Survey #282 results
| Name (click to view full survey response and comments) | Describe a situation in which someone successfully assisted you with a decluttering or organizing project. | Describe a situation in which you asked for help with decluttering or organizing but were unsatisfied with the results. | Describe a situation in which you successfully assisted someone else with a decluttering or organizing project. | Describe a situation in which you offered help with decluttering or organizing but didn’t achieve the desired results. |
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| Andrea | I had a friend helping me in the garage when I was pregnant. She was respectful of the things I wanted to keep but is (just like me) ruthless about most things going away. But where she wanted to throw everything in the dumpster I just wanted to give the good things away -which I did-. Sadly the garage isn’t done yet. | People distracting me and were second guessing my decisions when I wanted to take things out. | Just helping them make decisions by asking questions (do you use “product” actively etc.) and respecting their choices. | Didn’t occur yet. If the decision was mine I gave away a lot of the stuff the person I helped didn’t use. But since that person was not ready I had to respect their decision. If that person has a good and successful feeling my help is done. |
| Peggy | My husband and daughter removed a large table to outdoors. It now shelters feral cats from precipitation. The place where the large table used to live now holds a smaller, easily moveable table with a shelf and drawer. I could not have lifted this table myself. | Sometimes I have tried to get family members I live(d) with to go through categories of things and they have fought it or hung onto most of it. | A few years ago I helped my daughter declutter several areas of her place. I carted away the things she was willing to part with, washed them as necessary, and donated. Daughter is very busy with work and her kids, so my offers gave her a chance to do some decluttering without having to do it all herself. | My daughter has loosened her grip on many things over the years but when I first started helping her, she resisted. |
| Gabriella | I always declutter by myself. | I helped my partner declutter his papers. What made it successful, was that I suggested that we limit the decluttering sessions to 10 minutes per day. This kept him from feeling overwhelmed and procrastinating because of it. I held each document in front of him and he would make a quick keep/toss decision. All I did was put the document on the respective pile. At the end of each daily session I got rid of the toss pile. By this method he made great progress within 2 weeks. | I have repeatedly offered help to a close friend, but he prefers to declutter by himself - which I understand quite well, because I prefer to declutterby myself too. Nevertheless, I try to support my friends "psychologically" in their decluttering process,, e. g. by - reassuring ("normalizing") that decluttering is indeed often hard or tedious and just about everybody experiences this at times - encouraging them that they could really enjoy their beautiful things if they put them out for display and/or used them - and got rid of the items they nolonger cared for - gently suggesting that it may be better to do shorter sessions at a time instead of getting exhausted from trying to do too much all at once | |
| Johanna | Never | I never ask because I would probably die of shame if any of my friends saw how my place looks combined with hyper independence from growing up without much support from my parents. I don't even hire a moving company. Since I really struggle with keeping my surroundings organised and tidy, I should probably work on this... | A friend of mine had a huge amount of miscellaneous hardware and tools collected over the years and stuffed in bins and boxes all over the place. She didn't know how to organise the items because she is not very handy herself (like cannot even hang a picture). I am very handy (dad carpenter, uncle plumber) and know how to use all the stuff. I got some boxes with little adjustable compartments and explained every type of hardware and tool to her. We got rid of the outdated and broken stuff and sorted everything into the containers. Then we practiced basic skills like hanging a lamp or putting up a towel holder. I showed her and she did it herself. Her willingness to learn, my expertise and my relentless drive to empower women made it a very pleasant and successful experience! | My parents had hoarding tendencies and I never managed to out-declutter, out-organise or out-clean them. Once I moved out, things really escalated, but since they both had a scarcity mindset (born in Germany 1933 and 1943 and never had a lot of money) I could almost never convince them to get rid of stuff. I did not have the knowledge about decluttering and organising I have today, so I probably wasn't a lot of help. When my grandma died, my mom integrated her entire household into her own. We had three or four of everything. Cleaning out the house after my parents died was a nightmare. |
