The way to an easier life is to get rid of stuff that you don’t really need. If you take a close look, you’ll find there are plenty of items around your house that just take up space and don’t really add anything, instead they could be taking energy and motility in your spaces. Check out which are the most common things to get rid of in your house for a simpler life and good home organization.
1. Broken and Unused Hangers
Once a hanger is broken, the odds of you getting it fixed are close to nothing. Don’t kid yourself believing that you’ll make use of old hangers sometime so, just toss them out!
2. Old Furniture
One of the things people have more trouble getting rid of is old furniture. They think of what the piece originally cost and they even think of the memories related to it. However, the truth is, you’re not going to use that old rocking chair again, so you might as well sell it in a garage sale and make some money off it.
3. Old Party Supplies and Birthday Candles
Sure, the kids birthday candles and old party supplies might bring you some magic memories, but they should only be admired in your photo albums. Throw out candles of past birthdays and dingy or broken party supplies.
4. Plastic Containers with Missing Lids
When it comes to house cleaning your kitchen is probably cluttered with those Tupperware plastic containers that the kids lost the lids to. Without a lid, these containers are good for nothing, so take them to the trash and purge your kitchen cabinets.
5. Old Toys
The kids might have a hard time letting go of old toys, but it’s your job to tell them that they could be making less privileged kids happy and helping you clear out your home and maintain good housekeeping.
Related: 10 Five-Minute Decluttering Tips to Start Conquering Your Mess
6. Old Pillows
Pillows take up a lot of space around the house, they can’t be folded or stored in a compact manner, and once they start getting yellow no one wants to use them anymore. Say goodbye to those old pillows you have and keep only the ones you really use.
7. Old Keys and Remote Controls
Face it, those old keys and remote controls are not useful anymore. Nobody remembers what doors they used to open or which electronic devices they worked on. You can give your old keys to a place where they’ll melt them and use them again and your old remote controls can go into a special electronic trash container.
8. Empty, Non-Rechargeable Batteries and Broken Appliances
Once your batteries die they’re not just useless, they also become toxic waste that’s better not to have around you and your family. The same goes for broken appliances that you swear you’ll fix but you never do. Find a special trash container to get rid of electronic appliances and batteries and toss them in there.
9. Worn out Linens and Towels
Over time, you might get fresh new towels and cozy linens for your bed, leaving the old sets dusting in the linen closet. Practice some house cleaning by finally accept that you won’t use them anymore and give them away to charity, or simply cut them up to create small cloths to dust off the furniture.
10. Old and Dingy Keepsakes
Some people have the need to cling to keepsakes that makes them remember some good times like the kids’ first soccer trophy or your family’s beach trip 10 years ago. Realize that memories can be stored in your mind, or taking pictures, and declutter your home of these dingy items.
Related: 10 Ways to Declutter Your Home Like KonMari
11. Expired Medicines
Expired medicine is not only taking up much needed space in your cabinet, it could also be very dangerous if by any chance you take it without professional instructions. Every 6 months check your medicine cabinet and make sure to get rid of everything that’s already expired.
12. Old Makeup and Lotions
Believe it or not, makeup, lotions and personal care products have an expiration date. Some expired products can lose effectiveness (such as sunscreen) while others can harm your skin and give you rashes or allergies. Do a screening of your makeup drawer and get rid of everything that hasn’t been used for more than a year.
13. Leftover Paint Cans in the Garage
Good housekeeping includes the garage which is one of the perfect spots to accumulate clutter, because it’s a space where you don’t spend much time so it’s easy to just drop everything in there. Paint cans can start to pile up without you even noticing it, to the point where you’ll have paint cans that don’t even match the color of your walls.
14. Outgrown Baby Clothing
Baby clothing is adorable. Your friends and family will gift you with many baby sets and you’ll also be tempted to buy them full wardrobes, which they’ll probably outgrow in a matter of weeks or days. Outgrown baby clothing is usually in perfect condition, so you might want to donate these to people who don’t have anything.
15. Old Phone Books
Phone books are huge, heavy and take up a lot of space in your house. If you, like many others, keep old phone books around, remember that nowadays you can get basically any phone number from the internet; so do some house cleaning and get rid of those heavy books and free up some space in your living room.
Related: 8 Quick Tips for Organizing Your Bedroom
16. Mismatched Earrings
As much as you love those earrings from last season, you have to face the fact that you lost e of the pair at a crazy party and it will not come back to you magically. Get rid of all those mismatched earrings in your jewelry box and make room for new, shiny accessories.
17. Stale Perfumes and Colognes
Perfumes and colognes, like food, have an expiration date. The ingredients start to get stale and, much like it happens with wine, they can acquire a “stale” or “vinegary” scent. Once your perfumes reach that state there’s no turning back, so say goodbye to them and throw them out.
18. Paper Clutter
In home organization one of the things most people find taking up space in their houses is paper clutter. It seems harmless and small, but one day you realize you’re stacked up with old documents, old magazines you don’t even read and old newspapers nobody cares about.
19. Rusty Tools
The tool shed, or the garage, is the space where most people keep their tools to make home repairs and crafts. It’s not uncommon to find that, when you need a hammer, the one you have is all rusty and even broken. Get rid of those rusty tools and only keep the ones you really use regularly.
20. Extremely Worn-out Shoes and Clothing
It’s understandable that you want to cling to that t-shirt of the first concert you went to, but the truth is worn-out clothing and shoes are only taking up space in your house and impeding you from getting new things. Also, look for those dreaded mismatched socks that never seem to find their pair.
Related: Home Organizing Hacks to Get You Through the Year
We’re sure you’ll have no problem finding some of the items in this list hanging around the corners of your house, waiting to be cleansed. Make sure to think of these items as just things and leave your sentimental attachments aside, this is the road to a healthier and cleaner home and good housekeeping.
