I am never shocked to find that my clients usually have a pile of items to donate
somewhere in their home before I even arrive, and honestly, having a pile of outgoing
items is probably a good idea for most people. The key is to take that final step and
remove the clutter from your home. Through my years of experience, I have found the
correct place to donate or ethically dispose of just about every item you may have in
your home, and as part of my service, I will take care of that part for you. If you want to
try and tackle some of it yourself, here is a list to help you get started.
Here are some of my most frequent items that I have encountered that people hold on
to simply because they don’t know how to get rid of it:
License Plates: the DMV will take them and use them to make new ones.
Expired/unneeded medications: most police stations have a drop box for these. I go to the Olivette City Center
Used motor oil: AutoZone will gladly take most car chemicals and old car batteries free of charge.
Old/broken Electronics: I go to Spectrum Ecycle. They take just about anything with a cord or battery, most without a fee, but you can check out their website for more info on what they take. They also have very convenient hours, so if you work regular business hours, you could still make the trip before or after work.
Stained towel/sheets/blankets: the APA and other animal shelters would love to take these items to use in the animal cages. They also take unexpired pet meds, toys, treats and just about any other pet supplies.
Unexpired Non-Perishable Foods: Operation Food Search has a drop box outside so you can make donations of food 24/7!
Moving Boxes/packing material: I have never had trouble finding someone on my local Buy Nothing group to take moving boxes. It seems like such a waste for all that (expensive) cardboard to be used only once before going to recycling, so why not share the love with the next person moving!
Construction Items: The Habitat Restore will take most construction leftovers (cabinets, mirrors, drywall, fencing etc. if it is in good condition. Check out their website for the complete list of what they will take, you may be surprised!
Baby and Kid Clothes/Equipment: Helping Hand Me Downs takes anything in this category as long as it is in good condition. They get the items directly to local families in need. Kangaroo Kids and Once Upon A Child are also options if you would like to get some money for your items, but they can be picky about what they take.
Car seats: While used car seats are generally not accepted as donations for safety reasons, Target has a twice annual car seat recycling program (usually April and October) where you can bring in your used/damaged car seat of any type, and you even get a 20% bonus to be used for new baby gear.
Books, CDs, DVDs, Puzzles, Games: Half Price books will sometimes give you money for your used items, but even if they won’t pay you for the items, they will recycle anything they don’t think is sellable.
Legos: The MiniFig Shop buys and sells used Lego bricks and kits by the pound, you won’t get as much as you paid for them, but you can get cash or store credit.
General clothes/household donations: My usual bulk drop offs are to The Bridge or St. Vincent DePaul. St. Vincent will even pick up used furniture free of charge if you call ahead to schedule a pickup. There are many options in this category, but I especially love these because they are locally run and provide much needed services to our local community.
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