My journey with minimalism started a couple of years ago. When I realized that it wasn’t about depriving yourself of things and that, to the contrary, having less could actually add to your life, then I was hooked.
It has been an interesting ride so far. I periodically remove the clutter and try to implement the one in one out rule – as a household, we certainly feel the difference. There are five groups of items that I have particularly felt the value of decluttering. I am sharing them below because most homes would benefit from getting rid of these.
As you will know your decluttering journey is entirely individual to you, but it is always helpful to have a place to begin. Use this decluttering checklist either to work through one by one or just as inspiration – even if you just do one of them (in which case I strongly suggest you consider number 1) you will see the difference.
Decluttering Checklist
Our homes can get cluttered incredibly quickly. Keeping on top of day-to-day cleaning and running the home smoothly is so much easier if you have a decluttering checklist. If you do it well, organizing your home will be so much easier.
Ready to tackle your clutter? (If not, then why not read these Simplicity Quotes for more inspiration or check out these affirmations for minimalists). Grab your refuse sacks and boxes and let’s begin!
5 Items To Get Rid Of Right Now
1 Books and Media
They say that you can tell a lot about a person from their collections of books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, or video games. They can be an expression of identity, as well as an insight into cultural influences and interests, but they can sure take up a lot of space! Consider giving away books you have already read unless you intend to re-read in the short term, libraries or local charities often welcome book donations.
As someone whose partner is a major book obsessive who aspires to convert a room of our house into a library, this one is a work in progress. However, as a household, we are really good at getting rid of books that belong to me or our daughter…
For magazines, tear out or take pictures of articles or pages you want to keep and then recycle them. Review any DVDs, CDs, or video games – do you really need to keep these? Mostly they can be streamed or downloaded avoiding taking up any physical space.
Donate or sell the ones you have already watched / listened to and don’t plan to revisit. We had been holding onto to boxes of CDs and DVDs for years, in our loft, and getting rid of them felt like a weight had been lifted.
2 Kitchen Utensils and Appliances
If you are anything like me, then you will have some kitchen gadgets and utensils that you are no longer using. I recently got rid of my spiralizer after years of thinking I would use it again (I didn’t), the jury is still out on the juicer because every new year I dust it off and whip up a couple of beetroot and ginger juices (!)
My advice is to keep only the items you regularly use – by “regularly” I mean at least every 3 or 4 months – or those with multiple functions. Letting go of duplicates or rarely used items can declutter your kitchen space and make meal prep more efficient.
3 Old Electronics and Cables
Given that we all tend to upgrade our devices and household appliances frequently, as technology moves so quickly these days, it is easy to accumulate old electronics, chargers, and cables that are no longer functional or necessary. Discard or recycle outdated devices and dispose of cables or chargers that no longer serve any purpose.
I have to admit that after doing this and getting rid of the items we did not need – which included three computer monitors (!) – we finally got around to buying the chargers that we did need, for use in the car (why are there so many types of USB??) which has made life much easier on long journeys.
4 Unused or Expired Products
This applies both to kitchen and bathroom cabinets and will give you a quick win. Check for expired food products and expired or unused toiletries, skincare products, and cosmetics. You really need to get to the back of all the shelves to find all those jars and tins you had forgotten about – my kitchen cabinets and fridge contained plenty of items that had expired.
I try to review my toiletries a couple of times a year, especially after Christmas, as I am usually lucky enough to be gifted a load of new products. Try to dispose of products that have expired or no longer suit your needs. I know this can be harder if it’s a particularly expensive item but if you haven’t used it within a year, chances are you will not use it and it has probably expired.
I had a huge collection of face packs and feet masks that were a thoughtful gift and clearly seemed like a good idea (to my mother) but I never got around to using them, and I felt fantastic when I ditched the lot as I no longer have to feel guilty for not using them each time I see them.
5 Clothing and Accessories
Sorting through your wardrobe is an absolute must if you are serious about reducing clutter in your home. If you are anything like me then this is a group of items that is constantly expanding. Whether due to sales, weight gain / loss, over-enthusiastic preparation for winter months by buying too many jumpers (this is a big issue for me and ties into my experience of Seasonal Affective Disorder which I wrote a post about), I seem to amass clothes, shoes and handbags at an inordinate rate.
Donate or sell clothes, shoes, and accessories that no longer fit, are out of style, or have not been worn in the past year. You will find that simplifying your clothing collection streamlines your daily choices and frees up physical and mental space – check out my ultimate closet clean out guide here.
Final Thoughts
Using this decluttering checklist will allow you to regain control and harmony within your living spaces by targeting these five groups of clutter which are key for many households. Remember that the journey towards a clutter-free environment involves more than just physical tidying, it will, hopefully, also be a process that helps you to find emotional balance and a sense of accomplishment.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this post about my recommended home decluttering checklist. Feel free to pin and share this article, and come back soon to discover the latest posts!