100+ Things You Find Difficult To Get Rid Of But Totally Should

Do you find yourself constantly organizing your house but still living in a state of chaos? If your house always looks like a mess, it may not be because you need to buy more storage boxes and hooks or move to a bigger house with more closets.

You plain have too much stuff.

Maybe you have already taken bags of items to the dump or donation. But you have probably barely scratched the surface in terms of what you can let go of because you either think you will need it, you think you should keep it or you feel an obligation to keep it.

It is time to work through your emotional baggage that you have attached to your things and lift the weight of excess stuff off of your shoulders. Your home and mind will be cleaner and clearer.

100+ Things You Need To Declutter Right Now!

Your Closet

Your wedding dress/prom dress/bridesmaid dress. Let’s get real. You aren’t going to wear them again. And I am assuming you have pictures of you wearing them. Those are easier and more accessible memories. Sell these types of items, give them away or donate them while they are still in style and someone else may get some use out of them.
Clothes too big or too small. Yes, I know. You may need them one day again. But seriously, will that ever happen? If you are lucky enough to fit into them again some day, they probably won’t even be in style anymore.
Shoes for that one outfit (that you never wear anyway) or worn out shoes. See above.
Socks with no partner. The dryer has eaten its mate. Let them bond again in sock heaven.
Single gloves. Only Michael Jackson could get away with that look. Wave bye-bye.
Nylons/Stockings. Seriously? Does anyone wear them anymore? Keep one in nude and black if you must. The rest need to run away.
Old underwear, bras/socks and undergarments. Their shape is gone. And so is yours if you wear them.
Souvenir/Promotional/Free T-shirts. You wore them on the vacation or at that one specific event/holiday but now they just take up room.
Stained/In need of repair/Lost its shape clothing. Be honest. You aren’t going to get to fixing it. Why make yourself feel bad about not doing it?
Wire hangers. You can’t use them to open your locked car anymore so what good are they? Unless of course you are a fan of Christina Crawford’s type of parenting.
Old coats/Jackets. I know they still look good but why did you buy new ones? Cause you didn’t wear them anymore, that’s why.
Old Suits. First off, no one wears them anymore and second, if you don’t work in an office, why would you have any?
Hats/Scarves. You thought they were pretty and cool when you bought them but you aren’t really a hat/scarf person are you?
Purses. How many does a gal really need? And ditch any that are worn, dirty or have a broken zipper too.
Wallets. Check for forgotten money first of course!
Purchasing Mistakes. Get over it. Yes, you wasted your money. Now don’t waste space with it.
Old/Costume/Damaged Jewelry. Be honest. Wearing this stuff makes you feel cheap and dated. This isn’t the eighties anymore.
Sunglasses/Prescription Glasses No Longer Worn. Even you can’t see yourself wearing them anymore.

Looking for more? I just did a major overhaul of my wardrobe. For inspiration check out these 10 Instragram Closet Makeovers and this beginner’s guide to decluttering your closet.

Your Bedroom

Does your house always look messy despite your efforts to be organized? Time to make some hard decisions about stuff you think you should keep. #declutter

Old Pillows. Do I have to link to an article about dust mites and dead skin to convince you to buy new? I hope not!
Old Sheets. If you can see through them or they are stained, they need to go. Besides, don’t new ones make you feel good? You deserve that.
Old Blankets. Don’t hang on to your old ba-ba. It stinks.
Bed Ruffles. Please don’t tell me you still own some of these dust collectors.
Knick Knacks/Pictures/Collections. Surround yourself in your bedroom sanctuary with things you really love and that bring you joy. If you hate dusting it, you probably don’t love it.
The Chair. If you can’t sit on it because it is covered in crap, it needs to go. And probably all the stuff on it too.
Overflow. Does your bedroom always look cluttered? It isn’t because you need to organize more, it means you have to purge more.
The Catch All Plate/Container/Surface. While in theory, it sounds like a good idea, these types of things encourage you not to put stuff away where they belong.
Old Alarm Clock. Do you really use it?
Anything Under the Bed! Find yourself shoving stuff under there and forgetting about it? Maybe you don’t need it. Besides, good Feng Shui says to keep this space empty.

