Jin Wei and his wife were in a state of shock as they dug through the piles of trash in his mother-in-law's apartment.

From moldy rice infested with bugs, to bags of expired snacks, an old spittoon, a large bundle of used toothbrushes, stained floors, and a dirty washing table, the couple had been slaving away since February and a month later were still only halfway through the cleanup.

Apart from the toil, they had to deal with his mother-in-law's regular protests about not throwing out her clutter.

For Jin, a 30-something father from Shandong province, the challenge of dealing with her hoarding began long before he fully understood the extent of the problem.

What started as a minor annoyance — a messy kitchen or a living room filled with unused items — gradually escalated into a full-blown crisis that threatened not only the family's harmony, but also the woman's mental and physical health.

Tipping point

His mother-in-law's hoarding tendencies became more pronounced after her husband passed away in 2016. "She lost her emotional anchor, and she stopped going out and poured all her energy into shopping and accumulating things," he recalled.

Living alone in a 90-square-meter apartment, his mother-in-law, aged in her 50s, filled every corner with items — some useful, many not.

"At first, it was just a few extra kitchen gadgets or clothes," Jin recalled. "But over time, it became overwhelming. She spent her entire pension on things she didn't need, and the clutter took over her life."

The tipping point came when the hoarding began to affect her health and endanger Jin's baby daughter. "She was just learning to walk and may have tripped over things or have things fall on her," he said.

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In late February, Jin and his wife decided to tackle the problem head-on. They started with the kitchen, which was filled with unused pots, expired food, and piles of plastic bags.

"We threw out a lot, but we made sure to involve her in the process," Jin said. "At first, she was happy to see the kitchen clean, but when we moved to the living room, she started to resist."

The two women often became locked in fierce arguments. To avoid conflict, the couple used a mix of persuasion and subtle tactics, distracting the mother-in-law by asking her to look after their daughter while stealthily removing items she didn't need.

Jin believes his mother-in-law's hoarding is rooted in deeper emotional struggles.

"She's lonely and bored," he said. "Shopping gives her a sense of purpose, but it's also a way to fill the void left by my father-in-law's passing."

When Jin posted the cleaning process on social media platforms Douyin and Xiaohongshu, he got more than 7 million hits. Some left comments suggesting that he sought professional help for his mother-in-law, but Jin said she was not open to seeing a psychologist.

"We're trying to address the issue step by step, approaching her with empathy and patience," he said, adding that he and his wife constantly reminded themselves that she is not being difficult intentionally.

Despite the challenges, the cleanup has brought positive changes.

"She's starting to cut back on the shopping and thinks twice about whether she will really use the things she has an impulse to buy. Otherwise, she worries we are going to throw them out later," he said.

However, Jin knows the journey is far from over.

"We've only cleared about a third of the apartment so far," he said. "But we're committed to helping her regain control of her life."

For now, the family is taking it one step at a time. "It's not just about cleaning her home — it's about helping her find peace and purpose. We're trying to show her that life can be fulfilling without all the clutter," Jin said.

The family has also made plans to renovate her apartment after all the mess is gone, in the hope a fresh environment will encourage her to keep it in order.

"We want to help her move forward, not just physically but emotionally," Jin explained.

The couple are planning to take her on trips and encourage her to join programs at a seniors' university. "She needs something to focus on besides shopping," he said.

Shopping 'therapy'

Elderly individuals, often grappling with loneliness and a lack of social support, are increasingly prone to developing psychological issues such as hoarding disorders, according to experts.

Zhou Ying, a specialist with the Shanghai-based Huangpu district mental health center, said many retirees feel isolated, helpless, and anxious due to distant relationships with their children, loss of loved ones, or shrinking social circles. This emotional void drives them to seek security, control, and a sense of accomplishment through hoarding.

Physiological factors also play a significant role. With cognitive decline, the elderly are likely to have difficulties managing their belongings effectively, exacerbating hoarding behaviors, Zhou said, adding that understanding and support from family members, and lifestyle adjustments can help address the issue.

Rising incomes, the convenience of online shopping, and fast-paced work have also given rise to young people impulse shopping, according to a white paper on China's tidying and organization industry launched by social media platform Sina.

For Ting Ting from Chengdu, Sichuan province, the thrill of buying was once an irresistible escape. From designer clothes to crystals and ceramics, her purchases filled her 280-square-meter rented home to the brim.

Her hoarding habits took root in 2013 when she started to deal in clothes. "I convinced myself that buying clothes was part of the business," she said.