| Ginger | Me ask for help? I very rarely ask for help with anything. ▪️Probably linked to “trauma” when well-meaning family, friends decided to unpack my moving boxes and start putting things away in my brand new home - while I was at work. I did not like it. They were washing my dishes in my new dishwasher and deciding where to put things. It felt like a violation of my space and wishes. I was looking forward to doing that myself. ▪️ WAIT… I DID ask my very trusted like-a-sister cousin and her daughter to help me get my mother’s suite cleared of clutter so I could have professional carpet cleaning done. And, they came back and helped put things back in place including putting together cube shelves to hold her many craft supplies and trinkets. Very pleased with the outcome. ▪️Factors. Trusted person, followed my lead, asked for my input throughout. | As I stated in previous question… I didn’t ask for help. But, got it anyway. ▪️Factors. Acted without my permission, input, etc. I was young it was my first home and they didn’t know I wanted to do it myself. They really didn’t do anything wrong. But, it felt bad. | Over the years - I helped many family members with decluttering and organizing. I had a favorite aunt and we were always sharing & reading the organization books. She called on me to work in her house with her. One project was organizing her kitchen by placing things closer to where she used them. And, helping her be okay with upgrading her dishes. She didn’t like the ones she had but felt like she couldn’t get rid of useful dishes. ▪️Factors. Trust. Clear Goals. Vision for end results. | I can’t think of any situation we didn’t achieve the desired results. We usually agreed they’d need to live with it a while and evaluate what worked & what didn’t. Then, we would tweak it. |
| Terry | Not sure if this is what you are looking for, but being in touch with friends around decluttering/organizing really helps me. I have a friend that volunteers at a church consignment shop. Although it's over an hour drive from me, if I bring things there, I get to visit briefly with my friend and it encourages me to come up with items to consign. At other times, we brainstorm ways to declutter various items and share relevant article/posts. We text each other our decluttering achievements or progress. Things that make it work: we're at similar places around "stuff", communication is brief but often, doing this alongside a friend really helps me make progress. I just shared a table with a friend to sell at an antique show/flea market. Financially the day wasn't successful. But it caused me to gather a bunch of stuff that I was willing to part with. And it helped me decide to donate a large portion of the items and I'm exploring options on that. I would never have done this on my own (and it was a huge amount of work) but I had a fun day with a friend and it helped me make progress towards donating. I wouldn't have done this on my own, doing it with a friend made me research and schedule it. | I've never assisted someone hands on with decluttering. But I do share ideas and books that I've found helpful (along with recommending the Clutter Fairy all the time!). And frequently brainstorm approaches for decluttering various types of items. I think the reason these are successful is that we are all in a similar place regarding our stuff, almost Swedish Death Cleaning mode. And it's mutual: today I have an idea you can use, last week you had an idea that helped me. And it's fun to cheer your friend on when they make progress (and when they do the same for me). And, to be honest, given that we are older, there's a sense of urgency. Knowing that capabilities or living space or whatever may change in an instant, so better to make progress now while we can. | When my mother was in an assisted living type situation with not a lot of space, I wish I had the knowledge that I have now. She was a person of many interests and things were always cluttered. At times, I did help her declutter. But looking back (as I'm now the age she was at the time), I wish I had more creative thoughts about organizing her reduced space so that it could have better supported the things she liked to do. And at that time, it wouldn't have occurred to me that there might be professionals that could help make that happen. | |
| The Maggs (Maggie) | Listening to the clutter fairy has helped me so much. From the advice of “keeping a representative sample” of things, to “giving ourselves permission” to declutter something and let go to the encouragement of the small victories along the way. All has been so helpful! Also, having my daughter at my house and having her help me with decluttering has really helped. Mainly because she also “gave me permission “ to declutter things I though she wanted. | I have helped my daughter declutter things at her house, as she helped me. My main help to her was trashing a very expensive rumba that she purchased but was broken. She held onto this for over 2 years, and last week when I was at her house we talked about it and I said it was time for it to go. She agreed and I took it to the trash can and she was ok with it. My help was a relief to her, she said as she could not bring herself to getting rid of it herself. It is now gone! | I once offered my help to my mother who is a hoarder. She did not take me up on my offer and she continues to hoard. I cannot help her if she does not want it. I am sad I could not help her. | |
