Are you overrun with stuff in your home? Or maybe you’re trying to reduce the amount of clutter while you spring clean? Either way, these things to declutter right now will get you started with the clutter-free bug and well on your way to having a tidier home.
Sometimes in my house it feels like the kids make all the crap multiply. It seems like we had nothing a few years ago and now we’re totally overrun. Granted, part of that is a complete lack of practical storage systems. Sometimes you have stuff. But if you don’t have it well stored and organized it just looks like useless clutter.
Now that the days are getting longer here in Manitoba I’m started to feel a little bit less exhausted all the time. We even have a few days above freezing the forecast which means we just might get to open some window while we clean.
I really need to get a handle on things, especially as a juggle a growing business, blogging, and the duties of family life. Having less clutter means less to clean and less to get everywhere.
Helpful List of Over 50 Things to Declutter
Here’s some ideas for what you can get rid of to get started:
What to declutter in the kitchen
- Old plastic containers without lids (or lids without containers)
- Extra napkins, paper plates, take-out cutlery, etc that you won’t use
- Old glassware that you don’t use, especially cheap plastic kids’ cups
- Take out menus, outdated school paperwork, and other paper clutter you can deal with without much thought
- Table linens
- Mismatched cutlery
- Chipped dishes and glassware
- Cooking utensils, especially broken or flaking ones
- Expired food in the fridge
- Expired food in the pantry
- Food you won’t eat (donate this to a local food bank)
- Mugs that you don’t use (especially if you have a large collection)
Things to declutter in the bedrooms
- Clothes that don’t fit (or you don’t like)
- Bedding that you don’t want, especially fitted sheets with worn elastics
- Accessories like jewelry, belts, or ties
- Old or flat pillows
- Items being stored in the bedroom that don’t belong there
- Forgotten belongings that were left in the guest room
What to declutter in the living room
- DVDs or Blurays that don’t get watched or have been scratched up
- Books and magazines
- Knick nacks and other decorative items that you don’t love
- Throw pillows and blankets
- Partially burnt or never used candles
Kids items to declutter
- Toys, particularly small ones
- Crayons, pencils, and art supplies
- Colouring books and worksheets
- Stuffed animals
- Outgrown or ripped books
- Any broken toys or belongings
Decluttering the mudroom
- Worn or outgrown shoes
- Too small and mismatched mittens
- Extra hats
- Old jackets that won’t get worn
- Broken umbrellas
- Any dishes that are being used to catch clutter on the way in
Things to declutter in the bathroom
- Empty soap bottles
- Expired medicine
- Old makeup
- Lotions and soaps you won’t use
- Duplicate beauty products
- Worn out toothbrushes and other hygiene products
- Tattered face cloths and towels
Decluttering ideas for the garage
- Broken tools and stripped bits
- Leftover building materials that can’t (or won’t) be reused
- Overhead storage and shelving
- Cardboard boxes or other recycling clutter
- Previously decluttered items waiting to be donated
Other things to declutter
- Paperwork you don’t need
- Cleaning supplies
- Garbage as you come across it
- Duplicate items that you don’t need 2 of
- Electronics cords you don’t need and outdated electronics
- Outdated calendars or anything dated that’s no longer good (like coupons)
- Old batteries (recycle these)
- “Catch all” baskets
- Your cupboard or box of gifts you’ve been saving to give later (or regift)
Tackling the garbage is a quick way to get off to a great start decluttering. One way I like to do this is just by grabbing a black garbage bag and then moving from room to room. I find that by just picking up everything I can see makes a big difference! Once you’ve done that you’ll have already kickstarted your decluttering efforts.
As you find things to declutter RIGHT NOW in your home make sure you’re donating or getting rid of everything you remove. There’s nothing worse than going through all this work to clean up your home only to fill your garage! Local organizations, like Goodwill, will take useful household items off your hands. For everything else, a few trips to the dump might be needed in order to get the job done. Or you can always call in a junk removal service too, especially if you don’t have a truck.