Winter is my favourite season for decluttering - you're at home anyway sheltering from the grotty weather outside, so adding a decluttering project to your to-do list is a great way to stay warm AND be productive. But what to do with those out of season items like jandals and sandals? And what exactly does "lightly used" mean?
It can be hard to pass on summer clothing during winter. They're a tough-sell for the op-shops as very few people are rocking around in lightweight dresses and sandals - demand is low to non-existent. The pay-it-forward and community pages are filled with people looking for warm clothes. You could wait until the sun comes back, but if you've got a bee in your beanie about clearing out the summer stuff, here's what you can do now.
Ring around
Not all op-shops are the same - some happily take clothes all year round. Phone a few close to you and ask if they're accepting summer clothes and shoes.
List on Marketplace or PIF pages
For some reason, it is often easier to fulfil a request than offer something ourselves. If you have a bulk lot of items to get rid of, try listing them on your favourite community page or Marketplace. Try to group sizes together so it is easy for someone to say YES PLEASE.
What do charities mean by "lightly used"?
This is a tricky one as every charity will have a different take on this. I follow this rule of thumb and it has served me well: if you've used only 1/4 of a product (for example, a candle), then it's lightly used. Plenty of life still in it, so pass it on.
On the subject of candles, many people I chat with are surprised that we accept used candles in our Clutter Boxes. Woven Earth is always keen for candles, so the very best of those I collect go to Kerryn and her team. You don't need to worry if it's "good enough" or "lightly used" when you declutter with Clutter Collect - just pop it in your Clutter Box and I'll figure out the best place for it to go.
Happy decluttering!
Beks
