How to Clear Out a Junk Room

Mountains of Junk to Deal With?

The same-day junk removal experts at Junk.com perform property cleanouts to help you achieve a completely clean slate in your garage, attic, or basement. Got a junk room? Here’s a five-step plan for tackling that problem.

Is there a room in your home so cluttered that you can’t move in it, let alone use it? You aren’t alone in the mess. According to a survey reported on by the New York Post, over half of American household have what they would label as a “junk room.” 

Your junk room might be the garage, attic, or basement, a popular space for assorted junk like old furniture, boxes of keepsakes, and that treadmill you swore up and down that you’d run on every single day before you let it gather dust for six months. Or your junk room could be something that you really want to be able to reclaim as a functional space like a guest bedroom, a media room, or an office.

In any case, you’ve finally decided to tackle the clutter. 

Step 1: Make a Plan of Attack

Creating a structured plan for getting the junk room cleared out will significantly improve your odds of completing the task in a timely fashion.

Depending on the scope of the job, you might have to break the task down into manageable time chunks. Or you could take a free weekend (if you have one, lucky you) and aim to get as much done as possible.

• Write down a deadline: Come up with a date that you’d like to have the junk room cleared and organized by. Check in with household members on how much progress you’re making every week. If you live alone, ask a friend or family member to help keep you accountable to your goal to clear the junk room.

• Gather your tools: Grab trash bags for disposing of obvious small trash, a recycle bin for any small materials that can be recycled, rags and cleaning supplies for dusting items off, and possibly new bins or boxes for reorganization of the items you will be keeping. 

• Prepare a list of decluttering questions: Getting rid of clutter can be difficult, especially when you stumble across sentimental items. Write out a list of questions to ask yourself as you consider your items for those hard-to-make decisions. These questions could be, “When was the last time I used this?”, “Do I anticipate needing this item again in the near future?”, and “How hard is this item to replace?” Please note that if you are having immense difficulty parting with items, you might struggle with hoarding disorder. You aren’t alone, and treatment could help make parting with your items easier.

• Settle in with entertainment: You’re settling in for a long decluttering process, but it doesn’t have to be boring. Pick a favorite thrilling audiobook, junk-busting playlist, or fun podcast to listen to during your decluttering sessions. Make sure your devices are charged, and set a timer for how long you’ll work.

If you are breaking down the entire process, tackle one or two areas at a time. If even that feels so overwhelming that you’re paralyzed, focus on an even smaller area of the junk room.

Step 2: Create a Sorting Area

First thing, you need a space to evaluate items in your room. If your junk room is so cluttered you’re not able to move inside of it, then this might be the hardest initial task of your decluttering. You can set up a space outside the room and bring boxes out one at a time.

Sort items into four major categories.

• Dispose: Items that are broken, dysfunctional, or otherwise not in good condition should be recycled or trashed. Get a garbage bag for loose trash and a recycle bin for any items that can be given new life. Large, bulky items that do not fit into a bag or bin are great candidates for removal through a junk-hauling service like Junk.com. 

• Donate: Items that are still in good condition and serve their function well can benefit someone else. Designate a box for items that are suitable for donation. 

• Sell: Valuable items could put a little extra cash back in your pocket, if you have the time and energy to spend selling them. Sort these items out and be sure to make a contingency plan for if the item does not sell. 

• Keep: Be very selective about what you decide to put in this category. Your junk room got to be the way it is from holding onto things that maybe you shouldn’t be holding onto.

Make decisions quickly, based on your gut instincts or consult your list of decluttering questions for those tough calls.

Step 3: Immediately Take Out Donations and Trash

At the end of every decluttering session, immediately offload your excess items. Dispose of any small trash in your regular household garbage, put recyclable materials in the recycle bin, and make a donation run as soon as you as able. If you get rid of the items you have chosen to offload immediately then you will have more space to work in your junk room, and you won’t second-guess yourself and put something back inside.

If you have a sizeable pile of unwanted junk or bulk items that you’re not able to transport yourself, don’t despair and don’t let the items linger. Call Junk.com for a quick and affordable disposal solution. 

Step 4: Organize Remaining Belongings

Now you can see the floor in your old junk room, congratulations! With all the unwanted bulk trash items and the donations taken out, that room is really starting to shape up. 

Take stock of what you intend to keep and organize items. Put loose items in shelves or sturdy bins and remember to label everything so you never have to go hunting for items again. Note any needs for organizational furniture like bookshelves, dressers, or desks. 

Step 5: Create a New Plan for the Room

The best part of clearing out a junk room? You get your space back. This room could be a guest bedroom, a home gym space, or your dream library. Sweep up, dust, vacuum, and start planning what to do with the room so that it doesn’t become a junk space again.

Setting up the room to serve a different function could help you keep from falling back into the habit of shoving unwanted junk in the room again. If you intend to keep the room as a storage space, set up the space with optimal organization in mind. Invest in shelving, labels, and sturdy containers so it does not become a chaotic mess.

Clear Out Your Junk Room With Junk Removal

If all the sorting and hauling sounds like too much to bear, remember you can always call for help from the expert junk removal team at Junk.com. We perform comprehensive junk room cleanouts of rooms like your garage, attic, basement, or even a self-storage unit. If you’re worried about what happens to the junk, rest easy knowing that Junk.com prioritizes sustainable methods of disposal. Let us figure out what’s viable for donation and recycling, and then the remaining garbage will be responsibly taken care of.

You could get that junk room back as soon as today. Use the online booking tool to choose a time that works with your schedule, and Junk.com will send a team out to appraise your junk removal job. You’ll get a fair, no-obligation quote for the cost of your junk removal job and if you love our price, we’ll get started hauling the junk off right away. 

Check a major declutter off your list and reclaim that junk room with help from Junk.com.