25 Things to Get Rid of Right Now

Declutter. Have more space. Feel more free

Nicole Pajer,

AARP

Comments

Published September 30, 2024

a person throwing items away in the trash

From paperclips to extra jackets, tchotchkes and beyond, many of us have homes bursting at the seams.

Sam Island

Kim Livengood, a 55-year-old public relations professional in Sarasota, Florida, once considered herself a pack rat. She struggled to part with everything from her childhood magazine collection she’d been accumulating since age 14 to clothing she never wore. But when she and her husband sold their home and moved into a 900-square-foot condo, downsizing became a necessity.

“Once I started giving things away and recycling, I started to feel lighter,” she says, adding if she was able to do it, “anyone can!”

From paperclips to extra jackets, tchotchkes and beyond, many of us have homes bursting at the seams. Research tells us that clutter is not great for our mental health. And wouldn’t it be nice to have people over occasionally without having to start the evening with “sorry our home is such a mess”?

In recent years, minimalism – getting rid of excessive belongings to make more room for what’s important – has been on the rise, especially since the pandemic. “People were at home more and were ‘face to face with all that stuff,’ ” says Ryan Nicodemus, one half of the Minimalists, who, alongside Joshua Fields Millburn, helps people simplify their lives.

Ready to declutter but don’t know where to start? Here are 25 things to start tossing immediately.

1. Anything that doesn’t add value

Fields Millburn says to ask yourself: “How might my life be better with less?” This can help you understand why you want to downsize, which is highly individual. For instance, some people want to quit their buying habit for more financial freedom, while others want fewer items to care for and more time to spend with family and friends.

“Understanding the why behind simplifying gives us the leverage we need to begin to let go and helps us understand what is excess,” Fields Millburn explains.

2. Just-in-case items

To the Minimalists, “just in case” are three dangerous words. “If you look around your house, you’ll likely find thousands of items you’re storing just in case you might need them in some nonexistent hypothetical future,” Fields Millburn says. These items can usually be replaced, if need be, for less than $20 and in less than 20 minutes. The exceptions to this, Fields Millburn notes, are emergency items like first aid kits, which you should definitely keep handy.

3. Photos and paper

“It’s about saving less,” says Courtney Carver, author of the wesbite Be More With Less and creator of the minimalist fashion challenge called Project 333. Give yourself permission to get rid of duplicate, similar or blurry photos, coupons or mailers you aren’t using, bills and statements you can get online, old newspapers and magazines, and things you’ve ripped out of a magazine.

Nicodemus scans photos and tosses physical copies, while Dana White, founder of A Slob Comes Clean, takes a photo of a photo to create a digital version.

4. Seasonal items ... you didn’t use last season

Still holding onto that outfit or accessory that stayed tucked away last spring, summer, fall or winter? Chances are, you won’t use it for the future seasons either. “If you have T-shirts you never wore, swimsuits or flip-flops that have seen better days, an inflatable pool that you bought during confinement and haven’t used since, or three sets of picnic dishes when you only really need one ... it’s time to let go,” says Amélie Saint‑Jacques, home organizer Certified KonMari Consultant, Amelie Organizes LLC, in San Antonio, Texas. And something that you did use last season that’s on its last legs, like a sun hat about to fall apart or a torn summer tablecloth, is ready to get tossed as well.

If the item is broken or missing parts, it's time to let it go.

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5. Damaged items

Holding on to a favorite mug that’s chipped or a necklace that’s fallen apart? Time to let go. “Be honest about what things are damaged and toss them,” White says — even if you’ve been meaning to sell them. “If it’s damaged, it probably does not have the value you’ve been assuming it was going to have one day.” The same goes for things that are missing parts. For instance, White says to store Tupperware with the lids on, and if one is missing a lid, chuck it into the recycling bin.

6. Extras and duplicates

“You always use your favorites but still have extras for a variety of reasons,” Carver says. Maybe something was on sale, or you think you should own more of a certain item, but you ultimately get to determine how much of what is enough. Items that fall into this category, she says, can include coffee cups, measuring cups and spoons, wooden spoons, wire whisks, handbags, sunglasses and pens.

7. Stuff you never use

“If you are holding on, thinking, it’s not hurting anything, reframe and ask yourself how it’s helping and contributing to your life,” Carver suggests. “If it’s not, you don’t have room for it.” This often includes things like random spices and sauces, uncomfortable shoes, empty frames and containers, books you’ve already read or never plan on reading, junk drawer items (or the whole drawer), knickknacks, freebies or gifts you were given but don’t like.

