Is your biggest challenge with decluttering just getting started? Do you look around the house and feel overwhelmed by the pile of clothes you haven’t worn in 6 months, stacks of unread self-help books, and mismatched plastic containers in your kitchen? Maybe you know what needs to get don’t but just don’t have the time to do it. That’s how I’ve felt since having two young kids. I love to organize, but where do I find the time? Many people say, once they start they feel a sense of accomplishment and become excited to keep going. Maybe you don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to a decluttering project, but chances are you could commit to getting rid of 1 or even 5 things every day.
Are you ready to get rid of that dusty pile that accumulated in the corner? Do you want to only have perfectly matched plastic containers in your kitchen drawer? Get unstuck this week! Check out this list of 100+ things you can get rid of and never miss!
Paper
1. Unread books
2. Reference books
3. Books you’ve already read and don’t plan on reading again
4. Old receipts
5. Credit card and bank statements
6. Old warranties
7. User manuals
8. Finished notebooks
9. Old magazines
10. Travel guide books
11. Newspapers more than a couple of days old
12. Expired coupons and vouchers
13. Old invitations and save-the-dates
14. Old planners and calendars
15. Greeting cards with no sentimental value
16. Takeout Menus
17. Phone books
18. Catalogs
19. Business cards that you don’t need
20. Old school books
21. Random scraps of paper
Linens
22. Spare sets of bedding
23. Towels that are thin, worn-out, or with holes
24. Old pillows
25. Excessive amounts of extra blankets
26. Dining room linens you never use e.g. placemats, cloth napkins, table clothes, or table runners
Toiletries & Health
27. Cosmetic samples
28. Old Nail Polish
29. Old sunscreen
30. Hair appliances you no longer use e.g. Hot Rollers
31. Expired medicines
32. Old vitamins
33. Unused products from the latest health craze
34. Old Make Up
35. Old toothbrushes
36. Broken rubber bands and barrettes
37. Hair accessories you don’t use
38. Lotions and shower gel you’ve had over a year
39. Perfumes and cologne that you don’t use or that is over 2 years old
Clothes & Things You Wear
40. Mismatched socks
41. Clothing that your kids have outgrown
42. Clothing that does not fit, is stained, or worn out
43. Bras with the underwire poking out
44. Underwear with holes
45. Shoes that no longer fit or are worn out
46. Scratched sunglasses
47. Accessories you haven’t worn in a year
48. Old athletic wear
49. Eyeglasses with the wrong prescription
50. Free promotional T-shirts you never wear
51. Earrings that are missing a half
52. Broken Jewelry
53. Purses you never use
Kitchen Items
54. Cooking appliances you no longer use e.g. a vegetable steamer, bread machine
55. Expired food (in the pantry and the refrigerator)
56. Extra miss-matched coffee mugs
57. Plastic grocery bags
58. Containers without matching lids
59. Chipped dishes
60. Condiment packets
61. Cooking utensils you have multiples of
62. Empty bottles
63. Magnets on the fridge that you don’t use
64. Recipe books you never use
65. Old party supplies
66. Dish clothes that have holes or are smelly
67. Old cookware that is chipped or pealing
Technology
68. Boxes for electronics
69. Unidentified cords
70. Old DVDs and CDs you no longer use
71. Old cell phones
72. Old remote controls
73. Old electronics…e.g. a boom box or walkman
Garage & Garden
74. Garden equipment you never use
75. Tools you no longer need or use
76. Gallons of old paint
77. Cardboard boxes from your last move
78. Scraps of wood from old DIY projects
79. Sports equipment you no longer use
Cleaning Supplies
80. Old cleaning products you never use
81. Dried up shoe polish
82. Cleaning rags that have holes or are smelly
DIY & Crafts
83. Materials from an unfinished project
84. Spare buttons
85. Unused craft supplies
86. Pens with no ink
87. Dried out markers
88. Dried out paint
Kid Stuff
89. Broken toys
90. Plastic junk toys that come in kid’s meals, grab bags or carnivals
91. Stuffies with no sentimental value
92. Random crafts with no sentimental value
93. Equipment from abandoned hobbies (ballet shoes for the girl that detests ballet)
94. Toys they’ve outgrown
95. Games with missing pieces
96. Sheets of stickers they aren’t interested in
97. Books that are torn or that have pages stuck together
98. Toys they don’t use e.g. the dollhouse that’s in the corner
99. Furniture they’ve outgrown
100. Equipment they’ve outgrown e.g. stroller, tricycle
Miscellaneous:
101. Broken appliances
102. Games that are missing pieces
103. Extra handbags, duffle bags, briefcases that you no longer use
104. CDs
105. DVDs
106. Cassette Tapes
107. VHS
108. Empty boxes
109. Broken holiday decorations
110. Tourist swag
111. Gifts you don’t like
112. Dead or almost dead plants
113. Broken luggage
Per Marie Kondo…
114. Everything that doesn’t spark joy
Wow, who knew there were so many things you could discard today?!? If you want some more ideas about what to discard or how to declutter in a way that doesn’t overwhelm, check out these posts!
More Decluttering Inspiration
Thank you so much for all of this helpful information!! I really look forward to your emails, and helpful ways to simplify my life. Please keep them coming! So much useful information that applies to everyone!