hi everyone!
keithy noticed that there was some weird black crap coming out of the side of a small bunch of shelves in our basement…upon further inspection he noticed that there seemed to be more black crap behind the shelves- upon further inspection he saw a mushroom… it turns out there is some mold!!!!!!!!!!!
(we didn’t know) there was a hula hoop filled with water that burst behind this little group of shelves- we didnt realize this happened (whenever it happened!) and now there is a rectangle of moldey carpet and a dirty wall where the carpet meets the wall.
so of course, i just spent a while cleaning the wall and getting out rug stains with carpet cleaning solution (although i will have the professionals in this week) but now i NEED to clean out the whole basement which is, the freaking bowels of hell!!!!!
there are so many toys from years passed stowed in the basement… action figures, craft projects, old stuffed animals, games with missing pieces, balls, etc.
i don’t know where to begin… i’d like to just throw EVERYTHING away but then i think i’m getting rid of their (my kids’) memories??? i don’t really think i’m a pack rat but for my basement.
my kids are big- don’t play with any of it anymore really- so why is it hard to just trash it all???
and as i said before…i don’t know where to begin…
have any of you ever done a major basement/playroom clean out????
do i do it drawer by drawer with lots of big black garbage bags by my side???
maybe i’ll photograph a before and after…hmmmm….
(blog amendment: 9:44pm i’m not really a pack rat- it’s just the kids toys and other crap that i’ve let pile up in the basement- i dont take care of it enough and now i have a lot to do!…i have no other space in my house like the basement…my attic isn’t even full).
xoxox
jennifer
Jennifer, you should definitely go drawer by drawer, set things in different piles. Save, trash, donate, etc. Try to donate as much as possible, that way your not creating landfill. I don’t think you should worry about throwing away memories. Memories ae in your mind, you’ll have them forever. Please photograph before and after, I’d love to see all the “stuff”!
Throw it all away!! Before every birthday and holiday my daughter helps me sort the “baby” toys for charity. My daughter is six. This helps to keep the junk under control.
Don’t be a pack rat. Don’t you watch “Clean House”?
Ya didn’t know it was there before this happened did you? Donate the toys and throw it all away!
I agree with “trash, save, donate.” When I do jobs like this I crank up music and make sure kids and the hubby aren’t around. What they don’t see being thrown out won’t hurt them!
Jen, c’mon lets get rid of all the old shit. Have like a Feng Shui attack with Keithy and throw it all out! I cannot stand pack rats, old shit means old shitty memories……..
Do it without your children present. After a few “oohs, I remember this” you’ll be chucking it all in the garbage/good will pile. You’ll also find the few toys that are important for memories! Mine was her play V-tech phone that said colors and numbers, and a rainbow inchworm she used to bite the nose of! So, get yourself some black bags and start tossing! I wish I could help! I LOVE cleaning things out!
if you truly are a pack rat, and i’m married to one, you should get professional help. you need someone to help you and explain to you WHY you don’t really need some of the stuff you’re hanging on to. it’s so bad around my house i’m thinking of getting rid of the hubby but i need someone to come in and tell me to get rid of him. OY!
One of my favorite things to do is a major clean-out…you are in for a great time! I was listening to an organinzing expert on one of the other shows on Martha, and she said that when she cleans out a space in her house, somehow she feels like she is making room for a new change in her life. I can relate to wanting to keep every stitch of a child’s paraphernalia, but they tend to leave it in the dust (or basement) and move on, and so should we.
Jennifer, I know exactly what you’re feeling…my son is 19, in college, and we’re selling our home of 10 years. 10 years of memories! I started in our laundry/junk room (no basements in FL), go through a section of a time…throw out broken toys, donate good ones (Goodwill takes them), save (not more than 3!)those your children REALLY liked, and might give to their children. If there are not any in that section, don’t save any. It’s been working for me with clothes, too. Donate, donate, donate!!
Jennifer, you are not a pack rat – just sentimental! Get 2 large clear containers, one for each of your kids and let them choose things that go in there to keep. ( school projects, special things) Go section by section with dark garbage bags and throw owt a little each day – don’t expect to do it all in one day.I love to help throw out – I would gladly help you!
