Inspired by TV cooking shows, Mrs Day picked up the dessert machine one weekend, only for it to sit in the box unused.

‘‘I was watching Masterchef and I got inspired to make my own ice cream,’’ she laughed.

‘‘It occurred to me when I was cleaning out the kitchen that I’m never going to make ice cream so I might as well get rid of it.

‘‘I had good intentions at the time but it’s just sat in the garage.’’

Shedding unwanted items is the theme of Saturday’s annual Garage Sale Trail, an opportunity for households with too much stuff to clear their clutter.

Mrs Day said her and her husband had accumulated nearly 10 boxes of toys, picture frames and kitchenware, in need of a good home.

‘‘We’ve got some really great stuff but a lot of it just doesn’t fit in our house,’’ she said.

‘‘We downsized a few years ago so we ended up with too much stuff; we figured this was an opportunity for someone else to take it off our hands.’’

The couple are one of 75 households, charities and stores across the Illawarra opening their garages over the weekend, in an effort to encourage people to reuse and recycle.

‘‘We consume so much in today’s world, we always have to have everything immediately,’’Mrs Day said.

‘‘We’re a lot better off trying to reuse items ... something that’s past its use-by-date for one person might be a treasure for someone else.’’

Shoppers can map out their trail via www.garagesaletrail.com.au