You’re on a roll: The rooms of your home are nearly as clean as the day you moved in and more so than any day since. Spring cleaning has continued through the summer, and it doesn’t look like there will be any reprieve in fall.
If your spouse or significant other is making vague allusions to Sherman marching through Atlanta, perhaps you might be going a bit overboard with the purge. Cleaning is good. Leaving your home looking like it was overrun by an invasion of rabid housekeepers might be a bit much.
There are always things you need to keep (at least for a period of time) — tax records, bank statements, kids birth certificates.
A clutter free home can be a reality. Just start asking yourself a one or all of the following questions to help you decide what to keep and what to drop into a Bin There Dump That bin. Declutter your home fast – starting now.
Do You Need It?
No one wants that letter from the Internal Revenue Service, but if you get audited, you need to have the support. The rule of thumb is to have tax records going back seven years.
But while that Father’s Day card that Junior made in third grade might have a lot of sentimental value, it may be time to discard. There’s nothing wrong with keeping items with sentimental value. The problem is keeping everything with sentimental value.
As you go through the house, ask yourself if the item is one you need (even if you don’t want it) or if it just has sentimental value (even if you don’t need it).
Does It Have Financial Value?
Just because something has no value doesn’t mean it’s instantly garbage. On the flip side, just because it has value doesn’t mean it’s something you should keep. Value is just one factor to consider, but it can be an important one. Even when things to have value, they might not be worth keeping. But if you can give them away (i.e., clothes to the Salvation Army) the value might be in the writeoff you get when you’re doing your tax return.
Does It Work?
Remember that old television that was going to be repaired? All it needed was a couple of new parts! But if four years later, it’s still sitting on the workbench — next to the broken VCR, broken radio, broken toaster and broken computer screen — it could be time to give up the ghost.
There’s an old saying: “If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.” But there’s the very infrequently heard second half to that old saw: “If it is broke, throw it away.” OK, maybe we made up that last part, but the sentiment is real. Most modern appliances and electronic gadgets are filled with computer circuitry that ordinary users won’t be able to repair; keeping a broken device around the house isn’t worth it.
When Did You Last Use It?
It has value, and it’s not broken. That still doesn’t mean it’s automatically something you should keep. If you haven’t used it in more than a year, then it’s probably something you don’t need to keep.
Rule of thumb: If there is stuff in boxes in the basement that haven’t been touched since you moved in, it’s probably stuff you don’t need to keep. If there are clothes that haven’t been worn in in more than a year, donate them.
Your Dumpster Rental Partner
No matter what your cleaning job is, Bin There Dump That dumpster rental will play an important role as you rediscover your clutter free home. It’s the perfect solution for any home improvement project, whether you’re adding a new room or clearing out some old ones.
Visit the Bin There Dump That website to find the franchise operator nearest you.
