Articles

Martha Tobin

With the cold winter days of late you might be using this ‘indoor time’ to do some decluttering.  At Declutter4Good we know that it’s easier to let items go if you know where you can donate them.  Donating items not only gives items a second life with others in need but it also keeps items from going to landfill. So here is a list of some of the local organizations that we donate to at Declutter4Good:  (note: see our Charities page for a more complete list) —House2Home – Furniture, bedding, kitchen supplies, towels, sewing machines, carpets and art —Caldwell Family Centre – Clothing, unopened personal care items, linens and kitchen dishes and small appliances —Habitat for Humanity – Gently used home goods and building materials, furniture, housewares & décor, home appliances, electronics, fixtures, flooring, lighting, doors and windows (in good condition/full working order) —Hakim Optical – Eyeglasses (including both prescription and non-prescription sunglasses) —Humane Society – food, carriers, feeding bowls, toys, etc —Heartwood House – Computer equipment and other electronics for reuse, repair or environmentally friendly recycling —Helping with Furniture – small kitchen appliances, lamps, flatscreen TVs over 27′ and stands; couches, love seats, living room chairs, curtains, brackets/rods, bed frames, box springs, mattresses, tablets and laptops —Cornerstone Housing for Women: furniture, toiletries, linens, clothing for women —OrKidstra – Musical instruments in good working order (no pianos, keyboards, guitars or drum kits) —Ottawa Outdoor Gear library – A broad range of outdoor gear (i.e. camping, outdoor sports and games, and yoga) —Ottawa Tool Library – Household tools in good working order —Belong Ottawa at The Well – New and unopened toiletries —Friends of the Ottawa Library – books And for disposing of waste you can check out these places: —City of Ottawa Waste Explorer:  household items —Product Care Recycling – old/leftover residential paint and spray paint **Refer to the websites of these organization’s to determine what is being currently accepted Reach out to us if you would like some assistance with your decluttering and we’ll provide a FREE consultation. And on any job we’ll take your donations away with us after every session.

By Martha Tobin

Everyone has grand plans at the start of the year to organize their homes.  New year and a new you that will encourage more peace and mental clarity, better sleep and less feelings of overwhelm.

But achieving this can be difficult when obstacles come up.  

So here are 8 common organizing and decluttering obstacles and solutions to overcome them:

1. You have no idea where to start: pick a space that you want to focus on and then ask yourself what your vision is for this area (i.e. more productive home office, more calm bedroom, etc)
2. You’re feeling too overwhelmed to start:  begin with 15 minutes a day.  Maybe attach these 15 minutes to another daily habit (i.e. tackle a small area while your laundry is in)
3. You find it hard to get motivated: gather 5 medium sized boxes and label them:  ‘to donate’, ‘to sell’, ‘to recycle’, ‘trash/recycle’, ‘items that belong elsewhere or to be returned’
4. You get too distracted:  focus on one room and one space in that room at a time (i.e. desk, closet, kitchen drawers).
5. You’re scared you’ll keep too much:  keep in mind the peace of mind that you want for 2026.  Ask yourself if the items you are keeping are adding to your life or draining you.  
6. You know you’re holding onto too much memorabilia:  there is no need to save everything from your past.  If need be, take a photo of the item so that you can keep the memory and reclaim that space.
7. You don’t feel you have the right storage systems:  storage systems don’t need to be fancy or colour coordinated to work.  They just need to have ‘like with like’ items sorted into them and proper labelling.
8. You’d let go of more if you know where to donate items: there are many worthy organizations in Ottawa that are desperate for items.  Check out our Charities page for some options

Releasing items that are no longer serving you is a great way to start the year off and take back control of your life and your home,  

Make 2026 the year of choosing you so that you can breathe easily and feel less weary!

Would you like a FREE consultation so we can see how we can be of assistance with your Organizing and Decluttering? If so, reach out to me at Martha@Declutter4Good.ca

by Martha Tobin

With only 7 weeks until March, you may want to start getting your home ready for the spring market.  

Home preparation prior is key to making a good first impression with potential buyers. And decluttering is an enormous part of getting a home for sale into shape.

It takes potential buyers only minutes to determine if the home they are viewing is a good fit for them.  All the more reason to remove anything that might distract them from the sale.

