Spring cleaning has a habit of turning up the same thing in every house: a tub, box or bag of LEGO that's been quietly taking up space since last year's clear-out didn't quite get to it. This time, instead of shuffling it to a different cupboard, here's how to actually deal with it.
Why LEGO is a great spring-clean win
Most decluttering is one-directional — things get given away, recycled, or binned, and the reward is just space. LEGO is one of the few categories where you get the space back and a bit of cash, because it holds its value even when it's mixed, used and years old.
Working it into the clean
- Gather as you go. As you spring clean each room, add any LEGO you find to one growing pile — under beds, in cupboards, the shed, the loft.
- Do a five-minute sort at the end. Pull out anything sealed, any complete sets you recognise, and any minifigures. Everything else stays as loose, mixed bricks.
- Get a price for the lot — sets and minifigures valued individually, loose bricks by weight. See what it's worth →
- Box it up and send it free with a prepaid label or home collection — one less thing to find a home for.
What to keep back
Not everything needs to go. It's worth holding on to sentimental favourites, anything still sealed (which is often worth more the longer it's kept, if you're happy to wait), and sets that are genuinely still played with. Everything that's just sitting there is the fair game for the spring-clean pile.
Turn the clear-out into cash
By the time the rest of the spring clean is done, the LEGO can already be gone — sent off, valued, and paid, usually the next day. One less pile to find a shelf for.