Addicted to clutter
Q:
Getting organised around the house is something most of us intend to do but never get around to. And then one day, you come home and decide your house is a tip. And then the spring-clean starts…
Dear Wendyl,
My husband says I have a clutter addiction and wants me to throw some of my treasured possessions out. He says our house looks like a junk shop and compares our home to our neighbour’s house, which is immaculate and looks like a hotel. How can I get him to accept I like having lots of things around me?
Stuffed, Hamilton
A:
Dear Stuffed,
I come from a long line of clutter addicts – in fact, my mother could fill a hall the size of a football field with clutter in one afternoon if you left her to it. We just seem to like stuff, and each item has a special memory or person associated with it. On the other hand, life is much simpler without clutter, so I’ve made a few rules for myself that I think you could follow and prove to your husband you can meet him halfway. The rules are:
- If you haven’t used it, worn it, or looked at it in the past six months, get rid of it.
- Give it to a charity shop or a women’s refuge, because it is less painful than actually throwing it away.
- When you bring something new into the house, get rid of something else (see rule number one).
Try these rules, and if your husband is still admiring your next-door neighbour’s house, then tell him to move there. You are who you are and I presume he knew that when he married you.
Wendyl
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