Here are 4 reasons a decluttered home will sell faster:  

1. Neutralizes the home so that it appeals to a broader audience of potential buyers
2. Allows potential buyers to see themselves in the home and emotionally move in
3. Ensures potential buyers can focus on the fixed features of the home
4. Home appears more spacious and potential buyers can see that there is ample storage for their items

The way most people live in their homes is rarely the way they would present it for sale but getting a home ready for market can be exhausting and stressful thereby delaying the sale or reducing the overall listing price.  At Declutter4Good we’ll do it fast and reduce your feelings of overwhelm.  

Services we offer at Declutter4Good:

-Decluttering

-Packing

-Donating

-Coordination of furniture donations and junk removal

-Packaging up garbage/recycling/ewaste/hazardous waste

-Unpacking and setting you up in your new home

Reach out for a FREE consultation

By Martha Tobin

While December probably had you physically worn out with the shopping, the wrapping, the cooking and the decorating, January is often mentally and emotionally depleting with new year’s resolutions and expectations for the ‘new you’ you want to be in this new year.

One way to combat this is to start with small decluttering projects so that you can see your progress. These little ‘decluttering wins’ will keep you motivated for the bigger areas.

Here are 10 categories of little areas you can declutter:
–Wrapping paper scraps, crumpled bows and bags, torn tissue paper
–Paper warranties
–Take out menus
–Free samples you’ll never use (hotel toiletries, swag, make up)
–Broken or unused holiday decor (lights, ornaments, tired garland)
–Worn out/discoloured tea towels and kitchen cloths
–Random paper piles (i.e. holiday flyers, expired coupons, old lists)
–Broken or tarnished costume jewelry
–Old candles, mismatched candlesticks, badly scented candles
–Unused or old hobby supplies

Decluttering tasks don’t have to be monumental. They can be small areas you tackle for 30 minutes.
The end result is that you’ll have these spaces that spark joy instead of judgement – and that’s a great way to kick off the new year!

“The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of all the things you don’t.”​ (Joshua Becker)

Need some organizing & decluttering assistance, reach out to us at www.declutter4good.ca

Martha Tobin

The next couple of weeks will be busy: fiscal year end wrap up, shopping for last minute gifts, hosting, travelling etc.

When the dust settles you may feel overwhelmed with all the holiday decor to put away and the gifts you’ve received that now need to find a place to live in your home.

Here are 10 categories of items you can easily declutter:

1. food storage containers with no lids
2. unused coffee mugs or glassware
3. old electronic packaging (i.e. iPhone, earbuds, etc)
4. duplicate-sized vases
5. expired herbs and spices
6. extra tech cables you don’t need
7. unused cleaning supplies
8. expired medications
9. worn out towels or linens
10. outdated magazines

From all of us at Declutter4Good, we hope you have a relaxing and restorative holiday.

“Owning less isn’t about going without. It’s about trading chaos for calm. Less clutter. Less stress. More space. More peace. More ease.”​ (Organize Every Room)

By Martha Tobin

Have you ever felt deflated after you have gotten up the energy to tackle some decluttering? You’re not alone.  Getting motivated to declutter is one thing but the emotional weight of making decisions about your items can be exhausting.

Here are 5 questions to help you with your decisions:

1.  Does this item reflect who you are now or who you want to be?

–Holding onto too many items from your past can prevent you from moving forwards by taking up not only physical space in your home but also mental and emotional space.

2. How often have you used this item in the past year?  

–Keeping some items that aren’t used often is not a problem but holding onto too many of them can be limiting.  Ask yourself about their frequency of use.

3. Would you buy this item again today?

–Determining if you would repurchase this item now can be an objective way of deciding if the item is worth keeping.

4.  Are you holding onto this item out of guilt?

–Holding on to items (i.e. gifts) because of a sense of obligation has a negative effect on our well-being.  Keep the memory by taking a photo and let the item go so it can have a great second life with someone else.

5. What is the true value of this item in your life?

–Regardless of an item’s monetary value, every item comes with a cost (i.e. maintenance, space it takes up, emotional).  True value is determined by an item’s usefulness, appreciation and the joy it brings you.

Looking backwards to move forwards limits personal growth while letting go of items that drain you is liberating and frees up space for joy, creativing and unclutters the path ahead of you.

“The space in which we live should be for the person we are becoming now, not for the person we were in the past.” ​ (Marie Kondo)

By Martha Tobin

This holiday season many people are opting to purchase less ‘stuff’ and instead giving more intentional gifts in the form of experiences.  

