At times when I cleaned my mother-in-law’s hoarder house, I wanted to give up and “gut it.” But it was HERS and my fiduciary duty was to recover the greatest value out of her house to pay for her care. I found that I could make a lot of it look really good with hard work, and then ultimately paint and replace flooring to transform it into something that was a great blessing to the next family and garnered $50,000 more than the first realtor estimated. Her home and modest investments, carefully managed, covered her expensive full-time care in the final years and then left the children with inheritance. Worth the effort, for sure.
@@SharonOnTheNetit really depends on the person. some people make sure to save more than they are likely to need, planning for emergencies in old age. in that case, the role of that money is to go to their heirs, and it IS iheritance money.
Your “Hi Memberssssss” is the highlight of my week, 😂. Your narration is wonderful because your voice is soothing. And I can’t say enough about your compassion and empathy ❤❤❤
I’m glad you said Mack’s voice is soothing, I feel the same way. I actually turn on this channel when I’m going to bed, so basically I sleep with Mack every night 😂😂😂.
@@adrienneforeman2153 thanks for the idea. I have trouble sleeping & have a (bad) habit of falling asleep to the tv. You're right about Mac's voice, I'm going to try sleeping with Mack myself 😉😉😉
I totally understand about the clothes. I did Home Health Nursing. I’ve been in houses like this. I bought my work clothes from WalMart or thrift stores. And yes, there were times I came home and stripped on the back porch, and threw the clothes in the garbage. I didn’t want the clothes in my house, or in my Washer/Dryer. I really admire the work you do.
Home health nursing is tough work, and it's so true that sometimes those clothes just aren't worth saving. What’s one of the most memorable situations you've found yourself in on the job?"
My undergrad is in psychology; my certifications are special education/elementary k-12. I taught students from 7 years to 21.......elementary, middle school and high school for over 28 years. 14 of those years were in a learning center that supported students with severe mental and physical disabilities that the surrounding 6 school districts could not support. It is sad that you were not evaluated until you were in your forties. I’m so pleased that you have found a calling that satisfies your needs. Thank you for helping these folks.
I LOVE super long videos like this because I have ADHD so putting on something like this while I'm cleaning helps me feel like I'm not doing it alone and it makes it easier for me to finish, so thank you for this.
So refreshing in these times to find someone who is genuinely compassionate and thinks of someone besides themselves. You are a PRINCE and you restore my faith in humanity. Or at least improve it a little bit. 😏It was extra satisfying to watch this one, even with the drawbacks the drill brush results were pretty cool.
I was a nurse on an adult Psych lockdown unit. We had a couple of hoarders. You are absolutely right, they will refuse to throw anything away. You have a tremendous amount of empathy for these sufferers....as well as the families that have to deal with the consequences. Thank you for doing what you do....and for keeping us all safe from moose attacks.
As a former maintenance man for a low income housing community, I can tell you this type of situation is depressingly common. I've polished many a turd in my day, but this one is really special. Really takes me back. What a stinker. 👍
How I wish I were watching this video two generations ago when I attempted to "help" my grandmother with her hoard. She wanted everything clean, bright, and new, but she would NOT let me throw anything out. She ended up being evicted, living with her brother - also a hoarder, and died alone in a hospital somewhere. When I started trying to pare down my mother's home, I realized the extent of her mother's mental illness and it flowing down to her. Fortunately, in one regard, my mother has dementia, so I can readily get rid of things that are unnecessary to keep. By the time she passes, I'll have little more to do than a nominal clear-out, and more time for grieving. Naturally, I've discovered MY own hoarding tendencies, but have been actively trying to "death clean" now, so people won't have to clean up after me. If I had the empathy back then which you are portraying now, I would have not held on to the anger and frustration I carried cleaning out hoards for years. You are helping more people than you know, and to all of those haters & "I woulda, coulda, shouldas", they can all suck it.
Thank you for the "death clean" comment. I am 69 and have a incurable chronic lung disease. I am now a person with a "death clean" mindset. Thanks. God bless you all.
I can relate! When my mom died, she had disowned me 7 yrs prior and left everything to my brother, who promptly took charge in clearing out her hoards so he could rent out her house to a friend to cover the expenses. He still gave me the $ she left me and helped me into my new mobile home after my 100 yr old house had caught fire and forced me out. He has OCD and I was never so grateful for him being the one who took charge of her house bc she had collected food, clothes, shoes, gadgets, sewing materials, tools, etc and he took care of it all!🎉❤😊
Glad you've learned so much from this channel and have been making your own preparations. I hope all is well.and sending you best wishes ans positive vibes 💜
Hoarding was definitely a branch on my mother's mental health tree, as well. She had PTSD, OCD, hoarding disorder, and a laundry list of other factors that just made it all worse. I say had because she now also has dementia. Cleaning up her hoard one last time before she got evicted from the last place she lived independently was heartbreaking because we were in a rush and had to abandon so much. One of the last things I did was go on a whirlwind hunt for family photos and important documents. I, too, practice death cleaning as a result. At least once a year, I'll do a thorough examination of my stuff while I'm cleaning. As hard as it might seem, it's actually very cathartic as the child of a hoarder. I can part with things and feel good about it.
That was great! I loved it being long and with you talking us through it. It was a marathon job for you, but I'm sure the owners would have been really grateful. I got much more of an impression of how nice a house that is seeing it all in one like this. It's a really nice old farm house. I've live in there. I love all the wood. Obviously I'd want the floors sanding and refinishing (shame because sanding doesn't do the wood much good, but essential in this place). I would not replace the windows. I'd find craftsmen to fix them and adjust them. I would, however, have to have the kitchen stripped completely and start again with new floor and plaster walls. All that glowing golden wood makes it look so warm and comfortable. The textured ceilings (I hate those) I'd skim with plaster and get rid of it. The whole house could look awesome, especially with those period furniture pieces and more to match. But not too much. I think the mistake modern people make with antiques is over-doing it and just cluttering the place up. I assume there should be metal grills over the floor vents? I would be a bit keen to know how to clean the heating system and ducts out before it got switched on again.
It's irritating when people say "oh you should just redo everything." You're right. People really underestimate the costs of raw materials. Even plywood and drywall isn't cheap.
I also think people are ignoring the environmental impact of the "rip it out and replace" crowd, not just the cost in time and money. It costs an enormous amount of energy and sometimes environmental destruction to create those raw materials. If there's any way you can reuse them, you are keeping that "embodied energy" in use and out of the landfill.
@@discoj7112 I think people care far too much about environmental costs. We're already fucked. We're going to have to engineer active solutions to climate change. The point we could have fixed it by was 2015. Sorry, we didn't. So can you please stop bothering us about eco crap? The planet lost and will have to be actively managed by large technological solutions such as carbon capture. Let people who wound up with a biohazerdious home have a safe place to exist.
Yes it does cost a lot. But NO ONE is going to live there, even after the cleaning. I will bet it still stinks to high heaven even the day after the cleaning was done. As Volk said, burning it would have had a better outcome than the cleaning. Except for our entertainment, that is.
I enjoy the high speed/fast forward cleaning noises. They are so much better than being forced to listen to bad (or just not my taste) music. It always makes me sad to see a hoarder home get cleaned out, but the house itself sustained too much damage. Such a waste. I appreciate your tips & tricks. You did a wonderful job on a property where most of us would run away screaming!! Thanks!
I hate the asmr noises people do when they tap their nails on things, or it’s just the sound of plastic packets being opened or things being slid into place. But these high speed noises are aoooooo pleasant to me
Your channel is a godsend. I think a lot of people don’t quite understand the health and sanitation implications of having a dirty home. Thank you for educating us all 🙌🏼
This was freaking epic! Thank you for the mega movie marathon clean with the new voice over. Straight G. I enjoyed that spin kick straight to my optic nerve
So glad you pointed out the armchair quarterbacks who say "Why clean something that's getting replaced?" I'm an interior designer and I can promise you contractors worry about their health when taking out old things.
@@honeybadgerisme ... Please start jogging or something. Your cardio and respiratory health are very very poor if you believe that wearing a respirator and working is any more taxing than working without one. IF you're a smoker, quit.
@@MeepChangeling I get plenty of cardio and I trained with respirators as a medical scientist in the Army...so there's that. Maybe you should put on a respirator and do some demolition or volunteer with Habitat for Humanity while wearing one (& don't forget the tyvek suit needed to go with it) and stay at it all day--then get back with us how you did? You're so fit! I bet you don't even take it off on your break! Break? You won't even need a break! You won't even break a sweat by your 7th hour and you'll do the work of two men! Do it. Then talk.
Love the train track analogy. Also heard a good one for ADHD, It is like sitting you on the center line of a busy highway with a calculus book and telling you to learn it by reading. Really helped me to understand my son's learning issues. Thank you for continuing my learning.
