13 things I got rid of in my house – that you can declutter right now

Originally published on Homes & Gardens

March 5, 2023, 11:45 AM

<p> Decluttering is often seen as a mighty organization task, but I find that carrying out smaller, and more regular sessions, used to get rid of mundane items helps me to stay on top of my clutter better than massive but infrequent purges. </p> <p> I have found that many decluttering tips are geared towards completely refreshing a wardrobe or purging a kitchen back down to its basics, meaning that small household tasks such as clearing out old, unusable pens or unread books are often forgotten about. Ironic, I think, given that it is almost always these smaller items that cause the most issues when it comes to home organization. </p> <p> As a result, I took it upon myself to go around my home in one day with a few large trash bags and quickly declutter all the useless items collecting dust that we often forget about. Here are 13 of the less thought-about things I recently got rid of in my home that you can quickly and easily declutter yourself – without any help.  </p> <p> <em>By Chiana Dickson</em> </p>

<p> When organizing kitchen cabinets I often um and ah about food that is close to or past its best-before dates. Now, if an item is past its use-by date I would certainly throw it out, making sure to empty containers and recycle it if possible. For items that could still be okay for a while I ask myself whether or not I will feasibly use them in the next month, if not, I will remove them from my cabinet.  </p> <p> It is worth checking your local food bank donation guidelines before getting rid of food that is still well within its use-by date that you may have bought on a whim, or have found no use for, to see if it could go towards helping somebody else.  </p>

<p> Although I usually use my reusable shopping totes whenever I do my weekly grocery shop I somehow have a build-up of plastic and paper grocery bags in my entryway closet. Holding onto them 'just in case' just doesn't make sense if I will never gravitate towards them when leaving the house.  </p> <p> I was amazed at how much more organized it made my entryway closet look. </p>

<p> I love a comfortable bed and I am very particular about what linens I use on my bed to make my bedroom cozy and coherent. Because of this, there are old linens piled up that I simply do not use on my beds anymore.  </p> <p> Getting rid of sets I do not gravitate towards anymore, keeping one or two for emergencies, has freed up so much space and helped with organizing my linen closet. Now I have the space to buy more. </p>

<p> Decluttering jewelry is much easier if you think of accessories the same as you do clothes, I have learned. Using some closet decluttering tips I stole from professionals helped me to purge my jewelry collection of pieces that I have either replaced recently with higher quality metals, have tarnished beyond repair, or are no longer quite my style.  </p> <p> The result is a much more pared-back collection of only my finest luxury pieces that I know I will always wear and will last me a lifetime.  </p>

<p> Let's face it, all takeout menus are online nowadays – when was the last time you called a restaurant with a paper menu? I have been trying to tackle my kitchen 'junk drawer' for months and getting rid of these useless paper leaflets has made a huge dent in my hoarding problem.  </p> <p> What was a menu from a place that closed down two years ago doing in there anyway? </p>

<p> I have a medicine cabinet in my house that is simply overflowing with medications that I either do not need anymore but has prescribed once or half-used packets of Advil that are overflowing from my attempts at organization.   </p> <p> This was a much simpler task than I thought it would be, simply taking out anything that had passed its expiry date or medications from old illnesses that I didn't need anymore. I also took the time to lump all my half-used pain receivers together by type so I would reach for a half-used packet before opening a new packet altogether.  </p> <p> Always make sure to dispose of your old medications carefully and correctly when doing this, however, as sometimes they cannot go in your regular waste bin.  </p>

<p> I love the idea and look of books, however, I hardly get the time to read them anymore. What's more, I certainly used to be guilty of buying a new book just because the cover looked pretty rather than being interesting in its content.  </p> <p> In order to relieve some of the stress I have put on my bookshelf around my home I made it my task to remove any books I bought over two years ago that I have never thought about reading and left only the ones I loved most behind. This has certainly helped in organizing a bookshelf and has allowed me to donate a load of belongings to people who would love them better than me.   </p>

<p> It is all well and good to buy the newest or most novel kitchen gadgets if you are going to use them, but I was suckered in with the belief that the half-lemon saver pod would actually be useful only to never use it. If I am honest, I didn't even get it out of the packaging.  </p> <p> Given that I have a tiny kitchen and struggle with my kitchen storage, getting rid of useless gadgets that have no place in my space was a no-brainer (even if it did sting a little knowing I had essentially thrown money away). </p>

<p> Old kitchen containers build up quicker than anything else in my kitchen. Old plastic take-out containers, lunch boxes, and organizers have caused a minor plastic mountain in my cabinets and made it a battle to get anything out at all.  </p> <p> I started by pulling them all out to see what I had before separating off the newest and best, throwing everything else into the recycling. </p>

