Every 2-3 weeks, I have an urge to declutter my house. It all started some time ago when I thought my life would be better if I started simplifying it to reduce distractions and be more present and focused.

And one of the most important things for living a more simplified life is getting rid of things you don't need. However, you don't have to follow my lead and simplify your whole life completely—some like it complex! You may be about to move, renovate your home, or just try to find space that's currently buried under stuff. It doesn't matter why you're here; the important thing is to identify the most useless things taking up valuable space and get ready to renew the energy in your home.

Here's what most decluttering articles won't tell you: getting rid of physical clutter isn't just about creating more space—it's about creating more mental clarity, reducing decision fatigue, and giving yourself permission to let go of who you used to be to make room for who you're becoming.

According to a 2024 study from the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute, physical clutter in your living space competes for your attention, resulting in decreased performance and increased stress. In other words, that pile of clothes you haven't worn in two years? It's not just taking up closet space—it's taking up mental space too.

Ready to reclaim your space and your peace of mind? Let's dive into the 10 categories of items you should get rid of right now—and more importantly, why letting go matters.

Why Decluttering Actually Matters (The Science Behind the Space)

Before we get to what to toss, let's talk about why this matters—especially for working women juggling multiple responsibilities.

Your Environment Affects Your Mental State:

Research from UCLA's Center on Everyday Lives and Families found that women who described their homes as "cluttered" had higher levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) throughout the day. The visual chaos of clutter creates mental chaos.

Decision Fatigue Is Real:

Every object you own requires decisions—where to put it, whether to use it, when to clean it. The average person makes 35,000 decisions daily. Reducing the number of objects in your space literally reduces the mental load you're carrying.

Clutter Delays Life:

How many times have you thought "I'll organize that closet when I have time" or "I'll donate those clothes eventually"? Meanwhile, the clutter sits, creating guilt and taking up space. Decluttering isn't procrastination—it's taking action on your life right now.

Physical Space \= Mental Space:

When your home is chaotic, it's harder to think clearly, be creative, or relax. Creating physical space in your environment creates mental and emotional space, too.

Now that we understand the why, let's get to the what—and more importantly, the how.

The Decluttering Decision Framework

Before you start tossing things, you need a decision-making system. Here's mine:

The One-Year Rule: If you haven't used it in a year, you don't need it. (Exceptions: sentimental items, seasonal decor, emergency supplies)

The Joy Test: Does this item make you happy when you see it? If not, why is it taking up space in your home?

The Replacement Test: If you got rid of this and needed it later, could you easily replace it for under $20? If yes, toss it. The mental space is worth more than $20.

The Future Self Trap: Stop keeping things for a hypothetical future version of yourself. "When I lose 20 pounds," "When I have time for hobbies," "When I get that job." You deserve a home that fits your current life, not a fantasy version.

Now, let's get specific about what needs to go.

1. Clothes You Haven't Worn in Over a Year

Clothes you don't wear aren't just taking up closet space—they're creating decision fatigue every morning when you get dressed. Studies show that having too many options actually makes decision-making harder, not easier. Every morning, you're visually scanning clothes you never wear to find the ones you actually do.

Plus, keeping clothes that don't fit or don't match your current style keeps you anchored to a past version of yourself. Maybe it's the "corporate job" wardrobe you no longer need, the "skinny jeans" size you're holding onto with guilt, or the "trendy" pieces that never felt like you anyway.

The Honest Assessment:

Go through your closet and ask:

• Have I worn this in the last 12 months?
• Does it fit my current body and lifestyle?
• Do I feel confident and comfortable in this?
• Would I buy this again today?

If the answer is "no" to any of these, it's time to let it go.

What to Do With Them:

• Donate: Good condition items go to local shelters, Goodwill, or Dress for Success (for professional wear)
• Sell: Higher-end pieces can go on Poshmark, ThredUp, or local consignment shops
• Recycle: Worn-out items can be recycled through H\&M's garment collection program or similar textile recycling
• Gift: Pass items directly to friends or family who might want them

Pro Tip: Turn all your hangers backward. When you wear something, turn the hanger forward. After 6 months, anything still backward goes. This removes emotion from the decision.

