How clean is your home?

Thanks man.
It can be real frustrating and being aware of it only makes it more so. Like for instance, This year we bought a new vacuum, And I kept the box for like 4 months. All because in my head all I could think was, "What if it brakes, if I don't have the box they wont take it back."
Funny thing is my clarifying moment was while watching an episode of Hoarders on TV, I remember thinking, "well at least I'm not that bad" while watching a woman crying because the fire marshal said her house was so full that it was deemed unsafe for habitation. As they stood in the living room the therapist asked her if she knew what the stuff in the stacks in her living room was. She said no, and the doc asked "well can we just throw it all away then?" the homeowner broke down and asked if she could look through it first to see if there was anything good in there. I remember thinking to myself "Poor lady, at least let her look." It hit me like a mac truck right then... If I didn't do something I will be that lady eventually. "FUCK!"
I filled the bed of my truck with boxes and went home on a mission. I filled 5 large boxes with stuff to throw away that day. When my wife got home she couldn't believe what she saw.
A week later I attacked my garage. I started at sun up, and finished after dark. Before I started you couldn't get in my garage. There where 2 cars in there that where covered with so much junk you almost couldn't see them. That night we parked my wife's car in the garage for the first time ever. Once again she was shocked.

Seriously man, I'm happy that you're pulling yourself out of it. It is seriously self destructive, and people don't understand the mindset. I wish I could get my sister to figure it out, and I say something to her about it EVERY time I am over there. Her excuse is they've been remodeling. They've been remodeling for ten years. Even when they are finished they aren't going to have room for all that junk. And that is what it is, JUNK. Knick knack bullshit. Like wine glasses when she hasn't had a drop of alcohol in over a decade. Throw it the fuck away!

It is such a big lifestyle improvement. How much more do you have to go?

Buy a new house, and move. Nothing is a better motivator to toss old shit, than deciding if you want to have to move it or not.

No kidding. Nothing will make you realize how much useless crap you own than having to move every single piece of it. I was pretty bad when I first got my own place and after a couple of years pulled myself out of it. The dusting was part of it. LOL It still seems like I have a ton of stuff and I know I'm actually in really great shape.

[Big A]

Thanks man.
It can be real frustrating and being aware of it only makes it more so. Like for instance, This year we bought a new vacuum, And I kept the box for like 4 months. All because in my head all I could think was, "What if it brakes, if I don't have the box they wont take it back."
Funny thing is my clarifying moment was while watching an episode of Hoarders on TV, I remember thinking, "well at least I'm not that bad" while watching a woman crying because the fire marshal said her house was so full that it was deemed unsafe for habitation. As they stood in the living room the therapist asked her if she knew what the stuff in the stacks in her living room was. She said no, and the doc asked "well can we just throw it all away then?" the homeowner broke down and asked if she could look through it first to see if there was anything good in there. I remember thinking to myself "Poor lady, at least let her look." It hit me like a mac truck right then... If I didn't do something I will be that lady eventually. "FUCK!"
I filled the bed of my truck with boxes and went home on a mission. I filled 5 large boxes with stuff to throw away that day. When my wife got home she couldn't believe what she saw.
A week later I attacked my garage. I started at sun up, and finished after dark. Before I started you couldn't get in my garage. There where 2 cars in there that where covered with so much junk you almost couldn't see them. That night we parked my wife's car in the garage for the first time ever. Once again she was shocked.

Buy a new house, and move. Nothing is a better motivator to toss old shit, than deciding if you want to have to move it or not.

[4bangen]

Keep at it man. Good for you.

Thanks man.
It can be real frustrating and being aware of it only makes it more so. Like for instance, This year we bought a new vacuum, And I kept the box for like 4 months. All because in my head all I could think was, "What if it brakes, if I don't have the box they wont take it back."
Funny thing is my clarifying moment was while watching an episode of Hoarders on TV, I remember thinking, "well at least I'm not that bad" while watching a woman crying because the fire marshal said her house was so full that it was deemed unsafe for habitation. As they stood in the living room the therapist asked her if she knew what the stuff in the stacks in her living room was. She said no, and the doc asked "well can we just throw it all away then?" the homeowner broke down and asked if she could look through it first to see if there was anything good in there. I remember thinking to myself "Poor lady, at least let her look." It hit me like a mac truck right then... If I didn't do something I will be that lady eventually. "FUCK!"
I filled the bed of my truck with boxes and went home on a mission. I filled 5 large boxes with stuff to throw away that day. When my wife got home she couldn't believe what she saw.
A week later I attacked my garage. I started at sun up, and finished after dark. Before I started you couldn't get in my garage. There where 2 cars in there that where covered with so much junk you almost couldn't see them. That night we parked my wife's car in the garage for the first time ever. Once again she was shocked.

I try to keep a clean house but I battle with my inner demons every time. I'm pretty much a full on hoarder. I have WAY too many things. I have spent this year trying to work on it, but it's hard for me to get rid of things.
I think "oh I can sell that one day" or "If I ever get another thunderbird that will be handy" “one day I’ll fix that” and “That’s hard to find, I may never have one again” and so on....
You can ask anyone that knows me, this year has been a lot different, I've gotten rid of 3 Mustangs, a Buick, Ranger, a Lincoln, an engine or two, a few truck loads of car parts, and 10+ boxes of random crap. A fellow board member or two have made off like bandits due to “the great junk purge of 2013!” lol I've contacted a few people who I'd loaned stuff to and told them not to give it back. I’ve thrown away stuff that I couldn't find new owners for and it's starting to feel good. I have room to breathe and its helping to fuel the fire. It’s a lot easier to clean when you don’t have stacks of shit everywhere.
Though I still have a lot of work ahead of me.

