The year is still in its infancy, however there are lots of things that have already gone out of hand. A good example is the clutter harboring your home. You might not realize it yet but your home will look a lot better when you take out time to rid it of unnecessary and space-consuming clutter.
The one obstacle to this, however, is that not everyone knows what clutter is. Some do but can’t identify all of it. Luckily for you, we’ve got more than enough examples of things to declutter for more space. So, if you are looking for a decluttering checklist, pay attention because we’ve got a long list you’ll not want to miss.
- Sentimental Clutter
- Paper Clutter
- Closet Clutter
- Kitchen Clutter
- Bedroom Clutter
- Garage Clutter
- Random and Trashy Clutter
We’ve got a total of 52 things to throw away for instant decluttering. To make it easier, we’ve also grouped the clutter into different categories. That way, you can get rid of items one at a time, and from different parts of the apartment.
Sentimental Clutter
The hardest set of things to declutter are those that hold sentimental value. Because these items hold a spot in your heart, it’s hard to get rid of them. However, they take up more space than your heart has to give so you need to add them to your decluttering list.
1. Old Calendars
There’s no need to hold on to calendars from past years. They don’t serve their use and are only still there due to the emotions attached to the person who gifted them to you.
2. Old Gift Items in The Attic
Still, on the issue of old gift items, some have served their time and are no longer needed. Some gifts don’t even get to be used and just go straight up to the attic.
3. Old Toys
These are some of the most common things to throw away for instant decluttering. Kids come with the need to get a lot of toys and as they grow, their preferences change and so, more toys come in. When making a decluttering checklist, be sure to add all the toys that have been tossed aside for shiny new ones.
4. Old Birthday and Christmas Cards
Declutter old Birthday and Christmas cards by sorting through and keeping sentimental cards and repurpose the rest for crafts or donate them to schools/art programs.
5. Old Journals
Review the journals and identify any important memories or lessons you want to keep. Then, digitize or scan the pages to save space while preserving the content.
6. Travel Cards
Consider digitizing travel cards through mobile apps or consolidating them onto a single multi-purpose card to minimize clutter and simplify your travel experience.
Paper Clutter
The most common clutter in some households comes from paper items. Every piece of paper has its lifespan, so you should know when to add paper clutter to your decluttering checklist.
7. Old and Used Textbooks
These are the most common clutter pieces found among students. Their rooms are littered with used books, making them inhabitable. What to do with old textbooks? You can do, at this point, donate or sell books for cash; you don’t necessarily have to throw them away.
8. Magazines
Magazines are no doubt things to declutter due to the way they become obsolete quickly. So, if you’re hoarding old magazines, it’s about time you threw them out or gave them away in garage sales.
9. Old Report Cards and Children’s School Reports
These will probably make their way to the sentimental category in some other decluttering checklist but when they begin to pile up with every session and kid, they simply become huge wastes of space. It’s also quite hard to store them so why not just throw them out?
10. Stacks of Novels You’ve Read
Some novels have high re-read values while others are usually dumped for the latest juicy story. If you’ve got a stack of novels and don’t plan to create a library, learn how to recycle books, where to donate used books, or just sell books if your books have any resale value. Following your book decluttering session, learn how to organize books and streamline your space with effective book storage ideas.
11. Random Pieces of Paper
The single step to declutter random pieces of paper is to sort through them and discard any that are no longer needed or relevant.
12. Old Coupons
Sort through your coupon collection and discard any expired or for stores/items you no longer use. This helps simplify the selection so you only have usable options remaining.
13. Spoilt Pictures
Spoilt or damaged pictures that are beyond repair can be safely decluttered. Keeping them will only add clutter with no benefit.
14. Old bills and Receipts
Go through your paperwork, shredding or discarding old bills and receipts, and keep only those necessary for tax purposes or in case of disputes. Scanning important documents can help declutter physical files while still allowing you to digitally retain necessary records.
