Sometimes we don’t have time for a big decluttering project, and we want something quick and impactful. To that end, here are 10 things you can throw away right here right now.
Dead plants and flowers
When they’re gone, they’re gone. If you have flowers in a vase that are past their best, take the opportunity to recycle them with your garden waste. Fresh flowers are a welcome addition to any home but once they have seen better days, it’s time to say goodbye.
When it comes to plants, an element of realism is needed. If you know it still has life in it, make a point of starting the revival project today. If not, cut your losses and let it go.
Newspapers
If you get a newspaper on a regular basis, be mindful that a newspaper is supposed to mark a moment in time that is here today, gone tomorrow. Don’t have piles of newspapers hanging around waiting to be read or kept for posterity. Let them go.
Out-of-date medication
I’d like to wager that if you look at your medication supplies, some will be way out of date. By its nature, medication is often bought for a one-off ailment or illness, and once the ailment is gone, we no longer need the remedy.
But it stays in the cupboard for months, often years, till we need it again and that day, more often than not, never comes! If you are disposing of medication, bear in mind this should be done responsibly.
Odd Socks
Odd socks are a mystery. Where do their partners go? I think we will be wondering this till the end of time. There’s an old adage out there that odd socks turn into tupperware container lids! In any case, once an odd sock has been hanging around for a while without its friend, it’s time to say goodbye.
Takeout menus
Takeaway menus are posted through our letter boxes on a very regular basis. They are junk mail and should be treated as such. If you have a place in your home where old takeaway menus pile up, make a point of going through them and only keep the ones you regularly use.
Dead batteries
Dead batteries are something that hangs around our homes for a while. Mainly because we need to dispose of them responsibly. It’s a great idea to have a small box or container to keep them in while you’re storing them to take to the recycling point.
Once the box is full, make a point of dropping the batteries off. Once they get old, they leak, and you don’t want to deal with that in your drawer!
Videos and cassette tapes
We are at least four generations past videos and cassette tapes when it comes to media. If you stream, download or at the very least listen to CDs and DVDs, it’s time for the old music cassettes and video tapes to go.
It’s a tough thing to part with as they are not readily recyclable but nevertheless, take action today! Be sure to weed out any highly sentimental ones first though.
Empty jars
How many empty jars do you have in your home? They feel so useful, right? We tell ourselves they will come in for all manner of things.
Particularly if you’re a cook or a crafter, it can be all too easy to convince yourself that you need to keep any jars that come into your home – but be mindful of volumes. They are taking valuable space in your kitchen cupboards that could be used for other, more important things.
Carrier bags
If you have carrier bags from shops that have started to breed, it’s time to pass them on. We don’t need many of them but homes all around the world have hundreds of them kept forever and a day. It’s not hard to find people in local community groups and food banks that absolutely do need a steady supply of bags so pass them on and declutter your home at the same time. Win-win!
Out-of-date spices
What is it about herbs and spices? We can go through them every year and still find one with a date from 2007 on! Have a quick look through yours today and discard any that are out of date. Whilst they are most likely not harmful, they may have lost their potency.
This article was first published on Sixty and Me on 30th August 2021. It can be found here.
It is really hard to let go some of the things or sometimes it's hard to start. Good thing you provided us a list. Thank you.
Thank you Melody for your comment. We're glad our list is helpful. Do check out our Facebook Group – The Declutter Hub Community with Ingrid and Lesley as well for more tips and advice or check out our Declutter Hub podcast on any podcast player.
This was a great list fairly easy to do w/o much stress. Socks are a big project for another day and we still use video/cassettes. Crazy, I know! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Paula – thanks for listening x