We all have that one drawer, closet, or even room in our house that we just can’t seem to keep tidy. It’s usually full of things we think we might need “someday” or items we can’t seem to let go of. But what if I told you that you could make your life much easier by decluttering your home and getting rid of some of those unnecessary items? Here are six things that you should throw away today!
Expired Medicines
Most of us have a few old prescription bottles in the back of our medicine cabinets. But did you know that these expired medicines can be dangerous? They may not work as well as they did when they were first prescribed; in some cases, they can even be toxic. The same goes for over-the-counter drugs that have expired. So clean your medicine cabinet and get rid of those old medicines today!
To avoid throwing away expired medicines in the future, note the expiration date on each medicine bottle when you first get it. That way, you’ll know when it’s time to replace it.
Old Makeup & Beauty Products
We’ve all been guilty of holding onto that lipstick or eyeshadow that we “know we’ll wear someday.” But you never will if you haven’t used it in the last 12 months. So ditch it! Not only will decluttering your cosmetics drawer make your life easier, but it will also free up space for products you actually use.
If you don’t wear makeup daily but still have to once in a while, you can declutter your collection by getting rid of anything more than three months old. This includes foundation, concealer, powder, blush, and eyeshadow, and keep things like mascara, lipstick, and lip gloss to a minimum. This way, you don’t have to worry about cleaning out your makeup drawer every few months and always have the products you need on hand.
Outdated Technology
Do you have an old VCR or DVD player collecting dust in your basement? What about a landline phone that you never use? If you can’t remember the last time you used something, chances are you don’t need it. So get rid of it!
Technology changes rapidly, and it can be hard to keep up. But hanging onto outdated technology is just wasting space and taking up valuable real estate in your home. If you have any old electronics you don’t use, donate them or recycle them today.
Old Magazines, Books, Newspapers and Co.
Unless they have a special meaning to you, chances are you’ll never read those old magazines, books, or newspapers again. All those old magazines and pieces of junk mail cluttering up your coffee table or kitchen counter are just taking up space. So why are they still taking up space in your home? Recycle them today!
If you have a hard time letting go of old magazines, try this: Rip out the pages containing articles or pictures you like and put them in a scrapbook. Then recycle the rest of the magazine. You can keep the parts you love without hanging onto the whole thing.
Missing Socks or Socks with Holes
We’ve all been there… one sock goes into the laundry and never comes out again. Or we find a hole in our favorite pair of socks and can’t bear to part with them. But it’s time to let those old socks go! Keep the matched pairs and donate the rest. Or better yet, ditch them all and start fresh with new socks!
You can apply the same concept to undies with holes. If they’re comfortable and you still wear them, great! But if they’re starting to show their age, it’s time to get rid of them. No one wants to be caught with their pants down or undies, for that matter.
Interior Items That Haven’t Been in Use for a Year
That vase or picture frame that you bought on sale “for a great price” but have never used? The holiday decorations that are taking up space in your attic? Get rid of them! Either sell them online (Facebook Marketplace, for example), give them to someone else who may like if (but please, ask them first), or donate them. Just get them out of your house!
A bit of a personal story: When we bought our house from a relative from my husband’s side, it came with many interior items. Some of them were great, and we use them to this day. But others were taking up space and collecting dust.
In the beginning, I tried to keep all of them, or at least as much as possible, just in case we needed five extra vases in our living room or a dozen tablecloths we never use. But after a while, it just became too much. So I started selling some of the items online and giving away others. It felt great to declutter our home and eliminate all that stuff we didn’t need or use.
Now, I have space and peace of mind to buy what we like and use without worrying about where we’re going to put it all.
Conclusion
We all know that it’s tough to let go of things sometimes. But trust us, decluttering your home will make you feel much better! Not only will it give you more space, but it will also give you a sense of peace and freedom that comes with knowing that your home is free of clutter. A cluttered house will suck the joy out of your life. But a decluttered house will bring you one step closer to the life that you want to live!
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