Valerina, my tip for helping you decide what to toss, is watch some HGTV shows on organizing and/or the tiny house movement. They will inspire you to let go of stuff, ...plus sitting in front of the tv is easier than actually cleaning.

Have you used it (or loved it) in the past year? If not, toss it out. I can't imagine keeping anything from my ex, but everyone is different.

I do a major purge every few months. I save pictures, and not much else.

Still waiting for spring to spring!! My area is under a winter storm warning. Nearly a foot of snow is expected. More snow at the end of the week.

At this rate, when it finally happens, it will end up being "summer cleaning."

If you have kids, I think you should keep some of the special things and pictures to pass along to them. If not, it's a judgment call. If seeing them dredges up bad memories, maybe you should let them go.

I tried to clean my place up but it was too much, so I just soaked it in gas and lit it on fire

Weeeell, I have to move in a few weeks, so I kind of have no choice.

I am a 59 year old guy living with my 31 year old son and ocassionally my 22 year old foster son.
What is this spring cleaning of which you speak?

Always sorting stuff and moving stuff. Major OCD.

My ex left me in September, and I've been "spring" cleaning, since. Still much to do, but it's coming along. I have purged so much stuff that was just taking up valuable space, I think I'm single handedly supplying the local Goodwill.

I am one of those who does "all year cleaning". Every so often you can see me driving to the Salvation Army with an old lamp or a bag of clothes.

Not the house, but the bike is about to get his spring cleaning. ?

Freaking too cold to do that yet here.

Various points - when I was a chold I had an elderly relative who sniffed at the idea of spring cleaning and said that if you kept your house clean and tidy all the year round you didn't need to clean once a year! However, since having a house in Spain, where we have a wood-burner and put rugs down in the winter and strip the house completely for the summer, that theory doesn't work. On the tossing out issue, you are fortunate to be able to make the decision. I would love to get rid of stuff but my husband is a hoarder and won't let me.

Autumn here

I am cleaning like a mad man....some of these places haven't been delved into in decades...I am not very sentimental about items and I own less than 10 pictures that are hard copies...if it was up to me, I would almost gut the place....what I would do is find a little storage area....put things that you feel are painful to get rid of in that area....revisit that area in a few months and see if you have that 'I don't ever see this stuff, so who cares' or 'I don't use this stuff at all' feeling....that way you avoid the 'a man, I had that and need it now' feeling...for the most part....feelings...nothing more than....feelings...hehe

Absolutely! Tis the season! I downsized once and it was the perfect time for it...kept the things that were most valuable...sentimental and gave away everything else. Soon I will downsize even smaller to sell my home. My advice if you have the time/space, do one sort and hang on to anything you're uncertain about. Then when you're up to it going back through it all once more.

Keep the useful and the smiles and put the rest behind you.

Trying lol

I am. I’m going to need a bigger garbage bag!!! ?

I follow the advice of the book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing," by Marie Condo.

She says to put everything of the same category in one pile..like all the pencils and pens, all the wrapping paper, all the scissors, etc. Then go through them and select most of them to give away. Only keep or two of each type thing, and only things that, when you pick it up, it brings you joy.

[amazon.com]

Well, sort of. The sun is shining into the windows at an awkward angle, showing all the dust, so yes, I am pring cleaning. Not in the same intense way I used to, but you can tell I am making an effort.
Well, every time i get a box from Amazon or somewhere, I fill it up with the stuff that accumulates. It gets put in the backaseat and dropped off at my local thrift shop. Stuff gone, no box to recycle. Win/Win.

Sorry havent teh energy for that yet = I tossed everything from my relationship unless it was soemthign I really like , and felt I owned . I donate mostly .

What is cleaning

Well considering I had 9 live Boer goats in the basement this winter and then it flooded. I think I will have no trouble deciding what to throw out from that mess!