Old things, derelict items, decrepit stuff—all potential for the junk pile, but some of you continue to hold on to it. Why is that? Do you really need all that stuff? Should you actually keep it around? Maybe, but the answer is often a resounding NO.

Top Reasons To Get Rid of Stuff

  • the item has the potential to harm you
  • it is outdated to the point of being unusable
  • the sentimental value is lost due to the condition of the piece

Cause Harm

Mouse droppings can carry hantavirus, listeria, or salmonellosis, which is harmful to humans

If an object has the potential to cause harm, it is time to get rid of it. Not only does it no longer have resale value, but any sentimental value which an item may originally have held is eroded by the state of the object. It is not worth the risk to your health and wellness to keep such items in your home.

What might cause harm?

  • Items broken or damaged beyond repair.
  • Things so encrusted in dirt, filth or mold that they could cause respiratory illness.
  • Anything infected by animals or insects (ie. mouse poop, bed bugs, cockroaches)
  • hazardous materials (ie. asbestos, biological waste, old paint)
* Note that Load of Rubbish DOES NOT COLLECT items which are infected by bedbugs as well as some hazardous materials.

Outdated

Older appliances often have a much lower energy efficiency

Sometimes we hold onto stuff long after we should. I’m not talking molasses that expired five years ago here (that might fall under harm from food poisoning). While many items may still continue to function and not necessarily cause you harm, their usefulness gets depleted by time. New technologies make many goods obsolete in our fast-paced world. Who still has a flip phone in their junk drawer? Those obsolete items might hold nostalgic value, but can often no longer keep up with modern tools and technologies. Plus, sometimes they aren’t as energy efficient or safe for the environment. Time to get with the times and ditch your outdated articles!

  • computers
  • fridges
  • stoves
  • telephones
  • radios
  • gaming systems
  • washing machines
  • lamps
  • televisions
  • cars
Sentimental items include photos, knickknacks, heirlooms, jewellery, and furniture

Sentimental Value

This is a hard one. Objects aren’t merely things when sentiments get attached to them. We hold something in our hands and remember events, people, certain times of our life, and more. It becomes more than the sum of its parts, making it that much more difficult to get rid of. Ultimately though, these articles are still stuff and occasionally there is too much.

This doesn’t necessarily mean we have to erase our past, but there is a limit to how much should be kept. Whether that limit is set by square footage, by an emotional limit to how much one can keep, or just by the poor quality of the antique, remember that sometimes less is more.

Ways to do that?

  • Hold the memories in fewer items.
  • Take photos of collections to remember them.
  • Give them to cherished friends and family.
  • Donate them to people who can use them.
* Load of Rubbish donates as many usable items as we can to area thrift stores. Contact us for a pickup today.