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But during the pandemic, her shopping escalated, and she started buying crystals, then stands for them, along with pottery and bronze vessels. "Before I knew it, my home was overflowing," she said.

By 2023, the clutter had become unbearable.

"Every surface was covered, even the floors," Ting said. "I felt this constant pressure, like the walls were closing in."

Realizing she had a problem, she opened a store to sell her excess items. But the venture, which closed in February, only added to her stress. Although it helped her get rid of half her pottery and bronze vessels, she found it taxing to run a shop.

Ting traces her hoarding tendencies to her childhood. "I never had much growing up. When I finally had money, I wanted to make up for all those years and be my own master and to spend money," she said.

Her shopping habits became a way to assert control and find comfort. At the peak of her buying mania, she received 20 to 30 packages a day.

"Buying gave me a rush, but the happiness never lasted. Once I opened the packages, the excitement faded," she said.

Her journey to decluttering began in earnest when she moved from her spacious loft to a 100-square-meter apartment, and later to a 70-square-meter home.

"Moving forced me to confront the chaos. And I realized I needed to make space for myself, not just my possessions," she said.

She has established strict criteria for her decluttering process. "If many people wanted to buy something I owned, but I didn't want to part with it, that's how I knew it was worth keeping," she explained. "From there, I narrowed it down further to only the items that truly brought me joy or served a practical purpose."

Today, Ting's home is a far cry from its former state. Her crystals, once scattered across every surface, now fill just three cabinets in her living room. Her pottery collection, once numbering in the thousands, has been neatly stashed into dozens of labeled boxes.

"I've learned that less is more," she said. "Having too much becomes a burden, not a joy."

Order from chaos

Xie Feng, from Shenyang, Liaoning province, has helped more than 6,000 families with hoarding problems since he stumbled into a growing demand for decluttering services in 2021.

He worked in the private tutoring and training sector before switching careers. "Young people were too busy to clean, and the wealthy were obsessed with online shopping. I figured there was a need for someone to step in and bring order to the chaos," the 30-year-old added.

Xie and his partner founded Lixiangjia (Ideal Home) cleaning business, targeting affluent clients who valued a pristine home environment.

He started out getting five to six job orders a month, each paying 4,000 to 5,000 yuan ($555-$694).

But as word spread, his client base expanded to include a broader demographic. "I started getting calls from young professionals and elderly couples whose homes were overrun with possessions," he said.

His business has grown exponentially since its inception. He now handles over 300 orders a month, with a team of 60 organizers. "In 2023, we started offering group discounts on platforms like Douyin, which boosted our client base significantly," he said.

While most homes can be organized in a day, some projects, like a sprawling villa, take up to six days.

"The goal is always the same: to help my clients reclaim their homes by creating a space that's functional, orderly, and peaceful," Xie said.

He has noticed distinct patterns among his clients. For younger hoarders, the issue often stems from a desire to compensate for having less in their childhood.

"Many of them grew up unable to afford the things they wanted," he explained. "Now, with stable incomes, they're buying clothes, gadgets, and more — often leaving tags on items they never use."

Older clients, however, lived through times of material scarcity, so they hold onto everything, even expired food or broken appliances.

In one extreme case, a client who couldn't let go of a bottle of vinegar that had expired 7 years ago insisted it was "better with age".

Another memorable encounter involved a client whose floor was covered in mountains of black garbage bags stuffed with clothes. "The client had bought outfits for every stage of her life, almost as if she was trying to reclaim the childhood she never had," he said.

Xie believes the root cause of hoarding often lies in emotional needs. "For young people, it's about self-reward after a stressful day. For the elderly, it's a fear of scarcity," he said.

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To help clients let go of their belongings, Xie uses a mix of practicality and empathy.

"I remind them that 1 square meter of their home costs tens of thousands of yuan, while the item they're clinging to might be worth just a little money. It's just not worth letting those items that no longer serve them stand in the way," he said.

Xie takes pride in the transformation of his clients' homes, which often has a profound emotional impact on them.

"Many people are shocked to see how much they've accumulated," he says. "One client realized she had spent over 200,000 yuan on clothes she never wore. It was a wake-up call," he said.

"With the rise of e-commerce and fast manufacturing, it's easier than ever to buy things. People tend to spend without thinking, and the clutter piles up," he said.

Xie hopes to raise awareness about the problem and encourage more people to seek help. "Whether your home is big or small, it has a limited capacity," he said. "The key is to make sure your possessions serve you, not the other way around," he said.

Looking ahead, he plans to expand his services to include education.

"We want to teach people how to use their storage space effectively and maintain order in their homes," he said.

"It's about empowering them to take control of their lives."