My father was a level 5 hoarder. When you said this son’s inheritance was this problem, it hit me like a brick to the forehead. I lived that hellscape. I’m not even that far in therapy to describe the trauma. What I can say is you saved this son YEARS of heartache from the memory of what was, what it became, and how it ended. Absolutely incredible amazing and powerful grace you have given a person so fresh into grief. All my best to you and to this family.
Let me encourage you to keep moving forward as best you can. I've made myself watch these videos and others like this to make my mind see what can happen. My mom became a hoarder but nothing this severe. Don't give up, I know you can do this!
My Grandpa hoarded like this and when he passed I watched my mother and her siblings deal with the estate. Luckily he lived in a fairly small space, and he had nurses that would secretly clean out his pantry (i think the oldest can was from the 80s), but that amount of emotional baggage that came with the space was incomprehensible. It's been a decade and my mother is still working through her hoarding trauma. I hope you are able to work through what you need to, and like this video shows, you're not alone in this journey!
@@BitOHoney276 I had to move in with dad to care for him. It took a week to carve out a bedroom for me and my kids. Scrub the kitchen and bathroom and stack everything in corners. For the first month all I had was my bed to play with my babies and the scrubbed kitchen which was severely damaged. I could afford to rent elsewhere but I couldn’t get my dad out and I had to unbury him. He had suffered so much too. 4 big loses one right after the other froze the house in time. We were able to clear out a lot and he had the best years at his end. But it was a three story house with a detached garage. It took me 8 years and over $100k to restore the house and it still needs easily another $100k. But it is completely cleared out and it feels like i sometimes sit on a dragon’s size pile of gold because of my accomplishment. The hoard was hard because it was 5 people, most teachers so a million pieces of paper. Stay strong.
As a person who was 'triggered' by a divorce into hoarding, I want to thank you for advocating that this is a real neurological disorder. It took over my life, and I sought out professional help before it became a monumental problem in my home. For me that means dealing with abandonment. I may always have this compulsion, but I'm learning ways to stop the attachment to things. Watching your channel and hearing you talk about hoarding, not judgementally, but with compassion actually lessens the choke hold it has on me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Jack
I wish you all the best Jack. I too have a hard time attaching memories and such with articles and material items, it's hard to let go. Godspeed my friend.
Good lord that's astonishing. I wonder if you have ANY IDEA how unusual and impressive your story is? To recover quietly, privately and with dignity from such a disabling condition is incredibly rare. I started to tear up reading your post, because I think you must have endured so much suffering. Thank you for giving hope and encouragement to others!
I'm so sorry to hear about your struggle and I'm sorry to hear about your divorce. Thankfully you were lucky enough to really take action and get help before it went too far. Good luck to you.
Bless you, and your story is moving. I lost my childhood home several times and I fully understand the idea of triggers. I watch myself very carefully because the tendency to slip into hoarding would be a very easy one for me. I send you love and light.
I have never watched a hoarder/cleaning video where the narrator was able to transition so calmly between empathetic discussion of neurodivergency and struggles to practical tips on disinfecting surfaces to job advice for students to making fun of their own boxers. You are amazing.
Doing the same. Doesn’t happen overnight. The more I get rid of, the more I want to to get rid of. Doing the Swedish death cleaning. Look it up. Not morbid. Less stuff for family to have to get rid of.
Hearing you say you're autistic and do this for fun just reminded me of a friend who had a house like this growing up. I'm autistic too. I wanted so badly to get a chance to clean that house. I cleaned her room once, and it was trashed again within a week so I admitted defeat for a while. Finally, the family was set to move out and the mom reached out for help in clearing stuff out. I took great joy in helping, and I tackled one particular area so I could feel the accomplishment of seeing a spotless section. My friend's mom said if there was anything I saw that I wanted, within reason, I could have it as a thank you. I made off with a cool spoon that could extend like a telescope. I love interesting spoons. Totally worth it.
Mood. I enjoy cleaning but since I also stress clean as well, I just make sure to let my girlfriend and her mom know to ask me if I'm okay or just genuinely cleaning because I'm enjoying it if I'm cleaning A LOT. There's just something so SATISFYING about cleaning and then organizing things nicely as well. 😫❤
Thank you so much. I am like that lady who's house you worked on. 59 years old in 3 days time and about to follow what you did in my house starting with my bedroom 1/10 areas in my house. Will keep you posted. Wish me luck with 32 years of hoarding. Here goes nothing!! Using your video as a guide. Can't wait to have family and friends in for the first time in years. I think I can do it now.
That's awesome! Take it a little at a time and don't worry, it may not seem like you're making progress right away but it will! Hang in there and reap the rewards for your efforts in the end. You can do this!
Don't feel like you have to doit alone. If possible get help from a service or check with elder care agencies in your area. Easy does it one area at a time. God bless.
Wishing you only the best in your recovery-you’re taking a big leap with little steps and you shall successfully reach your long term goal of a clean & tidy place where you can entertain your friends and family! You are in my prayers! Looking forward to your follow up!!
My mother's a hoarder and an alcoholic. I've asked her to seek help dozens of times, but she refuses to since she believes everything's fine and I'm just making a fuss over nothing. I've been watching your videos to prepare myself for the day I have to start clearing out her house after she dies, so I'm really grateful for all of your tips and advice. Thank you for everything you do for the hoarders and their families, it's really appreciated and I wish there were more people like you around.
So sorry to hear about your mom. Mine is also an alcoholic though not a hoarder. My dad is a compulsive buyer, of sorts, though. He grew up poor and tries reselling things on eBay but has little luck. My brother and I will have a lot to deal with by the time they're both gone.
@@thestitchsofar It will be easier when she's gone because you won't have to negotiate over every little thing. I'm sorry for your circumstance; best wishes to you.
I'm sorry. Mine was the same. Unfortunately, she hadn't kept up with neither house maintenance nor insurance. After she passed suddenly, we found paperwork that updates such as electrical and such were required to renew her house insurance. She hadn't done it nor did she deal with the foundation issues that created the mold issues. It was an expensive tear down that broke my heart. I loved that house so much as a child. I hope much better for you.
@@RainySunday21 I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I'm not attatched to the house itself, even though I did grow up there. I'm more worried about her living there now because it's so unsafe. I'm gonna keep trying to get her to seek help until it's too late, because at least then I can say I did what I could.
I volunteered to go through a family member's hoarders house after they died. You learn SO much about someone through uncovering every layer of things they collected. Sometimes you learn things you don't even really want to know. Going through a hoarder's house in a thoughtful, purposeful way is truly an act of love. It can take days to months just to go through everything and clean out the waste- a service most could not even begin to afford. You did this brilliantly and with so much kindness.
I'm speechless. This lady who passed away... I'm her. (pre-going belly up.) And everything you're talking about I can relate to. NO ONE comes in my home... I guess I should be thankful friends are all but gone save one and family... gone. I am thankful. There is SO much wrong... it has been overwhelming for many, many years. I desperately want this to change... I'm up there in years and I see 'the writing on the wall.' It's quite sad, really. I won't say anymore, there's no reason to. Thank you for what you are doing... and it's wonderful to see your kids involved as well. Very. All the best! *Edit* Learning/watching/listening to how you're doing this, the cleanup, helps immensely. Again, I want things to change but so dang overwhelmed. Picking a room today, the kitchen more than likely, and beginning. I need my life back... I need a life. By the way, yes, trauma. This all started with trauma and I can pinpoint the day. Your bringing this up I found interesting... thank you for understanding.
Start with one tiny area or set a timer for 10 minutes and see what you can do. Start with the easy/the obvious....Trash. Throwing away trash is easy. Don't worry about perfection. Just try to make things a little bit better each day....better is good. Listen to channels like this while you work, for encouragement! God bless you!
As someone who suffers from misophonia, it also makes me so glad he doesn't hold up a microphone to every little sound as well. SO many channels nowadays are either loud EDM or "asmr", it's hell. This guy just GETS it.
@@mayajasinski5972…The point is to focus on his hard work without being distracted by the music. Don’t belittle people just because they have an issue with music on cleaning videos. They may have autism, or a sensory disorder. Music bothers some people with autism, and sensory problems, because it is loud. Try to understand where each person is coming from.
When you said the thing about horders stuff being like their kids. So, my whole family has ADHD. We all have trouble with cleaning and often clean for each other as an act of love. So when I saw my father in laws house I was happy to help him clean. But it was so different from helping my family clean. We disagreed on what was obvious trash. I held up a dirty 3 year old child sized snow boot. "You have to admit that this is trash. It can't be cleaned, we don't even have the other boot." And he cradeled it in his arms like a baby and said "Oh, but this was my little Judahs boot. I love him so much." And thats when I realized this was completely different.
My mother is a hoarder and I already dread having to clean out her house. Most of her stuff is new in the package or washable but the house is jam packed. You are doing a great thing by helping and you are so understanding too.
I love how you never degrade or try to change people with hoarding disorders. You have such empathy and compassion for people. Definitely not enough of that these days. You truly are an amazing person and should totally be proud of the work you did.
My mom was a hoarder. After she died, it took my family and I five of those 30-yard dumpsters (yes, FIVE) to clear out everything she’d accumulated. Notable finds included seven glue guns (still in packaging) and enough fabric and dress patterns that some ladies at her church made new outfits for every kid at two orphanages/schools in Haiti. Thank you so much for your compassion and support for families digging out from under a hoarder’s legacy.
My great aunts house was a 5+ dumpster house. She had depression after she lost her husband in the 80s. She never had kids and was high up in sales for Monsanto so she had $$$. She had taken care of 4 older ladies from her church in her huge house. When they died they had her in charge of their estate. She felt that their antique stuff was more valuable than what the estate sale person was selling them for so she bought and kept all 4 of their stuff. She would buy magazines from us kids (those school charity magazine sales) and there was 14 grandchildren to buy from. She never threw away any of those magazines. What was cool from that was all the older National Geographic’s that she got collector editions that came in leather cases. I think with her she was very environmentally conscious so she didn’t want everything to end up in a landfill (it did in the end of course). The one thing that hurt the most was a family painting portrait that was from the 1850s of her family when they first settled the area. The middle of it became a mouse nest. We got it restored ($6000) and donated it to the MO museum as their family was pretty significant to the foundation of north stl.
As an autistic woman who cleans for fun and to cope with stuff, hearing that you yourself are like this too and go around cleaning houses like that for free is just so nice. You're probably my favorite person for the rest of the week now
Yes, I found his *dry wit, blasé, deadpan delivery* and his *voice* remind me of *Ron Swanson* of _Parks and Rec_ - and his *snarky asides* and *bratty exclamations* - like *_"Suck it!"_* - are like that of *Bart Simpson.* 😁 His _detailed descriptions_ of his decluttering and cleaning processes (which can be banal) certainly made watching what can be a _difficult_ and _triggering topic_ for some (like me, a *neurotypical, "recovering" hoarder* with *C-PTSD, ADHD* and a *personality disorder)* more _engaging_ and _worth watching_ right through. I gleaned a few *tips* and am *feeling motivated* to continue with the *decluttering* and *cleaning* I did last night - a mountain of dishes, recycling magazines, and mouse-proofing (they came inside for winter, again, so I must've missed some dime-sized holes).
@@amyserra440Yeh .. but it’s also a heartbreaking glimpse into a stranger’s heartache, overwhelm or despair made visible .. yet out of chaos can be born a genuine star. This man’s energy, empathy and compassion is exactly the kind of miracle the world needs more of. Imo.
I once asked a woman I was helping in her home, why she kept all her junk mail. She said it was because it made her feel validated. It was something with her name on it. She WAS a real person. Broke my heart.
Oh my gosh. That hurts.😢😢 This is why we need to treat all people kindly. We all matter. Be kind,unless it's taken for granted. It's such an easy thing. And it can change a person.
This was exactly my experience when I was growing up. Being homeschooled and isolated from everyone except for immediate family, I was intensely excited when I started getting college mail at 17. Sure, most of it was junk. But it was also an acknowledgment of my existence, something that it felt like I never got in my daily life. I kept all of it for years, and I think I still have some of it lying around.
I have a work friend who found herself in a hoarding situation, thankfully not nearly this extreme. She said used to take great care of her home, but had health problems and went through a bad marriage and divorce. She managed to work full time, but things just became too overwhelming for her at home. Add a cat and dog to the mix and it got pretty bad. I became concerned when she started having headaches frequently and seemed depressed. She is a very positive person normally. I inquired as to how things were at her home. I thought maybe she had a mold problem or something. She confided to me that she could no longer clean her home. I offered to help. Her house had a strong ammonia smell from the litter boxes. I spent weeks cleaning. I'm so glad I did, because she was able to sell her home to a flipper and moved to another state to be closer to her son. She got rid of the headaches and seems better now. I do believe that this could happen to just about anyone if given bad circumstances. Not many people, myself included, could handle a cleanup such as this. These people are such a blessing!
@@vk3980 It's only by the grace of God that I have compassion and the desire to help others. Before knowing Jesus I was not near as concerned about the wellbeing of others. Thank you for being so kind and may God bless you!❤
“You could be so much happier if you just didn’t have depression.” 🤣🤣 I have depression and that really cheered me up 😊… You have a special talent at being able to address mental health seriously yet in some weirdly uplifting way.
Hello sir what I think you do is totally awesome. I was a hoarder and had my house cleaned twice with family and your right it is a neuro dz. But after a life altering trauma to me my family had to clean my house for a 3rd time in order to live there. I look at my life from back then and don’t understand how I could have let that happen. God bless you.
Right? It would all be so much better if you just got in shape! Well heck, why didn't we think of that??? I'm sure people don't intend to be hurtful but they really can be. It's so good to listen to someone who gets it and is 100% respectful.
You talking about the pictures brought a smile to my face. I went to a yard sale once. The guy had bought a storage locker and while I'm looking through stuff I found SO MANY old pictures. To the point I asked the guy. "Hey? Are you going to sell these? Do you want them? Cause I'd like to see if I can find the family." The guy agreed to let me take all the pictures I could find. I HUNTED through that yard sale. Found every old picture I could get my hands on. Even found a last name which made me ask about getting this large wood plaque that was clearly meant for a front porch with the last name on it. I spent several weeks hunting down through local records and stuff trying to find out who this lady was in all these pictures and trying to find her family. Finally I found a living son and some contact info and I reached out. Let him know what I had and that I could connect him with the guy who bought the storage locker so that he could see if there was anything else he could find. The guy was brought to tears. Turns out the storage locker belonged to his sister and she had gotten into a bunch of trouble. That was how she lost the storage locker. She had all their family pictures and his family thought they were gone forever because she didnt' speak to any of them anymore.. The sign was what kinda brought him to tears though. If I remember right his dad made them for all the kids, but this guys had long since been destroyed by time. His sister had apparently never used hers cause it looked brand new. I still feel bad about one thing though. I have the year book that was his moms still. At the time I asked if I could keep it and see if the local county museum wanted to scan it for their historical records. Sadly I lost his contact info and without all the pictures and records I couldn't find it again. So I still have his moms year book in case I ever manage to get ahold of him again so I can give it to him. But it was amazing and I was so happy to get to reunite this guy with stuff important to his family that his hoarder sister just was letting rot in a storage unit. So it makes me so happy seeing you find these old photos that you can give to this woman son. That stuff is irreplaceable and I'm sure he was overjoyed to have it again. Edit: I ended up doing the same thing kind of a few years later. But it was a good friend who found a ton of old pictures in a house she was renting. It didn't take me long to find the family that stuff belonged to. Sadly though it seemed the family wasn't really all that interested in having the items. I still connected them with my friend though and they went over to get the stuff. But it made me sad that the family wasn't even happy it seemed to have them back.
