A graphic of a car in the garage with ladders, tools and tyres in a chaotic mess
Episode 98 – 10 things to declutter from your garage

If you declutter your garage, it can be a huge relief. There are often things lurking in there that have been around for years and years and we have just stopped seeing them. Here are 10 ideas of things that should go when you declutter your garage.
Our garage is a real halfway house - the place where we put things when we haven't quite made a final decision. That's why it is vitally important to declutter your garage from time to time. We need to make sure everything that is housed there is useful in your current lifestyle. Listen in to this podcast for some garage decluttering inspiration.
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Transcript of this podcast episode
Intro  0:07  
Welcome to today's episode of The declutter hub podcast, your channel for super easy, no nonsense advice on how to declutter and organise your home. Please welcome your host professional organisers, Ingrid Jansen, and Lesley Spellman.

Ingrid  0:32  
Hello, and welcome listeners to Episode 98 of the declutter hub Podcast. I'm Ingrid. And I'm Lesley. If you have clutter and want to sort it out, this is the show for you. Now, in today's episode, Lesley and I are talking about 10 things to declutter from your garage in the summer, and it's time to get these outdoor jobs done. Now, we had some lovely feedback from one of our Facebook group members, that she listened to our podcast about 10 things to declutter immediately. And she got completely inspired and started taking action. So Lesley and I have done several podcasts about tenting. So we're creating a bit of a series here, aren't we? Lesley?

Lesley  1:12  
I know, people seem to like them, don't they? 10 things is kind of easy. And attainable, isn't it? I think that's that's the reason.

Ingrid  1:18  
Yes. That's for sure. So, today's episode, we thought, you know, okay, what should we do with it? You know, what? A garage. It's kind of such a dumping ground, isn't it? So, but it's really an important part of your house. And to make sure that the rest of your house flows? Well, it's important to get a garage sorted. Now, it doesn't matter if it's separate. Or if it's under your house or next to your house or a loose kind of garage at the back of your garden. It doesn't really matter where it is. But it's a place where we store much more than a car don't be Lesley.

Lesley  1:53  
Yeah, do you actually remember when garages were things that you parked cars in? It tends not to be the case anymore. For most houses, they tend to be an overflow storage area don't like,

Ingrid  2:06  
you know what, we end up collecting so much stuff that we think okay, well, let's put it in the garage. And at one point, there comes a moment when you're like, my car actually doesn't fit in there anymore. This is not good.

Lesley  2:18  
To be fair, there are other places. I mean, I've not got a garage in my house. But I have got other storage areas that I put the same types of things that we've put in a garage. And so it just depends. And so it's interchangeable. This could be a basement, it could be a shared, it could be anywhere that where you bulk store items, I think is what we're talking about today. And once we start talking about the 10 things, you'll know whether you've got them in your house or not.

Ingrid  2:42  
Yes, yes, definitely. Because some of our suggestions are maybe no brainers to you. While other things you think, oh, gosh, I don't even realise that that has not been on my radar at all. So let's get cracking there. Lesley, what is the first thing on our list?

Lesley  3:00  
Well, I think there's a little bit of an out of sight out of mind. And most people want to look after their house first and get that orderly. And so whether it's a lot the basement or a garage, we tend to put things in a temporary position until we get to the next stage of doing something with them. And the classic one, this is stuff that is waiting to go to the tip, the recycling centre or the charity shop, isn't it?

Ingrid  3:26  
I know this from experience. i We recently did a garage declutter ourselves in this house and there was a whole section with stuff that had to go to the tip. So of course you know, it was a bit longer than normal because of course, we've just had locked down and the tips are closed the reception centres roll closed. So and we had been sorting out several parts in our house. So we created this area with stuff ready to go out but we couldn't just bring it just yet. So we're gathering it all together and it grows that mountain just grew and grew and I was a bit like oh my gosh, this is we need to go to the tip we need to go to the shopping centre these these things have to leave this house.

