Do you want a stress-free home? Are you ready to reduce your clutter and get rid of unwanted stuff in your life? Stuff can accumulate when it becomes invisible. This week's post will give you a list of things to toss in each high traffic room to create a serene and clutter-free home.
Don't know where your clutter is in your home?
Visit our Awaken to clutter post series for help finding those things.
But wait, don't start yet! When working through these rooms, keep in mind that items can be hidden. Some items may be placed underneath beds, cabinets, and in the back of closets.
When decluttering these areas, a good rule of thumb is to work on each location for a few hours. If it seems too much work, break it down into two-hour increments for a few days or so.
Jump to:
Supplies needed for your decluttering session.
Before starting, gather the following items to help you get the most out of your decluttering time.
Below links from Amazon (affiliate); if you click through, I will receive a small referral commission at no cost.
Trash bag - have a trash bag near you for those items that can't be recycled.
Recycling trash bin - this container will hold items that can be recycled in your community. Contact your trash provider to find out what can be recycled.
Sticky notes and a pen - this item will help write down the following action for the thing and the due date you want to do it.
Let's start with the home office or area where you do bills and store papers. This area will most likely be the most filled with things that are outdated and needs reviewing.
HOME OFFICE THINGS TO REMOVE
In your home office, you may have a lot of papers that need decluttering. But, that is not all there is, below are just some of the items that may need decluttering in this space.
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Some important areas to visit are:
Action items you haven't completed.
Electronics that are broken or not used: this includes old cell phones
Old newspapers and old magazines.
Cables that are from unused electronics.
Old completed calendars and last year's planner.
Old bills.
Business cards of people you do not work with any longer.
Old receipts.
That's not all! Visit this post for the rest of this list, and feel free to share the image with others!
PANTRY THINGS TO REMOVE
Now let's move on to the pantry. This area most likely has expired pantry items in it. And it becomes a mess from frequent use almost every day in our home, and I bet in your home as well.
Old spices and herbs.
Ground coffee that is not sealed correctly.
Old opened food packages.
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Open and old breadcrumbs in the original bags.
Beverages that have expired.
An item with an expiration date of more than 1-2 weeks old.
Baking items like flour that are older than six months to nine months
And there is more! Visit this post for more purging stuff ideas!
BATHROOM PRODUCTS TO REMOVE
Now it is time to visit the bathroom(s) area. This area holds many things that will probably not have been used in a while. My bathroom has several storage areas and some areas I never look at. Recently, I decided to visit them, and I cleared out a large bag of stuff that was NEVER used in about 15 minutes. Remember it doesn't take long to decide. Yes - I will keep it, or No - I will let it go. Make the decision and move on.
Remember it doesn't take long to decide. Yes - I will keep it, or No - I will let it go. Make the decision and move on. via @smqorg Click To TweetOld makeup, expired makeup and beauty products.
First aid kits that have stuff in them that is expired.
Old washcloths that are ripped or faded.
Hair products.
Old toothbrushes.
Old nail polish and old perfumes.
And we have even more items to get rid of on this post!
THINGS TO REMOVE FROM A KITCHEN
The kitchen is the next area to visit! I find that the kitchen probably has the most things that you may use a few times a year, which makes it a little more difficult to decide if you want to get rid of them.
Below is a list of items you can get rid of right now:
Duplicated tools there are not used often.
Old plastic containers with stains and scratches on them.
The dreaded junk drawer!
Coffee cups you don't use any longer.
Dead plants on the window seal.
Old calendars in the family command station.
And there are even more things you can toss in the kitchen in this post below.
THINGS TO GET RID OF IN A KIDS' CLOSET
Now on to the kids' closets. This area has lots of different size items that, if not monitored and purged, can become cluttered fast. Remember, this area will not take long if you pull out everything from the closet and sort each item. Get your kids involved and make it a game! Below are just some of the items that can be purged.
Old shoe boxes.