Have you done a massive declutter and found that more, different clutter filled your home again quickly? Maybe you need to curb these 5 bad habits that keep your home cluttered.

Your Bathroom

Old Towels. Ripped, torn and discoloured ones are easy to pitch but give your towels the sniff test too.
Old/Expired/Never Used Makeup. Can never find what you are looking for when you are trying to get ready for an important event? Get rid of excess and it will be a breeze.
Old Sponges/Brushes/Makeup Applicators. Have a problem with breakouts? Maybe this is why.
Old Toiletries. Bought that body wash on sale and it doesn’t foam up like you want? Why is it still here?
Samples. It is amazing how they build up over time. You are not an Avon lady. Let them go.
Dried Up/Empty/A Drop Left Product. Chances are you opened up a new package and forgot about it. Give up the few pennies saved.
Old Toothbrushes. You only need 2. One for your teeth. One for cleaning. Too many means there is a chance you may use the wrong one. lol
Excess Sponges. Sponges are a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. Replace often and make sure they dry out after every use. One under every sink is good. Throw out the old ones as you pull out the new.
Expired Medication. Dangerous. Period. Check often. Discard appropriately. Ask pharmacist if you don’t know how.
Old Perfume. Their scent does change over time and your preferences probably have too.

Now that your’ve decluttered your bathroom, it is time to clean! Check out these 17 Genius Bathroom Cleaning Hacks.

Your Kitchen

Multiple Utensils. That junk drawer is crowded for a reason. Get rid of duplicates plus any you don’t use. Mash potatoes much?
Multiple Pots/Lids. How many at most do you need to prepare one meal? The rest need to go or live the rest of your life with a sink full of pots.
Excessive Dinnerware. The dishwasher encourages you to have a huge amount of dinnerware. I get that. Don’t have more than a full wash holds or you will always have dirty dishes to put into the dishwasher before a load is even done.
The Juicer/Appliances You Don’t Use. So you thought you would get healthy or bake bread. It was good while it lasted. Donate these items and let someone else get over it.
Mismatched Plates/Glasses. Embarrassed when guests come over because you can’t find matching pieces?
Souvenir Mugs/Glasses. Time to throw that Fred Flintstone glass out or any other promotional one you got with a fill-up.
Stained Tea Towels. You want those touching your clean dishes? Yuck!
Expired Food. Dig deep into the can pantry and door of your refrigerator. You’ll be shocked.
Food You/Your Family/Your Pets Won’t Eat. Bought the wrong flavour or tried a healthy alternative no one wants? Give it up.
Storage Containers Missing Lids Or Damaged. Plastic does wear down from excessive microwaving. Don’t risk infecting your food.
Plastic Grocery Bags. How many do you really need? Recycle the rest.
Cook Books. Keep the ones you actually use. Create a file on your computer/phone/ipad for recipes.
Take Out Menus. Always at your fingertips online. Am I right?
Expired Vitamins. No good to you now.
Worn/Stained Party Supplies. They don’t look so festive anymore.
Placemats/Coasters. Nice idea when you bought them. Too bad no one uses them.
Restaurant Condiments. I know I will have a drawer full to throw out at my mother-in-laws house. Not sure why people need to collect ketchup packets.

These 17 Kitchen Cleaning Tips will help you get your kitchen sparkling!

Your Living Room

Books. You’ve heard of Kindle right? Be honest. Will you ever re-read a book? Give it to someone else to enjoy and pass on.
Old Electronics. So you threw out all of your VHS tapes but you still have the player?
Old Chargers/Cords. Don’t even sort through that tangled mess. Just throw it out.
Old Remotes. Is that tube TV long gone but its controller is still here?
Newspapers. How old are you anyway?
Magazines. Scan and save articles you wish to keep.
Catalogs/Phone Books. Are they still producing these?
Incomplete Or Unplayed Games. This includes both physical or digital games. Donate or take them to a consignment shop and make some money.
CD’s/DVD’s. Not sure why people are holding on to these collections when we have Netflix and iTunes at our fingertips. And you never have to remind the kids to put them back in the right case.
Dried Flowers/Plastic Fruit. So you are a dust collector too?
Knick Knacks. We buy this stuff without a second thought but use more energy to decide whether or not to let it go. Makes no sense.
Posters/Pictures. If you have re-decorated your house more than once, you probably have wall decorations stored somewhere. You know, they go out of style too.

