35+ Ways to deal with your Decluttered Items

One important aspect of decluttering success is getting the items you're discarding out of your home as soon as possible. However, this is often easier said than done. The simplest solution is to simply discard them. I don't know about you, but the thought of throwing all of our rubbish into already overflowing landfills makes me feel uneasy. I'd much rather sell our gently used items to someone else and possibly even get paid for them.

If you don't have much experience selling, donating, or recycling unwanted items, you might get stuck asking, "What am I going to do with my decluttered items?"

Perhaps you keep delaying starting until you figure it out. Maybe you've already done a lot of sorting, and your house now feels even more cluttered as a result of the bags and boxes of stuff lying around. Worse, they've been sitting around for so long that you're undoing your hard work by putting things back.

If any of this sounds familiar, I have some ideas that I believe will help you in overcoming this decluttering obstacle, as well as lots of ideas for places to take your decluttered items that don't involve using landfill, and of course, I have free printables for you.😊

 

Make a Plan

The key to quickly getting your decluttered items out of your home is to have a plan in place before you begin sorting.

For some, it may be as simple as deciding to place their boxes in the boot of their car and drive directly to the local charity shop to make donations.

Others may find it a little more difficult. Perhaps you'd like to recoup some of the cost of your decluttered items. Perhaps you have some heirlooms that you know your family would love to have first dibs on before you sell them. You may have items that aren't in good enough condition to sell or donate but would like to recycle or repurpose.

In any case, before you begin sorting, spend some time planning out what you'll do with the items you're discarding. Here are the easy steps to creating your plan:

Understand Your Options. 

Aside from rubbish, there are four options: sell/trade-in, donate, give away, and recycle.

Determine Your Values and Priorities. 

Is making money or saving time more important to you? How much effort are you willing to expend to locate recycling centres for unusual items?

Conduct your research. 

Once you've decided how you want to dispose of your items, look for a few places that will accept them online or locally.

Write it Down.

This not only holds you accountable, but it also means you won't have to repeat your research six months from now because you can't remember that site that's ideal for selling clothing, books, and music.

Establish a Time Limit.

In addition to noting where you want to take your discarded items, including the time limit. This could be a few days for items you're donating locally or several months for items you're attempting to sell online. However, setting a time limit prevents you from leaving items in your home for too long.

If you want to it even easier to make your own plan for your decluttered items?! I have written you a 10-page Completely FREE Printable Workbook.

There's a cheat sheet that outlines the basic options for your decluttered items. After you've narrowed down your options, you can use the worksheet to create your own action plan!

You can download and print the worksheet as many times as you like in case your plans change or you want a separate plan for each category (clothing, books, antiques, etc...). The worksheet also includes a section for items that need to be repaired so they don't sit around indefinitely. If you haven't bought the new zip on your dress yet, you probably won't!

 

Following Through on Your Plan

So, now that you've taken the time to write down your plan, the next step is to carry it out.

Review your decluttered items action plan before each session of sorting and gather as many bags or boxes as you need for the options you've chosen. Place them near your sorting area and clearly label them: sell, donate, recycle, etc. This is a great habit to develop because, once you've completed your major decluttering project, you can keep a few of these boxes or bags in an out-of-the-way location in your home at all times and create an ongoing donation station.

When you're finished sorting, take any full boxes of donations or recycling to your car and drop them off as soon as possible. You'll be able to keep your decluttering project moving forward this way!

Finally, it is time to discuss specific options for disposing of your decluttered items. Here are 35+ ideas to get you started, but remember that you can always look for more online or ask around for local places to take your stuff.

Selling or Trading In Your Decluttered Items

We'd all like to recoup some of the money we've spent on things we no longer require. But be realistic: selling things takes time (sometimes a long time), and they will take up space in your home until someone buys them.

Some people set a limit and only sell items worth that much or more. (A price range of £20 to £100 is suggested. It depends on how much time and energy the selling process requires, as well as how much space the item requires.

