Sort out your old stuff – five reasons why having a clear out is good for you

Today (March 2) is National Old Stuff Day, a date designed to celebrate all the treasures and trinkets cluttering up your home.

Most houses are packed full of furniture, ornaments or simply odds and ends from years gone by. But if your old stuff is not being used, loved or appreciated, is there any point having it at all?

The idea of Spring cleaning your home is by no means a new one and experts claim a good clear out can have a positive impact on the value of your property. But banishing the clutter can also have a beneficial impact on both your mental and physical health.

1. Out with the old for a fresh start
   
   The act of clearing out your cupboards can be cathartic. By reducing the clutter in your home, you are letting go of the past and making a fresh start. It could be that you have a wardrobe full of too-small clothes which remind you how much weight you have gained over the years. Or perhaps your home is full of things which make you think about a previous partner or a time in your life when you were unhappy. A cluttered home also makes it harder for you to find the things you need and can make you feel distracted and unfocused. Removing some of this stuff can reduce stress and save time by simplifying your lifestyle. A great way to see a big impact straight away is to put the contents of your attic, garage and cupboards into storage while you gradually sort them out. Using self storage will help you enjoy the benefits of a clutter-free home immediately while allowing you to hang on to the items you are not quite ready to part with yet. You may even find that once these things have been away from your home a while that you find it easier to say goodbye to them.
   
   
2. Turn your decluttering into a good deed
   
   Helping others gives us a good feeling about ourselves as well as life in general. You may not have much spare money to donate to charity but your unwanted stuff could very well benefit a good cause. One of the simplest ways of turning your clutter into something positive is to donate it to a charity shop which will sell your items to raise funds. Most will take good quality clothing, books, DVDs, toys and bric-a-brac and some larger stores will also accept electrical items and furniture. You may also want to consider giving items to projects which distribute them directly to people in need. For example, some charities collect warm clothing to give to the homeless, while others will support asylum seekers, refugees or families fleeing abuse. Another way of getting a warm fuzzy feeling inside is to give some of your stuff to friends or family who need it.
   
   
3. Make your home easier to maintain
   
   If you have a home which is bursting at the seams with stuff, it can be a real challenge to keep it clean, tidy and looking its best. Putting a stop to hoarding and embracing minimalism will make housework less of a chore. Make sure everything in your house has a home of its own and can be cleared away after use. If you haven’t anywhere to keep it, then consider if you really need it. Getting rid of unwanted items may also free up more space in your home to use for something else. You could turn what is currently a junk room into a home office, a bedroom for guests or somewhere to pursue a hobby which interests you instead.
   
   
4. Bust the dust to boost your health
   
   Clutter is a real dust magnet and can aggravate allergies and health conditions. Many people are allergic to house dust mites, which thrive on microscopic particles of skin. These mites can cause outbreaks of rhinitis, which often presents as a stuffy or runny nose, eczema and trigger asthma attacks. One of the best ways to tackle dust mites is to reduce the dust in your home. Having clear surfaces which are simple to clean will make it easier to keep on top of the issue. It is also worth reducing the amount of things like books, potted plants and cuddly toys in your home. If you don’t want to get rid of these items altogether, put them into a self storage facility like Andrew Porter Ltd’s Self Store warehouse in Lancashire. That way, you can access your things when you want to without harming your health.
   
   
5. Clear your way to a trimmer waistline
   
   A cluttered home adds to stress levels which can make people overeat. Experts claim that getting on top of your home and organising your stuff will help you take charge in other areas too like diet and lifestyle. A US study claimed that people with messy homes were 77 per cent more likely to be overweight or obese. According to Peter Walsh, author of Lose the Clutter, Lose the Weight, this is because cluttered homes make people feel overwhelmed and exhausted. He says: “You go home, your home's cluttered, your kitchen's overwhelmed with stuff, and that feeling is, 'I'm zapped, I don't know where to start, I'm exhausted before I even start.'"