Depending on the nature and condition of the item, you may decide to throw it away/recycle it, donate it, use it up, sell it, or keep it (but make sure it has a designated home). Without further ado, 50 easy things to declutter right now:
1. Expired food in the fridge, freezer and pantry. Toss any spices that don’t smell fresh anymore. Toss the unidentified food that’s in the freezer. What are the chances you’re ever going to eat it?? Same goes for things you’ve opened, tried, and are putting off finishing. If you don’t like it, get rid of it!
2. Piles of papers lying around. Get a shredder for anything with personal info on it.
3. Old calendars
4. Pens and markers that no longer work
5. Magazines
6. Newspapers
7. Mugs – most people could stand to get rid of a few
8. Drinking glasses – same as above
9. Duplicate kitchen items (knives, serving spoons, peelers, graters, misc. gadgets, etc.)
10. Small appliances you never use but are holding onto out of guilt
11. Toys your kids don’t like and have outgrown
12. Receipts that you no longer need
13. Junk drawer(s)
14. Recycle old batteries that are lying around
15. Broken, ignored, or half-chewed pet toys
16. Old, torn, mismatched ugly pillowcases and sheets that haven’t seen the light of day for 10 years. Chances are you’re holding onto a sheet set that no longer fits any bed you own.
17. Towels that are never used (many vets will take these)
18. Old, expired medication (many pharmacies will take these)
19. Expired and never-used makeup and bath/body products. I had a huge stash of bath products I gave my mom because I never take baths. You probably don’t need 32 lipsticks and six dried-up tubes of mascara either. Or those 15 travel-sized shampoos you brought home from various hotels three years ago. If it smells funky or has a changed color/texture, it’s time to get rid of it!
20. Wire hangers. Some dry cleaners will even take them back.
21. Dried out nail polish or nail polish you simply don’t use
22. Plastic storage containers – especially when you’re missing lids
23. Water bottles
24. Travel mugs (somehow we end up collecting them)
25. Vases – especially ones from the florist
26. Garden equipment duplicates/unused items
27. Shoes you dislike or don’t fit right
28. Decorative knick knacks you’re tired of looking at and knocking over whenever you’re cleaning aka “dust traps”
29. Scented candles. For some reason I used to hoard these. Now I actually use the ones I have and don’t have a stockpile that will last me 20 years taking up space. Use them or get rid of them.
30. Cleaning supplies you keep but don’t use
31. Extra flashlights (how many do you really need?)
32. Take empty bottles to the bottle depot and get a refund
33. Books you’ll never read again
34. Miscellaneous garbage in your vehicle
35. Hair accessories (bobbi pins, elastics, hair clips you never use etc.)
36. Notebooks/notepads that are full or you never use
37. Sporting equipment that’s never used
38. Anything that’s broken and you haven’t gotten around to fixing
39. Costume jewelry you don’t wear
40. Winter clothing (how many scarves, hats, and pairs of gloves do you really need?)
41. Old, stretched out, ill-fitting swimwear
42. Old, stretched out and holey, ill-fitting undergarments
43. Car maintenance items that are expired or unused (I think anyone who has a garage probably could get rid of some)
44. Unused organizational containers that don’t work for you.
45. Old electronics (computers, cell phones, etc.) that are taking up space somewhere. You may need to spend a bit of time researching proper disposal in your area, but it’ll be worth it!
46. Little office supplies like paper clips, rubber bands, Post-it notes, etc. that end up all over the house.
47. Kids’ Halloween costumes that won’t be worn again
48. Empty CD cases with no signs of the CD
49. Unsubscribe from catalogues you never read and any junk mail you can. Get your bills online.
50. The front of your fridge. Only keep magnets/pictures/etc. that you really like
You can read more of my articles on decluttering here.
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