Removed bent wire hangers.
Games with missing pieces.
Set of sheets you may not use any longer.
Old pillows.
Bedding never used.
Craft supplies.
Review and rethink those sentimental value items.
And there is even more in this kids' closet post below.
CLOSET THINGS TO TOSS
This closet of things is usually in an adult's closet so I made a separate list of items. Working in sections in an adult closet, you can easily get through the stuff you don't want fairly quickly.
Jewelry you don’t like
Hats you don’t use
Cardboard Boxes you don't need
Home decor that was stored that hasn't been used for a while.
Old and torn clothing items that have seen better days
Family members' stuff that doesn't belong in your closet.
Unworn suits or outfits that are out of style.
Want to get rid of more? Visit this post below.
GARAGE PRODUCTS TO GET RID OF
And, lastly, it's time to go into the garage and revisit the stuff and products there. Remember, these items are used seasonally, so it may take time to decide on what to toss and what to keep. And that is OK; remember to be kind to yourself when going through this process. You may not know if it makes sense to get rid of something seasonal until you think about it a bit. Since we do not use seasonal items often, we may not remember the purpose. Below are just some of the things you may have that you want to toss.
Outdated or unused sports equipment
Old paint
Broken patio furniture
Old tires
Old bike parts
And there is even more you can get rid of in your garage. Visit this post for more items.
Well, there you have it! I hope this post helps you do the big purge in your home! What areas of your home do you need to get rid of things? Please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you.
Remember, you can donate them to several places in your local area. Visit our CHARITABLE LOCATIONS TO DONATE STUFF page or our RECYCLING LOCATIONS AND SHREDDER EVENTS page for ideas.
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Julie Stobbe
I loved the way you combined all these separate blogs into one with a fun title. What a great sense of accomplishment you create for us when we know we have reduced our clutter by 105 items.
Janet Schiesl
Wow! Great list of things to toss. I like that you broke it down into spaces. I'm going to pin all your graphics. They are great reminders for each space and they make it not so overwhelming.
Stacey Agin Murray
By offering your readers a list of items to purge from each area of the home, they can easily print these out or refer to them on their phone as they declutter. In fact, I think I'm going to take a few of them on a trip around my own home!
Julie Bestry
Dead plants on the window sill! I can't count the number of times I've seen that. I'm convinced that everyone becomes clutter-blind in one way or another. Projects like these are great to tackle with a friend (or professional organizer) because someone else will spot things you've just become so used to that you don't see them anymore.
Sheri Steed
I can never resist looking at these kinds of posts. It's always good to be reminded of all the things that can easily be gotten rid of, especially when you are feeling overwhelmed by stuff. This kind of list (or series of lists), gives people a good base of areas and items to start with when beginning an organization project. I like the way you broke things down by space.
Sabrina Quairoli
Thanks, Sheri, I do find that these quick lists are so motivating for people who feel overwhelmed in their homes. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Seana Turner
These are great lists! you could tackle them one a weekend and make big progress in your home! I have to say that old electronics and their cables (which we struggle to identify) seem to be a fairly universal problem. I have a client right now with a bunch of old back-up drives. He wants to clear them before recycling them, but isn't quite sure how to do that for each one... so they sit. Our first step is to find tutorials for each brand. Once we know how, I think the whole process won't feel so intimidating!
Linda Samuels
What inspiring lists! There is nothing more satisfying than clearing out the unwanted things in a space. You shared such great detail for rooms and items to start with. They are the 'no-brainers' of letting go. Most don't hold emotional attachments, which will make them easier to release.
Diane N Quintana
These are wonderful suggestions, Sabrina. I really like the individual lists you provided for each area of the home. Plus your suggestion of what to have with you as you go about decluttering. My favorite is the post-it (or sticky note pad) and pen. So often we forget what we wanted to do with something. Putting a sticky note on the object or piece of paper lets us move on quickly.