5 tips on what to do with unwanted stuff

World-renowned tidying expert Marie Kondo is sparking joy among shoppers feeling the urge to clean out their homes.

But once you master the Japanese organizing expert's novel approach to de-cluttering, what do you do with all the stuff you don't want?

Charitable organizations like Goodwill have cited how Kondo's popular Netflix series, "Tidying up with Marie Kondo" has led to a surge of donations. And sites like OfferUp and thredUP also note an uptick in the number of items being sent to them for sale. Kondo recommends getting rid of items that don't spark joy, and she calls for decluttering by category, not by location.

FILE- In this July 11, 2018, file photo, Japanese organizational expert Marie Kondo appears at a media event to introduce her new line of storage boxes in New York. Kondo is sparking joy among shoppers feeling the urge to clean out their homes.But once you master the Japanese organizing expert’s novel approach to de-cluttering, what do you do with all the stuff you don’t want? (AP PhotoSeth Wenig, File)

Still, there's a lot of angst in figuring out the right home for unwanted items.

"I think we're living in the age where people are taking the stress out of their lives so Marie Kondo comes at a perfect time," said Wendy Liebmann, founder and CEO of WSL Strategic Retail. "But there's a lot of stress in trying to find all these places that will take all these things."

Liebmann recommends getting rid of the easiest items first. Then, deal with the harder items to give away or sell.

FILE- In this July 11, 2018, file photo, Japanese organizational expert Marie Kondo appears at a media event to introduce her new line of storage boxes in New York. Kondo is sparking joy among shoppers feeling the urge to clean out their homes.But once you master the Japanese organizing expert’s novel approach to de-cluttering, what do you do with all the stuff you don’t want? (AP PhotoSeth Wenig, File)

Here are five more rules to embrace:

— BE SMART ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE SELLING: Study a variety of sites from thredUp and Poshmark to find out what they accept, what carries the best value and any fees. Make sure to sell in-season items and only clean garments. For those who have a closet full of Chanel and Prada bags, check out luxury consignment online retailer The RealReal.com.

"This is not a way to get rich. But it is a way to clean out your closet," said James Reinhart, co-founder and CEO of thredUP.com. At thredUP, only 40 percent of received items are accepted and sold online; the rest are donated. If interesting in selling secondhand items on thredUP, request a cleanout bag. New this year, customers can request a shipping label that can be used on any box. Many of the sites including thredUP and RealReal list recently sold items so customers will know their worth. Many sites set the pricing based on quality, style, and the available inventory. Check out selling fees, which vary. For example, for all sales under $15, Poshmark takes a flat commission of $2.95. For sales of $15 or more, Poshmark's commission is 20 percent. The fee at selling app Mercari is 10 percent.

In this Tuesday, March 12, 2019, photo thousands of garments are stored on a three-tiered conveyor system at the ThredUp sorting facility in Phoenix. Charitable organizations like Goodwill have cited how Marie Kondo’s popular Netflix series, “Tidying up with Marie Kondo” has led to a surge of donations. And sites like OfferUp and thredUP also note an uptick in the number of items being sent to them for sale. (AP PhotoMatt York)

— CONSIDER APPS THAT HELP YOU SELL LOCALLY: Move over Craigslist. A growing number of marketplace apps like LetGo and OfferUp let you sell locally the big sofa or other large item that would be too expensive to ship across the country. EBay also allows customers to post local listings.

Many give the option to register with your Facebook account, helping to verify its members and make it a safer exchange. OfferUp says it's the biggest mobile marketplace for local buyers and sellers. Last year, however, it began allowing sellers to ship item across the U.S., widening the market of prospective buyers, says Natalie Angelillo, vice president of community at OfferUp. OfferUp allows users to create a custom profile link and lets buyers and sellers leave reviews for a particular deal.

— STUDY WHAT CAN BE DONATED: You don't want to waste time carting a big piece of furniture to only find out your local thrift store doesn't want it. Best to call the local Salvation Army or Goodwill store to make sure they can either pick up the item or you can drop it off. Goodwill's main website says acceptable donations include clothing, shoes, books, small appliances and small furniture. But starting Jan. 1, Goodwill Industries of Great New York and New Jersey has put a temporary hold on accepting book donations at their Goodwill stores, says Lauren Lawson-Zilai, a spokeswoman at Goodwill Industries International.

In this Tuesday, March 12, 2019, photo Samantha Estes prepares garments to be photographed at the ThredUp sorting facility in Phoenix. Charitable organizations like Goodwill have cited how Marie Kondo’s popular Netflix series, “Tidying up with Marie Kondo” has led to a surge of donations. And sites like OfferUp and thredUP also note an uptick in the number of items being sent to them for sale. (AP PhotoMatt York)

— SCRUTINIZE DONATION BINS: Heading to a local donation bin may be convenient, but unfortunately, many items wind up supporting for-profit groups. Look for signs that spell out a clear mission statement. Also, look at what percent of sales are contributed to the charitable organization. Be wary of a donation bin without a clear mission statement.

— RECYCLE ELECTRONICS: Many electronics makers and retailers offer recycling programs. Amazon allows customers to receive an Amazon.com gift card in exchange for a variety of electronic devices including Amazon devices.

And, of course, there's always that garage sale.