Wow this is such an amazing story especially the part where you spent several weeks trying to get in touch with the family it makes me so grateful to see stories like this thank you so much for sharing it with all of us hope you have an amazing day
I have friends who care about old houses and preservation. There was an elderly unmarried schoolteacher who passed away, and the people who bought her house threw everything in a dumpster. My friends went dumpster diving, and found a lot of photos from the late 1800s, scanned and shared them on FB. They were relatives of mine! I was able to save all the photos and even visited the home that the schoolteacher's mother had grown up in. Bless people who care!
This is so amazing and made me cry. I lost a storage unit in 2007 after going through a rough time. It has so many memories in it and I often get depressed when I think about it. I have moments of hope that someone one day will do exactly what you did. 🙏🏾 because that is a blessing!
My cousin had moved three states away and took her mom’s (my fav aunt) stuff with her…so many family pictures and slides! She also got in a bad way financially and lost the storage unit they were in. Man I wish she would have told me, I would have paid the storage place! Sadly she died young at only 48 yo.
I've seen plenty of Hoarders episodes, but never has a clean up bee done with such sympathy and respect for the family. But your commentary is EVERYTHING. From the start you made sure the viewers looked at this situation with empathy. And you and your crew do a hell of a cleaning job.
Liked this! I have too much stuff, but as I get older I'm getting rid of more and more stuff because I don't want to burden my son with it when I go. Death cleanse, I guess. I'm really enjoying vacant space! Never a hoarder, but I could go from over-consumer to minimalist. That would be fun! These videos are catharctic and inspiring.
I think Hoarders is missing the empathy because they have to move so quickly. They genuinely only have a few days to do it usually. Sometimes for expense reasons, and other times because their house is condemned. Although I do wish everyone could have been treated with the same tender love and care that this gentleman has given.
so many people have absolutely no empathy or compassion for mentally ill people, especially those of us who find cleaning very difficult or live in scenarios like these that seeing someone like you who can talk so calmly about it is really refreshing and encouraging. this is what's motivating me to clean up in fact. so thank you, really.
"This is her son's inheritance" - that resonates so much with me. Both my parents are/were hoarders. When my dad died, my mom clung on to my dad's hoard like Gollum and when she passes it is going to be an *insane* amount of cleanup. A 5BR house completely jam crammed with a mix of magazines, knick knacks, antiques, garbage, dead mice and mouse poop, bugs, bug poop... The one and only time my mom asked for help cleaning up right after my dad died, I traveled back to the home town and threw out a 55 gal bag full of expired and rotten food from the kitchen. One thing I threw away was an open jar of mint jelly that I remember from when I was in middle school. MIDDLE SCHOOL. And I was 40. So that thing had to have been almost 30 years old. Bulging canned food, moldy nasty stuff from the fridge. And then after throwing away one garbage bag, she had a change of heart and complained about what I was doing, so I stopped. To this day she complains about me and how I threw out her treasures. I have a massive amount of anxiety about when she passes. The amount of expense and time that will be required.
@jayes7195 I read your comment about trying to toss disgusting old food. I tried to help a woman who's house was scheduled for demolition. All she would let me do was clean out a desk. She was eating food that had expired 3 years previously and looked like it. My mom was bad, this was worse. Tina, Al's wife
@@sandrafaith Thank you :-) -- I'm watching all of these videos so in the event that the worst case scenario happens and I need to do this all myself, I'll have the skills to do it. Not gonna lie though, it would take *months* to clean out my mom's house and I don't even know if it would be worth it, given I have no idea what condition the house is in underneath all that hoard.
I cleaned out my mom's house. The house was actually clean. Her kitchen floor was cleaner than mine. It took me 9 months to clear it out so we could sell it to pay for her fees for dementia care.
My sister has been in the nursing home for 5 years now. I haven't dealt with my mom's stuff and now I have her's. She was a QVC addict. I crushed a bone in my lower back to top it off. After realizing I was depressed the last 2 years (depression is the devil, which I don't believe in the devil so I'll just say ungodly) I finally got help and we're gathering stuff one day at a time. 👍😊
Because of your channel I've been able to see my mom in a different way, respect her in her mental condition and finally to love her. She passed away in 2021 and cleaning her house was like this.The brand new Christmas sweater hanging on the door got me. We found one in my moms house that she had bought ready for the holidays. Her trama that triggered the hoarding was both her parents deaths within a few years then my dads descent into Alzheimer's. You are one of my favorite people and I don't even know you, because you've taught me so much and helped me gain self awareness. Thank you for what you do. ❤
I too am watching this because of my mom. My dad was a horder and eventually succumbed to Alzheimer's as well. My mom isn't as bad with her hording but pretty close and this video has given me a newfound empathy for her situation as well. I already knew that's just the way she is but to have it said because brain chemistry is a funky thing really settled me down in just understanding that she cannot help it.
My dad is a hoarder, has been as long as I can remember. I alternate between feeling anger and abandonment; like he chose literal garbage over me and my siblings, to enpathy and a science-based understanding that this is a mental disorder that can't be simply white-knuckled through or strong-willed out of. Thank you for having compassion for the people you serve while not downplaying the devastation amd havoc this disorder can wreak on people's lives. It's distressing to be a hoarder, and it's distressing to love a hoarder. Both are true. Thank you for all you do.
In college my apartment got so messy that after several warnings from the landlord about them not being able to replace the fire alarm and air filter, I received a notice that i had 1 week to clean everything or id be evicted. Im glad i was in therapy at the time because i found that letter outside my door on my way TO therapy haha. That helped me work through the sting and shame of the consequences of my actions. It was never a hoarding disorder, more of a depression nest or just having ADHD. Still, videos like yours have helped me SO much to overcome some of that shame. It is so validating to hear someone who cleans for a living/hobby confirm that it's hard work to fix things like this. That you dont judge it but recognize it for what it is. A symptom of a deeper problem. Im in a better place now and this year I have been re-inventing the way I see cleaning. Im very proud of my progress. When my mom visited for a weekend i was able to get the place guest ready in only 2 ish hours! Thats like nothing compared to how it used to be.
I worked in cleaning industry for almost 5 year's, this literally destroyed my spine, during my cleaning career I have never seen anything like this. You work so hard! Someone who never cleaned for living may not have understanding how this job can knock out your health. I hope that you taking care of your self and take breaks while working.
As an elderly person whose future is uncertain, I'm so glad I still have the ability to keep up my house and property but for how much longer. I've been decluttering for years, and I'm still amazed at what an effort it would be to have to move out of the house I've lived in for 20 years. You did a wonderful job making the son's burden so much lighter.
I’m in the same boat. Unfortunately I don’t have children and my siblings have moved away from the area. None of them would want my property and it would not be convenient to have to dispose of my stuff. I’ve been working on giving away as much as I can recently. Thanks to TH-cam I recognized the signs of traumatic hoarding and took action by starting therapy and declutterring. Good luck to you! 😊
@@kassandralevingston9874 Yes, I am in the same boat. I have been cleaning out my things. I don't want my niece or her sons needing to clean after I am gone. I want them to keep all the good memories not any bad ones.
@@JustcallmeDebbieBMe too, and the sooner the better on my end. I have a total of 9 kids - 2 are stepsons and 1 I adopted out to my (now ex!) husband's first cousin. None of them live nearby, all in different states. I love them too much to put them through going through my banker's boxes of printed genealogy information from 50+ years of research and my now husband's stuff (he's an "I can't stand to throw anything away, even junk mail from 35-40 years ago" guy, so I've got his stuff stashed in an otherwise-unused downstairs closet.) Time has come today!!
Recovered Hoarder here, mine was triggered when my house burnt down as a child, and I completely understand my phsychology of it now, losing everything made everything valuable to me. I had other trauma built on top of that and was diagnosed later with C-PTSD, a lot of treatment later and I was able to start "letting go" of some of the things, I am now very satisfied with how spacious and free my home feels, but i do get insane anxiety if anything feels messy or cluttered now and I get quite anxious if I can't "declutter" things when I need to. Recovery from hoarding has generated its own raft of issues, it's like my brain chemistry will never quite be normal again. My parents are still living in an "over abundance" situation, its boarding on hoard, and the trauma is definetly there. I find it extremely stressful to be in their house and not want to clean it.
I'm an emotionally vivacious woman (read intense) so I'm not surprised I cried watching this. My youngest is autistic, gentle and self-contained and also struggles with some mental health issues that causes some hoarding. She watched this with me and also cried. She and I are grateful for you and what you do. Too little help and compassion it seems sometimes. She's been needing some motivation and she found it, in such an unlikely place. Bless you and yours, from me and mine. ❤❤
I have always been intrigued by hoarding and really appreciate your explanations about the disorder. My husband and I have been dealing with his mom's hoard for several years. The funny thing is that she was the neatest and tidiest person so we never knew what lurked beneath. Her husband died a few years back and she is now in a nursing home due to Alzheimer's. We started dealing with the hoard about a year after his death--mainly lots and lots and lots of junk mail and paperwork going back to the mid-60s. Once she was in the nursing home, she had to sell her home. That's when we dug into the rest of her things. She was none too happy about it, but she doesn't even realize it now due to the progression of the Alzheimer's. Because she was clean, we were able to sell quite a lot. One estate sale, a couple of garage sales, lots and lots of donations, a 30-yard dumpster, shredding until the cows came home, disbursements to other family members and lots of filled garbage hoppers later, we're finally down to about 20 tubs of clothes that will get donated in the spring when we're motivated to spend a couple more hours sorting again. My husband won't admit she's a hoarder. I get it. It's a lot for him to handle losing his mom to Alzheimer's. But it has been just a monumental thing to deal with. My heart goes out to all those who deal with hoarding in one way or the other. It's heartbreaking for the hoarder and for their families.
As a recovering hoarder, I stumbled across your video by accident as background while I clean as motivation and I had to stop at how kind and understanding you are. It took a lot of time and therapy to get me to where I am today with so many people not understanding I didn't want to be hoarder. Throwing things away would trigger anxiety for me.
How does someone find a therapist to help a person (my brother) specifically with hoarding or even get diagnosed with hoarding disorder? He has been diagnosed as bipolar and takes medication but I “know” being surrounded by stuff is debilitating and detrimental to his mental health and living his best life. Please give me any suggestions on how to find a therapist. Thank you everybody!❤
God bless you. People don’t understand. I’m not a hoarder but have reacted irrationally to my divorce and missing my kids. Like not being able to watch tv, read, listen to music (my favorite thing ever) and only watch one movie over and over. Everything else caused me anxiety.
@@karenleonard4377 I was a late teen when I started general therapy for my anxiety my therapist knew someone who specialized in OCD/Hoarding. I got really lucky.
@laurarominger2073 I understand this Laura. I have always collected cool stuff...decorated beautifully...but the last 2 years I shut down and stopped caring. Traumatic divorce a few years ago has done damage for sure. Facing the reality of it now. Watching these videos is motivating me. It is debilitating.
He has used a shovel in another video, but that was for when the house was so ruined and everything was unsanitary and unsafe that it was better to throw it all. Not saying that everyone who has shoveled it all up had good reasons but that there can be a reason for it as this man has done it before.
I haven't seen much of your videos just yet but I already have to comment on how refreshing it is, to hear you advocate for people that get themselves in this situation. This is not "lazyness," this is depression. This is anxiety. This is loneliness. This is isolation. These people need help, not condemnation. Imagine being so sad that you can't move, and how helpless it would feel to watch a home that you love slowly fill with trash around you? They need help, not humiliation, so thank you for being so loving and empathetic.
@@jeanmccallum-xs8rk it becomes natural. To an average person, they would see the piles of trash and be horrified. But to someone with hoarding disorder, they see it and know that it's bad but the illness prevents them from doing anything about it. It stems mostly from either depression or physical inability. It'll usually start small and build, then before they know it they have mountains forming. Then the illness shuts down the part of the brain that gives motivation. It's a vicious cycle that's hard to escape, and honestly there is so much more to it than what I'm explaining.
because they do not see what we see. To them, everything has a meaning or a purpose and they think that they are disrespecting the item by throwing it away. Hoarding is DEEP (no pun intended) It can be very difficult to wrap your brain around it. I work with a patient population that includes hoarders. tolerance and empathy go a long way, and it takes a long time to build trust. @@jeanmccallum-xs8rk
@@jeanmccallum-xs8rkit builds up over time, at first its maybe just one room that you use as storage, until you stop using that room then its the hallways and you just walk around it then its your own bedroom but its so normal you dont realise how insane it is
I grew up with an untreated hoarder and an untreated alcoholic with bipolar and OCD. It was a nightmare. Us 5 kids were expected to keep the house clean, and if it wasn't done right (which it never was) we got the belt. I have C-PTSD and a huge huge mental block when it comes to cleaning. I am not really a hoarder, but when I had my house, my mom filled my garage with boxes of shit she claimed were mine when I wasn't home. Two moves later and I am still dealing with it. Thank you for helping me feel less worthless for struggling.
Amyfran, I truly wish I could just reach out and give you a hug, my dear child. You have already survived hell on Earth. Please be kind to yourself. I come from a large family. I had an alcoholic father who was whipping us with belts for the least infraction. We did not have Hoarding in the home, in fact. We had the opposite. My father was constantly throwing everything out. My parents' fighting was epic, and every night, I thought someone would be killed. As my sister and I were the eldest in the family, I became quite a protector. I felt like I was in captivity being held by a terrorist. I truly hope that you can find a way to be kinder to yourself. I am now 76 years old, and I have had a wonderful life. Psychiatric counseling helped me a great deal, but as a small child, I vowed that I would be different from my parents. Your story is far worse than anything I had to endure. I only mentioned myself because I want you to know that there are many people who understand because they, too, had the same experience that you had. I felt a great deal of shame that was not mine to bear. I will pray for you. You are a survivor, and you are strong. Keep reminding yourself of the great strength you have when the negative thoughts come around.
