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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