Our homes have limited space, so the items we keep should contribute to the quality of our lives. Unfortunately, homes frequently become storage facilities for a variety of previously treasured or essential items that are only there to take up space and serve no purpose in our daily lives. These useless items not only take up valuable space, but also contribute to a disorganized and cluttered environment in the home.
Decluttering and removing these items can improve the aesthetic appeal and serenity of our living space. Letting go of these items can be difficult, as some have sentimental or monetary value, but doing so will result in a more streamlined and harmonious household, allowing us to focus on what truly matters.
Useless Items to Clear Out of Your Home
The majority of homes accumulate outdated and useless items. While the specific list for each home will vary depending on context and situation, here is a list of commonly useless items found in the majority of households.
Clothing
According to professional studies and surveys, most people wear only a small portion of their wardrobe. Clothing that no longer fits or is out of style takes up valuable storage space in your closet, crowding it and making it more difficult to find items you enjoy wearing.
Going through your closet with the goal of keeping only the clothes that fit you well and make you feel good is a valuable process. Donating or selling these items will free up space so you can see and wear the clothes you already own. It also allows you to give these clothes a new life by letting someone else use and wear them.
Expired Bathroom Items
Old and unused toiletries, such as perfumes, make-up, lotions, and even medication, can build up in our bathroom drawers and cabinets. These not only inhibit their storage potential, but they can also cause health risks. Some expired items can cause skin irritations and adverse reactions, while others, like expired sunscreen, can lose their effectiveness, exposing you to harmful UV rays.
Begin by going through your drawers and cabinets, looking for items that are seldom used. Check for expiration dates. For medications, this date will be prominently displayed. If toiletry items do not have an expiration date, consider the average shelf life of everyday items. Shampoos and lotions typically last 1-2 years, sunscreens one year, and perfumes 3-5 years. Makeup lasts between three months and two years, depending on the product.
Toys
Toys that the children of the home have outgrown or no longer play with often remain side by side with toys that are still used. These unused toys take up space and make it more difficult to effectively use the toys that are still in use. Cleaning up the play area will make it a more productive place to play and learn. It will also make room for new, age-appropriate toys or toys that spark a new interest.
If the toys are still in good condition, donate them so that other children can enjoy them; otherwise, recycle or dispose of them. Toys that are not being used can be put away for younger kids or brought out later when a child shows interest in them once more.
Outdated Decorative Items Without Sentimental Value
Interior styles evolve and change, but many of us retain our old decor even when purchasing new items to display. This extra decor clutters the surfaces of our home’s shelves, tables, and desks, adding neither sentimental nor aesthetic value. Sometimes we are hesitant to part with items because we believe we will “use them again one day,” but this is rarely the case.
Streamlining and simplifying your interior style by removing and donating these unused items will give you a cleaner and more cohesive look and allow others to use and enjoy them. This practice will also make you more careful about what items you buy in the future, leading to a more curated and thoughtful interior style.
Extra Cooking Utensils
Extra cooking utensils, such as whisks, wooden spoons, and measuring cups, can accumulate over time, taking up space in drawers and on countertops. While having a few backups of frequently used items is beneficial, having too many can impede the efficiency of your kitchen, making it difficult to find the utensils you require.
Sorting through your utensil drawer on a regular basis will help streamline your kitchen’s function and storage. Begin by categorizing items that you use on a daily or weekly basis into those that are still useful but only appear when preparing specialty foods. Discard extra utensils that are specialty items that you never use or those that you have an excess of.
Portable Drinking Containers
Portable drinking vessels, such as water bottles or thermoses, are popular items that people buy on impulse, give as gifts, or receive as promotional swag. While some of these containers are useful and contribute to reducing single-use plastic, they can accumulate in cabinets and cause clutter, making it more difficult to find the containers you prefer.
Take the time to evaluate your drinking vessels based on their condition, usefulness, beverage preferences, and the activities in which you use them. Keep the ones you like, and donate the ones that are still in good condition. Discard the ones that have outlived their usefulness, and recycle the materials you can.
Single-Use Appliances and Gadgets
Single-use appliances and gadgets, such as avocado slicers or ice cream makers, may feel like necessary additions to certain kitchens. However, once the novelty factor wears off, these items are rarely used. Many single use appliances are bulky and awkwardly shaped, requiring ample storage area. This may not be an issue in kitchens with plenty of storage and floor space, but in kitchens with limited square footage, these items frequently obstruct a well-organized and smoothly functioning space.
Removing these items can improve both the efficiency and style of your kitchen. Donating or selling them enables others to benefit from a specialized product that they may use more frequently due to their unique needs or lifestyle.
Unused Exercise Equipment
Home exercise equipment is a big business. Some people buy equipment like treadmills, stationary bikes, and elipticals, and it changes their fitness routine for the better. Others buy them and quickly lose interest. Your health goals may differ from your actual practice or lifestyle, so these bulky pieces of equipment take up a lot of space in your room while remaining unused. If you are not using them for their intended purpose, they become an expensive extra place to drape clothes or collect dust.
Instead of staring at unused pieces of exercise equipment and always feeling guilty, donate or sell them and free up your space for something that brings you joy. Consider new ways that you can get exercise and integrate it more seamlessly into your lifestyle.
Linens
Most people would be surprised if they began going through their linen closet to see how many items are torn, dingy, or unusable due to a change in lifestyle or furniture. Others accumulate multiple items like blankets, sheets, tablecloths, and pillowcases so that many of them remain unused. These outdated or extra linens make organizing your closet more difficult and inhibit access to the linens you do use on a regular basis.
Sort through your linens and categorize them according to their utility and condition. Keep the linens you like and use, and remove the rest, donating the good items and discarding the ones that are beyond repair.
Duplicate Items
Duplicate items of everything, from scissors and tape to kitchen gadgets and spices, can accumulate over time and take up valuable closet and drawer space. These extra items can be useful at times, but they usually just make your home less efficient. Duplicate items clutter up your space and make it difficult to find what you are looking for when you need it. Simply keeping single items in a specific location and returning them when you are finished will help to create a more organized and efficient home.
Outdated Electronics
Obsolete electronics accumulate quickly in our homes because they break and technology advances so quickly. Getting rid of them can help you free up storage space and relieve you of the mental burden they cause. Make sure to properly dispose of these items, as failure to do so can have negative environmental consequences.
Before donating or recycling them, back up and wipe any important data on the devices. Remove accessories such as chargers, cases, and external storage devices. For some items, you may need to remove the batteries and recycle them separately. Find a reputable recycling program or look for take-back programs from manufacturers. Also, consider donating them to community recycling programs that take place at different times throughout the year.
Crafting Supplies
Many of us are drawn to exciting new projects and invest in new craft supplies for each endeavor. While we may use some of the materials, there are often extra supplies that sit in our closets and drawers unused. From stacks of scrapbook paper to wool yarn and unused paint, these items accumulate and add to the clutter, stifling rather than sparking creativity.
It is hard to discard craft supplies for sentimental reasons or because we have aspirations to work on these crafts again. Begin by making an honest assessment of your supplies. Realistically, consider whether your items can be repurposed for other crafts or if you will never reuse them. Consider donating useful items to schools, community centers, or local craft groups to make the most of your discarded supplies.
