Earth Day ::: Four Tips for Getting Rid of Clutter the Eco-Friendly Way :::

If you want to get rid of clutter in your home, you don't have to just throw everything away. There are many creative ways you can de-clutter your home and still be green.

#1 - Make some money

:The most satisfying, green way to get rid of stuff is to make some green.
:High-end clothes can go to consignment.
:Collectibles do well on ebay.
:Toys, children’s clothing, and knick knacks are yard sale best sellers.
:For large numbers of antiques or vintage china, silver, or porcelain, try an auction warehouse or etsy.

#2 - Have a place in your home

Designate the corner of a closet or your laundry room for housing discards to donate. Try to do this every other month. Keep a hamper or garbage can in your designated spot and whenever you see an item cluttering your home that you or your family members 1) don't use, 2) don't love, or 3) have outgrown, put it in the hamper. At the end of each month, bag the items and take them to a donation center, or call to have them picked up. The Veterans and Big Brother Big Sister will pick up clothing and small household items at your home.

#3 - Have a swap party

My friends and I have a seasonal purge party. We all bring items we no longer need or use: clothes, jewelry, purses, home décor, small furniture, magazines, etc. It goes into a pile in the middle of the room and we all dive in! It is a fun way of getting rid of things, getting a few new things, and catching up with friends. At the end of it, we bag all the items we don’t want and donate them to a women’s shelter. This also works well with a group of moms and the clothing and toys your children have outgrown.

#4 - Re-use your own stuff

Reusing common house hold items for new organizational ways can really save you money. Try thinking outside the box as to the way you use common items. For example, empty gift baskets make great mail bins, in-boxes, planters, magazine bins, small toy organizers and more. Walk around your house and really look at your stuff. Can any of it be used for a different purpose? A bookshelf hung on the wall instead of on the floor, a TV cabinet for a night-stand, a shoebox to divide different kinds of socks in a drawer? Try to think creatively and objectively. Wanna check some great upcycled items and green tips?

Sort, sort, sort

Sorting is the easiest way to take a bite out of a cluttered space. Whether it is a nasty pile of paper clutter or a closet bursting at the seams, sorting is the cure.

When you take a look at a huge cluttered pile or space it can be very overwhelming. By sorting the items into categories you are actually breaking them down, simplifying, into a much more manageable project.

Sort items into the following categories: Keep, Donate, Long-Term Storage and my favorite Trash. Here are the definitions for the above categories:

• Keep--Items used on a regular basis--ones you cannot function without in your "daily living space." Organize your keys so they have a place.
• Donate--Items that are no longer used or are duplicates. You have decided that you can do without this item and would rather give it to someone else for them to benefit from it.
• Long-Term Storage--Sentimental things that you want to hold on to but don't need to have cluttering up your daily living space. Out-of-season pieces of clothing qualify for this category as well.
• Trash--Things that are no longer usable.