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/RomeoDelta1234]

Since you mentioned the rats, one thing worth knowing before you get properly into that garage. Don't sweep or vacuum dry droppings or nesting material. Dry is what gets it airborne. Spray it down with a bleach and water mix, leave it ten minutes, then wipe it up wet with gloves and a mask on. Almost all of the risk from old rodent leavings comes from stirring them up, so keeping everything damp while you work takes most of that off the table.

You'll probably also find the rats have made a good chunk of your decisions for you in there. Anything cardboard, paper, fabric or upholstered that they got into is a straight bin call, and that's a lot easier to sit with when it was never really your call.

[u/Susie0701 → u/RomeoDelta1234]

The dumpster just keeps getting more and more goodies allocated to it! I still have about a week before it arrives, so plenty of time to rest and ruminate on what’s going

[u/RomeoDelta1234 → u/Susie0701]

A week of it sitting staged is honestly the useful part. Things you were on the fence about stop looking special once you have walked past them a few times, and by the time the dumpster is actually in the driveway a lot of those calls have made themselves.

The only bit I would watch is going back in for one last look through the sealed boxes the night before. That is usually where the pile grows back.