Lesley  4:07  
So I will give you a temporary reprieve just because of lockdown but under normal circumstances, you need to practice what you preach in which uncertain houses stuff in your garage waiting to go to the tip or the charity shop. But yes, I agree that locked down was tricky for a lot of us in terms of things being closed. It was a bit of like, Hmm, where's that gonna go? I got like a sort of been area outside work. What am I just spins and things. So I shoved it all kind of in there. And then as soon as it was open, it's like yeah, it was exciting times almost as exciting as going back to the hairdresser's going to the tip. You know, the vibe, like which one was more important the hairdressers or the tip. But anyway, so having done both, you know, equal in my world, which is a bit sad, really, isn't it? Well, you

Ingrid  4:53  
know, I think so. If you're listening to this now, I think you know what, you're right. I haven't done that tip. run yet. This is your cue from us to you get that car organised and book that trip, if you still have to book an appointment to go to your recycling centre, get that organised put it into, you can actually make that trip. And you can start to clear some space because it's one of these things that we just see all the time. It's just something that a lot of people just don't get around to what it is so cathartic to put everything. This is leaving my house so and we see it all the time, though. When we declutter garages, there's a host pile of stuff, Hey, I've been meaning to kind of go to tip, I haven't gotten around to it. Just do it, it will, you will feel so much better if you've been.

Lesley  5:41  
The problem is, of course, is when you leave stuff in the garage, you then forget why you left it there if it's there for a prolonged period of time. And then you kind of don't see it anymore. And then you're like, Oh, is that stuff to go to the tip or I'm sure that been back there was to go to the charity shop, I can't remember. And then you're nervous about taking it because you have to recheck it. So yeah, stuff waiting to go. So the tip is an absolute no brainer. But what we're going to talk about is another nine sections of things. Actually, we're going to add to the stuff going to the tip to take the tip as well. Oh, wait. Yeah, yeah,

Ingrid  6:14  
we're gonna definitely find more stuff to put on that tip pile that for sure. Oh, my gosh, my, my absolute thing, let's see. pieces of wood. That is my bugbear in my house, my husband. I mean, I love him to bits, but he can't get rid of a piece of wood. And I'm like, why is all this wood in my garage? Honestly, it's like, it just drives me absolutely nuts. I got like two shells full of pee. And he's like, Well, it's not as much as it used to mean I do use it. I'm like, I've never seen him use it. So he's probably done that I'm being a bit flippant here. But of course, he's been fixing stuff, why we need to have so much of it. I'm like, can we not just recycle it.

Lesley  6:56  
For me, the only reason why you would need pieces of wood in your house is a if you're a joiner or do that for a trade. And be if you are a really avid DIY er that's doing lots and lots of projects all the time. The rest of us it's out there, it's doubtful whether or not you need those pieces, affording the garage. Well, they're always kind of tucked behind shelves or on the top of a garage or right at the near the door. And they just kind of annoying aren't there, they're not always big sheets of wood. They're like little tiny pieces of wood. And they just, you know, honestly, as soon as that what goes out of your garage, all of a sudden, there's a feeling of calm that comes over the garage straightaway, because it's very messy aesthetically isn't happy these random pieces and selections of wood. So it can be recycled at the recycling centre the wood. Another option for that is free cycle. Because as we know that people will take pieces of wood that so you can take they can take it from your garage, and then put it in their garage, but then it's not your problem anymore. It's out of your house. And that's the most important thing, isn't it? So old pieces of wood, that's a really good one. Now I'm gonna go on to the next one, which is my real bugbear in a garage, which is old paint cans of paint, and or wallpaper. Now let's talk about paints. In the first instance, what happens is we keep paint from rooms that we have decorated, because we think we might need to touch them up some question number one, will you ever touch that painter up? Or if it gets really bad? Will you repaint the whole room, if you have a leak, for example, it's there's a good chance that the insurance is going to pay for that to be fixed. And you're going to repaint the whole room because very hard after that paint has been on the wall to match it up. You know, it's almost a different colour. And then also what happens then is we keep all the paints, and so it's there for seven or eight years. And so actually, we've repainted the room, and we still got a can of paint from the old colour as well. Yes, if you want to keep some paint from a current colour that makes no room, but if it's got long gone, then that can go now there's loads of fantastic paint recycling projects locally. So just Google recycling paint fantastic options out there as well for that. And then we've got wallpaper. Ingrid, what's your thoughts on wallpaper?