If you want to sell or trade-in some of your belongings, here are some options:

• eBay
• Amazon Trade-In (mostly books, movies, video games, and electronics)
• Cash Converters (electronics and video games)
• CEX (electronics and video games)
• Amazon Market Place (scroll down to the bottom and click “Sell on Amazon” to see your options)
• Vinted (clothes, shoes, accessories, unopened makeup – I recommend using the phone app)
• Etsy (clothes, jewellery, antiques)
•  Ziffit (movies, games, books, electronics)
• Music Magpie (books and textbooks)
• Facebook Selling Groups
• Craigs List
• Pre-Loved
•  Local consignment or resale shops
• Garage or yard sales
• Word of mouth

When selling locally, always use safe methods — don't give out any more information than necessary, and try to meet up in a well-lit public place.

Donating Your Decluttered Items

If you're short on time or concerned that you'll start putting things back if you keep them around for too long, donating is a great option. Many charities will even receive 25% gift aid at no additional cost to you. So you are not only decluttering your home, but you are also helping others.

Here are some suggestions for where to donate your decluttered items:

• Barnardos (furniture, appliances, home accessories, clothing, bric-a-brac)
• H&M (clothing and other textiles – whatever can’t be sold secondhand is recycled)
• TKMaxx (clothing and other textiles – whatever can’t be sold secondhand is recycled)
• British Heart Foundation (furniture, appliances, home accessories, clothing,  bric-a-brac)
• Food banks (unopened non-perishable foods, some also take perishables)
• Child care centres (gently used toys, crafts supplies, unopened diapers or formula)
• Retirement and care homes (craft supplies)
• Shelters – YMCA, or Salvation Army (clothing, unopened personal care or first-aid items, feminine hygiene products)
• Animal shelters – Dogs Trust (old towels and sheets)
• Libraries (gently used books)

Online charitable organisations (like Donate Your Bra, which accepts bras and lingerie for breast cancer patients)

When donating to places like shelters, nursing homes, or libraries, it's a good idea to call first to see what they accept and how much you can give at once. You don't want to haul everything over there only to discover that they won't accept your items!

Giving Away Your Decluttered Items

This is similar to a donation but works better for individual items. It’s also great for large pieces of furniture that you don’t want to bother selling or hauling away yourself.

• Regifting – Use new items to use as future gifts
• Family/friends who may be interested
• Hand baby clothes or gear down to someone who’s expecting
• Freecycle (allows you to connect with people locally to pass on your items)
• Olio(like Freecycle, but uses local Facebook groups)
• Put items out at the side of the road

Recycling or Repurposing Your Decluttered Item

Some items simply aren't in good enough condition to sell or even donate. For many of them, recycling is an excellent option. You might also have some items that you can't use but want to keep for sentimental reasons. You can find inventive ways to repurpose them and continue to enjoy them. Many people, for example, make pillows out of old t-shirts that hold special memories for them.  I did this for my daughter and she still has it today.

Here are some suggestions for recycling or repurposing your decluttered items:

• Find other local recycling centres by searching your town + recycling centre)
• Find other online recycling options by searching recycle + your item + online
• Pinterest - is a great place to find ideas for upcycling or repurposing items
• Find more ideas for upcycling by searching your item + upcycle OR reuse OR repurpose OR DIY

Letting Go Without Guilt

Keep in mind that, while there are many options, it is probably best to limit your choices to just a few for simplicity's sake. Be imaginative while remaining realistic. Remember that your ultimate goal is to clear your house of clutter, not to make a few pounds or to donate to the perfect charity. Simply do your best and then let go of your decluttered items guilt-free.

That is the true beauty of making a plan! If you've thought about your values, done your research, and devised a solid plan, you'll have nothing to feel guilty about letting go of items in the manner you've chosen.

What is your most difficult decluttering challenge? Do you have any recommendations for places to donate decluttered items that I overlooked?

Thank you for dropping by, I truly appreciate it, because without you  - I wouldn't be here.  Believe in Yourself, you got this, now Go Declutter