Decluttering 101: Stuff You Should Get Rid Of Right Now

April 24, 2020

We all have different reasons for holding on to clutter. Some of us may feel sentimental. Some of us might’ve just brought something home and forgot all about it. We might’ve said we’ll have use of it someday but never have. Soon enough, these decisions lead to piles and piles of clutter. Fortunately, those piles don’t have to stay in your home for long. In fact, now is quite a good time to start going through them. If it seems overwhelming, the technique there is to go through your home room by room. Here’s a little checklist to get you started.

General Clean-Up: Things To Throw Away ASAP

Oftentimes, clutter that builds-up all around the house in every room are little things that can easily be ignored and forgotten. They often buildup in corners or little baskets that we store away from sight for dealing with it “later.” These include:

• Takeout menus and product manuals: Nowadays, you can search for everything on the internet. So, it makes no sense to hoard up all those takeout menus and product manuals that won’t probably see the light of day anyway.
• Old makeup and skincare products: Nobody wants allergies or any skin complications. Once your products have change color, scent, or consistency, it’s long overdue to toss them.
• Old medications: Medications tend to pile up in your medicine cabinet especially the ones that you don’t finish off. So, make sure to check their expiration dates and dispose of them properly.
• Last season products: Plenty of products like lotions and sunblocks degrades in quality over time. So, if you’re no longer using them as frequently, better toss it

Closet Cleanout

For a lot of people, the closet is one of the hardest places to cleanout. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the places most likely to collect a lot of clutter.

• Mismatched Socks: Missing pairs or mismatched socks are some of those things we hold onto “just in case.” To make things easier, have a basket or drawer for these. And if after a month you still haven’t found the right pairs, toss them or repurpose them.
• Old clothes that no longer fit: There’s nothing wrong with holding onto clothes as motivation or hope that they’ll fit again someday. But, when it has been in your closet for too long like a year or so, odds are you won’t really wear them again. They might not even be in style anymore.
• Shoes that you haven’t worn in five years: A good fit, a great look, and comfortability are what make a good pair of shoes stay long in someone’s possession. If your pair has been in the back of the closet because they’re missing one of those qualities, chances are its a good decision to toss, sell, or donate them.
• Unworn accessories: Plenty of people fall into the “maybe they’ll fit in with something someday” kind of thought. But, if it’s really not your style, there’s no use holding on to it. So, maybe give it to a friend or relative who’d have better use of it.
• Unused eyewear: Sunglasses and eyeglasses can easily pile up in our closets. When they’re broken or if they’re out of style, it’s a good sign to get rid of them.

Home Office Cleanup

You need plenty of focus in your home office. And clutter doesn’t contribute to that. So, here are some things to get rid of.

• Old newspapers and magazines: If you want to hold on to an article, clip it, and file it. Everything else should be recycled.
• Pens with no ink and unused power cords: One simple rule is if it doesn’t work anymore, you don’t need it. So, why keep it?
• Old receipts and expired coupons: It makes sense to hold on to these for a time but once their usefulness has passed, they’re simply additional clutter.

Kitchen Clutter

We usually pay a lot more attention to decluttering other rooms in the house. But, the kitchen is often one of those rooms that have the most of it.

• Expired pantry items and untouched leftovers: If you know you’re not fond of leftovers, don’t keep them. As for your pantry items, if you haven’t used them for more than six months, consider getting rid of it.
• Condiment packets: There’s no need to store fast food or take our condiment packets especially if you have a bottle of the product in your pantry.
• Unused kitchen utensils or appliances: If you haven’t used some items for over a year, consider giving them away, donating, or selling them.
• Plastic silverware and mismatched or warped food containers: Unless you’re often on the go and have yet time to buy more efficient items, it’s time to toss or recycle these items.