Hasta La Ideas

One of the reasons clutter accumulates is our unwillingness to throw things away — or difficulty identifying what should stay and what should go. To get you started, here’s a quick list that you can use in almost any room of the house or even at work.

First, find things that no longer work. This would likely include pens, batteries, remote controls, paperclips that are bent out of shape, or that items that have been in the “someday repair” pile for weeks or months. Gather them up and toss/recycle as necessary.

You can also dispose of anything that has expired. In the kitchen you might find expired condiments, cereal, crackers, etc. Check out StillTasty.com to learn more about how long food items last. Plastic storage containers with no lids (I promise, you’ll never find the lids) should get recycled as well. Plastic cutlery can go too unless you eat on the go regularly.

There are plenty of toss-able items in the closet, too. Mismatched socks are prime examples. You might find the missing mates, so put a small container in the closet and use it to collect the stray socks. If their partners don’t show up within a month, say goodbye to those orphaned socks.

The accessories you never wear can be donated. Shoes that no longer fit can be donated here.

Elsewhere around the house, you can safely get rid of:

1. Takeout menus if you have not ordered from that restaurant within the past month.
2. Old prescriptions and medications. See our post on how to dispose of these items here.
3. Old cosmetics including sunblock as its effectiveness decreases over time.
4. Old magazines and newspapers. See our tips on how to effectively do that here.

Have fun getting rid of this unnecessary clutter.

Post written by David Caolo