| Lela | No one assists me. They just enjoy our clean, organized home and make unfounded accusations against me when they misplace their own stuff! Lol | When my husband and I were first married, he was the king of “what if we need that someday?” So as I kept decluttering my personal items, it made his mountains of “junk” look larger. Everywhere I turned I saw comic books, super heroes, unworn clothes, dusty newspapers, ignored books, etc. It’s easier for him to let go of things now that he’s older, though. | Many times my mother and I have gone through areas in her house together. She had several friends and loved ones who gave her lots of their stuff when they either moved out of state or passed away. We are more successful when no one else is around. My father can never understand why she gets rid of stuff, even though it is her own personal items. I think he would be a hoarder if she was not around. | Once I learned to quit worrying about other people‘s stuff, even in my own home, and focus on items that were exclusively mine or that no one else in the house ever uses, then I always meet my goals. I do still have that one room where my adult child left a bunch of stuff that they don’t want to cram into their small apartment, but I just keep the door closed and try not to think about that so it won’t bug me. |
| Lela | No one assists me. They just enjoy our clean, organized home and make unfounded accusations against me when they misplace their own stuff! Lol | When my husband and I were first married, he was the king of “what if we need that someday?” So as I kept decluttering my personal items, it made his mountains of “junk” look larger. Everywhere I turned I saw comic books, super heroes, unworn clothes, dusty newspapers, ignored books, etc. It’s easier for him to let go of things now that he’s older, though. | Many times my mother and I have gone through areas in her house together. She had several friends and loved ones who gave her lots of their stuff when they either moved out of state or passed away. We are more successful when no one else is around. My father can never understand why she gets rid of stuff, even though it is her own personal items. I think he would be a hoarder if she was not around. | Once I learned to quit worrying about other people‘s stuff, even in my own home, and focus on items that were exclusively mine or that no one else in the house ever uses, then I always meet my goals. I do still have that one room where my adult child left a bunch of stuff that they don’t want to cram into their small apartment, but I just keep the door closed and try not to think about that so it won’t bug me. |
| Janice | When I was retiring and moving out of state a very kind young neighbor helped me. She was a nurse and I would have been lost without her. After work she would come over and patiently help me sort, organize and pack. | Most people do not enjoy organizing and don’t really help, but I do appreciate their company. | One friend asked me to help her. She was highly motivated and well organized so it was easy to help her. | One friend is very disorganized and when I helped her move she was completely disorganized and not concerned with being organized. I just followed her instructions and didn’t try to change her. |
| Anonymous user | My aunt helped me to declutter furniture and big objects in the house. Some were pieces of wood she had given me for a project that never happened. I was feeling guilty about them because they were heavy and she had taken them out of her basement for me. Other things were chairs the previous inhabitants of the house had left behind- and a terribly old and travel weary orange suitcase that got picked up by the dumpster immediately! I can’t even remember the other items- but the impact was huge! A lot of empty space that later let me turn a room into a guest room. It all went really well until the last hour or so of decluttering where she gained momentum, and I was exhausted and did not want to part with anything more. That last bit did not go so well at all. But overall, it was great. | I offered tips and advice to a friend who lives somewhere else. Because it was over the internet, I think it worked out ok. A friend here, however, does not really see a need to declutter at all. She does not see her items as clutter as they are mostly from deceased relatives. I think the word “clutter” has a different connotation than unused items- or items that someone else would cherish and love. | See previous answer. | |
| Danetta | I have always decluttered alone so that I can think. | I had boxes of papers up to a decade old. To overcome my paralysis I hired an organizer. I did not know I needed to declutter and I did not know that when I file something in a folder it ceases to exist for me. I painfully put papers into different categories, put the files away, and didn’t look at those papers or remember they existed for another decade. | I’ve offered but my friend is either not ready or afraid due to past experiences. | N/A |