You gave those sons a glimpse of the home it used to be❤! That’s a win in my book. *After a tornado ripped part of the roof off my parents house, we fought to save it(my father built it). We had to pull off all paneling and insulation off exterior walls, while my 75 year old father watched- it was heartbreaking. We saved the main interior wall paneling - so it still felt like the home I grew up in- dry wall went back in place of the removed paneling. We lost my Dad before they could move back in:( but my sister & I have what he built by his own hands.
So sad to see a house that was built with such care and pride so badly ruined is enough to make a person weep. I hope the owners were able to restore it to some degree and that someday you can give an update on its present condition. My grandparents had a lovely old 150 year old farmhouse in Ohio. They don’t make them like that anymore. I still dream about it.
Cleaning is your way of changing the world for good. You take the dirty and make it clean, the chaotic and make it orderly, the neglected and show it some love and attention. Yes, I said love, you Midwestern tough guy. Deal with it! Who thought you could say "I love you," to your fellow man with a bottle of Clean Freak and a vacuum. (Empathy for both the damaged and the damage they cause to others. Typical!) I demand this channel hit one million subscribers.
I totally understand you and the family. I inherited a house/cabin in the Rockies with stuff also spread across 30 acres that is just like this one. Thank you for helping these folks. By the way, KILNS Primer will seal ruined floors and omit the oder.
I’m glad you put it all together in one video. Feature film video indeed! I watched this and my husband watched Quigley Down Under and you lasted almost as long as Quigley did, lol! You’re right, this home was well crafted and you did it a great service with your meticulous cleaning. Your compassion, kindness towards those with mental illnesses is what we all need more of. Thank you!
You are so right about “just gutting the kitchen”, we did all the work ourselves and it still cost 20,000 for a SMALL kitchen. I have empathy for people with hoarding but I feel even more for the poor animals 😢 I love your videos!!
Agree, with a contractor ours cost $45k, but $10k of that was asbestos abatement. So $35k for kitchen cabinets, countertop, sink, faucet, floor, subfloor, and insulation (under the floor) replacement in a small kitchen. I'm Canadian so our prices are higher and this was mid covid when wood/hardware went stupid price. It was an insurance claim so I'm sure some of that was inflated as well to line their pockets, but it was still an insane price to just "gut" a kitchen.
Thats A LOT of work! Even "just" the gutting. Damn, swinging a sledgehammer and carrying it out or to a pile, it's exhausting. Nevermind the money. "Just" the physical labor is intense. Growing up, every house we lived in we did some kind of renovation or painting or simple repair - like new flooring. And we moved every two years. So I learned a lot and even with my child k owledge and experience, even I know how much work it takes. I hope you love your new kitchen. Cheers! 💜
Yep. My family did a remodel on our relatively small kitchen 10 years ago. We kept the original hardwood cabinets and did all the demo work and repainting ourselves. The contractor was a friend of the family and he charged far less than the going rate. The bill for that remodel was still around $20k.
Such impressive work. This was a huge job, shows your attention to detail and your layer process. You are so correct about how this home was treated. It is criminal to not care about how you destroy a quality built building. What a massive amount of work, and editing. Grand job. You always show the truth.
Your take on horrible, disgusting messes makes me feel better. You and the other youTube cleaners are true heroes. No matter how I feel, I get up and toss trash, do the laundry, clean the cat litter, wash the dishes, and do all the other daily chores that make our place a home. Again, thanks. Tina, Al's wife
You have a kind heart to think of the other contractors and family that have to deal with the mess left behind by hoarders. I was one of those family members left to deal with a condo that was an absolute mess when my mother finally went into assisted living. Cleaning out her bathroom was the most traumatic experience of my life! Hoarding Disorder is an underestimated mental condition that impacts the patient and the extended family. Thank you for supporting those who have few resources to turn to for such help.
As the child of a hoarder who's hit that wall of "I can't devote anymore emotional or psychological pain to this, or I'm going to go insane", yes. All of that. My parents refuse psychological help. I don't have kids, but if I did, I wouldn't be able to take them to my parent's house. It's literally not safe. I had to spend a night there several months ago, and I was coughing for days afterwards from the poor air quality. It's heartbreaking, but it's the honest truth.
I had to deal with my husband's grandmother's hoard. After begging her to move for years she finally agreed IF we.moved all her stuff. So we got rhw biggest storage we.could find, maybe 25x25 or something, and after 6 40ft trailer loads of trash she had a stroke. So she ended up living with us foe the rest of her life and I was left with a giant storage full of her stuff. MOST was trash but under the trash was the most amazing treasure you could imagine. DOZENS of beautiful vintage sikk nightgowns with robes, dozens of sets of China and silverware and vintage midi skirts, and hundreds of pieces of vintage clothing. It took me SEVERAL YEARS to get rid of that stuff, and I still have some of it today. Hoarding is definitely contagious under the right circumstances. I'm just glad I'm moving the other direction now. I still miss some of the things I got rid of, but I can't live surrounded by her hoard.
This video gives a different perspective on just how much work you put into this house. You did an incredible job that I don’t think anyone else could do❤️ Your editing skills are amazing as well
Thank you for bringing awareness to PTSD and ADHD! My son was diagnosed about age 12 with ADHD and suffered a TBI, plus PTSD as a result of his tour in Iraq. After he succumbed to Veteran suicide, his wife had to pay for 3 dumpsters in order to get rid of all of his "treasures." We still have things from his childhood that he wouldn't allow me to declutter and/or repurpose and his wife has things as well. It is a definite delicate balance to bring it to their attention and to help them to stop the hoarding. I appreciate you and your videos!
thank you so much for empathizing with the relatives and loved ones of someone with hoarding disorder. 💖 it's easy to miss that a person with mental illness's loved ones are just as affected as the person themself.
All the exclusive members videos make me feel like I'm a member by some one week gifted membership! I really liked the feature film, it only lacked moose. I'm amazed how clean you got even this house and thinking how exoensive and hard to find living space is especially these days, I really hope the owner was able to get the house back into a state of livable. Loved the wooden floors, they shine almost golden in the sun. I hope that whenever a hoarder sees your videos, they decide to get help, for both their sake and whoever else is affected by the hoard.
Just the beginning explanation of how you did this made my eyes cross thats a lot of files and I appreciate your work and being a member is a good value for me
Currently in a bipolar depressive episode. Been trying to clean for months. This channel has been the closest thing to actually get up and get it done, please keep doing what you’re doing, push me over the cleaning rut lol
Same here. I’m on medication but I still get depressive episodes that can last a month or months. I’ve been in bed so much lately that my legs are getting weaker. I feel like I’m starting to get better so have been able to clean the house over the past week, it’s exhausting. I usually do 10 - 15 mts at a time then take a break. I concentrate my cleaning to one room, listen to music or podcasts while doing it. I always start with the kitchen, then bathroom and my room. They are the rooms I use most so having them clean makes me feel better. This week I have nearly mowed all the yard, just got about 15mts to go, it’s a small yard. Im actually aching everywhere because of my lack of exercise so have been trying to do 5 mts each morning and night to stretch. One thing I’ve learned over the years is I do not set myself up for failure with to do lists, they are soul destroying. I give myself grace and do what I can. However I’m kind to myself by taking care of me with eating well, stretching, personal hygiene and getting dressed. ❤
@@fleur3986yes! This! The momentum builds and it's like a break through! One foot in front of the other! ❤ And prayers for all of you.. I'm right there with y'all 🙏💕
This video really shows how resilient certain materials are. Even after sitting uncleaned under a hoard, they can still be shined up and look new again. Linoleum and stainless steel really are workhorses of a kitchen.
SO, being meticulously clean is your personal GIFT. Funny how certain things people do fascinate others - like what you do and lawn care videos, and we're all willing to watch each time a new one comes out. From what I've read below, quite a few folks have differing perceptions and feelings about your "ministry." And frankly, to me, it is. You're not only taking care of the house, you're alleviating a heavy burden on the owner, whoever. That is a priceless offering of compassion and mercy. More blessings on you as you continue doing good for others. Your reward will be great.
Thank you for “Midwest Magic the Movie.” Can’t wait for Son of Midwest Magic, the Return of Midwest Magic, Midwest Magic Rides Again, and the rest of the franchise. 👏
Yeah at first I was like: Why clean it, throw the whole kitchen out. But then I saw it looked actually pretty good cleaned. I would still throw it out though, wouldn't wanna cook with that germ infested stove ever again
That's one of the really sad things when a hoarder lives in a nice old house. The original features never got the HGTV treatment because they're too poor to change them, but then the features still end up needing to be ripped out in the end because of the hoarding damage.
The people ranting in the comment section of the original video need to go touch grass! You did a great job and definitely helped a lot of people by cleaning this mess.
