Man Hasn't Cleaned His Home in 15 Years | Hoarders | FULL EPISODE | Filth

[Music] in the historic Port town of Plymouth tucked away in a quiet residential area is 70-year-old Arthur Watson's two-bedroom flat I remember thinking I won't be here for more than 5 years well my life didn't quite go to plan over the next three decades he's filled every room with clutter the bedroom the lounge the conservatory and the kitchen may I point out one feature that you probably think is disgusting but that's a handprint up there it's my daughter's right hand one day I just returned from fishing and she got stuck in and got her hands dirty and then decided to make a handprint up on the wall with the fish blood this s reminds me any of a Happy Time Arthur split from his wife when his daughter was just 2 and a half he's lived on his own for more than 20 years friends and family aren't all that Keen on visiting me I've been disappointed it was my 70th birthday not long ago and I was hoping that some of them might arrive I mean I live alone my daughter's grown up and unmarried over the years Arthur's horde grew but when his father passed away things spiraled out of control I have been reported as it were to the local Authority some years ago but I haven't heard problem for a while so I'm hoping I have persuaded them that there's no actual danger but for Arthur's Neighbors The Horde is an Isa Arthur has got a little bit of a reputation around the street I think it's just a general thing that people aren't happy so a lot of people do judge and they do say that it does need clearing out local Girl Helen has known Arthur all her life oh hello hello Arthur my darling I'm not too bad I thought I R for a cup of tea catchup come in thank you I know you've not seen the place for a few years so be careful that's all I'm saying but there's nothing to worry about it's simply bit of stuff on the floor do come through Helen used to play with Arthur's daughter when they were children this is most concerning but hasn't been inside the flat for over 15 years how can you get to your toilet why is there a wet newspaper on the floor don't like this nope nope not standing in there I would very much value your opinion this is some rhubarb that I grew in the garden and cooked this morning to make rubar jam so I wondered whether maybe on a I'm I'm not going to eat it out you don't have to eat it I'm going to eat it any I think it's absolutely yummy I imagine it tastes nice Arthur but and um well Arthur has been collecting things all his life I don't understand why you got all the paper on the floor no no it's a good point that laziness I think probably is the most explanation I was a collector as a child I find things contain memories I just find I'm a collector instinctively there's nowhere to sit there is one chair this is a fine rocking chair and all I have to do is take the stuff off it sit down when I look around at my den and horde it does represent me in so many ways you know I can pick a essay that I wrote at school and read it again and reflect you know it's all by history I don't want my history being sort of dumped at the local dump it has been suggested I have a mental illness that's hoarding I mean that's rubbish if you think of the number of people who hoard in their garages in their attics in their kitchen drawers they're hoarding all of them so how do you even get into your bed it's quite simple when I want to go to bed I just take what's on the bed off the bed and make a little space so that I can put up my sleeping bag and crawl in it and have a sleep are you quite happy sleeping like that yeah it's lovely cozy bit like a Dormouse really I made but if Arthur wants to avoid further run-ins with the neighbors he's got some thinking to do it is horrendous compared to what it used to be and I think it really is time that you made a change to a hoarder their belongings are Priceless Treasures but some hordes really are more valuable than others inside this four-bedroom house in leafy Richmond there are 3,000 vintage dresses 500 Handbags and even more shoes with every room crammed full this horde could be worth thousands when you walk in through the front door first thing that you'll see is obviously a complete mountain of bags gloves scarves hats wigs got some wigs there then we've got kind of another pile of vintage clothing Mandy loves fashion from byon eras further back we've got lots more vintage clothing and then Believe It or Not There is the toilet that's under there it's a that has got way out of control I've always loved little things that are a little bit different from um the norm so I think that's probably where the love of Charity shops has come from as you come into the living room area you can see that there's quite a lot of stuff here we've got quite a lot of jewelry amazing beautiful beautiful pieces bit of a sparkling Magpie as you can see and oh that's where my other boots gone the other boots over in shoe Mountain I would say that I've probably got 600 odd pairs of shoes and that's probably not including boots there you go I said it on out loud Mandy's horde is so huge her house has no