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52 EASY THINGS TO GET RID OF WHEN DECLUTTERING
Do you need to declutter your home?
If you’re looking around your house and getting overwhelmed by the amount of stuff then this will help!
Decluttering can get overwhelming pretty fast and while the experts on those TV shows tell you to start tackling huge projects like entire rooms, that is not always realistic. especially if you have a ton of clutter that has built up over the years.
If you want to get rid of clutter fast and don’t know where to start decluttering then start with the easy stuff first.
It would be great to have Marie Kondo (have you watched Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix?) show up at your door and help you tackle the whole house but since that probably isn’t going to happen, starting with these tips will get you on your way!
Check out this list of things to declutter. Go through your home and just get rid of these easy items if you have them. Start small and you will find it will get easier and easier and then you may want to start tackling bigger projects.
I created a decluttering printable to help you start now. You can download it here to make it easy for you to go down the list as you go through your home.
52 EASY THINGS TO GET RID OF WHEN DECLUTTERING
Deciding what to get rid of is one of the toughest parts of decluttering. It’s natural to develop a certain attachment to your possessions, and it can seem wasteful to give away something you’ve hardly used.
Believe it or not, there are some things that really aren’t that difficult to part with. Stuff that can be trashed immediately or put in a box to donate.
Start with this list of 52 easy items to declutter, and you’ll soon be decluttering like a pro. Once you get going on these easy items it will make it easier to go through the home and get rid of more things on your next decluttering session.
1. Junk mail
Why are we keeping junk mail? Just get rid of it, if its a coupon you may want to use then give it a home, grab a clear folder or even a ziplock bag and keep it somewhere you will remember to use it. In the car is a great place!
2. Excess shopping bags
Keep enough to reuse around the house and recycle the rest. Bags can get out of control fast and take over storage areas. Keep a set of reusable bags and plastic bags in the trunk of your car so that you don’t accumulate more when you go shopping.
3. Old calendars
4. Duplicates of anything
Do you need two coffee pots? Blenders? Juicers? Can openers? Donate any extras to someone that will actually use it.
5. Nearly empty perfume and lotion bottles
Use them up today and get rid of it.
6. Old makeup
Clean out that makeup drawer and get rid of old makeup.
7. Outgrown toys or games
They are just taking up space and can be donated.
8. Ripped or mismatched socks
9. Boxes from electronics and other purchases
Are you going to return the item? Are you going to be moving anytime soon? If not get rid of them.
10. Unused or partially used paint cans
Guilty! I don’t know why I had so many but I had two storage shelves in my basement dedicated to paint. Keep the paint you may need to do touch-ups and just note what the color is so you can rebuy it if needed. Anything else, get rid of it! Check your local area for disposal sites as paint is a hazardous material.
11. Kids’ clothes that no longer fit or are stained
Get rid of them or donate them. There are clothing drop boxes everywhere or you can bring them to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.
12. Non-perishable food items you haven’t eaten
If they are still good you can donate them to the food bank. If they are expired just trash them.
13. Broken jewelry
Get rid of it. If you haven’t fixed it yet you probably won’t.
14. Old or broken holiday ornaments
You don’t need them.
15. Broken electronics or devices you’ve been meaning to fix but haven’t
16. Excess unused blankets and sheets
17. Old trophies or memorabilia you no longer value
Do you really need your high school track trophy?
18. That collection of buttons you never sewed back on
19. Unnecessary receipts
Keep receipts of things you may return but get rid of them after that. Keep receipts needed for taxes but keep them all in a safe place to avoid them fading out or you losing them.
20. Unused or old spices in your spice rack
21. Accessories for hobbies you no longer pursue
22. Frozen foods past their use by dates
23. Stretched-out undergarments
24. Vacation souvenirs that are just collecting dust
Pictures are much better and they don’t take up space. Take a picture of it and get rid of it.
25. Old purses you will never use
26. Instruction manuals for things you no longer own
27. Old planners
28. Craft supplies for projects never begun or completed
29. Pens that don’t work
Am I the only one that tries a pen and sees that it doesn’t work but still puts it back in the drawer?
30. Beauty products that you don’t use
31. Stuff that’s been in your junk drawer forever
32. The clutter at the bottom of your purse
Purses can hold some massive clutter if you let them. Clean your purse out once a week to keep it clutter free.
33. Pantyhose or tights with runs or rips
34. Gifts you never used or liked
35. Anything you forgot you even had
It’s great to discover things you forgot about but you obviously didn’t need it if you never used it. Donate it!
36. Old or unused pet supplies
37. Chipped dishware or cookware
38. Home decor that no longer fits your style
Great items to donate to Goodwill.
39. Earrings without a mate
40. Games with missing pieces
41. Old magazines and newspapers
42. Books you’ve read once or will likely never read
Great donation item. Books can be read for free with the Libby App. Check out my article on how to get free ebooks and audiobooks and avoid cluttering your home with more books.
43. Expired medicine
44. Electronics chargers without a device
Tip: Use electrical tape to label your chargers so you know which device they go too.
45. Excess or mismatched glassware
46. Toys from fast-food children’s meals
47. Videos you no longer watch
You can pretty much stream anything now so no need to keep video clutter.
48. Kitchen gadgets you don’t use
49. Scraps of wrapping paper
50. Old swimwear that doesn’t fit or is out of style
51. Excess mugs
52. Stained or ripped clothing
GRAB YOUR FREE DECLUTTERING FREEBIE HERE!
See? There are lots of things you can discard or donate easily with little stress. Go give it a try, yourself, and see how your motivation increases when it comes to ditching your old stuff. You’ll be making a dent in that clutter before you know it!
