How to Get Rid of Stuff (Seriously, Practically Anything!)

We’ve crossed the line into a brand new year, and spring cleaning is creeping ever closer. Along with the “Kondo” craze, many of us are feeling obligated to get rid of things.

Thanks to the past couple of years, suddenly our homes have overflowing closets, attics, garages, and basements, and our schedules are feeling too overwhelmed to handle the hassle of cutting the clutter. Plus, there’s a monster of a question that keeps many from taking action: How in the world do you go about getting rid of old stuff?

Between the old clothes, worn-out appliances, ancient tube TVs, dusty treadmills, and threadbare recliners, there’s not much room in your four door sedan to hold all that!

But don’t worry. So you can start enjoying the real benefits to reducing clutter, this blog will guide you on how to get rid of anything that’s nonessential to you quickly – whether you are moving, decluttering, or attempting the minimalistic lifestyle.

There’s no decluttering like quite like moving. This is your chance to completely purge your home! Think, the more you throw out before moving, the less you have to box up. For where to get rid of specific items, we’ll get to that later.

Hosting a pre-move garage sale is a great way to get rid of a ton of clutter and old furniture, and especially for getting rid of garage clutter. Not only are you getting rid of stuff, but you’re making money and space in your truck! Talk about a win-win-win.

Pro Tip: Let visitors know you’re moving and items are in good condition – they’ll get sold faster.

If you’re wondering where to take used items, don’t skip on donating, selling, or recycling appliances and furniture. These take up a majority of your moving truck and will simplify your life by getting rid of them. If you don’t have a car that can take them, consider asking a friend or neighbor. Or you can ask LoadUp since we’re always your friend and neighbor.

Related Article: Looking for an ultimate moving guide? Here’s one with a checklist! 📦

We all have at least one item in our homes that we once loved but no longer serves us. We’ve held on to these things for many years more than we should because we would feel bad about letting it go or didn’t know what to do with it but didn’t want to trash it either.

Changing your mindset when it’s hard to let go

If you’re really having a hard time letting go of sentimental items, ask yourself exactly what you’re sentimental about? Is it the person or memory that gave it to you, or does the item itself bring you life? As much as as it may feel like it, memories won’t go away when you give the sentimental item up! If it is indeed the item, then it’s not clutter and you should keep it.

This commonly happens with baby clothes and items. They get folded up into a box and put somewhere for memories and the what-ifs. This is usually a fuzzy feeling from raising the child and memories of when they were fragile and all yours.

Remember, it’s not the item that’s giving you life — it’s the memory of the person.

👶 Let it go by passing it on to someone you care about that had a baby, or you could even repurpose it to keep it around in a different form. What to do with your old baby items ❯

Decluttering items can free your guilt

Other times we hoard clutter for a negative reason. Guilt. No matter what happened when the item was given or how it landed in your possession, keeping the item does not remedy bad connections with a person, memory, or event. In fact, it makes it worse. Get rid of items associated with guilt and unburden yourself from the literal and mental weight.

Still can’t let go? Take photos and put them into a scrapbook! It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it’ll help make getting rid of the old stuff easier to do. You know — all those birthday cards from your grandma, parents, siblings, and loved ones, stick them in the scrapbook!

Believe in yourself! You can get rid of even the best (and worst) sentimental clutter.

If it’s in good condition, you can try getting rid of furniture for free by donating it to a local charity or thrift store. Call charities near you to save time asking around for where to get rid of stuff in your area. Ask charities if they’re in need of your furniture items and if they’ll pick it up.

Some charities and nonprofits offer pickup of large item donations, but typically you have to haul your furniture to the curb or all the way to a donation drop-off center. This can become a problem if the furniture you’re donating is too big for your car or too heavy for you to lift.

Have someone to help you if you decide to haul your furniture to a donation center. Otherwise, you could injure yourself trying to move it alone.

If it’s not in good shape, you may be able to recycle old furniture to keep it from ending up in a landfill. Most recycling services don’t offer pickup for bulky items such as a sofa or dresser, so you’ll have to get it there yourself.

Before putting any unwanted furniture out on the curb, check with your local solid waste department or Office of Public Works.