Thank you for giving credit to the people having to deal with these clean-ups. We're actually living through this scenario. Had to evict and need to refurb and sell. It was complete with cat and mice feces, as well as human mess - she clearly had a fecal incontinence issue. We found cases of adult diapers in the basement. Those were covered in mice droppings. Nothing was savable/donation worthy. It, too, took us weeks to empty and sanitize, and we needed to do that before the renovations began, so that we had a safe place to work, and so that there's no remnants of unhealthy living conditions just covered over. . We were in bio-suits until that was complete. We ARE gutting the kitchen and bath and tearing up hardwood floors, taking walls down to the studs. Because we are DIYing it, our costs are lower than what you've stated, at about 1/3 of those costs because we're only dealing with supply costs and we have the know how, BUT we both have full-time jobs, so it's weekend work only. Note: It also took over $15000 in legal fees for the eviction process which took the better part of a year because she didn't leave even when the court ordered her to do so. That took another hearing and a deadline with the police showing up to pull her out. Side note: She's no longer living alone. Someone took her in, and I hope she's getting the mental health assistance and supervision she needs to prevent her from living in those toxic health conditions again. Please say a prayer for the person who let her move in, that they're able to prevent her from destroying their house too.
All I can say is you deserve some kind of medal !! I had an aunt in San Diego I hadn't seen in years. I was in my 60's when I finally went to San Diego to see her. Beautiful, kind woman who was an extreme hoarder. I spent almost my entire visit cleaning. The kitchen I think had demons. I sanitized everything the best I could. This is a woman who hadn't taken a shower in 20 years because she was convinced she would get a cold if she got wet. My head itched for a month after I came back to Oregon. I wish I could say I have a lot of empathy for hoarders. Normally I do have a lot of compassion for almost any kind of human and their issues. But hoarding is completely different for me. Sad.
You're a really great commentator. I enjoy how you explain things so thoroughly. Plus your cleaning skills are unmatched. Thanks for helping folks who are unable to help themselves.
I certainly enjoyed this video with the re-edit and narration. I know you must have been exhausted everyday while working on that house. Thanks for uploading this video and all the work it took to post it. You are such a great person for doing this kind of work for free!
This composite video gave us a much better idea of the extent of the problem, the hard work involved, the difference you are making to the world one house at a time, and (particularly) how you are educating people like me about the mental illness that is hoarding. I sincerely hope your one millionth subscriber is not too far off. You deserve it. Thank you for all that you do.
Thank you for taking the time to do this. I like to see the process in order. So glad you took out the music and narrated these early videos. I had to watch the originals on mute. So much better. ❤
The way this house looks (the hard wood floors that have matching baseboards, wall panelinh etc) is exactly how my grandmothers house looked. She was also a hoarder. My uncle paid a lot of money after she passed to have it emptied. But then he let his daughter move in, and unfortunately, she was a severe addict. The house ended up trashed in a different way. My mom now has the home and it is taking years and lots of money to redo the whole home. But as she has the floors refinished and the old paneling removed and new paint and a whole new bathroom put in..its amazing how beautiful the home looks. ❤ You did an amazing job on this home and the floors were so gorgeous! Thank you for opening this video. I truly enjoyed every minute ❤
I LOVED this long video where you got to really see what it takes to clean a house like this start to finish. I know it was a hell of a lot of work for you, but just know that you have an audience that loves these "cleaning movies". Also, as a professional cleaner myself, I cannot believe the amount of work you did here. A video would not capture in the slightest how long each step of this would take, how much you'd be sweating, how tired and sore your body would be. The level of detail and care and consideration you gave to this job, even tho just doing "the basics" would have been monumentally difficult all on its own is so insanely impressive to me. Your work ethic, your physical and mental strength, your compassion, and your cleaning skills are absolutely astonishing to me. I know what it takes to do this job. Know that you are seen and appreciated. Mad respect
Yes, this was a long video but I enjoyed every second of it 😃 😊!!!! This was awesome! Thanks for taking the time to put it all together and talk to us again about some of the story of this house. The work you did with those floors was incredible!! I am curious about whether they could actually be refinished and kept, or could they stay and just be covered by carpet or laminate floors or something else 🤔. I hope the guys who inherited that beast have been able to do something more with it and that it's become more an asset than liability. Enjoyed it, Mack. Take care. Hoping Emily is doing okay and that her surgery soon gets done and is successful so she can shift into recovery mode. Thinking of you all. 🤗 ❤️ 😍
I love it. I had only seen the kitchen and I think the living room before. I know editing all of this down took a tremendous amount of time and effort, but please know IT IS TOTALLY APPRECIATED.
Oooh--2 hours!! I've swapped out the laundry and sprayed down the walls in the guest room (please don't ask). I figure if I can't get you to NC to help clean my house, having you talk in my ear while I clean is the next best thing. Thank you--you are so awesome!
We had a house in SC that I had to bleach the walls to keep the mold away. However I was 16 at the time and it was torture to teenage me to do that weekly.
My parents (depression era) bought old houses in rundown condition (built in 1810, wallpaper hanging off walls, one electric outlet/room, etc) and gradually remodeled them when they earned money to pay cash for everything. My point is that a lot of people in the US would just be happy to have a house to live in. You do not need modern appliances to be happy!
When I watch videos like this I get this delusional heroic vibe like "put me in there, I'll clean it!". But then I sit back and continue watching and start gagging at the the thought. In my mind I'm built for this, but in reality I'd probably run out screaming. This is not for the weak. You're doing the Lord's work.
This is actually an amazing job! You made such a difference! I would love to see what the house looks like once the owners remodel the kitchen, bath, windows & floors. It looks like it could be a very nice home again.
I actually mopped my kitchen floor today.I think the last time was a few mos ago.I used the wet Swifter mop cloths.I sprayed some mean green spray on the bad spots first.
I inherited this exact mess. I can't even find anyone to help clean it as I live out of state. One guy wants $17k just to dump the furniture and garbage. Thanks dad.
Inherited a house and the lawyer guy asked if it was a hoarder house in our first meeting, this is apparently common and serious enough to ask since it greatly complicates selling or renting out the thing.
Im no professional, but for me I think I'd find some enjoyment cleaning a place like this. But good god I'd be upset if I inherited it. It would be disappointing:/
Even if the house were being prepared for rental, renting an outdated house that is CLEAN is far from being a slumlord. What a Godsend you are to people like this. Great editing...Before/Afters were amazing. The owner must have been shocked at the difference.
Thank you for discussing the negative posts and assumptions that people make. We all need to keep learning that there are many reasons why people do things.
You are inspiring - I can't watch one of your videos without going to clean 3 ft. It helps understanding some of the emotional or mental blocks I (we) have to cleaning. I'm 73 and you're helping us tremendously.
As someone who HAS sanded and refinished hardwood floors, it is DEFINITELY not easier lmao. Took my partner and I over 3 weeks (working in the evenings because we both have jobs) and a whole team of family members chipping in, and we only did around 800 square feet of floor. And that was with consultation from a family member who used to do this professionally and already had the equipment.
You are a good man, if anyone criticises you ignore them. I cannot imagine what that house must smelt like, the fact you do this for free is heroic. You must be proud of yourself, deservedly so. More people like you and less of the hater’s.
I truly applaud you in your efforts and success. Personally, I joined to get encouragement and learn from your skills. I have a family, friends, life, and job/hobbies that I don't watch to criticize or just watch. The difference your channel has made in my becoming organized life after trauma is so appreciated! Add your soothing voice.
I work in a jail kitchen. We get 50lb bags of cake, cookie and bread mixes. We have to put them into 5lb bags which is very messy. When I'm done there's powder everywhere. I'll dry wipe the counter top then use a wet wipe so I don't make a gluey mesa.
I really like this longer format to show a whole house! Better than 5 parts. This helped me soooo much!!! Some people can speed up certain parts of your video, if necessary. One video helps because I often wonder about priorities and how to see the WHOLE house cleaning and staging and clutter and furnitute, etc. It hhelped to hear you talk thru your thought process, tips and tricks, lessons learned, background, next steps, etc. Thank ÿou very much!!!
Congrats on the 600,000! I can't wait to see you hit a million. On another note, I can relate to the bit about helping until you just can't do it any more. In my family it wasn't hoarding but a different addiction and there's only so many years you can take it. It's sad for the person with the problem and it's sad for the family in general. I'm sure the gentleman who inherited this house was extremely grateful to have the help.
Great job on the MEGA re-edit! ! These are my favorite types of videos and enjoyed every bit of it....the narration, the background noises, the inside scoop on the situation, the length. The before and after pics are amazing. The owner is so fortunate that you volunteered to do this. I know he was pleased. Thanks for sharing it with the members!!
