I'm trying to declutter our house but my other half keeps bringing more yard sale/second-hand shop junk home and leaving it all over the place. Other than that, he's a totally PERFECT husband. :) Any suggestions on how to curb his pack rat tendencies?
2007-07-17 16:27:19 · 8 answers · asked by Meow 5 in Home & Garden ➔ Cleaning & Laundry
Pack Rat-ism is very hard to curb. Unless he is willing to change, it will be pretty much useless to even try.
Things to try to keep it in check.
1) tell him straight up how you feel about all the clutter. Try not to use tears except as a last resort. (LOL)
2) Explain to him how the clutter makes you feel.
3) Warn him that for every piece he brings home, one piece is getting thrown away. If he doesn't choose, you will. You will no longer tolerate adding to the clutter.
4) Give him a designated spot to store his clutter. Preferably an outdoor shed that can be closed and locked away. If it doesn't fit into the shed, he has to get rid of it.
5) Lay down the law that absolutely NO more clutter can come into the house.
6) Tell him that if you don't get a choice in deciding what he buys, then it doesn't belong in the house that you SHARE.
7) Call in an organizer to help you get rid of stuff. They will help you bully your husband into letting go of this "junk".
8) Apply for the TV show "Clean Sweep". On TLC
9) Tell him if it's broken, out it goes. You are no longer a junkyard. Don't let him claim he can fix it. If he hasn't done it yet, chances are he won't.
10) If you have no use for it, get rid of it.
11) List the items on freecycle or cheapcycle, or have a yard sale.
12) Donate the items to charity.
13) Remind him that a marriage is about the two of you, not him and his junk. He needs to be willing to compromise, or you will decorate the master bedroom in all white with little pink flowers (or similar threat)
14) Try to remember, he didn't bring it all home in just a day, and it will probably take you a few months to finally get rid of it all. Keep plugging away and hopefully things will start getting better.
2007-07-18 02:30:19 · answer #1 · answered by Sherri 3 · 21⤊ 13⤋
Make him watch Sanford&Son until he can't stand it. and start donating, yard sales, maybe you can get a kid in the nieghborhood to work for some of it and help you get rid of some of it. Tell him he can sell it for you and split the money with him. Make sure your husband is in on it, after all you mairried him.
2007-07-17 17:01:44 · answer #2 · answered by mr.obvious 6 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Give up! Pack rats are impossible to cure. My sister and I have been trying to cure our pack-rat husbands for over 40 years. If you don't have children and have an extra bedroom, just let him have it and don't let him put his stuff anywhere else except in that room. That's what I do. Of course our kids are grown up and gone from home now so we do have extra room. Before that, his stuff was in the garage, in the attic, under the bed... it was awful. But like your husband, he is just tooo perfect to throw away. Still lovin that man of mine!!
2007-07-17 16:58:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 4⤋
Put it all on his pillow. You won't have to say a word. Just keep doing it and he'll eventually stop.
Or, set goals like only bringing home a certain amount of stuff, and gradually decrease the amount. Every time he meets a goal, reward him with a big dinner or whatever comes to mind.
2007-07-17 16:38:06 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
Have a garage sale.
2007-07-17 16:31:55 · answer #5 · answered by sergio d 3 · 4⤊ 2⤋
Death to pack rats. Death to pack rats. I hate that too. I do not think there is cure. The book by Don Aslett "De-clutter Your Life" is very good. I would recommend that for him.
2007-07-17 23:31:47 · answer #6 · answered by Patti C 7 · 2⤊ 8⤋
systematically throw things away.
2007-07-17 17:55:32 · answer #7 · answered by shadowboxer78 2 · 5⤊ 3⤋
1- Quit buying things that u don't use or need.
2- Never buy for pleasure or disire.
3- Go to counceling if it gets any worse.
2007-07-17 16:36:33 · answer #8 · answered by Mal-mal 2 · 2⤊ 12⤋