How to Declutter Your Home: A Ridiculously Thorough Guide is one of the things to throw out now.
It is a good time to clean the house.In the words of best-selling author Marie Kondo, tidying up can be life changing.Americans generated more than 200 million tons of trash in 2013, according to the EPA.We have compiled a list of toss-worthy items and the best way to dispose of them.
According to Consumerist.com, there are some rules to follow when removing financials.If you plan on writing off credit card bills at the end of the year, you should toss all monthly bills.It is necessary to have home or renter's insurance.Medical bills that have already been paid by your insurance company can also go.Save bank statements and pay stubs until the end of the year, along with any tax returns less than 7 years old.If you have a lot of confidential information, use a confetti shredder instead of a shredder ribbon.You can put those shreds in the recycling bin.
Repurpose single earrings to use as a bulletin board tack, or make a brooch or magnet by cutting off the stems with wire cutters and adding a pin backing or a magnet end with a glue gun, according to Reader's Digest.Is that how it is!Donate them to an antiques or curiosities shop if they have to go.
You should shred your receipts with your signature or credit card number, according to TheNest.com.Unless you plan on writing them off on your taxes, throw out any receipts for cash purchases.
You would think it would be easy to recycle window bill envelopes, but it depends on where you live.You might have to remove the plastic window to throw it in the recycle bin.Get the scoop with your local recycling directive.
A blend of materials is what makes compact discs.The CD Recycling Center of America recommends they be recycled or fixed.To repair minor scratches, rub a mild abrasive on the non-label side of a disc in a circular motion from the center outward.Do you still want to ditch them?Donate, trade or sell them.If you can't listen to a CD, look for an e-recycling facility.
crayon stubs can be used to make more crayons, according to Crayola.com.If you don't mind, you can send them to Crazy Crayons, a program that recycles all types of crayons and makes it easier to sort by color.
You can usually get store credit if you trade in your cell phone for charity or sell it for a lower price.A group email list can be used to sell accessories like cords for old phones.
According to Recycle Nation, you can't just throw greeting cards in the bin to be recycled with the rest of your paper goods unless they're made of paper and paper only.Cut out the decorative elements and save them for homemade cards or scrapbooking decorations.
We buy spices to make a particular recipe only for them to sit in the back of our cabinets for a long time.The rule of thumb is that most spices will be gone after a year, less for finely ground spices and more for whole spices.If you want to reuse glass bottles, dump old spices in the trash and wash them out.
Even if they are slightly expired, beauty products make great donations to women's shelters.Eye makeup should be replaced every few months, especially mascara, and face makeup and lipstick within a year.You can recycle the containers if you remove the product from the packages.Some companies offer a mail-in program for recycling.
There isn't much need to keep old appliance manuals, they can be found on the manufacturer's website.Unless it is a seriously decorative endeavor using foil, the good old paper recycling bin will do.
Even if they are bent, wire hangers can be donated to dry cleaners.Some seriously creative recycling ideas can be found on Homedit.com, including a ribbon or eyeglass holder.
The stuff has to be dropped off at special recycling facilities.Best Buy has free recycling kiosks for electrical cords and cables.
A bra can last up to eight months, according to the Huffington Post.Bras in good shape can be recycled or donated to women's shelters.Although 95 percent of worn or torn textiles can be recycled, only 15 percent actually get recycled according to The Bra Recyclers.If you sign up with the company, it will send out a label to mail in your old bras, and you will do something nice for Mother Earth.
According to the National Resources Defense Council, cotton makes up 4% of the nation's solid waste stream.Brit & Co put together a list of ideas.Textile recycling bins are found in many greenmarkets to get rid of what is left.
Knives are difficult to use.If the handle breaks, it will be a different story.There is a better way to dispose of knives than tossing them in the garbage.Wrap the blades in paper or cardboard and put them in a sealed container.Bring them to a recycling center that accepts small appliances if they are still usable.
If you are just updating your kitchen and the appliances still work, you can donate them to a charity or list them on Freecycle.org.Best Buy has a program to dispose of old appliances in a responsible way.
Sort through your hair accessories first.Find combs and picks you don't use.If you want to donate them,Disinfect them.There are ways to remove rust from barrettes and pins.Is there curling irons and straighteners?The broken ones go to a recycling center that accepts small appliances, while the ones in working condition that you don't use can be donated.
Call2Recycle is dedicated to recycling batteries and cellphones.You can find the nearest drop-off locations online.Many local city governments provide used-battery drop-offs in accessible places like public transportation centers and greenmarkets, and recycling centers often have a battery bin as well.
PopSugar has some great ideas on how to reuse old images.If you want to create cute envelopes with old calendar pages, you can turn them into wrapping paper like Paper Source did.If they are all paper, throw them in the recycling bin.
If you want to get rid of broken lights in the dumpster, you need to check with your local recycling organizations.Home Depot will accept lights for recycling.
Do you know any young doll owners?Those who want to experiment with new hair styles can get hairbrushes that have lost a couple of teeth.If the bristles are soft, they can be used on pets.
The electronics-recycling program at Best Buy makes it easy to dispose of old-school electronic items that take up space in your junk drawer.There are small appliance bins at a recycling center.
There is a whole page on pinsy devoted to the art of repurposing missing puzzle or game pieces, and we love this heart wreath made from painted jigsaw pieces.They can be turned into jewelry.Not for crafts?Donate to a children's art class.
When it's time to ditch your kicks, Nike has a cool shoe-recycling program that grinds down old sneaks and transforms them into sports surfaces.Soles4souls accepts used shoes and distributes them to people who might not have any.