room left for people it got to the stage that I couldn't I I didn't feel comfortable about inviting people around that I didn't know few bits hang on because I know that first impressions are going to be oh my goodness me when you start to realize that you've got more than the normal whatever normal is it's like a wakeup call to say this shouldn't be in your house this is almost your house has been used as a storage unit really is hard to admit that it's gone from being a collection to a hoorde when you actually finally say yeah okay I am a hoarder I've got too much stuff and I can't live the lifestyle I want to while I still have all of this clothing around me after years of being walled up Mandy wants to make a change I decided that with all of my hoorde there's no way I'm just going to be able to get rid of it so I want to start selling it saw some my handbags some of my jewelry some of the shoes her dream is to create an online business selling vintage clothes this is a realle turning point for me I see a vision of where I want to be um I don't want to live how I'm living now but will The Horde actually be worth anything to anyone other than Mandy coming up Arthur here's a few home truths with all seriousness ARA you living in a death truck and is Mandy sitting on a gold mine 60s disc dress we're probably looking up 80 to 120 hoarders prize their belongings even when they have no obvious cash value any attempt to throw things away can cause anxiety and upset and today our Arthur is going to have his patience well and truly tested he's getting a visit from extreme cleaners Cass and te oh hello you're the um cleaners coming out of the rain for goodness s I'm sorry it's a bit of a mess but you know I you're used to that okay this is the main living room right okay but as you can see living in it isn't that easy you've got a daughter you don't see her at all hardly ever always encourage her to come and stay but for some reason she doesn't what do you think the reason is it could be this mess I suppose let us help you up the kitchen and this is a challenge you might want to take a deep breath okay um yeah yeah oh dear so um right ARA yes okay I've got a few concerns I bet you have yes so what are they well I'm looking everywhere and the whole flat is full of newspaper or clothes oh yeah there a lot of newspapers yes is but you're a smoker how have you not caught the place the light I'm sorry to you're good boy well I I'm very careful smoker I've been smoking for the years yeah with all seriousness Arthur you living in the death Tru but this isn't the only cause for concern are you prepared to see the bathroom yes I'm ready to see this is the Chamber of hor I'm ready okay [Music] fine now then you see that string yeah you got to first of all hold the light bulb which is on the ceiling and then pull the string there we go we got light oh my God if I let go of the light bulb the light will go off ARA you can't switch your light on like that I I I sand chastized did you not hear the spark when you touched the light bulb spark and paper I you're and paper yes exactly I can't believe that I can't believe it I thought it might be B overpowering sit down have a cup of tea I am no no no it's clear something needs to be done urgently but can a lifelong hoarder change his ways and let Kazan get on with what needs to be done so the question is ARA yes Ma what are you willing to let go of oh to make space well the point is I'm a hoarder so willing to let go things is the Crux of the problem you're all right for the newspapers to go aren't you that's a leading question because I'm going to pick them up regardless I just want to know how you're feeling about that well I can tell you how I'm feeling about that you see nervous right okay if he thinks that you know this is okay and acceptable it's not that's his life he could die fall asleep and drop a cigarette knock something over that's it he Flats gun up he's quite a Charming guy he's a very Charming guy we can have a laugh and that joke and that with him but to be honest he's not even bloody funny I I don't intend to make any sacrifices but I I I do agree that we're going to have to sort things into what stays and what goes you know my prayers are being answered at long last over 1 2 million people are thought to be hoarders across the UK on the southernmost edge of London is the busy commuter town of quiden one of its three bedroomroom tow houses is home to Kim [Music] Sim who has lived with her secret stash for over 10 years holding is an addiction similar to like being an alcoholic oh when I look at it I do get a headache it all started when she split from her ex-husband it was a difficult breakout and a difficult Journey for me and during that time yeah I was buying about maybe1 worth of things a week you know to escape from the reality of Life by having possessions around you I've got boxes and boxes and boxes and Luggage more luggage gradually holding grows and grow and uh I couldn't stop and as the boxes grow higher and higher I I I was I was trapped Kim Sim tried to escape With a Little Help from professional cleaners I was afraid