Tidying Up for Spring? Turn Unwanted Stuff Into Restore Donations

By now, you’ve probably heard of decluttering queen Marie Kondo, author of the international bestseller, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and star of the hit trending Netflix series, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.” In them, Kondo shares numerous tips on the Japanese art of tidying. However, one basic rule of thumb sticks out among them: If something that you own no longer “sparks joy” in your life, go ahead and get rid of it!

But how do you go about decluttering your entire house? According to Kondo, your best bet is to tackle the project by category instead of by room so instead of starting in the kitchen and working your way to the office and bathroom, start by sorting through all of your books, or all of your clothes, etc.

Once you have identified the category, it’s time to start tidying up. We recommend grabbing two garbage bags – one for items that could make suitable Restore donations and another one that is intended for the trash pile.

Kondo recommends physically holding each item you are sorting through and asking yourself, “Does this bring me joy?” If the answer is a “no” then the items in question either get trashed or tossed in the bag designated for Restore donations.

Now that you’ve separated the items you want to keep from those you intend to purge, Kondo recommends finding a specific “home” for each type of item. For example, when it comes to clothing, designate a specific drawer for each specific type of clothing – one for socks, one for T-shirts, and one for jeans.

While finding a specific “home” for each item is important as well as how you store each of those items. For one, forget about piles. Kondo recommends instead storing items vertically so they are easier to distinguish and sort. Thousands of Kondo devotees swear by her method of vertically storing T-shirts.

One of the most important tidying tips to keep in mind is that decluttering takes time and is best done all at once. Don’t even attempt to multi-task, Kondo says, “turn off the television, put away your smartphone, avoid the trappings of nostalgia, and get to work.”

And as you tidy, remember what no longer brings you joy may spark it in someone else. Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity Restores take donations of both brand new and gently used furniture, appliances, and home accessories. Restore donations may also include things such as building supplies and construction material.

These Restore donations are resold to the public at more than half the regular retail price. It’s a win-win really: Our customers get great deals on needed household and personal items while helping us raise money for the life-changing we do.

Remember: You can drop off your Restore donations items at either of our locations or visit our website to schedule a pickup.