8 Things To Get Rid Of At Home (You’ll Never Know They're Gone)
1. Old receipts, files, and newspapers
Try scanning old papers instead of piling them up around your house.
2. Fridge pin-ups
Last week’s grocery list, a printed recipe you tried last month, and an interesting article you found last year can all be taken down now. If you haven’t given it second thought in over 6 months, it’s time to clean up that fridge décor.
3. Ancient electronics
Remote controls, flip-phone chargers, cords, monitors, and more. You’ve since upgraded and might think you’re being organized by leaving them in a box in the basement. You’re really just inviting extra, unwanted clutter. Electronics don’t need to be dumped in the trash…they can be recycled! Take 20 minutes of research to find an organization that works for you. Here’s one to get you started.
4. Outdated office supplies
Since moving over to laptop work, you’ve significantly cut down on traditional office supplies. That hasn’t changed the fact that pens, markers, highlighters and old (used) notebooks are still sprawled all over your house, collecting dust. In fact, you could probably find at least 25 dried up pens lying around the house right now if you tried.
5. Old mugs
Past jobs, gifts, and flash sales have left you with an over abundance of coffee and tea mugs that are now being crammed into every drawer, shelf, and crevice of your kitchen. Which ones are your go-tos? Keep those. Donate the rest.
6. Bedding and beyond
If your linens are still comprised of old duvets from sleepover camp, college dorms, twin bedding that no longer has a twin bed, or some version of all of these…you know the drill.
7. Plastic containers
Plastic containers tends to build up in the kitchen like it’s nobody’s business. Rule of thumb: invest in a fresh supply every couple of years. As for the old ones? No need to be hanging out in a drawer for fun.
8. Expired Food
Need we expand? Get rid of it!
Watch: How to organize your bedside table
Originally published in 2015: Updated in August, 2018.