8. Items from a past phase

If you don’t have a dog anymore and don’t plan on getting a new one, give yourself permission to get rid of the dog bed, bowl and leash. And if you’re retired, pack up the majority of your professional clothes and office supplies. This, White says, will give you more space for items that serve the phase of life you’re in right now.

9. Things that bring up bad memories

If an item doesn’t make you feel good, send it on its way. “Release the unflattering photos, the gift from your no-longer friend or mementos from an ex,” Coraccio suggests. “Clear your space to welcome new experiences and people into your life.” Using sites like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and Offer Up is an easy way to list things to sell or give away.

Get rid of expired medications, food and makeup.

Sam Island

10. Anything expired

This includes medications, food and makeup. If you can’t find the motivation to declutter here, do it for your health, says Julie Coraccio, a professional organizer and author of Clear Your Clutter Inside & Out. “Did you know that if you wear bad makeup, you could get pink eye, inflammation that can lead to redness, bumps, a rash or even blisters and swelling?” she says. Properly dispose of expired medications and toss out old food for your safety as well.

11. Digital clutter

Digital clutter can build up as well, Carver says. Unsubscribe to podcasts you don’t listen to, and delete music you don’t enjoy from iTunes. Drag documents you saved and never access, or email you don’t need, to the trash. Unsubscribe from email subscriptions you aren’t using and from people on social media you don’t want to follow anymore. Delete apps that drain your time and energy, and social media platforms you no longer care about.

12. Boxes

Old computer boxes, the box that stored that latest version of your smartphone, shoeboxes. “Unless you are moving in a week and there is that one special box that perfectly contains that antique samurai sword you got at a flea market, you don’t need it,” says Jennifer Jarrett, a Los Angeles-based certified professional organizer with Jenuinely Contained.

But wait, you’re keeping a box because you are planning to reuse it down the road, to send something at the post office or to house something you need to store? “Either way, having the box is probably going to be more cumbersome or simply unnecessary,” says Jarrett. And when it is time to obtain a box for such an occasion, a friend or neighbor will probably have one they’d be more than willing to offload.

13. Mismatched or broken food storage containers

How many times have you gone to the cupboard, taken out the perfect size Tupperware container to house your leftovers and not been able to find the lid? If you haven’t been able to find it in years, chances are it’s not going to reappear. “Take 15 minutes, pull all your Tupperware out and match tops with bottoms and toss anything that doesn’t have a mate,” says Jarrett, who stresses that this museum of mismatched storage containers can build up over time. “This will make it easier and faster when you need a food storage bin.”

14. Giveaways and tchotchkes

“We’ve all been to events that give away something that looks great and useful at the time you receive it, only to get home and realize you have something similar or that you’re never going to actually use it,” says Emily Preciado-Fonseca, a professional organizer and founder of on-demand assistance service MommyAssist.

Are you really going to wear that trucker hat that has a cleaning product’s name plastered on the front? Do you really need to own five beer koozies? And the party favors that you took home in a gift bag last month that have been sitting on your vanity counter are probably not things you need to keep, right? All of these can go.

Either finish the hobby or donate the supplies.

Sam Island

15. An abandoned hobby

Be realistic about which hobbies you’ve moved on from and toss the related materials you’re not using. “Maybe you collected stuff for knitting and tried it once and didn’t like it,” White says. Then it’s time to donate the yarn. And if you come across hobby materials and want to finish the project, go ahead. Allowing finishing a project to count as decluttering “is a really helpful mindset shift,” White says. Keeping brushes for a painting hobby you’re never going to have is not.

16. Random home furnishings

Did you move to a new place and take old furniture with you that doesn’t quite fit the space anymore? Have you changed out some home decor, like paintings, but you’re holding on to the old ones? Free yourself from having to store these things that will likely never see the outside of your closet for the rest of their existence. “Old rugs, side tables that were part of a set, a nightstand that doesn’t match anything anymore — check your home for random furniture that may not fit who you are — or your home! — anymore,” says Preciado-Fonseca.

17. Old bedding

That old set of sheets with a pattern you hate and have since replaced, the sheets with the stain on them, the pillowcase with the holes… “Sometimes the back of the linen closet ends up being the place where things go to die,” says Jarrett. “People often have a tendency to just put new things in front of the old things and forget they are there.”