Ingrid  9:17  
Now let's see this whole wallpaper thing. I'm completely confused about it. You find these rolls of wallpaper and I'm like, what? What's the plan with this? I just I'm confused. I mean, I must admit, I do not hardly have any wallpaper in my house. I'm not a wallpaper person. So that makes it really tricky. And maybe that's why but I would love to hear your thoughts because I'm this confuses me what people would leave tiny bits of wallpaper or whole rolls. So are they thinking that they've still got to put it up? Are they did they buy far too much? I mean, but they knew that when they were wallpapering their house so why they need to not return the rolls into B. I'm confused. Please help me out here.

Lesley  9:59  
It's common, it's really common. So because some people are like, What are they talking about with wallpaper? Honestly, we see all the time, don't we? And not just whole rolls of wallpaper, actual little off cuts with like half a metre sections of cut wallpaper that have not gone to the tip at the time. And so I think that you really, again, this is about examining your own behaviour, in the same way with word of same way with paint, what would you be likely to do? So if your kids scribbled on a piece of wallpaper in your kitchen, for example, and you thought, I'm going to have to replace that piece of wallpaper with something that I've got in the garage, it's a possibility, chances are, it's going to be a slightly different colour. So as soon as the sun hits it, it's going to discolour it. But are you skilled enough, then at that point to cut out that piece of wallpaper from one little section and put a new piece and now some people are? Many people are not. And so it's about examining your own behaviour, but we feel like we should keep it. That's the problem. So first things first with wallpaper. If you've got wallpaper leftover from a project that you've had in your house, please do return it to the shop and get yourself some money back for it. If you are going to keep any rolls of wallpaper, make sure that more or less a full roll. So you can get a full length. But don't keep the little half metre off cuts because they're just going to be battered and creased and dirty and dusty and things like that. But in general, my take would be don't keep any wallpaper at all. But maybe that's me. And we we are we are heavy on the decluttering for some reason I can't because I don't see. I just don't know anybody who returns back to that wallpaper. If I'm really honest.

Ingrid  11:45  
I know. I know. It's sometimes there are things that are just that go beyond me that I don't understand. So but maybe very, I think we're giving sensible advice or less. That's what I'm thinking. So hopefully, our listeners agree with us. And they're like, oh, yeah, I've been doing it in the past as well. We're, you know what, we're all about keeping it real? Aren't we less than we're at keeping it real? And going? Yes, you know, gosh, I do that too. But I'm, what's the point in doing this? I'm going to think about this. And maybe you can create some space? By our with our suggestions. Yeah, definitely.

Lesley  12:24  
I mean, my take on this whenever I, you know, when we're working with people, one to one, no one's ever said to me, You know what, I do want to keep that half metre of wallpaper? Because I'm going to, I'm going to contest what you're saying, I'm gonna keep it. So normally when we say, Why are you keeping that wallpaper? Like? Yeah, good question. No idea why let's get away. That's amazing. So I think one of the things that we need to talk about really, as well, though, with a garage is quite often it is a, there's two people involved, or there's a family involved. And so it's not just you, it might be your wife, your husband, that it's making those decisions. And so, you know, it's not just your decision. So the other person who's involved in household or DIY, whoever that is, whether that's your wife, your husband, your son, your daughter, you whoever may be the one making the decision. And so it's not all it's not your stuff, per se, it's kind of family stuff, isn't it? And so that might come into play, and no more so than the next category that we're going to talk about.

Ingrid  13:20  
Yes, engine oil and kind of car bits. We found all sorts don't we, we find the spray for Windows, we find the ICERs we find tools to scrape ice of windows in five folds empty bottles of engine oil, other bits that, you know, machines to inflate tires. I mean, it's like, this is incredible, isn't it?

