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How do I get Rid of Junk?

Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick

Whether it's called a spring cleaning or not, many people make an annual effort to get rid of junk that has accumulated over time. Sometimes the result is a clutter-free home and garage, while other times it's more of a pruning and rearranging of sacred objects. It can be difficult to get rid of junk, especially if that junk has sentimental value, or may prove useful at some later date. Getting rid of true junk and clutter may be a dirty chore, but it can also be rewarding.

One way to get rid of junk is to recruit helpers for a blitz cleaning effort. Some volunteers may take on the house itself, while others clean out the garage, attic or other storage spaces. This approach generally takes no prisoners, since the cleaners may not have any sentimental attachment to the things they encounter. If it does not serve a clear purpose, it is considered to be trash. A centralized sorting table can be set up for questionable items, but the rest of the clutter is destined for the trash bin of history.

Dumpsters may be rented to get rid of junk.
Dumpsters may be rented to get rid of junk.

If there are a number of usable items among the clutter, a private garage or yard sale may be in order. Many people get rid of junk by placing it in their yards or garages on the weekends and holding a public sale. This may require some advance work on pricing items, setting up the sales area and advertising the event, but the end result would be some cash profit along with a less cluttered home.

One way to get rid of clutter is to organize a yard sale.
One way to get rid of clutter is to organize a yard sale.

Some people get rid of junk by donating it to local charities, especially those with existing thrift stores. Actual junk should be not be donated, of course, but usable items such as clothing, furniture, appliances and tools can be resold at deep discounts to the needy. Donations to recognized charities are usually tax-deductible, so taxpayers who itemize can realize some financial benefit as well. A number of charities can make arrangements for picking up large items such as mattresses and furniture, which makes things much more convenient during an annual cleaning.

A major part of spring cleaning may be to organize closets and get rid of junk.
A major part of spring cleaning may be to organize closets and get rid of junk.

If the cleaning project is truly beyond the scope of a few volunteers and garbage bags, you may be able to rent a commercial dumpster unit for a few hours or days to hold all of the junk. Sometimes it becomes necessary for a house to be completely emptied in order to be renovated or put on the market for resale. If such a wholesale cleaning becomes necessary, as in the case of an estate liquidation, a commercial dumpster and/or the services of a professional cleaning company may prove useful.

Rummage sales are a great way to help eliminate clutter.
Rummage sales are a great way to help eliminate clutter.

In recent years, a number of people have turned to Internet auctions in order to get rid of junk. Either a person registers for his or her own account with a reputable Internet-based auction website, or the items may be placed on consignment with intermediary companies which handle all of the technical details for a percentage of the sales price. One man's junk may indeed be another man's treasure, so putting it on public display may be the best way to put in the hands of people who truly want it.

Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick

A regular WiseGEEK contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.

Learn more...
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick

A regular WiseGEEK contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

umbra21

@bythewell - You might want to talk to a psychologist about it if it starts getting in the way of your life. Often hoarders don't start out as hoarders but as pack rats who gradually get worse and worse until they end up having to rearrange their whole lives around their stuff.

Honestly, I feel the urge myself a lot of the time and I don't want to throw out anything. I have to remind myself that once it's gone, I'll never think about it again. I have honestly never thought to myself, darn, I wish I had kept all those cardboard boxes, they would come in handy right about now. It's hard to chuck something out, but once its gone, you can stop worrying about it.

bythewell

@Mor - I have trouble even doing that. I tend to collect a lot of stuff, because I worry that I might need it one day and it doesn't make sense to throw it out when that might still be true.

I'm not so bad that I would keep anything that wasn't useful, like glue that had dried or something like that, but I do tend to end up with a lot of scrap paper and plastic containers from ice-cream and stuff, just because I think I might need them one day. I don't know how to overcome that impulse.

Mor

I find that it's easier to get rid of junk if I know that it will go to someone else. So even if I can't manage to sell it off in a garage sale or on the internet, I would still try to donate it to a thrift shop or something like that. If it's anything useful, I also offer it to friends and relatives and put it up on Facebook that I don't want it any longer and see if there are any takers.

If all else fails, I would probably take it apart and try to recycle it. I really don't like throwing stuff out. Even electronics and things that I wouldn't know how to take apart usually have companies that are willing to take them as salvage.

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    • Dumpsters may be rented to get rid of junk.
      By: Alexandr Blinov
      Dumpsters may be rented to get rid of junk.
    • One way to get rid of clutter is to organize a yard sale.
      By: Alexey Stiop
      One way to get rid of clutter is to organize a yard sale.
    • A major part of spring cleaning may be to organize closets and get rid of junk.
      By: Elenathewise
      A major part of spring cleaning may be to organize closets and get rid of junk.
    • Rummage sales are a great way to help eliminate clutter.
      By: chantal cecchetti
      Rummage sales are a great way to help eliminate clutter.
    • People who have cluttered work areas may need help getting rid of items.
      By: Gang
      People who have cluttered work areas may need help getting rid of items.
    • Some people donate old items to charity.
      By: Frank Boston
      Some people donate old items to charity.