I have bad ADHD and a physical disability with my arm. This combination has made cleaning an absolute nightmare for me, If not near impossible. I’ve been doing damage control behind my kids on a daily basis but never feel like I could get ahead of the mess, let alone deep clean anything. You have been so inspiring for me. Every night after my kids go to bed I’ve been turning on your videos, and cleaning along while watching or listening. I’ve learned a lot. I follow your steps and I am almost through my home, chipping away as much as I can each night. I’ve found a lot of relief in donating things, and recycling over throwing decent stuff away outright. Every bit of clutter out of my house it’s feeling better and better. Bar Keepers Friend gel has also been great for my arm! Very little scrubbing involved, and it works wonderful. Your APC cleaner blend has been great too! No cleaner smell for our asthma, and it leaves everything looking nice. Anyways, all that to say, thank you for the motivation each day to keep cleaning!!
Your comment struck me. Just wanted tot say hi and give you respect and acknowledgment for your effort to clean your house! Greetings from another neurodivergent worldsitizen who also struggles with both arm pains and adhd
One day, even if its just a 15mins a day you’ll get there. I hear you with the cleaning behind the kids I can spend a full day cleaning kids will mess it all back up in 15 mins :p leant to live with a “messy” but clean house ;)
Don't worry, at some point your kids will be old enough that they only make messes in their room XD And by that time they can help with the cleaning too. Hang in there!
That’s amazing. I really enjoyed reading your comment. Keep it up! It’s such a good feeling when you go to bed at night after tackling a big project and getting it done! ❤
First of all, the puppy at the end is so cute. Secondly, I’ve finally stop denying that I’m a (level 1-2) hoarder today, and it’s been a long road to get to here, but this video and others like it that I’ve been listening & watching all day in the background have really helped me finally go through my place. I finally rid myself of trash I’ve been holding onto for almost a decade. Already there is something so freeing about the space. Maybe it’s the way the air has more room to circulate, but it’s clearing out some mental space too. Thank you so much for your content. I appreciate the empathy and the encouragement, it’s really helped to push through the years of shame that’s been building up and keeping me from de-hoarding.
While I do not have a hoarding disorder, I have had a chronic illness for many years with limited energy. Your videos have helped give me motivation to get my house in order. Both my husband and I grew up in families where you kept stuff "just in case" so we have a lot of bad habits to unlearn.
Same here ! I like empty house (easier for me) but I was raised in "no, don't throw away" "waste NOTHING". (When people lived war and know what it is to not have engouh money, or food...). When my parents moved, we found food expired in 1986 (which is more than 30 years before the date of the move). the house itself was very full, because there is stuff to "sort later" everywhere, but since both my parents were working, they didn't have time for it. Not hoarder house however (clean, we could move in it). Just lots of things everywhere, and very old food in the cupboard, so much that we played a game which was to guess the expiration date of things :D The idea is that many things can be kept AFTER the expiration date, older people didn't have them, that is why they are kept. (not the 30 years old, that one what just "back on the cupboard which was so crowed that they didn't access the back in 30 years"). I can't throw things, at all. Meaning I have to donate them. Which is longer and harder. so that I have some stuffs "waiting to be donated" for years now ahah :D Part of them, I stll thinks" but I could use it someday". Also because I already donated "too fast" meaning I had to buy it again 2 years after... but I did it because I had a very small flat and the emergency at that time was to feel more free in it. This is a balance thing : I think keeping is good... as long as it doesn't stops you from other most important things. Like family, health, feeling good in the house. Now that I recently got better and could get rid of things, I find out that it is easier to use the things I need. I mean, having a lot "in case of" is so that you don't know where it is. Since you can't find it when you need it, it is useless. I guess that is how she got so many remote control for the TV... maybe losing one, buying one again, and so one). Having that in mind may help to select what to keep, since wasting things by forgetting them somewhere (or having them being inaccessible) is also a waste.
I always want because I like it, but I currently can't (physical disability, very frustrating) and seeing him doing it relaxes me (it kind of replaces the relaxation I get when I do it myself :D) @@kuroimushi9421
I feel that. I've been trying so hard to get rid of anything that I only keep "just in case" but sometimes it's so overwhelming to get rid of things, especially when they're worth actually selling and not just donating.
@@CommanderWiggins My husband's thought process is that it might be sellable to someone. I have overcome that by saying, "Honey, if you want to post it for sale somewhere or work up a yard sale, if that's what you want, then go for it. If you don't, then the stuff that's crap is going into the trash. The stuff that's good, I'm going to set out by the curb for the neighbors to grab if they need or want it." So that's what I do now. The neighbors are loving it! :D That is my donation to my neighbors, and I have no idea what many of their situations might be. But if they want my hand-me-down household items, I'm happy to let them have it. I don't need the extra dollar, nor do I have the energy to set it all up. I'm 70, for crying out loud, and I'm just tired and worn out sometimes... most of the time, actually. But that's a whole different story. My "Just in case" days are gone now. I thank Midwest Magic Cleaning for that feeling I have. I've been watching his videos for quite some time.
what a massive difference you guys made...not only to this place...but also to the son who now doesn't have to deal with something that would be tremendously saddening when he's already dealing with the death of a parent. thank you so much for having such a kind heart and being so generous.
Such a soothing voice....as someone who works with special needs children, partiluraly autistic. This is where the autistic brain is such an asset. The sheer determination , laser focus....the different brains rock! 💖💖💪💪
I grew up in a Filipino maximalist household and started to show signs of hoarding when I got my own place. Thankfully I got an intervention/realization early on, when I saw friends’ places and thought, “This is what a normal house looks like. There are spaces to put stuff on and you can breathe and relax when you get in.” Now I put your videos on the TV while I clean my own apartment. Your narration and cleaning is so refreshing and motivating! Thank you and more power to you and your channel ✨
I REALLY appreciate that you have enough respect for people not to take a shovel to their belongings. Not only are you treating people with hoarding disorder with dignity, and saving some cool antiques from a landfill, you're also making it more likely that other people who see your videos will reach out for help because they know you won't just trash everything.
Did she keep things clean? My mom is a hoarder and has my report cards from 49 years ago. She still uses pans from their wedding 60 years ago. But she is also a Martha Stewart cleaner and organizer. House is polished. But it drove me nuts to never throw anything away and have to scrub and organize so many damn things!
I clean houses for a living. I just want to tell you that what you do goes above and beyond what most people (including cleaners) would do. Your work is very needed and very appreciated! I've learned a few tips from you too! Edit: love the shout out to your fellow TH-camr "post10"! I watch him too
when i was a kid i had a friend whose mom was a hoarder. it wasn't quite in this state but it was close, and my friend said her mom would yell and even hit her if she tried to throw out spoilt food and such. what you said about hoarders potentially seeing their stuff as "children" really made it click in my brain what this might be like. it's very scary what the human mind might turn to if you're ill. I haven't talked to her in years so i hope she and her family are okay.
I’m just crying like a baby after you said this was her son’s inheritance. My grandmother was a hoarder and before we were able to go through it, most of her valuables were stolen. She had started a pandoras bracelet for me the year I was born & it is just gone forever. Man I just appreciate you and your work so much. Thank you for caring and working for these people like your own family❤
I have a hording disorder. I admit it and its taken 7 years to manage my triggers. Honestly, watching videos like this encourages me to tackle an area. Less is more, more space to enjoy with family and friends to make memories. That's what I want to collect now, memories. I still have piles, I am attached to things. But that's okay, I can move forward slowly. I am getting better at looking at things, appreciating it and putting it back on the shop shelf and walk away.....
@@jennifercastle8808 I don't mind. I become obsessive about items. If I find something I like, I have to have every thing i see in shop. Bows in hair (I rarely wear) I have to have all colours. Its for the imaginary me. Glass bottles have been the latest craze, any antique bottles. I have stopped collecting cardboard (for the crafty future me) I can go on.... but basically I have to have it all. my main goals are to keep the floors clean and clutter free. Rubbish out of the house and dirty washing managed. This has helped me to manage.
I am no esoteric person, but I can't help but find it interesting that she passed shortly after agreeing to having her old house taken care off! Peace to her.
@@liveandletlive9333I think that‘s exactly what he said. My thoughts were the same: She might have made her peace and let things go… And she let go herself….. May she rest in eternal peace 🙏!
@@hildaba-wu1499 I don't believe it. I just don't. Son knew she was about to pass. The woman didn't all of a sudden on her death bed say ok clean my house. Mac even said the guy was like oh she passed away last night and hadn't told him. That son was manipulating the situation plain and simple. You can't be gullible and just believe what people say to be true.
I absolutely love the supportive comment section. We all struggle. There's a reason for everything. Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean the person is doing things intentionally. I like that this is a safe place to share, be vulnerable and to actually have positive responses. 💙
Your compassion and empathy, both for the deceased hoarder and her son moved me. Your efficiency in turning a nightmare into a salable home is amazing, too. You're a high standard to try and live up to.
The way you felt about these magazines is how I felt about napkins when I was cleaning out my grandmother’s place when she passed away. We were sorting through things for absolutely forever and while she was clean, she was definitely a hoarder. She would take paper cups, napkins, etc. from the dining hall at their retirement home all the time and every time we thought we must’ve gotten all the napkins, BOOM! You’d open a drawer and find another seven million napkins
You're not weird...you are an angel for helping the poor guy that inherited this. Your understanding of hoarding is very touching. I don't know how you do it, you, your kids, wife, other helpers are exceptional human beings! You could make more money cleaning executive houses, but You're not in it for money...I'm amazed at what y'all do. Many blessings! ❤❤
I felt breathless after watching these rooms of vacuuming, sweeping, and scrubbing following the many hours of sorting and throwing away. It's amazing that you are so giving of your time and energy to help other people for free. You are a beautiful soul. I would think your expences could get quite high if you don't ask the client to just reimburse you for supplies & your employee salary (unless the client had no money) The home is a 100% improvement in cleanliness.
My husband found our neighbor passed away in her home. He had taken her to dr appointments and basic errands for the last few years. She was a hoarder too and because I learned so much from you and your channel we didn’t push her because when cleaning was mentioned she would get visibly uncomfortable. The police were astounded by the amount of meds she had in every room but they had the understanding like you about it being an illness. I thought of you much of the time because your message of understanding is getting out. So with all that, I think you gave this man such a gift by doing this. He can move on easier than if you hadn’t been there. ❤😊
This video has blown my mind! I've done decluttering and organizing for people over the years, and thoroughly enjoy it. But I've never worked for a true hoarder. If I understood you correctly, you did this job for nothing, and even spent a lot on the project yourself. What a blessing, what a gift you've given.
I'm autistic, I do this because i'm weird. I felt that to my core. I'm glad that you do this. I honestly would love to be able to afford to do things like this.
Just a mum from Australia here - just wanted to give you props for doing this kinda job - you are an amazing person. An entrepreneur with heart... it was so nice to come across your video's! Love your humour, very "dad-joke-esque" 😂 Keep up the fantastic work mate 👍 I look forward watching more of your stuff.
I grew up in a hoarder house. I saw pictures of it recently on Zillow. Ita a million dollar house and it’s immaculate and beautiful. I wish that had been the home I’d been raised in.
I realized years ago, my grandmother was a hoarder. Back then, I thought she was just being difficult. Years after she died, I discovered a storage unit with more of her stuff that had been ransacked, so there was little left of value. My mother insisted I ship to her boxes of items. They have been sitting in her house which was hoarded up until a few years ago when I started clearing things out. Their lifetime traumas were very real as I cut through the layers of clutter. I've been slowly clearing out my stuff from MY traumas so I won't leave behind garbage for others to deal with. Thank you for all you do.
His mother did leave him a gift. If not for her, he'd have never met you. You're a blessing for the things you do for others. He might not have gotten anything from an inheritance but he did get to experience the goodness, and kindness that's in the hearts of others in this world. Thank you for what you do! God bless you 🙏❤
I've been a hoarder for about 4 years now, and I am only 19. Videos like this help so so SO much to show me the dangers of this disorder and help motivate me to declutter my home. It felt like a punch to the face when you described the scenario of a buddy being unable to come into someone's home for multiple years, because I have never had anyone over other than my significant other for the past year. There are always ups and downs, and I have gotten better, but when there are downs, it really does get to me. Thank you for the content that you post, it genuinely is changing my life right now.
That was phenomenal! Makes me sad and scared at how easily a home can turn into a hoard. I’ve seen it and I’m fighting it with your wisdom and help! My spin kicks are very substandard tho! Love y’all! ❤🐾
I appreciate your compassion for the hoarders and their families so much. My mom is a hoarder, my father died three months before I was born. As a kid it started with a garage so full of stuff she couldn't keep the car in it, it advanced into the garage had pathways you navigated to try to find the stuff you knew was somewhere in there. In my late teens and early 20s it started to creep into the house. 20 years later and it's only gotten worse. She is more like this woman.... stuff may be old and gross but it's not so much garbage as usable stuff. My grandmother passed away at 97 a few years ago, now some of her stuff has joined the hoard. My brother and I will be left to sort through a three bedroom house packed from garage to attic with stuff. That will be our inheritance, and I know she thinks she is doing us a favor... she sees this stuff as valueable things she will pass on to us. I've been mentally trying to prepare myself for years.
My first time here. I can so relate to some of this video. Major eye opener for me. My parents were quite poor and we had basic furniture in our homes we lived in. I loved books, magazines, paper and material. My mother was a seamstress and I loved watching her sew. Today, I am a hoarder of books, magazines, paper and material. I am cleaning up some of my "treasures" because I don't want to leave all my hoarding stuff for my boys to clean up when I die. I managed to let go of a few bags of magazines, gave away some of my material to the Animal Shelter for bedding and looking forward to giving as much as I can to other shelters. My thing is that when I start cleaning up , I always tell myself that I can use an item for something useful! Not! After hearing you talk about all the magazines and old bills that were in this house that you were cleaning, it really hit me because I have magazines and bills from the 70's thinking that I might need them some day. As of today, I will be bringing more of my magazines and papers to recycle and donating my books to the Next to New Stores. I just looked around my kitchen and down the hallway and am going to bed! Scary! LOL ❤❤
I love how you have become a honed “Archeologist” of a clients hoard. You are able to remove the “layers” and able to read the persons life as you get deeper and deeper! It is a true gift. As you are to humanity by doing these cleanups!
Amazing job! The son may also become emotional for recognizing his childhood home at the exact same time he is mourning the loss of his mom. If he watches your video and just happens to see this message, I am so sorry for your loss. ❤
I was raised a "white glove" cleaner in an Army family (5 siblings, including my twin brother). We had "inspections", which I passed. Graduated high school 1975. Became a Sole Proprietor cleaner 1981 - 1995 in Anchorage and a live-in house keeper for 8 of those years, during which time I wore out my knees. PLEASE USE KNEE PADS! Occasionally I did move-outs, which I hated cuz renters were SO disrespectful towards the land lord's property. Today, I PHYSICALLY could NOT do what you accomplish. I marvel at your perseverance!
