The insanity of guilty hording
February 8, 2008
Posted by CindyW in : Opinions & Thoughts , trackback
Yesterday as I stared at the pile of stuff on top of my dresser, I began to understand why my husband occasionally called me a kook. The pile of stuff included socks with holes, T-shirts that were threadbare, washcloths that were unrecognizable, and other clothes that could no longer cover what they were supposed to cover. I sighed and recalled the repeated conversation between my husband (MH) and I.
MH: “Are you going to do anything with all that stuff?”
Me: “Yes, of course.”
MH: “Like what? It’s been there for a couple of months.” (by now it has been there for 6 months)
Me: “I don’t know. I will think of something, like making a mop.” (sometimes I say stuffing a pillow for our dog or saving for wall insulation. I have even suggested composting once).
MH: “Come on. You’ll never do it. It’ll just sit there, and get bigger.”
Me: “No way. I will do something about it.”
MH: Big Sigh, “I give up.”
The truth of the matter is that I probably won’t do any of the impractical things I pull out from you-know-what when I need a quick defense. The reality is that I really have a problem of discarding non-recyclable items. It just feels wrong to toss everything into the trash. I did actually make a mop out of some of the torn T-shirts. But that barely made a dent on the pile.
So maybe I am on the edge of becoming an irrational pack rat. The positive effect is that hording makes me much less likely to buy new things. And the downside is, well, the pile keeps growing and I don’t have a warehouse to store it.
Then there is the barely used 32oz bottle of flax oil (a friend gave me as a gift). It’s been occupying our refrigerator space for a year. And there are 100+ plastic Easter eggs boxed up on our garage shelf (we only use two dozens a year). Oh yeah, I also have a couple of vegetable-based soap bars gone rancid. Arguably they are all trash, but am I insane to think that it feels wrong to just landfill them?
Before I officially cross the line of hording insanity, I need help to figure out what to do with the stuff – old socks and threadbare clothes, fax oil, plastic eggs, vegetable based soap, and too many plastic eggs. Can I compost anything? Donate anything? Or should I just close my eyes and trash them?
I’d really like to have a real answer for my next conversation with my husband. Or do I need to go on Dr. Phil? Blah.
CindyW at Organicpicks
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Comments»
Your post made me laugh, especially as I clean and purge my house to get it ready to sell…
I have recently discovered Freecycle and have felt sooo good to give the items to a new home - all for free. Freecycle keeps stuff out of the landfill and promotes re-use. And the big bonus is that you feel cleansed when it is all gone!
Ugh. I am guilty of this as well! This is one of the things that frustrates me. A hundred years ago, you would have given those rags to the rag and bone man. Now, we don’t have reuse and recycling in the fabric of our society anymore, so if you want to do your bit, you’re on your own. I think it’s important that we try and figure out ways to restructure society so that everyone isn’t on their own anymore! If the teeshirts are threadbare but hole free, you might want to look into organizations that send them to the third world. I know that we take even threadbare teeshirts to India whenever we go, because people will wear them. I don’t have great ideas for the rest of the stuff though maybe the socks can be used by your kids to make sock puppets?
I really enjoy reading your blog, it always has great insight. But I am very frustrated with the fact that so few people are talking about presidential candidates and their thoughts on global warming. Now that it is down to just a few candidates I would think that this would be a bigger issue.
Live Earth just picked up this topic and put out an article ( http://www.liveearth.org/news.php ) live earth is also asking why the presidential candidates are not being solicited for their stance on the issue of the climate change. I just saw a poll on www.EarthLab.com that says people care a lot about what their next leader thinks of global warming. Does anyone know of another poll or other results about this subject?
Here is the page where I saw the EarthLab poll: http://www.earthlab.com/life.aspx. This is a pretty legit website; they are endorsed by Al Gore and the alliance for climate protection and they have a carbon footprint calculator. Does anyone have a strong opinion about this like I do? No matter what your political affiliation is or who you vote for this is an important issue for our environment, our economy and for homeland security.
Have you tried listing any of the stuff on Freecycle? Someone who would actually use it for stuffing might want to take the threadbare clothing. Someone would certainly want the plastic eggs. Maybe for a school? There’s a place out here in Oakland called the East Bay Depot For Creative Reuse, and they take most things that could be used for arts & crafts.
The plastic eggs are pretty easy. Donate those for sure. Considering we’re coming up on Easter, there are probably tons of churches and civic organizations in your community that will hold Easter egg hunts. Call around to a few until you find one that will take the eggs off your hands.
Flax seed oil should be pretty easy too. I’ve never bought it so I can’t recommend anything, but if you do an internet search you’ll come up with tons of recipes. I understand it’s good to use for salad dressing. If you’ve tried that already and just don’t care for the stuff, I’d ask around. It’s pretty pricey, so someone is sure to want it.
