We all love a good decluttering session. But sometimes, it can seem daunting and unproductive. Here’s a compilation of all of the things in your home you should be throwing out.
Once you’ve decluttered your home and are ready for a deep clean, call TLC Cleaning in Fargo, North Dakota. Support a small family-owned business by scheduling a deep or recurring cleaning with TLC to make all of your decluttering efforts worthwhile.
21 Things in Your Home You Should be Throwing Out Room-by-Room
The Kitchen
A kitchen is a busy place in most homes. With plenty of cool kitchen gadgets, food, and cleaning products, there are plenty of things in your home that you should be throwing out regularly in this space.
1. Takeout menus
If you hoard takeout menus, it’s time to ditch them. With basically all restaurants displaying their menu online, there is no longer a need to hold onto these. Just make sure you toss them in the recycling instead of the trash, please!
2. Expired food
Ditching expired food seems like a no-brainer, but sometimes it’s overlooked. Whenever you are putting away new groceries, check what you already have for an expiration date. If you are super organized, consider keeping a running inventory of your pantry.
Make sure you always store the oldest food in the front for maximum efficiency too. Storing food this way will help prevent any unnecessary food waste.
3. Scratched non-stick pans
This might be tough, but please ditch all Teflon pans with scratches on the inside. This scratched coating can end up in your food, which is not good for you or your family.
Avoid using metal utensils on all future non-stick pots, or invest in cast iron or pans without non-stick coating instead.
4. Duplicate utensils
You don’t need more than two slotted spoons. In fact, you can probably get away with just having one. Donate or toss your utensil duplicates, and then organize those kitchen cabinets and drawers.
5. Plastic Bags
While reusing and re-purposing plastic bags is great for the environment, it’s not the best for top-tier home organization. If you have piles and piles of plastic bags, see if you can offer some to your friend with a cat or dog who uses them for bathroom duty. If you can’t find a better use for them, it’s time to recycle them.
While you can’t put plastic bags in your recycling bin, see if you can recycle them at your local grocery store to help keep your kitchen clutter-free.
The Living Room
If you’re living in your living room, there are plenty of things in your home you should be throwing out here.
6. Games you never play
Games that get shown no love or are determined to be unusable because of missing components should not have a place in your home.
If they’re complete, donate them. If the games are missing pieces, they can be tossed. Unless you happen to know an artist that uses old board games or puzzles in their work, this is something in your home that you should be throwing out.
7. Whatever is under your couch
Yep, it’s time. Get the long-handled broom and fish around under there. Or better yet, get a helper and move the sofa completely. Throw out all the trash, organize the cat toys, and vacuum.
8. Junk mail
It’s time to go through the junk mail piling up by the door. Once done, try to sort and recycle every day. Be sure to destroy any personal information beforehand and recycle, recycle, recycle!
The Bathroom
A bathroom is a notorious place for stashing things in your home that you should be throwing out. Pay close attention here.
9. Expired meds
Yep, medicines have an expiration date, just like food. You’re better off not taking that Pepto that expired five years ago. These medicines include eye drops, first-aid supplies, and topical meds too.
Please return over-the-counter and prescription medicines to a drug return program in your area.
10. Perfume and makeup
Perfume goes bad between 3-5 years. It can result in unpleasant smells and skin irritation. Yuck! If a fragrance is especially sentimental, purchase a rollerball and keep that instead.
Similarly, makeup can also go off. As a general rule of thumb, powder products tend to last longer than creams. Anything that is exposed to extreme heat has a funky smell or a texture change should probably get tossed.
To learn more about when makeup expires, click here.
11. Old towels
Funky or older towels you would NOT give your guests under any circumstances can be donated to an animal shelter. If anything is particularly holey, just do us all a favor and get rid of it.
Keep a few miscellaneous towels on hand for cleaning and emergencies, but you don’t need 16 ugly towels, okay?
The Bedroom
The bedroom isn’t exempt from things that you should be throwing out, especially since that’s where your closet is. That one’s a doozy.
12. Broken hangers
Stop putting broken hangers back in your closet. Just stop.
13. Old prescription glasses
We get it, prescription glasses are pricey, and it’s a hard pill to swallow when you have to throw them out. But you don’t need them anymore; they’re useless. It’s time to say goodbye.
14. Holey socks and undies
Your husband may love those boxers, but they have a hole in the butt, and it’s time to let them go.
Same with single socks. There’s always that little bit of hope you’ll find its partner, but it’s been three years, and the chances of that are slim to none.
15. Broken laundry baskets
Why do we feel the need to hold onto cracked and frustrating laundry baskets? Even if it was your favorite one, if it’s making your job harder, you should probably let it go.
16. Stinky sneakers
Your running shoes should get replaced every 3 to 6 months–or every 500 miles. Check discount stores to save some cash on a replacement pair.
17. Clothes That Don’t Fit
This almost goes without saying, but it’s time to get rid of all of your clothes that no longer fit. Too big or too small, it doesn’t matter. In fact, get rid of any clothes you don’t particularly like either. If you don’t feel good in it, it’s just taking up space.
Once you ditch the clothes you don’t love it leaves you more storage space for what makes you feel confident.
The Office
18. Dried out markers and pens
Take the time to sift through the crafting or desk drawers. You don’t need to hold on to that dried-up, red Crayola marker. It’s just taking up precious space and causing you stress.
19. Old printer cartridges
Stop buying new ink cartridges. Take them to get refilled at an office supply store instead.
20. That calendar from last year
It’s cute, it brought you joy, and you loved all the pictures of dogs doing yoga, but it’s useless now. Please recycle.
21. Old Craft Supplies
There’s a chance you might need that bag of glitter buttons from your DIY Christmas gifts from last year, but there’s a chance they’re just taking up space in your home. If you’re not regularly crafting, it is unlikely those extra buttons or other craft supplies will ever get used.
If the supplies have been unused for two years, it’s time to say goodbye! Donate them to an art class or to your crafty friend who has a project idea for them!
There Might Be More Things in your Home you Should be Throwing Out
This list is just a small compiling of all of the things in your home you should be throwing out. It can go on and on–but if you don’t find yourself using something, or it no longer brings you joy, please donate, recycle or toss it.
Once you feel accomplished in all of your decluttering, call TLC Cleaning to do the really un-fun stuff.
We will clean behind your toilets, the floors, blinds, and any other cleaning tasks you hate doing. Our team will do it with a smile.
We’re happy to do a one-time deep clean or provide you with outstanding recurring cleaning services. Having a tidy home filled with only practical items and things you love is an excellent way to make your home your favorite place!
Happy tossing, and be sure to call TLC Cleaning to keep your newly decluttered home clean!
*blog updated Jan. 2022
