by Keith Robinson
Spring is in full swing and while new grass pokes up through the ground, you're switching out your sweaters for T-shirts and changing the window dressing in that annual ritual called spring cleaning.
But cleaning isn't always enough. Sometimes you need to get rid of some stuff. A year ago this week I came up with something I call "The Tao of Delete". While I try and practice it all year long, this time of year is perfect to get started on clearing out stuff you no longer need.
Today I've got four different ways for you to move out unneeded stuff and make room for new.
Donate or sell it!
The first thing you can do is go through your stuff, especially old clothes, books, furniture and other items that might have some value to someone. Sort this stuff into things you want to keep and those you can do without. Much of the stuff you don't want you can give away or sell.
I've got a few rules for this. For example, with clothes I think about the last time I wore them. If it's been over a year, it's gone. Similar rules apply to non-collectable media. I've got a ton of comics, for example, and those are too dear to me to part with, but a paperback I'll never read is something I'll easily donate. In my experience the Salvation Army will take most anything that's not trash.
Another good way to get rid of old stuff is to have a garage or yard sale. Not only will you be clearing your home or office of unwanted stuff, you'll be getting to know people in your neighborhood. It's fun and helps create a tidy home.
Of course you can also sell almost anything on eBay or Craigslist.
Recycle it!
If you have things that for some reason you can't give away try recycling them. Old computers and cell phones, for example, are good candidates for recycling. Don't forget to check our your neighborhood Freecycle list to offer up your stuff to people nearby who will come pick it up, too.
Trash it!
Don't hesitate to trash things. Throwing things away should be an almost last resort, as with most things that aren't really "trash" can be recycled or given away (or made into something else) but there are times when just having something hauled away is the only option. If you choose the right disposal people, they may figure out how to recycle or donate your crap so you don't have to.
Store it!
As an option of last resort (remember we're trying to reduce clutter and complication) you can store things you don't use on a regular basis. This is what I do with my precious comics. For those things you just can't part with, but want to keep for whatever reason, get them out of the way and into storage.
For those pack rats out there, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how good you'll feel after you do a clean out like this. In fact, you'll probably never miss most of what you do away with and in many cases you can take solace in the fact that you may be helping someone else out. Good luck and happy cleaning!
D. Keith Robinson is an associate editor of Lifehacker. His special feature Getting To Done appears every Monday on Lifehacker.