Need help organizing? Check out these simple ideas using dollar store magazine holders.

Your Office

Receipts. You know when you are at a store and they ask if you want an e-mail receipt? Say yes and ditch the paper clutter.
Coupons. Do you use them? Great! If you don’t, stop collecting them.
Batteries. Note to family: Throw out the used ones so I don’t try them!
Manuals. All online now! Best thing ever!
Dried Up Pens/Markers. You know you are going to reach for it and curse when you try to use it. Save a step and throw it out now.
Junk Mail/Postcards/Letters. If it is important, take a picture of it or frame it so you can enjoy it. Not that into it? Recycle.
Old Cell Phones. Planning a museum for old technology? Transfer images you wish to keep to your computer. Erase data and recycle.
School Work. Trust me. You will never need that.
School Books. New additions make these things useless.
Art Work. Maybe it is yours. Maybe it was made by your children. Keep the best of course. Maybe even frame those so you can enjoy them everyday. But I am sure most can go.
Travel Brochures. Remember going to the travel agency and picking up all those shiny brochures with sun drenched happy couples on the cover? If the vacation is over, so is the time to keep these.
Old Gift Cards. Use them, sell them or give them away. The longer you have them, the more they drop in value.
Old Calendars. Did you keep them for the pictures? Cut out and frame the ones you like.
Birthday/Occassion Cards Given To You. How often do you pull these out?
Unused Notebooks/Planners/Journals. If you are like me, you are addicted to stationery but never get around to using them. They make nice presents if they are unused.
Stationery. When is the last time you wrote a letter? I thought so.
Old Gift Wrap/Gift Bags Or Supplies. If it looks ratty, it will make your gift look cheap.
Scrapbooking/Crafting Supplies. Is this a hobby you thought you would like but never quite embraced it?

Learn how to keep your office clean and organized here.

Your Garage/Shed

Old Tools. If they are rusty, they need to go.
Duplicates. How many screwdrivers do you need? Keep the good ones.
Bikes. Whether you own or your children’s, if they haven’t been used in 2 years, sell them or donate them.
Camping Gear. When is the last time you went? If it was ages ago, that tent is more than likely mouldy and really smelly.
Old Pots/Gardening Equipment. It is amazing how this stuff can accumulate.
Paint Cans. I just threw out 20 cans! Colours that are long gone from my house and not even a close resemblance to paint anymore.
Old Paint Brushes/Rollers. If you forgot to clean them right after you used them, they are garbage now. You learned your lesson right?
Tiles/Flooring. Keep a few for replacing cracked/broken ones. Get rid of all if you don’t have that floor anymore.
Empty Boxes. Still have the boxes for your new TV or laptop? Why?
Anything Broken/Damaged. If you never seem to get around to repairing things, why keep these items around to make you feel guilty.
Excess of 10 Rags. You don’t need more than this.
Left over renovation supplies. How many cut 2 by 4’s do you need just in case?
Old car parts/tires. If you no longer own that model, why would you need them?
Old seeds/soil/fertilizer. Everything has an expiry date.
Sports Equipment. If it hasn’t been used in 2 seasons, it is safe to say you don’t need it.

Get your patio ready for guests with these easy patio DIY projects you can do in a weekend.

I know that some of these things may make you feel queasy at the thought of getting rid of them. But I want you to seriously think about what would happen to your things if you passed tomorrow.

I just finished clearing out my Mom’s things. It took me almost 2 years! And that is only because I was respectful of why my Mom decided to keep those items. Most of her stuff came home with me. In the end, most of it is gone now.

Make the decisions now about what is important and what is not. Because if you leave it to your children, it will all go, without sorting.