# Hoarders **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 2, 2010, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633 "2010-06-02T12:59:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Rachael\_Rage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/161 "2010-09-12T20:10:27Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Back when shampoos had twist-off caps, at my house whenever shampoo had just a teeny bit in the bottom, we would fill the bottle with water. It was weaker shampoo, but good for three or four more washes. > > I think perhaps some people who would do the same thing cannot get over being stymied by stay-on caps. You know, obsessive types. The ritual of washing is not the same. Shampoo bottles no longer have screw-on caps? Since when? What sort of olde timey bottles am I buying, then? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/162 "2010-09-12T20:31:59Z")
I just got around to watching the episode with the four adults living in the same house. While I did spend most of the episode wanting to smack the cantankerous, unhelpful old man, I do have to admit that his reaction at the end of the episode seemed somewhat justified: They spent all this time, energy, and effort to pare down their stuff and make their living space clean and usable, and only THEN did they bring in a building inspector who informed them that the house was completely rotted and unlivable. Could they not have done this inspection prior to the big clean-up? I know there was stuff in the way, but they showed the inspector crawling around under the house and stuff, and I’m sure the crawlspace wasn’t jammed up with stuff like the interior of the house was. It just seemed a little bit backwards. I felt a little sad for Sir Patrick, though. Granted, he had too much crap and his place was infested with bugs, but the overall look of the place was kind of cool. It was refreshingly well-maintained compared to the most of the places you see on this show. He did seem quite happy to get some of his space back, though. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/163 "2010-09-12T21:42:17Z")
> [@Rachael\_Rage](#): > > Shampoo bottles no longer have screw-on caps? Since when? What sort of olde timey bottles am I buying, then? I have some “family size” shampoos that have a pressed-on cap; however, these caps can be removed with a fair amount of pulling. Since I tend to buy cheaper shampoos that are already pretty much watered-down, I like to drain the leftover shampoos into a travel-size bottle. The resulting mixes actually smell pretty good; the current mix is a nice citrus/mint. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/164 "2010-09-12T22:57:47Z")
Screw-on caps and watered down stuff: when I was a kid, I guess we were pretty broke. My Mom would take the cap off a nearly-empty ketchup bottle, add water, shake, and we used watered-down ketchup for several more days. I wouldn’t do that to my kids. BUT I _do_ save mostly-empty shampoo and conditioner (and body wash) bottles in a basket in my bathroom cupboard. When it’s time to take an overnight or weekend trip, these go with us. They are light to transport, hella cheaper than ‘travel size’ products, and they are close enough to empty that we don’t have to worry if we forget and leave them at the hotel. Plus, we always know we have our preferred brands of bath stuff! ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/165 "2010-09-13T03:01:27Z")
The most irritating thing in the world is when I’m about to get some shampoo, from what feels like a full bottle, and I get a handful of ice cold soap water. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/166 "2010-09-14T00:30:27Z")
Is it wrong to imagine hoarding Robin Zasios in my cellar? ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/167 "2010-09-14T00:52:02Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Is it wrong to imagine hoarding Robin Zasios in my cellar? Yes. Yes it is. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/168 "2010-09-14T02:46:09Z")
I just watched these last night. > [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I just got around to watching the episode with the four adults living in the same house. [snip]…Could they not have done this inspection prior to the big clean-up? I know there was stuff in the way, but they showed the inspector crawling around under the house and stuff, and I’m sure the crawlspace wasn’t jammed up with stuff like the interior of the house was. It just seemed a little bit backwards. I see what you mean, but I got the impression they were trying to help the people stay–maybe they figured it would be reparable once they got it cleaned up? OTOH right from the start they were showing horrifying damage. > [@](#): > > I felt a little sad for Sir Patrick, though. Granted, he had too much crap and his place was infested with bugs, but the overall look of the place was kind of cool. It was refreshingly well-maintained compared to the most of the places you see on this show. He did seem quite happy to get some of his space back, though. I did too, the poor guy. He was loopy, but in a nice way, and I felt terrible for him that all his stuff turned out to be worthless junk. He’d clearly had bugs forever (he lives in Florida, what else could you expect?), but he was so busy fixing up his fairyland that he’d never noticed. I hope he does OK. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/169 "2010-09-14T06:55:56Z")
Oh my God, Robin’s was I think the worst they’ve ever shown. Her house had _three feet_ of cat & \*\*human \*\*feces on the floor!! Everything was rotted away, moldy, full of bugs, broken or eaten by rats. Why would they even try to save that? Just bulldoze the whole thing to the ground. And was anyone else :dubious: when she said she worked as a “beautician”? _shudder_ Her hair was nasty looking. I hope she doesn’t actually touch people’s faces/hair. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/170 "2010-09-14T09:06:31Z")
