Some might argue we have reached peak retail madness. As a result, very few human beings have the willpower to throw things out that they don’t use. It’s in our nature. Still, the early part of the year after that hectic holiday season provides a good opportunity to clear out for the year ahead. Invariably, some of us struggle with this process.
There are two types of declutterers: clutter hoarders and clutter destroyers. We all know who we are. Are you likely to reign down upon the decluttering operation like Daenerys Targaryen at King’s Landing, or will it be a sentimental ceasefire?
Some of us will justify many items with some imagined situation for when we will use them, yet they always end up estranged. These are the items we swear to use, but they end up friends with dust mites, moths, or just the sands of time.
1. Non-Perishable Food
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Admit it, you have had that pot of instant ramen in the pantry for well over a year now, but you don’t want to admit defeat. Most instant ramen lasts for 12 months, though one must remember that it was real food once upon a time.
Some ramen nerds say that the oils mixed into the product start to break down, and the consumer will get an inferior taste or worse. Six months is probably a good marker for ramen readiness.
2. Plastic Containers
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Who doesn’t have that drawer, you know, the one where Tupperware goes to die? Some of us are religious about our plastic container storage; others can’t throw away their takeout dishes, thinking they will come in handy.
Spoiler alert: the chances are you will lose the correct lid, sentencing the poor plastic dish to a life of dust-covered purgatory. Kait Hanson reasons that certain tell-tale signs indicate it may be time to discard plastic containers. Containers with cracks, stains, or stubborn smells are probably past their due.
3. User Manuals
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When we buy a household appliance, we tend to keep the instruction manual on hand just in case we forget how to use the appliance or when we sell it. The chances are you will likely use that appliance until it dies. You might be better off throwing it.
Besides, depending on whom you ask, some retro appliance manuals might fetch a good price. In fact, an early 1980 Apple user manual sold for almost $800,000. Okay, Steve Jobs signed it, but you get the idea.
4. Bleach
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Unless you are a career criminal who uses bleach to cover your tracks, you probably have very little use for bleach. That bottle stored in the kitchen, which you never use, will lose its potency.
Unity Home Group shares tips on safe bleach storage and use. The platform states that bleach starts to break down after six months. Moreover, bleach mixed with water lasts only a week.
5. Paint
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Other than flawlessly perfect human beings, I can’t imagine there is anyone who doesn’t have a dozen used paint tins in storage. “But we might need it for a touch-up one day,” we reason when it comes to a cleanout.
Christin Perry and Samantha Allen of Forbes Home write that latex paint might even last up to 10 years when stored well. By the time that time has passed, you will likely want to repaint the entire room anyway.
6. Liquor
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There are different levels to drinking liquor; some might be a frequent partaker, while others save it for special occasions. The latter is most at risk here. Liquor’s Dylan Ettinger wrote a guide to safe liquor storage, citing factors such as heat, light, and time as defining variables.
Like paint, opened liquor starts to break down after six months. Therefore, the next time you see that three-year-old bottle of Wild Turkey gathering dust in the garage, it might be time to say goodbye.
7. Kitchen Gadgets
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We are all guilty of impulse buys when traipsing the Aisles of Home Goods or TJ Maxx. Who hasn’t come home with an egg cuber, thinking they had cracked the kitchen Matrix? The regret for such purchases comes a little later when that new crackpot device is taking up valuable counter space.
There are many wacky kitchen gadgets you never knew you didn’t need, including the egg cuber. However, the carrot sharpener can stay; we all need one of these.
8. Souvenirs
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They may seem like a great keepsake at the time, but souvenirs need to be chosen carefully. Otherwise, they leave declutterers in a quandary: it isn’t easy getting rid of fond memories. Coming back from Mexico with giant sombrero hats and full ponchos might seem humorous during the purchase.
Once you realize you will never wear them because it’s 2026 and you live in New York City, the novelty wears off. Meanwhile, Jennifer Ross of Spruce Goose Organisers reasons that it’s okay to be ruthless with gifts, also; especially those you don’t like.
9. Gym Equipment
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There are two pathways for those looking to get into shape: finally, signing up for that gym membership and buying home gym equipment. The problem with this kind of decision is that motivation comes from within. Some data even suggests 27% of American homes have some form of unused home gym equipment.
Therefore, whether it’s the garage or the local sports center, fitness ambitions often last only a few months before the motivation wanes. Yet, throwing it out is admitting failure. Many Americans continue to fall prey to the dust-covered dreams of getting shredded.
10. Shoes
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The shoe industry has never had it so good. There are some serious sneaker freaks out there, and I am all for it. The only issue for some might be the amount of space they have for their shoe habit. Shoe lovers might end up buying some shoes they could never wear at all, not the right approach unless you have space for waste.
Justin FitzPatrick of TheShoeSnob reveals his choice for a potential dust-gathering sneaker, courtesy of Botter, Reebok, and Hewlett-Packard. FitzPatrick describes it as a “half seashell-half soccer cleat platform sneaker that is 3D printed by HP.”
11. Furniture
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There is an issue with furniture for some because furniture is the closest inanimate object to a family member. If the sentimental pull isn’t strong, the entrepreneurial allure might be for others.
Some optimists have been down the furniture restoration rabbit hole on YouTube, thinking they can restore and sell the used piece. However, as other influencers can clear six-figure income-flipping couches, most people have neither the talent nor the time.
12. Musical Instruments
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“It was supposed to be a hobby, though it only lasted a few months,” are the words many parents speak when they regret buying their child an instrument. Still, nothing can make a household feel more alive than the noise of members rehearsing in various corners.
This fantasy may be what drives some to buy their clearly indifferent child a violin or keyboard. My theory is that if kids don’t ask for the instrument, it’s probably best not to buy them one. Otherwise, that instrument may have a sad, lonely lifetime ahead. The National Institute of Health states that 50% of youngsters quit music classes by 17 years of age.
13. Magazines
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Collecting National Geographic, Vogue, or Playboy (for the articles, of course) has been an obsession for generations of Americans, but it’s a hobby not kind to living space. The imagery of paper publications gathering dust in the garage is poignant, considering the demise of print media in reality.
It’s a tough one: you aren’t going to read them; nobody else in the modern age is likely to want them, so what can you do? Of course, creative people have ideas, such as repurposing old spreads into wallpaper. Certain magazines (Playboy, for one) are best left away from living room walls, however.