Consider this statement: The less stuff you own, the more clean your house becomes. Makes sense right? Decluttering and organising is all about freeing up space to gain a more relaxed, clean and easy flow in your home. It is also amazing to discover how a clutter-free space can give you a more positive mindset and productive approach towards each day. A good purge and declutter will not only provide you with a more calm and clear approach to your day-to-day life, it will also leave your home feeling more open and with a more pleasant atmosphere.
Take a look through this list of 80 items to purge from around your home, and consider which ones you could get rid of - some you won't give a second thought to, while others may be more of a difficult choice. You might choose 10-15 things on this list to immediately purge, or start with a room that you've been really wanting to get organised. You'll be on your way to achieving a clutter-free and organised home in no time!
GENERAL RULES
1. Any item that does not bring you joy
2. If it is not being used or is unlikely to be used
3. If it is very tatty
4. If it is useless
5. If you've been holding onto it because 'it might come in handy one day'
6. Ditto for those 'just in case’ items
7. Any items in your home that are broken beyond repair
8. Projects you have been meaning to get to for years, but never have
9. Anything in your home that you look at and really don't like
10. If you haven’t used it or looked at it in a year
11. If it doesn’t belong to you (put it in a ‘returns’ pile)
12. Things in storage that you haven't used in the past year or you'd forgotten were even there!
13. Anything that makes you feel sad or guilty
If you'd like to learn the step-by-step process for tackling the decluttering of any space in your home, you can check out my guided, online course 'Chaos to Calm' right here! >>
KITCHEN
14. Kitchen gadgets you never use
15. Anything that you will never eat or drink i.e. specialty teas, jams or relishes that you were 'trying out' or items given as a gift
16. Expired or rotten food from the pantry, fridge or freezer
17. Take-away menus to restaurants you never order from, or for which you can find the menu online
18. Excess items in the kitchen that don't get used i.e. pans, trays, platters, crockery
19. Grotty plastic containers
20. Containers without matching lids
21. Spare lids
22. Anything which you've got multiple numbers of i.e. 3 peelers, 4 pairs of tongs. Ask yourself how often you really need or use multiples of this item, and try to reduce it at least to 2 of the best.
23. Cookbooks you never read/use
24. Excess glassware, mugs, cups
25. Excess mixing bowls
26. Extra sets of crockery that you never use
27. Bottles of alcohol that you'll never drink
WARDROBE
28. Items you you haven’t worn or looked at in a year
29. Clothes that don't fit comfortably
30. Clothes that are too tight
31. Clothes that are too big - also known as the 'just in case' items!
32. Clothes that are worn out
33. Clothes that don't make you feel good
34. Shoes that are uncomfortable or pinch
35. Shoes or clothes that are beyond repair
36. Any items you're holding onto just because you spent lots of money of them
37. Items that still have their tags on in your wardrobe - donate or gift to someone else
38. Clothes that don't have a coordinating piece or a 'match'
39. Duplicate or look-alike clothing e.g. 5 pairs of black pants
LAUNDRY & LINEN
40. 'Extra' bedding, pillows and blankets that you never use
41. Excess towels - 2 towels per person should be sufficient
42. Tatty tea-towels
43. Medicine past its use-by-date
44. Cleaning supplies you don't use/need - only stock the essentials
45. Cleaning cloths, sponges, rags that you don't use - have 1-2 good sets of cloths and replace when necessary
BATHROOM
46. Makeup past its use-by-date
47. Beauty supplies you no longer like/use
48. Beauty appliances you no longer like/use (i.e. crimper, curler, 'back-up' hairdryer)
49. Creams or lotions given as a gift that you'll never use
HOME OFFICE
50. Magazines, newspapers, articles. If you can’t bear to throw them out, then only keep the article that absolutely spoke to you and gave you essential information. You can then either create an archive folder of these articles, or scan each one and create an archive folder on your computer so you can discard the original that's taking up space
51. Books - only keep treasured books and ones that you really love and will read again
52. Printed photos that are of bad quality or that you never look through
53. Phone books
54. Excess paperwork - go through everything thoroughly and only keep what you really need. Most bills, bank statements etc can be accessed online so change your preferences with each specific company to receive it electronically to reduce the amount of paper coming into your home
55. Clutter on your desk - only keep the things that you need quickly or that make you feel calm in your work-space e.g. vase of flowers or a candle
56. Excess stationary that you'll never use
57. Pens that no longer work
58. DVDs or CDs you no longer watch/listen to
59. Video games that no longer get played
60. Most manuals for items you've purchased, as the information can usually be found online
61. Tax records past 7 years - shred anything beyond this
62. Miscellaneous cords and cables that you can't assign a purpose to. A good way to sort cords is to attach a piece of masking tape or washi tape and write what the cord is for on it (like this)
63. Your old schoolbooks & papers - ask yourself honestly when the last time was that you actually looked through these? Keep a few of the more important pieces in a memory box
Learn the step-by-step process for tackling the decluttering of any space in your home with my guided online course 'Chaos to Calm' right here! >>
KIDS' BELONGINGS
64. Baby items, if you are past the baby stage
65. Baby clothes - donate or pass onto a friend, keep a few special pieces for the memory box
66. Mouldy bath toys
67. Stuffed animals that don't get played with
68. Old school papers from the kids - only keep the special or significant pieces of work
69. All of you child's artwork pieces - take photos of each one and create a photo book, and only hold onto the really special pieces (see more ideas for displaying special art work here)
70. Toys that are no longer played with, are broken, or are missing parts
AND JUST A FEW MORE IDEAS!...
71. Sewing supplies that are no longer used
72. Ugly, broken or excess Christmas decorations
73. Excess craft or scrap-booking supplies
74. Decorative items you don't love
75. Candles and candle holders you never use
76. Old batteries
77. Tools or hardware that no longer work or never get used
78. Clutter on your bedside table
79. The bits and pieces in your handbag that you don't use or need
80. Any cards in your wallet that you no longer use or need
