Tips and Tricks

There are a few tips, tools and techniques that we would like to share with you, to allow you to unlock the rewarding world of street salvaging.

• Keep your eyes open: Most skips will contain something that can be salvaged. Not only will this reduce the amount of rubbish going into landfill, but will also allow items to have a second life. So, never walk past a skip without having a quick look inside. Always ask the skip owner before taking anything, of course 😉
  
  
• Be open minded: You may need to apply a little imagination to what reveal the gems that would otherwise be thrown away or discarded. For example, try and look beyond any dirt that could easily be cleaned up.
  
  
• Consider upcycling: An item of junk may need to be potentially quite radically altered before it becomes useable. Try and think outside the box (or skip!) as to what an item could become. For example, a chair could be refashioned as a small table.
  
  
• Be wary of soft furnishings: I am afraid that soft furnishings could be infested with fleas or bed bugs – so be careful before taking these.
  
  
• Watch out for bin days: It’s quite common for people to discard all sorts of potentially useful goods on the night before the bin men come. That makes that evening a potentially good salvaging day.
  
  
• Watch out for street donations: In some parts of the country (especially London), neighbours leave out no longer wanted items for people to take. Keep your eyes open.
  
  
• Make it clear it’s free: If you wish to offer items up for your neighbours to salvage, please help them by sticking a note to the item saying “Free – please take”. Otherwise, people are nervous to just take things.
  
  
• Watch out for the weather: If you wish to offer goods to potential salvages by leaving them outside your home. Please check the weather first – it’s heart breaking seeing potentially useful things being left out, only to be ruined by the rain (or snow!).
  
  
• Tool up: You’ll likely need a few basic tools to get yourself started. Basics include: a wood sander (get the kind that you can cut sandpaper and clip it into the sander – much cheaper than the Velcro type); good quality screwdrivers; a wood saw; and a big tin of Danish oil.
  
  
• Be prepared: I always carry a small screwdriver and pair of pliers in case I see any opportunities to collect micro-salvage that I can use for future projects.
  
  
• Use eBay: You’ll likely need to buy a few bits and bobs to repair items that you find. Often things can be found very cheaply on eBay or Amazon. So, don’t let the need for a few repairs put you off salvaging an item.