Is your home bursting at the seams with clutter? If your home has been feeling a little bloated lately, maybe it’s time to put it on a diet. Here are 20 things you need to declutter from your home that will shave pounds off of your home’s waistline and make it instantly appear larger at the same time.
20 THINGS YOU NEED TO DECLUTTER FROM YOUR HOME…LIKE TODAY
1.) UNNECESSARY PAPERWORK
Junk mail, receipts, take-out menus, old newspapers, you get the idea.
According to The Paperless Project:
Americans still consume more paper per capita – upwards of 500 lbs. annually – than anyone else on earth. On average, a person in the United States uses more than 700 pounds of paper every year.
The truth is, it doesn’t have to be this way. In today’s digital age, there’s absolutely no reason we can’t reduce, or even completely eliminate paper from our homes. Why then, is it so hard?
Need help? Here’s How to Declutter Paper – In 4 Simple Steps.
2.) EXTRA CLOTHES & SHOES
Studies have shown that we tend to wear just 20% of the clothes in our closets.
I’m no math wiz, but even I know that if there are 7 days in a week (which, there are) and I do laundry at least once per week, then, theoretically, I only need 7 tops, 7 bottoms, 7 pairs of underwear, and maybe 3 bras.
So…why on earth do we (I) insist on owning more clothes than we (I) need? And, don’t even get me started on shoes!
Related Post: A Comprehensive Guide to Decluttering Clothes
3.) PAMPERED PET SUPPLIES
Back in the day, a dog was lucky to “own” a food bowl, water bowl, dry kibble, a collar, and a leash.
Nowadays, our pets “require” food and water bowls for home, different bowls for traveling, customized collars, leashes, jewelry, sweaters, bags to carry them in, dry food, wet food, brushes, assorted entertainment in the form of toys, etc.
It’s no different in my house. In fact, my dog owns more hair grooming supplies than I do!
4.) BROKEN TOYS
If you’ve got kids, then, chances are your home contains a lot of broken toys. This is one category you can declutter without regret.
While you are at it, you may want to declutter the non-broken toys too.
Related Post: How to Declutter and Organize Toys
5.) RANDOM OFFICE SUPPLIES
You have too many pens, pencils, scissors, etc. in your home, yet somehow, you can never seem to find one when you need it. Sound familiar?
I’ve often wondered if we are the only homeschool family who has to hunt for a pencil when it’s time for math…
20 THINGS YOU NEED TO DECLUTTER FROM YOUR HOME (REALLY)
6.) USELESS KITCHEN GADGETS
If you own a butter spreader, banana holder, pizza shears, quesadilla maker, taco holder, or anything resembling these useless kitchen gadgets, it may be time to declutter your kitchen.
And yes, these are real products sold on Amazon!
Confession: I recently bought an Instant Pot. Just another useless kitchen gadget? I think not! My Instant Pot has eliminated the need for a slow cooker, stock pot, rice cooker, and multiple pots and pans.
What I’m trying to say is, if you can find a single kitchen gadget (like an Instant Pot) that does the job of multiple kitchen gadgets, go for it!
7.) ANCIENT ELECTRONICS
I don’t think VHS players (and tapes), floppy discs, clunky computer monitors from the early 90’s, or walkmen are going to come back in style anytime soon. Go ahead and discard/recycle these items along with any other electronic devices you no longer use.
8.) UNIMPORTANT MAGAZINES
Magazine clutter is the worst, isn’t it? You don’t even have time to finish reading one before another shows up at your doorstep.
You can declutter magazines quickly by donating them to your local library, doctor’s office, nursing homes, and homeless shelters. While you’re at it, you may also want to consider canceling any unwanted subscriptions.
Related Post: How to Declutter Books When You Love to Read
9.) EXPIRED MEDICATIONS
One of the most important things you need to declutter from your home is expired/unnecessary medications. A.) They are a safety hazard to children and B.) There’s really no valid reason to hold on to them.
Be sure to follow FDA guidelines in order to safely dispose of medications.
A FEW MORE THINGS TO DECLUTTER FROM YOUR HOME
10.) EMPTY BOXES/PACKAGES FROM PRODUCTS
I’ll admit, I’m guilty of holding on to boxes from electronics for way longer than I need to! Unless you plan on reusing boxes for storage, expect to move within the next couple of months, or the item is still within its warranty period, it’s really not necessary to keep empty boxes laying around your home.
11.) DRIED-UP PAINT, CAULKING, SPACKLING
This one goes without saying, but if you have cans of dried up paint, caulking, and spackling cluttering up your home/garage…get rid of it!
Contact your local landfill for safe disposal procedures.
12.) SURPLUS CLEANING SUPPLIES
When it comes to cleaning supplies, less really is more. In fact, you can ditch commercial cleansers altogether and use natural ingredients you already have on hand!
Related Post: How to Clean Almost Anything with Next to Nothing
13.) UNFINISHED CRAFT PROJECTS
Chances are, if you are a crafter, you have at least one (possibly more) unfinished project(s) that you have no desire to ever complete. Perhaps you lost interest in it and you feel guilty, so you’ve held onto it for far too long.
Let me tell you, life is too short to stress over unfinished craft projects! Go ahead and declutter those long-forgotten craft supplies and turn your attention to the projects that bring you joy instead!
Related Post: How to Declutter and Organize Craft Supplies
14.) HALF-EMPTY TOILETRIES
Come on, we all have them and you know it. How many times have you opened up a new bottle of shampoo simply because you grew tired of the scent of the previous bottle? Uh-huh, that’s what I thought.
15.) EXCESS HOME DECOR
For the longest time, I thought I needed to decorate every corner and empty wall in my home. Then, I discovered it’s actually quite calming to have places in my home for my eyes to “rest”. Now, I have more empty spaces than decorated ones and I love the feeling it gives me.
16.) OLD MAKEUP
Did you know old/expired makeup contains all sorts of harmful (and disgusting) bacteria? It’s true! Now that you are sufficiently grossed-out, you can go throw it all away.
17.) CHEAP PLASTIC…ANYTHING
I’m not a “green” gal by any stretch of the imagination, but more and more I’m getting fed up with cheap, brittle, often-toxic items made out of plastic.
The fact that most of it is difficult to recycle really ticks me off, too.
Recently, I replaced all of the plastic storage containers in my kitchen with these glass alternatives (the lids are still plastic, but it’s better than nothing). Plus, I use mason jars to store dry goods in.
18.) UNMEMORABLE SOUVENIERS
Do you have a collection of meaningless state magnets, plastic snowglobes, and bobbleheads purchased from your travels? Feel free to toss them if they do not bring you joy.
19.) EXTRA LINENS
We really only need one extra set of sheets per bed. And, this extra set can be stored under the mattress. Any more than this is silly, don’t you think? {Unless you have a bed-wetter in the home, then, you can own as many as you want}!
20.) EXPIRED FOOD
Don’t risk your family’s health by serving expired food. An exception to this is food in undented/rust-free cans. But really, if your family didn’t want it before it went bad, why bother serving it now?
There, doesn’t your home feel lighter already? I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather put my house on a diet than myself!