Lesley  13:45  
Yeah. And I think that depending on what generation you are, is gonna determine how much of that stuff that you've got a bet if you went into a 20 year old garage, now, they wouldn't have you know, if you're getting 40 5060 Those kinds of ages, you remember when we used to do our own cars all the time. Now there are people who do still fix their own cars and put oil in their own cars and maintain their own cars. But there are also again, many, many people who leave all that to a garage and just going for servicing and mot is and what have you and the garage just that for you. So again, it's about examining your own behaviour all decluttering there's no right or wrong answer we can give our advice and we are here to say Just have a think about what you actually would do and what you do do because quite often we just keep these things because we feel like we should because our parents used to keep them and you know remember our dad's tinkering around with putting oil in the engine every week. Cars have kind of moved on a little bit from that we don't need to maintain them as much as we used to. We can't really put our own head lamp bulbs in anymore. It all has to be take stripped down and put you know it's more cuts of cost and more complicated and probably easier to maintain and all the car people out there probably like she Talking complete nonsense. I would never put oil in my own car. Bottom line, maybe I'm wrong. I was put, I would put the screen washing, and obviously di sir. But other than that there's nothing really, I don't wash my own car. Either I take it to a carwash. Really think about that and think, What am I doing? Just don't always do what you've always done. Does that make sense? Yeah, you know,

Ingrid  15:26  
I think if space is at a premium, and you really need that space, in your garage, for other things that are important to you, don't hang on to it, and be realistic of what you can and cannot do you know, if even putting oil or screenwash in your car gives you this dreaded feeling and think, Oh, my God, I really don't see myself doing this, then let all that stuff go and just be confident in putting it in the washer in your garage to have those bits done. There's no shame in that, you know what I mean to to have professionals do that for you.

Lesley  15:59  
And I think that is a big change. I certainly think that over the last 20 years, there's been a big shift in terms of getting people in to do things in your house is more normal than it was 20 or 30 years ago, I think people used to do their own things. And that's what you know, that's why things have changed generations change and the way we do things changes all the time. Yeah. So and that takes us on to the next thing as well. So this, you'll see there's a really common thread with all this, which is, do you do this anymore in your house? Or do you outsource it to someone else to do it for you? Tools, gardening tools, household tools? Do you do things that need 27 hammers and saws and cleans and things like that in your house? Or do you just have it because you inherited it from someone else. And it's just that so examine the tools as well that you've got, because we see a lot of people with with serious toolboxes that I know are not doing any of those things apart from hanging a picture, and maybe unscrewing something. So for some people having a hammer, some picture hanging stuff, a Phillips screwdriver, and a flathead screwdriver is more than enough for many, many houses out there. What's your green grid?

Ingrid  17:09  
Yeah, I think so too. I mean, I was decluttering a utility room yesterday, we're all kind of those garage because she didn't have a garage. So those kinds of bits lift into utility room. And we found like pieces of washing machines and pieces of Radiator knobs. And she's like, Well, I had no idea they were leftover from previous jobs that we had people in for, because her husband doesn't want to do all of jobs. She She says, I'm getting somebody in to do this for me, including even masking tape, she said, I'm going to have a painter decorate several rooms in my house, I'm not going to do it myself. So why do I've got all these masking tape? And why have I got all these sheets and leftover DIY stuff? Well, I just need to have an allen key

Lesley  17:53  
is interesting, isn't it when you think about it, but it's just one of those things that we just continue to just keep. And if you've got space in your garage, you think you know what I might come in, I might change our friend at the moment. She's had someone do in her garden for years. But all of a sudden, it's like a down and things like that. And so she's decided to run gardening. So actually, she is using those tools that she's kept for years, but she's got space. And so things do change. If you've got space, don't worry about it so much. What we're always talking about with decluttering is where your space is compromised, and you have to make these decisions. Because the stuff that you're keeping is stopping you from keeping the stuff that you want to keep that serving you now in your current lifestyle. Yeah,