The way i dealt with this with my mom is i would travel to her apartment wvery 2 weeks to clean. I did this for about a year until she had a few falls, then told her she was moving in with me. She agreed, and was upset that i had to throw so much away. I told her i have 900 square feet of living space and 2 other people at home. Your whold apartment will not fit in my house. Also, you're on oxygen and i have a gas stove, so you won't be cooking anymore, so you won't be needing any of that. To that she replied to please give certain items to certain people because she saw them as valuable. She understood, but to this day, something will come up in convo and "I HAD one of those in my apartment!"
@tinaswider1033 ouch! Mine lived 2 hours away. She's in a nursing home now. She stayed with me for a few years, but her COPD is getting to where she needs full-time care, and I have to work. Hubby is disabled.
Oh way, I don’t think I’ve seen this one yet. That stove in the beginning gave me chills. Bless you for everything you do to help people who desperately need it. Please don’t forget your gloves & mask anymore though. ❤️🙏💪
Thank you for your conscience effort to inform everyone of a hoarder’s mental health issues and showing so much empathy and compassion for these individuals. I was an office support worker at a mental health clinic for 12 years and everything you mentioned is true and factual on this condition. Bless you for doing this work for no charge and improving lives.
Out of all of the homes I've watched you work on/in this is the one I really want to see a follow up on. I think these were the vids I subbed to. Thank you for producing this for us members.
The living room floor looked drier than those fake Mexican aliens. Just wetting it looked so satisfying! I liked revisiting this one, although it's also a sad story. The stencil on the trim above the sink in the kitchen stood out to me. You can see it was loved once - it's in those details - but now utterly destroyed. I hope they managed to restore it and breathe some life into it again. As you said, the woodwork was lovely.
I am amzed at your empathy/sympathy..thinking of those who may have to handle household items after you..The results are always amazing..for you gratifying! Enjoy the videos always! Thanks for all you do..blessings.
Sir, you are truly a blessing. I have such great respect for the care, the effort, and the empathy you do these jobs with. Keep being the amazing human you are.
I love how thoughtful you are to the next person that’s gonna have to work in those spaces. And the incredible attention to detail! It reminds me of the story of Steve Jobs painting their fence. He were painting the fence and was proud his job was complete. His dad went out to inspect it and said Steve did a good job on the outside but pointed out the inside of of their fence was unpainted. Steve didn't paint it because "no one else sees that". His dad said "but we do".
First and foremost, excellent job, as always. Second, I really appreciate our parasocial relationship. I watch a video and feel like I'm hanging out with a friend who reminds me to be kind, has similar values, and who also enjoys cleaning. I do hope one day to meet you at your future shop, but until then: so many thanks to you and the rest of your family/crew for aiding those of us who experience the slight loneliness of adulthood 💜
I stumbled onto this video. I usually fast forward through lawn cleaning videos to see the end result, but I couldn't look away from this. I had to watch each second. Why? I dont know. There is something magical about you. You made me feel sad, intregued, relaxed, hopeful and gave me more understanding of those situations I've not paused to attempt to understand. Thank you for your gift.
Watching AGAIN, still just as satisfying. My only feelings for ALL the people touched by this is empathy and compassion. I have enough psychological challenges of my own to ever be judgmental or snooty. Thanks once more Mack, for your efforts to make a difference in peoples' lives.
So sorry you have to deal with idiotic comments. Know that our huge group of dedicated followers knows that you are doing everything with common sense, with knowledge of the family and it’s real situation, and that you are doing everything possible to handle it. Bless you for doing it.
Thank you for this. My stepdad has a hoarding problem, from his side of the family. They have a house as an inheritance from their father which is in the middle of the city, they would make so much money selling it. (They need the money) But it is packed from floor to ceiling. It's been over 10 years, and it's still full of trash. I've myself have cleaned his house around 120 times, DEEP cleaning. And it's always the same. He gets mad when we try and bring it up, but. I can't let him live like that. I'm lucky, he's a very slow hoarder and I thank God for that.
I think this is really inspiring! Modern home remodel shows imply some messes are not worth cleaning up, or are impossible to clean enough to function. Your videos prove that's not true. Imagine if, instead of throwing out perfectly good kitchens, people would just clean up what's there and make just minor necessary (or valuable to them) updates. There would be so much less waste. This video is an extreme example of a mindset we've lost in our culture. Thank you for sharing with viewrs at large!
Thank you for sharing this video. Congratulations on the growth of your channel. So impressed by you and your family. Hugs from an ADHD hoarder. It’s beyond painful. ❤
I love your empathy and wacky sense of humor 😁 the bio hazard house with the diapers is when I started watching on a regular the videos really help me clean when I get ADHD burn out and just don't want to clean
Thank you so much for re-doing this video. My husband and his sisters suffered so much trauma and they all suffer from hoarding and I believe they need real help. Even tried to "help" over the years. You have taught me to see this from their perspectives and I can at minimum show empathy and kindess. My husband has to keep his hoard to the garage, shed, his side of our bedroom and his closet. This is hard to deal with and I am not always kind about it. I have shared some of your videos but he seems to take them as permission. Well, we at least can talk about it. Which is better. I dont plan on giving up on him. At least I know he trying to protect himself. His heart is so broken but still after 40 years he is the nicest guy with the biggest heart I have ever been privileged to know. Thanks Mack for sharing your insight. And making me a better person.❤
Your dedication and compassion is amazing. Your cleaning abilities are excellent. I have learned a lot from you and your channel. Thank you for that. My uncle recently passed. My family cleaned out his home. There were things that we never imaged he would have. His home was not a nasty mess but once we started getting under the beds and in the hidden little places we found a lot of stuff full of dust and odd things that he had kept over the years. We were all amazed and frustrated at what he had duplicates of that he never used, brand new stuff, or an odd random thing in a random place. Your videos helped me understand about why he kept some things they way that he did. I’m very thankful for your talks as well as the content.
I think you did an amazing job on that house, also your reason for doing it for free makes me very proud of you. Please keep up the good work you do but remember to take care of yourself.
At times when I cleaned my mother-in-law’s hoarder house, I wanted to give up and “gut it.” But it was HERS and my fiduciary duty was to recover the greatest value out of her house to pay for her care. I found that I could make a lot of it look really good with hard work, and then ultimately paint and replace flooring to transform it into something that was a great blessing to the next family and garnered $50,000 more than the first realtor estimated. Her home and modest investments, carefully managed, covered her expensive full-time care in the final years and then left the children with inheritance. Worth the effort, for sure.
Bravo for you!! You went to the final mile for the estate; it shows such deep respect for her!!
Most inheritance $$ is wiped out paying for nursing home.
@@hattiem.7966 It is not "inheritace money" it is money for their old age. it does not belong to the heirs.
@@SharonOnTheNetit really depends on the person. some people make sure to save more than they are likely to need, planning for emergencies in old age. in that case, the role of that money is to go to their heirs, and it IS iheritance money.
❤❤❤
Your “Hi Memberssssss” is the highlight of my week, 😂. Your narration is wonderful because your voice is soothing. And I can’t say enough about your compassion and empathy ❤❤❤
😂 I LOVE love love the HIIIIII members 😂😂😂 love when he has new videos 💗💖💕🥰
Wish I could give TWO thumbs up.
I’m glad you said Mack’s voice is soothing, I feel the same way. I actually turn on this channel when I’m going to bed, so basically I sleep with Mack every night 😂😂😂.
@@adrienneforeman2153 thanks for the idea. I have trouble sleeping & have a (bad) habit of falling asleep to the tv. You're right about Mac's voice, I'm going to try sleeping with Mack myself 😉😉😉
Wish I could afford the members tier.Your amazing, kind and generous.You certainly have opened my eyes . I love your videos and you have a great voice
Since you are used to "I would've just . . " I'm going to add one. I would've just sat down on the porch and cried. You are a hero and one brave soul.
This is how I handled cleaning out my dad's horde when he had to move. Just cried until I finally had the nerve to start shoveling.
even if it was gutted i would also just cry anyway
I'm looking at this, and I think I'd have seriously started wondering if I could get away with burning it down.
I would get a large bottle of hard liquor and then sit and cry
I would love to know how much you charged these people for your services?
I totally understand about the clothes. I did Home Health Nursing. I’ve been in houses like this. I bought my work clothes from WalMart or thrift stores. And yes, there were times I came home and stripped on the back porch, and threw the clothes in the garbage. I didn’t want the clothes in my house, or in my Washer/Dryer. I really admire the work you do.
Home health nursing is tough work, and it's so true that sometimes those clothes just aren't worth saving. What’s one of the most memorable situations you've found yourself in on the job?"
My undergrad is in psychology; my certifications are special education/elementary k-12. I taught students from 7 years to 21.......elementary, middle school and high school for over 28 years. 14 of those years were in a learning center that supported students with severe mental and physical disabilities that the surrounding 6 school districts could not support.