I’d just cut up all the clothes and stuff and toss ‘em in one of my rag baskets; I use them constantly. But I’m assuming your rag bag is overflowing so you’re trying to find a new way to use them. You could offer them up on freecycle or the like in case there’s someone out there stalled halfway through a rag rug project or starting a draft dodger business, and if that brings no takers, just send them down to a Goodwill, Salvation Army or what have you. They send clothing that’s not useful anymore to textile recyclers. It’s not the best solution, but it’s better than a landfill.
You got me on rancid soap. I have no idea what to do with that.
I’m with you girls on this one. Cindy, at least yours seems to be in identifiable piles. Mine is strewn around the house in closets and cupboards. I’m not sure what I could find at this point. I do swear by being organized to make re-use feasible but I haven’t organzied here yet.
Arduous has a great point. It’s such a shame that we are all left to our own devices these days for these kinds of leftovers that often become trash because we don’t know what else to do with them.
For kids stuff, even if its holey or threadbare, the schools might take them for “school clothes” in the event of the kids have an accident/get dirty and have no clothes sent from home.
For the flax oil and soap, NO clue! I guess throw them out - though aren’t you supposed to do something special with oil? Freecycle the plastic eggs or offer them to one of your kids’ schools.
Do you have enough rags for cleaning? The washclothes and tee shirts could obviously be used for that and there were some posts on 90% Reduction a while back listing ideas for tees. (Also, one of my kids’ schools takes these for cover ups) Here they are (now you just need some free time and motiviation!):
1 washing up and drying up clothes
2 cut into strips for garden string
3 cut into strips and knitted into rugs, draft dodgers, etc.
4 made into nightware for children — you can get pj bottoms out of large shirts cutting the waist band at the bottom hem.
5 if the neck is still small, but the shirt has stretched, you can make new seams (I think this on is a cheat)
6 diapers
7 quilt blocks
8 large ones into jersey pillow cases (may need a bit of piecing)
9 very easy shoe bag — just cut below the sleeves, seam and add drawstring. Of course, those sleeves become rags.
10 cut into strips to replace a mop head
11 over a broom to sweep cobwebs.
12 Ordinary dustrags
13 Sew neck/sleeves shut, invert, voila, lightweight grocery bags ala No Impact Man
14 Art! Years ago, I took 3 of my favorites and actually had the graphic cut out and matted/framed for hanging on the wall — ok, not the most functional or low-impact from the consumeristic perspective, but…
15 Packing material for shipping (or storing) breakables
17. Sewing machine cover
18. Potholders
19. Dishtowels
20. Laptop case [or padding for one]
21. Napkins
22. Hankies
23. Lampshade cover
24. Socks
25. Hand warmers
26. Headbands
27. Quilt [or padding for one]
28. Cafe curtains
29. Sachet bags
30. Cut up in strips to braid a rug
31. Insulation
32. Pillow stuffing
33. Cut into little squares with pinking shears for TC
34. Wrap silver in it and then place in plastic bag and the silver will not tarnish.
35. Let your children tie-dye dead t-shirts.
36. Use for a dog/pet bed.
37. Use to wash car.
38. Make sanitary pads.
39. Make baby bibs–leave the neck attached to a bib-shaped portion of fabric and use the rest for rags.
40. Use to wash the car
41. Use as a cover-up for children doing art projects.
42. Use as an apron.
Wow, you gals are so awesome! Great suggestions. Thank you, arduous, Beth, Sarah and Michelle. Now why did I forget about Freecycle? I recently used it to give away a 50-year old stove top. Michelle, 42 ideas for old shirts?!
I am a big ‘green’ person and believe in thinking outside the box when it comes to things. I make braided rugs out of old clothes if rip into strips, material that I rip into strips. I also am a huge fan of my local freecycle.org group, where I have passed on items I don’t need or use to someone who can. And then there are non profit thrift stores locally where the local hospice sells items at a decent price that people have donated. Flax seed I use in salad dressings or I add it to soups etc. Very good for you as well. Then there is the old a place for everything and everything in its place. Taking the time to find a place for something is a must. I also keep a box in the closet for items I want to donate. And a small basket where catch all stuff goes so that once a day I can pick it up and quickly return stuff to where it belongs. And I cannot rave enough about less is more. I moved after my husband died and downsized a lot and now being more zen I find I have less stuff to worry about and less stuff to care for.
Wow, Green Bean! Great list. Everything I was going to suggest is already on there, plus a lot more.
For me at least, the problem isn’t so much coming up with the ideas, it’s actually doing them.
Maybe you could throw a re-use party. You could provide the supplies and Green Bean’s ideas and let everyone make whatever they want. Creativity feeds on creativity and it sounds like you’ve got enough saved material to keep lots of crafters busy for awhile.
Just make them promise to take it home with them.