LYNNWOOD — John and Stacey Olsen of Lynnwood went through a roller coaster ride of emotions recently when the “Clean Sweep” television crew, including its famous cast, came to their house to film an episode for the TLC network home improvement show.
“The first five minutes they were there we found my wedding ring I had lost six months ago … it was under the computer in the office,” said Stacey Olsen, “so that set it off on a good start.”
The show caters to the pack rats of America, while in the meantime giving many organizing/designing tips and ideas to the average person.
While the couple were reunited with the wedding ring they also departed from many of their so-called prized possessions that were filling two rooms in their home in Lynnwood Aug. 20 and 21.
The show’s crew (of more than 30 people) goes to homes of real life people around the nation and in two days cleans out, organizes and redesigns two rooms with a budget of $2,000.
John Olsen, a Seattle firefighter, said it was his wife who watches the show who submitted an application to get them on it.
Stacey Olsen, a 1993 graduate of Monroe High School, said she saw the opportunity in the volunteer classified section of the Stranger newspaper in Seattle.
“I wrote them an e-mail and they liked our story and they came to our house for some preliminary filming and told us we got it,” she said.
John Olsen, a 1992 graduate of Lynnwood High School said at first he was a little uncertain about being on the show. But part of the reason why they liked their story was because he is a firefighter.
After it was all said and done, however, John Olsen said he was very pleased with the outcome and couldn’t believe how good it was.
The Lynnwood Fire Department was also able to get in on the spotlight. The department was called up to help assist the show for the promotional previews by using its fire truck and some firefighter’s equipment.
The process, which is similar on each show, has the partners empty out the two chosen rooms in the house (the office and bedroom in this case) and then with the help of the show’s organizer Peter Walsh, the couple has to go through each item and decide whether they will keep it, sell it or throw it away.
“It was very painful, Stacey Olsen said, “I lost a lot of shoes and it was really hard getting rid of all my hockey stuff.”
The couple said Walsh, who apparently has been educated in psychology, “has a way of bringing out in you a good perspective to things.” they said he helped them unlatch from what they used to think was important.
“We were scared about our DVD collection, but Peter let us argue to keep most of that,” John Olsen said.
The pile of stuff to sell goes to the garage sale the couple has during the same two days.
Each person gets to hold on to a prized possession that was originally in the throw away pile. The person who sells the most at the garage sale gets to keep their special item. The loser’s special item gets tossed.
Stacey Olsen won the garage sale race and was able to keep her dilapidated 29-year-old Raggedy Ann doll. John Olsen lost his lamp which was fashioned with gold chains dangling down around a scantly clad woman sculpture.
John Olsen said it the garage sale race was “fixed” because almost everyone at the garage sale was recruited from his wife’s work.
Regardless, the couple raised $781.75 at their garage sale Aug. 21 and the money made benefited the Seattle firefighters Fill the Boot campaign for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
This show, with host Tava Smiley and organizer Walsh, also included the expertise of designer Kelli Ellis and carpenter, Eric Stromer, recently named one of People magazine’s sexiest men alive.
According to the Clean Sweep officials, the Lynnwood show is scheduled to air the beginning of November.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
