Declutter Musical Instruments {15 Minute Mission}

Today's mission is to declutter musical instruments.

This is one of those kind of random missions that either applies to you or doesn't. But I put it in the Declutter 365 missions for a reason.


Many of us played a musical instrument forever ago, but haven't touched it in years, either because of a conscious decision, or because life just got busy.

If it isn't our own, perhaps it is one of our kids' instruments instead.

Today's your day to make some hard decisions about these instruments.

I say they're hard because often decluttering objects like this is less about the object itself and instead more about coming to some conclusions about your life, and deciding, no, "I'm not going to play that trombone ever again, that time in my life has passed," or whatever other decision you've got to make.

Everyone's hesitation about decluttering these objects is a bit different. Perhaps you somewhere in your thoughts "hope" that you'll start playing again sometime in the future, or perhaps we think, "I paid good money for that" instrument, and hate to get rid of it.

If those thoughts sound familiar make sure to read my article about the 6 emotions chaining you to clutter and how to break free here.

Now, if you truly want to begin playing again I'm not telling you to give up your dream and chuck out that old instrument anyway. Instead, use this mission as a prompt to get you pursuing that dream again, instead of waiting until later.

On the other hand, remember the power of just letting something go that no longer fits your current lifestyle and dreams. Getting rid of the instrument can let you get rid of guilt or just be a weight off your shoulders because you no longer have to feel an obligation about something you no longer really want to do.

So just take fifteen minutes and get this mission done. Below I'll give you some ideas for what you can do with these old instruments when you decide to get them out of your home.

Ideas For What To Do With Old Musical Instruments

Once you've made the decision about getting rid of whatever musical instruments you've got in your home the next step you need to do is decide what you'll do with them.

Your Choices: Sell, Donate &/Or Trash

The first thing you need to decide is whether to sell, donate and/or trash the instrument.

Sometimes these items are valuable enough that it is worth your time to try to sell them. And often times, they're not worth the effort. You need to make that call.

First, be practical. The old band instrument your child used in middle school is probably not worth a lot, so it may not be worth your time to try to sell it.

On the other hand, the professional grade violin your great uncle played in the orchestra may be worth getting appraised to determine value before you make a decision of how to get rid of it.

I suggest starting with your local music store to see if they sell used instruments. If necessary get an appraisal, such as from an auction house, if there is a possibility it is worth a significant sum of money.

If all that seems like a lot of trouble, especially if you suspect the instrument has more sentimental value than monetary value, I definitely recommend donating.

Some places that may really appreciate such donations include school music departments, churches and retirement homes.

If an instrument is damaged significantly, or needs extensive repairs, that may also make it harder to sell, and perhaps to donate, although perhaps not. Some places will accept donations of instruments that need to be fixed again, because they have programs set up for refurbishing them.

Please don't donate trash though, so make sure the place you are choosing to donate a damaged instrument is aware of that damage and still would appreciate it anyway, if you decide to go that route.

Trashing an instrument is definitely not high on my list of suggestions, but in some instances, if it has been severely damaged it may be your best recourse.

Special Note About Large Musical Instruments Such As Pianos & Organs

The thought of decluttering large instruments, such as a piano or organ, can cause a sense of dread just because of the logistics of getting rid of it.

I understand.

Ideally you'd be able to find someone who'd purchase it, and then take it away for you. But life is not always ideal.

Even if you find somewhere which will take the donated piano or organ you may still need to pay to get it to their location.

Sometimes decluttering costs money, but such is life.

I suggest calling professional piano movers to do this job, otherwise you're very likely to damage the instrument and make it worthless in the process of trying to get it out of your home, plus hurt your back in the process.

Further, depending on the condition of the piano or organ you may just need to pay to have it hauled off with no one willing to take it. Then, it is again just something you'll have to do to get that space back in your home.

I would love to hear other people's thoughts and suggestions for what to do with old musical instruments in the comments below, so tell me all about it!

Plus, once you've done this mission I would love to hear your results. Tell me what you got rid of and how you decided to deal with the item. You can even submit photos here of what you decluttered and I'll add them to this page.

Want To Do More Decluttering Missions? Get Started With Declutter 365 Today!

Once you declutter one type of item in your home I bet you'll want to declutter some more. After all, decluttering gives you a great reward for even a small investment of time and energy.

The Declutter 365 system is designed to help you declutter, over the course of a year, your entire house, with just 15 minutes of decluttering each day!

Hundreds of thousands of people use this proven system to get rid of their clutter, and bring peace and calm back to their homes.

Declutter 365 works to guide you to clear the clutter without overwhelm, focusing on just one small area at a time, and without making a huge mess in the process, so you see consistent forward progress without all that "messy middle" that makes it even harder to function in your home than before you started.

In addition to building a daily decluttering habit, the Declutter 365 program, along with the accompanying 52 Week Organized Home Challenge, teaches you the skills, habits, routines, and mindsets necessary to maintain the clutter free and organized state of your home from now on, so it'll never be as messy and cluttered as it is right now, ever again.

If you haven't already, make sure to get your copy of this year's Declutter 365 annual calendar here (it's FREE!), find today's date, and do 15 minutes of decluttering on the day's mission. Then, repeat again tomorrow, and again and again. Over the course of the next year, if you do this 15 minutes per day, you'll declutter your whole house!

Get This Miscellaneous Decluttering Checklist + 32 Other Decluttering Checklists For Your Home

Right now you're decluttering your home, and there's a lot of items to declutter.

Get your 2 page miscellaneous decluttering checklist, plus 32 other decluttering checklists, to help you declutter your entire home here.

I've done the hard work of breaking down these tasks into smaller more manageable steps for you, so you don't get overwhelmed or worry you're forgetting a task, and you can go at the pace you want, whether that's fast or slow.

In addition, you can tackle these decluttering tasks in whatever order you want when you use these checklists!

Top photo courtesy of dumbledad

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