<p> Much like make-up, there are some unexpected things in my home that have expiry dates. Given that I do not moisturize half as much as I probably should, alternating between phases of strict routine and neglecting it altogether, I have more than enough half-used moisturizer bottles laying around, some of which have turned into thick pastes.  </p> <p> Although it took me longer than I like to admit I collected all of the bottles from my bedroom and bathroom before testing every single one to see their condition and decide whether or not I still liked the scent.  </p> <p> I gifted many of the new unused bottles to my mom, who is much better at sticking to a routine, and made sure to leave older bottles that were still good in a visible spot so I would reach for them after a shower. Any bottles that had ceased ultimately went in the bin.  </p>

<p> I do not have a shredder in my house, meaning that important letters and paperwork build up very quickly on my sideboard. While I gathered it all up and put it in a large envelope to take to my parent's house in the holidays to burn on their log fire, it is simple enough to use some scissors to cut up addresses and important details if needed – it might just take a little longer. </p>

<p> It is almost shocking to admit that I hardly use pens anymore with everything being online and me always having my phone on hand to make notes. Despite this, they are always useful to have laying around – as long as they actually work, that is.  </p> <p> I was tired of reaching for a pen quickly when I did need one and it failed to work, leaving me to try and scrape details down when on the phone to somebody, lying to say 'of course, I have a pen'. </p> <p> This quick decluttering task was simple enough to do while watching TV, quickly testing each pen from around my house and throwing any that had dried up into a trash bag.  </p>

<p> I don't think there is anyone out there that doesn't love a good deal, which is why so many of us seem to have an absurd amount of store cards and coupons that we collected just to never actually use. Whether that is because we have only been in the store as a one-off or because we always forget to take them with us.  </p> <p> Cleaning my bag out of old expired coupons and getting rid of cards from my vanity drawer just made sense.  </p>

Declutter right now

Decluttering is often seen as a mighty organization task, but I find that carrying out smaller, and more regular sessions, used to get rid of mundane items helps me to stay on top of my clutter better than massive but infrequent purges.

I have found that many decluttering tips are geared towards completely refreshing a wardrobe or purging a kitchen back down to its basics, meaning that small household tasks such as clearing out old, unusable pens or unread books are often forgotten about. Ironic, I think, given that it is almost always these smaller items that cause the most issues when it comes to home organization.

As a result, I took it upon myself to go around my home in one day with a few large trash bags and quickly declutter all the useless items collecting dust that we often forget about. Here are 13 of the less thought-about things I recently got rid of in my home that you can quickly and easily declutter yourself – without any help.

By Chiana Dickson

Unsplash

Decluttering doesn't just have to be about the big things, getting rid of all this mindless junk helped to refresh my home

