Clearing your clutter during coronavirus isolation? Here’s what to do with all that stuff

Is spring cleaning your annual ritual?

Or has being at home because of the coronavirus given you an excuse to de-clutter?

Either way, you are probably left asking yourself: What do I do with all this stuff now?

Good question.

These are uncommon times, and that means it’s not as easy as just calling your favorite charity for pickup.

Many organizations, including Goodwill, are temporarily not accepting furniture and other large items. Some, like the Vietnam Veterans of America, have also temporarily halted pickups and closed locations due to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders in Florida.

Monetary gifts are “the most effective form of support” during the coronavirus pandemic, the Salvation Army said.

There are some charities that will still accept clothes and other household goods if they are dropped off.

Tatiana Knight, a certified professional organizer and president of the National Association of Productivity and Professional Organizers, Florida chapter, said there are many benefits of cleaning, including getting things into the hands of people who need them.

Knight, who teamed up with Goodwill for its “Spring Cleaning” campaign, said donating “has a positive impact on the environment, because it encourages us to reuse and recycle which equates to less items in landfills.”

Lourdes Little, Goodwill’s vice president of marketing and development, said the items donated benefit the organization’s job-training programs and other support services. And while it may be inconvenient to hold on to items until the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, Little said she hopes people understand the value the goods have to organizations like Goodwill.

So, making piles of stuff to give away in your garage or a spare bedroom might just be the way to spring clean for now until things get back to normal.

“If you donate to us you’re helping your community and you are helping the earth,” Little said.

What about the bigger stuff?

Just don’t just dump your sofas, TVs and bags of clothes curbside without scheduling a bulky pickup first by calling 311. For starters, it’s unsightly, and bad for the environment. And it’s also illegal in most counties and forbidden by homeowner associations.

The Salvation Army is accepting — and hoping for — donations in the form of money, to help continue its community services.

But the Salvation Army is also accepting nonperishable goods like canned foods, baby needs, paper and hygiene products, as well as furnishings and clothes at the service locations it is keeping open, a rep at one of the Southwest Miami-Dade stores said.

The Salvation Army provides an updated list of open locations on its website and the services offered — mostly drop-offs at South Florida locations. Pickups may be suspended during the shelter-in-place order, but some locations are still doing pickups as of Friday, said Brett Mayne at the Salvation Army Family Store and Donation Center in Wynwood on Northwest 23rd Street. But it’s evolving on a “day by day” basis, he said.

“Responding to crisis is in our DNA,” Commissioner David Hudson, national commander of The Salvation Army, said in a statement on the company’s website.

“In our 150-year history, societal events have taught us to be flexible and adapt. This isn’t the first time we’ve had to evolve our services due to demands from pandemics or wide-scale economic hardships. We’re prepared and we’re honored to be stewards of the public’s generosity.”

Here are what some charities are doing:

▪ Goodwill: While all of the retail stores are closed, there are about 60 trailers around Miami-Dade County that are still open for donations. The trailers only accept items that can be carried, including clothes, shoes and small appliances. Little said employees are taking extra precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including leaving donated items in “quarantine” for three days before collected. Goodwill is still selling items online at www.shopgoodwill.com/miami. Goodwill is also accepting financial donations to help the 2,200 workers laid off during the coronavirus pandemic.

To find a donation center visit https://goodwillsouthflorida.org/donation-centers .

▪ Salvation Army: Drop-offs at most stores and trailers and some pickups are still being scheduled, but the policy is evolving. The charity has an updated list of open locations on its website at www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/covid19/ and the services offered at each. Gifts can also be made at salarmy.us/covid or call 800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769).

▪ Faith Farm: No longer able to pick up donations.

▪ Vietnam Veterans of America: Pickup services have been temporarily discontinued. Offices are also closed. “We will be back to business once the restrictions are lifted,” the charity said on its website at vva.org/donate/. For information, call 800-775-VETS (8387).