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When You're Ready For A Major Home Decluttering Effort

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You may take a bag of clothing to the thrift store now and then and think that you're decluttering your house. But you'll be surprised at how much stuff you can get rid of if you spend a day and focus. Here are some ways to really clean out your house and yard and get back all of the space that the clutter is taking up.

Kitchen Items and Appliances

Do you have an old stove or refrigerator sitting in the garage? Call a scrap metal recycling company to haul them away. Toss in the old toaster, microwave and other small metal appliances that you've been meaning to throw out.

Go through the kitchen drawers and sort through duplicate items and get rid of them. How many plastic spatulas or slotted spoons do you need? If they're in good shape, take them to the thrift store, otherwise, throw them away. Go through your mixing bowls, bake ware and other kitchen cooking supplies. Many people accumulate items in their kitchen until the drawers and cabinets are full.

Garage and Basement

Take stacks of newspapers to the recycling center. Also take any cardboard boxes you've been saving "just in case you need a box." Leftover materials from past remodeling projects can go to the thrift store or recycling center. This includes carpet scraps, bathroom tiles, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, ends of wallpaper rolls and cans of paint.

Bedroom and Bathroom

Go through your old linens and throw out or donate extra items. You may have accumulated an assortment of bath towels and wash clothes that you can pair down. Bed linen, and especially blankets, are welcome at homeless charities and thrift stores. When is the last time you put those Star Wars sheets on a bed?

Yard and Garden

You may have stacks of materials from outdoor projects just taking up space. Load up your car with these unwanted items and make the rounds to the thrift store and recycling center:

  • wood roof shingles and siding can go to the recycling center
  • asphalts shingles can go to construction material recycling centers
  • bricks, concrete blocks and landscaping stone can be given away and reused by other homeowners
  • yard and garden supplies, such as bags of topsoil, fertilizer and pesticides, can be donated to local community garden groups

Other Recycling and Donation Ideas

As you go through the house, look for these other decluttering opportunities:

  • Books and magazines - These can go to community centers and coffee shops that provide people with reading material.
  • Coats and shoes - Charities collect these and distribute them to those in need. They may ship them to other parts of the country, or even overseas, to help needy families.
  • Toys and games - Pediatric care centers will take these for their play centers.

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