It is sad that you were not evaluated until you were in your forties. I’m so pleased that you have found a calling that satisfies your needs. Thank you for helping these folks.
I LOVE super long videos like this because I have ADHD so putting on something like this while I'm cleaning helps me feel like I'm not doing it alone and it makes it easier for me to finish, so thank you for this.
This is an awesome treat!! I love his longer videos toooo 💖💕💗
True
Body doubling for the win!
@@DinaZavraChannelyes! I learned about body doubling from Mack, it’s so so helpful!
same here 🧡
So refreshing in these times to find someone who is genuinely compassionate and thinks of someone besides themselves. You are a PRINCE and you restore my faith in humanity. Or at least improve it a little bit. 😏It was extra satisfying to watch this one, even with the drawbacks the drill brush results were pretty cool.
Yeah, this guy's definitely doing the Lords work!🎉😊
I’m so glad you are re-doing these early videos with voiceover. It’s a completely different experience watching them and I’m really enjoying it.
I was a nurse on an adult Psych lockdown unit. We had a couple of hoarders. You are absolutely right, they will refuse to throw anything away. You have a tremendous amount of empathy for these sufferers....as well as the families that have to deal with the consequences. Thank you for doing what you do....and for keeping us all safe from moose attacks.
As a former maintenance man for a low income housing community, I can tell you this type of situation is depressingly common. I've polished many a turd in my day, but this one is really special. Really takes me back. What a stinker. 👍
How I wish I were watching this video two generations ago when I attempted to "help" my grandmother with her hoard. She wanted everything clean, bright, and new, but she would NOT let me throw anything out. She ended up being evicted, living with her brother - also a hoarder, and died alone in a hospital somewhere.
When I started trying to pare down my mother's home, I realized the extent of her mother's mental illness and it flowing down to her. Fortunately, in one regard, my mother has dementia, so I can readily get rid of things that are unnecessary to keep. By the time she passes, I'll have little more to do than a nominal clear-out, and more time for grieving.
Naturally, I've discovered MY own hoarding tendencies, but have been actively trying to "death clean" now, so people won't have to clean up after me.
If I had the empathy back then which you are portraying now, I would have not held on to the anger and frustration I carried cleaning out hoards for years. You are helping more people than you know, and to all of those haters & "I woulda, coulda, shouldas", they can all suck it.
Amen.
Thank you for the "death clean" comment. I am 69 and have a incurable chronic lung disease. I am now a person with a "death clean" mindset. Thanks. God bless you all.
I can relate! When my mom died, she had disowned me 7 yrs prior and left everything to my brother, who promptly took charge in clearing out her hoards so he could rent out her house to a friend to cover the expenses. He still gave me the $ she left me and helped me into my new mobile home after my 100 yr old house had caught fire and forced me out. He has OCD and I was never so grateful for him being the one who took charge of her house bc she had collected food, clothes, shoes, gadgets, sewing materials, tools, etc and he took care of it all!🎉❤😊
Glad you've learned so much from this channel and have been making your own preparations.
I hope all is well.and sending you best wishes ans positive vibes 💜
Hoarding was definitely a branch on my mother's mental health tree, as well. She had PTSD, OCD, hoarding disorder, and a laundry list of other factors that just made it all worse. I say had because she now also has dementia. Cleaning up her hoard one last time before she got evicted from the last place she lived independently was heartbreaking because we were in a rush and had to abandon so much. One of the last things I did was go on a whirlwind hunt for family photos and important documents. I, too, practice death cleaning as a result. At least once a year, I'll do a thorough examination of my stuff while I'm cleaning. As hard as it might seem, it's actually very cathartic as the child of a hoarder. I can part with things and feel good about it.
That was great! I loved it being long and with you talking us through it. It was a marathon job for you, but I'm sure the owners would have been really grateful.
I got much more of an impression of how nice a house that is seeing it all in one like this. It's a really nice old farm house. I've live in there. I love all the wood. Obviously I'd want the floors sanding and refinishing (shame because sanding doesn't do the wood much good, but essential in this place). I would not replace the windows. I'd find craftsmen to fix them and adjust them. I would, however, have to have the kitchen stripped completely and start again with new floor and plaster walls. All that glowing golden wood makes it look so warm and comfortable.
The textured ceilings (I hate those) I'd skim with plaster and get rid of it. The whole house could look awesome, especially with those period furniture pieces and more to match. But not too much. I think the mistake modern people make with antiques is over-doing it and just cluttering the place up.
I assume there should be metal grills over the floor vents? I would be a bit keen to know how to clean the heating system and ducts out before it got switched on again.
It's irritating when people say "oh you should just redo everything." You're right. People really underestimate the costs of raw materials. Even plywood and drywall isn't cheap.
I also think people are ignoring the environmental impact of the "rip it out and replace" crowd, not just the cost in time and money. It costs an enormous amount of energy and sometimes environmental destruction to create those raw materials.
If there's any way you can reuse them, you are keeping that "embodied energy" in use and out of the landfill.
@@discoj7112 I think people care far too much about environmental costs. We're already fucked. We're going to have to engineer active solutions to climate change. The point we could have fixed it by was 2015. Sorry, we didn't. So can you please stop bothering us about eco crap? The planet lost and will have to be actively managed by large technological solutions such as carbon capture. Let people who wound up with a biohazerdious home have a safe place to exist.
Then again, this is a house in the middle of nowhere. Just put a match to it, it's not like anyone desperately wants to live there.
@@Volkbrecht that what we do out in the sticks lol
Yes it does cost a lot. But NO ONE is going to live there, even after the cleaning. I will bet it still stinks to high heaven even the day after the cleaning was done. As Volk said, burning it would have had a better outcome than the cleaning. Except for our entertainment, that is.
I enjoy the high speed/fast forward cleaning noises. They are so much better than being forced to listen to bad (or just not my taste) music.
It always makes me sad to see a hoarder home get cleaned out, but the house itself sustained too much damage. Such a waste. I appreciate your tips & tricks. You did a wonderful job on a property where most of us would run away screaming!! Thanks!
I hate the asmr noises people do when they tap their nails on things, or it’s just the sound of plastic packets being opened or things being slid into place.
But these high speed noises are aoooooo pleasant to me
I definitely agree with you about some of the music played on these type of shows. I don’t like it either.
Yes, the sounds are so…pleasurable!
Your channel is a godsend. I think a lot of people don’t quite understand the health and sanitation implications of having a dirty home. Thank you for educating us all 🙌🏼
I love how the answer to a lot of the "Why don't you just ..." questions is "Because I care about other people, too." I commend you for that attitude.
Wow, unbelievable
This was freaking epic! Thank you for the mega movie marathon clean with the new voice over. Straight G. I enjoyed that spin kick straight to my optic nerve
So glad you pointed out the armchair quarterbacks who say "Why clean something that's getting replaced?" I'm an interior designer and I can promise you contractors worry about their health when taking out old things.
Yes! And you cannot safely wear those special masks for too long while exerting yourself! You'll pass out.😢
A lot of these sevices will refuse to enter/work on the property as well until it is safe!
@@honeybadgerisme ... Please start jogging or something. Your cardio and respiratory health are very very poor if you believe that wearing a respirator and working is any more taxing than working without one. IF you're a smoker, quit.
@@MeepChangeling I get plenty of cardio and I trained with respirators as a medical scientist in the Army...so there's that. Maybe you should put on a respirator and do some demolition or volunteer with Habitat for Humanity while wearing one (& don't forget the tyvek suit needed to go with it) and stay at it all day--then get back with us how you did? You're so fit! I bet you don't even take it off on your break! Break? You won't even need a break! You won't even break a sweat by your 7th hour and you'll do the work of two men!
Do it. Then talk.
@@honeybadgerisme false, I wear them 8-9 hours a day for my job and somehow have never passed out lmao
Love the train track analogy. Also heard a good one for ADHD, It is like sitting you on the center line of a busy highway with a calculus book and telling you to learn it by reading. Really helped me to understand my son's learning issues. Thank you for continuing my learning.
You gave those sons a glimpse of the home it used to be❤! That’s a win in my book.
*After a tornado ripped part of the roof off my parents house, we fought to save it(my father built it). We had to pull off all paneling and insulation off exterior walls, while my 75 year old father watched- it was heartbreaking. We saved the main interior wall paneling - so it still felt like the home I grew up in- dry wall went back in place of the removed paneling. We lost my Dad before they could move back in:( but my sister & I have what he built by his own hands.
When you Liquid Gold-ed the living room floor, I heard it go ‘aaahhh’! Beautiful wood in that one bedroom where it wasn’t so damaged.
So sad to see a house that was built with such care and pride so badly ruined is enough to make a person weep. I hope the owners were able to restore it to some degree and that someday you can give an update on its present condition. My grandparents had a lovely old 150 year old farmhouse in Ohio. They don’t make them like that anymore. I still dream about it.