Ingrid  18:31  
that's definitely true. If you think yourself, oh, my gosh, Ingrid, unless they're really making me think this morning. And I need to start thinking about my own behaviours. And I would love to know more about this. We actually have a fantastic module in our bootcamp course. So if you're thinking to yourself, I actually need to have more help of Ingrid and Lesley to sort this out, check out our bootcamp, our eight week rule Marine boot camp and one of our course in the boot camp is all about sorting out your garage and those outdoor and indoor kind of storage areas. And we give you loads and loads of good tips. So if you want to know more, have a look at Declutter. hub.com, click on the shop and have a look, check it out.

Lesley  19:11  
I think the big thing really with the boot camp that becomes as more and more people are going through the boot camp at the moment. It's really interesting, because the big thing is, it's not the decluttering of the stuff it's never about the stuff is it's about the mindset, it's about the shift in mindset, and that's what we bring. And that's what we deliver in England. We anybody, not anybody, but it's not rocket science to put things in a beanbag, but it is rocket science to think about your own behaviours to examine them, and to force a complete shift in mindset. And that's what we're all about. Yes, we want to be practical. Yes, we want you to have less stuff in your home. Yes, we want the stuff that's in your home, to be the stuff that you really need. But more than anything else, and we get so excited, don't we when we see. I'm really thinking about things completely differently, either three weeks into the bootcamp and I'm a complete shift in my INSAT and the way that I'm doing things that is success to us, isn't it Ingrid?

Ingrid  20:05  
So yes, let's do because we've got a lovely testimonial the other the other day, didn't we about one, one of our boot campers. And she said, I'm halfway through and the boot camp and it's mentally helped me so much to make shift like nothing is done before. And you talk so much sense. And you've really helped me to look at things in a new, new way. And that has really helped me to be far more successful with my decluttering. And that has made us incredibly happy hasn't it like Lesley to, to read such a fantastic testimonial? Because we see people changing their life. And that is incredible, isn't it? And we love it?

Lesley  20:43  
We do you really need to have these light bulb moments. And I think certainly the boot boot camp going through it. room by room gives you many of these lightbulb moments. And that's what we're aiming for, isn't it? So check it out. Have a look. We love it. We love doing what we do. And we want you so much to have the success. And to think in the way that means that you're going to keep stuff that's going to serve you that's that's what it's all about. It's not about well, I've got rid of three things today. That's not what it's all about. It's about really undergoing a complete shift. So anyway, let us continue on Ingrid.

Ingrid  21:16  
Yeah, no, we got sidetracked by our excitement about the bootcamp. But we've got some more things to discuss about the garage Lesley. So next thing then, what was you all the time and garages, out grown? Toys, loads of different forms? Don't worry. I mean, it can be these little walk scooters that they were on when they were three. And they're now like nine or 12. And you're like, oh, okay, how will your kids so those outgrown kind of scooters and kitchen sets to play with? I mean, we're not talking Lego here have we? I mean, Lego is like amazing, distinguish favourite

Lesley  21:51  
thing. Don't start talking about like 20 minutes for you to wax lyrical about how amazing Lego is, by the way, I think those toys are all about, you know, it could come from a good from an intentional place, which is you know what, I'm going to rotate my children's toys. The bottom line is the toys are completely overwhelming in your house. And you're like, I need to get some of this stuff out. So that you know, because there's too much and so you might temporarily put them into the garage, but it is this out of sight out of mind on this day, then they get a bit dusty and a bit of a monkey and then you've got to clean them all before they can come back into general uses. There's so many reasons why toys ended up in the garage, but invariably, they don't come back into the house again. And so they need to go to charity shop that needs to be repurposed, it needs to be given to someone else. The other thing that ends up as well as toys is things like popped paddling pools and things like that. Don't that like oh, we're gonna fix that we're gonna put like a I'm gonna get a fixing what do you call us fixing kits or whatever for paddling pools so we can bring it back into general use and that horrendous pneus of paddling pool all shoved together because it never go back in a nice way do the paddling pools I have read horrific like beyond a Rubicon it's a store but they ended up in this horrible mess in your in your garage and stay there and get on again getting mouldy a bit monkey.

