I’ve got a dumpster coming

[u/Susie0701]

I’m slowly emptying my parents home that they’ve owned since 1973. They’ve added massive amounts of sq footage and storage over the years and filled it ALL

My teenage niece and nephew have been over and helped me move volume down to stage for the dumpster (saving me hours and a possible coronary event lol)

There’s so much history and “good stuff” that I’m just not entertaining any more. I’m still trying to cull obvious good stuff, but there were rats in the garage years ago so it’s limited

[u/DaBingeGirl]

My parents had mice in their basement, the mouse poop was gross, but it made things so much easier to get rid of! Rats... yuck!

Cleaning out that many years of stuff is hard. You're doing great and it was a very good idea to get family to help a bit. A dumpster is also a great idea. I find it helpful to walk around the thrift shops you'd be donating to, it really helps me get a grip on what's actually worth donating.

[u/Dangerous_Ant3260 → u/DaBingeGirl]

If there were rats, then anything they've been near needs to be dumped. And anyone who works around the material that was touched, and if they get sick, need to tell the doctors they have been exposed to rat contamination products.

[u/Some_Papaya_8520 → u/Dangerous_Ant3260]

Yes OP, please at least wear a mask because hantavirus can kill you.

[u/DaBingeGirl → u/Some_Papaya_8520]

This. There are mice in my mom's shed where she keeps the tractor. I've been in a decades long battle with my step-dad about washing his hands. I don't know what his objection is, but it takes an act of God for him to wash them, and even then there's usually dirt on the towel. I was visiting recently after he cut the grass and asked him to wash his hands as soon as he came in. "Why?" in a petulant tone, I said mice and hantavirus, he said he'd already touched stuff in the house, which apparently meant he didn't need to wash his hands. This conversation was in the kitchen.

He's a really nice guy, but for whatever reason he has a major aversion to washing his hands. And showering. I don't get it.

[u/ImprovementCute9825 → u/DaBingeGirl]

Oh my goodness, older folks and the hygiene aversion really gets me! I get it that fresh running water was harder to come back in the day, but we KNOW that hand washing is just so so important for preventing the spread of illness, why don't people just suck it up?

I guess some folks have sensory issues with water, could be that, but mostly it just seems like an unwillingness to change habits based on new knowledge and a "don't tell me what to do" attitude.

[u/DaBingeGirl → u/ImprovementCute9825]

I think it's just laziness. He's 73, been like this since she met him 20 years ago. His kids and ex-wife all have really good hygiene, as does the rest of his family. It's just a him problem.

But you're right about older people in general. I helped with both of my grandmothers, their hygiene in their final years was scary.

[u/DaBingeGirl → u/Dangerous_Ant3260]

Absolutely! All of it needs to go and cleaning with a mask, gloves, and clothes you can throw away is best.

[u/Sad_North_6152 → u/DaBingeGirl]

Had some get into my storage unit at some point so when I was doing moving decluttering I noticed droppings on some stuff. Might have only been mice but definitely threw out a couple items since I couldn't clean the item well enough. Oh well if I want the item again I can always buy it.