Keep at it man. Good for you.

[Big A]

Take drugs and stay up for days?

No, but I get to detailing like a meth head.

[BMCSean]

I don't have many knick knacks, but my black printer, black glass desk, and black glass entertainment center show dust minutes after I clean them. The duster doesn't get it all, so I end up windexing everything. Perhaps if I did get in the habit of using the duster every weekend, it wouldn't build up, and a 5-minute dusting would suffice.

Something tells me that my anal side wouldn't be happy with that, as much as I can live in a little clutter, when I do get to cleaning I go at it tweaker style.

Take drugs and stay up for days?

[Sean88gt]

Men are generally cleaner than women. I reference female selfies.

[BMCSean]

I had a Kirby guy come to the house yesterday and offer free carpet spot cleaning, or a free room cleaned or someshit. I declined the offer because I figured somehow they'd pressure me into some bullshit.

It was pretty funny, but my wife was pissed. Every time he said "it can do this" I made him prove it to me. He was cleaning baseboards, vents, I tried to get him to use the pet grooming thing on the cat but it freaked out. He was there for like 2 hours just having a good time, he didn't pressure me at all because he said he got paid to do the demo too. Then his "Boss" came and tried to hard sell, that is when I said thanks but now you need to go and walked them to the door.

[4bangen]

I try to keep a clean house but I battle with my inner demons every time. I'm pretty much a full on hoarder. I have WAY too many things. I have spent this year trying to work on it, but it's hard for me to get rid of things.
I think "oh I can sell that one day" or "If I ever get another thunderbird that will be handy" “one day I’ll fix that” and “That’s hard to find, I may never have one again” and so on....
You can ask anyone that knows me, this year has been a lot different, I've gotten rid of 3 Mustangs, a Buick, Ranger, a Lincoln, an engine or two, a few truck loads of car parts, and 10+ boxes of random crap. A fellow board member or two have made off like bandits due to “the great junk purge of 2013!” lol I've contacted a few people who I'd loaned stuff to and told them not to give it back. I’ve thrown away stuff that I couldn't find new owners for and it's starting to feel good. I have room to breathe and its helping to fuel the fire. It’s a lot easier to clean when you don’t have stacks of shit everywhere.
Though I still have a lot of work ahead of me.

[Big A]

I used to be really bad about dusting in my mid-20's. Like, only every 3 or 4 MONTHS. It was the one thing I had to figure out a way around. I finally figured out that even though I was organized, I owned too much stupid knickknack bullshit and moving it all around and cleaning it also was what annoyed me about it. I got rid of probably 20 1/18 scale cars and other junk, and it takes me ten minutes to do the whole house now. My 656 square foot condo would take me 30-40 minutes, and still not look great.

I don't have many knick knacks, but my black printer, black glass desk, and black glass entertainment center show dust minutes after I clean them. The duster doesn't get it all, so I end up windexing everything. Perhaps if I did get in the habit of using the duster every weekend, it wouldn't build up, and a 5-minute dusting would suffice.

Something tells me that my anal side wouldn't be happy with that, as much as I can live in a little clutter, when I do get to cleaning I go at it tweaker style.

[Roscoe]

Not as clean as I would like, and I'm pretty anal.

We just moved and have been here 2 months. We haven't had a cleaner and I actually had to clean my own toilets... Can you believe it!?!?!

<-- trying to find a reputable cleaner ASAP

[MattB]

According to the Kirby vacuum salesman, I have the cleanest house he has ever been in, I told him that apparently I don't need his vacuum then and thanks for the free shampooing.

I had a Kirby guy come to the house yesterday and offer free carpet spot cleaning, or a free room cleaned or someshit. I declined the offer because I figured somehow they'd pressure me into some bullshit.

[The King]

Mine is cluttered, but not dirty. One of my friends keeps her house FILTHY. If you walk across the kitchen floor with white socks on, they will be black by the time you reach the living room.

Roaches?

[mustang_revival]

I usually clean on Sundays too, but really need help on the regular deep cleaning. I really need to get a maid to come help me out twice a month..

I'm good about leaving a trail behind me during the week, and only pick up occasionally, but my place gets a fairly thorough cleaning on the weekends. The only thing I'm really bad about keeping up with regularly is the dusting.

I do prefer having a clean home though, and it's like getting a haircut when everything is back in place come Saturday or Sunday afternoon. As with a lot of you, the place is spotless when I am expecting planned visitors, even the dusting.

I used to be really bad about dusting in my mid-20's. Like, only every 3 or 4 MONTHS. It was the one thing I had to figure out a way around. I finally figured out that even though I was organized, I owned too much stupid knickknack bullshit and moving it all around and cleaning it also was what annoyed me about it. I got rid of probably 20 1/18 scale cars and other junk, and it takes me ten minutes to do the whole house now. My 656 square foot condo would take me 30-40 minutes, and still not look great.