Every home has ‘that space’ – the garage, shed, cupboard or storeroom where all sorts of things end up languishing, unused and forgotten. How much better would you feel if that space was clear of clutter and ready to enjoy for its original purpose – or show to prospective purchasers?
Take the first steps with these easy targets:
- Get rid of the rubbish. Mouldy boxes. Broken chairs. Wonky lamps. Book a council clean-up and get them out of your life.
- Old luggage. Are you keeping torn and tired bags with broken zippers, cracked handles and wheels that don’t roll? Send them on their way! They’re more likely to let you down than to enhance your travel experience.
- Games with missing bits. Puzzles with missing pieces and board games without all their components are a fast road to frustration.
- Cans of paint. Small amounts of current colours in good condition are fine to keep for touch-ups. Gluggy litres from two colour schemes ago – not so much. They shouldn’t be thrown out in general waste so check with your local council for disposal options.
- Plastic plant pots. Are you really planning to open a nursery one day? Unless you are, that towering stack of pots is just collecting cobwebs and taking up space.
- Superseded appliances. If you bought a new iron, jug or toaster and kept the old one ‘just in case’ you’re not alone! If it hasn’t seen the light of day for longer than you can remember, donate it or dump it.
- Random boxes of who-knows-what. Maybe they’re the legacy of previous decluttering campaigns that lost momentum. If they’re yours, tackle them quickly, once and for all. If they belong to someone else give them a time limit to sort them out and stick to it.
Where can I get rid of…?
While some things can be safely disposed on in your household waste or recycling bin there are other items that require different handling. These include paint, gas bottles, smoke detectors and fluoro tubes. Community Recycling Centres are permanent drop-off facilities where common household problem wastes such as these can be dropped off free of charge. Household Chemical CleanOut events are held on specified dates to dispose of things such as solvents and household cleaners, poisons and pool chemicals. Check with your local council or the Environmental Protection Agency for details.
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