Decisions can be quick…throw it away/recycle it, donate it, use it up, keep it (make sure you find a home for it and put it away) or sell it.
(Caveat…consider the time and effort required to sell, and that you’ll need to keep it around whilst selling. This approach is best reserved for high-ticket items. If you can’t easily get $20+ for an item, I’ve found it’s often best to give it away…and get some positive karma in return!)
1. Expired food, or food your family has tired of
2. Paper clutter and junk mail
3. Old calendars
4. Pens and markers that no longer work, or that you don’t need
5. Magazines/Catalogs
6. Newspapers
7. Mugs…one person person is a good rule of thumb
8. Drinking glasses…one per person is a good idea here as well
9. Duplicate kitchen items..measuring cups, measuring spoons, mixing bowls, colanders, spatulas, etc
10. Small appliances you rarely or never use
11. Toys…broken, outgrown, messy to organize or just unloved
12. Old receipts (consider scanning those you NEED for warranties)
13. Junk drawer/miscellaneous box contents
14. Dead or almost-dead batteries
15. Pet toys that are past their prime or unloved
16. Old sheets/pillowcases/blankets (you don’t need more than 1-2 sets per bed)
17. Old, worn, stained, bleached, faded towels
18. Old, expired medications (check for how to properly dispose in your community)
19. Unused make-up and toiletries…most people have 10x what they actually use. Make-up should be replaced regularly and lotions, etc. expire.
20. Wire hangers
21. Nail polish…what do you really use regularly?
22. Food storage containers…especially if stained, missing lids or odd sizes that are hard to store together
23. Water bottles…check for signs of mold in lids and gaskets and replace if necessary…pare down the collection to one per person
24. Travel mugs, can cozies, reusable cups from theaters, gas stations, fast food
25. Vases…most households can easily get by with 1-2, or none…depending on what other glassware you keep
26. Outdoor tools for yardwork that are past their prime, old brooms, etc.
27. Poorly-fitting shoes, old tennis shoes (rubber gets stiff), shoes you don’t love and wear regularly
28. Decor you are tired of dusting, “word” decor that adds visual clutter…clear surfaces are easier to clean and too much busy decor on walls makes your house feel more cluttered than it is
29. Candles…use them rather than saving for special occasions…the scents wane and get distorted over time anyway, so use them within 6-12 months of receiving
30. Excess cleaning supplies…do you need a whole cabinet of them? I am happy with a glass cleaner, Force of Nature for sanitizing, something for my glass stovetop like Bon Ami or Barkeeper’s and dish soap
31. Old flashlights you never use, have burned out bulbs, have been replaced by newer LED models
32. Empty cans, bottles and newspapers
33. Books unless they’re really special and you read repeatedly, or are references books you use over and over
34. Junk hanging out in your car
35. Hair ties, bobby pins, decorative items you’re not using, along with curling wands and straighteners you don’t use regularly
36. Excess notepads, notebooks, etc. especially the “free gift” kind you’ll never use
37. Sports gear that languishes, camping gear you no longer use
38. Broken items you’ve been saving to fix
39. Cheap jewelry and accessories you don’t use
40. Seasonal items you rarely use…swimsuits, hats, gloves, cover ups, flip flops, sun hats, water shoes…consider having one of each unless you live at the pool/beach or spend months yearly in a snowy climate
41. Worn bras
42. Worn unders and reusable feminine products
43. Car wash soap, car wax, car wash and maintenance items that are old like oil, coolant, oil change supplies if you always go to a shop, etc.
44. Containers for organizing…sometimes we have these lying around half-full after purging, so consider emptying them or consolidating and getting rid of some so you won’t fill them back up
45. Old TVs, computers, laptops, phones, cables, printers, scanners, etc. that you no longer use regularly
46. Office supplies that are languishing
47. Seasonal decor that is cluttery or you don’t LOVE
48. CD and DVD cases…and maybe the CDs and DVDs since we can stream so much
49. Go paperless for bills. Opt-out of mailers and credit card offers.
50. Fridge magnets and paper clutter…purge and organize…or take them all down either temporarily of permanently