Organizing without throwing anything out?

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Household Management -> Organizing

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother

Olive

Fri, Dec 29 2017, 1:30 pm

I want to surprise my mom...She and dad are going on vacation for 3 weeks so I'll have time to organize their house.

The problem: they don't throw ANYTHING out... They aren't "hoarders" per say, but almost... But they are also the type that will be so happy the house is organized and that it looks clean, as long as nothing is thrown out.

I would love to clear out the junk from the kitchen/den/office, but I can't throw anything away. They will freak out if I do.

However, I was thinking of putting everything in boxes/bins and labeling them "kitchen", "office" etc (more like kitchen 1, kitchen 2 - they have a lot). There's stuff in our old bedrooms that haven't been touched in 25 years.

Their junk is also random - tons of papers, old books that no one will ever read again, old CDs, etc.

Any tips? Advice?

amother

Sapphire

Fri, Dec 29 2017, 1:32 pm

Ask permission!!!!

Where are you going to put all the boxes?

amother

Olive

Fri, Dec 29 2017, 3:27 pm

amother wrote:

Ask permission!!!!

Where are you going to put all the boxes?

In their already over-flowing garage.

amother

Sapphire

Fri, Dec 29 2017, 3:28 pm

amother wrote:

In their already over-flowing garage.

That doesn’t sound helpful.

amother

Wine

Fri, Dec 29 2017, 3:30 pm

I would be livid if I came home and my children had organized my home without obtaining my consent.

amother

Firebrick

Fri, Dec 29 2017, 3:31 pm

I definitely wouldn't do this without permission. In my experience people get very upset when they can't find stuff that has been moved. Even if you think they aren't using something, you don't want to be at fault when they do decide they need it. It also sort of doubles the job since they still have to go through the boxes. Probably better to go through it all together and help them organize.

amother

Magenta

Fri, Dec 29 2017, 3:37 pm

I'll be doing this when my mom goes away next but I will throw out. Not her personal stuff but things that have been sitting for years to go to Israel as hand me downs that aren't making it there and things people have left to pick up later but never do. Mom is afraid to throw anything out but secretly she wishes it was clean. I've hinted my plan and she's nervous but wishes things were clean and that she doesn't have to know anything was thrown out ofif she doesn't know what's missing.

Optione

Fri, Dec 29 2017, 3:45 pm

There's very little that I'd touch, no matter how tempting.
The food pantry... the linen closet... that might be about it.

Raisin

Sat, Dec 30 2017, 5:22 pm

I would be thrilled if someone would do this in my house. Get big plastic bins with lids (Ikea sells good ones) and label them very clearly. Papers, cds, fiction books, non fiction books, kitchen gadgets...

octopus

Sat, Dec 30 2017, 7:51 pm

I would be super mad if someone tried to organize my house while away. Super mad. A total overstepping of boundaries.

thunderstorm

Sat, Dec 30 2017, 7:59 pm

octopus wrote:

I would be super mad if someone tried to organize my house while away. Super mad. A total overstepping of boundaries.

Me too . I think OP should tell her parents of the plan and if they embrace it she should definitely do it. Otherwise, there's a time and place for everything and this may not be the right time .

imasoftov

Sun, Dec 31 2017, 12:59 am

octopus wrote:

I would be super mad if someone tried to organize my house while away. Super mad. A total overstepping of boundaries.

Same here, I would change my locks if that happened.

LisaS

Sun, Dec 31 2017, 1:32 am

I organized my parents playroom as a surprise when they were away for a few weeks. I wouldn't have done it in any other room of the house, but the play room was all books/toys/ and non personal items. I set aside a box of things I recommend they give away, but let them decide on that. They were very happy with it. I would never think to go through their papers or personal things without them being there with me.

Jewishfoodie

Sun, Dec 31 2017, 1:39 am

You have to know your mom. If she's the type to appreciate it, (mine definitely is) then I think that is probably the greatest gift you could give her. I just bought adorable material bins and drawer organizers on Amazon and redid just one room for myself. It felt soo awesome and looked great too. So I say, be respectful of her belongings but develop OCD. that's how perfect it has to look. So long as she's not an alpha female....

amother

Denim

Sun, Dec 31 2017, 3:42 am

Don’t. Just don’t. Despite good intentions it can wreck your relationship. I am not a neat person by nature but I am working on it slowly. I went away on a trip and a relative decided to be helpful and clean out my place. If they had just dusted, bought some cute bins and came up with a system— I would have been better about it but I would have rathered they still do it with me so I could learn from them, see the thought process and make sure things weren’t thrown out. Well they did throw things out. Many items that they didn’t see the use for or thought were broken/old... but I couldn’t afford to replace just then! And I lost things I needed for a while!

It took a while to get over the frustration I felt.

devash1

Sun, Dec 31 2017, 8:48 am

I would be very upset if someone did this while I was gone. Why can't you do it while you are home with her? It's always more fun to clean up with someone else helping.

Page 1 of 1