Adding more material possessions means having to find a place for this ‘stuff’ to live in a home and this can often lead to feelings of overwhelm and stress.

According to a number of studies, giving an ‘experience’ as a gift creates lasting memories, strengthens relationships and promotes personal growth.  

5 experiential gift recommendations (for yourself or for someone else):  

1. Give the gift of self-care (i.e. art class, organizing & decluttering session)
2. Purchase a gift certificate from a local business (i.e. restaurant)
3. Plan an shared outing (i.e. museum or art gallery)
4. Buy tickets to an event (i.e. play or musical performance)
5. Consider a tour in your city (i.e haunted tour, tasting tour)

An experience offers an escape from day-to-day routines, broadens skills and can even inspire a life-change.  All of which will always be a more memorable gift than having to find a place to store more ‘stuff’ in a home.

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” (Maya Angelou)

by Martha Tobin

During the month of December you are probably going to be adding more items to your home. And whether these are in the form of holiday items brought out of storage to decorate for the season or purchased decor and gifts, your rooms are going to feel more cluttered. Decluttering as you go along will help reduce your feelings of overwhelm.

Here are some tips to help:
–Determine the volume of holiday decor you will be adding to your living spaces. This will give you a sense of how many current items need to be either decluttered or stored so that your holiday decor can be featured.
–As you unpack your holiday decor determine if any items are broken, unused or in excess and declutter or donate those items.
–Declutter your children’s toys to clear space for new gifts. And by donating toys now you can help other children in need receive holiday gifts.
–Donate any items that you were gifted but will not use or gifts you purchased by never gave to those recipients.
–Declutter your entryway to create a more welcoming and functional space for guests.
–Declutter your guest room by organizing those items you want to keep and donating excess items.

Holiday shopping, the guests, the meals, the wrapping, and the decorating are overwhelming enough without the added stress of you feeling weighed down and fenced in by it all.

As you head into this holiday season create more space by decluttering before more items and more people crowd your home.

If you would like some assistance organizing and decluttering before the holidays, reach out for a FREE consultation.

by Martha Tobin

Over the past decade we’ve all noticed harsher weather both here and abroad.  Heat waves, droughts, floods and fires are threatening our ecosystem, our infrastructure and our individual health.

That’s why Declutter4Good is so passionate about donating those items that our clients no longer want to others in need in our community and keeping these items out of landfill.

And it’s why I am so pleased to have found Recycle Warrior Girl.  Sylvie D’Aoust is a fellow female entrepreneur who has also aligned her company with a commitment to the environment.

You can schedule a pick up from Recycle Warrior Girl on her website.  She accepts a huge variety of products including:

-old appliances

-tech waste

-car parts

-AC units

-christmas lights

-printers

-trampolines

-exercise bikes

-power tools

-snowblowers

-lawnmowers

-water heaters

-fencing

-radiators

-batteries

(See the full list on her website)

Decluttering items you know longer want or use creates space, gives you more control of your home, reduces stress, improves your productivity, and allows you to achieve your dreams (i.e. renovating your basement, setting up a calm home office, creating a reading nook, etc)

Whether you are decluttering through our Donations That Do Good program at Declutter4Good or by recycling your scrap metal with Recycle Warrior Girl, you are doing a very good thing…protecting our planet!

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” (Robert Swan)

Martha Tobin

It’s not easy to avoid ‘impulse buying’ as you head into the Christmas season with the daily bombardment of holiday tunes, decor and gift promotion.  

Corporations and retailers are very persuasive at separating you from your hard-earned money and encouraging emotionally-driven purchases.  But in our current economic times it’s more important than ever to give pause to what you can afford and what will add to your life instead of overwhelming it.

Here are five questions to ask yourself to avoid impulse purchases:

1.  Consider where this item is going to ‘live’ in your home or your recipient’s home.

2. Is this an item you can afford?

3. Is this item replacing or upgrading something necessary?

4. Are you buying this item because it will truly enhance your life or your recipient’s life?

5.  Will you regret not purchasing this item?

The volume and variety of products available and the ‘click of a button’ delivery of these items makes purchasing very easy.

This year consider pausing before you buy any spur-of-the-moment purchases and ask yourself about their long term value.  Will they add to your life or just add to your feelings of overwhelm?

Often adding more ‘stuff’ to life is not the solution but rather, letting go of items is where happiness comes from.  

“Fill your life with experiences, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.”

(Minimalist Lifestyle)