Mumsnet users review HIPPOBAGs for helping remove waste and rubbish

[EllieMumsnet]

This activity is now closed

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

My golden rule for having a clear out is to do it when dh is at work or away as he always finds a reason to keep everything , big or small .

Non tester i would say be ruthless and enlist the help of a friend to keep you on track

Non tester - my golden rule for having a clear out is to make sure things are actually going out the front door - don't just make a pile of stuff to go but actually get rid at the same time. I find it satisfying to see stuff go

Do the clear out alone. You can be more ruthless!

Non tester here. My rule would be to get a friend involved who will be less sentimental about things, and can talk you out of keeping every last item.

Non Tester

My Golden rule for big clear out - if u have not touched or used something in 6 months and know you won’t use it in another 6 months then it’s tym for it to go either in recycling or the tip!!! No space for any storage

Non tester. My golden rule for a big clear out is focus on whether you have needed or used the item in the last year. This allows me to think about whether whatever it is is handy in particular seasons. I also try to do clear outs alone as my husband gets too attached to old rubbish and he never notices when it has left!

Non tester: wish I knew. I find it impossible and hence we live amongst mounds of stuff. One prerequisite, abolish sentimentality. It is my main block to binning stuff.

Have 4 boxes/piles: pack away, put away, give away and throw away.

For me it’s keep the husband and kids away...husband goes too far and would have nothing in the house, and my oldest daughter is a hoarder ;)
Serious tip, take it to the charity shop or the bin that day, otherwise something will always come out the bag!

Non-tester. My golden rule for having a clear out is to get on with it and not allow yourself to be distracted. Once things are bagged up, try to get them out of the house ASAP so you can enjoy the space!

Non-Tester = My golden rule for having a big clear out is 'if you haven't used it or worn it within the last year, get rid of it'.

Non tester. My tip? Have friends pop in regularly to view your progress, encourage you and keep you on track. It's working wonders for me and keeping me at it as I've just moved house.
Also consider doing what I did before moving. Book a local company (mine was a social enterprise) to help you chuck stuff out and work faster.

Non - Tester - My golden rule is if it hasn't been used in the past year it needs to go!

Non tester - be ruthless then once you have your keep pile be super ruthless!! We all keep far too much junk just in case....

Non-tester- my tip is do it alone! Children rearrange piles and DHs rescue items. Amazing what can be achieved with a whole day of listening to radio 4 and systematically attacking everything.

My tip when having a clear out is to be brutal. I've kept stuff back only to throw it out later.

Non-tester here - decluttering since Jan after 10yrs + of ridiculous hoarding. Definitely make it a routine eg: setting myself 1 bin bag each for charity shop and rubbish each week. Focus on chest of drawers, kitchen cupboard, area of garden etc. I love Kondo advice of only keeping what sparks joy...but she clearly does not have pets/children/ large garden, as impossible to collect all of 1 category for sorting in one area.
Hippobag sounds ideal for getting rid of old building and garden stuff!

Non tester. If it's not been used in a year it needs to go. Impact of having it taking storage space is greater than any potential benefit you might get from it. Especially as you probably won't remember you have it or be able to find it.

Non tester - I've really enjoyed reading through all the responses from testers. What puts me off having a skip is that it seems quite a pest to organise and a Hippo bag seems quite professional and easy to arrange.

My top tip for having a clear out is just to get rid of it! Consider how much of an annoyance it would be if a friend asked you to hold 50 bits of rubbish for a year, taking up the garden, or a wardrobe etc. Consider the space in your home to be a valuable asset almost more valuable than what's in it. How easy it is to clean, to maintain, to find the important things.

So when you're deciding on what to keep or get rid of, consider the personal cost of keeping all the items and getting rid of nothing. Imagine for a moment the value you would gain from throwing everything away. It helps me to be more ruthless.

Looks so easy to use.

My advice is once you've decided to send something to the charity shop then send it as soon as possible.

Non tester here - my tip for having a clear out is FIRST STOP BUYING STUFF... all the stuff that is being got rid of has been bought and paid for - imagine having all of that money to spend... so stop buying stuff that will fill the gaps you are creating with the clear out.

Non tester.I have to get rid of the stuff - I found I would sort it, put it somewhere and it never left the house. Now I make sure it goes within a week or two... Feels good!

Non tester. My golden rule is to visualise what you want your home to look like after a clear out - if the items you're considering don't fit into that vision, then they need to go!

Non tester - my golden rule is to set a time limit and just focus on clearing out in that time - it goes in the keep, donate, or junk pile, and we dispose of the junk and donate straight away so no one goes ferretting through it.