Five Obvious Signs You Might Be A Hoarder

Do you think you might have a little hoarder in you? Most of us do — at least a little. Oh sure, we might not be wading waste deep through clutter and junk that may or may not include several dead critters, but most of us have at least a few hoarder tendencies.

Here are five signs that you might be a hoarder without even being aware of it:

When you open your glove compartment, does your passenger get tons of napkins, ketchup packets and various McNugget sauces dumped into their lap?

If so, you might want to consider the tendency to hoard them. Sure, those things are free at fast food drive thrus and they come in handy, but most people don’t keep that many. If you have fifty little ketchup and dozens of napkins, then you might be a hoarder…

Then again, you might just be a parent.

Do you have no less than six hundred mismatched socks at a given time?

If you have more than a dozen stray socks hanging around, you might just be a hoarder of sorts. Once those socks go missing and take off for parts unknown, they don’t come back. You don’t have to hang on to their partner forever “just in case.” It’s really okay to let go of those socks. Use them for dust rags, turn them into puppets, or just throw them out. You really don’t have to keep them!

Is your closet so full of retro clothes (that don’t fit) that you could outfit your child’s drama club?

Hmmm, you could be a hoarder…especially if you’re saving the clothes you wore in 1985 because “they will come back in style”…despite the fact that you hated them in 1985. Whether it’s bell bottoms or parachute pants, holding on to all of those old clothes clutters up your closet and could classify you as a hoarder.

Do you hang on to broken items because you might be able to fix them someday?

Okay, when was the last time you fixed something that was broken? You might have a box full of broken things that you can’t bear to get rid of because you just might fix them someday. If the last time you actually fixed one of those items was 1998, then it’s time to move on. Let go of the broken things and let the hoarder tendency go.

Do you know what your floor really looks like?

If you have so much stuff in your home that you can’t see your floor, that’s a good sign you might be a hoarder. Think about it — do you even remember if you have carpet, hardwood, or vinyl on your floors? If you’re scratching your head and thinking for a moment, you need to go get some help.

It’s hard to admit if you have hoarder tendencies. Whether you’re a full blown hoarder or just act like one on occasion, you might want to give yourself an occasional hoarder checkup. These five quick questions can get you started.

What other hoarder traits should we look out for?

Are you interested in actually getting organized for 2015? We have worked extensively on a series to help you get organized in 52 weeks. If you would like to receive these emails about how to get your home organized in 52 weeks, you can sign up below to receive just ONE email per week.