> [@Eats\_Crayons](#): > > I’ve only skimmed through the thread, so this may have already been answered. Is hoarding as widespread in other countries, outside of North America? I can’t provide actual statistics, but in Spain there is one or two cases in the news per year; always old people living on their own. The news services use it as a sort of PSA to remind people that it’s ok to call Social Services when you think a neighbor needs help. Those cases are nothing compared with what I’ve seen from the US. Piles of newspapers, yes, every time - to waist height. Piles of garbage, I’ve seen once in maybe ten years. Houses are smaller than in the USA; most people live in what would be considered apartments or condos over there; even single-family houses are more likely to be townhouses or two-half-houses than stand-alone; among other things this means a lower likelihood to have either rodents or more than two pets. In Spain, one of my great-grandmothers hoarded candy in a trunk under her bed since she got diagnosed with diabetes, 30 years worth of nameday gifts and wedding mementos. My mother is still holding onto Dad’s video tapes, which nobody has watched in the 10 years since he died. I’ve been in houses where there were roach traps, but rarely seen a roach. In the US, I’ve been to houses where the carpet had been placed directly on top of the soil and maria was trying to grow in the living room (and yes, it’s a plural “houseS”); I’ve been to houses where people thought nothing of rinsing dishes and leaving them in the sink where roaches were roaming. For some reason I didn’t accept a glass of water, you know? ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/171 "2010-09-14T11:02:48Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > > [@Eats\_Crayons](#): > > > > I’ve only skimmed through the thread, so this may have already been answered. Is hoarding as widespread in other countries, outside of North America? > > I can’t provide actual statistics, but in Spain there is one or two cases in the news per year; always old people living on their own. The news services use it as a sort of PSA to remind people that it’s ok to call Social Services when you think a neighbor needs help. Those cases are nothing compared with what I’ve seen from the US. Piles of newspapers, yes, every time - to waist height. Piles of garbage, I’ve seen once in maybe ten years. Houses are smaller than in the USA… Same here in the Netherlands. It seems hoarding gets out of control easier if houses are bigger, with unused rooms (basements, guestrooms, garages) inviting clutter, and communal space (back yards) are out of sight of the neighbours. Even in the USA, don’t the most spectacular cases of hoarding happen in single, roomy houses in the suburbs? Not in cramped city apartments with neighbours looking in from every side? On the other hand, we in Holland have, more then in the USA, those sad cases of people who have been lying dead in their houses unnoticed, sometimes for years. I guess there is more social (church?) neighbourliness preventing that in the US. To sum it up, I think Americans have more private space between them and their neighbours, so the neighbours are more likely to socialize, at least outside. The Dutch are crowded in by neighbours on all sides, with very little surplus space to fill up with stuff. So the polite thing to do is leave each other alone, and clutter is less likely to get out of hand. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/172 "2010-09-14T16:43:35Z")
We finally got to see the possum! 🙂 What a disgusting mess. Dead cats (and possums!) and feces piled waist high. I really felt bad for the daughter when she couldn’t even go in, and started sobbing. She will not be well anytime soon, especially since she refused the aftercare funds. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/173 "2010-09-14T17:00:00Z")
Hilarious quote, delivered completely straight-faced by Matt the Extreme Cleaner: “Well, if you or I took a poop on the floor for three years, the house would smell really bad too.” ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/174 "2010-09-14T17:24:12Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > > [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > > > Is it wrong to imagine hoarding Robin Zasios in my cellar? > > Yes. Yes it is. > > 😛 Then I don’t wanna be right. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/175 "2010-09-28T02:47:43Z")
OMG. The lady has twenty cats, and shit is _everywhere._ The cats are very sick, and some of them are dead. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/176 "2010-09-28T03:28:40Z")
Correction - 36 cats, 12 of which were dead. And a day old litter, still alive. That woman couldn’t be helped. Still shopping after her house was cleaned. But the other woman, Lisa, is gonna make it, I think. Good for her! ---
**Author:** ![Khaki\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Khaki\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khaki_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/177 "2010-09-28T08:20:22Z")
> [@Eats\_Crayons](#): > > I’ve only skimmed through the thread, so this may have already been answered. Is hoarding as widespread in other countries, outside of North America? I guess hoarding is quite unheard of in Ethiopia or Moldavia. Like anorexic teenagers. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/178 "2010-09-28T11:47:15Z")
Actually, I was reading somewhere that even poor countries have hoarders. They just live in smaller places. I’ll see if I can find the article. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/179 "2010-09-28T11:59:32Z")
Quoted from the A&E Hoarders Message Board: [American Journal of Psychiatry](http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/165/2/169) has an article mainly about OCD in other cultures, but it also mentions hoarding. An excerpt: “The epidemiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder is quite consistent in different countries and across cultural studies. Results from 15 clinical samples from different continents suggest that cultural variation has minimal influence on lifetime prevalence rates, which range from 1.9% in Korea to 2.5% in Puerto Rico (7). As might be expected, symptoms often take on characteristics of the patient’s culture.” ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633/180 "2010-09-28T13:28:09Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > Correction - 36 cats, 12 of which were dead. And a day old litter, still alive. That woman couldn’t be helped. Still shopping after her house was cleaned. > > But the other woman, Lisa, is gonna make it, I think. Good for her! It was actually 13 dead. I was stunned at this episode. I have never seen anyone live in such filth. There was shit _everywhere_. Dead cats _everywhere_. And she just blamed others for the dead cats! I don’t understand how she wasn’t charged with animal cruelty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hoarders/541633.md?page=10)