| Em | Once a friend helped me move stuff, She did not criticize what she saw; merely taking things to the place I instructed. Otherwise, I can't think of a time when anyone has agreed to help me. | I have a friend who had had prfessional organizers in her home at least twice and who was continuing to declutter. One at least two occasions, I asked her advice on decluttering, her answer was merely, :I don't know. It's hard." | I have organized small portions of people's stuff--a closet or two, a drawer, things like that. In all cases, they were thrilled with the results. The way I did it was study the person's habits that allowed the disorganization and compare that with how the space needed to function. If the habit was to dig, then the organization had to be to make each thing visible and readily grab-able. If the habit was to toss, then the solution was to make target areas with categories to receive the items. If the babit was to roam around the house, then the items needed a landing spot where they were usually used. | I offered to organize a friend's clothes closet. The shoes were heaped high on the floor and the clothing crammed in every which way. She gave me premission but warned me that she did not want the clothes organized by color. She did not want to get rid of anything. Studying the closet, I could only see that she must have shoved things in it and just remembered the general area. I needed far more input from her to know how to improve her closet. Apparently it worked pretty well for her as it was. The best I could do was put missing shoes with their partners. |
| Sandra | Sometimes you don't even have to ask. Back in my students days I moved at least twice a year, so I was used to keeping A LOT of boxes for this purpose. Once I stored a great number of them in my parents' garage and my dad threw them all into recycling without telling me. I've never looked back since and never again stored anything at my parents' house 🙂 | I think I have mentioned my husband too often in your surveys! | At work I've been the person to release many boxes that were "archived", meaning full of financial papers we were no longer legally obligated to keep, or old work projects nobody would ever look at again. I was successful because no one wanted to make a decision so they all delegated it to me. | Why are we talking about my husband again ? |
| Carla | I asked my adult son which of his things he wanted to keep and what we could donate to the animal shelter flea market. He kept the legos and train set and all else we could donate. He even packed the car and we drove there together. Half our attic was cleared! This was about 10 years ago. | I never asked anyone. I tried to ask my niece to help with my mother's place after she died, but she was outright defiant to do it with me. She went there on her own and took things that I wanted. | I've helped the son of a friend who died, to bring things to charity shops as he didn't know what they would take. He was very respectful and listened to me and lifted all the boxes and suitcases full of stuff into my car. We both were sad about her passing. | I tried to help my husband organize the things he brought home after retiring from the museum. He disagreed with everything I suggested. Some things are still in boxes in his home office, untouched for nearly 20 years now. He is not willing or able I think to make decisions on them. I probably have to wait until he dies. |
| Christine | I've only used Youtubers to assist me in decluttering. Their thoughtful commentary on a wide variety of topics helped me understand what type of clutter was holding me back, how to let go and the benifits of owning just enough stuff. | I haven't asked anybody, my fear is they will judge or force me to get rid of stuff. | I often help my adult daughter. We talk it out until she reaches a decision. I'm always encouraging her efforts! I will offer to take the donations with me and drop it off. I've also helped one friend clean out her attic and organize the remaining items. She was ready to let go. | Often there is shame regarding our abundant belongings and the lack of function of our homes Up front I say I don't judge, I'm offering a helpful.hand to get the stuff they no longer need, out of the home. One other, more my age, friend is very resistant to letting go eventhough she says she has too much. She gets ovewhelmed easily and has knee problems. I do collect medium size boxes from work for her, as requested. She will do a little bit on her own. |
| Kathy | Timing needed to get done.. Weight someone could move... Store purchases they removed.. Safety it had to go or move ... Death no longer could use or need. | Hands on help! Years later grief dissatisfaction not expressed at the time. | Discernment of need... Positive affirmation of success. Listening and knowing when enough is enough not to totally shut down. | Sister Some items ready to let go but needed daughter to affirm her also letting this go. Some individuals find piece in there cluttered piles. |
