| |
Four
Tips To Get Rid of Clutter
If you
want to get rid of clutter in your home, you don't have to
just throw everything away. There are many creative ways
you can de-clutter your home and still be green.
De-cluttering is a key value factor when staging your
house for sale.
[1] Make
some money:
The most
satisfying, green way to get rid of stuff is to make some
green: (1) High-end clothes can go to a consignment shop.
(2) Collectibles do well on eBay. (3) Toys, children's
clothing, and knick knacks are yard sale best sellers. (4)
For large numbers of antiques, china, silver, or
porcelain, try an auction warehouse.
[2] Have
a place in your home:
Designate
the corner of a closet or your laundry room for housing
discards to donate. Try to do this every other month. Keep
a hamper or garbage can in your designated spot and
whenever you see an item cluttering your home that you or
your family members (1) don't use, (2) don't love, or (3)
have outgrown, put it in the hamper. At the end of each
month, bag the items and take them to a donation center,
or call to have them picked up. The Veterans and Big
Brother Big Sister will pick up clothing and small
household items at your home.
[3] Have
a swap party:
My
friends and I have a seasonal purge party. We all bring
items we no longer need or use: clothes, jewelry, purses,
home decor, small furniture, magazines, etc. It goes into
a pile in the middle of the room and we all dive in! It is
a fun way of getting rid of things, getting a few new
things, and catching up with friends. At the end of it, we
bag all the items we don't want and donate them to a
women's shelter. This also works well with a group of moms
and the clothing and toys your children have outgrown.
[4]
Re-use your own stuff:
Reusing
common household items for new organizational ways can
really save you money. Try thinking outside the box as to
the way you use common items. For example, empty gift
baskets make great mail bins, in-boxes, planters, magazine
bins, small toy organizers, and more. Walk around your
house and really look at your stuff. Can any of it be used
for a different purpose? A bookshelf hung on the wall
instead of on the floor, a TV cabinet for a night-stand, a
shoebox to divide different kinds of socks in a drawer?
Try to think creatively and objectively.
|
|
