Most of us have a least one “junk” drawer chuck full of wires, cables, old remotes, installation discs, user manuals, CDs, DVDs, and games. Why move this ugly mess into your new home?
Hartz Homes know that it’s tricky to get rid of this stuff because you never know when you might need that wire or that user manual. So, to help you out, here are a few things we’ve learned along the way — after all, we have helped families move into more than 15,000 homes in the Chicago area.
First step: Round everything up!
To properly declutter your tech, you really need to gather it all into one place to figure out what goes with what, in addition to what works and what doesn’t work.
Tech clutter comes in many forms. Here’s a list of what to look for:
- Bluetooth Speakers
- Cables, Chargers and Wires
- Cameras
- CDs, DVDs, Installation Discs
- Computer
- Computer Accessories (external hard drives, mice, keyboards, etc.)
- Gaming Equipment
- Remote Controls
- Stereo Parts
- User Manuals
Grab anything that you consider tech, then go through each piece and figure out if you need it or not.
If it’s a cord or charger, what does it plug into? Are you keeping what it plugs into?
If it’s a piece of tech, do you still need or want it? If so, does it work? Do you have the right cord or charger? If it’s an old Bluetooth speaker but you just bought a Sonos, do you need it? Maybe you’ll use the speaker for travel? Figure out what you want to keep.
If it’s a user manual or installation disc, do you still own the item? If you have TurboTax 2006 installed on your computer, but you’re now using the online version, you can toss that disc.
Organize everything into two piles: 1. Keep and 2. Recycle
Once you’ve decided what you’re keeping and what you’re tossing, it’s time to organize everything you’ve decided to keep.
Keep only user manuals you use often
Ugh. User manuals are the worst type of clutter. You know you may need them one day, but you’re not sure when. They are often bulky or oddly-sized, which makes them hard to store. You should be safe with tossing the ones you rarely use since most can be found online with a simple Google search. Better yet, there’s a good chance you can you find some visual instruction on YouTube.
Recycle Tech Gadgets and Equipment
Your best bet for recycling tech gadgets and equipment like stereos, televisions, and DVD players is a superstore. Often BestBuy will take back your tech gear whether you bought them there or not. This includes computers, stereo systems, televisions, cameras, mobile phones, toner, cartridges and gaming equipment.
Another option is to take advantage of your town’s “dump day.” However, since dump day may only come around a few times a year, a superstore may be a more convenient recycling option for you.
Recycle CDs and Installation Discs
Installation disks seem so 1994, but some people prefer to hold onto their installation discs for various reasons. Maybe they’re not sure they’re going to like the latest download of a software program and want to be able to reinstall the previous version via their installation disc. Or, maybe they just like to know they can reinstall the software if their computer crashes.
Technically, you don’t need to save these discs, but if you do, they are relatively easy to store in a CD/DVD case. Some cases hold up to 128 CDs.
Do you need to hang onto those old TurboTax installation discs? At this point, no. You can use the online version instead of the discs. But before you delete any TurboTax software off of your computer, make sure you’ve saved your personal information.
Label and Store Wires, Chargers and Cords
Frankly, tech clutter is unattractive. So, when in doubt, store wires, cords and chargers in drawers or bins — not out in the open. If you’re using a drawer to store your wires and chargers, use a drawer divider to keep them separated and easy to find. Once you’ve identified which wires and chargers go with each piece of tech equipment, label them.
Set Up A Tech Charging Station
For the tech stuff you decide to keep, you’ve got to make sure you store it in a logical fashion. For small pieces of everyday tech like iPhones, Droids or Kindles, set up a charging and storage station. This tech station will function as a home base for all of your phones, cameras, Bluetooth speakers, iPods, FitBits and the like when not in use.
A USB hub is perfect for plugging in several gadgets at once. You can either plug this into an outlet or plug it into your desktop or laptop computer.
Decluttering, recycling and organizing your tech clutter can be a pain, but once you’ve got everything sorted, you’ll be glad you invested your time in this project.
Please check out these new home communities from Hartz Homes:
Armitage Pointe of Addison, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Bella Vista Townhomes of Bolingbrook, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Lago Vista of Lockport, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Leigh Creek of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Marquis Pointe of Montgomery, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Marywood Meadows of Montgomery, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Nantucket Lakes of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Oliviabrook of Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Park West of Manteno, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Playa Vista of Plainfield, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Shannon Estates of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Sky Harbor of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Whisper Creek of Mokena, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Hartz Homes has new home communities in:
Addison, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Aurora, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Bolingbrook, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Lockport, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
New Lenox (Chicago area new home construction)
Manteno, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Mokena, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Montgomery, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Plainfield, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Oakbrook Terrace (Chicago area new home construction)