Spring Cleaning
It’s that time of year to start thinking about spring cleaning! Clutter has a way of creeping up on us little by little, and sometimes it can be hard to figure out which things to get rid of when our house feels overrun with clutter. I came across an article by Home Made Lovely called “50 Things you should throw away today”(Acheson, 2023), and I am excited to try this. Hopefully it inspires you as well!
Note: “Things you should throw away” is just a blanket statement and doesn’t necessarily mean trash. Many things on the list below can be donated to someone you know, a second hand store, or any other charitable organization. Others can be recycled (you can recycle some electronics at Best Buy for example). Some may be worth selling on Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or you could even have a garage sale! And others could be upcycled/repurposed into something new (with a little DIY skill).
Below is a list of 50 things you can part with (appropriately trash, donate, or recycle) guilt- free because they are not serving a purpose in YOUR home anymore and they’re adding to your stress.
Okay, here’s the list...
Old glasses (you can donate them at most optometrists)
Take-out menus
Toys your kids don’t play with anymore
Worn out shoes
Old tech devices (VHS player, cassette player, etc.)
Socks with holes or without matches
Old newspapers and magazines
Broken jewelry and earrings without a matching pair
Expired food - don’t forget to check your freezer along with your fridge and pantry
Old makeup
Expired medicine/vitamins (check FDA’s website for details on how to safely dispose of medicines)
Half finished craft projects
Craft supply scraps
Cleaning rags (you really only need a few since you can wash them)
Worn out towels (if you don’t have enough cleaning rags, you can cut one towel into rags but get rid of the rest)
Product boxes - keep them for up to 3 months incase you have to make a return, then get rid of them. Exceptions would be expensive tech devices that you may want to later resell with the box (like a smartphone or game system)
Broken or damaged hair ties
Old video games
Dead batteries (be sure to check your area’s battery recycling options specifically for rechargeable batteries)
Old board games (especially if they’re missing pieces)
Extra holiday decor (if you haven’t put it out in 2 years, it’s time for it to go!)
Decor that doesn’t match your home anymore
Extra calendars
Old cookware/bakeware
Duplicate or broken kitchen tools
Old clothes
Expired coupons
Used up/dried out pens, highlighters, and markers
Pet toys that your pet doesn’t play with, or that are broken
Old pet clothes/collars that don’t fit your pet anymore or that are broken
Expired pet medications (vet offices are happy to take back many medications that your pet no longer needs)
Completed school projects
Old backpacks
Unused or filled notebooks and binders
Cards and invitations (either file them away in a keepsake binder or get rid of them)
Burned out light bulbs
Flash drives (transfer anything useful to the cloud first)
Extra headphones
Excess phone cases (especially if they don’t fit your current phone)
Duplicate computer accessories (mice, keyboard, etc)
Extra cords and cables
Random nails, nuts, bolts, and screws
Scrap wood (if you don’t have a distinct project in mind for it, get rid of it!)
Manuals for products you don’t have any more
Random keychains
Hotel toiletries
Extra flower pots
Beauty products that you don’t like (you can donate these to local homeless shelters and women shelters)
Unraveled gift bows
Wrapping paper scraps (if the amount of paper is too small to wrap most gifts, get rid of it!)