I cried was very difficult I literally was shivering and I was looking at my box of things that I need to declutter and uh I was feeling lost knowing that I'm not going to have them anymore but now Kim Sim has found a reason to stop her hoarding [Music] ways Jim what was it like the first time when you saw my court wo I think that's the only word I can describe that after a world wind romance Kim Sims marrying new fellow Jim Jim and I met online and not long after that 2 months later he proposed to me for us it's important that when we get married we have to set up our amital bedroom it's just a matter of getting getting the bed in but most important is all my clothes I think I have to get rid [Music] of with the wedding booked in a few days time they've got their work cut out for them meanwhile over in Plymouth the head looks like a cone by the way extreme cleaners kazm T are hard at work on Arthur hord it's in 2 minutes and this is going to be clear I wonder what they're up to but Arthur wants to inspect every sheet of paper before it's thrown away o o o it doesn't go through inspection you can see that's just newspaper oh it's newspaper right newspaper these are not items you're going to sit down and at a casual glance you're right look at that you see how that's embedded in the floor all right okay that's what's mean the be could I just explain my position on this I mean a explain but I'm going to get it off the well I'd rather you just listened for a moment it won't take long you know about archaeological digging yes and that's done very carefully with a paintbrush and a Trel now imagine yourself doing that here because that's what we're doing paintbrush and Trel not a b great sh that is what we are doing Arthur I respect that these are your things but right now is not any use to you at this range I quite agree I think you can chat that thank you can we can we can we the next handful I need to have a look at it's true that one have been lost forever Arthur listen to me even if it was a paper you wanted to keep yes it can't be that important because I've just doggg it up from behind the door that's where the important ones are you'll be surprised all right I'm going to strangle him you do [Music] that in Richmond vintage clothing and house clearance Specialists Lorraine and Paul have arrived at Mandy's to try and put a cash value on her horde our project started off as a house clearance company which is now blossomed into a vintage warehouse today we're going to go into Mandy's house we're going to have a look at her collection and hopefully help her out with valuation she wants to know what it's worth so she can turn her horde into money hello come in come in sorry you have to be careful there it's all a bit squeezy no worries there's lots and lots of interesting stuff okay but just too much of it I'm a very good hoarder just like to follow me up here just be a bit careful on the stairs that's all just so much stuff there I can see how long has this been going on for how long I would say 30 35 years easily easily so that's why it's so hard to rip things out of my hands for an actual holder to one to actually sort of get rid of her collection is is a bit of a rarity okay let's get moving let's get going be prepared wow so love that I know it's gorgeous isn't it yeah that's amazing yeah so should I leave you to it for a bit yeah yeah right go for [Music] it I think hoarding has been a stage in my life when it's been been quite difficult it's easy to say oh well you know there's not really anyone that needs me um but my stuff is always here I think the good thing about her is she knows her labels it's a complete mix really isn't it Paul could you just grab this chain dress down for me 60s disc dress something like that you're probably looking up 80 to 120 yeah that's really nice piece 6070 for that I'd [Music] say see that probably retail about £40 I would suspect that she would find the more valuable stuff the hardest stuff to let go gorgeous she's got some really nice B very quirky style yeah it makes you want to look more F bag it feels a little bit strange but I know that they know their stuff and I know that they're respecting the items that they're looking at you've got a baby there 60 70 for that I'd say I haven't really thought how much it would be the whole collection everything's like wow wow wow wow it's like a bit of an Aladdin's cave really it's a good hold yeah it's a very good hold but how much do the professionals think it's worth who are you nice smiley faces I'm taking that that's a good thing we've enjoyed ourselves I just going to see okay so basically how we're going to break it down the downstairs section very good you sort of say £5,000 possibly down there the top floor we're going to say is worth probably £15,000 and that's where the better bits and pieces were as far as a value goes for the for the collection we're going to say a conservative estimate would be 25 to 30,000 it could go higher that is really really well done you thank you very absolutely amazing to hear the sort of value of my um collection you know I'm fired up now it's time to do [Music] it can put the W in here for now making room for bride and groom is a priority for Kim Sim and today she's meeting with Joe a declutter consultant hello Kim hi nice to meet you Joe helps people tackle both the hoorde and its causes so here it is okay my all right A lot of people walk into a space like this and it's too overwhelming they think where am I going to start and they do what I call flitting they'll go right they'll pick up something over here look at it and then they'll get distracted and then they'll go over to the other side and you just end up moving stuff around as as you know so just pick up one thing at a time very quickly say do I want this do I love this and think if I'm not sure it goes well this is the most important room that I need to declutter okay are you very attached to your clothes is that one of the items of things that you find difficult to let go of correct my clothes are very attached to me maybe pick out three or four the very favorite things and then say I'll cut my losses with the rest I'm quite serious now about about um getting rid of things I think it really started my hoing um was during the separation of my ex emotionally I was it was a turmoil all over me so the only way to help me during that time was was to go out and buy things my possessions became me really me even getting rid of the little things I found it so difficult a lot of triggers for hoarding like your marriage broke down or you know if somebody gets ill or there's a bereavement but unfortunately with everything you know in order to heal as I'm sure you're aware you have to acknowledge the pain you have to go through that you can't divert around it I'm still going through this journey but now that I have love and Jim is in my life I think I can conquer anything else that come my way this is a new chapter in your life isn't it so out with a clothes in with a new husband yes correct correct I have a few reservations obviously she's at a good stage in her life you know everything's very exciting she's about to get married so things are good but she still has to be careful and watch that it doesn't creep up on her again the big plan now is to decut this room so that Jim can put together the new bed that I just ordered Jim yep empty box is I can go in the trash later just stick them outside for now coming up this is the quickest way to get rid of cupw deep cleaning tips from car and te don't wet it do it just make it worse go you and we Kim Sim's wedding night go with a bang oh oh that's not [Music] good 70-year-old Arthur lives with a jumbled Corde of shredded newspaper and knicknacks that he's refused to get rid of even when it's meant that family and friends won't [Music] visit do we need the front cover of hello no I rather like Megan bloody hell Jerry hell it's raining men I need that stop stop stop stop stop stop but I need you to work with us here okay because fun and joke aside this is going to take weeks and weeks a near went to the garage I find with hordis and people cocoon themselves with with with their hoorde and it's a comfort and we're ripping that Comfort away from that person really and truly is something we would throw away but we can't do that to him because he's not ready he's not ready I had a little rumage you know me and I I found this this is audio tape which is no use to anyone it is to me you see for Arthur his horde represents precious memories that he doesn't want to lose and I that sort of thing kept okay so you're going to keep it and do anything that looks like an audio tape what are you going to do even a pulled and Tatty audio tape you want it you be kept I appreciate it may seem difficult to them they have been some of them partly damaged and any further shoveling with a shovel will completely wreck them and the tapes Irreplaceable voice letters my parents voices you rip through the papers and you tear up the past it's a tape it is broken tape it maybe look broke but it's still got the messages on losing my mother at the time I did I was about 25 I think we had a phone call from dad come home mom's not well and she wasn't and was dead within about a fortnite had cancer living in a unhygienic m is not my style but the paring of my parents were probably stages on the way if you see to the present condition I know you want to get the job done and he's he's like oh I'm going to kind of slow things down but having said that he's quite amicable to a certain extent so I'm going to work with that if that makes sense you know it's a a good cop bad cop situation know I know yeah and I'm always the bad I know as we're here now oh well C decides to take a different approach and work with Arthur on the kitchen it's a I'll tell you what can I start with this yes yeah now see there far too many plastic bags down there oh my gloves but look at those Shakespeare I wonder where he was look at that I found me house keys at last having finally gained Arthur's trust they begin to make progress little bit the carpet down there I see I haven't seen that carpet for AG ages I'm doing a grand job here yeah it almost burst into song Oh [Music] God letting anybody into