Thank you all for stopping by and commenting and bearing with me while I haven't been posting the last couple weeks. One of the professional hazards I've discovered is that working in people's homes to go through their clutter and get organized can sometimes be a health hazard. For me particularly, I'm prone to upper respiratory infections. Partly because I used to be a smoker. I have been smoke-free for over 10 years, but 25 years of smoking left its mark on my lungs. Even though I quit often and was not a heavy smoker because it bothered my lungs even then, during my last year of smoking, I had chronic bronchitis and had to use an inhaler because I had asthma-like episodes where I could barely breathe. So now, even though I'm MUCH improved, I'm still susceptible to lung, sinus and throat infections. And this past couple weeks I was laid out with a whopper.
The thing is, clutter is a great dust collector. And lots and lots of dust gets stirred up when organizing. In addition, all too often we even find the ugly evidence that rodents have been there before us feasting on the paper and old boxes that people use to store things. And of course after they eat...they eliminate and leave it whereever. Eewww. In case you weren't aware, cardboard and paper contain cellulose which is like sugar to rodents and insects, especially if it gets wet or damp. And where there has been water damage, of course there is also lots of mildew and mold.
I'm telling you all this because earlier this week I started feeling better. So I kept my Monday and Tuesday appts. to help a client and her kids declutter their garage and basement. They are all such sweethearts I had to do it, even though I knew it was a risk.
There was nearly 30 years of accumulated clutter AND there had been water in the basement - more than once - over the last few years. Below is a photo of what we found after clearing out a 6 feet high mound of clutter that was on top. You can click on it to see it larger.
The bags were still full of soaking wet clothing, and that brown thing you see there covered with mold and mildew used to be a leather purse - and the black thing used to be a boot. Unfortunately, the next day I totally relapsed and have been out of commission till today.
Even with taking precautions, working in conditions like this can be bad for your health. But imagine what living in these conditions can do to your health? These kinds of conditions often cause chronic illnesses, worsen ADD, cause depression, and more. Poor air quality can lead to feelings of lethargy, tiredness, inability to concentrate, freqent sinus and respiratory infections and more.
My husband, friends and family sometimes think I'm crazy for doing this work but when I see people living in such pain and they are so ready to change and let go I just have to help! I know that part of the reason they need help to get started is that sometimes the cluttered environment itself is causing them to not be able to get started on their own.
So in spite of the risks, I still feel compelled to help people dig their way out. Even if I do get sick now and then. Because even though organizing can be hazardous to your health, NOT organizing and extensive cluttering is even worse.
MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT
The two days we spent working on this cleanout project was just the beginning. Luckily we had a great team from 1-800-Got-Junk (see photo belolow) who did all the heavy lifting and hauling for us. We eliminated 2 full truckloads of junk and several carloads went to donation.
The photo below is from the garage. I love the irony of the "Shopping is Fun" bag down there in the left corner. Some people look at this and think, "what a mess." I look at it and think, "what a tremendous amount of buried emotional pain."
It's often a shock to people when they find out how much time it takes and how much it costs to haul away this kind of extensive clutter. This project will cost thousands. Not a great way to start your retirement years.
I urge you. If you are using your living space to store stuff you don't really use, or if you have starting making mini-mountains of stuff in your storage spaces, do whatever you have to do to start addressing it now. The solution will only become more and more difficult and more and more expensive. Here are a few tips to get started.
Start letting go of whatever you can. Let go of all the stuff that's easy to let go of. It's okay to do it in waves, just get started.
Some people find it helpful to set a goal like 3 items per day. In looking for the 3, they usually find lots more.
Some people like to tackle one corner, one drawer or one cabinet per day. Just open the drawer and pull out everything you don't need and either donate it or trash it.
Things do accumulate when you've been sick or on vacation or whatever. Life happens and you can't always be organized and clutter-free. The trick for me is to have regular catch up sessions. In fact, after 2 weeks of being sick, I better go start catching up on my Inbox right now. : )
