20 Things You Can Get Rid of NOW
You need space for all that decorating
- Old magazines – Honestly I really need to take my own advice on this one! Yes, we can throw away our old magazines. Almost anything in them that we want to look at again is online nowadays. And, if you’re looking for something are you really going to look in that magazine or are you going to do a quick search online?
- All the single ladies J – All of the single items that don’t have a mate, that Tupperware container with no lid, that green sock that is sad and alone. Get rid of them! Their match hasn’t shown up so far, so it probably won’t.
- “No wire hangers” – Can you hear Mommy Dearest right now? I hate to say she was right, but she was. Those cheap wire hangers are bad for your clothes. They stretch them out and don’t create enough space between items so everything in your closet is squished and begging for breathing room! If you don’t want to splurge on fabric hangers (which I highly recommend!) go with plastic or wood. Your clothes, and your closet, will thank you.
- Old shoes – If you haven’t worn them in a year, donate them. If they hurt your feet, get rid of them. If they’re worn out, get rid of them. If you don’t like them, but think you will in a month or two, get rid of them. Hey, they’re taking up space that could be filled with new, fun, comfy, fabulous shoes!
- Old clothes – Again, if you haven’t worn it in a year, donate it. Same as above, if it doesn’t fit, it’s worn out, you don’t like it, whatever, donate it. You’ll make room for fresh, gorgeous new clothes. Or, you’ll make room, so that you can see what you already have that you forgot about.
- Outgrown kids clothing – If your kids have outgrown it, donate it. Unless you’re having another child, then pack it away in the attic or basement so your current kid’s closet is more organized.
- Outgrown toys – If your kids aren’t playing with it anymore, donate it. Seriously, I think the more toys kids have the less they play with. Kids are easily overwhelmed. Keep what they play with or will grow into. Donate what they’ve outgrown.
- Expired condiments – You know all those random bottles on your fridge door? It’s time to go through them and throw out the expired ones. And, yes, they do last a bit longer than the expiration date (but I didn’t say that), but they don’t last months after the expiration date!
- Makeup and perfume samples – We all have them, the little bottles and tubes of samples that we might try someday, even though it’s an awful shade of pink or a perfume that smells like granny. You’re not going to use it. Throw them away.
- Old spices – All those dusty jars of spices that you’ve had since you moved into your house need to go. Spices lose their taste. Replace them. The easiest way is to buy 1 or 2 new bottles each time you go to the grocery store. It hurts less to buy a few at a time.
- Your toothbrush – When you start to think about it, your toothbrush is kind of gross, especially if you’ve had a cold or the flu. Replace your toothbrush every 3 months. I buy a big pack at Costco and keep it in a drawer in the bathroom. Every 3 months I replace the old one with a new one. And while I’m at it I throw that toothbrush holder in the dishwasher.
- Mystery freezer items – You know those Ziploc bags or plastic containers that you forgot to label that are just sitting in your freezer because you really have no idea what’s in them. Throw them out. If you haven’t eaten it yet, you probably won’t.
- Cookbooks you don’t use – We all have that shelf of cookbooks that we never open. Donate them.
- Old charger cords – Throw them all in one box. Mark the box with today’s date. If in 3 months you haven’t used the cord, throw it out. You probably don’t even have the item that it charges anymore.
- Old cell phones – Why are you keeping your old cell phone? You’re not going to go back to it. These can be donated too.
- Old eyeglasses – Yes, I do keep one old pair in case my current pair breaks. But, no, I’ve never used them. Throw anything more out or donate them.
- Old remote controls – Clickahs, as we call them here in Massachusetts. Why do you have that? You can get a remote from your cable provider that works your TV. And, you probably don’t have the TV that the remote goes with anymore.
- Appliance manuals – Yup, you can throw these out. Every appliance manual is available online now.
- Games with missing pieces – This includes decks of cards that have missing cards. You can’t play without them. Replace the game if you want to play, but throw the old one out.
- Markers and pens that don’t work – I too have a drawer of markers and pens. But, half of them don’t work. If you have the time, go through them and throw out the ones that don’t work. If you don’t have the time and don’t mind being a little wasteful, empty the drawer into the trash and grab a new pack of pens.
How much better will you feel after you throw this stuff out? It really is freeing!
If you have any suggestions for what else we should throw away right now, head over to the Details Facebook page and let us know www.facebook.com/detailsfullserviceinteriors