Ingrid  23:09  
You know what? You know what? I'm always wondering, how did that fit in that tiny box when I bought it? Because even when you kind of deflate it? It's like, it is never as tiny it was ever when I bought this. It's crazy. Yeah. How did it ever fit in this box and especially with paddling pools, Lesley, we all leave them out too long, then we don't clean them properly, then they get mouldy and then the animals little book start to live in them. And you're like, oh my gosh, this is not good.

Lesley  23:40  
But I think at the back of our mind, of course, we're worried about the plastic, when we're like we can't just took it out. I mean, you know, the sensible thing would be to say no, keep paddling pool for you and then took it out the end of the season. But then that's not environmentally friendly. So we worry about that. That's in the back of our mind. That's why we want to fix things. And then it's a tough one paddling pools. And yeah, they are, we're just going to ask you to think about what that might look like, fix it, recycle it, repurpose it. But if your kids are 18 and don't want to paddling, maybe it's time to get rid.

Ingrid  24:11  
Yeah, yeah, sure. The next thing I always find in garages is furniture that used to be indoors, like a chest of drawers or something. And that's now normally always in the middle of a garage, you have to keep having to walk past it all the time. It's never like next to a wall. It's always in the middle because it got carried out to the garage at one point when it was no longer needed in the house. And you found this old furniture it can be even can be old garden furniture but it's also old furniture from inside the house that's replaced or outdated or have broken but not completely sure what we're gonna do with it and we're going to fix it or it's big to go in a car so what needs to be taken? Some make some more first you know, it's always those other things as well, isn't it, Lesley?

Lesley  25:02  
Yeah, we talk all the time. Don't worry about garages and lofts and basements being this halfway house where we've kind of half made the decision that we don't want it in our house anymore, we're not quite ready to go to that final stage of actually getting rid of it. And so we put it in the garage. And sometimes certainly with furniture and chest of drawers, shelf units, wardrobes, we can call that might be quite useful in the garage, we can store things in there. But furniture from inside the house in variable is not useful storage in a garage, whatever it is, you just need different types of storage, deeper shelves, plastic things, you can wipe down open shelving, you know wardrobes and chester drawers and drawers and it's just don't tend to work in a garage. Make that decision now that somebody else can use that. That's the thing. So many things go to waste, because we've delayed our decision making and then the no good for anybody else, then it's such a shame, isn't it? Yeah, that's

Ingrid  25:56  
a really, really good point that you're making there. Lesley and I, I kind of hadn't really thought about that way. But you're really right, because it does get contrasty and grotty and spider webs, and then you almost have to end up throwing away, bring it to the recycling centre, because then it's no use to anybody else. So let's move on to your next because I think I know that's one of your favourite things to talk about Lesley.

Lesley  26:21  
I'm getting excited by this, all this stuff, because I think everyone's gonna be like, Yeah, I'm gonna say that the pain is gonna go, the wallpaper is gonna go, the tools are gonna go. I just think all of this is yeah, that's why I'm doing this weekend.

Ingrid  26:33  
I think people really if people people are listening to this when they either driving or maybe when they're doing the shop and thinking, I need to order skip. That's the next thing. Or I'm going to become a member of freecycle or free goal. And I'm gonna just shift all this stuff out and create some space instead of having it all rusting away and going to waste in a garage, because it's just not good. So let's talk about the next thing that Lesley because that's one of your things. It

