Amanda Brownlow I don’t know about you, but my home feels great one minute and cluttered the next. WHY?! I know with each season of life brings news stuff. This means it’s time to let things go, too! This list is 100 things to declutter right now. Of course, this is not what you have to get rid, but just suggestions. Each family is different with different stuff!
Looking for something to help you stay on track throughout the day? Use my thoughtfully designed brain dump printable or to-do list printable! With ample space to right down all the things swirling in your brain plus a space to designate what’s most important.
Prep Your Decluttering Space
Before you get started on this list of 100 things to declutter, you need to prep your space. To prep your space you’ll need to put things back into their homes. So dishes in the cabinet, clothes in the dresser, toys in the toy box, etc. It sounds counterintuitive to clean up before you clear out, but it is far more helpful than a messy space!
Second, you’ll want to create boxes/bags for what your getting rid of and a separate space for what you are keeping. Your decluttered items should be categorized into toss, sell, and donate (more info on how to do that HERE).
Lastly, here are my favorite posts on how to declutter!
- The Ultimate Decluttering Guide
- How to Let Go of Clothes You No Longer Wear
- Sell, Donate, or Toss?
- How to do a Wardrobe Refresh
100 Things to Declutter
Want this list in printable form? Find the Google Doc >>>HERE<<<
Clothing
- Clothes that are damaged
- Clothing that no longer fits (including undergarments)
- Socks without matches
- Clothes you no longer love
- Worn out shoes
- Handbags that no longer fit your lifestyle
- Cold weather gear that no longer keeps you warm
- Old glasses
- Tangled or damaged jewelry
- Broken or flimsy hangers
In the Bathroom and Bedroom
- Expired makeup
- Dried up nail polish
- Used and forgotten body care products
- Expired medicine (prescription and over the counter)
- Towels that smell musty and the texture isn’t quite right
- Excess bed sheets (we only have two sets)
- Sheet or towels that are too worn to be comfortable
- Flat pillows
- Throw pillows you don’t care for
- Hole-y blankets
Living Space and Entertaining
- Stained tablecloths
- Worn out kitchen towels
- Décor that’s no longer your style
- Too many picture frames (pick only your favorite and rotate photos)
- Excess holiday or seasonal décor
- Magazines
- Books you won’t read again
- Movies you won’t watch again
- Video games
- Gaming consoles you no longer use
- Unused furniture
- Curtains that don’t match your style or are too worn
- Broken blinds
Office and Hobbies
- Gift wrap and gift bags that won’t be used
- Excess boxes that were saved
- Office supplies that you’ve saved for just in case (paper clips, binder clips, staples, tape rolls, thumb tacks, etc.)
- Dried out pens
- Pencils without lead
- Broken crayons and dried out markers
- Filled up notebooks (take pictures of important information first if needed)
- Outdated calendars and planners
- Incomplete craft projects
- Scrap paper, fabric, yarn, other craft materials
Technology and Digital Items
- Cords and cables you don’t know what they go to or no longer have the device for
- Computer parts (mouse, keyboard, monitors, etc.) that are broken
- Dead batteries (including rechargeable)
- Duplicate digital photos
- Downloaded files on phone and computer
- Outdated technology
- Empty flashdrives
- Old cell phones
- Cell phone, tablet and laptop cases that you no longer use
- Extension cords or surge protectors that won’t get used
Kitchen and Cooking
- Cleaning chemicals that are no longer used
- Mismatched food storage containers
- Excess food storage jars (pickle jars, pasta jars, etc.)
- Chipped or cracked dishes
- Leaky water bottles
- Warped or rusty bakeware
- Cookie cutters that you don’t know what shape they actually are
- Grody scrub brushes and sponges
- Expired food
- Old spices
- Small appliances that are never/rarely used
- Too-fancy glasses and serving dishes
- Takeout containers, plastic silverware, and takeout menus
- Cookbooks and recipes
- Coupons that are expired or you know you won’t buy the product
Kids’ Areas
- Puzzles and toys with missing pieces
- Toys that are no longer played with
- Duplicate toys
- Damaged toys
- Toys that are annoying (to you and the kids!)
