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10 Must-Keep Items When Decluttering and 10 You Can Finally Let Go

The saying, “A clean home is a happy home,” holds more truth than you’d think. Too much clutter can negatively impact anyone’s health and mental state.

Decluttering is popular for many reasons, including those wanting a more peaceful living space. In fact, many people do it several times a year. However, after years of collecting things and forming strong emotional attachments, it’s tough to distinguish between what’s worth keeping and what counts as clutter.

A clean house isn’t an empty one. It’s all about knowing what makes a house feel like home and what makes it feel like chaos.

Regular and Seasonal Kitchen Supplies vs. Single Function, Specialized Tools

(L) Cast iron skillet on cloth; (R) A hand touching buttons on an instant pot/rice cooker.
Image Credit: Shutterstock; Canva.

Many kitchen items, such as frying pans, silverware, spatulas, and coffeemakers, are used daily. Some items, like a turkey baster or decorative serving trays, have repeated uses for specific seasons or events.

Other gadgets and tools have such specific functions they either get used all the time or not at all. Steamers, mandolin slicers, bread makers, rice cookers, and other specialized tools become clutter when they don’t offer multiple functions or take up more space than they’re worth. Donate, sell, or loan these items and get back some of your kitchen storage space!

Random Mementos vs. Irreplaceable Heirlooms

(L) Beautiful diamond earrings; (R) A small retro robot toy.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.

We make memories when we travel, head to a special movie premiere, visit a museum, or hit up a concert. Sometimes, these trips come with memorabilia like ticket stubs, VIP wristbands, and other trinkets. Many of us hold onto these items, intending to do something with them. These little nostalgia projects can eventually clutter up the house.

Other items, like grandma’s silverware or a parent’s favorite furniture, are irreplaceable heirlooms. However, they also take up lots of space. Consider keeping one or two treasures for extensive collections and splitting the rest amongst the family.

Wardrobe Staples vs. Fast Fashion

(L) A beautiul red blazer with a unique pattern, with a plain high-quality white tee underneath and clean jewelry; (R) A fast-fashion strangely patterned tee shirt from Shein.
Image Credit: (L) Shutterstock; (R) Mogomusta – CCA SA 4.0/WikiCommons.

For the fashionista, clothing is a high priority. Regardless of style preference, any closet has wardrobe staples and impulse buys. Nowadays, oversized clothing hauls from fast fashion companies take up huge amounts of space.

Instead of buying excess cheap items that don’t last, invest in high-quality pieces. Vintage couture and secondhand goods benefit your bank account and the environment. Consider each purchase a re-wearable, multipurpose piece to get the most bang for your buck. Hang onto those high-end pieces as possible heirlooms and ditch the low-quality plastic outfits.

Everyday Outfits vs. Worn Out or Outgrown Clothes

(L) Elegant sweaters stacked and folded in a woman's hands; (R) Two dirty, worn out flannels.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Some clothing items wear out over time and need replacing. Invest in better-made basics composed of organic materials. Higher-quality fabrication makes even white t-shirts and socks last longer. When you replace these items, consider how much closet space you have before buying multiple pieces.

Other articles of clothing aren’t everyday basics. These pieces have more emotional ties, making it harder to eliminate them. Aside from normal weight and body fluctuation, a clutter-free wardrobe isn’t full of ill-fitting clothes or items beyond repair. Statement pieces deserve a second chance with mending.

After trying different closet organizing hacks, donate or sell items you never wear.

Documents and Paperwork vs. Junk Mail and Scraps

(L) A clean, organized passport wallet; (R) A rolled up, crumpled stack of junk mail.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Old files, junk mail, instruction manuals, and other pieces of paper stack up fast. If you’re a writer, you’ll likely have tons of paper goods like post-its, journals, and odd napkins or scraps with story ideas. Regardless of your paper clutter, organize the loose pieces you can’t throw out, sorting items with no personal value or purpose.

Store legal documents, government identification, and other personal paperwork in one secure place. Shred other sensitive documents that aren’t important for taxes, ID renewal, or verifying ownership of residence or vehicle.

Toiletries vs. Old Makeup and Medication

(L) A clean, new Charlotte Tillbury cosmetic case; (R) A dirty, old makeup palette that hit pan on the shades.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Everyone’s cleanliness and makeup routines are different, requiring more or less products. If you’re known to collect and hoard items in pretty packages, here’s your sign to throw out the expired makeup, moisturizer, or face serum.

Using expired products increases your risk of different infections. For skincare, it tends to produce less effective results. Risks aside, these items take up too much space. The same goes for freemium samples people get in swag bags or as complimentary gifts. If these aren’t items you use, donate them or make gift bags to give away.

Books and Toys vs. Unused Games

(L) A clean, shelved set of books and a hand holding a Charles Dickens novel; (R) Old, worn down toys on a shelf.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Home libraries and game rooms accumulate items that remain untouched after some time. Old games and puzzles lose pieces, and books collect dust on a shelf once read. These items belong elsewhere.

If you haven’t bothered to make or replace spare parts to a board game, trash it. Recycling and repurposing are great options for old puzzles. Sell those books for quick cash or donate them to a local library, hospital, or assisted living community. Turn your clutter into someone else’s treasure and free up some room in the meantime.

Spare Parts vs. Old Paint

(L) A gloved hand holding spare parts; (R) Stacks of old, dirty paint cans.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Some items sit in the garage untouched for years for future home repair and maintenance. Screws and nails, extra hardware, flooring, or wall pieces all serve as essential backups when something breaks.

Other items like old paint sit, are forgotten, spoil, and occupy space. These items won’t help with repainting or touch-ups as paint oxidizes with age. Instead, color match the wall paint or try a new shade for a cheap makeover and toss the old cans.

Decorative Bins vs. Cardboard Boxes

(L) Clean, decorative storage totes; (R) Old, dirty and worn-down cardboard boxes on the side of the road.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.

When organizing, boxes and bins, once overflowing with random items, now sit empty. Don’t toss these immediately. Instead, set them aside as you sort and organize each room. You never know which will be handy under the sink or as functional decor on built-in shelves.

Sometimes, when we get new items from online shopping, those boxes get saved for more storage. If you are short on boxes or bins, these work as a great temporary solution until you can budget for more attractive organizers. If you have excess cardboard, recycle it, give the boxes away to someone moving, or use them in the garden as eco-friendly weed deterrents.

Year-Round vs. Seasonal Home Decor

(L) Home decor for all seasons; (R) Christmas decorations.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Every time you wander into a home goods store, it’s tempting to buy a cute bunny vase for spring, a cozy polar bear figurine for winter, and more. Cuteness aside, buying too much seasonal decor creates clutter faster than poor organization. Consider how much storage space you have before buying these items.

See if you can repurpose a vase into a utensil holder for holiday or seasonal home decor. Give items away to friends and family if they always compliment them during visits. Keep the items you enjoy seeing throughout the year, and remove those you know you can do without.

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