I used ChatGPT Voice and Vision to spring clean — and it even told me how much some of my 'junk' is worth

A young woman organising and decluttering her closet

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Every year around this time when the temperature shifts above freezing and the sun seems a little brighter, I start thinking about spring cleaning. While I love springtime, I really don’t like cleaning out the clutter that my family of five has accumulated over the winter.

Seasonal cleaning is about getting organized, making space, and maybe even making a little extra cash. But if you’ve ever tried to tackle a closet full of overflowing clothes, shoes, toys, and a ton of accumulated junk, you know just how overwhelming it can be.

I had a lot of questions, such as where do I start? What’s worth keeping? What should be donated or sold? That’s why this year instead of guessing, I turned to ChatGPT Voice and Vision to be my cleaning buddy.

I quickly discovered that it’s the ideal spring-cleaning companion. From identifying forgotten items to helping me decide what to sell, donate, or toss, this AI tool made decluttering easier, smarter, and even a little fun.

Strategizing and motivating

Chatgpt vision screenshot — (Image credit: Future)

I was able to show ChatGPT a small closet and it quickly offered a suggestion about how to tackle the clutter. While I really just wanted to put everything in a bag and donate it, ChatGPT suggested we take things a bit slower.

It suggested putting things in piles, starting with the hanging items, and deciding what was worth saving, donating, or selling.

Selling unwanted items

Because I have three kids, there are a ton of mismatched clothes and shoes that I have simply put off organizing. I want to save some things for my youngest while donating other things I know he will never wear.

Unlike traditional AI assistants that just answer questions, ChatGPT Voice and Vision can analyze images, provide insights, and even help with decision-making.

This means that instead of manually researching every item I pulled from the back of my closet, I could ask ChatGPT in real time if the item had any resale value. If it did, ChatGPT quickly came up with a description that I could put on an online marketplace.

Tackling the garage

We’ve had a yellow riding toy stored in our garage for a while. I remember it was around $150 on Amazon. When I let ChatGPT take a look, it suggested a price that seemed fairly reasonable.

This was really helpful to know because I could probably get more for this item at an online marketplace than a garage sale.

Decluttering the toy box

I also let it take a look at a beloved Elmo toy. ChatGPT suggested that if it was an exclusive Elmo, it might be worth more but after discovering that it was from Walmart, the chatbot suggested that it was probably just worth an average amount.

When I was talking to ChatGPT about Elmo, my cat walked through the video and ChatGPT asked if I was interested in selling my cat. Of course, I said no, but it’s a good reminder that chatbots aren’t perfect.

Cleaning out the closets

screenshot of chatgpt vision — (Image credit: Future)

I found it to be a really good guide but noticed that it made some mistakes on occasion. For example, it suggested an old Fortnite hoodie would get the same amount online as the unique dress.

AI is not perfect

screenshot of chatgpt — (Image credit: Future)

When I showed ChatGPT a sparkly dress that was one of my daughter’s favorites (and one from a boutique site), it gave me a very low price for it.

If you’re thinking about using ChatGPT, know that it offers just an estimate based on what it sees. It really isn’t the end-all for pricing, so be sure to use your best judgment.

Final thoughts

Like many people, I have a mix of clothes, gadgets, books, and random household items that I keep “just in case.” The hardest part of decluttering is often deciding what to keep and what to let go.

With ChatGPT’s Vision feature, I simply let it take the reins and help me by asking questions like, “Is this worth anything?” or “What do you think? Should I keep these jeans or are they out of style?” I was also able to ask, "What’s the best way to donate household items in my area?" and it gave me plenty of options.

For each item, ChatGPT provided useful context, from whether it had resale value to donation options near me. Having an AI assistant validate my choices made it easier to part with things I might have otherwise kept out of uncertainty.

And the best part? It saved me hours of time and turned an overwhelming task into a smooth, rewarding process. It's not perfect, but it is better than attempting to tackle the job alone.