Garage Sales: Frugal Ways to Clean Up Your Stuffby Nicole Humphrey | More from this Blogger 16 Apr 2007 01:39 PM Cleaning up items for a garage sale is extremely important. Offering clean clothing, toys and furniture is the key to making the most money possible at your sale. I cannot tell you the countless times, that I have been to a garage sale, and seen dirty items that looked like they had literally been stored in a garage or basement (and probably had) without so much as a regards to the quality of the item. Those are the garage sales that I typically leave after only a minute or so of browsing. When I go to a garage sale, and everything is displayed nicely, and cleaned up, I usually stay awhile. I am not the only one. Removing rust marks, clothing stains and pen and crayon marks from toys, should be your very first priority. A Mr. Clean magic eraser is a glorious cleaning tool, and will help you get some of the most stubborn stains. Even though it doesn't get everything, you can use cleaning solutions, like vinegar and water, to get tougher stains. Usually it is not necessary to use store bought cleaning products to get your garage sale items looking spiffy. With the exception of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser which I still feel is the very best for cleaning, there are a few tricks to get these items looking great. Rust stains can often be removed with a combination of water and ammonia. If the item can be placed in the solution, such as silverware, plates, pans and other such items, then soak them first. Then scrub away the rust. Another option is to remove rust on non-soakable items with a piece of aluminum foil that you have crumpled up, and add a little Coke. Yes, I mean the drink. It works! Removing stains from clothing is a must. Most people will not purchase clothing with stains on it, so use some Oxy Clean if you have it. But if you don't - and it's a white item, bleach of course works wonders. But what if it's not white and the stain is on a colored area instead? Try dish washing liquid instead. Scrub it in well and then launder on the safest warmest setting. If this doesn't work, you might just need to discard the item, however if you mark the price very low, you might have a chance to still sell it. Especially if the stain is not very noticeable or is in an area that is not very noticeable. The most important part to remember, is simply to be sure all items are clean, in working order and have all their parts or pieces. Related Articles: Garage Sale Season Has Arrived Garage Sales: How And Where To Find Them Why Should I Have A Garage Sale? Collecting Items For a Garage Sale Organizing Items For a Garage Sale Pricing Items At A Garage Sale Learn more about Nicole Humphrey  Nicole Humphrey is a freelance writer, consultant for CTMH and a Sr. Blogger for families.com. She resides in St. Charles, Missouri with Mike and their five children and two furbabies. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments  Valorie Delp (49340) 17 Apr 2007 05:51 PMYou are so right--I won't stay one minute at a garage sale where all the stuff is dirty and gross!  Nicole Humphrey (15757) 01 May 2007 09:00 AMNo way! I totally won't either. In fact, I think some people would be rather surprised, by how many people actually put items out that are trashed or dirty. It's nasty, and there is no reason to stick around at that point. Community Tags Cleaning, frugal, garage sales, items, yard sales Discuss this article
|
Frugal categories |