I finally grabbed a box of mine that has been sitting in a corner of my living room! It did give me anxiety after I opened it and realized that papers were inside the box! You see ........papers/old bills/junk mail are my archnemesis. To say I'm a paper hoarder is an understatement. I have it bad and I realize that. This paper hoarding of mine is also causing anxiety for my family. If I'm not willing to change, the problem will remain the same. I'm finally letting go and facing my anxiety over this. One day at a time and a few boxes at a time. Here's to sorting through these boxes and feeling less anxiety, woop woop! Thank you for the inspiration!!
You can do it! 💪 Hope it went well. Having different folders labelled for things helps, and keep trying to throw stuff away, even when it's not comfortable ❤
Wow, great explanation. My father was a hoarder, however, having been the person that cleaned it all up, there was not one single item that he hoarded that gave any indication that he was a father of 4 and a grandfather of 9. Your description of the condition is a more educated version of how I used to describe his issue. Every item that he had had exactly the same value to him. He was unable to distinguish that an old newspaper was less valuable than a new in box kettle. Strangely, he kept nothing that any of us gave him as gifts, and wouldn't use them. Eg. One year I bought him a new shaving mirror. Mum had renovated the bathroom, and he refused to use the space, except for the shower, because he didn't believe it needed renovating (it certainly did!!) He preferred to shiver in the cold of the tiny laundry and do his hair, shave etc in there. He used a tiny old mirror that was broken. He never used the mirror I bought, and I didn't find it when I was cleaning up. This was the same for all of the gifts i gave him. Weird, but that was just him, I guess.
My mum's the same; on the surface it's all "we don't do emotions, we're British." ... If she didn't acquire the item herself OR inherit it from her elders, it isn't part of her hoard... There isn't the same sentimental attitude to items that I/my sister bought her (although she has kept every card she's ever received), and she's SUPER picky about the things she does buy. Now I'm her carer, but I was raised on the "waggle dances" of where everything she does buy are located in shops, so I get the exact items - only consumables and needed household items - *no substitutes* 😅 ... And yes, we're generations of Neuro-Diverse family, although my son is the first one to be officially diagnosed.
Mack, you will always be the guy that said "Just stand up." Not only does this apply to depression and how to overcome but it is what you do as a role model. Thank you for sharing your energy and compassion.
Bless you! Two years ago, when my mother passed away, my brother and I were left with a similar inheritance. He had been recently diagnosed with throat cancer, and he did what he was able to help clean up. I also did much of the work. The house is now in reasonable condition, and he is well, thank God. So, I understand the real value of what you did for the man who owned this house. May his mother's memory be a blessing. I hope that the house you just cleaned and decorated will soon be a healthy, comfortable, and treasured home for new occupants. I wish your daughter, Adrian, all the best in her new job and in her studies. Also, may your son be well. May you be richly blessed for the kindnesses you do for others. Thank you!
You are not weird. You are a kind hearted man. Depression can happen to anyone anytime even animals can get depressed. Never judge because it can happen to you. Alot of people like to give their opinion but once you are in that person's state of mind than that is when you understand. Good Luck!😊
Yes I agree, our dog got depressed when her sister from the same litter died from pancreatic cancer. We didn't think she was going to make it for awhile, as her sister was the leader of their little "pack".
Best wishes in reaching 1M subscribers. Im aware Im showing all the signs in myself becoming a hoarder. I have been struggling since way before COVID and are still not 100% back with the living. I have 2 rooms which are not useable already. But seeing the effort required to sort this is not something I want to leave to my son. I have learnt a lot from you and have already cleaned out most of one room as Ive paused this video and attacked my stuff. We have been able to put up our Xmas tree! 😀🎄Both rooms Im aiming to have cleared before Xmas, but itll take time. You have motivated me to be better. Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work. 😀🤩
You are brave and best wishes on your goal. I need to clean out educational materials. Teacher hoarding in case it is needed is slightly different, but just as crowded....
You are astounding and incredibly brave that is neither easy nor a short process mentally nor physically. I don't think i have ever been so proud of a complete stranger. keep going you're amazing.
What a shame the mom never got to live with the order and beauty you created. What a blessing for the son that he didn't have to do this alone. Thank you for all you do!
You all did an amazing job on that house! What a blessing you've given the man who inherited the house. Thank you for your kindness, understanding, generosity, and hard work! ❤
I had to go thank my husband 10 minutes into this video. I’m (diagnosed in adulthood) AuDHD, grew up with one parent who was a hoarder and the other an enabler, and have acquired a mild hoarding problem as well. It would be SO easy for someone to write me off for living in a “pigsty” (I’m not usually dirty, just messy!) but he saw that I had severe anxiety about it and correctly deduced that hoarding was something happening TO me, not something I was choosing. 😭 I’m in therapy and properly medicated but it is still a daily struggle to fight the compulsion to keep everything. Thank you for treating hoarding as the psychological illness that it is and treating people with compassion. ♥️ Showing other people teaches them to do it too, and that’s what we need- shame does not cure a hoarding disorder.
I don't consider myself to be a hoarder but this is helping me to be aware how this disease starts. I love deals and have a closet full of small kitchen appliances that I got on black friday, supposedly to give away as presents, but I do keep more than I need. I just decided to get rid of at least half of it and also of the memorabilia that I've been collecting for years that no longer have any meaning to me or my family. Thank you for this.
I completely understand. My husband passed away 15 years ago and although I sold or have away many of his things there are some I just can't part with. The thought of leaving all the things we both accumulated and that I don't use and my children aren't interested in was a wake up call for me. I have been donating clothing I don't fit in anymore because I've lost weight. It wasn't as hard as I expected. Next are the craft supplies I kept because I thought I would make gifts from them but it turns out the kids and grandkids aren't interested in crocheted items. Surprise! So that's next. It's hard but the weight of sadness and guilt I no longer feel is empowering. One small step at a time. I can do this and live clutter free while I grow my savings. Happy New Year!
I appreciate your dry humor and the practical non-judgmental approach you have to cleaning. It is a small example of normalizing the idea that men are able to do this kind of work to. Thank you!
My son had Asperger's and died this last April 9th at 32. He is sooooo missed. Watching your videos, hearing your voice filled with humor and love is so comforting. What you do is such a gift to others, and your life is such a gift to the world!
Thank god for people like you. I absolutely could not even step into a house like this. My daughter (an attorney) has severe anxiety and depression and ridding herself of “stuff” is anxiety-producing. When we visit, we have to help break down and remove empty boxes of deliveries that usually get stacked in the living room. The study and bedroom is usually covered in empty drink bottles and assorted trash. We go often enough that it doesn’t get as bad as this video, but if we left her alone, I believe it could. It is a devastating illness.
Just amazing. I always like your narration. Thank you being an inspiration and help a junior hoarder try to pull myself back from the edge. I have too much stuff, not a dirty house, not bugs or vermin, but just too much stuff. Every time a watch a video of yours, I get a little more motivated to get rid of stuff. I especially took to heart the fact that this house was a charge on the son, not an inheritance. Keep up the good work- Thanks for being kind to people with issues.
Me too. I have been giving my children any "Treasure's" I want them to have,if they want them. I say, give it to them while YOU can. Love this guy's humor too!!
Thank you for all you do. This video "randomly" popped up in my feed, probably by the grace of God. I am nowhere near this level of hoarding, but I do recognize that I am on this path. I didn't know about the mental trauma based connection, but it does fit my story. Having recognized this I am immediately setting my intent to solve my problem as fast as I can, hopefully before the end of this year (only 2 weeks away). I feel like my life depends on it. Again, many thanks, you touch more lives than you know. God bless you!❤
I'm similar - I get mentally itchy when I need to throw things out, I'm relatively cluttered, relatively young, and hoarding runs in the family. Cleaning videos sometimes pop up in my feed, but this is the first I've actually properly watched due to the mix of science and empathy on this channel. I wish you the very best on flattening the hoarding curve before it starts ramping up
You truly are a huge asset to these people. My ex-husband was the beneficiary of a relatives estate who unknown to him was a hoarder. It cost him 15k to have the house cleared out and sanitized. It is truly heartbreaking that people live like that. If only there was more help for hoarders out there.
My MIL is some sort of hoarder. She sleeps on the recliner in the living room of her 6-bedroom house because all the bedrooms are stuffed to the gills. Won’t let anyone come in and sort through stuff to throw out. What you said about this man’s inheritance not being memories or property but a huge expense really struck home. I feel sorry for my husband and his siblings wherever I think about the future and her inevitable passing.
You really helped the son in a tremendous way. Having to go through that much stuff on his own would have taken so much time and effort. Additionally, the emotional strain of trying to decide what should be salvaged might have weighed on him and left him with some "decision paralysis," at times. Now he can focus on grieving without the burden of decompiling and fixing up this home. And to have done it in 6-7 days is truly incredible.
^^^^ Yeah there is a lot of stuff in this pile up I mean. Not the stuff it is what's behind it in her heart. Hugs to her family so sad but you know we all have stuff. I tell you something. If you listen to me now.. I have brother S.. That have rented store rooms with just stuff and things in it that's I say as big as or long as a STREET A WHOLE DARN STREET FULL OF THINGS THEY 3 them have each! Yep! That on its OWN I HAVE NO IDEA THERE HEAD? There old now but neurotic and greed to no ends. There mean and horrible people. I think they should either give it away or blow 💥 the whole places up to holy kingdom up! No joke. Greed to the maximum! It's unbearable. Ocd. Crazy. Nuts. Horder. Alcoholic. Deception. Clean to no end. Emotional. Pop a pill. Fat. Narcissist. That's about it. Oh and con men! Stealers! Oh that was in one mouth full hey. 2 sister S there as bad. So I ran long time ago! Lol 😆 that was close shave heY’ . I'm the youngest. So lots different people in the world. I say the only great thing anyone can do is move on with their life TURN THAT PAGE AND ALWAYS REMEMBER BE GRATEFUL THAT YOUR SO WONDERFUL. Be kind and smile it's all ok. ✌️🌹 thanks. 🙏✨
This is amazing. I am autistic too and I have suffered major psychological trauma and battering that destroyed my organisation and self confidence. I am also very artistic and I have many projects requiring a lot of raw material. For these I chose to recycle a lot. Your words triggered something and I have understood some things. Thanks to you I no longer feel guilty and I believe that I will be able to try and resolve some problems. You are great! Thanks!
Sylvie, have you read about Highly Sensitive Persons? Being Empathic, and sometimes we are scapegoated by not so nice people, beginning in our family. Just saying. God Bless you. 😘🙏🏼🤍.
I currently live in a house built in 1927 by my grandmother - she was a hoarder and married to a hoarder - my dad was fostered, their only child - and he bought the house in 1974 " as is" - as a kid I remember using a shovel to scrape up what was left of a valuable book collection, because the roof had leaked... continuously over years... and/or trying to rescue some of the ones in better condition, and trying to "dry them out" in sunlight.. - I keep the tiles from the bathroom renovation in 1974 because "someday' I'm going to get rid of the mismatched that I've been left with when a modern shower system was installed... but I've watched this channel... and I think hoarding can be infectious.... tomorrow I'm getting up with a plastic sack, and I'm starting in the top corner of the back bedroom and if it isn't valuable, hasn't been used or been seen in the past 12 months it's out! Thank you.
Ive learned You being autistic speaks volumes to why you really understand the innerworkings of a hoarder. A lot of times, both sets of people attach emotional value to material objects. Comes off weird, me saying that, but im woth an autistic person. Its actually beautiful, but can be frustrating lol. Congratulations to you, though, you've been a true blessing to that man. Also you sound kinda like Ray Latoya
My father was a level 5 hoarder. When you said this son’s inheritance was this problem, it hit me like a brick to the forehead. I lived that hellscape. I’m not even that far in therapy to describe the trauma. What I can say is you saved this son YEARS of heartache from the memory of what was, what it became, and how it ended. Absolutely incredible amazing and powerful grace you have given a person so fresh into grief. All my best to you and to this family.
Yessssssssssss!!!!!!!!!! ^^^^^ Sooooooooooooo much this. I totally felt *every* word of this after dealing with family deaths. 😢
Let me encourage you to keep moving forward as best you can. I've made myself watch these videos and others like this to make my mind see what can happen. My mom became a hoarder but nothing this severe. Don't give up, I know you can do this!
My Grandpa hoarded like this and when he passed I watched my mother and her siblings deal with the estate. Luckily he lived in a fairly small space, and he had nurses that would secretly clean out his pantry (i think the oldest can was from the 80s), but that amount of emotional baggage that came with the space was incomprehensible. It's been a decade and my mother is still working through her hoarding trauma. I hope you are able to work through what you need to, and like this video shows, you're not alone in this journey!
Great job as always! Has anyone asked you to do more garage clean-outs?
@@BitOHoney276 I had to move in with dad to care for him. It took a week to carve out a bedroom for me and my kids. Scrub the kitchen and bathroom and stack everything in corners. For the first month all I had was my bed to play with my babies and the scrubbed kitchen which was severely damaged. I could afford to rent elsewhere but I couldn’t get my dad out and I had to unbury him. He had suffered so much too. 4 big loses one right after the other froze the house in time. We were able to clear out a lot and he had the best years at his end. But it was a three story house with a detached garage.
It took me 8 years and over $100k to restore the house and it still needs easily another $100k. But it is completely cleared out and it feels like i sometimes sit on a dragon’s size pile of gold because of my accomplishment.
The hoard was hard because it was 5 people, most teachers so a million pieces of paper.
Stay strong.
As a person who was 'triggered' by a divorce into hoarding, I want to thank you for advocating that this is a real neurological disorder. It took over my life, and I sought out professional help before it became a monumental problem in my home. For me that means dealing with abandonment. I may always have this compulsion, but I'm learning ways to stop the attachment to things. Watching your channel and hearing you talk about hoarding, not judgementally, but with compassion actually lessens the choke hold it has on me.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Jack
Thank you! ❤️❤️👊
I wish you all the best Jack. I too have a hard time attaching memories and such with articles and material items, it's hard to let go. Godspeed my friend.
Good lord that's astonishing. I wonder if you have ANY IDEA how unusual and impressive your story is? To recover quietly, privately and with dignity from such a disabling condition is incredibly rare. I started to tear up reading your post, because I think you must have endured so much suffering. Thank you for giving hope and encouragement to others!
I'm so sorry to hear about your struggle and I'm sorry to hear about your divorce. Thankfully you were lucky enough to really take action and get help before it went too far. Good luck to you.
Bless you, and your story is moving. I lost my childhood home several times and I fully understand the idea of triggers. I watch myself very carefully because the tendency to slip into hoarding would be a very easy one for me. I send you love and light.
I have never watched a hoarder/cleaning video where the narrator was able to transition so calmly between empathetic discussion of neurodivergency and struggles to practical tips on disinfecting surfaces to job advice for students to making fun of their own boxers. You are amazing.
Do you have a service in Houston texas for disabled seniors.
Right?! This is my first of his videos, and I can't wait to watch more of them!!
