Too much clutter can quickly become suffocating. A summer decluttering session can renew your experience in your home and with the belongings you keep. At VETS Junk Removal & Dumpsters, we’ve helped with our fair share of clutter hauls through our junk removal service. Learn from our recommendations and past experiences below to plan your decluttering extravaganza!
Sustainable Summer Decluttering: Feel Good About Where Your Items Go
House cleaning during summer or spring can elevate your mood, improve your indoor ambiance, and carve the space for new items. If you value minimalism, you can return to basics, returning your home to your preferred state. Plus, you can feel good about donating, upcycling, and recycling old items.
#1 Rent Dumpsters as Needed
Before refreshing your home, you should prepare the logistical aspect first. Rent a dumpster unit from a nearby provider, like VETS Junk Removal & Dumpsters. Consider how much you expect to toss. Then, choose a slightly larger rental than you expect to use.
This helps you avoid overfilling the dumpster unit or running out of space. If you overfill the unit, you could incur penalty fees to compensate for the extra dumpster run.
#2 Go Through Each Room From the Back to the Front
If you start in the rooms near the doorways, you might create an obstacle course of boxes and items blocking your path. Begin decluttering in the back rooms and hauling filled boxes to the front yard for sorting. You can work toward the front, maintaining a clear walking area throughout the process.
#3 Organize Items By Material
You might find discarded papers and other bits of trash strewn around in closets, home offices, and forgotten storage spaces. Try organizing these items by material for easy recycling. Label boxes and bins according to the material they hold, like aluminum, cardboard, paper, and plastic.
You can also organize your belongings by type, separating toys, clothes, utensils, and other useful items. This simplifies selling and donating the things you no longer want.
#4 Sell What You Can
Sometimes, you can make a quick buck or two by selling items you no longer need or want. Explore digital outlets like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist for local sales. These options are particularly helpful for:
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Furniture and other large items.
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Cumbersome furnishings like rugs or desktop computers.
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Raw construction materials.
You can expand to other platforms, like Mercari or eBay, to sell more valuable items. For example, paintings, collectible toys, and vintage clothing sell like hotcakes on these sites.
Summer decluttering can be profitable as well as productive. Once you make a little money on valuable things, you can give back to your community and the environment.
#5 Donate and Recycle
Give the rest of your usable items as a donation to:
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Local thrift and second-hand stores.
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Neighbors or family members in need.
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Shelters for the homeless and victims of domestic violence
Consider recycling any leftover materials at an organization that specializes in specific items, like discarded clothing, paper products, and metals. You’ll prevent more waste from going into landfills. Plus, you might earn a tax credit for each donation.
#6 Separate the Garbage
Next, simplify dumpster drop-offs by preemptively separating waste into categories. After all, not all garbage is created equal. Some substances are relatively harmless while others can cause significant health issues.
Some examples of waste separation include:
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E-waste: Nonfunctioning computers, dead batteries, and connection wires are all examples of e-waste. You must separate these from other types of garbage, as they can poison the soil and harm the ecosystem.
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Food waste: Most food waste is harmless and doesn’t have to go to a dumpster. You can repurpose it for composting or ask local farmers whether they can use the food.
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Chemical waste: You should never drain household cleaning chemicals into regular garbage nor should you pour it down drains or on the ground. Use similar precautions when discarding over-the-counter and prescription medications. They can poison local wildlife and microfauna.
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Solid, non-hazardous waste: Non-recyclable paper, cardboard, aluminum, and plastic are examples of non-hazardous waste. Toss these materials into the general dumpster rental to transport them to a landfill.
Proper waste separation practices are essential for protecting the environment. A waste management service can help you come up with a plan to properly discard e-waste and chemical waste.
#7 Organize What You Keep
Inventory the items you choose to keep around. Create an organizational system to keep your home tidy for the next year or two. You might purchase plastic storage drawers or boxes for rarely used things.
Cabinet and closet dividers can help you keep track of your frequently used personal belongings. Make a schedule to determine when you’ll invest time and energy toward maintaining a clean, organized household.
#8 Schedule Pickup with VETS Junk Removal & Dumpsters
Finally, call VETS Junk Removal & Dumpsters at 980-613-4692 to choose a dumpster pickup appointment. We can save you one or two trips to the local dumpster or recycling center.
After some summer decluttering indoors, make lawn cleanup your next project. Learn how to dispose of yard waste from our experts. Let’s get your property pristine from the inside out!