How do I get rid of the mess in my home?

Lizzie
by Lizzie

I don't like messy places and that is my home now,my grandkids used to lived with us,now they live with my son but I feel bad getting rid of all their toys or donate them because they will sell them even everything is in good condition I need to know places we give them to don't resale,the other thing I have papers everywhere in the house HELP

  7 answers
  • FrugalFamilyTimes.com FrugalFamilyTimes.com on Apr 11, 2019

    Could you store a few of the best ones for when your grandkids visit? Then you could donate the others - some parents programs pass the toys along to families that need them vs selling them.

  • 34354174 34354174 on Apr 11, 2019

    Local churches and fire stations.

  • Twyla J Boyer Twyla J Boyer on Apr 11, 2019

    Have the grandkids come pick put a reasonable amount of stuff to keep (like get them each their own plastic tote or something). Explain that anything that doesn't fit in the tote either has to go home with them or will be donated to kids to who don't have many toys.


    As for papers, you just kind of have to sort through those. The fastest way it to do a three stage sort. Give yourself a break between stages - maybe even give yourself a reward between stages.


    Stage one - Start with two piles - one to look at the other to throw out. Things you know at a glance that you don't need old sales flyers, envelopes that came with bills, unwanted credit card solicitations, etc.), get thrown out right away.


    Stage two - make enough piles to keep track of the things you need to keep plus a throw away pile. For example, if you have piles that are "grandkid papers," "household papers," "recipes," and "to be filed" as well as toss, you can pretty quickly sort through a pretty big pile of paper reasonably quickly.


    Stage three - make it neat. Tackle one pile at a time. Using the example of grandkid papers, sort this into each grandkid, determine what is worth keeping and what is not necessary. If there is special art that you think they would be proud of or that just really makes you smile, keep it. If there is a giant bulk of art that is unrecognizable and you don't even know which kid did it and it looks like a bunch of other stuff in the pile, pick the best one or two (if you can't bear to part with all of it) and toss the rest. Make a folder or large manilla envelope for each kid and label it. That way you can file it and if they want something, you have it all sorted and ready to go. If there are really special art things, consider framing them and hanging them on your walls. Using the example of "to be filed," make file folders for each type of thing (insurance papers, owners manuals and warranties, service contracts, etc.) Keep only the latest copy or two of each type of item. Arrange them by some category that makes sense to you within the folders (dates, part of the house they belong to, whatever) - think about what you would look under if you were looking for that item. Label these folders and store them in file boxes or a file cabinet or some other contained version of storage that is easy to access and easy to deal with so that you will continue to file things as they come in rather than letting it all get out of hand again.


    And just so you know, I am far better at explaining the process than keeping up with the ongoing filing myself. Don't think you have to be perfect or that you only have to do it once. But remember the system and when life interferes and you end up with a pile again, it will be easier to tackle.

  • Stillyoung Stillyoung on Apr 11, 2019

    Put all the good ones they might still use in storage bins and the rest donate if usable and in good condition. Toss the ones that are damaged or too used looking. One thing some parents do when visiting, is bring some of the kid's toys from home and then take them all back when leaving.

  • Lizzie Lizzie on Apr 11, 2019

    The problem is they don't take toys anywhere they are 11,13,14 with the era we live in iPads,and phones for games, 90% of the toys in really good condition

  • Lynn Sorrell Lynn Sorrell on Apr 11, 2019

    local batter women's shelters they have families that come there with nothing,I donated all of my daughter's toys,electronics,musical instruments,bicycles,books,movies they set up a new Recreation room and these items were much needed,along with crafting stuff for the women to do. give each one of your kids a bin with lid to store their stuff in and tell them to pick out their best,favorite things/toys to fit in it and the rest gets donated to kids who have NO toys/nothing.Many women kids leave in a split second to get away from domestic violence.When they come to visit have them go with you to shelter so they can see where & who their stuff is helping .

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Feb 03, 2021

    Hello Lizzie,

    Offer them to your Son to keep or maybe store them in Storage boxes in your Loft area or Garage/Spare room! Collect up all the papers and put them in a storage box too! or Donate them to a Children home or Nursery School etc.