I am so happy that you are helping people who can’t do these things. You are a gem! I have learned so much from you and been incredibly inspired!
You, sir, are a saint! With a great sense of humour too. ✅✅
You can reduce literally any behavior down to a function (or disfunction) of the brain. That doesn't make it excusable.
I’m 66, been decluttering for about 7 years. I will continue working on it. I want my family to have very little to get rid of when I’m gone.
❤❤❤
Doing the same. Doesn’t happen overnight. The more I get rid of, the more I want to to get rid of. Doing the Swedish death cleaning. Look it up. Not morbid. Less stuff for family to have to get rid of.
My goal also…..
I want the same for my children too who will inherit our home.
Doing the same
Hearing you say you're autistic and do this for fun just reminded me of a friend who had a house like this growing up. I'm autistic too. I wanted so badly to get a chance to clean that house. I cleaned her room once, and it was trashed again within a week so I admitted defeat for a while. Finally, the family was set to move out and the mom reached out for help in clearing stuff out. I took great joy in helping, and I tackled one particular area so I could feel the accomplishment of seeing a spotless section. My friend's mom said if there was anything I saw that I wanted, within reason, I could have it as a thank you. I made off with a cool spoon that could extend like a telescope. I love interesting spoons. Totally worth it.
😊
😮that's cool😊
Mood. I enjoy cleaning but since I also stress clean as well, I just make sure to let my girlfriend and her mom know to ask me if I'm okay or just genuinely cleaning because I'm enjoying it if I'm cleaning A LOT.
There's just something so SATISFYING about cleaning and then organizing things nicely as well. 😫❤
No way, j also love spoons
Woah that is a cool spoon I wish I could see it
Thank you so much. I am like that lady who's house you worked on. 59 years old in 3 days time and about to follow what you did in my house starting with my bedroom 1/10 areas in my house. Will keep you posted. Wish me luck with 32 years of hoarding. Here goes nothing!! Using your video as a guide. Can't wait to have family and friends in for the first time in years. I think I can do it now.
That's awesome! Take it a little at a time and don't worry, it may not seem like you're making progress right away but it will! Hang in there and reap the rewards for your efforts in the end. You can do this!
You've got this!!
Don't feel like you have to doit alone. If possible get help from a service or check with elder care agencies in your area. Easy does it one area at a time. God bless.
You've got this! Take your time and don't get overwhelmed. Slow and steady wins the race ❤
Wishing you only the best in your recovery-you’re taking a big leap with little steps and you shall successfully reach your long term goal of a clean & tidy place where you can entertain your friends and family! You are in my prayers! Looking forward to your follow up!!
My mother's a hoarder and an alcoholic. I've asked her to seek help dozens of times, but she refuses to since she believes everything's fine and I'm just making a fuss over nothing. I've been watching your videos to prepare myself for the day I have to start clearing out her house after she dies, so I'm really grateful for all of your tips and advice. Thank you for everything you do for the hoarders and their families, it's really appreciated and I wish there were more people like you around.
So sorry to hear about your mom. Mine is also an alcoholic though not a hoarder. My dad is a compulsive buyer, of sorts, though. He grew up poor and tries reselling things on eBay but has little luck. My brother and I will have a lot to deal with by the time they're both gone.
@@thestitchsofar It will be easier when she's gone because you won't have to negotiate over every little thing. I'm sorry for your circumstance; best wishes to you.
I'm sorry. Mine was the same. Unfortunately, she hadn't kept up with neither house maintenance nor insurance. After she passed suddenly, we found paperwork that updates such as electrical and such were required to renew her house insurance. She hadn't done it nor did she deal with the foundation issues that created the mold issues. It was an expensive tear down that broke my heart. I loved that house so much as a child.
I hope much better for you.
@@RainySunday21 I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I'm not attatched to the house itself, even though I did grow up there. I'm more worried about her living there now because it's so unsafe. I'm gonna keep trying to get her to seek help until it's too late, because at least then I can say I did what I could.
@@birdie8006 It's tough. A lot of people don't realise how much these illnesses affect the people around them too
I volunteered to go through a family member's hoarders house after they died. You learn SO much about someone through uncovering every layer of things they collected. Sometimes you learn things you don't even really want to know. Going through a hoarder's house in a thoughtful, purposeful way is truly an act of love. It can take days to months just to go through everything and clean out the waste- a service most could not even begin to afford. You did this brilliantly and with so much kindness.
Take care and don’t risk your health.
I'm speechless.
This lady who passed away... I'm her. (pre-going belly up.)
And everything you're talking about I can relate to. NO ONE comes in my home... I guess I should be thankful friends are all but gone save one and family... gone. I am thankful.
There is SO much wrong... it has been overwhelming for many, many years.
I desperately want this to change... I'm up there in years and I see 'the writing on the wall.' It's quite sad, really.
I won't say anymore, there's no reason to.
Thank you for what you are doing... and it's wonderful to see your kids involved as well. Very.
All the best!
*Edit*
Learning/watching/listening to how you're doing this, the cleanup, helps immensely.
Again, I want things to change but so dang overwhelmed. Picking a room today, the kitchen more than likely, and beginning.
I need my life back... I need a life.
By the way, yes, trauma. This all started with trauma and I can pinpoint the day.
Your bringing this up I found interesting... thank you for understanding.
Start with one tiny area or set a timer for 10 minutes and see what you can do. Start with the easy/the obvious....Trash. Throwing away trash is easy. Don't worry about perfection. Just try to make things a little bit better each day....better is good. Listen to channels like this while you work, for encouragement! God bless you!
I listen to subliminals from TH-cam. I let it play over and over. I got up and started cleaning and throwing stuff away.
Same. I have finally started. A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.
You are my hero. I love your comment. You are me.🎉
I just came across your channel and subscribed. You are a very kind man to help people with this disease. Thank you!
I love your candor about your autism, your knowledge of neurodiversity, and your respect for the people with hoarding disorder. ❤ Rock on.
I subscribed for just this reason ❤
Agree you genuinely felt his empathy.
I've got Autism too.
My sons have autism! Respect my friend for what you do 🙏
I am autistic as well
Thank you for not putting music over your time-lapses, it’s a breath of fresh air.
Amen and hallelujah!! Subscribed because of this
As someone who suffers from misophonia, it also makes me so glad he doesn't hold up a microphone to every little sound as well. SO many channels nowadays are either loud EDM or "asmr", it's hell. This guy just GETS it.
What's wrong with music? Don't you think you should appreciate his hard work instead?
@@mayajasinski5972…The point is to focus on his hard work without being distracted by the music. Don’t belittle people just because they have an issue with music on cleaning videos. They may have autism, or a sensory disorder. Music bothers some people with autism, and sensory problems, because it is loud. Try to understand where each person is coming from.
Totally disagree, that sound is awful. Needs to be either covered with some other sound or muted entirely
When you said the thing about horders stuff being like their kids. So, my whole family has ADHD. We all have trouble with cleaning and often clean for each other as an act of love. So when I saw my father in laws house I was happy to help him clean. But it was so different from helping my family clean. We disagreed on what was obvious trash. I held up a dirty 3 year old child sized snow boot. "You have to admit that this is trash. It can't be cleaned, we don't even have the other boot." And he cradeled it in his arms like a baby and said "Oh, but this was my little Judahs boot. I love him so much." And thats when I realized this was completely different.
I don’t know if I have ADHD, and I can keep things relatively tidy, but it’s so nice to hear that I’m not the only one who struggles with cleaning!
Its a desease
My mother is a hoarder and I already dread having to clean out her house. Most of her stuff is new in the package or washable but the house is jam packed. You are doing a great thing by helping and you are so understanding too.
I love how you never degrade or try to change people with hoarding disorders. You have such empathy and compassion for people. Definitely not enough of that these days. You truly are an amazing person and should totally be proud of the work you did.
Well said I totally agree with your nice comment!👍❤😘
He is the best.
Agreed! Very well said!
Agreed
❤❤
My mom was a hoarder. After she died, it took my family and I five of those 30-yard dumpsters (yes, FIVE) to clear out everything she’d accumulated. Notable finds included seven glue guns (still in packaging) and enough fabric and dress patterns that some ladies at her church made new outfits for every kid at two orphanages/schools in Haiti.
Thank you so much for your compassion and support for families digging out from under a hoarder’s legacy.
Good on you for not letting the things go to waste and using them for a good cause.
My great aunts house was a 5+ dumpster house. She had depression after she lost her husband in the 80s. She never had kids and was high up in sales for Monsanto so she had $$$. She had taken care of 4 older ladies from her church in her huge house. When they died they had her in charge of their estate. She felt that their antique stuff was more valuable than what the estate sale person was selling them for so she bought and kept all 4 of their stuff. She would buy magazines from us kids (those school charity magazine sales) and there was 14 grandchildren to buy from. She never threw away any of those magazines. What was cool from that was all the older National Geographic’s that she got collector editions that came in leather cases. I think with her she was very environmentally conscious so she didn’t want everything to end up in a landfill (it did in the end of course). The one thing that hurt the most was a family painting portrait that was from the 1850s of her family when they first settled the area. The middle of it became a mouse nest. We got it restored ($6000) and donated it to the MO museum as their family was pretty significant to the foundation of north stl.
@@carolbaker2773 Kudos to you and your family for rescuing and restoring that painting. Talk about finding a diamond in the rough!
As an autistic woman who cleans for fun and to cope with stuff, hearing that you yourself are like this too and go around cleaning houses like that for free is just so nice. You're probably my favorite person for the rest of the week now
Also now that I watched more of the video, I love your sense of humor as well. You're just an amazing person in general!
I have 22 year old son who is autistic I am showing him your videos tomorrow I am so glad to be a new sub he is so funny tho❤❤❤
My father hoarded for 53 years in a large house with outbuildings; it took us 18 months to clear it out. Watching this is like therapy. Thank you.
Your narration and dry humour is great, btw. Made me laugh!
Yes, I found his *dry wit, blasé, deadpan delivery* and his *voice* remind me of *Ron Swanson* of _Parks and Rec_ - and his *snarky asides* and *bratty exclamations* - like *_"Suck it!"_* - are like that of *Bart Simpson.* 😁
His _detailed descriptions_ of his decluttering and cleaning processes (which can be banal) certainly made watching what can be a _difficult_ and _triggering topic_ for some (like me, a *neurotypical, "recovering" hoarder* with *C-PTSD, ADHD* and a *personality disorder)* more _engaging_ and _worth watching_ right through.
I gleaned a few *tips* and am *feeling motivated* to continue with the *decluttering* and *cleaning* I did last night - a mountain of dishes, recycling magazines, and mouse-proofing (they came inside for winter, again, so I must've missed some dime-sized holes).
What a mess
@@amyserra440Yeh .. but it’s also a heartbreaking glimpse into a stranger’s heartache, overwhelm or despair made visible .. yet out of chaos can be born a genuine star. This man’s energy, empathy and compassion is exactly the kind of miracle the world needs more of. Imo.
"A wedding dress from the 1950s, keep it, put it on, you'll look fancy..." Love that!
I will make a ring bearer pillow from my mom's wedding dress for her great granddaughter's wedding. I have stashed that dress for 25 years.
My favorite quote of the whole video. Made me a subscriber!
I once asked a woman I was helping in her home, why she kept all her junk mail. She said it was because it made her feel validated. It was something with her name on it. She WAS a real person. Broke my heart.
Oh my gosh. That hurts.😢😢 This is why we need to treat all people kindly. We all matter. Be kind,unless it's taken for granted. It's such an easy thing. And it can change a person.
😢😢😢
my heart sank.....😢
Wow, reading that actually made me choke up. That’s so sad 💔
This was exactly my experience when I was growing up. Being homeschooled and isolated from everyone except for immediate family, I was intensely excited when I started getting college mail at 17. Sure, most of it was junk. But it was also an acknowledgment of my existence, something that it felt like I never got in my daily life. I kept all of it for years, and I think I still have some of it lying around.
I have a work friend who found herself in a hoarding situation, thankfully not nearly this extreme. She said used to take great care of her home, but had health problems and went through a bad marriage and divorce. She managed to work full time, but things just became too overwhelming for her at home. Add a cat and dog to the mix and it got pretty bad. I became concerned when she started having headaches frequently and seemed depressed. She is a very positive person normally. I inquired as to how things were at her home. I thought maybe she had a mold problem or something. She confided to me that she could no longer clean her home. I offered to help. Her house had a strong ammonia smell from the litter boxes. I spent weeks cleaning. I'm so glad I did, because she was able to sell her home to a flipper and moved to another state to be closer to her son. She got rid of the headaches and seems better now. I do believe that this could happen to just about anyone if given bad circumstances. Not many people, myself included, could handle a cleanup such as this. These people are such a blessing!
Thank you for helping that woman and being such a beautiful human!
@@vk3980 It's only by the grace of God that I have compassion and the desire to help others. Before knowing Jesus I was not near as concerned about the wellbeing of others. Thank you for being so kind and may God bless you!❤
“You could be so much happier if you just didn’t have depression.” 🤣🤣 I have depression and that really cheered me up 😊… You have a special talent at being able to address mental health seriously yet in some weirdly uplifting way.
Hello sir what I think you do is totally awesome. I was a hoarder and had my house cleaned twice with family and your right it is a neuro dz. But after a life altering trauma to me my family had to clean my house for a 3rd time in order to live there. I look at my life from back then and don’t understand how I could have let that happen. God bless you.
💞
Dude is hilarious!
Right? It would all be so much better if you just got in shape! Well heck, why didn't we think of that??? I'm sure people don't intend to be hurtful but they really can be. It's so good to listen to someone who gets it and is 100% respectful.
😅exactly
You talking about the pictures brought a smile to my face. I went to a yard sale once. The guy had bought a storage locker and while I'm looking through stuff I found SO MANY old pictures. To the point I asked the guy. "Hey? Are you going to sell these? Do you want them? Cause I'd like to see if I can find the family." The guy agreed to let me take all the pictures I could find. I HUNTED through that yard sale. Found every old picture I could get my hands on. Even found a last name which made me ask about getting this large wood plaque that was clearly meant for a front porch with the last name on it.
I spent several weeks hunting down through local records and stuff trying to find out who this lady was in all these pictures and trying to find her family.
Finally I found a living son and some contact info and I reached out. Let him know what I had and that I could connect him with the guy who bought the storage locker so that he could see if there was anything else he could find. The guy was brought to tears. Turns out the storage locker belonged to his sister and she had gotten into a bunch of trouble. That was how she lost the storage locker. She had all their family pictures and his family thought they were gone forever because she didnt' speak to any of them anymore.. The sign was what kinda brought him to tears though. If I remember right his dad made them for all the kids, but this guys had long since been destroyed by time. His sister had apparently never used hers cause it looked brand new.
I still feel bad about one thing though. I have the year book that was his moms still. At the time I asked if I could keep it and see if the local county museum wanted to scan it for their historical records. Sadly I lost his contact info and without all the pictures and records I couldn't find it again. So I still have his moms year book in case I ever manage to get ahold of him again so I can give it to him.
