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Last month, I posted an article about hoarding in senior care communities, and it led to some fascinating conversations. As a result, I’m posting a follow-up article with more resources I believe you’ll find helpful.
In response to my post, some people told me difficult stories about hoarders they’ve known. But, interestingly, the article seemed to strike a nerve for people who wouldn’t be considered hoarders. Yet, they struggle with keeping clutter under control. (I can relate!)
If you need help in either of these areas or if you simply want to learn more, I hope you’ll check out a few of my favorite experts and their resources. First, we’ll begin with decluttering and then we’ll move on to hoarding.
Marla Cilley
Known as the FlyLady, Marla hosts a popular online support group that helps people succeed in cleaning and organizing their homes. I subscribed to her newsletter for a couple of years, and I love how she breaks down decluttering into easy, reasonable tasks. If you want to find all of her wisdom in one location, she’s also the author of several books. This one is my favorite:
The CHAOS Cure: Clean Your House and Calm Your Soul in 15 Minutes
Dana K. White
I introduced my readers to Dana back in April after watching her free online webinar on decluttering. Unfortunately, this webinar is no longer available. The good news is that you can still find Dana on her blog, A Slob Comes Clean. Dana is also the author of two books about decluttering. This is the one I recommend:
Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-ending Battle with Stuff
Marie Kondo
Many of you are familiar with Marie Kondo because of her popular Netflix show entitled “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo.” Marie focuses on the importance of getting rid of belongings that don’t bring you joy.
While some people feel Marie’s methods are a bit extreme, I found lots of helpful tips in her KonMari system of decluttering and organizing. Marie describes this system in her best-selling book:
The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
Claire Jenkins
Claire writes about the concept of Swedish Death Cleaning. Don’t assume that this is a morbid topic! It simply focuses on not allowing your possessions to become a burden for your family after you’re gone.
While death cleaning is a recent trend in the U.S., it’s been a part of Swedish culture for many years. While other books have been written on this topic, I like Claire’s version because she also includes a workbook that helps us streamline the cleaning process.
The Big Book of Swedish Death Cleaning
Geralin Thomas
You’ve probably seen Geralin on A&E’s popular TV show “Hoarders”. A professional organizing consultant, Geralin also publishes a blog offering business advice to professional organizers. If you want to learn more about hoarding, I know you’ll find Geralin’s book enormously helpful:
From Hoarding to Hope: Understanding People Who Hoard and How to Help Them
Jo Cooke
Hailing from the UK, Jo owns a decluttering business and also leads hoarding support groups. Her highly acclaimed book educates people who hoard as well as the family and friends who care about them.
Another excellent resource is the International OCD Foundation. Their website features an extensive section dedicated to providing education and support related to hoarding.
What other resources would you recommend? Please let me know in the comment section.
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