Closet Clutter
Move deeper and you’ll discover a hub of things to throw away for instant decluttering. While the closet is a safe space for all your clothes, shoes, bags, and the rest, it’s only a matter of time before you’re getting swallowed by the closet clutter. So, what do we have here for your decluttering checklist?
15. Clothes That Don’t Fit Anymore
Once clothes aren’t your size anymore, there’s no point holding on. Just fold them up and proceed to the nearest donation center or hand them down to your siblings.
16. Clothes You Haven’t Worn in Years
Some clothes get so lost in the closet that you have no need for them or in some cases, they become completely forgotten. Once you go through the closet and find them, it’s time to say goodbye.
17. Shoes That Don’t Fit
Even old shoes, no matter how fly they are, need to make way for new items and precious space.
18. Torn Clothes
Donate any torn clothing that is still wearable by others to a second-hand charity shop. Many will accept clothes with small rips or holes as they can be mended.
19. Clothes or Attires You no Longer Need
To get rid of clothes or attire you no longer need, donate them to a local charity or thrift store or organize a clothing swap with friends or family.
20. Duplicate Items
Repurpose duplicate items for DIY projects, exchange them through online communities or swapping events, or recycle them if they are unsuitable for reuse.
Kitchen Clutter
Cooking messes aren’t the only sources of kitchen cleanups. Here are some things to declutter from the kitchen.
21. Excess Cutleries
If you have more forks, knives, and spoons than your household needs, sort through them and donate any extra matching sets or scattered pieces in good condition to a women’s shelter or other organization where they will be appreciated.
22. Plates You Don’t Use Anymore
Sell your lightly used extra plates that don’t match your regular dishes a lot on Facebook Marketplace or your local Buy Nothing group so they can be enjoyed by someone else rather than taking up space in your cabinets.
23. Old Mugs and Cups
Any chipped, cracked, or stained mugs can be thrown away safely. Keep only your favorites in good condition.
24. Expired Foods in the Fridge
Take everything out of the fridge and check expiration dates, then discard anything past its use-by or best-by date to avoid potential foodborne illness. Compose fruits and vegetables that have gone bad and throw away expired packaged foods in sealed trash bags.
25. Stored Food You no Longer Need Because It’ll Only Rot and Mess up the Kitchen’s Odor.
Clear out all stored dried goods, canned foods, and other pantry items that have expired or passed their best consumption dates to prevent them from spoiling and contaminating the rest of your food storage with an unpleasant smell.
26. Small Kitchen Appliances That Haven’t Been Used in a Long While
Sell or donate small kitchen appliances that haven’t been used in a long while to allow someone else to benefit.
Bedroom Clutter
27. Old and Unused Jewelry
Over time, we get over some pieces of jewelry, so rather than starting a collection of things you’ll never need, you should look to get rid of them.
28. Pins and School Items You No Longer Need
Decluttering your room can be made easier by identifying items that merely occupy space on your desks, often leading to a cluttered environment. Incorporate them into your decluttering checklist to ensure a tidy living space
29. Torn Up and Useless Sheets
Bedsheets and pillowcases take up a lot of space and are, no doubt, the biggest items in the bedroom. So, when they get torn or stained beyond redemption, you should get rid immediately.
30. Old and Unused Towels
The bathroom is your safe space and a place to relax and wash off the day’s stress. What you don’t need is a ton of stuff like towels you’ll never use.
31. Hoarded Items
If you’ve got a stash of collectibles that add no real aesthetic or value to your room, you’ll need to consider them as things to throw out for instant decluttering.
32. Sporting Gear You Never Use
“it’ll come in handy at some point…” yeah, it’s time to move on from this deception and get on with moving on those items that suck up space in your bedroom.
33. Junk Drawers
Repurpose old junk drawers by using them for storage in your garage, home office, or craft room.
