51 THINGS YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY TOSS OUT TODAY TO DECLUTTER AND ORGANIZE YOUR HOME AND LIFE
I promise you won’t even miss them!
Sometimes we get to a point where we don’t even realize how much stuff has accumulated in our home or office. We become immune to it and don’t see the junk that’s quietly been piling up, or stuffed in drawers.
Today is the day to break the cycle and take action to declutter with these super easy things you can toss or give away! These are quick and easy ways to start the decluttering process without pulling everything out of your closet.
That’s for another day, friend.
Below are my 3 rules for clearing clutter without breaking a sweat.
If it’s broken, toss it - there’s no point in keeping something that doesn’t work.
Examples:
Broken appliances
Anything rusted
Scratched Teflon pans - the coating on old nonstick pans can flake into your food and might be toxic
Chipped dishes and drinkware
Broken or tangled jewelry
Broken hangers
Scratched DVD/CDs
Games and puzzles with missing pieces
Toys missing parts (eg the remote control car with no remote)
Clothes that are torn, stained, or have holes in them - I’m looking at you, old underwear.
2. If it’s old and unusable, toss it - you don’t need old, tattered, dirty things tucked away in your closets, cabinets, and drawers. You obviously haven’t used it in ages, so you won’t miss it when it’s gone.
Examples:
Mismatched or old food storage containers - first match every container to its top. Check to see if any are warped or otherwise unusable. Recycle anything you can't use.
Expired food - take one small area at a time. Maybe you start with spices. Since we don’t use these all the time, they can often get overlooked. FYI - spices lose their flavor over time, so do this step before you try out that new recipe.
Newspapers or magazines: try and read them within 2 days of arriving. If you haven’t gotten to them, they get tossed. If you find you’re not able to keep up, consider unsubscribing.
Pens with no ink - find and toss dried-up pens and markers.
Keys that you have no idea where they came from or what they open.
Expired coupons - these are useless, please recycle them.
Old cell phones - there’s no good reason to keep these, as they are likely outdated and just taking up space.
Old birthday and Christmas cards. Keep a handful with meaningful ones in a memory box, and toss the rest.
Mismatched socks - who knows where they disappeared to, but that other lost sock is probably not coming back. If you must, keep a small bin near your laundry area for single socks. After a month, if you haven’t found a match, to the trash they go!
Duffle bags, backpacks, or luggage that don’t get used. These can take up precious space, so the first nest them together, and then donate the ones that don’t get used.
Eyeglasses with the wrong prescription: Donate, donate, donate.
Extra buttons - when was the last time you actually sewed on a button? If the answer is never, then why do you have a jar full of extra buttons? Unless your child can use them for an art project, toss them.
Broken sunglasses - you say you’re going to fix them but you haven’t yet, so toss them.
Old bridesmaid dress - no, you are not going to wear it again.
High school jerseys or uniforms - time to move on.
Old towels and bedding - animal shelters will gladly accept donations of old linens.
Hangers from the dry cleaners - they will happily take them back to reuse. Put them by the door so you remember to take them the next time you have items to drop off.
Old makeup - one word - bacteria! If your cosmetics have changed color, lost their scent, or changed consistency, it's time to get rid of them. If you haven't used them in over a year, dump them.
Last season’s sunblock - toss it. Sunblock degrades in quality over time.
Old prescriptions and other medications - check expiration dates. If it's past its prime, contact your local pharmacy to learn about disposal options.
Old toothbrushes.
Kids bath toys that are mildewed.
3.If it doesn’t serve its purpose for you or you don’t love it, give it away or donate it - this is where things get tricky. We can often go back and forth asking ourselves if something is “worth” keeping.
Here’s my advice: be ruthless and remember what your goal is - to only be surrounded by things that improve your life, not weighed down by what doesn’t.
Examples:
Condiment packets - no one needs to save condiment packets from fast-food restaurants. Buy bottles of ketchup and mustard and toss those extra bits of plastic.
That mortar and pestle you never use.
Excess coffee mugs - how many cups of coffee can you drink per day? I bet it’s not 12.
Cheap toys your kids get from birthday parties, giveaways, or the dollar bins.
Stuffed animals – let your kids go through them and keep the ones that are “special”, and only as many as will fit in the container you’ve designated.
Vases - how many vases of fresh flowers will you have out at once? Probably not 10, so just keep a handful of your favorites.
Uncomfortable bras - we all have ‘em. We think we’re going to wear them that one time we go out...but we don’t. We wear the ones that are actually comfortable.
Shoes that you haven’t worn in years - your shoes should fit well and look good. If they do not, donate or sell them.
Samples and hotel travel toiletries
Duplicate grooming products (nail scissors, nail files, brushes, combs, etc)
Product Manuals - manuals are useful, but guess what? Most manuals and troubleshooting suggestions are right on the product website or anywhere else on the internet.
Mystery wires and chargers.
Old remote controls - if you don’t use it, trash it.
Supplies from an old hobby.
Useless swag - those “freebies” you were given, that you’ll never use.
The plastic bag, full of plastic bags - nope. You do not need this in your life. Buy some reusable bags and never accumulate plastic bags again.
Cookbooks you never use - this is coming from someone who was a professional chef for 10+ years! I said goodbye to the French Laundry-esk cookbooks that I will never cook actual food for my family from. Also... every recipe you’ve ever wanted is online.
Jewelry you never wear.
Your 3rd vegetable peeler - duplicate cooking utensils are often the culprit of kitchen clutter.
How many of these items can you today TODAY? Let me know if this was a helpful list, and how great you feel after getting rid of some of these suggestions!