- Books with ripped pages
- Outgrown kids’ clothing
- Damaged kids’ clothing
- Costumes
- Excess artwork (use as gift wrap!)
- Broken crayons
- Excess kids’ craft supplies
- School papers
Miscellaneous a.k.a Junk Drawer Items
- Unused storage containers
- Instruction manuals
- Paperwork older than 7 years
- Outdated textbooks
- Old receipts (excluding the ones for major purchases)
- Expired credit cards
- Membership cards (CVS, Walgreens, Petsmart, etc – they look it up by phone number!)
- Dried out super glue, empty tape rolls, etc.
- Address books with hardly any names in them (opt to use your phone instead)
- Lighters, matchbooks that are nearly empty
Garage
- Burnt out or “not the right size” light bulbs
- Yard chemicals that have been open too long or you don’t use
- Cracked and unused flower pots
- Used motor oil (take it to your local recycle center)
- Boxes you’ve been saving for “someday”
- Broken tools and power tools with batteries that no longer charge
- Duplicate tools when it is not useful to have a second one
- Outgrown sports equipment
- Worn out camping gear
- Tarps with holes
- Leftover supplies from renovations (paint cans, tile squares, etc.)
- Exercise equipment you no longer use
- Kids’ bikes they’ve outgrown
- Extra suitcases and duffel bags
- Wood scraps
Finding Contentment After Finding 100 Things to Declutter
Finding 100 things to declutter, or more, in your home is the easy part my friend. To stop the incoming flow of items is where the hard work begins.
Here are a few things to help you find contentment:
Set your priorities.
Think about what you want in your everyday life. Do you want to save money? Live more minimally? Zero waste? Spend more time with family?
When you spend more money, the less money you have to save. Saving for things like vacation, a new home, bringing a baby home, sending a kid off to college all take careful planning and saving for.
The more items you have in your home, the more time you spend on them. More cleaning, organizing, picking up, and eventually decluttering. Could you have spent that time doing something you love instead?
Think of your priorities. What do you want you life to look like? Does shopping and spending money on things you don’t actually need align with those priorities?
Challenge yourself.
Could you go one day without spending money? How about a full week? Or a month even?
Challenge yourself to not spend money, to not bring anything new into your life. We’re no stranger to no spend months, but it is still a challenge to reset those spending habits.
Shop with intention.
Before you go out to the store, check your priorities. Then ask yourself these questions:
- How am I going to pay for this?
- Is this on my 72 Hour List?
- Is this useful to me right now?
- How long will I actually like/use this item?
- Does this have a place in my home?
- How much is this really costing me?
- Do I already have something similar or serves the same purpose?
- What am I going to do with this item when I’m done with it?
- How do I feel? Bored, sad, happy, etc.
For deeper thinking on these questions, head over to my post 9 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying Anything New.
Detox from ads and social media.
Comparing your life to that of someone else’s is toxic. People only post what they want you to see – a Instagram perfect life. Advertisers do similar things – they want you to see yourself with their product… an imaginary life if you will. Sure, some items are super useful but other are superfluous and not needed.
Take a day, week, or month and detox from social media. You’ll find yourself wishing for fewer things and overall in a happier place.
Related >>>
Practice gratitude.
Gratitude is an easy thing to express for the people you surround yourself with – an awesome husband, loving mom and Gigi, great neighbors. But have you thanked the items that you surround yourself with?
This probably sounds a little crazy for some, but you might find it easier after you find your 100 things to declutter.
Are you thankful that you have a working cell phone that does way more than just call your mom? Are you grateful for the super soft sheets you sleep in at night? Solid end tables to set your morning coffee on? A planner to help keep you on track?
Once you can practice gratitude regularly and recognize that you are grateful for the items you surround yourself with and use daily, you’ll find that you want less and less.