But it was amazing and I was so happy to get to reunite this guy with stuff important to his family that his hoarder sister just was letting rot in a storage unit.
So it makes me so happy seeing you find these old photos that you can give to this woman son. That stuff is irreplaceable and I'm sure he was overjoyed to have it again.
Edit: I ended up doing the same thing kind of a few years later. But it was a good friend who found a ton of old pictures in a house she was renting. It didn't take me long to find the family that stuff belonged to. Sadly though it seemed the family wasn't really all that interested in having the items. I still connected them with my friend though and they went over to get the stuff. But it made me sad that the family wasn't even happy it seemed to have them back.
Wow this is such an amazing story especially the part where you spent several weeks trying to get in touch with the family it makes me so grateful to see stories like this thank you so much for sharing it with all of us hope you have an amazing day
I love that you never gave up
I have friends who care about old houses and preservation. There was an elderly unmarried schoolteacher who passed away, and the people who bought her house threw everything in a dumpster. My friends went dumpster diving, and found a lot of photos from the late 1800s, scanned and shared them on FB. They were relatives of mine! I was able to save all the photos and even visited the home that the schoolteacher's mother had grown up in. Bless people who care!
This is so amazing and made me cry. I lost a storage unit in 2007 after going through a rough time. It has so many memories in it and I often get depressed when I think about it. I have moments of hope that someone one day will do exactly what you did. 🙏🏾 because that is a blessing!
My cousin had moved three states away and took her mom’s (my fav aunt) stuff with her…so many family pictures and slides! She also got in a bad way financially and lost the storage unit they were in. Man I wish she would have told me, I would have paid the storage place! Sadly she died young at only 48 yo.
I've seen plenty of Hoarders episodes, but never has a clean up bee done with such sympathy and respect for the family. But your commentary is EVERYTHING. From the start you made sure the viewers looked at this situation with empathy. And you and your crew do a hell of a cleaning job.
Liked this! I have too much stuff, but as I get older I'm getting rid of more and more stuff because I don't want to burden my son with it when I go. Death cleanse, I guess. I'm really enjoying vacant space! Never a hoarder, but I could go from over-consumer to minimalist. That would be fun! These videos are catharctic and inspiring.
I think Hoarders is missing the empathy because they have to move so quickly. They genuinely only have a few days to do it usually. Sometimes for expense reasons, and other times because their house is condemned.
Although I do wish everyone could have been treated with the same tender love and care that this gentleman has given.
so many people have absolutely no empathy or compassion for mentally ill people, especially those of us who find cleaning very difficult or live in scenarios like these that seeing someone like you who can talk so calmly about it is really refreshing and encouraging. this is what's motivating me to clean up in fact. so thank you, really.
"This is her son's inheritance" - that resonates so much with me. Both my parents are/were hoarders. When my dad died, my mom clung on to my dad's hoard like Gollum and when she passes it is going to be an *insane* amount of cleanup. A 5BR house completely jam crammed with a mix of magazines, knick knacks, antiques, garbage, dead mice and mouse poop, bugs, bug poop...
The one and only time my mom asked for help cleaning up right after my dad died, I traveled back to the home town and threw out a 55 gal bag full of expired and rotten food from the kitchen. One thing I threw away was an open jar of mint jelly that I remember from when I was in middle school. MIDDLE SCHOOL. And I was 40. So that thing had to have been almost 30 years old. Bulging canned food, moldy nasty stuff from the fridge. And then after throwing away one garbage bag, she had a change of heart and complained about what I was doing, so I stopped. To this day she complains about me and how I threw out her treasures.
I have a massive amount of anxiety about when she passes. The amount of expense and time that will be required.
@jayes7195 I read your comment about trying to toss disgusting old food. I tried to help a woman who's house was scheduled for demolition. All she would
let me do was clean out a desk. She was eating food that had expired 3 years previously and looked like it. My mom was bad, this was worse. Tina, Al's wife
I hope when that day comes that you are able to find someone like the folks on this channel to help you through it all.
@@sandrafaith Thank you :-) -- I'm watching all of these videos so in the event that the worst case scenario happens and I need to do this all myself, I'll have the skills to do it. Not gonna lie though, it would take *months* to clean out my mom's house and I don't even know if it would be worth it, given I have no idea what condition the house is in underneath all that hoard.
I cleaned out my mom's house. The house was actually clean. Her kitchen floor was cleaner than mine. It took me 9 months to clear it out so we could sell it to pay for her fees for dementia care.
My sister has been in the nursing home for 5 years now. I haven't dealt with my mom's stuff and now I have her's. She was a QVC addict. I crushed a bone in my lower back to top it off. After realizing I was depressed the last 2 years (depression is the devil, which I don't believe in the devil so I'll just say ungodly) I finally got help and we're gathering stuff one day at a time. 👍😊
Because of your channel I've been able to see my mom in a different way, respect her in her mental condition and finally to love her. She passed away in 2021 and cleaning her house was like this.The brand new Christmas sweater hanging on the door got me. We found one in my moms house that she had bought ready for the holidays. Her trama that triggered the hoarding was both her parents deaths within a few years then my dads descent into Alzheimer's. You are one of my favorite people and I don't even know you, because you've taught me so much and helped me gain self awareness. Thank you for what you do. ❤
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That’s a heart felt story. Bless you for sharing and best wishes for your life. 💙
I too am watching this because of my mom. My dad was a horder and eventually succumbed to Alzheimer's as well. My mom isn't as bad with her hording but pretty close and this video has given me a newfound empathy for her situation as well. I already knew that's just the way she is but to have it said because brain chemistry is a funky thing really settled me down in just understanding that she cannot help it.
My dad is a hoarder, has been as long as I can remember. I alternate between feeling anger and abandonment; like he chose literal garbage over me and my siblings, to enpathy and a science-based understanding that this is a mental disorder that can't be simply white-knuckled through or strong-willed out of. Thank you for having compassion for the people you serve while not downplaying the devastation amd havoc this disorder can wreak on people's lives. It's distressing to be a hoarder, and it's distressing to love a hoarder. Both are true. Thank you for all you do.
In college my apartment got so messy that after several warnings from the landlord about them not being able to replace the fire alarm and air filter, I received a notice that i had 1 week to clean everything or id be evicted.
Im glad i was in therapy at the time because i found that letter outside my door on my way TO therapy haha. That helped me work through the sting and shame of the consequences of my actions.
It was never a hoarding disorder, more of a depression nest or just having ADHD. Still, videos like yours have helped me SO much to overcome some of that shame. It is so validating to hear someone who cleans for a living/hobby confirm that it's hard work to fix things like this. That you dont judge it but recognize it for what it is. A symptom of a deeper problem.
Im in a better place now and this year I have been re-inventing the way I see cleaning. Im very proud of my progress. When my mom visited for a weekend i was able to get the place guest ready in only 2 ish hours! Thats like nothing compared to how it used to be.
I worked in cleaning industry for almost 5 year's, this literally destroyed my spine, during my cleaning career I have never seen anything like this. You work so hard! Someone who never cleaned for living may not have understanding how this job can knock out your health. I hope that you taking care of your self and take breaks while working.
Me too my spine nerve damage people don’t understand when you say your backs agony! ♥️🇬🇧
Yes, my back is in such bad shape from years of cleaning😢
As an elderly person whose future is uncertain, I'm so glad I still have the ability to keep up my house and property but for how much longer. I've been decluttering for years, and I'm still amazed at what an effort it would be to have to move out of the house I've lived in for 20 years. You did a wonderful job making the son's burden so much lighter.
As an elderly, got to get to cleaning so my children don't get the chance of this. Not a hoarder but is beginning. 🤢♥️👍
I’m in the same boat. Unfortunately I don’t have children and my siblings have moved away from the area. None of them would want my property and it would not be convenient to have to dispose of my stuff. I’ve been working on giving away as much as I can recently. Thanks to TH-cam I recognized the signs of traumatic hoarding and took action by starting therapy and declutterring. Good luck to you! 😊
@@kassandralevingston9874 Yes, I am in the same boat. I have been cleaning out my things. I don't want my niece or her sons needing to clean after I am gone. I want them to keep all the good memories not any bad ones.
Wow this is my future too. My daughter wants none of it. Gonna all go in a dumpster one day...
@@JustcallmeDebbieBMe too, and the sooner the better on my end. I have a total of 9 kids - 2 are stepsons and 1 I adopted out to my (now ex!) husband's first cousin. None of them live nearby, all in different states. I love them too much to put them through going through my banker's boxes of printed genealogy information from 50+ years of research and my now husband's stuff (he's an "I can't stand to throw anything away, even junk mail from 35-40 years ago" guy, so I've got his stuff stashed in an otherwise-unused downstairs closet.) Time has come today!!
Recovered Hoarder here, mine was triggered when my house burnt down as a child, and I completely understand my phsychology of it now, losing everything made everything valuable to me. I had other trauma built on top of that and was diagnosed later with C-PTSD, a lot of treatment later and I was able to start "letting go" of some of the things, I am now very satisfied with how spacious and free my home feels, but i do get insane anxiety if anything feels messy or cluttered now and I get quite anxious if I can't "declutter" things when I need to. Recovery from hoarding has generated its own raft of issues, it's like my brain chemistry will never quite be normal again. My parents are still living in an "over abundance" situation, its boarding on hoard, and the trauma is definetly there. I find it extremely stressful to be in their house and not want to clean it.
I'm an emotionally vivacious woman (read intense) so I'm not surprised I cried watching this. My youngest is autistic, gentle and self-contained and also struggles with some mental health issues that causes some hoarding. She watched this with me and also cried. She and I are grateful for you and what you do. Too little help and compassion it seems sometimes. She's been needing some motivation and she found it, in such an unlikely place. Bless you and yours, from me and mine. ❤❤
I have always been intrigued by hoarding and really appreciate your explanations about the disorder. My husband and I have been dealing with his mom's hoard for several years. The funny thing is that she was the neatest and tidiest person so we never knew what lurked beneath. Her husband died a few years back and she is now in a nursing home due to Alzheimer's. We started dealing with the hoard about a year after his death--mainly lots and lots and lots of junk mail and paperwork going back to the mid-60s. Once she was in the nursing home, she had to sell her home. That's when we dug into the rest of her things. She was none too happy about it, but she doesn't even realize it now due to the progression of the Alzheimer's. Because she was clean, we were able to sell quite a lot. One estate sale, a couple of garage sales, lots and lots of donations, a 30-yard dumpster, shredding until the cows came home, disbursements to other family members and lots of filled garbage hoppers later, we're finally down to about 20 tubs of clothes that will get donated in the spring when we're motivated to spend a couple more hours sorting again. My husband won't admit she's a hoarder. I get it. It's a lot for him to handle losing his mom to Alzheimer's. But it has been just a monumental thing to deal with. My heart goes out to all those who deal with hoarding in one way or the other. It's heartbreaking for the hoarder and for their families.
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As a recovering hoarder, I stumbled across your video by accident as background while I clean as motivation and I had to stop at how kind and understanding you are. It took a lot of time and therapy to get me to where I am today with so many people not understanding I didn't want to be hoarder. Throwing things away would trigger anxiety for me.
How does someone find a therapist to help a person (my brother) specifically with hoarding or even get diagnosed with hoarding disorder? He has been diagnosed as bipolar and takes medication but I “know” being surrounded by stuff is debilitating and detrimental to his mental health and living his best life. Please give me any suggestions on how to find a therapist. Thank you everybody!❤
God bless you. People don’t understand. I’m not a hoarder but have reacted irrationally to my divorce and missing my kids. Like not being able to watch tv, read, listen to music (my favorite thing ever) and only watch one movie over and over. Everything else caused me anxiety.
@@karenleonard4377 I was a late teen when I started general therapy for my anxiety my therapist knew someone who specialized in OCD/Hoarding. I got really lucky.
@laurarominger2073 I understand this Laura. I have always collected cool stuff...decorated beautifully...but the last 2 years I shut down and stopped caring. Traumatic divorce a few years ago has done damage for sure. Facing the reality of it now. Watching these videos is motivating me. It is debilitating.
Yo, throwing away the candles was dumb, the wax can be melted down and recycled
I love the fact that it is all hand sorted and not just shovelled up.
Same! So love the way he did this.i was a bit shocked watching hoarders in netflix on how they shoveled stuff
the TV hoarder shows have a strict deadline and each hour they spend filming is money down the drain so it has to move fast
He has used a shovel in another video, but that was for when the house was so ruined and everything was unsanitary and unsafe that it was better to throw it all.
Not saying that everyone who has shoveled it all up had good reasons but that there can be a reason for it as this man has done it before.
I haven't seen much of your videos just yet but I already have to comment on how refreshing it is, to hear you advocate for people that get themselves in this situation.
This is not "lazyness," this is depression. This is anxiety. This is loneliness. This is isolation. These people need help, not condemnation. Imagine being so sad that you can't move, and how helpless it would feel to watch a home that you love slowly fill with trash around you? They need help, not humiliation, so thank you for being so loving and empathetic.
I appreciate you explaining how hoarding is more than just laziness. It's a true mental disorder and it's so hard to overcome it.
But how can hoarders tolerate so much filth?
@@jeanmccallum-xs8rk it becomes natural. To an average person, they would see the piles of trash and be horrified. But to someone with hoarding disorder, they see it and know that it's bad but the illness prevents them from doing anything about it. It stems mostly from either depression or physical inability. It'll usually start small and build, then before they know it they have mountains forming. Then the illness shuts down the part of the brain that gives motivation. It's a vicious cycle that's hard to escape, and honestly there is so much more to it than what I'm explaining.
because they do not see what we see. To them, everything has a meaning or a purpose and they think that they are disrespecting the item by throwing it away. Hoarding is DEEP (no pun intended) It can be very difficult to wrap your brain around it. I work with a patient population that includes hoarders.
tolerance and empathy go a long way, and it takes a long time to build trust. @@jeanmccallum-xs8rk
So true.
@@jeanmccallum-xs8rkit builds up over time, at first its maybe just one room that you use as storage, until you stop using that room
then its the hallways and you just walk around it
then its your own bedroom but its so normal you dont realise how insane it is
I grew up with an untreated hoarder and an untreated alcoholic with bipolar and OCD. It was a nightmare. Us 5 kids were expected to keep the house clean, and if it wasn't done right (which it never was) we got the belt. I have C-PTSD and a huge huge mental block when it comes to cleaning. I am not really a hoarder, but when I had my house, my mom filled my garage with boxes of shit she claimed were mine when I wasn't home. Two moves later and I am still dealing with it. Thank you for helping me feel less worthless for struggling.
