It’s time to toss out the junk! Junk removal from homes can be stressful. You may wonder, “Should I keep or toss this?” Don’t forget the items that you can donate to the less fortunate! Here is a guide to what items you should keep or toss during your decluttering project.
Which Items to Keep
Go slow! In your attempt to keep a tidy house, you may toss out these important items:
Essential Items
Essential items are not just household items you use every day. It is also important to remember documents or paperwork that you should always keep safe. Some important documents include warranties, financial papers, important receipts, tax returns, licenses, and insurance papers. It’s best to store these safely away during your junk removal so that you won’t accidentally throw them away.
You should also always keep emergency supplies such as:
- A first aid kit
- Extra batteries and chargers
- Candles or flashlights
- Bottled water
Sentimental Items
It’s okay to keep important sentimental items. As most of us know very well, sentimental items however can quickly turn into a hoarding situation. To avoid keeping items you won’t need, make sure it truly means something to you and is not just sentimental clutter.
Sentimental items include:
- Photographs and photo albums
- Family heirlooms
- Your wedding gown
- Your kid’s first drawings
Items That Are Difficult to Repurchase
There are some items that are rare or difficult to repurchase. You should consider keeping these items if they are valuable or may be worth something one day.
Difficult-to-repurchase items include:
- Old comic books that are in mint condition
- Antique furniture
- Antique dolls or toys
- Fine china
- One-of-a-kind items
Which Items to Give New Life
Struggling with throwing away perfectly good items while decluttering? Consider donating or selling things that are still useful but you no longer need. Here are some items you can keep for your donation or sell pile.
Donatable Items
Help the less fortunate by donating your old or unused items. Donating items is also great for your mental health, and it’ll ensure a successful cleanup.
Items you can donate include:
- Old clothes
- Shoes and boots
- Caps and hats
- Clothes you are never going to use
- Canned food that hasn’t passed its expiration date
- Gifts that you don’t use and cannot return
- Duplicate items from your hall closet/linen closet that you aren’t using
Items to Sell
Sell unused items to declutter your space, make some room, and give you a sense of accomplishment.
Items you can sell include:
- Gym or sports equipment
- Yard equipment
- Office supplies
- Craft supplies
- Old cabinet drawers
- Tools
Which Items to Toss
Need to make some space? The best way to declutter and create more living space is to toss out junk. You probably have a lot of large or small miscellaneous items around the house that you will never use. Use these decluttering tips to figure out which items you need to throw out.
Get Rid of Expired Items First
Check the expiration date on your food, medicines, and even your makeup. Any product that is expired needs to be thrown out. These can be tossed out with your regular trash and simply left on the curb for pickup.
Unused/Stored Items
Why store items that you are not using? Do a deep cleaning of your closet, attic, or storage space. If you haven’t used a pair of boots in a year, you’re not likely to need or use them again. The same goes for duplicate kitchen utensils or t-shirts.
Bulky Items That Serve No Purpose
If bulky items are taking up space in your home, ask yourself if you really need them. These can include large gifts such as kitchen appliances that you never use, broken furniture, unrepairable bicycles or gym equipment, or items you bought as vacation souvenirs.
Old Papers/Documents
Did you check the drawer by your bedside? It’s easy to miss smaller cupboards and drawers during a cleanup. Clean drawer by drawer and you will likely end up with pieces of paper and old documents. If these are not useful to you, then create a junk pile and toss it out. However, you should keep important documents such as invoices and tax returns. There’s no point in keeping old restaurant or takeout receipts.
Bargain Bings provides dumpster rental for junk removal from homes, and we even haul out your green bags – Contact us to learn more!