Lesley  27:00  
says appliance boxes. I mean, why just why guys, kind of just leave it there. Why are we keeping old appliance boxes, there's a good chance that you're not going to sell it, because it's gonna be really old, if you want to sell it, there are certain things for sure, that are going to have slightly more value if they're in a box. But for the most part, if you sign a television, for example, even if you did sell a television, and by the time you've used it for 10 years, it's not going to be something that anybody else is going to want to buy, because it's going to be outdated technology. So you can either give it away, or and it's probably not going to fit in the box anyway, because you're gonna it's gonna have a stand on it. And it's always it's not gonna fit in the box, but people keep them because they feel that they ought to because they think that they're going to sell them. And so and that's fine, if you're in the habit of doing that, and you know that you do sell things on or something like that, or you do trade things. But most people are keeping appliance boxes, because they're nervous, you do need to keep them for a short amount of time, just in case you want to return it if it's faulty. And so, you know, I taught we did some research on this, didn't we and John Lewis, for example, which is a British store have got a kind of policy, it's not set in stone, but they expect you to have the appliance box for about six weeks after you've purchased it. But we see appliance boxes for years and years and they are big and they are bulky, and they have taken up loads and loads of space that you can give over to other things in your house. So if you've got appliance boxes, be ruthless and get rid of them.

Ingrid  28:29  
And it's so nice because they can most all be recycled. Yeah, and the only thing you have to do is kind of get those little bits out as little plastic bags that are always in there or maybe the foam that protects you can't recycle that unfortunately. But make sure sometimes even the manuals are still in there so have a look do I want to keep this manual or can I recycle that as well throw that away recycle as much as you can break down that box and put it in your recycling bin and it's just you creates peace like so quickly and it feels so good it's there's actually there's nothing nicer than finding an empty applies books because you really you create love space and then like three seconds, like

Lesley  29:08  
Yeah, a plane Xbox is always if you if you're decluttering a room that's full, whether it's a loft garage, you know kind of dumping ground room get rid of the appliance boxes first of all, you're create so much more space because sometimes that can take up 25% of a room that you know can it can be the boxes but it's again it's awkward because sometimes they're big and it's a bit awkward getting them there but break them down just tell them I can good says

Ingrid  29:32  
yes. Let's see what you have at boxes I have about an old appliances, old kettles, old toasters, old microwaves, phones, things with wires, even tears printers. There you go. And in the recycling centre takes them they have a special box for all of these things because people know you really shouldn't throw those away in your normal bin so they put them in the garage. And you know, it's just lawfully to bring bring all of that stuff to the to the to the recycling centre. And then you will feel better letting it go.

Lesley  30:07  
Definitely completely agreed. We just have this, this this little thing in us, which is like, Oh, I know that my kettle is broken and I bought a new one I just just in case we're the ones not broken, I've decided that I need a new one. Maybe that one's not broken, but you know what I'm gonna do, I'm just gonna put the old one just in case, the new one breaks. I'm going to put the old one in the garage and I'm going to bring it back into after four years of languishing in a dirty, dusty, damp garage. If my new kettle breaks, I'm going to bring the Old One back into use. Not gonna happen. Not gonna happen. We've already decided we don't want to because we bought a new one. It's interesting psychology isn't it definitely is a lightbulb moment for a lot of people. Yeah, that's a really good point. But again, give it to somebody while you can while they can use it if it's still in working order, but don't necessarily need to take it to the recycling centre. A lot of these electricals that we're talking about Ingrid are still working. People have just decided that they want a new version of it.

Ingrid  31:02  
All right, Lesley, the last one, then our chi for paperwork. Yes.

Lesley  31:07  
But archival paperwork is either well organised paperwork that we've boxed up some things like old tax returns, or tax documentation or business stuff that you've got to keep for several years or whatever. Or it can be random bags of paperwork. That's not been sorted envelopes that have not been opened, they've just been chucked into a bag and shoved out of sight. And so paperwork doesn't fare well generally in the garage, unless it's super dry. So it's not a great place to keep paperwork. I don't really know what to say we could talk for like three hours on paperwork, all I'm gonna say is we find a lot of paperwork in the garage. And that's not really the place for it. No, shall we leave it at that? Shall we leave it at that?