2. Old Cables, Chargers, and Tech Accessories

These are what I call "visual noise"—items that clutter drawers and create chaos without serving any purpose. You probably have cables for devices you no longer own, chargers that don't fit anything, and adapters for electronics that died years ago.

The psychology behind keeping these is fear: "What if I need this someday?" But here's the truth—if you haven't needed it in the past year, you won't suddenly need it now. And if you do? A replacement cable costs $10 and can arrive tomorrow.

The Honest Assessment:

Gather all your cables and chargers in one place. Match each one to a current device. Anything without a match goes.

What to Do With Them:

• E-Waste Recycling: Best Buy and many municipalities have free electronics recycling programs
• Keep Only: One charging cable per current device, plus one backup
• Organize What's Left: Use cable organizers, labeled bags, or a small drawer divider

How Much Space You'll Gain: Most people have 15-20 useless cables taking up entire drawers. That's a drawer you could actually use!

3. Expired or Unused Medications

This isn't just about clutter—expired medications can be dangerous. They lose potency over time and can even become harmful. Plus, keeping a medicine cabinet full of expired pills creates confusion when you actually need medication quickly.

Beyond safety, there's a psychological component: that expired NyQuil from 2019 represents an illness you've long since recovered from. Keeping it keeps you mentally connected to past sickness rather than current health.

The Honest Assessment:

Check expiration dates on all medications, vitamins, and supplements. Be ruthless—if it's expired, it goes, no matter how much was left in the bottle.

What to Do With Them:

• Proper Disposal: Never flush medications! Take them to a pharmacy drug take-back program (most major pharmacies offer this)
• FDA Drug Disposal: Check FDA.gov for local take-back locations
• Last Resort: If no take-back program is available, mix pills with coffee grounds or cat litter in a sealed bag before throwing away

Keep medications stored properly (cool, dry place) to extend their lifespan, and check dates every 6 months.

4. Old Newspapers, Manuals, and Random Papers

Paper clutter is insidious—it accumulates slowly until suddenly you have stacks of newspapers, instruction manuals for appliances you no longer own, old bills, and mysterious papers you're afraid to throw away "just in case."

In 2025, almost everything you need is available online. That appliance manual? Google it. Old tax documents older than 7 years? You don't need them. Magazines you meant to read? You won't.

The Honest Assessment:

• Keep: Current year's tax documents, birth certificates, passports, titles/deeds, active contracts
• Scan and Toss: Sentimental letters, children's artwork, important receipts
• Toss Immediately: Manuals (available online), old bills, expired coupons, junk mail, magazines over 3 months old

What to Do With Them:

• Shred: Anything with personal information (bank statements, bills)
• Recycle: Everything else
• Digitize: Important documents you want to keep—take photos or scan them

The Relief You'll Feel: Clearing paper clutter is incredibly satisfying because it's immediate and visible. One hour of sorting papers can transform a chaotic desk into a functional workspace.

5. Expired or Unused Food (Pantry and Freezer)

Food clutter is costing you money twice—once when you bought it, and again when you replace it because you can't find what you have. According to the USDA, the average American household throws away $1,500 worth of food annually. Much of that waste comes from buying duplicates of items buried in the back of the pantry.

Expired food also creates guilt. Every time you open the pantry and see that expired pasta sauce, you feel bad about wasting it. That guilt is exhausting.

The Honest Assessment:

Go through your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer systematically:

• Check expiration dates on everything
• Smell test: If it smells off, toss it—even if the date says it's fine
• Freezer burn: Those mystery bags from 2022? Gone.
• Spices: If they don't smell like anything, they're dead—toss them
• Duplicates: Why do you have 4 open bottles of soy sauce?

What to Do With Them:

• Compost: Expired produce and food scraps (if you have composting available)
• Trash: Everything else that's expired
• Donate: Unexpired, unopened non-perishables to food banks
• Meal Plan: Use up items nearing expiration this week

After clearing everything out, organize your pantry with the oldest items in front. This "first in, first out" system prevents future waste.

6. Broken Appliances You'll Never Fix

That hair dryer that stopped working in 2022? The blender missing a blade? The coffee maker you've been "meaning to fix"? They're not getting fixed. If you haven't repaired them by now, you never will.