I don’t want to sound paranoid, but you really should be concerned about the toxicity of the mold. You need to rip out the moldy drywall and carpet, and throw out everything! Cleaning solutions won’t cut it. And please don’t donate the toys, you don’t want to poison other people’s children do you? Plus, you need to find the source of the mosture. How does a hula-hoop get filled with water? I sure hope you don’t have a crack in the foundation of your house. If you do, you’ve got MAJOR problems.
Try and see this as an opportunity rather than a burden. Since you have to empty the space in order to have it professionally cleaned, sort the stuff outside, closer to the bin, can or truck that will free you of it and the dust and mold that has collected on it. Set a time limit and stick to it. Finally, go back over the save pile and remove another 25 to 50 percent. Good luck.
Hi Jennifer – they say to do it FAST – like only take about 25 minutes to burn through it all. ALSO – you could also video objects to save on CD – much easier than keeping it ALL. We made a video of my kids coloring art – so we always had it – Take picture of it to save – much easier – but go FAST. 🙂
Don’t do it drawer by drawer – put pull it all out at once and it forces you to deal with it. I agree with the other posts – make piles: Keep, donate, trash. Get the kids involved and it will be a good way to teach them how to do that kind of stuff in the future.
Hi Jenn my parents saved about 5 toys from both my sister and I. They were the toys we that we just couldn’t play with enough. My mom says she’s saving them for her grandkids. I hope she won’t be disappointed when her future grandkids expect XBOXes and Playstation 3’s and such. I can’t see where Lincoln logs and the Fisher price doctor’s kit will have that much appeal in comparison. But they are happy memories none the less. But I think there are alot of less fortunate kids who would love some stuffed animals, action figures and maybe even games with missing pieces. Think of the memories you could be giving them…
Hey Jenny,
Please hold on to at least a couple of toys for each child. Store them in the attic (unless it gets too hot up there) and each year add one thing so that they can remember when they get older. They will thank you for it. And by all means, don’t throw away any action figures that are collectors items now or baseball cards, etc. Just remember the Antiques Road Show!!
throw everything out it has been exposed to mold, even the carpet. Do it by yourself b/c when you have been working for 3hrs cleaning it will be much easier to throw it all away.
PURGE!!!!!!!!! Never look back. It’s the best feeling EVER!!!!!!!! I kind of get upset with myself…I buy and come home with pretty shopping bags, only to haul it out to the street in big black GARBAGE bags. What’s the matter with me????
I agree with Ariel, and good luck!!!
An extreme opposite viewpoint:
If there are any toys that the kids really would treasure as adults, save those. My friend’s mom died when she was 9 and her toys stayed untouched in a basement until the girl turned 44. Last year we went to clean out the space and both of us relived every single one of those toys we played with as children. It was like a time capsue. It was one of my best times going thru that stuff. Do you know how much a 1960’s era Mrs. Beasley doll goes for?! Or an original Superman metal lunchbox? It was fascinating!
I saw an expert on Oprah, and he said take every thing out if the garage and dump everything out of the drawers into a pile and decide if you want to keep something instantly . If you have to contemplate, then it goes! Put in piles of simular items.Then organize.
Memories are in your mind and your heart! A good rule of thumb is, if it has not been used, looked at or needed for a year…you do not need it any longer! I agree go thru inch by inch. Have boxes, a MUST KEEP box, a THROW OUT box and a donate box. Repeat as needed.
Keep this in mind also…never put off until tomorrow what you can do today! Mold is not a good thing and it could make you, your husband and your children ill!
This is amazing, since I JUST did that this weekend! I took 12 black bags of stuff to Goodwill. And now, I’ll get a tax deduction for giving them things I no longer need! Try it. You’ll thank me later. p.s. Love the Hmm reference again! So neat.
absolutely riveting
Jennifer,
Mold is dangerous to your health. Haven’t you seen Ty’s Exreme Makover Home Edition? Throw out the old, used, untouchables. Donate any good condition toys to your pediatrician’s office or your children’s dentist. They never have enough to keep the kids occupied while you’re waiting.
Project the pictures of Alexis’s apartment into your basement ot banish the clutter!
Pack it up and pass it on, lots of kids need things to play with
I’d donate/throw/give away – keep one bag or box of stuff and next time you go through your old stuff & clean out the basement, review that box and throw away things you think you can do without. This strategy works for me. this way i do not keep stuff that is not significant.
this has nothing to do with the blog but i have to say i’m loving the shows with the people calling in with their problems about WHATEVER. brings out the best of the both of you and topics/problems come up we can all relate to and need help with.