We’ve all been there. You decide to take on the exasperating and tiresome task of cleaning out a specific space in your house. It might be a small closet or it might be a large attic, but no matter how big the space is, the most frustrating part of cleaning it out is deciding what to do with certain items. Throughout the years, if you didn’t know what to do with something, your simple solution was to put it in one of these places so it was out of the way and told yourself you would deal with it later. Now it’s later and you need the space, but you still don’t know what to do with certain items. This brief guide will help you decide whether you should keep it, donate it, or ditch it.
Keep It
Once something is gone, you say goodbye to it forever, so the first question you should answer is whether or not you want to keep something. Here is a brief list of reasons to keep something.
- You can and will still use it.
- It is a family heirloom.
- Your children, relative or friend may be able to use it.
- It is connected to an important life memory.
- It was a special gift.
- You can sell it.
If you can’t find a good reason to keep the item, you should move on to the next option of donating. There are frustrating times, however, when you want to keep something, but just don’t have room for it in your house. Maybe you have a piece of furniture that your kids can use when they finally move out or a rocking chair that belonged to your grandmother.
If you’ve run out of room in your home, but still want to keep certain items, you may want to consider renting a storage unit. If you live in the Berks County area, DAK Self Storage in Leesport may be the best option for you. They provide storage lockers for you to store your items for as long as you need and your possessions will be just a short drive from your home. You may worry about the cost, but DAK Self Storage offers competitive rates and plenty of size options. This way you can save money by only renting the minimum amount of space you need. To view DAK Self Storage’s available units, follow this link: https://ecom.quikstor.com/dakselfstorage/ShowAvailableUnits.aspx.
Donate/ Recycle It
Once you decide that you do not want an item, the next best option is to donate it. So many people throw usable items away and our landfills are growing larger every day. If you can’t use something, why not give it to someone else who can? You know what they say, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Still, how do you decide if something is in good enough condition to donate?
The best way to decide whether or not something is in good enough condition to be donated is to ask yourself: “If I were shopping and saw this on the rack, would I be grossed out or appalled?” If the answer is yes, then you should probably find another option, but if the answer is no, be a good citizen and donate your used items rather than adding to our landfills.
Ditch It or Recycle
If you have exhausted your other options, throwing an item may be your only option. Some items simply don’t have a use other than taking up space and collecting dust. This can include, highly stained or torn clothing, beat up toys that are covered in something sticky or crumpled papers that you saved before but have just been sitting around. Before you throw anything away, though, make sure none of the items can be recycled or repaired in some way.
Many places in the area will recycle fabric or other materials and turn them into something more useful. Old fabric can be used as cleaning rags or insulation. Other materials such as wood, metal, or tire scraps can be used to create artistic sculptures or turned into mulch for playgrounds. It may take a bit more work than simply tossing items in a bag and placing it on the curb, but in the end, you will feel better that you gave the item new life and kept it out of our ever-growing landfill.