Canva - Eco Friendly Removal

Whether you purge or not, it’s hard to elude the subtle reminders of the items needing to be cleaned out from our homes this year.

Don’t do it all at once. Set a timeline and a strategy before beginning your thorough cleaning spree. Trying to clean your home all at once is going to send your stress levels through the roof. Start by creating a list of all the different rooms in your home. Prioritize the rooms by whichever ones have the most items. Book time on your calendar and over the course of several small weekend sessions, you will be done in no time. You shouldn’t spend all of your free time cleaning. It should be spent having some fun and enjoying your downtime.

Create two piles – Yes or No. No, I am not crazy. When you keep a “maybe” pile, you invite the idea of keeping junk in your home. What’s the point of cleaning if you’re going to keep a majority of the items you do not use? Make a pledge to yourself and your family that you will only sort your items into two piles. As you begin, consider getting a professional appraisal of items that may be of high value so you have an appropriate selling price.

Have a garage sale. One way to get rid of the junk items in your “no” pile while being eco-friendly is to pass your items on to other people. Others may find treasure in your trash. Since you will be going through your garage as one of the rooms on your list from step one, you will have the space you need.

Post online. The Internet is a great tool to buy and sell items. Listing unwanted items you want to sell can be time-consuming. The last thing you want to do after a huge cleanout is put in more time getting rid of those items. Another problem is you never know who is on the other end of that computer screen. Large items cause other issues, as you never know if the buyer has a big enough car to transport the old appliance or large bulk item from your home. Whatever arrangements you make, be sure to be safe.

Donate or recycle your junk. The best way to get make sure your books, electronics, appliances, mattresses, etc. don’t make it to a landfill is to donate or recycle them. Donating items makes us feel good inside. It gives us the feeling that we’re doing something bigger than ourselves. (It also doesn’t hurt when we get a break in our taxes. Make sure you get a receipt!) An issue you can run into is transporting the item to the charity. Large, bulky items are heavy and don’t always fit into your vehicle.

When you’re sure you know what should be donated, call us at 719-647-9100. Don’t break your back trying to do a good thing.