Mumsnet users review HIPPOBAGs for helping remove waste and rubbish

[EllieMumsnet]

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This is the thread for the 24 Mumsnetters who tested out the HIPPOBAG and rubbish removal service.

Non-testers in order to be entered into a prize draw, where one MNer will win a £200 voucher, please answer this question: Share your golden rule for having a big clear out!

If you don't fancy reading the full thread, you can take a look at the highlights here: Mumsnetters review HIPPOBAG

Here’s what HIPPOBAG have to say: “HIPPO is the UK’s market leader of flexible waste solutions – Trusted by millions for waste removal across the UK, the iconic yellow HIPPOBAGs are the perfect way to dispose of household, garden or building waste. Arriving flat-packed and ready to use, customers are amazed at the amount of waste HIPPOBAGs can hold, and delighted by the 5-star collection service conducted by a fleet of HIPPO collection vehicles which crane the filled HIPPOBAGs from even the tightest of spaces. HIPPOBAGs are ultra-strong, holding up to 1.5 tonnes of waste, with the perfect size bag available for every job.”

Testers please answer the following feedback questions:

• Which size HIPPOBAG did you use?
• What did you use your HIPPOBAG for? Have you ever used one before?
• What means of waste removal have you used in the past? (skip, going to the tip, man & van etc.)
• What did you like most about the HIPPOBAG?
• How did you find the collection experience and the overall quality of the service?
• Based on your experience, would you use HIPPO again in the future? And recommend to friends?

All testers who post the required feedback will be entered into a prize draw where one tester will win a £100 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

- Which size HIPPOBAG did you use?
The Megabag

What did you use your HIPPOBAG for? Have you ever used one before?
We've had some work done on the house so it was for clearing the last of the rubbish from that, and for clearing all the associated rubbish that had gathered in the garage. I filled the last bit with some garden waste. I've never used one before.

What means of waste removal have you used in the past? (skip, going to the tip, man & van etc.)
Skips when we've had building works, and lots of trips to the tip otherwise.

- What did you like most about the HIPPOBAG?
I loved that it came flat packed so we could wait until we had a spare couple of hours to fill it in one go rather than have it hanging around taking up space.

- How did you find the collection experience and the overall quality of the service?
It was quick and easy to arrange to have it collected - one simple phone call. As we have a long narrow drive it would have been better to have known the day it would be collected rather than "up to 5 working days", as it meant our drive couldn't be used until it was collected, but apart from that it was great.

- Based on your experience, would you use HIPPO again in the future? And recommend to friends?
Yes I would choose it over a skip due to convenience.

Thanks for the trial!

• Which size HIPPOBAG did you use?

HippoSkip

• What did you use your HIPPOBAG for? Have you ever used one before?

We’ve never used one before. We had an extension done last year and are still renovating some rooms so it was for general waste/small bits of furniture, etc.

• What means of waste removal have you used in the past? (skip, going to the tip, man & van etc.)

We normally have a man with a van who comes into the garden and collects all the rubbish

• What did you like most about the

Hippo bag? Collection was easy - we left it on our driveway and didn’t have to be there for collection.

• How did you find the collection experience and the overall quality of the service?

Collection was fine. Service was good (v friendly team on the phone). The fact that they couldn’t give a definite date for collection was a bit stressful.

• Based on your experience, would you use HIPPO again in the future? And recommend to friends?

We found the structure of the bag a little bit flimsy (to be expected I suppose, given it’s only a bag! But we were trying to put old shelves in there. To be fair, the terrible weather didn’t help.) We would recommend it to people who work outside the house all the time because the collection is easy. But to be honest our man with a van probably works out cheaper. (But I appreciate that we’re lucky that I can work from home a few days a week to be around for that)

I was given a mega bag from Hippo waste and when it arrived I was worried that it would not be big enough for my garden rubbish and she'd clear out. By the end of the rubbish clearing I had struggled to fill the bag, it was deceptively large and very sturdy. I have always used standard skips in the past but the ease of using this bag has certainly changed my mind on this. The customer service from Hippobag when it was time to arrange pick up, was amazing. Very friendly and informative. The lorry picked up at 8am the following day with no distruption to me or my lie in.
I would definitely recommend Hippobag to anyone thinking of hiring a skip etc.

My golden rule for having a clear out is to make sure the DCs are far, far away before I attempt it. Alluring as the idea of extra pairs of hands may be, there's no way you can have a truly ruthless cull with them pleading, "Noooo! You CAN'T get rid of that! It's my favourite thing ever!"

Non tester .I would love this I need to have a good clutter clear out at least once a year.we have accumulated so much junk.these hippobags look so good. It is much easier than numerous trips to the local tip.