GOBankingRates
Safest Places To Retire in the US for Less Than $2,000 a Month
Believe it or not, there are several cities across the United States where retirees can comfortably retire for under $2,000 a month. Unsurprisingly, though, you won't find them near any of...
2d ago
Harper's Bazaar
Brie Larson Refuses to Stick to Hollywood’s Script
Since winning the Oscar, she's become one of the industry's stealthiest superstars by insisting on doing things her own way.
17h ago
Bengals Wire
Bengals fans erupt at Ezekiel Elliott’s reported interest
Some of the best reactions to the Ezekiel Elliott report.
8h ago
SheKnows
Melania Trump's Former Advisor Is Correcting One Key Detail About Her Old Boss & Stormy Daniels
Melania Trump hasn’t sounded off about the possible indictment of her husband, Donald Trump, for his hush money payments to adult star Stormy Daniels. However, plenty of other people keep bringing up the former first lady’s reaction to the situation after she discovered her husband was having an affair. Former adviser, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, is […]
9h ago
BuzzFeed
18 Times That People Witnessed An Unsettling Glitch In Reality
If you didn't believe that reality was a simulation before, you will now.
7h ago
Good Housekeeping
Shakira Just Shut Down ‘The Tonight Show’ in the Riskiest See-Through Outfit
Shakira stunned wearing an all-black see-through outfit to perform her song "Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions. Vol. 53" on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.'
1d ago
Fox News
'Wheel of Fortune' host Pat Sajak tackles contestant in bizarre moment that has fans puzzled
Game show host Pat Sajak, 76, got physical with a "Wheel of Fortune" contestant, who revealed he's a drama teacher, bar trivia host and professional wrestler.
2d ago
GamesRadar+
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 actor tries to play it cool after accidentally revealing release date
Tony Todd blames it all on the jet lag
2d ago
InStyle
Halle Berry Posted the Steamiest Naked Selfie
And we mean literal steam.
1d ago
Motorious
Man With Bad Mustache Trashes Elvis’ Jet
This is such a horribly Millennial thing to do…
10h ago
Guitar World
Watch Marcus King play a 1955 Gibson Les Paul Custom once owned by Paul Kossoff and Eric Clapton
King was on tour in France when super-collector Matthieu Lucas of Matt’s Guitar Shop dropped by with a very special single-cut in tow
2d ago
VIBE
Donald Glover Criticized For Comments About ‘Swarm’ Star Dominique Fishback
The director is being panned for how he prepared the actress for the role.
2d ago
Nerdist
Why THE MANDALORIAN’s Treatment of Creatures Could Mean a Big Moment for Grogu
The Mandalorian had another battle with a giant animal, but these countless creature clashes might soon build to a big Grogu mythosaur moment.
1d ago
In The Know by Yahoo
This girl’s mom was friends with Pedro Pascal in high school: ‘He kinda seems down bad for her’
"Pedro pascal was IN LOVE BRO" The post This girl’s mom was friends with Pedro Pascal in high school: ‘He kinda seems down bad for her’ appeared first on In The Know.
1d ago
The AV Club
The Goldbergs' Wendi McLendon-Covey expresses relief at Jeff Garlin exit: "Finally, someone is listening to us"
When The Goldbergs ends with its 10th season later this year, it will be without patriarch Murray (Jeff Garlin). A main character in the previous nine seasons, Garlin was infamously written off the show after investigations into misconduct on set. And according to his former television wife Wendi McLendon-Covey, his exit couldn’t have come fast enough.
2d ago
PureWow
Nicole Kidman Stuns in Her Natural Hair in Latest Instagram Post
What can’t this legendary Hollywood actress do or, in this case, pull off? From Moulin Rouge to Boy Erased, we’re guessing the answer is close to nothing, and her latest Instagram post is all the proof we need. The 55-year-old Golden Globe-winning actress took a break from her usual content to post a darling photo of herself in a whimsical dress and a surprising hairstyle that deviates from her typically straightened locks. We can’t help but notice the nostalgic nod to her natural hair, which sh
6h ago
Nerdist
Everything You Need to Know About 'The Mandalorian's' Surprise Emotional Cameo (Spoilers!)
The Mandalorian's latest surprise cameo answered a major question about Grogu, but who played the Jedi Knight that rescued him is a much bigger deal.
2d ago
E! News
When Tom Sandoval Really Told Tom Schwartz About Raquel Leviss Affair
Prior to the Vanderpump Rules universe being rocked by Scandoval, a source exclusively confirms to E! News of the moment Tom Sandoval told BFF Tom Schwartz about his affair with Raquel Leviss.
9h ago
Woman & Home
The Royal Family are 'terrified' to tell Prince Harry and Meghan Markle anything about the coronation as they fear their 'everything’s for sale' mentality will lead to leaks
"Every indiscretion or every aside comment could be magnified in order to get them a profit" says royal expert
2d ago
In The Know by Yahoo
TikTok is fascinated by Amish teens’ Rumspringa party: ‘I feel like I’m watching something illegal’
"What happens at Rumspringa stays at Rumspringa."
1d ago

Yahoo News

13 things I got rid of in my house – that you can declutter right now

Declutter right now

Recommended Stories

Safest Places To Retire in the US for Less Than $2,000 a Month

Brie Larson Refuses to Stick to Hollywood’s Script

Bengals fans erupt at Ezekiel Elliott’s reported interest

Melania Trump's Former Advisor Is Correcting One Key Detail About Her Old Boss & Stormy Daniels

18 Times That People Witnessed An Unsettling Glitch In Reality

Shakira Just Shut Down ‘The Tonight Show’ in the Riskiest See-Through Outfit

'Wheel of Fortune' host Pat Sajak tackles contestant in bizarre moment that has fans puzzled

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 actor tries to play it cool after accidentally revealing release date

Halle Berry Posted the Steamiest Naked Selfie

Man With Bad Mustache Trashes Elvis’ Jet

Watch Marcus King play a 1955 Gibson Les Paul Custom once owned by Paul Kossoff and Eric Clapton

Donald Glover Criticized For Comments About ‘Swarm’ Star Dominique Fishback

Why THE MANDALORIAN’s Treatment of Creatures Could Mean a Big Moment for Grogu

This girl’s mom was friends with Pedro Pascal in high school: ‘He kinda seems down bad for her’

The Goldbergs' Wendi McLendon-Covey expresses relief at Jeff Garlin exit: "Finally, someone is listening to us"

Nicole Kidman Stuns in Her Natural Hair in Latest Instagram Post

Everything You Need to Know About 'The Mandalorian's' Surprise Emotional Cameo (Spoilers!)

When Tom Sandoval Really Told Tom Schwartz About Raquel Leviss Affair

The Royal Family are 'terrified' to tell Prince Harry and Meghan Markle anything about the coronation as they fear their 'everything’s for sale' mentality will lead to leaks

TikTok is fascinated by Amish teens’ Rumspringa party: ‘I feel like I’m watching something illegal’

Here's What You Should Never Declutter, According to the Pros

Here s What You Should Never Declutter According to the Pros

How to declutter your home in one weekend: A 9-step guide

Decluttering checklist – 8 key things you can clear out right now

14 ways to organize that nightmare space under the kitchen sink, according to experts