| Debra | When I was moving internationally I had a friend come over to help me make decisions on what to keep in a storage unit (we were planning to move back after a year). She took each room from top to bottom, clockwise, and asked me about each individual item. Keep, donate, pack. It was a significant move with many factors to consider, lots of paperwork as well — so that calmed my anxious brain. | Other than the above, I haven’t asked for help. Occasionally , (but rarely)I have a friend come by to have tea with me to keep me company as I get things done, but their task is to chitchat to keep me from being bored as I do it. | I listen to them and find out what their goals are. Sometimes the things that are glaringly obvious to me don’t bother them at all. I do make suggestions about what might be the best things to start with. (Accessibility, putting things away that have a home already) Something that I have seen a lot of is just pure mess. What I mean by that is a jug of laundry detergent haphazardly toppled over on the floor that they just step over until they need it, for example. I often just line things up quickly by putting them together in categories and squaring piles in the first walkthrough of a place as we’re talking and I’m making mental notes of what’s where. Space is a serious issue in small European apartments, and even in bigger ones with no storage at all. I have to be creative about what goes where. The first visit I talk about a plan for the next visit. I also ask if they want me to make something “go away” if they’re waffling. Usually they say yes. | She was a hoarder who couldn’t live in her one-room flat except for using the bathroom and a 2-seat sofa. Wouldn’t get rid of anything except for very obvious garbage and even then it took all of my patience. A tiny wrapped candy that is half melted? Has to be meticulously peeled away from its teeny-tiny wrapper, so each can be recycled separately. It was agonising. However, I did manage to clear a 2’ by 2’ space in two hours. As I left I spotted the corner of what was a piano. In a one room apartment I couldn’t see a full piano. Since I have never charged for my services, I felt it was a lot of my time spent with little results; she needs a hoarding specialist. |
| Leslie | They helped me put together some drawer units from The Container store and sorted like items with like items. The person was very non judgmental. | Instead of helping me find my way and systems that work for me, they were doing what they do in their own house and a judging and shaming. I guess that is the difference between a friend and a professional organizer, the pro will work with you at your level and develop systems for you that work longterm. | N/A | |
| C | A young relative (25 yes younger than me) came over to see which of the things I had put aside for donating could be sold for profit. I told her we' d split the profit. She took most of it, asked what if it didn't sell. I said "donate it all". It helped that she pushed me to search for more things, and she took it out of the home. | I asked my DH. (He is almost always reluctant.) He said he couldn't find things after I reorganized some closets. I put big labels on, left it on for 6 months. For years after this, he still complained. 🙁 I still have to tell him where things are! ...there are more stories like this... but I'll just have to live with this aspect. | I helped sort all the photos for my MIL. We made envelopes for her to give xtras to each relative, family friend. She was delighted. We spread out the work all over living room floor, and 2 tables; she didn't mind the initial mess, and it got done in 2 days! | I tried to help DH when he retired and had to clear his office. It was difficult to stay on task, (for both of us.) It took 3 days instead of 2. He then went back a 4th day to finish up. And a 5th day. 3 summer holiday days wasted. 🙁 |
| Lynn | Haven't had such a successful project. | I had a friend help me declutter and organize the garage. The problem we had was that she wasn't listening to my requests. Sorting like things with like things for decluttering went well, but when it came to organizing what was left, she was organizing how SHE wanted it rather than the way I wanted. For the next few months I wasted hours searching for things I needed rather than being able to immediately put my hands on it. I should have thanked her for the decluttering help and done the organizing myself so I would know where to look for things. It would have better preserved our friendship. | Haven't had the experience. | My mom was a Great Depression baby and didn't like to declutter because it might be useful someday. When I moved in to be her caregiver during the early stages of her dementia, the only time I could clear out any of the decades of clutter were times she was in the hospital for a few days. If she didn't see it go, she didn't object and never missed it. It only made a small dent in the clutter in her house. |
| Lise | This was a long time ago when working on decluttering the garage I had saved pretty much all my children's baby clothing. I wanted to donate the items but had a really hard time letting go. My neighbor said, "What would Peter Walsh say about it?" (this is when Clean Sweep was on the air). I then let everything go but the outfits they came home from the hospital in. | I had asked for help from my children with decluttering/organizing and all you can hear were crickets. Being ignored was beyond frustrating and I became mad and ended up decluttering/organizing on my own. I decided if they were not happy with what I had done they should have participated. Turns out they did not care. | I helped my former roommate clear her closet for her move. She just needed assistance in asking the questions and she was able to release a large amount. She was very happy with her progress. | Last year my daughter and I went to assist my mom in decluttering her apartment. This was a challenge and hard to witness - when we started she was amazing in releasing items and then she started to back peddle and became very prickly in her attitude. She did release a lot but where I thought she said she did not want x,y,z she started holding on to "things" that really did not help her in my eyes. I ended up leaving with the thought she has way deeper issues and I hate to say a brokenness that I can not fix. She continues to avoid things and I have to just let her be. |