Cleaning is your way of changing the world for good. You take the dirty and make it clean, the chaotic and make it orderly, the neglected and show it some love and attention. Yes, I said love, you Midwestern tough guy. Deal with it! Who thought you could say "I love you," to your fellow man with a bottle of Clean Freak and a vacuum. (Empathy for both the damaged and the damage they cause to others. Typical!) I demand this channel hit one million subscribers.
I demand this channel hit 2 million subscribers. Because the moose absolutely present such an extra danger!! 🙀
You are entirely correct! Why didn't I think if that? Two million it is!
Changing the world, one square foot at a time!
@@anniegabriel5892 Yes! This man inspires me to change my world one messy square foot at a time.
I totally understand you and the family. I inherited a house/cabin in the Rockies with stuff also spread across 30 acres that is just like this one. Thank you for helping these folks. By the way, KILNS Primer will seal ruined floors and omit the oder.
I’m glad you put it all together in one video. Feature film video indeed! I watched this and my husband watched Quigley Down Under and you lasted almost as long as Quigley did, lol!
You’re right, this home was well crafted and you did it a great service with your meticulous cleaning. Your compassion, kindness towards those with mental illnesses is what we all need more of. Thank you!
2 great videos this one and Quigley Down Under - I love that movie ❤
Your editing work is so impressive and much appreciated! This house is such a big job. So satisfying, thank you. ❤😊
❤
You are so right about “just gutting the kitchen”, we did all the work ourselves and it still cost 20,000 for a SMALL kitchen. I have empathy for people with hoarding but I feel even more for the poor animals 😢 I love your videos!!
Agree, with a contractor ours cost $45k, but $10k of that was asbestos abatement. So $35k for kitchen cabinets, countertop, sink, faucet, floor, subfloor, and insulation (under the floor) replacement in a small kitchen. I'm Canadian so our prices are higher and this was mid covid when wood/hardware went stupid price. It was an insurance claim so I'm sure some of that was inflated as well to line their pockets, but it was still an insane price to just "gut" a kitchen.
Thats A LOT of work! Even "just" the gutting. Damn, swinging a sledgehammer and carrying it out or to a pile, it's exhausting. Nevermind the money. "Just" the physical labor is intense.
Growing up, every house we lived in we did some kind of renovation or painting or simple repair - like new flooring. And we moved every two years. So I learned a lot and even with my child k owledge and experience, even I know how much work it takes.
I hope you love your new kitchen. Cheers! 💜
Us too, but because my son has great connections, it was under 10 K.
Yep. My family did a remodel on our relatively small kitchen 10 years ago. We kept the original hardwood cabinets and did all the demo work and repainting ourselves. The contractor was a friend of the family and he charged far less than the going rate. The bill for that remodel was still around $20k.
Such impressive work. This was a huge job, shows your attention to detail and your layer process. You are so correct about how this home was treated. It is criminal to not care about how you destroy a quality built building. What a massive amount of work, and editing. Grand job. You always show the truth.
Your take on horrible, disgusting messes makes me feel better. You and the other youTube cleaners are true heroes. No matter how I feel, I get up and toss trash,
do the laundry, clean the cat litter, wash the dishes, and do all the other daily chores that make our place a home. Again, thanks. Tina, Al's wife
You have a kind heart to think of the other contractors and family that have to deal with the mess left behind by hoarders. I was one of those family members left to deal with a condo that was an absolute mess when my mother finally went into assisted living. Cleaning out her bathroom was the most traumatic experience of my life! Hoarding Disorder is an underestimated mental condition that impacts the patient and the extended family. Thank you for supporting those who have few resources to turn to for such help.
As the child of a hoarder who's hit that wall of "I can't devote anymore emotional or psychological pain to this, or I'm going to go insane", yes. All of that. My parents refuse psychological help. I don't have kids, but if I did, I wouldn't be able to take them to my parent's house. It's literally not safe. I had to spend a night there several months ago, and I was coughing for days afterwards from the poor air quality. It's heartbreaking, but it's the honest truth.
I'm so sorry. That is unbelievably frustrating.
I'm sorry you have to go though this. Still remember, your responsibility is you first. No one will care for you, when you're not doing it.
I had to deal with my husband's grandmother's hoard. After begging her to move for years she finally agreed IF we.moved all her stuff. So we got rhw biggest storage we.could find, maybe 25x25 or something, and after 6 40ft trailer loads of trash she had a stroke. So she ended up living with us foe the rest of her life and I was left with a giant storage full of her stuff. MOST was trash but under the trash was the most amazing treasure you could imagine. DOZENS of beautiful vintage sikk nightgowns with robes, dozens of sets of China and silverware and vintage midi skirts, and hundreds of pieces of vintage clothing. It took me SEVERAL YEARS to get rid of that stuff, and I still have some of it today. Hoarding is definitely contagious under the right circumstances. I'm just glad I'm moving the other direction now. I still miss some of the things I got rid of, but I can't live surrounded by her hoard.
Sorry for the typos.
@@meganmoore6410 I was a high school English teacher. I missed them. Whoops.
This video gives a different perspective on just how much work you put into this house. You did an incredible job that I don’t think anyone else could do❤️ Your editing skills are amazing as well
Thank you for bringing awareness to PTSD and ADHD! My son was diagnosed about age 12 with ADHD and suffered a TBI, plus PTSD as a result of his tour in Iraq. After he succumbed to Veteran suicide, his wife had to pay for 3 dumpsters in order to get rid of all of his "treasures." We still have things from his childhood that he wouldn't allow me to declutter and/or repurpose and his wife has things as well. It is a definite delicate balance to bring it to their attention and to help them to stop the hoarding. I appreciate you and your videos!
I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
I am so sorry for your loss.
@@normahenley5834 I'm very sorry for your loss 😞
😪
thank you so much for empathizing with the relatives and loved ones of someone with hoarding disorder. 💖 it's easy to miss that a person with mental illness's loved ones are just as affected as the person themself.
All the exclusive members videos make me feel like I'm a member by some one week gifted membership! I really liked the feature film, it only lacked moose. I'm amazed how clean you got even this house and thinking how exoensive and hard to find living space is especially these days, I really hope the owner was able to get the house back into a state of livable. Loved the wooden floors, they shine almost golden in the sun. I hope that whenever a hoarder sees your videos, they decide to get help, for both their sake and whoever else is affected by the hoard.
Just the beginning explanation of how you did this made my eyes cross thats a lot of files and I appreciate your work and being a member is a good value for me
Currently in a bipolar depressive episode. Been trying to clean for months. This channel has been the closest thing to actually get up and get it done, please keep doing what you’re doing, push me over the cleaning rut lol
Me too..start in one corner and do 5 mins at a time ❤
Same here. I’m on medication but I still get depressive episodes that can last a month or months. I’ve been in bed so much lately that my legs are getting weaker. I feel like I’m starting to get better so have been able to clean the house over the past week, it’s exhausting. I usually do 10 - 15 mts at a time then take a break. I concentrate my cleaning to one room, listen to music or podcasts while doing it. I always start with the kitchen, then bathroom and my room. They are the rooms I use most so having them clean makes me feel better. This week I have nearly mowed all the yard, just got about 15mts to go, it’s a small yard. Im actually aching everywhere because of my lack of exercise so have been trying to do 5 mts each morning and night to stretch. One thing I’ve learned over the years is I do not set myself up for failure with to do lists, they are soul destroying. I give myself grace and do what I can. However I’m kind to myself by taking care of me with eating well, stretching, personal hygiene and getting dressed. ❤
@@fleur3986yes! This! The momentum builds and it's like a break through! One foot in front of the other!
❤ And prayers for all of you.. I'm right there with y'all 🙏💕
This video really shows how resilient certain materials are. Even after sitting uncleaned under a hoard, they can still be shined up and look new again. Linoleum and stainless steel really are workhorses of a kitchen.
SO, being meticulously clean is your personal GIFT. Funny how certain things people do fascinate others - like what you do and lawn care videos, and we're all willing to watch each time a new one comes out. From what I've read below, quite a few folks have differing perceptions and feelings about your "ministry." And frankly, to me, it is. You're not only taking care of the house, you're alleviating a heavy burden on the owner, whoever. That is a priceless offering of compassion and mercy. More blessings on you as you continue doing good for others. Your reward will be great.
Thank you for “Midwest Magic the Movie.” Can’t wait for Son of Midwest Magic, the Return of Midwest Magic, Midwest Magic Rides Again, and the rest of the franchise. 👏
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The sad thing is that after the cleaning, you can tell it was once a lovely home.
Yeah, that's my sentiment exactly... What a shame it ended up being basically ruined.
ikr? I was looking at those gorgeous wooden doors and that lovely trim. so very sad.