It might not be okay in your area to put a couch or futon on the curb to get rid of it. There’s a chance of being cited and fined for illegal dumping or receiving a surprise charge for special service when you leave furniture at the street or behind a dumpster.

❗Note: If your local waste management services don’t go inside your home to remove unwanted items, learn how LoadUp’s luxury in-home junk removal helps you skip hauling junk to the curb.

Old gear like exercise bikes, treadmills or ellipticals that you never use are a big waste of space. If it’s a newer model, of good quality and condition, you could sell used exercise gear.

Take photos and post the item for sale online at a reasonable price with a description of its features and condition on sites like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.

While you may make a few bucks selling things you don’t need, people buying on websites to get rid of stuff are pretty notorious for trying to get it for free, or as close to free, as they can.

If you have a hard time selling a home gym on the web, you can giving it to a friend or family member who might like to have it.

Alternatively, you may also donate or have exercise equipment recycled in your area.

If you are like the average American household, you have been ignoring the random clutter items simply gathering dust. Decluttering knick-knacks isn’t hard, but without knowing what to do with all the household items makes procrastination easy. Good thing we know what to do!

Towels, linens and blankets

Linens like towels, sheets, blankets, etc can be donated to charities and thrift shops such as Salvation Army and Goodwill. If your old linens aren’t in good condition, call a local animal shelter. Animal rescue centers can use towels and blankets for pet bedding or cleaning rags.

Kid toys and stuffed animals

Any leftover toys that are in good condition can go to Salvation Army, a local childcare center, or homeless shelters. If you have any old plush toys your kids have grown out of, ask your local animal shelter if they would like to have those as well.

Kitchen appliances and gadgets

For kitchen gadgets and utensils, check with friends and family to see anyone is in need of kitchen stuff. Kids going off to college, recent graduates moving into their first apartment, and newlyweds coucl appreciate gently used kitchen items like hand mixers or dinnerware.

Household decoration

The same goes for other household odds and ends. You may just be able to find a good home for that table lamp, antique mirror, curtain rod, and potted palm tree all at once.

Unwanted wall décor, including picture frames, mirrors, posters, paintings, and other artwork is often able to be donated. It can be difficult to find where to get rid of stuff that isn’t in good enough condition to be donated, but know that it may instead qualify for recycling.

However, when it comes to mirrors, it’s best to try and donate them. The type of glass that is used to make mirrors isn’t recyclable, and will eventually end up in a landfill.

Whether you’re getting rid of stuff minimalist style or just rearranging the bedroom, decluttering is essential. Your bedroom should be focused on relaxing and sleeping. So look around and determine the items that are distracting from that goal.

Things to get rid of in your bedroom

Get rid of your desk or TV if you have one in your bedroom. They can be disturbing to your sleep cycle having work and play so close to your sleeping zone, and the opposite is also true. Your work may be suffering due to the temptation that your oh-so-near bed is causing.

Throw out old pillows that don’t bounce back, loose papers, expired makeup, cheap jewelry, or anything without a home or purpose. Also, old decor that no longer inspires you should be given away, regifted, or donated!

Get rid of stuff for free that should be donated, recycled or repurposed. Donate to homeless shelters instead of Goodwill since they are in need of the same items but aren’t as popular.

If you can’t give, sell, or donate your old electronics, recycle them instead of tossing them in the trash. Recycling electronics avoids sending them to a landfill and ensures that hazardous materials like lead, mercury, and cadmium are kept out of our air, water, soil, and food supply.

E-waste collection pickup and drop-offs

Most cities and municipalities offer special e-waste collection days with your regular trash pickup. Call city hall or check your town’s government website to find out when yours is held.

Use those sources to find upcoming electronics recycling drop-off events being held in your community. You’ll have to haul your old laptop or desktop PC there, but there is usually little to no fee to drop them off.

Another option is to use an electronics recycling program offered by retailers and manufacturers. Most electronics manufacturers will only take their own brand’s devices, but there are a few that take any type or brand of e-waste.

Erase personal information and files

However you decide to get rid of your old electronics, just make sure to delete any personal information or files first, even if you’re going to have them recycled. A factory reset and/or hard drive wipe is best for your informational safety.

