Summertime is full of fun, swimming, parties, vacations, and cookouts. This doesn’t leave much time for decluttering and junk removal, not that you would want to add that to your list of summer chores anyway. So, with fall approaching quickly and the kiddos back in school, lets talk about some ways to get rid of summertime junk and clutter.
I am sure by now you have done the whole back to school shopping thing and have restocked your child(rens) closet with clothes that actually fit them. Compared to last years clothes, which have been shrinking all summer, the new clothes have a wonderful new feel, smell, and look that make your kids want to wear them. So, the next question is, what do you do with all of their old clothes? You don’t just want to throw them away because they are still in good condition and have some wear left in them still. Consider taking these clothes, shoes, and accessories to a non-profit organization that helps first hand in your own community. First, go through and bag up all the clothes that they can no longer wear or want. Second, research and think about which organization you want to donate the clothes to. Ask them questions to make sure they are truly giving back to the people that are in need in your community. Some organizations have wonderful programs to help within the community and others help more abroad. Thirdly, once you have chosen where to take the bags of unwanted clothing simply drive them there, drop them off, and don’t forget to pick up your tax deduction slip.
Another major mess at our house is always the dreaded crayon/pencil/papers draws. A lot of the crayons end up being broken and become junk. We have a three drawer tote that hold crayons and writing utensils, paper and construction paper, and coloring books. Eventually, throughout the year, these drawers no longer are able to shut due to the large amount of products being shoved into them. A great way to solve this problem is to declutter and organize these three drawers. There are many art centers, school, or daycare’s that would love to have the scrap paper, unused erasers, and excess coloring books. Broken crayons can be recycled by contacting and shipping them to Crayola to be made into new crayons. When the drawers have room again and shut, you have completed another organizing task.
Personal hygiene is always important. Go through your little girls hair bows, barrettes, ponytail holders, and other hair accessories and clean out what they have outgrown or no longer wear. Donate these to a non-profit or pass them down to a friend or family member.
It seems like doing these small tasks won’t help you relieve your feelings of clutter claustrophobia for the start of Fall but once you start somewhere it always seems easier to keep moving throughout the house to work on the rest of the junk. Of course, if you feel like just collecting the items throughout your home is work enough, just call a junk removal company, like McJunk, to come haul it away for you. McJunk donates as many items as we can to organizations that can use them before we go to the landfills. Overall, the goal is to make your life less complicated at the start of the school year and a busy schedule.