your hord is a risky business and there were a few matters I had to discuss and I I think they paid attention and consequently all sorts of things I might have lost fortunately been saved and other things that I should have lost a long time ago have in fact now been consigned to the tip as it were it's clear this is too big a job for one day hopefully Arthur can hang on to his Newfound enthusiasm overnight we'll be back tomorrow right Mom and we've left you a little bit of washing up today thanks you're more than welcome bye ala I'm just hoping we come back tomorrow and the house is still looking decent the kitchen I don't think it will be hello now Mandy knows that there's a potential £30,000 piled up in her home she's decided it really is time to sort through her clothes what we start with this room her friend Mel has agreed to help but it's not going to be easy me I can remember when we bought that yeah it's quite hard but yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah no that's going to go by their very nature hoarders don't find it easy to part with possessions oh that is want to keep the kimona jacket yes yeah I do want to yeah I do want to keep that you know how I love pink suede I'm not going to be able to get rid of that are you sure how many bags have you got I'm not going to be able to get rid of the pink suede Mandy is serious about turning it into a business but I think maybe is underestimating the work that would take us I can't just get that pile now and just pick it up and put it in I know people would say just lift it up and stick it straight into a bag and just get rid of it it's like RI off a bandage there's going to be some pain involved in moving on I'm thinking of like time wise I know we've got you know just that small pile in in the kind of ocean of of everything I think it's it's like a crisis point for me once the Pandora's Box is open you can't really go back and you've got to do what you'll say that you're going to do that one I'm going to keep [Music] go J you okay in Cen Kim Sim is racing to get the Clutter out of her home before husband to be Jim moves in it is going to be a one big job not Dar can you just hold that for me okay hold it don't drop it or anything just okay the main is to clear the bedroom yeah right so these are for Tops trouser shirts I need a system because without the system I'll get all messed up again I'm getting too old for this come on as a holder you definitely need support you need support from Friends children people around you you just need to have honest people to tell you let going back sergeant Peppers it's my favorite no way will that go [Music] why come around to me okay oh this is wonderful we can watch TV yeah I'll clear that bit and then we put our TV up there good yeah very successful y indeed darling very successful happy yes I'm so happy oh oh oh careful oh that's not good I don't after leaving Arthur alone in his flat overnight cleaners C and T are returning to finish the job hold on the handprint on the wall yeah there's a heart around it no that was there yesterday no cuz he wants it protected what's that about that's that's his daughter's handprint we wash around that Society seems to think that I have a problem and and they want to change me anybody got a right I I don't want to be changed helped possibly but not changed careful o I see I see a peppermint excuse me don't think about eating that peppermint put no with one final push needed to finish the cleanup Arthur neighbor Helen offers to help Arthur y I can see your floor AR you hear me ah yes I can hear that right the clothes that come out the bathroom I'm going to put straight in a bin bag this is a bin bag for the tip yes together they're going to tackle the bedroom and Helen is taking no prisoners go in a bin thank you oh this for get the fle out of my dog bin [Music] in the B bit come on thank you Helen needs to join the Extreme Team we'd welcome Helen she's ruthless she's on point like the color nice color Yes Mandy has managed to make some space in her spare bedroom the nicest thing is I have a little bit of room here not a lot but certainly room that I didn't have yesterday which is feeling really positive but she now faces a much bigger challenge hello she's chosen some clothes to sell online but is she ready to take the plunge I've got some bags already ready is that okay sounds like a plan great her friend Abby has offered support there should I put that down as 25 first up they have to decide how much to charge that's pretty isn't it I'll probably put that up at 15 if she can sell at these prices then this rail alone could fetch up to 200 got this one plain one so I'll just put five on that one but Mandy's desire to hang on to her treasure TR is strong as nice I'm quite nervous I've never done it before that'll look quite nice against the it's definitely work in progress at the moment it's almost like the snowball is rolling and you know there is no stop and that's that's um a little bit scary I might have to just put that to one side one item one item is not too bad is it I don't want to set myself up to fail you know so you