Glass items can be recycled, but porcelain, ceramic and Pyrex can not.There is a lot of inspiration when it comes to finding new uses for busted porcelain.You can transform pieces you love into mosaics, necklace amulets or even a gorgeous table.Donate them to someone who can.If the items are still usable, donate to charity; if not, put the pieces in a paper bag and label it.
You can either lend them out or donate them to a local school, hospital or library.If you live near foot traffic, you can turn a profit by holding a book sale.Put them out with a sign that says "free" and donate what's left.Amazon resells gently used books.
There are a lot of ideas for upcycling old books that can't be donated.To make homemade wrapping paper, rip out a bunch of pages and tape them together.Wrap a page around oak tag paper or poster board and add a red ribbon to make a bookmark.If you want to use them for art projects, consider donating them to a community center.
Chunky chair or tables can be repaired.You can post them on an online classified site if that is not possible.Goodwill only accepts furniture in great condition, but sometimes they will come to your home and retrieve the object in question.If you can request a bulk item to be picked up by your municipal waste service, that would be great.There are junk removal services that you can pay for.
The Writing Instruments brigade, a free recycling program for used writing instruments, was formed by Pen manufacturing companies and Terracycle.You just have to collect a bunch and mail them in.
Paper playing cards are coated in plastic, so they can't be recycled with regular paper.Some old playing card decks can be worth as much as $160).If you want to learn more about potential card values, they suggest checking websites like ArtofPlay.com and Cardvolution.COM.
If you are done with your curtains, you can wash, dye, cut, measure and turn them into table runners or tablecloths.If that isn't your game, consider donating them to a friend who likes to make pillows.If the fabric is not being used, look for textile-recycling facilities.
If you can get the stain out, try to sell it oncraigslist, give it away on Freecycle or donate it to an animal shelter, they make for great cage liners and cat scratchers.The Carpet America Recovery Effort is an organization that recycles old mats and rugs.There are drop-off facilities listed on the website.
Socks with holes are a great way to buff shoe polish on your shoes.Do you have kids?What better way to spend a winter day than making buttons into puppets?Do you want them out of your house?Many farmers markets have textile recycling bins.
You can recycle the cans if you toss the food in the garbage.The botulism can develop easily in damaged cans.If you don't thaw out frozen food, you'll end up with a garbage bag.
You aren't alone if you bought exercise equipment only to use it as a clothes hanger.2nd Wind Exercise buys and sells gently used exercise equipment, or you can sell them on the internet.If the piece is broken irreparably, you may have to request a bulk item pick-up from your local waste management company.
Don't flush this stuff.The EPA recommends dissolving the vitamins and meds in a half-cup of water if you remove them from their containers.They can be put in a bag full of coffee grounds or kitty litter to reduce the risk of a kid or animal getting to them.
It isn't easy to recycle parts made of so many different materials, but they are often fixable.There are many ways plastic frames can be fixed.Do you still want to get rid of your glasses?The Lion's Club has a program called Lions Recycle for Sight, which accepts donations at various sites or by mail and gives glasses to people in need.
There are many projects one could make using broken costume jewelry on the internet.There are a lot of amazing ideas, like decorating a light fixture with broken necklaces, turning busted brooches into magnets and old necklaces into gorgeous curtain ties.Local bead or craft shops might be willing to accept donations.If you can find a center that accepts metals, take them there.
Much can be done with this kind of scrap material.Cut fabric scraps into small squares and stuff them with lavender to make sleep aids.Not your thing?Donate the scraps to a place that offers sewing and knitting classes.
For a second life, wood frames can be sanded down and painted over.Do not paint them after sanding and go with the shabby chic look.Check your town for wood recycling pickup dates if you just want to toss them.
Most cleaning products are supposed to be water-soluble and can be thrown down the drain, but only do one at a time.You can rinse and recycle the containers that came in.sponges, sheets, sticks, pads and towelettes should be thrown in the trash.Before you recycle your aluminum containers, you should empty your aerosol cans.
Take the plant out of the pot and save the dirt for the flowerbed.A lot of farmers markets have composting stations where you can bring old plants to compost.If it is in a plastic container, make sure your local recycling program accepts the number.
Patients need the distraction of magazines and catalogs in hospitals.Magazines can be offered to your friends by libraries.They can be recycled in the paper bin if that doesn't work.
The EPA can tell you how to dispose of fluorescent bulbs with a small amount of mercury.Lamps can either be donated or sold.You can post for free on Freecycle.
rags to clean with are made from ripped towels.They are useful to keep around for leaks.The farmers market has a textiles recycling bin.
Old, broken watches are great for steampunk jewelry.Consider donating them to an antiques or curiosities shop where an artist could use them for a project.Even if you don't want to pay for the repair, the shop may be able to reuse the parts.
Half-burned candles can pose a disposal dilemma since they come in a glass container.The best way to melt down all the wax is to recycle the glass container.St.Vincent de Paul, a non-profit human services organization in Louisiana, takes half-burned candles and turns them into cool items like recycled skateboard wax.
Paint can be harmful to the environment.You have to add cat litter to the half-used can of latex paint before tossing it in the garbage, according to Lowe's.Oil paint must be thrown away at a recycling center.Paintbrushes can be donated to a community center or day care center for kids' craft projects, but if they're not usable, they have to go in the regular garbage can.
How often do you clean your house?Does a messy house make you anxious?What are the first things to do when you get rid of stuff?What are some things you can't let go?Let us know in the comments.