Enjoy That Decluttered Feeling
Donate for Good
When you renew and refresh your own spaces by donating to Goodwill Northern Michigan, you're helping your community in so many ways. You support our community programs that bring food to neighbors and help people find home. You keep useful goods out of landfill, and allow other people to reuse the items instead of purchasing new ones.
Your spring cleaning efforts go a long way in supporting our neighbors in need. Here’s where to start:
Get Our Guide to Decluttering - Tips to Make Decluttering Easy
At Goodwill, we gratefully accept your used items at our convenient and easy Goodwill Northern Michigan donation centers. We sell items in our thrift stores and online to fund our housing and food community programs. We also salvage items that we can’t sell to maximize the value of all donations we receive. Last year, we diverted 5,596,500 pounds of goods from landfill.
7 Health Benefits of Decluttering
Decluttering benefits your mental and physical health. Here are seven ways how.
Improve Focus: Princeton research shows that organized spaces reduce distractions and help you stay on task and boost productivity.
Sleep Better: American Academy of Sleep Medicine research shows that clutter keeps you up at night. Create a calm environment for restful nights.
Lift Your Mood: Declutter to feel happier says UCLA. Too much stuff can lead to stress and low spirits. Clearing space can improve your mood and confidence.
Let Go of the Past: Say goodbye to emotional baggage. Holding onto old items can weigh you down. Letting go frees you to move forward.
Focus on Goals: While some items can serve as reminders, clear clutter to achieve more. Keep what motivates you and let go of what holds you back. Streamline your space for success.
Fewer Allergens: Knick knacks, stacks of magazines, and overstuffed closets are traps for dust, pet hair, mold and mildew.
Donating Makes You Happy: There is a direct connection between serving others and happiness. When you donate items to Goodwill you’re helping your community, too! You’re keeping useful products out of landfill, and the funds generated from your donation support Goodwill programs that put food on the tables of your neighbors and help neighbors find home.
5 Ways Decluttering Saves You Time
Americans spend 2.5 days each year searching for things … wouldn’t you rather spend that time at the beach!?
Overstuffed closets rumple clothes. Save time ironing!
Easier, faster outfits. When you love everything you see, it all fits and you can see everything you have, putting an outfit together is easy.
When you don’t have to move or dust around a lot of stuff, cleaning is faster.
Putting things away is faster and easier, since there’s room for them.
At Goodwill, we make donating speedy, too. There’s a team member at our convenient drop-off door, ready to help you unload and give you a smile and a receipt, so you can be on your way in no time!
Get the Goodwill Decluttering Guide
Get our handy Decluttering Tips Sheet for a fridge-ready checklist of small decluttering tasks, what to donate, what not to donate and more. Fill out the form below and we’ll email you our guide to decluttering.
Expert Advice for Decluttering the Easy Way
Use a System — The Four Box System
There are many decluttering systems out there, but The Four Box System seemed easiest to us. Begin by setting up four empty boxes or bins:
Trash
Goodwill Donation
Storage
Put Away
Once a box is full, pause decluttering until you can empty it. This might mean a quick trash disposal or a few days to drop off donations at Goodwill.
Consider adding a fifth box for items needing repair, but be realistic about your ability and time. Anything left for over a year should be discarded to avoid stress.
Make Donating Easy
When your donation box is full, place it in your car right then for easy drop-off during errands. Forgotten boxes merely shift clutter rather than clear it, even ending up in new homes.
Conquer Sentimental Saving
Capture memories digitally by photographing sentimental items, like gifts from someone special or favorite toys the kids have outgrown, you're letting go. Free yourself from guilt, knowing someone else will appreciate and cherish them.
Clean-Sweep Method
Clear a room entirely, leaving only furniture, then selectively reintroduce items. The process helps identify and remove unnoticed clutter occupying space without purpose.
For instance, a family discovered they didn't need a bread box on the counter (they stored bread in the fridge), so they donated it.
Make Decluttering Fun with Friends
Decluttering is more enjoyable with a friend. You can catch up, and they can be a reality check for things you don't wear. Plus, they lack sentimental attachment to your possessions.
Divide Decluttering Tasks and Be Clutter-Free by Summer
Break decluttering into daily tasks using the Goodwill Guide to Decluttering, with its handy Declutter Checklist. Spend 10 - 15 minutes on most tasks, reserving longer ones for weekends. Completing five tasks weekly ensures a clutter-free home by summer.
Tips for Cleaning Out Your Closet
It’s a perfect time to clear your closet and enjoy that decluttered feeling. Plus, when you donate your items, you'll receive a 10% discount coupon off shopping in Goodwill stores. Use your discount to freshen up your wardrobe, add zing to your decor, or get sporting goods to use in the next season.
Here’s a video offering some tips, including a process to discover which items in your closet are taking up space for no reason.
