Of Hoarding and Housekeeping


Book Description

Hoarding has largely been approached from a psychological and universal perspective, and decluttering from an aesthetic and ecological one, while little work has been done to think about the cultural and global economic aspects of these phenomena. Of Hoarding and Housekeeping provides an anthropological, global, and comparative angle to the understanding of hoarding and decluttering using cases from a variety of countries including US, Japan, India, Cameroon, and Argentina. Focusing on the house, with careful attention to material flows in and out, this book examines practices of accumulation, storage, decluttering, and waste as practices of kinship and the objects themselves as material kin.




Unf*ck Your Habitat


Book Description

"The perfect housekeeping guide for somebody who is overwhelmed with their mess and can’t figure out how to start." –Lifehacker “An accessible guide on how to clean for normal people." –Livestrong "It actually changed my life and my home; I’m serious." –Book Riot Finally, a housekeeping and organizational system developed for those of us who'd describe our current living situation as a “f*cking mess” that we're desperate to fix. Unf*ck Your Habitat is for anyone who has been left behind by traditional aspirational systems. The ones that ignore single people with full-time jobs; people without kids but living with roommates; and people with mental illnesses or physical limitations. Most organizational books are aimed at traditional homemakers, DIYers, and people who seem to have unimaginable amounts of free time. They assume we all iron our sheets, have linen napkins to match our table runners, and can keep plants alive for longer than a week. Basically, they ignore most of us living here in the real world! Interspersed with lists and challenges, this practical, no-nonsense advice relies on a 20/10 system (20 minutes of cleaning followed by a 10-minute break; no marathon cleaning allowed) to help you develop lifelong habits. It motivates you to embrace a new lifestyle in manageable sections so you can actually start applying the tactics as you progress. For everyone stuck between The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Adulting, this philosophy is more realistic than aspirational, but the goal is the same: not everyone will have a showcase of a home, but whatever your habitat, you deserve for it to bring you happiness, not stress.




Year of No Clutter


Book Description

The author explores the hoarding phenomenon as reflected by such cultural examples as "Hoarders" and "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" while sharing the personal story of how she organized a single room in her house that had been overtaken by psychological clutter.




Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff


Book Description

America’s top cleaning expert and star of the hit series Legacy List with Matt Paxton distills his fail-proof approach to decluttering and downsizing. Your boxes of photos, family’s china, and even the kids' height charts aren’t just stuff; they’re attached to a lifetime of memories--and letting them go can be scary. With empathy, expertise, and humor, Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff, written in collaboration with AARP, helps you sift through years of clutter, let go of what no longer serves you, and identify the items worth keeping so that you can focus on living in the present. For over 20 years, Matt Paxton has helped people from all walks of life who want to live more simply declutter and downsize. As a featured cleaner on Hoarders and host of the Emmy-nominated Legacy List with Matt Paxton on PBS, he has identified the psychological roadblocks that most organizational experts routinely miss but that prevent so many of us from lightening our material load. Using poignant stories from the thousands of individuals and families he has worked with, Paxton brings his signature insight to a necessary task. Whether you’re tired of living with clutter, making space for a loved one, or moving to a smaller home or retirement community, this book is for you. Paxton’s unique, step-by-step process gives you the tools you need to get the job done.




Year of No Clutter


Book Description

Eve has a problem with clutter. Too much stuff and too easily acquired, it confronts her in every corner and on every surface in her house. When she pledges to tackle the worst offender, her horror of a "Hell Room," she anticipates finally being able to throw away all of the unnecessary things she can't bring herself to part with: her fifth-grade report card, dried-up art supplies, an old vinyl raincoat. But what Eve discovers isn't just old CDs and outdated clothing, but a fierce desire within herself to hold on to her identity. Our things represent our memories, our history, a million tiny reference points in our lives. If we throw our stuff in the trash, where does that leave us? And if we don't...how do we know what's really important? Everyone has their own Hell Room, and Eve's battle with her clutter, along with her eventual self-clarity, encourages everyone to dig into their past to declutter their future. Year of No Clutter is a deeply inspiring—and frequently hilarious — examination of why we keep stuff in the first place, and how to let it all go.




Buried in Treasures


Book Description

Describes the psychological roots of compulsive hoarding and presents practical strategies for treating and overcoming the behavior.




Children of Hoarders


Book Description

Growing up with a hoarder can be a confusing, painful, and sometimes dangerous experience. And when it comes to finding help for a hoarder parent, many adult children find themselves taking on the exhausting role of caretaker. As the child of a hoarder, you may be wondering what resources are available to you. Written by nationally recognized obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) expert Fugen Neziroglu, a regular on the popular TLC television series, Hoarders, Children of Hoarders explores strategies for communicating with hoarder parents and outlines practical intervention skills. In addition, the book shows readers how to let go of the personal shame and guilt associated with being the child of a hoarder. Using mindfulness, acceptance, assertiveness and validation skills, this is the first book written specifically for adult children of hoarders that focuses on the interpersonal effects of hoarding. Inside, you will learn to communicate with your loved ones in a way that minimizes conflict, while still dealing with the logistical and organizational issues that arise when living with or witnessing hoarding behavior. The book also includes tips for reclaiming living space, strategies for ensuring that the health and safety of residents is not compromised by the hoarder’s living conditions, and organizational tactics for sorting through the clutter after the death of a parent who hoards. As the child of a hoarder, sometimes it can be helpful to know that you are not alone. In Children of Hoarders, you will get the support that you need to deal with your hoarder parent, and reclaim your own life in the process.




The House That Cleans Itself


Book Description

The ultimate guide for the housekeeping-impaired! Bestselling author Mindy Starns Clark delves into the reasons behind chronic messiness and helps you find the permanent solution you've been looking for. Using “horizontal thinking,” Mindy will teach you how to set up your home so efficiently and logically that it seems to clean itself. Learn... how to keep the house twice as clean in half the time how a stepladder, a camera, and a stopwatch will help you get started how to change a messy area into a tidy one—permanently how to anticipate and prevent messes before they happen how to get the family on board in this new process Also included are tips, strategies, and ideas from hundreds of her readers. More than a how-to book, The House That Cleans Itself looks at what God has to say about cleanliness and order, and how He can inspire order in your life in a fresh and unique way.




Clutterbug


Book Description

Declutter your home without being overworked or overwhelmed. Have a home 10 times more clean in only 10 minutes a day! Lorraine Leet looks at why people clutter and makes it easy to unravel the causes. She gives the Clutterbug permission to be authentic while making progress decluttering. What if your home was picture perfect? What you will learn in this book: · That being a Clutterbug is okay. · How to eliminate procrastination. · How to set your priorities. · How to identify the trigger for the clutter. · How to reduce stress. · How to conquer depression. What if you were able to spend more time with your family! Imagine your bedroom as an oasis. Imagine a good nights’ sleep! Buy this book today to declutter without being overworked or overwhelmed. Pick up a copy by clicking at the top of this page!




If It's Clutter...


Book Description

Organizing your home can be overwhelming. Especially if you have bought too much stuff and have a hard time getting rid of it. However, help has arrived. If It's Clutter... Quick Tips for Decluttering the Home shows you what to do when you have got too much junk. With its quick and easy advice on how to remove and let go of your unnecessary items, this guide can help you get on the path to having peace of mind as well as a tidy home.