5 Pieces Of Dusty Old Tech Every Homeowner Should Get Rid Of

Homeowners all have at least one thing in common: Limited space. We also all rely heavily on electronics for entertainment and everyday convenience, so much so that we tend to keep old tech products — like headphones and gaming consoles — on hand "just in case" even after buying a replacement. But for the sake of a neat and tidy home, there comes a time to admit that some junky electronics are better off disposed of — or at least in the hands of someone who will actually use them.

Admittedly, it can be hard to part with gadgets that still work. After all, some of these are older devices that homeowners should try to repurpose. There are even some smart home uses for old tech that can make your living space feel more modern at a low cost. But realistically, most outdated devices simply aren't worth the effort; especially these five pieces of dusty old tech that you should finally get rid of.

Check your closet, check under your desk, and check around your entertainment center; odds are that there's at least one pair of junky old headphones that you haven't used in the last few years. Maybe they have frayed cables, blown-out speakers, or peeling earpads. Perhaps you have a gaming headset with a microphone that doesn't work very well anymore? In any case, these so-called spares are just taking up space with little chance of ever being used again.

An old pair of wired headphones can probably just go in the trash if you don't think they'll sell for much. But if you're disposing of a Bluetooth headset or any type of wireless headphones, they likely contain lithium-ion batteries that are not safe to toss out the old-fashioned way. These should be taken to a designated battery recycling location. When you recycle batteries this way, it helps prevent a potential fire hazard, while also ensuring that the batteries can be repurposed instead of sitting in a landfill.

Given their size, tablets are preferable to smartphones when it comes to work, gaming, and watching TV on a handheld device. In a similar vein, dedicated eReaders are preferred by some for reading books and online publications. But these devices are less portable than a smartphone, so you're not necessarily carrying one with you everywhere, meaning they can easily become outdated dust-gatherers.

Tablets are somewhat more niche than smartphones; not everyone has one, and those who do may not be upgrading to a newer model at the same pace as a smartphone. This makes old tablets a great option for donating, because more people stand to benefit from access to this kind of tech. Before handing your tablet off to someone else, though, make sure to wipe any personal information from the device. It's similar to how you safely dispose of an old smartphone. A factory reset will help ensure that the next owner can't access your sensitive data.

More so than most hobbies, gaming enthusiasts have a fondness for retro tech. This makes it difficult to part with old consoles that are tied to nostalgic memories. And in a time when Gen Z is ditching streaming for physical media, there is a strong drive to hold onto cartridge-based and disc-based systems in favor of the modern digital-forward alternatives. But it's important to ask yourself the question, "Do I actually see myself plugging in this old console again?"

For some people, the answer is a resounding yes. But if you answered no, then do yourself a favor and clear it out of your home. Don't just toss it in the trash, though. Video game consoles are among the tech devices with the best resell value. Retro systems are coveted among collectors, but recently-released hardware sells well, too. Price hikes on current-generation consoles mean that you might be able to get almost as much as you paid for that PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X a few years ago.

There's almost certainly a drawer in your house that's overflowing with cables. USB, HDMI, Ethernet, power cords, and a whole lot more. You can likely reach in and pull out a tangled mess of cables that would take the better part of an afternoon to unravel. This is the quintessential example of holding onto something for a "just in case" scenario, but in all honesty, you might not even remember what half of those cords are for.

There are some gadgets you might regret throwing away, either because they are nostalgic or monetarily valuable. In the case of these aforementioned cables, though, they're probably just better off in the trash. The reason they ended up in a drawer in the first place is that most electronics come with the best, most up-to-date cable for their particular charging or connectivity standard. An exception might be having an extra-long cable that can help a friend set up their home entertainment system, but otherwise, it's rarely worth the effort to find a new home for those dusty old cords.

Modern homeowners can enjoy convenient luxuries thanks to digital voice assistants, self-adjusting thermostats, automated electrical plugs, and  other smart home gadgets. However, these types of devices can become outdated, either due to tech limitations or the discontinuation of manufacturer support. In fact, a report from the Federal Trade Commission found that as many as 89% of smart devices do not come with disclosures regarding how long the products will receive software updates. 

If you want your smart home operating at maximum efficiency, you'll have to take it upon yourself to keep the ecosystem up-to-date. So, where does that leave the pile of junky old gadgets that hardly get used anymore? If you have gear like Echo smart speakers, Ring security cameras, or Fire TV Sticks, Amazon has a tech trade-in system. It accepts a wide variety of gadgets, and there are often special promotions or value propositions for those Amazon-branded items. Act quickly and you could extract some value from your dusty old smart home tech rather than throwing it in the garbage.