It’s time for the big purge. It will make you and your family feel more organized and help reduce stress that leaves you less focused. Plus, with fewer things taking up space, you will have more room to display the things that bring you joy.
Whether you take it slowly over the course of a few weeks or tackle it in one weekend, commit to the decluttering project and keep it up throughout the year. Things easily pile up around the house but the more on top of it you stay, the easier it is to maintain.
There are dozens of suggestions below for things you can toss or donate right now from your home. You probably won’t even miss most of them.
The kitchen is a great place to start, so get rid of these things: Expired food and condiments in the fridge. Frozen food so old you don’t even remember what it is. Expired spices. Leftover seasonal or themed party plates or napkins you’ll never use again. Plastic containers with missing lids. Chipped coffee cups. Duplicate utensils or tools. Rusted or broken tools or appliances. Cracked ice cube trays. Cookbooks you never open. Extra water bottles. Takeout chopsticks. Takeout condiment packets. Takeout menus. Old sponges. Ratty dish towels. Extra flower delivery vases.
Now tackle the bathroom(s) by dumping the expired makeup and sunscreen. Stretched-out rubber bands. Old toothbrushes. Ratty washcloths. Extra towels (Two to three per person is plenty). Loofahs that have seen better days. Dried-up nail polish. Extra bath products. Extra cleaning supplies. Half-empty perfume samples. Extra travel-sized toiletries. Potpourri that’s lost its scent. Fancy bar soap you’ll never use. The disposable razors you bought but hate using. Extra promotional makeup bags. Expired medicine.
Now for the bedroom. Get rid of the books you’ve already read. The stack of magazines you’ll never have time to read. Old pillows. Excessive decorative throw pillows. The side chair you throw all your clothes on. Broken window blinds. Yellowed lampshades. Papers you don’t need anymore. Old cell phones or tablets. Costume jewelry you never wear. That cup/bowl/bucket of loose change (Cash it in!). Candle stubs.
The bedroom closet that’s over-stuffed with unused items. Clear out the clothes you don’t wear anymore. Clothes that don’t fit. Uncomfortable shoes. Old formal dresses you’ll never wear again. Wire hangers. Socks and gloves missing their matches. Ratty or stained scarves. Broken purses. Extra canvas bags (you only need enough for groceries.). Hats you never wear.
Don’t do the kid’s room(s) when they are home. It will be easier without them. Dump the dried-out markers and art supplies. Broken crayons. Broken toys. Clothes they’ve outgrown. Toys they don’t play with anymore. Furniture they’re too big for now. Extra artwork.
The living room might be easier than most of the others. It’s time to dump the extra candles. The rug you keep tripping on. Magazines you’ve left out on the coffee table. Remotes that belong to old TVs. Dead plants. Knickknack decorations that don’t add anything. Broken, scratched or stained furniture.
Turn your home office back into a home office. Get rid of old papers and bills you don’t need anymore. Outdated or broken technology. USB cords to things you don’t use anymore. Excessive paper clips or rubber bands. Old DVDs or CDs you don’t play anymore.
Make room in the hall closet by clearing it of moth-ruined coats or scarves. Broken umbrellas. Almost-empty rolls of wrapping paper. Broken items. Extra blankets you never use. Just-in-case gifts you keep on hand but never use. That old vacuum that doesn’t suck. Old holiday decorations you don’t use anymore. Plastic bins that just take up space. The air bed that sinks when anyone gets on it. The ratty old suitcases you never use anymore. Dusting cloths that have seen better days.
Clean out the garage. Get rid of broken, rusted or duplicate tools. Sports equipment that no longer gets used. Deflated sports balls. That old refrigerator that doesn’t work anymore. Things you’re saving for a future garage sale that’s never going to happen. Old potting soil you no longer need. Extra paint for a color that’s no longer in your house. Unfinished DIY projects that will never get completed. Extra home improvement supplies that you’ll never need. The picnic basket you haven’t used in years. Boxes for appliances or gadgets you’re saving just in case. The folding card table that’s scratched or broken.