Amyfran,
I truly wish I could just reach out and give you a hug, my dear child. You have already survived hell on Earth. Please be kind to yourself. I come from a large family. I had an alcoholic father who was whipping us with belts for the least infraction. We did not have Hoarding in the home, in fact. We had the opposite. My father was constantly throwing everything out. My parents' fighting was epic, and every night, I thought someone would be killed. As my sister and I were the eldest in the family, I became quite a protector. I felt like I was in captivity being held by a terrorist. I truly hope that you can find a way to be kinder to yourself. I am now 76 years old, and I have had a wonderful life. Psychiatric counseling helped me a great deal, but as a small child, I vowed that I would be different from my parents. Your story is far worse than anything I had to endure. I only mentioned myself because I want you to know that there are many people who understand because they, too, had the same experience that you had. I felt a great deal of shame that was not mine to bear. I will pray for you. You are a survivor, and you are strong. Keep reminding yourself of the great strength you have when the negative thoughts come around.
@@Holly-zp5fu
How sweet of you ❤🙏🏻
You are not worthless. 🙏🏻❤️
@veronicageorge7820
Thank you, Veronica. You are a very kind person.
@@Holly-zp5fu 😊
I have bad ADHD and a physical disability with my arm. This combination has made cleaning an absolute nightmare for me, If not near impossible. I’ve been doing damage control behind my kids on a daily basis but never feel like I could get ahead of the mess, let alone deep clean anything. You have been so inspiring for me. Every night after my kids go to bed I’ve been turning on your videos, and cleaning along while watching or listening. I’ve learned a lot. I follow your steps and I am almost through my home, chipping away as much as I can each night. I’ve found a lot of relief in donating things, and recycling over throwing decent stuff away outright. Every bit of clutter out of my house it’s feeling better and better. Bar Keepers Friend gel has also been great for my arm! Very little scrubbing involved, and it works wonderful. Your APC cleaner blend has been great too! No cleaner smell for our asthma, and it leaves everything looking nice. Anyways, all that to say, thank you for the motivation each day to keep cleaning!!
Your comment struck me. Just wanted tot say hi and give you respect and acknowledgment for your effort to clean your house! Greetings from another neurodivergent worldsitizen who also struggles with both arm pains and adhd
Good for you! Keep chipping away at it. You'll get there one step at a time. 😊
One day, even if its just a 15mins a day you’ll get there. I hear you with the cleaning behind the kids I can spend a full day cleaning kids will mess it all back up in 15 mins :p leant to live with a “messy” but clean house ;)
Don't worry, at some point your kids will be old enough that they only make messes in their room XD And by that time they can help with the cleaning too. Hang in there!
That’s amazing. I really enjoyed reading your comment. Keep it up! It’s such a good feeling when you go to bed at night after tackling a big project and getting it done! ❤
First of all, the puppy at the end is so cute. Secondly, I’ve finally stop denying that I’m a (level 1-2) hoarder today, and it’s been a long road to get to here, but this video and others like it that I’ve been listening & watching all day in the background have really helped me finally go through my place. I finally rid myself of trash I’ve been holding onto for almost a decade.
Already there is something so freeing about the space. Maybe it’s the way the air has more room to circulate, but it’s clearing out some mental space too. Thank you so much for your content. I appreciate the empathy and the encouragement, it’s really helped to push through the years of shame that’s been building up and keeping me from de-hoarding.
While I do not have a hoarding disorder, I have had a chronic illness for many years with limited energy. Your videos have helped give me motivation to get my house in order. Both my husband and I grew up in families where you kept stuff "just in case" so we have a lot of bad habits to unlearn.
Same here ! I like empty house (easier for me) but I was raised in "no, don't throw away" "waste NOTHING". (When people lived war and know what it is to not have engouh money, or food...).
When my parents moved, we found food expired in 1986 (which is more than 30 years before the date of the move). the house itself was very full, because there is stuff to "sort later" everywhere, but since both my parents were working, they didn't have time for it.
Not hoarder house however (clean, we could move in it). Just lots of things everywhere, and very old food in the cupboard, so much that we played a game which was to guess the expiration date of things :D The idea is that many things can be kept AFTER the expiration date, older people didn't have them, that is why they are kept. (not the 30 years old, that one what just "back on the cupboard which was so crowed that they didn't access the back in 30 years").
I can't throw things, at all. Meaning I have to donate them. Which is longer and harder. so that I have some stuffs "waiting to be donated" for years now ahah :D Part of them, I stll thinks" but I could use it someday". Also because I already donated "too fast" meaning I had to buy it again 2 years after... but I did it because I had a very small flat and the emergency at that time was to feel more free in it.
This is a balance thing : I think keeping is good... as long as it doesn't stops you from other most important things. Like family, health, feeling good in the house.
Now that I recently got better and could get rid of things, I find out that it is easier to use the things I need. I mean, having a lot "in case of" is so that you don't know where it is. Since you can't find it when you need it, it is useless. I guess that is how she got so many remote control for the TV... maybe losing one, buying one again, and so one).
Having that in mind may help to select what to keep, since wasting things by forgetting them somewhere (or having them being inaccessible) is also a waste.
Right? Those videos make you want to clean 😂
I always want because I like it, but I currently can't (physical disability, very frustrating) and seeing him doing it relaxes me (it kind of replaces the relaxation I get when I do it myself :D) @@kuroimushi9421
I feel that. I've been trying so hard to get rid of anything that I only keep "just in case" but sometimes it's so overwhelming to get rid of things, especially when they're worth actually selling and not just donating.
@@CommanderWiggins My husband's thought process is that it might be sellable to someone. I have overcome that by saying, "Honey, if you want to post it for sale somewhere or work up a yard sale, if that's what you want, then go for it. If you don't, then the stuff that's crap is going into the trash. The stuff that's good, I'm going to set out by the curb for the neighbors to grab if they need or want it." So that's what I do now. The neighbors are loving it! :D That is my donation to my neighbors, and I have no idea what many of their situations might be. But if they want my hand-me-down household items, I'm happy to let them have it. I don't need the extra dollar, nor do I have the energy to set it all up. I'm 70, for crying out loud, and I'm just tired and worn out sometimes... most of the time, actually. But that's a whole different story. My "Just in case" days are gone now. I thank Midwest Magic Cleaning for that feeling I have. I've been watching his videos for quite some time.
what a massive difference you guys made...not only to this place...but also to the son who now doesn't have to deal with something that would be tremendously saddening when he's already dealing with the death of a parent. thank you so much for having such a kind heart and being so generous.
Such a soothing voice....as someone who works with special needs children, partiluraly autistic. This is where the autistic brain is such an asset. The sheer determination , laser focus....the different brains rock! 💖💖💪💪
I grew up in a Filipino maximalist household and started to show signs of hoarding when I got my own place. Thankfully I got an intervention/realization early on, when I saw friends’ places and thought, “This is what a normal house looks like. There are spaces to put stuff on and you can breathe and relax when you get in.” Now I put your videos on the TV while I clean my own apartment. Your narration and cleaning is so refreshing and motivating! Thank you and more power to you and your channel ✨
I REALLY appreciate that you have enough respect for people not to take a shovel to their belongings. Not only are you treating people with hoarding disorder with dignity, and saving some cool antiques from a landfill, you're also making it more likely that other people who see your videos will reach out for help because they know you won't just trash everything.
My mom is a hoarder. I can't tell you the sick joy that comes from watching your videos. This one was particularly cathartic. Thank you.
Did she keep things clean? My mom is a hoarder and has my report cards from 49 years ago. She still uses pans from their wedding 60 years ago. But she is also a Martha Stewart cleaner and organizer. House is polished. But it drove me nuts to never throw anything away and have to scrub and organize so many damn things!
I keep wondering how many live mice and roaches you came across.....
I clean houses for a living. I just want to tell you that what you do goes above and beyond what most people (including cleaners) would do. Your work is very needed and very appreciated! I've learned a few tips from you too!
Edit: love the shout out to your fellow TH-camr "post10"! I watch him too
when i was a kid i had a friend whose mom was a hoarder. it wasn't quite in this state but it was close, and my friend said her mom would yell and even hit her if she tried to throw out spoilt food and such. what you said about hoarders potentially seeing their stuff as "children" really made it click in my brain what this might be like. it's very scary what the human mind might turn to if you're ill. I haven't talked to her in years so i hope she and her family are okay.
I’m just crying like a baby after you said this was her son’s inheritance. My grandmother was a hoarder and before we were able to go through it, most of her valuables were stolen. She had started a pandoras bracelet for me the year I was born & it is just gone forever. Man I just appreciate you and your work so much. Thank you for caring and working for these people like your own family❤
💯 bet you a family member stole it all. My sister stole all my mom jewelry when she was sick in the hospital
@@dirkdiggler9379That's so evil
Your comment is rude. What a disgusting thing to do. Insult someone.
Not you to the guy who accused you of stealing.
I think they were saying 'some' family member, not her.
I have a hording disorder. I admit it and its taken 7 years to manage my triggers. Honestly, watching videos like this encourages me to tackle an area. Less is more, more space to enjoy with family and friends to make memories. That's what I want to collect now, memories. I still have piles, I am attached to things. But that's okay, I can move forward slowly. I am getting better at looking at things, appreciating it and putting it back on the shop shelf and walk away.....
Well done!!!!
Keep smiling. You are strong and courageous to keep up with motivation. a huge hug for your success 🎉🎉
If you don't mind sharing, what are some of the things that are your triggers?
@@jennifercastle8808 I don't mind. I become obsessive about items. If I find something I like, I have to have every thing i see in shop. Bows in hair (I rarely wear) I have to have all colours. Its for the imaginary me. Glass bottles have been the latest craze, any antique bottles. I have stopped collecting cardboard (for the crafty future me) I can go on.... but basically I have to have it all. my main goals are to keep the floors clean and clutter free. Rubbish out of the house and dirty washing managed. This has helped me to manage.
I am no esoteric person, but I can't help but find it interesting that she passed shortly after agreeing to having her old house taken care off! Peace to her.
I don't think that's what he said. She passed away and the son finally gave him the go ahead to clean.
@@liveandletlive9333I think that‘s exactly what he said. My thoughts were the same:
She might have made her peace and let things go…
And she let go herself…..
May she rest in eternal peace 🙏!
@@hildaba-wu1499 I don't believe it. I just don't. Son knew she was about to pass. The woman didn't all of a sudden on her death bed say ok clean my house. Mac even said the guy was like oh she passed away last night and hadn't told him. That son was manipulating the situation plain and simple. You can't be gullible and just believe what people say to be true.
I absolutely love the supportive comment section.
We all struggle. There's a reason for everything.
Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean the person is doing things intentionally.
I like that this is a safe place to share, be vulnerable and to actually have positive responses. 💙
Your compassion and empathy, both for the deceased hoarder and her son moved me. Your efficiency in turning a nightmare into a salable home is amazing, too. You're a high standard to try and live up to.
The way you felt about these magazines is how I felt about napkins when I was cleaning out my grandmother’s place when she passed away. We were sorting through things for absolutely forever and while she was clean, she was definitely a hoarder. She would take paper cups, napkins, etc. from the dining hall at their retirement home all the time and every time we thought we must’ve gotten all the napkins, BOOM! You’d open a drawer and find another seven million napkins
You're not weird...you are an angel for helping the poor guy that inherited this. Your understanding of hoarding is very touching. I don't know how you do it, you, your kids, wife, other helpers are exceptional human beings! You could make more money cleaning executive houses, but You're not in it for money...I'm amazed at what y'all do. Many blessings! ❤❤
I felt breathless after watching these rooms of vacuuming, sweeping, and scrubbing following the many hours of sorting and throwing away. It's amazing that you are so giving of your time and energy to help other people for free. You are a beautiful soul. I would think your expences could get quite high if you don't ask the client to just reimburse you for supplies & your employee salary (unless the client had no money) The home is a 100% improvement in cleanliness.
I do it all for free.
Your gift of cleaning is a miracle for the families of the hoarders. You are an angel in gloves.
My insomnia is bad this week. This is perfect. Already relaxing.
Right? I was like, dammit, can't sleep, then boom, MMC !😍
You damn well SHOULD be proud, sir! This was your best work yet. Thank you for doing what you do.
Your compassion and empathy combined with this level of work ethic is priceless.
My husband found our neighbor passed away in her home. He had taken her to dr appointments and basic errands for the last few years. She was a hoarder too and because I learned so much from you and your channel we didn’t push her because when cleaning was mentioned she would get visibly uncomfortable. The police were astounded by the amount of meds she had in every room but they had the understanding like you about it being an illness. I thought of you much of the time because your message of understanding is getting out. So with all that, I think you gave this man such a gift by doing this. He can move on easier than if you hadn’t been there. ❤😊
This video has blown my mind! I've done decluttering and organizing for people over the years, and thoroughly enjoy it. But I've never worked for a true hoarder. If I understood you correctly, you did this job for nothing, and even spent a lot on the project yourself. What a blessing, what a gift you've given.
I'm autistic, I do this because i'm weird. I felt that to my core. I'm glad that you do this. I honestly would love to be able to afford to do things like this.
Just a mum from Australia here - just wanted to give you props for doing this kinda job - you are an amazing person. An entrepreneur with heart... it was so nice to come across your video's! Love your humour, very "dad-joke-esque" 😂 Keep up the fantastic work mate 👍 I look forward watching more of your stuff.
I grew up in a hoarder house. I saw pictures of it recently on Zillow. Ita a million dollar house and it’s immaculate and beautiful. I wish that had been the home I’d been raised in.
I realized years ago, my grandmother was a hoarder. Back then, I thought she was just being difficult. Years after she died, I discovered a storage unit with more of her stuff that had been ransacked, so there was little left of value. My mother insisted I ship to her boxes of items. They have been sitting in her house which was hoarded up until a few years ago when I started clearing things out.
Their lifetime traumas were very real as I cut through the layers of clutter. I've been slowly clearing out my stuff from MY traumas so I won't leave behind garbage for others to deal with. Thank you for all you do.
His mother did leave him a gift. If not for her, he'd have never met you. You're a blessing for the things you do for others. He might not have gotten anything from an inheritance but he did get to experience the goodness, and kindness that's in the hearts of others in this world. Thank you for what you do! God bless you 🙏❤
I've been a hoarder for about 4 years now, and I am only 19. Videos like this help so so SO much to show me the dangers of this disorder and help motivate me to declutter my home. It felt like a punch to the face when you described the scenario of a buddy being unable to come into someone's home for multiple years, because I have never had anyone over other than my significant other for the past year. There are always ups and downs, and I have gotten better, but when there are downs, it really does get to me. Thank you for the content that you post, it genuinely is changing my life right now.
That was phenomenal! Makes me sad and scared at how easily a home can turn into a hoard. I’ve seen it and I’m fighting it with your wisdom and help! My spin kicks are very substandard tho! Love y’all! ❤🐾
I appreciate your compassion for the hoarders and their families so much.
