Here’s an easy list for Decluttering Your Home right now! I’ll show you step-by-step what to look for and how to decide what to toss and what to keep. You’ll be able to easily toss out things in your home that are old, expired, unused or just don’t bring you joy anymore. Get ready to let go of the clutter and make space for what you love.
Ever walk into a room or open a closet and immediately want to leave or close the door? You don’t have to feel like that anymore. I’ll show you how to get rid of things you don’t need so you feel happy when you go into a room or open cabinet. Decluterring your home is easier than you might think!
Just remember to toss out what you haven’t used or needed, and things that are worn out, expired or used beyond their shelf life. While it’s tempting to keep things to use someday or to have “just in case”, just remember if you haven’t needed it in the last year then you likely don’t need it at all.
Having a Plan to Declutter Your Home
Sometimes decluttering your home turns into a waste of time. Why? Either you’re just moving stuff around instead of dealing with it, or you’re decluttering without a plan. Decluttering means making a decision about an item or object.
You can either keep it and store it in its proper place, or you can get rid of it through donation, recycling, or consignment. Simply moving trash you are not willing to throw out from one place to another isn’t decluttering.
Decluttering Your Home – Kitchen Clutter
It’s time to get rid of those unused, broken and chipped dishes and glasses, as well as the extra lids for Tupperware and pots (I found 3 extra lids myself for pots I don’t even have anymore).
When decluttering your home, toss expired, old, and food you don’t recognize (if doesn’t have a label and you don’t know what it is then get rid of it). Get rid of food you don’t plan on eating either like old sample packets of ketchup or salad dressing you tried once but didn’t use.
- Food in the fridge, freezer and pantry
- Dishes and flatware (forks, spoons, knives)
- Glassware, plastic cups, kids cups
- Tupperware and food containers, extra lids
- Mugs and coffee cups
- Cooking utensils
- Pots, pans and lids
- Cookie pans, cooking sheets, glass bakeware
- Old kitchen appliances
- Cookie cutters and silicone molds
- Cutting boards
- Reusable water bottles
- Reusable lunch boxes and containers
- Cookbooks you never use
- Cleaning products (make your own non-toxic cleaners instead like these)
- Expired or old medicine (over-the-counter and prescription)
Decluttering Your Home – Bathroom
The bathroom is the space where half-used bottles of shampoo and makeup samples live way longer than they should. When decluttering Your Bathroom, open up the medicine cabinet and under the sink and pull everything out. Think about whether you’ve used the items in the last 6 months. If you haven’t, then toss it out. I’ve got a full tutorial on how to declutter the bathroom here.
- Makeup (including samples)
- Skincare like face wash, toner, lotion, cream, etc. (learn how to make your own skincare)
- Soap and body wash
- Shave cream and aftershave
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Travel-sized or samples of skincare
- Toothpaste, mouthwash, floss
- Nail polish
- Hair brushes, pins, hair ties
- Old hair dryers, curling irons, flat irons, electric toothbrushes
- Old razors
Decluttering Your Home – Kids Room Clutter
When decluttering your home , kids rooms can be a place where parents feel the need to keep things for sentimental value or for younger children. Go through toys, clothes, books, art supplies, etc. and ask yourself will you really want to keep it for a younger child. If so store in a plastic bin and take it out of the room. For artwork or sentimental items, take a photo or keep a small handful of things in a small keepsake box. Recycle the rest and let your kids enjoy their space.
- Toys
- Legos
- Dolls and accessories
- Books
- Swag from other kids’ birthday parties (like coloring books, crayons, whistles, etc.)
- Costumes
- Coloring books, crayons, art supplies
Decluttering Your Home – Closet Clutter
The closet is a great place to declutter old, unused, mismatched, and worn out items that have been taking up too much space in your closet. Let go of the worn out underwear and swimsuits. Get rid of the wire hangers. Let go of the old towels and bedding, and upcycle them as dust cloths or cleaning cloths around the house.
- Clothes
- Jackets and winter wear
- Swimwear
- Bras and underwear
- Shoes and shoeboxes
- Belts, hats, gloves, and scarves
- Formal wear (like a bridesmaids dress from 5 years ago)
- Wire hangers (get hangers in one color like white for an instant closet facelift)
- Costume jewelry
- Towels
- Bedding and pillowcases
- Blankets
Miscellaneous Clutter
Miscellaneous clutter can build up in every area of the home – like under the kitchen sink, junk drawer, garage, office, and closets. Take it all out and go through each item to assess whether it’s broken, usable, or needed (or wanted). Toss out things you don’t use, need, or want – especially things that are broken or unidentifiable like cords for electronic devices.
- Pens and markers that are broken
- Old batteries
- Cords to devices that are broken or you don’t know where they belong
- Empty CD and DVD cases
- Boxes for electronic devices (keep instruction manuals and warranties in a file folder rather than keep the big box the device came in)
- Magazines and newspapers (take a photo on your phone if there’s a recipe or article you want to keep)
- Vases
- Scented candles (use a diffuser instead to save money)
- Books
- Office supplies (like paper clips, sticky notes, note pads, clip boards)
- Old electronics (cell phones, computer parts, printers, etc.)
- Old files, file folders, mail, clippings, etc. (shred any personal information before tossing it)
- Supplies for art projects or hobbies that haven’t been used for the last year
- Old paint cans
- Broken or unused sports equipment, bikes, skateboards, etc.
Using a Junk Drawer
You don’t have to banish every miscellaneous item from your home. Just make sure you restrict these objects to an organized junk drawer or similarly small area. When you have more clutter than will fit in your junk drawer, junk box, or junk shelf, that’s when you need to start culling.
Being a Minimalist
If you know your style then this give you a decluttered house! Knowing what you like helps you to limit the number of things you take home. Sometimes, the difference between a minimalist and a clutter-accumulator is simply the ability to say, “I like that, but it’s not really ‘me,’ so I’ll just leave it here.”
Top Tips for Decluttering Your Home
- Start with 5 minutes at a time. If you’re new to decluttering, you can slowly build momentum with just five minutes a day.
- Donate clothes you never wear.
- Create a decluttering checklist. It’s a lot easier to declutter when you have a visual representation of where you need to get started.
- Get help from a friend. Have a friend or family member go through your home and suggest a handful of big items to throw away or give to someone else.
More Decluttering Posts You Might Like
- 10 Steps to Declutter Your Home
- 8 Reasons Why Kids Need Minimalism
- 6 Signs It’s Time to Declutter Your Home
- 15 Ways to Live More Simply
Did you try these decluttering tips? Don’t forget to comment below to let me know how you found out. You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
7-Day Decluttering Challenge
Looking for more ways to declutter your home? Join my FREE 7-Day Decluttering Challenge! I’ll go more in-depth on how to declutter your bathrooms and every room in your home. I’ll also show you how to deal with the emotions that often come up when you’re decluttering and simple strategies you can use to overcome them.
FREE 7-Day Decluttering Challenge
Photo credit: Bigstockphoto.com / New Africa / Maridav
LOL Tracey, I’ve been deep cleaning and decluttering my kitchen. I’ve been working on it all week. Still have a ways to go though. I’m planning on doing the whole house. I just hope I don’t run out of steam. I have to work a while and then rest due to back pain. So far, I have 3 boxes of clutter to donate. And a trash bag full to get rid of. Fall cleaning is so much fun. Not. But . . . It does keep you in the cool air.