It’s easy to let random and outdated junk pile up in your home office space. You’re so busy that by the time you’re done working, the last thing you want to do is stick around decluttering and organizing your workspace.

Since most office items are bulky and require special disposal methods, having a junk removal company pick up and dispose of those things simplifies the stress.

You don’t have to deal with figuring out what needs to go where or shredding, electronics, hazardous waste, and so many other factors coming into play in the disposal of office equipment and furniture.

Appliances can be one of the most difficult things to get rid of. Major appliances are heavy, awkward to maneuver, and take a small team for removal. Plus, you can’t just throw an old or broken appliance out with the garbage since most trash collection services don’t accept them.

When getting rid of that old fridge or washer & dryer set, you really want to avoid sending them to a landfill since they can cause so much environmental damage.

If you’re buying a new appliance, ask your new appliance seller if they will pick up the old appliance when delivering the new one. Some will throw this in as part of a deal.

Also check with your local electric utility or state energy office to see if they sponsor any appliance pickup and recycling programs near you.

Drain appliances of coolant

Before you can get rid of a refrigerated appliance like a wine cooler, refrigerator, chest freezer, or AC unit, you’ll need to hire a professional to properly drain any coolant that could be left inside. This practice is the law in most cities and municipalities, and it ensures your physical safety from toxic substances when moving the appliance around for disposal.

You’re already on the right track since you’re looking for how to get rid of unwanted items in your home. If you’re thinking about taking it to the next level and join the minimalist lifestyle, welcome! It’s uber clutter-free and quite a nice life to lead.

What separates a clutter-free home from a minimalist home seems to be the intent. The minimalist lifestyle is about living with only the things you need to satisfy basic human needs and it really goes beyond just what your home looks like and into the realm of controlling the desire to own and purchase things.

Versus living simply clutter-free means you may have a few things, but not too many, that are decorative but not so many that they count as clutter.

So, in order to really declutter like a minimalist, you have to ask yourself what practical use does this item serve? You may end up gathering so many items that you’ll start asking things like, “Why did I buy all these things? Why do I even have this bonus room? Why do I search for sales when I have plenty of things already?” It comes with a lot of soul searching and many people find it rewarding.

Good job, you completed decluttering items! Now, as we mentioned earlier, with all this stuff to go through and get rid of, it’s normal to not have time to divide it up, haul it all over town, and make 27 different junk deliveries like some magical junk fairy.

Thankfully we have professional junk removal as a one-stop option for getting rid of all our old junk without sending it to landfills.

When you book a pickup with a junk removal company, professional and experienced loaders come to your home or office and lift your junk from wherever it is out to their truck and haul it away to dispose of it responsibly.

Junk removal companies do charge a fee for their services but consider how much time, energy, stress, and money you save with their services. It’s a small price to pay for not having to worry with everything yourself.

When choosing which junk removal company to go with, think about the disposal options. Most junk removal services take your stuff straight to the dump, however, there are some green junk removal companies out there that will haul your junk to a recycling center or donate it to charity so they can keep it out of the landfill.

LoadUp is a nationwide, eco-friendly junk removal company offering fast, easy, and affordable junk removal at transparent prices that are typically 20-30% lower than others.

You get honest, upfront pricing before you even book environmentally responsible disposal methods. We strive to use methods such as donating and recycling. When you choose LoadUp, you’re going with a fast, eco-conscious, easy haul away service that comes as soon as the next-day.

At LoadUp, we’re excited to be leaders in the junk removal business with our custom technology platform, which provides our customers with great features like real-time notifications, live GPS tracking, and white label pre-calling so you’re always going to know what’s going on with your pickup.

Also, you can rest knowing that you’re in safe hands with LoadUp because all independently contracted Loaders carry a $1M premium insurance policy and pass professional background and driving checks before they can complete pickups on the LoadUp platform.

Related Articles from the Trash Talk Blog:

• Where to Sell, Recycle & Donate Clothes
• 14-Day Decluttering Challenge: Declutter in Just Two Weeks
• Tidy Up the Halls: Decluttering Christmas Decorations the Easy Way
• The 40 Bags in 40 Days Decluttering Challenge: Give up Your Mess for Lent