topic Re: interesting article about clutter...... in Home

interesting article about clutter......

151949 — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 16:37:02 GMT

On MSN yesterday Basically it said that when women are surrounded by clutter they tend to become depressed by it. Then , because they are depressed they don't clean it up, and it continues to accumulate and they get more and more depressed. Men, on the other hand, don't seem to have any emotional reaction to clutter at all, which helps account for why so often wives are neat & tidy and men are slobs.Of course there are always exceptions. I have a couple friends who complain about their neatnick husbands. I wouldn't know anything about that! My DH is a total slob and semi hoarder, but his Mom wasn't too much of a housekeeper so I think he gets emotional comfort from his messy surroundings. Anyway the article was interesting to me.

Re: interesting article about clutter......

mac116 — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 16:56:10 GMT

I agree with the article. The clutter and stuff can get overwhelming.

Re: interesting article about clutter......

hoosieroriginal — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 17:17:58 GMT

My mother's house was impeccable and I picked up on that as a child (my one sister went the other direction and was a slob). My children are both slobs. I don't get it - the older I get the less I want around me - I'm constantly purging - have no "clutter" around - everything I have is organized in some fashion.

Re: interesting article about clutter......

Puppy Lips — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 18:32:27 GMT

I think everyone has a different definition of "clutter."

Re: interesting article about clutter......

IMW — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 18:36:42 GMT

I believe the state of your home mirrors your mind. Clutter and dirt stops the flow of good energy or Feng Shui. The more stuff, the harder it is to clean and see what you already have, many end up repurchasing.

My Mom was a neat freak, Dad was a pig G- d bless him,

I was very messy until 40 or so when I realized I was rebelling against Mom. Was always very clean, now both my dh and I are very neat, clean and minimalists. It's less to take care of.

Both of my kids are slobs and have married slobs.

Re: interesting article about clutter......

151949 — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 19:38:58 GMT

By what the article says it just becomes a vicious circle - the more there is the more depressed you get and the less you want to clean it up, then more builds up and the less you want to clean it up and on and on.....

Re: interesting article about clutter......

151949 — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 19:49:33 GMT

@Puppy Lips wrote:
I think everyone has a different definition of "clutter."

My DH & I definitely have different definitions of clutter. I think my husband feels cozy in a room that is messy because his Mom wasn't too much of a housekeeper and that messiness is what he is used to. Certainly, when I was working full time + on call for many years my house was far from neat and tidy. God Bless her , after she retired my Mom would come over once a week or so and tidy up. I did the cleaning on my days off but she would just neaten things up for me and run a few loads of laundry.She would often also make dinner and have it keeping warm in the oven when we got home. My Dad would walk the dog and play with her which was a blessing when I got home and she was tired instead of jumping all over me to go out & play.

Re: interesting article about clutter......

Mominohio — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 19:47:30 GMT

@Puppy Lips wrote:
I think everyone has a different definition of "clutter."

I agree with the findings in the OP's article. It does seem once one is overwhelmed with clutter(however that is defined by an individual) they do get discouraged and stop dealing with it , or don't deal with it completely (they skim off the top or clear out only 'some').

And the definition of clutter is very elusive and varies by person. I believe it isn't clutter if it doesn't bother you, you enjoy the things, you keep them cleaned, organized and contained so as to be able to access and use all aspects of your home and its furnishings.

Some people think if you have more than two things on one surface, it is cluttered, other can take 7 things, place them on the same surface, and make them look like a unit, and not cluttered at all.

Re: interesting article about clutter......

ilovefall — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 19:53:16 GMT

Now your parents sound like awesome people. My mother would never have done that for me!

Re: interesting article about clutter......

CANDLEQUEEN — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 19:54:45 GMT

I am a neat freak, and so is my husband. We love and keep a nice neat orderly home, however with that being said our home is comfortable and lived in, its not so spotless and sterile that it is uninviting. You can be a good housekeeper and have a nice home that is inviting as well. I agree about the clutter however, because my Uncle just married a hoarder. She never used to be one, but she was fired from her job and she went into a depression, and starting not cleaning her house. Now she has boxes and magazines and books and papers all over, but not filth....However it is getting worse every day that she does not do something about it......So I can see how having clutter can cause depression which can turn into something worse, like Hoarding!

Re: interesting article about clutter......

CANDLEQUEEN — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 20:12:41 GMT

@CANDLEQUEEN wrote:
I am a neat freak, and so is my husband. We love and keep a nice neat orderly home, however with that being said our home is comfortable and lived in, its not so spotless and sterile that it is uninviting. You can be a good housekeeper and have a nice home that is inviting as well. I agree about the clutter however, because my Uncle just married a hoarder. She never used to be one, but she was fired from her job and she went into a depression, and starting not cleaning her house. Now she has boxes and magazines and books and papers all over, but not filth....However it is getting worse every day that she does not do something about it......So I can see how having clutter can cause depression which can turn into something worse, like Hoarding!

