How To Declutter Your Home: 10+ Things You Don’t Need
It’s time for some spring-cleaning! But before you start going deep into every little crack in the house, you first need to look at the big picture. This means getting rid of general clutter first and then going into a deep clean state. Even if you aren’t living in a small space, you still have to be sensible when going through items and deciding whether to toss them or keep them. However, deciding what’s worth holding onto and what isn’t can be tough. Whether it be because of sentimental value, you just like how it looks, or you fear that if you throw it away you may suddenly need it. Even though let’s be real, you haven’t used the thing in years. That’s why we’ve put together 10 things you should get rid of in order to learn how to declutter your home properly.
It’s time for some spring-cleaning
@thespruce
How To Declutter Your Home?
Make sure to also take it slow and start one room at a time. If you have a hard time of letting things go, ask a buddy for help. They will help steer you towards the right decision. One of the first steps in decluttering your home is to create a checklist. Take a look around. What seems to be in abundance? Make a list of those things, so you can go through them later. Here are ten common household items that tend to create clutter in the home to help get you started.
Here are 10+ ways on how to declutter your home
Books
Throwing away books may seem like a crime. But let’s be honest, it’s time to let go of some. If you have books upon books, they are probably taking up way too much space and collecting a ton of dust. Buying books with the intent that you will read them someday is very relatable, but it’s also a recipe for cluster. So, take a good look through your books. Separate the ones that you wouldn’t read again, didn’t enjoy, or just don’t want anymore. You can donate them to a local library, school or sell them online.
If you have books upon books, they are probably taking up way too much space
Plastic Bags
Ah, we’ve all been there. You plan to go grocery shopping, you’ve got the shopping list ready, the money in your pocket and off you go. The moment you step in the market, it hits you. You forgot the reusable bag. Oh well, you’ll just get a plastic one. Sure, if it’s a one time thing, it’s more than fine, however let’s be real – it’s not. That’s why now there are piles of plastic bags lying around, and they just keep growing. Take them out to the recycling bin. You don’t need them, will barely use them and new ones will probably show up within a day or two. So, don’t be afraid to toss them.
Piles of plastic bags tend to show up all around the house
Candles
Candles can make a space feel nice and cozy. However, an abundance of used and not used candles is more an eyesore than anything else. No person requires a ton of candles. Donate the unused ones or gift them to somebody who will love and use it. However, if it looks like something that would be used as a prop in a haunted mansion, it’s time to toss it out.
No person requires a ton of candles, especially if they are already burnt
Mugs
We understand the mug obsession. There are so many cool mugs on the market that are just impossible not to take home. However, mugs take up a lot of kitchen cabinet space. Plus, how many of those mugs do you really use. Whether you bought them on your own or you were gifted them, it’s most likely you have twice the amount of mugs than people in the household. Look through them and pick out your real favorite, the one that you use every day or that have sentimental value. The rest, like the chipped ones and the ones that you never use are going away. Donate them to a second hand shop or straight to the trash.
There are so many cool mugs on the market that are just impossible not to take home
Old Paperwork
Old paperwork is a very broad term. This is because we subconsciously collect a ton of different types of paperwork around the house. This includes old takeout menus, piles of receipt tucked in drawers, old magazines, expired coupons, old calendars, outdated prescription and so on. Trust us, if you look around, you’ll start to notice plenty of old papers lying around the house. Don’t even think about it and throw them away, or even better recycle them. Nowadays, you can find most restaurant menus online and those receipts from years ago aren’t going to be useful now even if you do want to return something, so let them go.
If you look around, you’ll start to notice plenty of old papers lying around the house
Unmatched Socks
Damn the washing machine and dryer for eating up one sock from each pair you own. You, like many of us, probably have a pile of unmatched socks shamefully tucked away in the wardrobe. Well, the hard truth is that you will probably never find that missing pair and all they are doing is just taking up space. Unless you are thinking of getting crafty and finding a way to repurpose them, it’s best to just throw them away.
Everybody has a pile of unmatched socks shamefully tucked away in the wardrobe
Open Bottles
While alcohol goes through a fermentation process, it doesn’t need to go again sitting in your fridge. Even though hard liquor has around two years before starting to spoil, wines do not. So, recycle any opened and unused wine bottles that may be lying around. Depending on the wine, it can go bad from three days to two weeks. Not only alcohol bottles take up space though. Plastic water bottles also seem to find a way into our home. You can only reuse them for a limited amount of time, so make sure to throw them away. If you also have a lot of thermoses, tumblers, and reusable water bottles, it’s best to go through them and see which are still useable and which are not.
Depending on the wine, it can go bad from three days to two weeks
Vases
If you enjoy having a bit of fresh flowers in your home, you are probably packed with vases. And we are not talking about the super cool ones, that make a brilliant centerpiece. No, we’re talking about the florist freebies that pile up over time. Yes, while they get the job done in the moment of purchasing the flowers, they aren’t really anything special, and you can easily toss them away. Invest in beautiful vases, that you’ll be glad to have up front and center.
Invest in beautiful, fun-looking vases
Expired Products
Expired products can be found all around the house. This can include anything from expired food products tucked deep withing the fridge, spices, medication bottles, makeup, cleaning supplies and expired batteries. None of these things are useable anymore, so there is no point in holding onto them. Dispose of them correctly depending on the item, and you’ll be surprised how much space will open up around the house.
Getting rid of expired products is a must when it comes to how to declutter your home
Worn Out Clothes And Sheets
You really don’t need a lot of bedding, towels or clothes. Especially if they are super worn out. Donate what you can to a homeless shelter or somebody in need. If anything is way too worn out, you give it to an animal shelter. However, there is simply no point in holding onto such items. The longer you keep and use them, the more they wear out and become straight for the trash. Make sure to replace such items when you see they are nearing their life expectancy.
You really don’t need worn out bedding, towels or clothes
Lidless Tupperware
Tupperware can be extremely useful. It’s great for taking food to work, keeping food fresh in the fridge and more. However, more often than not most containers, just like socks, lose their pair, in this case it’s their lids. Who knows where they go, all we know is that one day you just end up with a bunch of lidless Tupperware. This defeats the whole purpose of them. That’s why there is no point in keeping them, unless you plan to use them as a bowl.
Tupperware without a lid is just a bowl
There are plenty more items that may be creating clutter around your home. However, it’s up to you to spot them. This how to declutter your home guide is only the beginning of your cleaning journey. We hope you found this article useful and managed to kick-start the decluttering with these 10+ items.
These were some ways on how to declutter your home