have to start with little steps and it will get easier I'm so I'm going to put these two back I'm not sure I wanted to part with those um straight away back in a minute all right won't be [Music] long coming up is it finally time for tea and cake at Arthur's have a slice you want oh and can Mandy face her demons and put her first dress off the sale online okay next next yeah sh after 2 days of sorting bagging and storing Arthur's flat is finally ready for its deep [Music] clean the quickest way to get rid of topw where expect my spiders to live now you're not complaining about us getting rid of the of course not no he is not are you are Never full of grease like this don't wet it it just make it worse just take off the [Music] [Applause] [Music] grease this will be hand you never guess what this is the professionals were these it's called April although though he's a hoarder Arthur has professional experience of cleaning found myself out of work and had to get a job this happened to be a cleaning job with London transport cleaning the London Underground is that you that's me yes you'd go in at about 11:00 p.m. messy railway station like the bank or wherever and by 700 a.m. it had to be spotless but God knows when that was taken how about the tie have you look that's offer oh wow oh yeah dishy was I I don't know you dishy oh right yeah pry we didn't meet that next time I come here I want to see you in that doing a bit cleaning keeping on top of what's been happing I can't wait to be here later and see what the whole place is going to look like and I think he's going to be overwhelmed even dad smiling I might sit down and have a cup of tea with him so we'll see which um cat we decides to boil it that's a good one to start with and then if I is determined to try and turn her into cash by selling some of her vintage outfits what's it look like against that does it look okay first photograph it's the start of it all isn't it yeah a good feeling it feels good a with Abby's help she's doing a trial run and posting her first on the first one will be epic I'm very excited oh maybe I should just keep it you knew what I was going to say maybe no no no you're I've been feeling nervous and anxious but I feel really positive about the future now shall I um put my first post up onto Instagram so I've got the photograph there yeah let's click next next and yeah share share and there it is oh my goodness I tell it oh thank you it's got emotional all right there it's a modest start to the 30,000 potential piled up in Mandy's horde I'm moving forward and things are starting to become organized in my life I'm feeling very brave just a bit nervous now so I've I've done it once I've got to be able to do it again yeah oh yeah many times more many times more there's a lot of dresses to go look at the change Kim Sim is also beginning a new chapter in her life today she's marrying Jim I worked till nearly 4:00 in the morning cuz I was very determined to get this place looks better I do not want to live like that again do you James freely enter into the union of marriage with Kim's son I do I'm excited about getting married to this wonderful man to spend my life with him I'm happy to announce that you are now husband and [Music] [Applause] wife today is the first day of a new life for both of us I have come a long way in terms of my holding but uh now I'll like to move on to a better less cluttered life go yes let's [Music] go for almost 20 years Arthur's home has been buried in newspaper and jumble when I came I couldn't walk into his front room I hope we've done enough to show him that people don't leave like how we found this place I used to feel embarrassed I suppose but then I got over that now I always feel proud where once the oven was caked in Grime now there's almost Shine the bed that was buried alive is somewhere for Arthur to sleep again and the lounge that was a fire hazard is safe to live him once more and a newly decluttered Arthur has planned a surprise I know you keep asking me how I feel I'm not very good with that something so I thought I'd show you how I feel thank you for all your work let's have a look have a slice if you want thank you for be I didn't make it he oh aome that was totally unexpected his reaction because you can see that he's a joker so for him to become emotionals that's really touched me that you're crying I know I'm sentimental there we go we're definitely going to come back in 6 months time see how he's getting on I have a feeling in my water that the future's looking [Music] bright

Channel: Filth

Views: 49,769

Keywords: grimefighters, filth fighters, extreme cleaners, marie kondo, home renovation, disgusting homes, how to clean, house clearance, Aberystwyth, grime fighters episode 3, grime fighters full episodes, grime fighters episode 1, grime fighters full, grimefighters full episodes, grime fighters, filth full episodes, grimefighters episodes, grimefighters season 2, grimefighters season 1, TLC, filth, filth fighters full episodes, filth fighters tv show, filth uk full episodes

Id: VxjFfYJcQQ4

Length: 43min 15sec (2595 seconds)

Published: Fri Dec 29 2023