Are you one of those people who has a hard time throwing things out, even if you know they’re total trash? If so, you’re not alone.
We all save things, thinking we might need them someday or maybe just because we’re a little too sentimental. But often, that day we use them never comes, and the clutter keeps piling up and crowding our space, whether that’s in the attic, the middle of the living room, or in the yard behind the tomato patch.
Is it worth keeping a mountain of clutter for a “just in case” scenario? If you’ve uncovered the joy of decluttering or are just starting to realize your home might be full of unnecessary items, it’s time to get organized. The more you throw out, the lighter and better you’ll feel.
We’ve put together 22 items you might have held onto for a bit too long. These items have probably seen better days, take up space, and mostly just cause stress. It’s time to get rid of these items for good! Your mental health will thank you.
1. Plastic Containers
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You might be keeping plastic containers, like empty lotion bottles and boxes (in which your food comes), because they are good for storing other items. However, most of them become dusty in our cabinets, and it becomes difficult to find the things we need because of this excess clutter. These unused containers should be discarded now because they are just taking up space.
2. Condiment Packets
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Keeping a stash of sauce packs with your takeaway or restaurant food means an unnecessary mess. They might seem useful, but you’ll forget about using them like everyone else. They’ll expire soon and become part of the growing junk drawer.
3. Pillows
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While it’s important to have pillows for comfort, having too many lying around “just in case” can make your house look like a mess. Keep a few for guests or rotating seasons, and donate the rest to a shelter.
4. Single-Use Kitchen Gadgets
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Many of us have a drawer packed to the brim with egg separators, avocado slicers, or strawberry hullers. While these items promise convenience (thanks to targeted ads), most single-use kitchen gadgets can easily be replaced by a simple, multifunctional tool like a knife or a fork.
5. Photo Negatives
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If you’re holding old negatives for sentimental reasons, they’ll likely remain tucked away in boxes in the attic. Get rid of these old negatives by digitizing important photos to preserve memories and free up space in your house. Don’t just throw them away. Instead, recycle them to reduce waste and help the environment.
6. Games or Puzzles With Missing Pieces
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Games and puzzles are great for making your free time productive (and fun) but useless when some pieces are missing. If you’ve been holding onto incomplete sets, hoping to find those lost pieces, it might be time to let them go. Consider recycling them or using what’s left for creative projects. Your space can be better used for games and puzzles you can complete and fully enjoy.
7. Broken or Unworn Jewelry Pieces
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Jewelry that’s broken or no longer worn takes up space without adding value to your life. You have options like fixing pieces you truly love or donating ones still in good condition. Perhaps you can upcycle some pieces with garden ornaments or flashy bird feeders as well.
8. Business Cards
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Go through your collection of cards. You may find cards from people you don’t know or need to contact again. Having so many business cards is not useful; they are just pieces of paper piling up on your desk. Keep the genuinely important ones. Discard the rest asap!
9. CDs
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CDs were popular in the past to store music, movies, or other data. But now, they are obsolete because everything is easily accessible online. There’s no need to save these CDs lying on the shelves. Put what you need on a memory stick or in the cloud, and recycle or repurpose those CDs.
Another upcycling tip: You can try hanging CDs in trees near your vegetable patch to deter deer (the reflections can scare them off).
10. Handbags
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Well, it’s understandable to hold onto handbags in the hopes of using them someday. However, if you have handbags that haven’t seen the light of day for months (or even years!), It’s unlikely that you’ll suddenly find a need for them. It’s time to raid your handbag collection, find the ones you haven’t used in the past few years, and bid farewell to them.
If they’re worth something, try selling them or giving them to someone who’ll appreciate their worth (and use it).
11. Takeout Menus
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Most of us look up menus online or through apps when hungry for takeout these days. Those old menus from places you don’t even order from anymore are cluttering your kitchen drawers. It’s time to recycle them and make room for things that are useful to you now. Ditching the old menus can help your kitchen look tidier and more organized.
12. Clothes
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Are you keeping clothes that no longer fit with a wish to fit in them once again? Or that giant bin of maternity clothing even though you don’t plan to have any more kids? A few outfits might be okay, but the rest should be tossed out. Consider donating them to someone less privileged or selling them for extra money. If your future body is different, it can have its closet when it comes.
13. Old Bridesmaid Dresses
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Have you been in a lot of weddings lately? Chances are, you had to buy a style of dress in a color you never usually wear.
Ask yourself if you will wear them again. Most likely not. These dresses were beautiful for the wedding, but now they’ll hang in your wardrobe for the rest of your life. Well, you might not want to throw them away because of the sentiments attached to them. You can still look for ways to recycle or donate them.
14. Solo Socks
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Your drawer might be filled with socks whose mate is lost somewhere under the bed or behind the sofa, never to be found. It can lead to frustration when you’re late for work but can’t find a matching pair.
Save your time and energy by removing these solo socks from your closet. Or turn them into a fun project for kids by making a puppet. Either way, do something with that pile of socks!
15. Old Makeup
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Makeup expires quickly, especially mascara, lipstick, and foundation, and it can harbor bacteria over time when exposed to air and skin. Once expired, they lose their texture, and colors may fade, yet many of us keep using them. If you care about your skin and hygiene, clean up your drawers from makeup that is older than 6 months old and make room for new and fresh products.
16. Broken Appliances
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Once electrical appliances are impaired, they can’t be used because they can pose a risk of electrical fires or other accidents. You keep them, hoping to get them fixed someday, but it usually never happens. Either they are completely damaged, or you are too busy. Take these appliances to the repair store as early as possible, or if they are damaged for a long time, dispose of them properly.
17. Expired coupons
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While it should be obvious, here’s a reminder: Expired coupons can’t save you money, period. Instead, they are becoming a part of the junk in your home. Don’t let these coupons mess up your countertops; throw them away as soon as they expire.
18. Magazines or Newspapers More Than Two Months Old
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Outdated magazines and newspapers should not have a place on your shelves. Once you’ve read them, the news and stories in them become irrelevant and uninteresting. So, discard the old magazines that you will not read again and keep the space for new ones to stay up to date.
19. Wedding Invitations
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Old wedding invitations often hold cherished memories of special moments. But as time goes by, they may be forgotten. Consider preserving a few as souvenirs closest to your heart, or you could repurpose them into crafting and cast away the rest.
20. Extra Buttons
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If a button falls off and needs replacing, extra buttons usually come with new clothes. However, it’s rare to find a chance to replace a button. It’s sensible to keep a small selection for emergencies and donate the rest to a sewing group, where they can be used for good.
21. Product Manuals
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Product manuals are useful guides for setting up and troubleshooting appliances and gadgets. But once you understand an item, they’re useless, and they end up being a chuck. Plus, you can always look up their digital copies online instead of piling up the hard copies in your drawers.
22. Old Bills and Receipts
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Bills are kept for record-keeping, but nowadays, most payments are being made online, and many receipts are for minor purchases that are unimportant to keep. Sorting these old bills and receipts to clean up the clutter can be daunting, but it’s worth the effort.
