When Billy and I moved from Los Angeles to New York City, we hired a moving company to pack and ship our belongings. (That turned out to be a disaster, which is a blog post for a different day.) As we unboxed our possessions, I was shocked at the amount of junk and useless stuff we accumulated over the years. It felt like every half hour we were filling up a new trash bag of items we no longer wanted. Right then, I told myself I was going to make it a priority to deep clean and weed out unnecessary belongings regularly. Then, last summer we moved again and as we packed up our stuff, I was surprised all over again by the amount of random things we had. Below, I've outlined 85 items that you might think you need, but you probably don't.
- Books you've read but didn't like or books you'll most likely never read.
- All the vases you've saved from floral deliveries (keep one or two and get rid of the rest) and also toss any that are chipped and cracked.
- Broken picture frames.
- Candles that you haven't lit in a while or that no longer smell good.
- Outdated barware that doesn't fit your aesthetic.
- Excess or damaged flower pots.
- Knick knacks that no longer fit your decor style.
- Expired supplements, prescriptions or over-the-counter medicine (here's how to dispose of them ).
- Expired beauty supplies and samples.
- Dried out nail polish and colors you no longer wear.
- Stretched out hair elastics.
- Hotel toiletries.
- Duplicate supplies: hairspray, face wash, brushes, etc.
- Old self-tanners or SPF.
- Faded and bleach-stained bath and beach towels.
- Old electronics like remotes, cell phones, adaptors, cameras, laptops, etc. (Anything of value, or donate).
- Extra cords and wires that you're not sure what they belong to but they've been sitting in a box for months.
- Dead batteries (here's how to find out if they still work and here's how you should get rid of them if they don't).
- Multiple light bulbs (invest in Smart Bulbs instead-I've had the same ones for over 6 years).
- Extra screws, hooks, brackets, and allen wrenches that came with your furniture.
- Keys: you don't know where they go to or they haven't been touched in years.
- Dried up and excess pens and markers.
- Planners from 2021 and beyond.
- Stacks of blank notebooks and journals you'll never use.
- Duplicate items like staplers, scissors, paper hole punches.
- Surplus office supplies: sticky notes, pens and pencils, index cards, folders, etc.
- Old documents and receipts (scan or take photos and save them on your desktop).
Create four categories (keep, donate, sell, and toss) and stick by them.
If you haven't decluttered your space in years, it may end up being a pretty extensive project. I like to break it down by room, then by wall, and then by area so I don't get overwhelmed. I'll start with one small section and lay everything on the floor. From there I'll separate my items into piles based on the four categories mentioned above. Anything in the "keep" pile, I'll put away before I move onto the next section. In a different area, I'll put everything I'm planning on selling or donating so it doesn't get mixed in with the items I'm going to toss. As for the things I'm getting rid of, I keep a trash bag in the corner of the room and throw out any junk. Once I'm finished and there's nothing left on the floor, it's onto the next.
Where to sell and donate
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