Ingrid  31:49  
Yes. Leave it at that. recycle it? Shredded, but, but give me to look at it. That's going to be probably one of the sub projects. If you find paperwork in your garage, That's your hint to go. Okay, that's another weekend that I need to spend on my paperwork. But yes, I fully agree Lesley. Do not store paperwork in your garage unless your garage is in your house. If it's outside and the wind in the dust and then everything can get to it's your paperwork will absolutely be destroyed when you keep it there. So keep paperwork indoors. Definitely spend some more time shorting that out. Did you realise this is podcast? 98. And we've got our 100 Both can I come? I mean, my mind's like blown. I'm gonna have balloons up and everything. Seriously, I'm gonna have bathers buttoning up her 100 podcasts, Lesley? That's kind of like a big deal. When we started everything. We would make it to 100 guests.

Lesley  32:51  
When we sat around your table in London doing our first one. I can't even go back and listen to those first ones. The probably horrific on that I don't know. But anyway, yes. 100 episodes. So what are we planning?

Ingrid  33:06  
Oh, we got something quite exciting. So listen up. listeners. If you're listening to this, listen up. This is your chance to ask us questions. We are going to answer your questions in our podcast. So you can send us in your questions Lesley not are going to pick the best questions. And we're going to do with extended both me normally our podcasts are about half an hour unless you're around about half an hour. But 400 episodes, we are going to do an extended version of our podcast. And we're going to answer your questions. So if you're listening to this, you think I want Ingrid Alessi to answer my question. It can be anything decluttering organising storage. Think about anything in your house that you think I would love to know what Ingrid unless you think about this, you can send in your question, and you can send it to Hello at Declutter. hub.com. So if you're listening to this, you think Oh my god, this is amazing. I want to ask him the question. You can send it to us and we're going to pick the best questions and answer them in our 100 Podcast. 100 podcasts now.

Lesley  34:15  
100. That's 100 Well, we you know, we edited them down a little bit. It's that's probably like 100 or 100 hours of us talking, talking and talking. When we did a lot of talking in the last year or so. I can't wait.

Ingrid  34:29  
Two years, Lesley? Yes. It's amazing. We're still like laughing and we can still chat about it. Isn't it really?

Lesley  34:38  
Still getting excited? Well, that's what we're here for. 200 is scary thought, isn't it?

Ingrid  34:42  
I know that is a scary thought. So now don't worry if you're driving somewhere and you think oh my gosh, how am I going to remember this? Don't worry. We are going to remember you in our Facebook group. So if you're not in our Facebook group, come and join our Facebook group. We'd love to see you there. It's the declutter hub community On Facebook we have a lovely own group. And we're going to remind everybody now we of course have a membership a VIP membership. So our members already are used to us answering their questions we have every two weeks we've got a live q&a, where we answer our members questions, but this is your opportunity to ask us what you've always been dying to know.

Lesley  35:21  
Yes, exciting times. So yeah, only two weeks to go.

Ingrid  35:26  
I know some chasing ah, oh my gosh, I'm so excited. So I'm gonna have to bunting up honestly. So listeners if you enjoyed this podcast, we hope you are inspired to take action and we really appreciate you listening today. And if you think yourself wow, this was fantastic. I want other people to know about England Lesley to share our podcast you can find the sharing buttons in the show notes on our website. So we put our podcasts on the website is on our website is well Declutter. hub.com you can click on podcasts and you can listen in them. If you want to find and get more handy tips from Lesley me, you can find this in lots of places. We've got the Facebook group, like I mentioned, but we've also over Instagram, we are on Twitter. We have a Facebook page, and you can find this at declutter hub. And if you want to know more about a membership, take a look at members of declutter hub.com To find out more. If you don't want to miss the next episode, subscribe to the declutter hub podcast and they will pop into your notifications each Friday. We've been asking for reviews and we've been loving reading your reviews. Do share with us a review if you'd like to tell us what you think about the podcast. Thanks so much for listening and see you next time.

Intro  36:42  
Thanks for listening to this week's episode of the declutter podcast. Check out declutterhub.com for more inspiration. Don't forget to tune in next week.
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