How to Deal With a Pack Rat

Video Transcript

"Hi, this is Ann Myrick, and I'm talking today on how to deal with a pack rat. Many of us have, well some of us are one or many of us have them in the house and it's good to teach them how to deal with it, also how to try to stay as organized as possible. Certain things that you want to do is, with a pack rat they will end up keeping everything, so it's good to set aside days, maybe weekends, where you're going to spend 2 or 3 hours and have them clean out their closet and say "You have to get rid of half the magazines" or "You have to get rid of ..." whatever it is that they've just collected that they don't need, just try to encourage them to go through themselves and pick out what they really don't need, and what they really need to keep. Also, clothes, we're all really bad at throwing away because we think "Oh, what if we need this in 2 years." But I think the old rule is if it hasn't been worn in a year, then throw it away or give it. Don't throw it away, give it to Goodwill or Salvation Army. You want to try to organize the pack rat. What you want to do is buy great containers. I have a cute hamper that you could organize them. "This is where your clothes that you still wear that are dirty, this is where they go," so they keep their clothes off the floor. There are so many great containers out there, colorful handles. Instead of having books that are just thrown on the floor or thrown in the bookcase, it's just so much nicer to keep it all organized. So whatever it may be, whether it's books, homework, whatever, you can just come in and put them right in the bin, put the bin in the bookcase or on the shelf and you have it. This is Ann Myrick, and that's how you deal with a pack rat."