15 things to get rid of RIGHT NOW! (Clean, Organize, De-Clutter)

15 things to get rid of RIGHT NOW! (Clean, Organize, De-Clutter)For the last little while, I have really been trying to crack down on annoying, stuffy clutter. Every day when I’m going about my daily tasks around my home, I’m always looking for and thinking about different things that I can toss out. I have created this list of quick and easy things to get rid of right now, to help you clean, organize, and de-clutter your home!

I always say, it doesn’t matter how big your house or your garage is, you will always fill it! (So true in my case!)

My parents always referred to me as a “pack-rat” (yep – that happened!), when I was little because I collected literally everything!

If you are anything like me, you have a little bit of a hard time getting rid of things that have sentimental value, and if you toss something out, you feel a little bit of that pesky guilt or anxiety start to kick in…wa

To help ease the aches and pains of decluttering, I’ve devised this list of some items that I have easily been able to dispose of without any guilt or anxiety!

Just remembering that you always have the option of donating items instead of throwing them away, really, really helps as well!

So here we go!

1 – Candles

I always come across candles that have been used up, but not thrown out because I like the container. I used to think that it would be great to clean out the wax and use the container for something else. However, I never actually do it, and therefore, I can completely justify throwing them away.

2 – Magazines & Newspapers

Here’s a little tid-bit… When you get a new magazine or newspaper, read it… Then dispose of it — right away! Otherwise you end up with a giant stack or an over-flowing magazine rack, taking up space in some random corner, that you’ll probably never read again!

3 – Novels

I love to read suspense novels, when I have time. After I read them, they pile up on my book shelf, and well it’s not a very giant bookshelf, and I easily run out of room. When it gets full, instead of throwing away the novels, I give them away to my friends who also like to read, or I end up donating them! And voila! More room for new novels to read, minus any guilt!

4 – Expired Pills and Medication

Cleaning out the medicine cabinet is sometimes overlooked, but it is actually a very important place to declutter! Just about all medications or pill bottles will have an expiration date, so make sure that they are tossed when it’s time.

5 – Mismatched Socks or Socks with Holes

Oh laundry… My fav! Not! Lately I’ve gotten into this really bad habit called a “sock basket”. I just throw all of the socks into one basket and think, “Oh, I’ll just sort those later.” And well, it just never happens because there are way too many! So lately, I’ve been trying to get into a better habit… Any socks with holes or that don’t have a match, I toss them – right away!

6 – Old Nail Polish

If you are anything like me, you have a TON of this! Some so old that it just goes all chunky. You can always add a little rubbing alcohol to the polish to fix it back up, but ask yourself – Will you actually do this?!

7 – Old/Expired Makeup

When it comes to makeup, I used to be somewhat of a hoarder… Not anymore though! I cleaned out my out-of-control stash, and I’ve never had more drawer space!

8 – Tupperware Containers

Oh boy – Not the dreadful Tupperware container cupboard! Every time I opened it, everything would come crashing out! I recently went through and sorted out any containers without lids, or lids without containers… That alone made a HUGE difference!

9 – Purses and Wallets

When I cleaned out all of my purses and wallets that I no longer used, it felt great for two major reasons… 1. Closet space! So. Much. More Closet. Space! 2. All of my favorite bags that I have been hanging on to for so long, were donated instead of being thrown out. Now I have the satisfaction of knowing that someone else will get to enjoy them too!

10 – Mittens and Hats

My nephew was doing a winter hat and mitten drive a few weeks ago, so this inspired me to go through ALL of my winter bins. I got rid of anything that we had more than three of per person, (which was a lot!), and while I was sorting, if I found any mismatched or worn out items, they were immediately tossed!

11 – Shoes

Ok, confession time! I actually had different closets all over the house, just filled with shoes, shoes, and more shoes! So many shoes! I love shoes, so it was really tough to get rid of them, but now that I’ve done it, it feels great! Again, so much more closet space!

12 – Old Electronics

So I may be the makeup and shoe hoarder, but my husband is a major electronics hoarder! Sometimes when he isn’t home I secretly go in and donate/dispose of things like VCRs, DVD players, random remotes and cables, etc. Shh! Don’t tell!

13 – Old Hair Ties and Clips

Eeek! It’s amazing how hair accessories can pile up without you even noticing! If you actually take a moment and take a look, I bet you’ll be surprised… I had lots stored in different baskets and junk drawers all over the house. Let’s face it – less hair accessories just equals less clutter – everywhere!

14 – Junk Mail, Old Bills and Receipts

Oh the office… One of the most cluttered areas in the house! I used to declutter my kitchen by placing the day’s mail into the office to “sort out later”… Now I sort the mail before I even put it down into a bill pile, junk/dispose of pile, and that’s it! So much less paper clutter floating around the house!