My mom is a hoarder, my father died three months before I was born. As a kid it started with a garage so full of stuff she couldn't keep the car in it, it advanced into the garage had pathways you navigated to try to find the stuff you knew was somewhere in there. In my late teens and early 20s it started to creep into the house. 20 years later and it's only gotten worse. She is more like this woman.... stuff may be old and gross but it's not so much garbage as usable stuff. My grandmother passed away at 97 a few years ago, now some of her stuff has joined the hoard. My brother and I will be left to sort through a three bedroom house packed from garage to attic with stuff. That will be our inheritance, and I know she thinks she is doing us a favor... she sees this stuff as valueable things she will pass on to us. I've been mentally trying to prepare myself for years.
My first time here. I can so relate to some of this video. Major eye opener for me. My parents were quite poor and we had basic furniture in our homes we lived in. I loved books, magazines, paper and material. My mother was a seamstress and I loved watching her sew. Today, I am a hoarder of books, magazines, paper and material. I am cleaning up some of my "treasures" because I don't want to leave all my hoarding stuff for my boys to clean up when I die. I managed to let go of a few bags of magazines, gave away some of my material to the Animal Shelter for bedding and looking forward to giving as much as I can to other shelters. My thing is that when I start cleaning up , I always tell myself that I can use an item for something useful! Not! After hearing you talk about all the magazines and old bills that were in this house that you were cleaning, it really hit me because I have magazines and bills from the 70's thinking that I might need them some day. As of today, I will be bringing more of my magazines and papers to recycle and donating my books to the Next to New Stores. I just looked around my kitchen and down the hallway and am going to bed! Scary! LOL ❤❤
I love the humor that comes naturally when you're commenting! This was such a HUGE endeavor and an absolute labor of love and generosity!
I love how you have become a honed “Archeologist” of a clients hoard. You are able to remove the “layers” and able to read the persons life as you get deeper and deeper! It is a true gift. As you are to humanity by doing these cleanups!
Amazing job! The son may also become emotional for recognizing his childhood home at the exact same time he is mourning the loss of his mom. If he watches your video and just happens to see this message, I am so sorry for your loss. ❤
I was raised a "white glove" cleaner in an Army family (5 siblings, including my twin brother). We had "inspections", which I passed. Graduated high school 1975.
Became a Sole Proprietor cleaner 1981 - 1995 in Anchorage and a live-in house keeper for 8 of those years, during which time I wore out my knees. PLEASE USE KNEE PADS!
Occasionally I did move-outs, which I hated cuz renters were SO disrespectful towards the land lord's property.
Today, I PHYSICALLY could NOT do what you accomplish.
I marvel at your perseverance!
I finally grabbed a box of mine that has been sitting in a corner of my living room! It did give me anxiety after I opened it and realized that papers were inside the box! You see ........papers/old bills/junk mail are my archnemesis. To say I'm a paper hoarder is an understatement. I have it bad and I realize that. This paper hoarding of mine is also causing anxiety for my family. If I'm not willing to change, the problem will remain the same.
I'm finally letting go and facing my anxiety over this.
One day at a time and a few boxes at a time. Here's to sorting through these boxes and feeling less anxiety, woop woop! Thank you for the inspiration!!
You can do it! 💪 Hope it went well.
Having different folders labelled for things helps, and keep trying to throw stuff away, even when it's not comfortable ❤
Wow, great explanation. My father was a hoarder, however, having been the person that cleaned it all up, there was not one single item that he hoarded that gave any indication that he was a father of 4 and a grandfather of 9. Your description of the condition is a more educated version of how I used to describe his issue. Every item that he had had exactly the same value to him. He was unable to distinguish that an old newspaper was less valuable than a new in box kettle. Strangely, he kept nothing that any of us gave him as gifts, and wouldn't use them. Eg. One year I bought him a new shaving mirror. Mum had renovated the bathroom, and he refused to use the space, except for the shower, because he didn't believe it needed renovating (it certainly did!!) He preferred to shiver in the cold of the tiny laundry and do his hair, shave etc in there. He used a tiny old mirror that was broken. He never used the mirror I bought, and I didn't find it when I was cleaning up. This was the same for all of the gifts i gave him. Weird, but that was just him, I guess.
My mum's the same; on the surface it's all "we don't do emotions, we're British." ... If she didn't acquire the item herself OR inherit it from her elders, it isn't part of her hoard... There isn't the same sentimental attitude to items that I/my sister bought her (although she has kept every card she's ever received), and she's SUPER picky about the things she does buy. Now I'm her carer, but I was raised on the "waggle dances" of where everything she does buy are located in shops, so I get the exact items - only consumables and needed household items - *no substitutes* 😅 ... And yes, we're generations of Neuro-Diverse family, although my son is the first one to be officially diagnosed.
Mack, you will always be the guy that said "Just stand up." Not only does this apply to depression and how to overcome but it is what you do as a role model. Thank you for sharing your energy and compassion.
Bless you! Two years ago, when my mother passed away, my brother and I were left with a similar inheritance. He had been recently diagnosed with throat cancer, and he did what he was able to help clean up. I also did much of the work. The house is now in reasonable condition, and he is well, thank God. So, I understand the real value of what you did for the man who owned this house. May his mother's memory be a blessing. I hope that the house you just cleaned and decorated will soon be a healthy, comfortable, and treasured home for new occupants. I wish your daughter, Adrian, all the best in her new job and in her studies. Also, may your son be well. May you be richly blessed for the kindnesses you do for others. Thank you!
You are not weird. You are a kind hearted man. Depression can happen to anyone anytime even animals can get depressed. Never judge because it can happen to you. Alot of people like to give their opinion but once you are in that person's state of mind than that is when you understand. Good Luck!😊
Yes I agree, our dog got depressed when her sister from the same litter died from pancreatic cancer. We didn't think she was going to make it for awhile, as her sister was the leader of their little "pack".
Best wishes in reaching 1M subscribers. Im aware Im showing all the signs in myself becoming a hoarder. I have been struggling since way before COVID and are still not 100% back with the living. I have 2 rooms which are not useable already. But seeing the effort required to sort this is not something I want to leave to my son. I have learnt a lot from you and have already cleaned out most of one room as Ive paused this video and attacked my stuff. We have been able to put up our Xmas tree! 😀🎄Both rooms Im aiming to have cleared before Xmas, but itll take time. You have motivated me to be better. Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work. 😀🤩
You're doing so good!
You are brave and best wishes on your goal. I need to clean out educational materials. Teacher hoarding in case it is needed is slightly different, but just as crowded....
You are astounding and incredibly brave that is neither easy nor a short process mentally nor physically. I don't think i have ever been so proud of a complete stranger. keep going you're amazing.
Congratulations! 😊
What a shame the mom never got to live with the order and beauty you created. What a blessing for the son that he didn't have to do this alone. Thank you for all you do!
It can be impossible to get the hoarder to agree to any help or remediation. 😑
he literally had to wait for her to die; such a shame. what a legacy 😢
You all did an amazing job on that house! What a blessing you've given the man who inherited the house. Thank you for your kindness, understanding, generosity, and hard work! ❤
I had to go thank my husband 10 minutes into this video. I’m (diagnosed in adulthood) AuDHD, grew up with one parent who was a hoarder and the other an enabler, and have acquired a mild hoarding problem as well. It would be SO easy for someone to write me off for living in a “pigsty” (I’m not usually dirty, just messy!) but he saw that I had severe anxiety about it and correctly deduced that hoarding was something happening TO me, not something I was choosing. 😭 I’m in therapy and properly medicated but it is still a daily struggle to fight the compulsion to keep everything.
Thank you for treating hoarding as the psychological illness that it is and treating people with compassion. ♥️ Showing other people teaches them to do it too, and that’s what we need- shame does not cure a hoarding disorder.
I don't consider myself to be a hoarder but this is helping me to be aware how this disease starts. I love deals and have a closet full of small kitchen appliances that I got on black friday, supposedly to give away as presents, but I do keep more than I need. I just decided to get rid of at least half of it and also of the memorabilia that I've been collecting for years that no longer have any meaning to me or my family. Thank you for this.
Way to go, that self awareness can save your life. Can you give us an update on how it’s going??
I completely understand. My husband passed away 15 years ago and although I sold or have away many of his things there are some I just can't part with. The thought of leaving all the things we both accumulated and that I don't use and my children aren't interested in was a wake up call for me.
I have been donating clothing I don't fit in anymore because I've lost weight. It wasn't as hard as I expected. Next are the craft supplies I kept because I thought I would make gifts from them but it turns out the kids and grandkids aren't interested in crocheted items. Surprise! So that's next.
It's hard but the weight of sadness and guilt I no longer feel is empowering.
One small step at a time. I can do this and live clutter free while I grow my savings.
Happy New Year!
Gave away, not have away. 🙄
@@genevracollierI sure will. In fact, I already started and planning to give away at least 90% of all the stuff.
I appreciate your dry humor and the practical non-judgmental approach you have to cleaning. It is a small example of normalizing the idea that men are able to do this kind of work to. Thank you!
The reveal made me emotional. I'm sure it was the home that his mother truly deserved and the one that he wished for her ❤
My son had Asperger's and died this last April 9th at 32. He is sooooo missed. Watching your videos, hearing your voice filled with humor and love is so comforting. What you do is such a gift to others, and your life is such a gift to the world!
That hoarding clean up was HUGE!! 😮 Well done all…a fantastic transformation 😊 Mack, you really do have a heart of gold 💛 🇦🇺
Thank god for people like you. I absolutely could not even step into a house like this. My daughter (an attorney) has severe anxiety and depression and ridding herself of “stuff” is anxiety-producing. When we visit, we have to help break down and remove empty boxes of deliveries that usually get stacked in the living room. The study and bedroom is usually covered in empty drink bottles and assorted trash. We go often enough that it doesn’t get as bad as this video, but if we left her alone, I believe it could. It is a devastating illness.
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I can't believe just 3 people cleaned that up. He's a miracle worker.
Thanks!
Thank you so much! ❤️❤️🫎
Just amazing. I always like your narration. Thank you being an inspiration and help a junior hoarder try to pull myself back from the edge. I have too much stuff, not a dirty house, not bugs or vermin, but just too much stuff. Every time a watch a video of yours, I get a little more motivated to get rid of stuff. I especially took to heart the fact that this house was a charge on the son, not an inheritance. Keep up the good work- Thanks for being kind to people with issues.
Me too. I have been giving my children any "Treasure's" I want them to have,if they want them. I say, give it to them while YOU can. Love this guy's humor too!!
Thank you for all you do. This video "randomly" popped up in my feed, probably by the grace of God. I am nowhere near this level of hoarding, but I do recognize that I am on this path. I didn't know about the mental trauma based connection, but it does fit my story. Having recognized this I am immediately setting my intent to solve my problem as fast as I can, hopefully before the end of this year (only 2 weeks away). I feel like my life depends on it. Again, many thanks, you touch more lives than you know. God bless you!❤
I'm similar - I get mentally itchy when I need to throw things out, I'm relatively cluttered, relatively young, and hoarding runs in the family. Cleaning videos sometimes pop up in my feed, but this is the first I've actually properly watched due to the mix of science and empathy on this channel. I wish you the very best on flattening the hoarding curve before it starts ramping up
You truly are a huge asset to these people. My ex-husband was the beneficiary of a relatives estate who unknown to him was a hoarder. It cost him 15k to have the house cleared out and sanitized. It is truly heartbreaking that people live like that. If only there was more help for hoarders out there.
My MIL is some sort of hoarder. She sleeps on the recliner in the living room of her 6-bedroom house because all the bedrooms are stuffed to the gills. Won’t let anyone come in and sort through stuff to throw out. What you said about this man’s inheritance not being memories or property but a huge expense really struck home. I feel sorry for my husband and his siblings wherever I think about the future and her inevitable passing.
You really helped the son in a tremendous way. Having to go through that much stuff on his own would have taken so much time and effort. Additionally, the emotional strain of trying to decide what should be salvaged might have weighed on him and left him with some "decision paralysis," at times. Now he can focus on grieving without the burden of decompiling and fixing up this home. And to have done it in 6-7 days is truly incredible.
^^^^ Yeah there is a lot of stuff in this pile up I mean. Not the stuff it is what's behind it in her heart. Hugs to her family so sad but you know we all have stuff. I tell you something. If you listen to me now.. I have brother S.. That have rented store rooms with just stuff and things in it that's I say as big as or long as a STREET A WHOLE DARN STREET FULL OF THINGS THEY 3 them have each! Yep! That on its OWN I HAVE NO IDEA THERE HEAD? There old now but neurotic and greed to no ends. There mean and horrible people. I think they should either give it away or blow 💥 the whole places up to holy kingdom up! No joke. Greed to the maximum! It's unbearable. Ocd. Crazy. Nuts. Horder. Alcoholic. Deception. Clean to no end. Emotional. Pop a pill. Fat. Narcissist. That's about it. Oh and con men! Stealers! Oh that was in one mouth full hey. 2 sister S there as bad. So I ran long time ago! Lol 😆 that was close shave heY’ . I'm the youngest. So lots different people in the world. I say the only great thing anyone can do is move on with their life TURN THAT PAGE AND ALWAYS REMEMBER BE GRATEFUL THAT YOUR SO WONDERFUL. Be kind and smile it's all ok. ✌️🌹 thanks. 🙏✨
This is amazing. I am autistic too and I have suffered major psychological trauma and battering that destroyed my organisation and self confidence. I am also very artistic and I have many projects requiring a lot of raw material. For these I chose to recycle a lot. Your words triggered something and I have understood some things. Thanks to you I no longer feel guilty and I believe that I will be able to try and resolve some problems. You are great! Thanks!
Sylvie, have you read about Highly Sensitive Persons? Being Empathic, and sometimes we are scapegoated by not so nice people, beginning in our family. Just saying. God Bless you. 😘🙏🏼🤍.
@@christinalw19 I am just that
I’m so sorry you were mistreated. I know how you’re feeling.
I currently live in a house built in 1927 by my grandmother - she was a hoarder and married to a hoarder - my dad was fostered, their only child - and he bought the house in 1974 " as is" - as a kid I remember using a shovel to scrape up what was left of a valuable book collection, because the roof had leaked... continuously over years... and/or trying to rescue some of the ones in better condition, and trying to "dry them out" in sunlight.. -
I keep the tiles from the bathroom renovation in 1974 because "someday' I'm going to get rid of the mismatched that I've been left with when a modern shower system was installed... but I've watched this channel... and I think hoarding can be infectious.... tomorrow I'm getting up with a plastic sack, and I'm starting in the top corner of the back bedroom and if it isn't valuable, hasn't been used or been seen in the past 12 months it's out! Thank you.
Ive learned You being autistic speaks volumes to why you really understand the innerworkings of a hoarder. A lot of times, both sets of people attach emotional value to material objects. Comes off weird, me saying that, but im woth an autistic person. Its actually beautiful, but can be frustrating lol. Congratulations to you, though, you've been a true blessing to that man.
Also you sound kinda like Ray Latoya