34. Expired Bathroom Products
When faced with expired bathroom products, it is best to dispose of them properly and safely according to local guidelines for hazardous waste.
35. Storage Containers
Organize your storage containers by donating reusable bins and boxes in good condition, recycling damaged plastic containers, and consolidating the items you keep into the spaces available to prevent future clutter from unused storage items accumulating.
Garage Clutter
Okay, now you know how to declutter your home fast, and the next step is the garage!
36. Old Stacked Up CDs
They remind you of the old times and bring good melodies but with the advent of digital media, stacking up old CDs is just asking for more clutter in your household.
37. Old Utilities You Don’t Need Anymore
Ropes, broken farming tools, used up or damaged car parts, old items, and so on; just reduce the amount of valuable space in the garage or storehouse. Where they need to be instead is on your decluttering checklist and out of the house.
38. Cleaning Items
Old vacuum cleaners, broken brooms, mops, and expired cleaning agents; there’s no need to keep these items when they offer nothing to your apartment.
39. Old Halloween Costumes
Halloween decors and costumes are only useful on one day out of the entire year and chances are that they won’t be repeated, especially the costumes. So be sure they don’t take up any space in the apartment.
40. Gardening Equipment That is Damaged
If your gardening equipment is damaged, you should repair or replace it to ensure effective and safe use.
41. Old Decor and Ornaments
To declutter old decor and ornaments, carefully assess each item to repurpose them creatively, such as using them in DIY projects or upcycling them into new decorative pieces that suit your current preferences.
42. Empty Paint Buckets and Old Used Brushes
Empty, dried out paint buckets can often be recycled alongside other rigid plastics, while hardened brushes that can no longer be cleaned should be placed in the trash.
43. Used Electronic Devices and Gadgets
Check if any old electronic devices or gadgets still function and consider donating the working ones to charities. If not, fully discharge batteries and review your local city’s guidelines for electronics recycling drop-off facilities. Improperly disposing of used electronic items, particularly those containing batteries, in regular trash is unsafe due to fire hazards and the potential release of toxic materials.
44. Old and Cranky Electrical Devices
Be sure to fully discharge any batteries, such as those in phones or laptops, before disposing of electronic devices for safety. Check your city’s hazardous waste programs, as many offer e-waste drop-off locations for responsible recycling of old electronics.
Random And Trashy Clutter
Some items don’t have a specific category of clutter and just appear just about anywhere and everywhere. They range from trash to poorly kept items that make their way to the decluttering list.
45. Used Vases
Not only flowers, even the vases they’re kept in lose purpose as time goes on. That might be due to them breaking or fading and so on.
46. Trash in the Room
It’s quite easy to build up a pile of garbage in and around the house. They reduce the aesthetics of the house, create an unhygienic environment, and take away space.
47. Old Plastics
Rather than have them litter the apartment, you should recycle any used plastic. This will reduce the amount of waste in the household and offer more to the community.
48. Bent Hangers
Hangers become useless when they get bent. Throw them out and replace them with new ones.
49. Misplaced Water Bottles
These too can be recycled instead of having them piled up in the fridge or closets.
50. Scented Candles
You can repurpose scented candles by melting the remaining wax and pouring it into new containers or using it to create new candles with different scents.
51. Old Accessories
When decluttering old accessories, assess which ones you no longer use, and consider donating them to local shelters, community organizations, or friends who may appreciate them. Alternatively, you can recycle them responsibly to minimize waste and reduce environmental impact.
52. Old Batteries
Check if your local recycling center accepts batteries for safe disposal. You can also research battery recycling drop-off locations in your area. Properly getting rid of old batteries ensures they don’t end up in the regular trash where they could leak harmful chemicals.
Decluttering Checklist: Wrapping Up
We’ve given you enough items to put on your decluttering checklist, as many as the number of weeks 2024 has. However, we know you can’t get rid of all immediately but a consistent attitude will have you levelling up your apartment in no time.