Yeah at first I was like: Why clean it, throw the whole kitchen out. But then I saw it looked actually pretty good cleaned. I would still throw it out though, wouldn't wanna cook with that germ infested stove ever again
That's one of the really sad things when a hoarder lives in a nice old house. The original features never got the HGTV treatment because they're too poor to change them, but then the features still end up needing to be ripped out in the end because of the hoarding damage.
@@blazertundrapeople watch too much HGTV anyway 🤷🏻♂️
The people ranting in the comment section of the original video need to go touch grass! You did a great job and definitely helped a lot of people by cleaning this mess.
Thank you for giving credit to the people having to deal with these clean-ups. We're actually living through this scenario. Had to evict and need to refurb and sell. It was complete with cat and mice feces, as well as human mess - she clearly had a fecal incontinence issue. We found cases of adult diapers in the basement. Those were covered in mice droppings. Nothing was savable/donation worthy. It, too, took us weeks to empty and sanitize, and we needed to do that before the renovations began, so that we had a safe place to work, and so that there's no remnants of unhealthy living conditions just covered over. . We were in bio-suits until that was complete. We ARE gutting the kitchen and bath and tearing up hardwood floors, taking walls down to the studs. Because we are DIYing it, our costs are lower than what you've stated, at about 1/3 of those costs because we're only dealing with supply costs and we have the know how, BUT we both have full-time jobs, so it's weekend work only. Note: It also took over $15000 in legal fees for the eviction process which took the better part of a year because she didn't leave even when the court ordered her to do so. That took another hearing and a deadline with the police showing up to pull her out. Side note: She's no longer living alone. Someone took her in, and I hope she's getting the mental health assistance and supervision she needs to prevent her from living in those toxic health conditions again. Please say a prayer for the person who let her move in, that they're able to prevent her from destroying their house too.
All I can say is you deserve some kind of medal !! I had an aunt in San Diego I hadn't seen in years. I was in my 60's when I finally went to San Diego to see her. Beautiful, kind woman who was an extreme hoarder. I spent almost my entire visit cleaning. The kitchen I think had demons. I sanitized everything the best I could. This is a woman who hadn't taken a shower in 20 years because she was convinced she would get a cold if she got wet. My head itched for a month after I came back to Oregon. I wish I could say I have a lot of empathy for hoarders. Normally I do have a lot of compassion for almost any kind of human and their issues. But hoarding is completely different for me. Sad.
You're a really great commentator. I enjoy how you explain things so thoroughly. Plus your cleaning skills are unmatched. Thanks for helping folks who are unable to help themselves.
I certainly enjoyed this video with the re-edit and narration. I know you must have been exhausted everyday while working on that house.
Thanks for uploading this video and all the work it took to post it. You are such a great person for doing this kind of work for free!
This composite video gave us a much better idea of the extent of the problem, the hard work involved, the difference you are making to the world one house at a time, and (particularly) how you are educating people like me about the mental illness that is hoarding.
I sincerely hope your one millionth subscriber is not too far off. You deserve it. Thank you for all that you do.
Thank you for taking the time to do this. I like to see the process in order. So glad you took out the music and narrated these early videos. I had to watch the originals on mute. So much better. ❤
The way this house looks (the hard wood floors that have matching baseboards, wall panelinh etc) is exactly how my grandmothers house looked. She was also a hoarder. My uncle paid a lot of money after she passed to have it emptied. But then he let his daughter move in, and unfortunately, she was a severe addict. The house ended up trashed in a different way. My mom now has the home and it is taking years and lots of money to redo the whole home. But as she has the floors refinished and the old paneling removed and new paint and a whole new bathroom put in..its amazing how beautiful the home looks. ❤ You did an amazing job on this home and the floors were so gorgeous! Thank you for opening this video. I truly enjoyed every minute ❤
I LOVED this long video where you got to really see what it takes to clean a house like this start to finish. I know it was a hell of a lot of work for you, but just know that you have an audience that loves these "cleaning movies".
Also, as a professional cleaner myself, I cannot believe the amount of work you did here. A video would not capture in the slightest how long each step of this would take, how much you'd be sweating, how tired and sore your body would be. The level of detail and care and consideration you gave to this job, even tho just doing "the basics" would have been monumentally difficult all on its own is so insanely impressive to me. Your work ethic, your physical and mental strength, your compassion, and your cleaning skills are absolutely astonishing to me. I know what it takes to do this job. Know that you are seen and appreciated. Mad respect
I enjoyed "Midwest Magic Cleaning: The Movie" 10 out of 10 would recommend, two glove-clad thumbs up!
Yes, this was a long video but I enjoyed every second of it 😃 😊!!!! This was awesome! Thanks for taking the time to put it all together and talk to us again about some of the story of this house. The work you did with those floors was incredible!! I am curious about whether they could actually be refinished and kept, or could they stay and just be covered by carpet or laminate floors or something else 🤔. I hope the guys who inherited that beast have been able to do something more with it and that it's become more an asset than liability. Enjoyed it, Mack. Take care. Hoping Emily is doing okay and that her surgery soon gets done and is successful so she can shift into recovery mode. Thinking of you all. 🤗 ❤️ 😍
I really appreciate the hard work that goes into your videos!
I love it. I had only seen the kitchen and I think the living room before. I know editing all of this down took a tremendous amount of time and effort, but please know IT IS TOTALLY APPRECIATED.
I love longer video formats like this because I play them while I'm cleaning. Beautiful home it's heartbreaking that it ended up like that.
Oooh--2 hours!! I've swapped out the laundry and sprayed down the walls in the guest room (please don't ask). I figure if I can't get you to NC to help clean my house, having you talk in my ear while I clean is the next best thing. Thank you--you are so awesome!
Wow! That’s quite some compliment Mack 👍
I use these guys as my body double all the time!
Your comment makes me want to get up and clean too!
We had a house in SC that I had to bleach the walls to keep the mold away. However I was 16 at the time and it was torture to teenage me to do that weekly.
Glad I joined!!
Just cannot imagine. But disorganization is equally challenging.
This is great for hard to clean spaces.
My parents (depression era) bought old houses in rundown condition (built in 1810, wallpaper hanging off walls, one electric outlet/room, etc) and gradually remodeled them when they earned money to pay cash for everything. My point is that a lot of people in the US would just be happy to have a house to live in. You do not need modern appliances to be happy!
When I watch videos like this I get this delusional heroic vibe like "put me in there, I'll clean it!". But then I sit back and continue watching and start gagging at the the thought. In my mind I'm built for this, but in reality I'd probably run out screaming. This is not for the weak. You're doing the Lord's work.
This is actually an amazing job! You made such a difference! I would love to see what the house looks like once the owners remodel the kitchen, bath, windows & floors. It looks like it could be a very nice home again.
These videos make me want to get up and clean!
Me too! I use these videos as motivation.
After watching his videos i do normally get up and clean atleast one area in our home.
😼
I actually mopped my kitchen floor today.I think the last time was a few mos ago.I used the wet Swifter mop cloths.I sprayed some mean green spray on the bad spots first.
I have ADHD and I’ve found putting TH-cam videos on, especially these ones, while I clean/organize helps my brain so much
I inherited this exact mess. I can't even find anyone to help clean it as I live out of state. One guy wants $17k just to dump the furniture and garbage. Thanks dad.
Inherited a house and the lawyer guy asked if it was a hoarder house in our first meeting, this is apparently common and serious enough to ask since it greatly complicates selling or renting out the thing.
We inherited one like this and we sold it as is for bare minimum
Im no professional, but for me I think I'd find some enjoyment cleaning a place like this. But good god I'd be upset if I inherited it. It would be disappointing:/
What state? I'd have fun cleaning a home like this.
Craigslist: Estate disposal: All items free/as is.
That will take care of most of it. One man’s junk…. 🙂
Even if the house were being prepared for rental, renting an outdated house that is CLEAN is far from being a slumlord.
What a Godsend you are to people like this. Great editing...Before/Afters were amazing. The owner must have been shocked at the difference.
Thank you for discussing the negative posts and assumptions that people make. We all need to keep learning that there are many reasons why people do things.
You are inspiring - I can't watch one of your videos without going to clean 3 ft. It helps understanding some of the emotional or mental blocks I (we) have to cleaning. I'm 73 and you're helping us tremendously.
I’m convinced you and Clean With Barbie are angels on earth. It makes me feel better knowing people like you two exist.
As someone who HAS sanded and refinished hardwood floors, it is DEFINITELY not easier lmao. Took my partner and I over 3 weeks (working in the evenings because we both have jobs) and a whole team of family members chipping in, and we only did around 800 square feet of floor. And that was with consultation from a family member who used to do this professionally and already had the equipment.
The act of cleaning is restoring and giving back dignity.
Thank You.
