50 Things to Get Rid of if You Want to Declutter This Spring
Originally posted March 20, 2017
Updated July 28, 2021 with a tip for the garage space in your home.
Spring cleaning starts with decluttering. After all, there’s no point in dusting and washing your dresser if it’s full of junk. If cleaning out your closets, drawers and cabinets sounds like a herculean task to you, start small by getting rid of the little pieces of clutter. Not sure what some of those little pieces of clutter might be? Here’s a list of 50—that’s right, 50—things to recycle, donate or throw away.
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Old magazines and newspapers
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Old books
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Toys your kids have outgrown
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DVD’s of movies that you can stream online instead
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Items that you have duplicates of
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Home decor pieces that no longer match your taste
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Old towels
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Sample sized items you’ll never use
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Clothes you haven’t worn in the past year
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Socks without mates
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Tupperware without lids
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Spices and other cooking ingredients you never use
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Old board games
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Any magnets you don’t like
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Travel shampoos you’ve accumulated from hotels
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Anything that’s been in your freezer for more than a month
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Extra coffee mugs
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Anything that’s broken that you’ve been meaning to fix
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Paperwork that you no longer need
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Outdated electronics
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Expired makeup
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Anything from a climate you no longer live in (ex. Your bulky parka from before you moved to Hawaii)
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Shoes with broken heels, holes or scuff marks
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Old textbooks from school
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Items from a job you longer work at
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Old receipts
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Broken jewelry
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Extra holiday decorations
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Any promotional item you received (t-shirts, hats, cups, pens etc.)
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Extra hangers
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Birthday and Christmas cards you’ve received
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Brochures/maps/visitor guides from places you’ve visited
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Extra napkins and plastic cutlery from takeout
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Anything from a hobby you’ve since abandoned
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That old phone book
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Delivery menus
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Damaged luggage
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Gifts you’ve received that you didn’t like
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Appliances you never use
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Expired coupons
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Stuff that belonged to your ex
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Cheap sunglasses
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Instruction manuals
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Photos that you have digital copies of
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CD’s and cassettes
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That mysterious cord that doesn’t go to anything
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Any piece of clothing you bought for an event that you’ll never wear again (prom dress, bridesmaid dress, graduation gown)
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Old Halloween costumes
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Childhood trophies
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And last but not least, anything that doesn’t make you happy.