I can also see how depression can cause clutter, you get so depressed you don't feel like cleaning and it just gets progressively worse..

Re: interesting article about clutter......

StylishLady — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 20:19:10 GMT

I'm not a neat freak by any measure, but I keep things under control. If my coffee table, kitchen counter, closet get messy, I clean them up. Oddly enough today, DH and I spent some time breaking down cardboard boxes that had accumulated in the garage. Some we'll save for later shipping, some go out in the recycling next Wednesday. Our garage is impeccable compared to many around us. It amazes me so many are filled with stuff they can't even get one car in them.

Re: interesting article about clutter......

Free2be — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 20:24:31 GMT

I'm not a hoarder but I appreciate the Hoarder TV shows because they spur me on to get rid of things I'll never use again. Those shows really do educate on what can happen to someone who has experienced major tragedy and nearly buries themselves amongst things for comfort and to keep people at a distance.

Re: interesting article about clutter......

software — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 20:39:27 GMT

I've always wondered if this is a chicken-egg thing.

What comes first, the depression or the hoarding?

I am no Martha Stewart and there are times I get lazy and my house gets cluttered and it drives me crazy! I did a really good cleaning between Christmas & New years.

If felt soooo good.

Re: interesting article about clutter......

151949 — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 20:43:14 GMT

@StylishLady wrote:
I'm not a neat freak by any measure, but I keep things under control. If my coffee table, kitchen counter, closet get messy, I clean them up. Oddly enough today, DH and I spent some time breaking down cardboard boxes that had accumulated in the garage. Some we'll save for later shipping, some go out in the recycling next Wednesday. Our garage is impeccable compared to many around us. It amazes me so many are filled with stuff they can't even get one car in them.

I am always amazed at people who have to keep their car in the driveway because the garage is so full of junk. I was always esp. amazed when we lived up north and the cars were out in the snow. I can't imagine having to scrape ice & snow off a car off before going to work in the morning.

Re: interesting article about clutter......

ROMARY — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 20:53:25 GMT

'Almost everyone' (Well, let's say 'Many') around here keep their cars out front in their driveway(s). Lots of folks use their garages to store furniture, items, etc., etc. Actually, I never did like the idea of having a car gas tank filled with gasoline in a garage near gas water heaters, dryers, etc. Many years ago, a lady neighbor a few blocks away, had a slight gasoline leak (or something similar) and her house was almost completely destroyed; it took a year to rebuild it. Since that time, I've been leery of cars in garages, unless there is a separate garage for the car, and another area containing gas appliances, etc. IMO, better to leave cars out front, safety-wise, in some homes/situations, etc.

Re: interesting article about clutter......

Carmie — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 21:02:49 GMT

What bothers me worse than a cluttered house is a cluttered car.

My DH used to work with a guy that just tossed everything into the back seat..., even trash from fast food... occasionally containers with food still in them. Sometimes my DH would have to travel with him and he would be upset if this other guy drove. My DH's car is spotless as is mine.

Re: interesting article about clutter......

151949 — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 21:21:11 GMT

@ilovefall wrote:
Now your parents sound like awesome people. My mother would never have done that for me!

They were awesome. I and my brothers were blessed. God gave us the best ever parents and grandparents and some pretty great Aunts & Uncles as well.

Re: interesting article about clutter......

SilleeMee — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 21:24:02 GMT

I also read something about having a cluttered kitchen. It can lead to over-eating and bad eating habits. I found this interesting.

Re: interesting article about clutter......

151949 — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 21:26:05 GMT

@ROMARY wrote:
'Almost everyone' (Well, let's say 'Many') around here keep their cars out front in their driveway(s). Lots of folks use their garages to store furniture, items, etc., etc. Actually, I never did like the idea of having a car gas tank filled with gasoline in a garage near gas water heaters, dryers, etc. Many years ago, a lady neighbor a few blocks away, had a slight gasoline leak (or something similar) and her house was almost completely destroyed; it took a year to rebuild it. Since that time, I've been leery of cars in garages, unless there is a separate garage for the car, and another area containing gas appliances, etc. IMO, better to leave cars out front, safety-wise, in some homes/situations, etc.

I've always had all electric homes so this isn't an issue - but in Pa they require a firewall between the gas water heater or furnace or dryer and the garage because cars can cause a spark that would ignite a gas leak. Our Pa home was considerably less expensive to build because we did not need that firewall in an all electric home.