Remember when the house was remodeled, 10 years ago? Do you still know what is in all those boxes? You lumped all the junk and trash into whatever box or bag was available, now, it’s time to go through it.
How do you tell the junk from the trash? There is a method to the madness. First, you must distinguish between the trash and the junk. This can be difficult. There is usually a reason behind the saving of each item.
Now to sort the junk. Grocery stores are one of the best places to get empty boxes from. They have nice sturdy boxes that eggs come in; not too bulky or flimsy. The market places are more than willing to give you boxes. It beats having to buy some from a shipping supplier.
You will need to gather empty boxes to sort all of this junk into. Get some garbage bags for the trash as well. A great place to find boxes is the grocery store. Have a box for each category of items; clothes, kitchen ware, linen, old toys, etc. As soon as all the trash has been picked out, start sorting that junk! You really don’t need to keep the floral paper napkin from last year’s company picnic.
Tape up and label the boxes you are keeping and store them away. It’s helpful to tape a sheet of paper onto the box which lists the contents. By doing this, you won’t have to open the box each time to see what is inside.
Out of the items you’ve decide to get rid of, put each of them into separate piles. One box could be filled with kitchen items. Another could have bed linens and bath towels in it. There could be individual boxes with assorted clothing, children’s, women’s, and men’s, in separate boxes. Toys can even be divided up into age appropriate groups.
If you are donating the items to charities, it’s nice to make sure they are clean. Who wants to get a blender that still has leftover smoothie goo in the bottom? Or, what about a sneaker with an ancient piece of gum stuck to the sole? Stained clothes can be separated from the nicer ones.
Various organizations will come directly to your house and pick up donations. There are groups who collect items for people who have lost their homes to a natural disaster. Many of these people are starting from scratch with furnishings and appreciate all the assistance they can receive.
Toys are great for donating to places where children are usually needing some entertainment. Daycares and doctor’s offices are a couple of examples of these places. Waiting rooms can be trying for children. As for clothing that you don’t want to resell, veterinarian offices and humane societies gather old clothes for the animals to use for beds.
A group in Chicago collects prom dresses for girls who don’t have the funds to buy one. There are various programs which gather business clothes for women to use if they don’t have business attire of their own.
Endless possibilities exist for your random junk. Many people think their junk won’t be as special to anyone else, so why sort it out. You’d be surprised at how many people get second-hand items on purpose. With the economy being tough on everyone, every little bit helps.