In this Tuesday, March 12, 2019, photo Jasmine Valladares enters measurements as she itemizes clothing at the ThredUp sorting facility in Phoenix. Charitable organizations like Goodwill have cited how Marie Kondo’s popular Netflix series, “Tidying up with Marie Kondo” has led to a surge of donations. And sites like OfferUp and thredUP also note an uptick in the number of items being sent to them for sale. (AP PhotoMatt York)

"Check to see if your neighborhood or homeowner's association has a designated garage sale date," says Target Corp.'s home style expert Camille Styles. "If not, team up with a friend who may also be looking to sell some of their items."

In this Tuesday, March 12, 2019, photo Willie Walton hangs clothing on a three-tiered conveyor system at the ThredUp sorting facility in Phoenix. Charitable organizations like Goodwill have cited how Marie Kondo’s popular Netflix series, “Tidying up with Marie Kondo” has led to a surge of donations. And sites like OfferUp and thredUP also note an uptick in the number of items being sent to them for sale. (AP PhotoMatt York)

In this Tuesday, March 12, 2019, photo Yakaranday Arce packs sold clothing for shipment at the ThredUp sorting facility in Phoenix. Charitable organizations like Goodwill have cited how Marie Kondo’s popular Netflix series, “Tidying up with Marie Kondo” has led to a surge of donations. And sites like OfferUp and thredUP also note an uptick in the number of items being sent to them for sale. (AP PhotoMatt York)

In this Tuesday, March 12, 2019, photo Andre Hill prepares clothing for shipment at the ThredUp sorting facility in Phoenix. Charitable organizations like Goodwill have cited how Marie Kondo’s popular Netflix series, “Tidying up with Marie Kondo” has led to a surge of donations. And sites like OfferUp and thredUP also note an uptick in the number of items being sent to them for sale. (AP PhotoMatt York)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian court on Friday ordered the detention of the country’s farm minister in the latest high-profile corruption investigation, while Kyiv security officials assessed how they can recover lost battlefield momentum in the war against Russia.

Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court ruled that Agriculture Minister Oleksandr Solskyi should be held in custody for 60 days, but he was released after paying bail of 75 million hryvnias ($1.77 million), a statement said.

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau suspects Solskyi headed an organized crime group that between 2017 and 2021 unlawfully obtained land worth 291 million hryvnias ($6.85 million) and attempted to obtain other land worth 190 million hryvnias ($4.47 million).

Ukraine is trying to root out corruption that has long dogged the country. A dragnet over the past two years has seen Ukraine’s defense minister, top prosecutor, intelligence chief and other senior officials lose their jobs.

That has caused embarrassment and unease as Ukraine receives tens of billions of dollars in foreign aid to help fight Russia’s army, and the European Union and NATO have demanded widespread anti-graft measures before Kyiv can realize its ambition of joining the blocs.

In Ukraine's capital, doctors and ambulance crews evacuated patients from a children’s hospital on Friday after a video circulated online saying Russia planned to attack it.

Parents hefting bags of clothes, toys and food carried toddlers and led young children from the Kyiv City Children’s Hospital No. 1 on the outskirts of the city. Medics helped them into a fleet of waiting ambulances to be transported to other facilities.

In the video, a security official from Russian ally Belarus alleged that military personnel were based in the hospital. Kyiv city authorities said that the claim was “a lie and provocation.”

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that civic authorities were awaiting an assessment from security services before deciding when it was safe to reopen the hospital.

“We cannot risk the lives of our children,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due to hold online talks Friday with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which has been the key international organization coordinating the delivery of weapons and other aid to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said late Thursday that the meeting would discuss how to turn around Ukraine’s fortunes on the battlefield. The Kremlin’s forces have gained an edge over Kyiv’s army in recent months as Ukraine grappled with a shortage of ammunition and troops.

Russia, despite sustaining high losses, has been taking control of small settlements as part of its effort to drive deeper into eastern Ukraine after capturing the city of Avdiivka in February, the U.K. defense ministry said Friday.

It’s been slow going for the Kremlin’s troops in eastern Ukraine and is likely to stay that way, according to the Institute for the Study of War. However, the key hilltop town of Chasiv Yar is vulnerable to the Russian onslaught, which is using glide bombs — powerful Soviet-era weapons that were originally unguided but have been retrofitted with a navigational targeting system — that obliterate targets.

“Russian forces do pose a credible threat of seizing Chasiv Yar, although they may not be able to do so rapidly,” the Washington-based think tank said late Thursday.

It added that Russian commanders are likely seeking to advance as much as possible before the arrival in the coming weeks and months of new U.S. military aid, which was held up for six months by political differences in Congress.

While that U.S. help wasn’t forthcoming, Ukraine’s European partners didn’t pick up the slack, according to German’s Kiel Institute for the World Economy, which tracks Ukraine support.

“The European aid in recent months is nowhere near enough to fill the gap left by the lack of U.S. assistance, particularly in the area of ammunition and artillery shells,” it said in a report Thursday.

Ukraine is making a broad effort to take back the initiative in the war after more than two years of fighting. It plans to manufacture more of its own weapons in the future, and is clamping down on young people avoiding conscription, though it will take time to process and train any new recruits.

Jill Lawless contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Ukrainian young acting student Gleb Batonskiy plays piano in a public park in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)