These broken items serve as constant reminders of tasks left undone, creating low-level stress every time you see them. They're also taking up valuable storage space that could hold things you actually use.

The Honest Assessment:

Ask yourself honestly:

• How long has this been broken?
• Have I gotten a quote for repair?
• Would repair cost more than half the replacement cost?
• Do I even need this item anymore?

If it's been broken for more than 3 months, you have your answer.

What to Do With Them:

• E-Waste Recycling: Best Buy, Staples, and many municipalities offer free electronics recycling
• Repair Cafes: Some communities have volunteer repair cafes—worth checking if the item is valuable
• Trash: Small, non-electronic broken items
• Donate for Parts: Some organizations accept broken electronics for parts

The Mental Freedom: Removing broken items removes the guilt of "I should fix that." You're giving yourself permission to let go.

7. Toys, Books, and Items Your Kids Have Outgrown

If you have kids, you know how quickly toys accumulate. And here's the hard truth: keeping every toy from their childhood doesn't preserve memories—it just creates clutter. Your children won't remember 90% of their toys, but they will remember experiences and time with you.

The same goes for books, baby clothes, and gear. Holding onto these items "in case" of another child or "for nostalgia" keeps you living in the past instead of the present.

The Honest Assessment:

Involve your kids in age-appropriate decluttering:

• Broken toys: Immediate toss
• Toys they haven't touched in 6 months: Donate
• Duplicates: Keep one, donate the rest
• Books they've outgrown: Pass to younger children or donate to libraries

What to Do With Them:

• Donate: Libraries, schools, daycares, shelters, Buy Nothing groups
• Sell: Facebook Marketplace, consignment sales (Once Upon a Child, Kid to Kid)
• Gift: Younger relatives or friends
• Trash: Broken items in unsafe condition

The Gift of Space: Fewer toys actually encourages more creative play. Kids overwhelmed by options play less, not more.

8. Expired Cleaning Products and Beauty Items

Why This Matters:

Yes, cleaning products expire! They lose effectiveness over time, and some can even become toxic. That bottle of bleach from 2020? Not cleaning as well as you think. That moisturizer from 3 years ago? Bacteria heaven.

Beauty products especially have short lifespans—mascara expires in 3 months, foundation in 12 months, and even unopened products eventually go bad.

The Honest Assessment:

Cleaning Products:

• Most last 1-2 years unopened
• Check for separation, change in color, or weak smell
• If it doesn't smell strong anymore, it's not cleaning effectively

Beauty Products:

• Mascara: 3 months
• Liquid foundation: 12 months
• Powder products: 2 years
• Lipstick: 2 years
• Skincare: Check the jar symbol on packaging (12M \= 12 months after opening)

What to Do With Them:

• Trash: Most expired beauty and cleaning products
• Empty Containers: Some brands (MAC, Lush) accept empty containers for recycling
• Unopened/Unexpired: Donate to shelters or women's organizations

Health Note: Using expired skincare and makeup can cause infections, breakouts, and irritation. It's not worth the risk.

9. Outdated or Mismatched Decor

Your home should reflect who you are now, not who you were 5 years ago. Those broken Christmas decorations, the wall art you've grown to hate, the furniture that no longer fits your style—they're making your home feel like someone else's space.

Living with decor you don't love creates a subtle background dissatisfaction. You come home to a space that doesn't feel like "you," which undermines the entire purpose of home: to be your sanctuary.

The Honest Assessment:

Walk through your home and notice:

• What makes you happy when you see it?
• What do you glance past without noticing?
• What actively annoys you?

If you don't love it and it's not functional, it's just taking up space.

What to Do With Them:

• Donate: Thrift stores, Buy Nothing groups, Habitat for Humanity ReStore (for furniture)
• Sell: Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, estate sale companies (for valuable furniture)
• Upcycle: Get creative with paint or fabric if you're crafty
• Trash: Broken or damaged decor items

The Transformation: Removing decor you don't love creates space for intentional design. Even an empty wall is better than one filled with things you hate.

10. Old Technology and Electronics

Old phones, tablets, laptops, and gadgets sitting in drawers serve no purpose except making you feel guilty about the money you spent on them. Technology advances so quickly that devices from even 3-4 years ago are often unusable for current needs.

