This blog post continues our theme of the far-reaching benefits of decluttering your home. In our last two posts, we outlined the health and wellbeing benefits of living in an organised space. Here we will bring this a step further and show you how other people can also benefit from your decluttering! – and all the while adding to your own positive energy!

So to give your spring cleaning a boost why not find a way to involve goodwill in the endeavour?! When sorting your clutter you could consider whether it may be of use to someone else. Clothes, appliances, utensils, homeware and whatever it is you are moving from your home may be of great use to somebody else. Just because you are getting rid of items does not mean that the best place for them is in the trash. However, if you don’t want to get rid of items but still want to keep them, then perhaps you could think about renting a storage space.

What can you do with items you no longer want? Firstly consider the quality of what you are discarding. Make sure that if you are planning on giving it to somebody else that it is of good standard. Clothes should be in good condition and of good quality. Appliances and homeware should be working.

There are lots of places that you can bring your belongings. If there are local charities or homeless groups in your area it is likely that they are always accepting donations of warm clothing and homeware supplies. Make contact with the group directly to explain what it is you have to offer and you can arrange to drop it off at a collection point. There may be a charity shop in your locality which is an easy place to drop off donations. If you have goods of high quality you could even run an auction or yard sale and donate the proceeds to a local charity.

The benefits of making donations of your unwanted stuff:

Firstly, you are helping others. There are lots of people and families here in Dublin, and around Ireland, that would greatly appreciate what you may have to offer. Be it warm clothes, bedding or kitchen appliances, just because you may have upgraded, if what you are moving on is still in good working condition this could go a long way to helping a struggling household. Homelessness has reached crisis point in this city, and many of those with roofs over their heads are struggling also. So by finding a new home for your things you could do a double good – for your home and someone else’s!

The environment is also going to benefit from you recycling your clutter. By bypassing the trash can and placing your unwanted items in the hands of others you are saving the planet from an unnecessary burden of waste – you do-gooder!

We know and have shown you already that you are doing your home a great service by decluttering and organising. It is easier to enjoy all of the space that your home has to offer when it is not swamped with stuff! A spring clean is bound to give your home a much-needed facelift!

Donating your stuff also has benefits for your mental health. Helping others engages the reward pathway in your brain and stimulates neurotransmitters that promote happiness and satisfaction. There’s no doubt that it is a gratifying experience. There is even a growing body of evidence to suggest that people who give their time to others might also be rewarded with better physical health—including lower blood pressure and a longer lifespan.

So it is clear that the benefits are numerous. It’s time to tackle your spring clean and try your best to help others at the same time – for maximum reward!