A snap-happy way to declutter your house

READING this while drowning in knick-knacks and junk? This may be the tip you have been waiting for.

Whether it’s old baby clothes, a loved stamp collection or a trusty cricket bat, scientists have found that taking photos of hard-to- ditch possessions makes it easier for us to let go of them.

In an experiment, the US experts showed that students asked to declutter their rooms gave away more things when told to take photos of the objects.

Their results also revealed that those who received the photos reported feeling less ‘ identity loss’ than those who did not. Rebecca Reczek, co-author of the study and associate professor of marketing at Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business, said: ‘What people really don’t want to give up is the memories associated with the item.

‘ We found that people are more willing to give up these possessions if we offer them a way to keep the memory and the identity associated with that memory.’