If you buy new bedding to replace old bedding, make a point of tossing the old bedding at the same time. And instead of putting sheets and pillowcases in the bin, donate them to your local animal shelter as bedding to line pet crates — or tear them up and use them as rags. “If it’s something you are never going to use again in its current form, move it out,” adds Jarrett.

18. Unknown freezer items

You frequently put leftovers or extra batches of meals in the freezer. But when’s the last time you popped your head in there, really dug around and took inventory of what’s going on? “Consider cleaning out your freezer and discarding anything old or items you would no longer eat,” says Sarit Weiss, founder and lead organizer at Neat & Orderly.

Check out this chart from foodsafety.gov for more information on how long things can stay in the freezer before spoiling (for instance, you can keep leftover pizza in the fridge for one to two months and an egg casserole for two to three months). If it’s past its expiration date, it must go. And if you can’t remember when you put it in there, send it to the garbage disposal stat.

19. Reusable bags and totes

Most of us have quite the reusable bag collection going on. It’s a favorite piece of swag that’s handed out at trade shows (employers love to gift corporate logo-adorned versions to their staff), and they are often free gifts that come with things we order online. But we’re having to find places to store these bags and often have much more than we need. “Reusable bags have become a standard and are readily available everywhere, leading so many people to have so many bags,” says Preciado-Fonseca. She suggests keeping a few in the car, designating a place to keep a certain amount and tossing the rest.

Your closet should house items you look forward to wearing.

Sam Island

20. Clothes that don't fit

“Many of us have skinny jeans or T-shirts from high school that no longer fit us. Every time we see these items, whether we are aware of it or not, it’s an unpleasant reminder,” Coraccio says. Your closet should house items you look forward to wearing instead of being a place to cast aside what you know you’re not going to wear.

21. Paperwork that you don’t need

“After the statute to hang on to things for tax purposes runs out [typical time is four years], hanging onto old paperwork and receipts is just taking up space unnecessarily,” says Jarrett. And outside of work records, if you’re not going to return something, for instance, there’s no reason to keep the receipt for it. “Hang on to only the things that you know you won’t be able to find online and important documents,” Jarrett adds. “Shred or recycle the rest.”

22. Appliance manuals

You’ve been holding on to the manual for your blender, television and/or hair dryer in case you need to remind yourself how to use it one day. But in today’s digital age, these can typically be found online now and are easily accessible. “It is so much faster to type your question or concern into Google than to find the proper manual, find the page associated with the area in question, and then try to determine what the problem is and how to fix it,” says Jarrett. Tracking down an online manual, she says, takes a quarter the amount of time it takes to locate a manual in your home — and find the right page. And if you can’t find it online, you can always call a brand’s customer service department in a pinch.

23. Old magazines and books

Like Livengood, many of us have extra magazines lying around. It’s so easy to let subscriptions pile up and not read them month after month and have our coffee table be filled with them (of course, you’re not doing that with your AARP magazines though, since the articles are just too enticing!). Or maybe there is an article in there that you wanted to save. “A good way to avoid needlessly hanging on to old magazines is to tear out the pages that you want to hang on to, put them into a file folder and trash the rest,” says Jarrett. “It’s hard to remember where that one article about citrus fruits of the French countryside is, but you’ll have a lot less to go through if you store it with other similar items.”

Books can really pile up as well, especially if you’ve been hanging on to some that you’ve tried to read and just haven’t made progress. Old books that are just sitting on your shelf can be given new life by being passed to friends or donated to your neighborhood’s mini library where other people can enjoy them.

24. Old socks without friends

One of the biggest mysteries of the world is how does the dryer always manage to eat one of our socks but not both in a pair. Lonely socks or socks with holes in them sit in our drawers, taking up space and causing us the stress of having to dig through them to find a pair that matches.

“Unless you are a member of the mismatched sock club, it often doesn’t make sense to hang on to solo socks or socks with holes in them,” says Jarrett. “They will almost always get overlooked for a set of two socks or a pair where your big toe isn’t sticking out.” Old socks, she says, are also great to use for cleaning or for various craft projects, so if you don’t want to part with them, consider repurposing them.

25. Actual trash

It may sound obvious, but items that belong in the trash can or recycling bin often pile up on countertops and other surfaces. “Decluttering is the perfect time to walk around the house with a small garbage bag and pick up any cast-aside wrappers, soda cans, junk mail, odds and ends that are just actual trash,” says Jarrett. Imagine how good you’ll feel to finally use your dining table for meals again and not as a catch-all for things you have been meaning to dispose of.