15 – Kitchen Utensils

Kitchen utensils are just one of those things that I don’t like to get rid of, in case I might need it… However, I’ve now accepted that I do not need five of every kitchen utensil, or even three. I limit myself to two, which I totally know is still pushing it, but just in case! 😉

Remember, small steps are better than no steps!


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15 things to get rid of RIGHT NOW! (Clean, Organize, De-Clutter)


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10 thoughts on “15 things to get rid of RIGHT NOW! (Clean, Organize, De-Clutter)

  1. My small apt., could look great…instead, the city landfill would take first prize ! I feel paralyzied, helpless. Treasures, junk, ton of clothes from a moving neighbor because I couldn’t stand them going to the dumpster and thought I could give them away. books, papers…tons of writing material because I am a would be writer (million pens). I am 70, sick of cringing when the landlady comes to the door…and don’t want to leave an eyesore for my kids to dispose of ! Just starting to feel stronger after 10 months of doctors failing to find my problem, which led to depression and “giving up”. Where do I start? Not able to carry up and done my second floor stairs. Desperate, almost totally alone…and lost in a jungle of hopelessness. Any ideas would help…thank you, and God bless 🙂

    • I am heartbroken for you. No idea where you live but in my area, there are charities that will pick up donations. Start with one thing: clothing, for instance. Bag or box everything f that YOU cannot or will not wear. Find a group to pick it up. Fill an extra garbage bag with trash each week. Break the mess into smaller tasks. Set a timer for 20 minutes and work. Baby steps. Good luck to you.

    • Oh Nettie! Don’t give up!!! Even just a little start is a great one! Maybe try just working on one thing for ten minutes at a time! And when your ten minutes is up, if you feel like doing more, then great, and if not that’s still great too, because you made through the ten minutes! The trick is to set achievable goals!
      For instance, you love to write and have a million pens… That’s the perfect spot to start! Give yourself ten minutes to gather up as many pens as you can into one big pile, from all of the different rooms and pen-hiding spots around your home! Then, when you feel like it, spend ten minutes testing pens, and throw out any that don’t work very well! Then maybe save just ten, or if ten seems hard, then save twenty! And put the remaining pens in a “donate” bag or box!
      You could even focus on one room per week and just work away at it ten minutes at a time! Don’t worry about carry things up and down the stairs, just treat each floor separately. Once you have a few boxes or bags of clothing sorted out, try donating it! If you are able to take it to somewhere like Good Will or the Salvation army, then perfect… but if you need someone to come pick it up, a lot of churches or charities will actually do this! Try looking some in your community up online, or in the phone book and give them a call! You could even try posting online, offering free clothes for someone in need.
      Just start small Nettie, and if you find a certain task is depressing you, try something else instead, and go back to it later.
      The important thing is to not be hard on yourself! Make the tasks enjoyable… Try listening to your favorite music and lighting a yummy, smelling candle while you are working! And reward yourself! Whatever your weakness is… cookies, candy, a pop, a glass of wine?!
      Also, only speak positively towards yourself! You go Nettie! You totally got this, girl! Step by step, item by item, room by room, you can do it!
      It was so nice hearing from you, Nettie! Don’t be a stranger, and if you get discouraged, drop me another line and I’ll see if I can give you some more motivation! ?

  2. Rubbing alcohol in nail polish? They make actual thinner for that, it’s composed of the same chemicals that’s in the nail polish base. Using rubbing alcohol or even nail polish remover will damage the chemical properties of polish and make it perform even worse than thickened nail polish, adding clear nail polish will only mess with the color pigmentation, spend 5 bucks and get a bottle of thinner. Besides, if you just make sure you screw the cap on tightly that bottle will never go bad. I have polish from the early 1990’s that’s still going strong!

    • Oh my goodness, JDV! They make an actual nail polish thinner for this?! I had no idea! Beauty and cosmetics are definitely not my strong suit! Great to know! Thank you for sharing! 🙂

  3. Is the next post on marital disharmony when hubby can’t find his parts to repair something? I’m hoping you give him a heads up.

  4. Pingback: Start Decluttering and Organizing Your Home - My Thrifty House

  5. These are some great suggestions…. but it still all causes me a bit of anxiety thinking about decluttering. Each time I am able to get rid of some things it feels great but getting to that point each time is a grueling struggle.

  6. I am 81 and have struggled all my life to be tidy. Still trying to improve before I pop my clogs. Thank you for the encouragement.

    • Hi Joceleyne! No matter the age, I think the de-cluttering struggle is real, and just seems to be never ending! So glad you found this post helpful! 🙂

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