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

>> Learn the step-by-step process for tackling
the decluttering of any space in your home in my online course 'Chaos to Calm'! >>