| Evelin | I usually declutter on my own. I think I've never really had help. | I have asked my husband to help me with decluttering but he doesn't want to do it, he thinks it's boring, that I don't let go of enough things and he doesn't have that much stuff anyway, it's all mine (which is probably true) | I'd love to help a friend with decluttering but nobody seems to need my help. People probably don't talk that much about it. | |
| Suzanne | A family member was visiting to help prep my place for a party. She was happy to give a hand, she was non-judgmental, and she asked questions if she came across an object that she thought I might want to let good. We had fun and no stress. | Hmm, I can’t recall such a situation. I guess if I had, the factors would be the opposite of positive help I’ve received. | Someone I didn’t know very well asked me to help them in your apartment. Once there it was clear the person was overwhelmed and struggling with everything. Factors that helped me to be of service and make a big difference for the other person: 1. I asked what area they would like me to work on first and that’s the area I started in. 2. I asked if they had a vacuum so I could begin by vacuuming (it needed it very badly, I was wearing socks, AND vacuuming for me is like washing a sink before I add soapy water and wash dishes). The factor here is I needed to take a step that was crucial for my wellbeing and was part of my method.. 3. I had a positive attitude, I was able to think clearly, I had a plan in my head of the steps I would take, I worked steadily but at reasonable pace, I asked a question when I was unsure about anything, and when I was at the point where one would normally wash and clean the cleared area before returning items in an organized way I had to insist that it would be best if she allowed me to do so. I needed to complete my job fully despite her mild objections. She just didn’t know or envision what was possible. When we went to work on the entirety of her clothes on a bed I suggested to her that we put like with like, clothes categories. She was happily surprised at how much easier it was for her to deal with the clothing. After all the above words I can summarize to: go in with a positive attitude of being of service with what THEY choose for me to help with, be compassionate and kind, as well as encouraging (they are the person who was brave and overwhelmed enough to ask me for help), have a good sleep and be fed and hydrated before arriving to help, support and don’t try to control at all, be non-judgemental is paramount, have fun or make some fun, do good and be good, listen to and hear the person you’re helping. | I don’t have a memory of this exactly. I don’t push myself in to help when someone refuses that help. It’s a little different though when water is coming in due to a broken pipe or something and things need to be moved quickly despite the other person’s objection and “freeze” mode (from intense anxiety or overwhelm). |
| Amanda | They were able to talk me through mental blocks that I would've gotten swept up in alone. They also kept me on track working in a limited space rather than pulling out entire rooms of stuff. | I've had people try to talk me out of decluttering things I no longer wanted. As a child, my mother would bring me to the basement to go through my old toys, then she couldn't bear to part with them for various reasons ("But it's from so and so!" "But it's so cute!"). | Nobody who's seen my basement is asking me for help 🤣 | At a nonprofit I volunteer with, we tried to organize things but the problem is always that so many people are using the space that it turns into a mess again. We have 4 stacks of paper plates through the pantry, and nobody reads the old labels. Also, I get pushback when I suggest locking cabinets for the groups that use the space. No can of soda is safe. |
| Jetta | I've always decluttered on my own. | Another lady and I decluttered and organized the ladies' area at our church. Even though I am a minimalist and she enjoys having many items, we worked well together because we respected each other and was able to compromise and meet in the middle. | ||
| The Maggs (Maggie) | Listening to the clutter fairy has helped me so much. From the advice of “keeping a representative sample” of things, to “giving ourselves permission” to declutter something and let go to the encouragement of the small victories along the way. All has been so helpful! Also, having my daughter at my house and having her help me with decluttering has really helped. Mainly because she also “gave me permission “ to declutter things I though she wanted. | I have helped my daughter declutter things at her house, as she helped me. My main help to her was trashing a very expensive rumba that she purchased but was broken. She held onto this for over 2 years, and last week when I was at her house we talked about it and I said it was time for it to go. She agreed and I took it to the trash can and she was ok with it. My help was a relief to her, she said as she could not bring herself to getting rid of it herself. It is now gone! | I once offered my help to my mother who is a hoarder. She did not take me up on my offer and she continues to hoard. I cannot help her if she does not want it. I am sad I could not help her. | |
