Clean It

Well-established domestic cleaning companies such as Mini Maids (8452017) and Molly Maids (4506328) have more recently been joined by a newer clutch of domestic cleaning firms, including Maid in Ireland (086 2516783), Mega Maids (087 2522046), Bernice Cleaning Service (087 2988551), which specifies a pre-auction cleaning service, and Mini House Maids (6245670).

Such firms can be difficult to contact, so do persevere. They arrive with all the equipment needed to clean, wash, dust, vacuum and polish your home. The service can include tidying and relining drawers, ironing clothes, reorganising cupboards, cleaning the cooker and fridge. Costs vary from £30 to £50-plus an hour for two people, though most companies say that a thorough house clean could take more than four hours.

Dump Clothes

Most neighbourhoods have swap shops like Anna Shanahan's Classical Labels in Castleknock (8203877). Like most swap shops, it will only take good designer clothing and there is plenty of interest in labels such as Gucci, Max Mara and Paul Costelloe. You can also deposit clean clothing and fabric - old curtains, duvets, sheets - in a charity shop.

Throw It Out

A skip delivered to your home costs around £55 for a mini skip, £70 for a mid-size skip and £110 for a large skip. Most skip firms are solidly booked and you may have to wait several days for one. Each local authority has a waste disposal service. Dubliners have four sites to choose from. Southsiders can dump unwanted possessions, (everything from rusty washing machines to last year's trainers) at Ballymount Baling Station, Dublin 12, (4621251). The site is open Monday to Saturday 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays and bank holidays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. You are charged by the vehicle you're driving - by car costs £4 per visit, car/van £7, and large van £25.

Northsiders have two facilities. Balleally at Lusk (8438593) charges £5 per car and railer and £20 per van. (8727777) takes only cars and trailers. Both are open Monday to Friday 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Dun Laoghaire residents are served by Ballyogan Tiphead (2952530) open Monday to Saturday 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Costs range from £4 per carload up to £50 for large truck.

McArdles, 268 Harold's Cross Road, Dublin 6 (4971831), is an electrical goods shop, which will take your old fridges and cookers. They have a limited collection service and, depending on the state of your goods, they may pay only a nominal sum for them.

Furniture

THE Society of St Vincent de Paul Clothing and Furniture Warehouse (8550022) is grateful for all furniture donations big and small, except beds. Michael Wall is director of services: "We want small ornaments and bric a brac, they're magic sellers. Give us your clutter, your jewellery boxes, pictures, toiletries you haven't used." They need at least four weeks' notice.

Christy Bird, 32 South Richmond Street, Dublin 2 (4754049) has been buying home contents for 50 years: "We're not a skip service in disguise," warns Annette Mulkern, "but we are interested in old utensils, pots and pans, and there is still a market in utilitarian second-hand furniture, including office furniture. Contact us first and let us know what you have."

Mrs Green's Good as New Shop (4961638 or 4924867) is one of the few charity shops to take furniture and collect from you. Part of the Cheeverstown organisation looking after adults with learning difficulties, they recycle everything except heavy duty electrical goods such as cookers or washing-machines. Their collection service is by appointment Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Curtains & Gift Traders, 36 Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin (2836547), buy good quality curtains in good condition, as well as table lamps and new, unwanted gifts. Also, local auction rooms will take furniture and delph.

Music, Books

Go through your record collection before you dump because there could be the odd treasure there. A copy of The Farmer by Thin Lizzy is worth £1,000 according to The Secret Book & Record Store, 15a Wicklow Street (6797272). This store specialises in vinyl records. Irish folk music, jazz-fusion, with 1960s and 1970s music still in demand. Alternatively you could take your old Buddy Holly collection along to Ireland's second Record Collectors Fair which takes place on May 20th at the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire. 78s, 45s and EPs, posters and memorabilia of all types will be on sale.

Many bookshops have a second-hand department for paperbacks. Resale value for Maeve Binchy, Bill Bryson, Patricia Cornwell and John Grisham is high, expect from 10p to £2. Some shops operate a book exchange system but that rather defeats the anti-clutter objective.

Sub City, 2 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2 (6771902), buys old comics, and is interested in American comics from the 1940s up to the present. Wow Comics , Dun Laoghaire Shopping Centre (2808878) say there is good money around for early Superman and Batman comics, and Forbidden Planet, 2 Crampton Quay, Dublin 2 (6710688) no longer buy comics but has second-hand price guides for referral. Hot favourites, they say, include collections of 2000 Ad, while Hotspur and Valiant are always in demand.