These items also contain valuable materials that should be recycled, and old devices with personal data pose security risks if not properly wiped.

The Honest Assessment:

• Working but outdated: Donate or trade in
• Not working: Recycle through proper e-waste channels
• Contains personal data: Factory reset before donating/recycling

What to Do With Them:

• Trade-In: Apple, Samsung, and carriers offer trade-in credits even for old devices
• Donate: Schools, senior centers, women's shelters (wipe data first!)
• Recycle: Best Buy, Staples, manufacturer take-back programs
• Sell: Gazelle, Decluttr, Swappa (for working devices)

Data Security: Always factory reset devices before donating or recycling. For computers, use a data-wiping program like DBAN.

How to Actually Do the Decluttering (The System)

Knowing what to declutter is one thing; actually doing it is another. Here's a system that works:

The Four-Box Method:

Get four boxes or bags labeled:

1. Keep - Items that stay in your home
2. Donate - Good condition items someone else can use
3. Sell - Valuable items worth the effort to sell
4. Trash/Recycle - Items that are broken or unusable

Go room by room, category by category, and put each item in a box. Don't move to the next category until you've completely finished the current one.

Start Small:

Don't try to declutter your entire house in one weekend. You'll burn out and give up.

Week 1: Medicine cabinet and under-sink storage Week 2: One closet (start with yours, not a sentimental attic) Week 3: Kitchen pantry and refrigerator Week 4: Desk and paper clutter

Small wins build momentum.

Set a Timer:

20-minute decluttering sessions are more sustainable than 4-hour marathons. Set a timer, focus intensely for 20 minutes, then stop. You'll be amazed at how much you can accomplish in just 20 focused minutes.

Get It Out Immediately:

The same day you declutter, get donations in your car, schedule pickups, or drop items at donation centers. Don't let "donate" bags sit in your garage for months—that defeats the purpose.

Maintaining Your Decluttered Space

Decluttering isn't a one-time event—it's an ongoing practice. Here's how to maintain your progress:

The One-In-One-Out Rule:

For every new item you bring into your home, one similar item leaves. New shirt? Donate an old one. New book? Pass one along. This keeps clutter from accumulating again.

The 10-Minute Daily Reset:

Every evening, spend 10 minutes returning items to their homes. This prevents the gradual creep of clutter.

Seasonal Purges:

Four times a year (change of seasons is a good trigger), do a quick sweep of each category. This catches accumulation before it becomes overwhelming.

Question New Purchases:

Before buying something new, ask:

• Do I really need this?
• Where will it live in my home?
• What will I get rid of to make room for it?
• Will I still want this in 6 months?

The shift isn't just about getting rid of things—it's about being more intentional about what you allow into your space in the first place.

The Unexpected Benefits of Decluttering

Once you start decluttering, you'll notice benefits beyond just having more space:

Less Cleaning: Fewer items \= less to clean, dust, and organize. You'll save hours every month.

Lower Stress: Coming home to a clear, organized space is calming. You'll feel more relaxed in your own home.

Better Focus: Without visual clutter competing for your attention, you can concentrate better on work, hobbies, and relationships.

More Money: When you know what you have, you stop buying duplicates. You also become more intentional about purchases, saving money long-term.

Decision Clarity: Decluttering forces you to make decisions, which improves your decision-making skills overall. This carries over into other areas of life.

Room to Grow: Physical space creates mental and emotional space. You'll have room for new hobbies, experiences, and the next chapter of your life.

Your Space, Your Life

Decluttering isn't about achieving some minimalist aesthetic or living with 100 items. It's about creating a home that supports the life you actually live—not the life you think you "should" be living.

Every item you remove is a decision you no longer have to make, a surface you no longer have to clean, and mental space you reclaim for things that actually matter.

You don't need to declutter everything at once. Start with one category from this list. Experience the relief of letting go. Then tackle the next one when you're ready.

Your home should be your sanctuary, not a storage unit for your past selves and forgotten purchases. You deserve to live in a space that feels peaceful, intentional, and truly yours.

Related Articles:

• How to Simplify Your Life and Feel Better
• Messy Home, Clear Mind? What Your Clutter Might Be Telling You