Non-tester: best tip for a clearout is don't do it if you're in a sentimental mood! Be in the mood to create space and if you haven't used something for 6/12mths (depending if it's seasonal), get rid of it! :)

Non tester
My tip for a good clear out is to be ruthless. 3 piles: keep, recycle or bin. Recycling pile needs to be removed immediately and kept away from my family who are of the opinion that clutter is good!

Non tester here. You need to be totally ruthless with a clear out and really think about each item. Do I recycle it? Do I reuse it in a different way? Do I give to charity? Do I just throw away? I love a clear,makes the house feel that little bit more cleaner!😀

Non tester, my golden rule is to try and do it alone, I'll give my kids a bag each and say to put 5 things in each to throw away but I know they're gonna bring me 5 kinder egg/McDonald's toys, or they'll moan because everything is suddenly their favourite toy, and my husband wants to keep everything forever so I just declutter when they're out

Non-tester
Our golden rues for having a big clear out are make sure you have plenty of space. This is to make sure you can separate everything. I.e charity, bin, sell. Also make sure you have some good strong bin bags to put all the stuff in. Another golden rule for us is to make sure the car seats are taken out of the car and the seats flattened. So you can put the bags straight in the car. It saves you going oh just leave it there I'll do it tomorrow. It gives you a bit of a kick to do it there and then. Make sure the tip is open! This is a very good point as the last thing you want is to have a car full of stuff to get rid of and the tip is shut.

non-tester 'if in doubt chuck it out'

Non tester...
My golden rule is, where will it live? We have quite an organised home and everything has a place. If it doesn't have a place to live it goes. We don't keep things 'just in case'

I make sure I have a clear when hubby and the kids aren't home! I'm more ruthless than them!

Non-tester here. My golden rule for a clearout is to team up with my husband as I'm a real hoarder and he helps keep me (more) sensible about whether I actually need to keep something I haven't used or looked at in several years.

Non tester.

My golden rule is get rid of stuff QUICKLY! It's lethal if you sort things out for giving or throwing away & leave them accessible for other members of the household to sort through & decide that they really need the whatever-it-is which they had forgotten all about, & never use/wear/play with!!

Non-tester here ! My clear out golden rules come from other MN threads! So pick something managable for your time, like "the side board" or "the cupboard under the stairs, not a general "clear out" of the whole house, and apply the rule "imagine my house has burned down and Ive recieved the insurance money through, would I re-buy this? If not, why not? Why am I keeping it?"

Things must be very useful or bring joy.

Have a charity shop bag on the go at all times. Just a big 'bag for life' and put things in as you notice them.

Also don't put crap away. We had to move the coats off the hooks in our hall way this weekend while a new washing machine was delivered, rather than just put them back, I took a good look at them and decided was it worth rehanging everything. DC2 had 2 thin "spring summer" weight coats still hanging up from last year that won't fit - put them in the 'charity shop' bag rather than hang them up and do a bigger, dedicate clothing clear out later.

Non tester

Be ruthless!! Otherwise you won't get anywhere! And don't be sentimental or think 'what if' or 'just in case' ... !!

Non-tester. Leave enough time to get it done (can't leave it half done) and be ruthless. If in doubt, chuck it out.

Non tester.
Give yourself enough time to finish the job. Be ruthless. Don't be sentimental. Give decent stuff to charity shop.

Non tester- my golden rule is if you haven’t used it in over a year then it goes

Non tester
My tip would be: once you have started don’t stop.
I don’t mean do it all in the same day, that would be unmanageable. But once you have the bug, do a little everyday until it is done and get rid of the stuff quickly.
I find that stuff just gets moved from place to place if I don’t get on. Or the bag of clothes for charity is still in the spare room 6 weeks later.

My golden rule for having a big clear out!. Plan in advance, GET A FRIEND/PARNER INVOLVED, IT CAN REALLY HELP TO HAVE A SECOND OPINION..and makes it more fun . Have 5 sorting pile. 1 rubbish/recycle 2. Charity/ freecycle 3. sell it. 4. keep it 5. decide later. Empty the area you want to clean the area, then start sorting all you removed and follow the above discipline. Try and stick to your first decision, if they are in pile 5 you can always come back. But Out all the bags/boxes sorted ready to go including the to sort again. And put back what you want to keep Next day go through the Can't decide box and make your final decisions. then get rid of 1,2 quickly before you change your mind

non tester - i once asked mumsnet to convince my dh to throw out a leather jacket that had paint on it but that he paid a lot of money for - couldn't wear but wouldn't throw it out.

anyway - that backfired the majority said to let him keep it its not doing him any harm - that was really a tip not to ask mumsnetters.

in general i like to get rid of stuff i dont want - it helps my conscience if i recycle or charity shop it

Non tester - my tip is to remember that you won't see the money again so don't put things back thinking you'll sell later either sell immediately or put on free cycle etc or throw out if it really is rubbish!

Non tester. My golden rule is - dump all your clutter in the middle of the room first. Then you have to sort it all out - you can't give up half way through.