| Cee | Cleaning out a house and preparing to sell it. My sister and niece came in from out of town a few days. I had removed anything of value or important papers needed for the sale. I just had to give them free rayne over deciding what to keep or toss. They went through then my husband went and got rid of any trash. Rest was donated. They helped speed up process keeping all that extra off me. | In my home I asked that everyone be responsible for keeping their belongings within thioen space and not in shared spaces. They dump things in entry way and continue to declutter spaces i have already cleaned and cleared in case company drops by. Very disrespectful | Teen unable to locate things in room due to lack of control over the space. I worked with her to donate unused clothing taking up space and create designated spaces for all she used regularly. Her willingness to get some order and work with me setting up what worked for her made the difference. I tried not to set up just offered suggestions while she made the final decisions. | I offered a family my help with getting her paperwork and crafts back to manageable state. She was willing to accept but as a retired teacher was holding onto classroom items she still felt were of value and could be used by others. |
| Anonymous user | My sister helped me incorporate items from my MIL’s home into my house while I was also downsizing. I was able to box up my wedding dishes and other dish sets to pass onto other people. She was not judgmental and asked good questions. I could make decisions and she helped with unpacking, packing and rearranging storage in my new home. | I had a professional service provider who helped prep a house for a move and helped With unpacking in a new home. I had organized bins with seasonal decor that on unpacking were rearranged in a way that made no sense for me. Checking in before making changes would have been appreciated. I had to reassemble these groupings that had been labeled. | Discussing a friend’s goals for displaying her collection of chicken plates in her kitchen and creating a layout she could rearrange worked. I could hang her collection successfully. | I offered a friend help with organizing medical paperwork during a difficult time. I didn’t realize how important this task was for her to do herself. She redirected me to helping in her yard. I’ve learned to ask, “What can I do to help you?” I try to offer one or two organizational options that she could ponder. And take action when she feels ready. |
| Irish Michele. | I recently cleared out a garden shed( stuff moved from hse !) and l got help from my friend who does the garden.He knew what the tools were, unlike me and whether they were worth keeping.There were items l was unsure of and he suggested getting rid of them as we had the skip.I dont miss any of it and am grateful that its another job done. | I have often helped my Mum to sort and clean rooms in her house She has the chance to talk about her items , where she got them , whether they are significant etc and it helped make it clearer what stuff could go.The trick is not to rush the process and some things went after time .She hasnt missed any of items that were donated. | I am dying to help my friend declutter her house after she confessed she cant get into one room in her house as its so full of stuff.She just isnt ready yet so l just re assure her lm here when she is ready. | |
| Susan | Some years ago, I enlisted a Wardrobe Angel to help declutter my wardrobe. I think we spent six hours on the job, and she was just amazing. My goal was to get rid of ‘bulk’, and had pre-sorted everything. We therefore started with coats, and moved on from there. I had to try everything on, and determined - as I was paying - to accept all recommendations. As a consequence, five bin-bags of clothes left the house. Key was to find someone whose judgment I trusted, and who I could work with. This was the hardest part. Sadly, this lovely lady doesn’t do the job any more, and I haven’t managed to find anyone else. | N/A … I’ve never asked | Helped a friend de-clutter her garage. Took away some vintage computer stuff that had belonged to her late husband, and donated it to a museum. If the museum hadn’t wanted it, I’d have given it away on Freecycle. Apart from the computer stuff, though, I don’t think my friend has done any of the other recommendations. So not sure how much help I was in the long run. | N/A |
| Name (click to view full survey response and comments) | Describe a situation in which someone successfully assisted you with a decluttering or organizing project. | Describe a situation in which you asked for help with decluttering or organizing but were unsatisfied with the results. | Describe a situation in which you successfully assisted someone else with a decluttering or organizing project. | Describe a situation in which you offered help with decluttering or organizing but didn’t achieve the desired results. |
