Confessions of a Hotel Toiletries Hoarder

Summary

Kim, a self-admitted hotel toiletries hoarder, reflects on her habit, its origins possibly linked to her grandmother's frugal mindset, and the reactions from her social circle to her vast collection, leading to considerations of donation and reflection on the environmental impact.

Abstract

The article titled "Confessions of a Hotel Toiletries Hoarder" delves into the personal struggle of an individual named Kim, whose penchant for collecting miniature hotel toiletries has resulted in an overwhelming stockpile. Her habit, amusingly likened to an addiction, is somewhat rationalized by drawing a parallel to her grandmother's Depression-era thriftiness. Amid preparations for a move, Kim confronts the extent of her accumulation and seeks solace and advice through a Facebook post. Responses vary from practical suggestions to recycle or donate to humorous anecdotes, highlighting the communal aspect of this common yet unspoken issue. The narrative humorously unfolds Kim's realization of her "hoarding" tendencies and the subsequent decision to use or dispose of the items, with a nod to the environmental concerns associated with plastic waste and the serendipitous nature of the stockpile in the context of global supply chain challenges.

Opinions

The author humorously acknowledges her "addiction" to collecting hotel toiletries, comparing it to the thrifty habits of her grandmother during the Great Depression.
Kim's Facebook梦想小姐姐 community plays an active role in helping her address her hoarding issue, offering suggestions from donations to practical advice on usage and recycling.
There's an underlying awareness and mild guilt about the environmental impact of her actions, particularly regarding plastic waste from the tiny bottles.
Despite the humorous tone, the author provides a commentary on contemporary consumer habits and the idea of scarcity in modern times, especially in the wake of the 2020 pandemic which has affected supply chains worldwide.
The narrative suggests that the habit of collecting the toiletries is not merely about utility but also an emotional attachment or a fear of running out of necessities.
Some commenters empathize with the difficulty of overcoming the temptation to collect the "cute little bottles," indicating that this behavior might be more common than acknowledged.

If it’s tiny and cute, I’m taking it home with me.

Hello, my name is Kim, and I am an addict.

My dark secret? I cannot stop collecting stuff from hotels. Or motels. Or motor lodges. If there is a prewrapped soap/shampoo/conditioner item lying around, I stuff it in my duffel bag. Then I stash it in my linen closet the second I get home.

Why do I do it? I like to think I’m channelling the spirit of my wonderful Nana — who would’ve turned 101 last month — and her Depression-era, no-nonsense approach to freebies. (Wait, were there freebies during the Depression? I may be thinking of Costco…sorry.)

Please don’t ask Facebook for help

As I was purging the aforementioned linen closet — we’re hoping to move west soon and have an everything must go mentality — I was shocked at the sheer volume of hotel detritus that found its way into every possible travel case, corner, and random plastic bags I (although I don’t remember doing this) designated for this purpose alone. I needed a breather, so posted on Facebook:

“Today I’m cleaning out ten years of random stuff from the linen closet and discovered something startling: I am a horrifying hoarder of hotel toiletries. Just don’t do it, people. (Although the soaps have definitely saved my bacon, since liquid soap refills seem to have vanished from the few stores where I get essentials.)”

Note I did not ask for help in any way. But such is the nature of the FB, plenty of suggestions came rolling in, mostly along the lines of “donate them to a women’s/homeless shelter,” which I admitted was pretty smart (although I loved the friend who accidentally wrote “hoeless shelter” to which I replied, “Are you passing judgement?”).

There was also the incredulous poster who wondered “Why not just use them??” and I sighed; sometimes the hoarder brain does not see such logic. My intentions had been to do this exact thing. Turns out I’m an “out of sight, out of mind” kind of gal.

Photo (of Ill-Gotten Bounty) by Author

It was a relief to discover several others had similar issues. One confessed: “Those cute little bottles are so hard to resist!” and added the encouragement — for both of us, no doubt — to “Stay strong in the future.” We also bonded over the best way to dispose of questionable-looking/smelling shampoo, and how rinsing out all the bottles to recycle them was the right move but all that water…On the other hand, so much plastic in a landfill! Did I mention this is a super terrible habit and don’t ever start?

The plastic bottle half-full in all this is, thanks to 2020 being what it is, the opportunity to stockpile pretty much anything is nonexistent. So I’m considering this a clean slate, and taking the advice of one sage Facebook comment: “I smell a humor article stemming from this.”

And I would’ve considered this a one-off exploration, except I cleaned out my desk drawer during a meeting this afternoon and found more treasures in bulk. Such is a tale for another day…

I MAY HAVE A PROBLEM

Confessions of a Hotel Toiletries Hoarder

If it’s tiny and cute, I’m taking it home with me.

Please don’t ask Facebook for help