’s a gradual process.
Try to get the hoarder to make small changes and give up on certain items in a gradual process. This should help them get over the process in a much more effective way. Last thing you want is them starting to 2nd guess themselves, and stumbling when they make decisions.
We hope these 8 tips on decluttering have truly helped you realise you dont need to stay a hoarder and can make clarity of the physical choas. If all else fails you can always contact us here at Mooving Matters to make the whole process much easier. Let us do the heavy lifting for you and take the stress out of the decluttering process .
We are a professional moving company that has been operating in Sydney North Shore for over 10 years now, so we have the experience to handle your packing, unpacking and declutter tasks big or small.
Mooving Matters services the North Shore of Sydney, Australia……anywhere from Wahroonga, to Pymble, all the way to Woolwich, Hunter Hill and even Drummoyne. Call us now for all your declutter needs.