Indeed it gives me great hope❤
You are a good man, if anyone criticises you ignore them. I cannot imagine what that house must smelt like, the fact you do this for free is heroic. You must be proud of yourself, deservedly so. More people like you and less of the hater’s.
Congratulations on reaching 600,000 subscribers! It won’t be long now until 1,000,000 subscribers!
I truly applaud you in your efforts and success. Personally, I joined to get encouragement and learn from your skills. I have a family, friends, life, and job/hobbies that I don't watch to criticize or just watch.
The difference your channel has made in my becoming organized life after trauma is so appreciated! Add your soothing voice.
I work in a jail kitchen. We get 50lb bags of cake, cookie and bread mixes. We have to put them into 5lb bags which is very messy. When I'm done there's powder everywhere. I'll dry wipe the counter top then use a wet wipe so I don't make a gluey mesa.
I really like this longer format to show a whole house! Better than 5 parts. This helped me soooo much!!! Some people can speed up certain parts of your video, if necessary. One video helps because I often wonder about priorities and how to see the WHOLE house cleaning and staging and clutter and furnitute, etc. It hhelped to hear you talk thru your thought process, tips and tricks, lessons learned, background, next steps, etc. Thank ÿou very much!!!
Congrats on the 600,000! I can't wait to see you hit a million. On another note, I can relate to the bit about helping until you just can't do it any more. In my family it wasn't hoarding but a different addiction and there's only so many years you can take it. It's sad for the person with the problem and it's sad for the family in general. I'm sure the gentleman who inherited this house was extremely grateful to have the help.
Great job on the MEGA re-edit! ! These are my favorite types of videos and enjoyed every bit of it....the narration, the background noises, the inside scoop on the situation, the length. The before and after pics are amazing. The owner is so fortunate that you volunteered to do this. I know he was pleased. Thanks for sharing it with the members!!
The way i dealt with this with my mom is i would travel to her apartment wvery 2 weeks to clean. I did this for about a year until she had a few falls, then told her she was moving in with me. She agreed, and was upset that i had to throw so much away. I told her i have 900 square feet of living space and 2 other people at home. Your whold apartment will not fit in my house. Also, you're on oxygen and i have a gas stove, so you won't be cooking anymore, so you won't be needing any of that. To that she replied to please give certain items to certain people because she saw them as valuable. She understood, but to this day, something will come up in convo and "I HAD one of those in my apartment!"
I feel your pain, but at least you lived nearby! I had to do something similar - but Mom was 1800 miles away
@tinaswider1033 ouch! Mine lived 2 hours away. She's in a nursing home now. She stayed with me for a few years, but her COPD is getting to where she needs full-time care, and I have to work. Hubby is disabled.
Oh way, I don’t think I’ve seen this one yet. That stove in the beginning gave me chills. Bless you for everything you do to help people who desperately need it. Please don’t forget your gloves & mask anymore though. ❤️🙏💪
Thank you for your conscience effort to inform everyone of a hoarder’s mental health issues and showing so much empathy and compassion for these individuals. I was an office support worker at a mental health clinic for 12 years and everything you mentioned is true and factual on this condition. Bless you for doing this work for no charge and improving lives.
I wish we could have an update on the current state of this house.
Thank you for all that you do.
Out of all of the homes I've watched you work on/in this is the one I really want to see a follow up on.
I think these were the vids I subbed to. Thank you for producing this for us members.
The living room floor looked drier than those fake Mexican aliens. Just wetting it looked so satisfying!
I liked revisiting this one, although it's also a sad story. The stencil on the trim above the sink in the kitchen stood out to me. You can see it was loved once - it's in those details - but now utterly destroyed.
I hope they managed to restore it and breathe some life into it again. As you said, the woodwork was lovely.
I am amzed at your empathy/sympathy..thinking of those who may have to handle household items after you..The results are always amazing..for you gratifying!
Enjoy the videos always!
Thanks for all you do..blessings.
Sir, you are truly a blessing. I have such great respect for the care, the effort, and the empathy you do these jobs with. Keep being the amazing human you are.
Thank you for marking my afternoon a bit better 😊 I really needed it.
I love how thoughtful you are to the next person that’s gonna have to work in those spaces.
And the incredible attention to detail!
It reminds me of the story of Steve Jobs painting their fence. He were painting the fence and was proud his job was complete. His dad went out to inspect it and said Steve did a good job on the outside but pointed out the inside of of their fence was unpainted.
Steve didn't paint it because "no one else sees that". His dad said "but we do".
First and foremost, excellent job, as always.
Second, I really appreciate our parasocial relationship. I watch a video and feel like I'm hanging out with a friend who reminds me to be kind, has similar values, and who also enjoys cleaning. I do hope one day to meet you at your future shop, but until then: so many thanks to you and the rest of your family/crew for aiding those of us who experience the slight loneliness of adulthood 💜
I stumbled onto this video. I usually fast forward through lawn cleaning videos to see the end result, but I couldn't look away from this. I had to watch each second. Why? I dont know. There is something magical about you. You made me feel sad, intregued, relaxed, hopeful and gave me more understanding of those situations I've not paused to attempt to understand. Thank you for your gift.
Watching AGAIN, still just as satisfying. My only feelings for ALL the people touched by this is empathy and compassion. I have enough psychological challenges of my own to ever be judgmental or snooty. Thanks once more Mack, for your efforts to make a difference in peoples' lives.
So sorry you have to deal with idiotic comments. Know that our huge group of dedicated followers knows that you are doing everything with common sense, with knowledge of the family and it’s real situation, and that you are doing everything possible to handle it. Bless you for doing it.
Thank you for this. My stepdad has a hoarding problem, from his side of the family.
They have a house as an inheritance from their father which is in the middle of the city, they would make so much money selling it. (They need the money) But it is packed from floor to ceiling. It's been over 10 years, and it's still full of trash.
I've myself have cleaned his house around 120 times, DEEP cleaning. And it's always the same. He gets mad when we try and bring it up, but. I can't let him live like that. I'm lucky, he's a very slow hoarder and I thank God for that.
I think this is really inspiring! Modern home remodel shows imply some messes are not worth cleaning up, or are impossible to clean enough to function. Your videos prove that's not true. Imagine if, instead of throwing out perfectly good kitchens, people would just clean up what's there and make just minor necessary (or valuable to them) updates. There would be so much less waste. This video is an extreme example of a mindset we've lost in our culture. Thank you for sharing with viewrs at large!
Thank you for sharing this video. Congratulations on the growth of your channel. So impressed by you and your family. Hugs from an ADHD hoarder. It’s beyond painful. ❤
I love your empathy and wacky sense of humor 😁 the bio hazard house with the diapers is when I started watching on a regular the videos really help me clean when I get ADHD burn out and just don't want to clean
i would never want you to apologise for doing a video just for us - especially if it's a long one! i think it's great - thank you
Thank you so much for re-doing
this video. My husband and his sisters suffered so much trauma and they all suffer from hoarding and I believe they need real help. Even tried to "help" over the years. You have taught me to see this from their perspectives and I can at minimum show empathy and kindess. My husband has to keep his hoard to the garage, shed, his side of our bedroom and his closet. This is hard to deal with and I am not always kind about it. I have shared some of your videos but he seems to take them as permission. Well, we at least can talk about it. Which is better. I dont plan on giving up on him. At least I know he trying to protect himself. His heart is so broken but still after 40 years he is the nicest guy with the biggest heart I have ever been privileged to know. Thanks Mack for sharing your insight. And making me a better person.❤
I loved this so much! It was amazing to see the transformation. You are such a kind and compassionate person. Thanks from Canada,❤
Your dedication and compassion is amazing. Your cleaning abilities are excellent. I have learned a lot from you and your channel. Thank you for that. My uncle recently passed. My family cleaned out his home. There were things that we never imaged he would have. His home was not a nasty mess but once we started getting under the beds and in the hidden little places we found a lot of stuff full of dust and odd things that he had kept over the years. We were all amazed and frustrated at what he had duplicates of that he never used, brand new stuff, or an odd random thing in a random place. Your videos helped me understand about why he kept some things they way that he did. I’m very thankful for your talks as well as the content.
[SINGS] We built this channel...we built this channel on rot and mould - Built this channel, we built this channel on rot and mou-oooold!" 🎵🎵🎵
🤣🤣
@@MidwestMagicCleaning that can now live rent free in YOUR head instead of mine. You're welcome, son.
Lol Cookwitch and Mack.😂😂😂😂😂
oh nooooooo 😭
I will never hear that song correctly again! 🤣
@@jlaurelc Same! 😂😂😂
I think you did an amazing job on that house, also your reason for doing it for free makes me very proud of you. Please keep up the good work you do but remember to take care of yourself.
I love the new narration and redo videos I clean for a living and watch all your videos for cleaning motivation Thanks ❤