100 Things to Declutter Right Now to Make Your Home More Livable

Do you need some ideas for things to declutter because you’re completely overwhelmed by the stuff in your house?

Too much stuff can make your house feel cramped and suffocating instead of clean and comfortable. If you feel like your home is more crowded than it needs to be, finding things to declutter that you no longer need is the answer.

But what belongs on the list of things to declutter? What should you donate or throw away? And what do you keep?

Don’t worry, I’ve got the answers to all those questions. So if you’re ready to declutter your home for good, let’s dig in!

Related post: Declutter Your Home Checklist (10 Free Decluttering Printables!)

100 Things to Declutter for a Neat and Tidy Home

Trying to choose 100 things to throw away or donate all at once can be a little intimidating. So to keep things simple, I’ve broken this list into categories so you have a map to follow as you declutter different areas of your home.

Things to declutter in the kitchen

1. Cookbooks you don’t read or use

2. Utensils you have duplicates of

3. Cracked or chipped baking dishes

4. Pots and pans that are scratched or scorched and can’t be revived

5. Fridge magnets

6. Kitchen gadgets and small appliances you rarely use

7. Threadbare oven mitts and towels (Or if you’re like me, toss out all the oven mitts you scorched by leaving them on top of the stove.)

8. Old spices and out-of-date food items

9. Chipped mugs, glasses and dishware

10. Mismatched Tupperware and plastic food storage

11. Out-of-date single-serving condiments

12. Sippy cups, plates, bowls and silverware your kids have outgrown

13. Measuring cups and spoons you have duplicates of

14. Outdated appliance instruction manuals

15. Junk drawer items, such as dead batteries, notepads and pens you never use or empty rolls of tape

16. Baking sheets, cake pans and cupcake tins that are greased-over or rusted and can’t be deep cleaned

17. Paperwork and junk mail that’s cluttering up your family command center

18. Paper phone books (We still get these where I live, do you?)

19. Plastic grocery bags that can be dropped off at the grocery store for recycling

20. Empty containers that you always plan to reuse but never do

Related post: Easy Kitchen Decluttering Hacks to Organize Your Kitchen

Things to declutter in the bathroom

21. Expired medications and vitamins

22. Old makeup and makeup brushes

23. Expired skincare products

24. Sample-size health and beauty products you never used

25. Old towels and face cloths you don’t use

26. Beauty gadgets or tools you don’t use

27. Old sunscreen and lotions

28. Expired feminine hygiene products

29. Dried up nail polish

30. Combs and brushes that are missing bristles/teeth

31. Empty perfume or cologne bottles

32. Bath toys your kids have outgrown

33. Extra shower curtains and bath mats you don’t need (I have 3 extra shower curtains right now in my closet I need to declutter)

34. Expired or unused shaving products

35. Empty or near-empty cleaning products

36. Expired contact lens solution

Things to declutter in the living room

37. Magazines you aren’t reading

38. Home decor items you don’t need

39. DVDs and video games

40. Books you don’t need or read

41. Throw pillows that have lost their shape or no longer match your decor

42. Extra throw blankets you don’t need

43. Side tables, coffee tables or other furniture you’re not using

44. Board games you no longer play

45. Throw rugs that are threadbare, stained or no longer match your decor

46. Extra candles and candle holders

47. Dead houseplants that are collecting dust

48. Pet toys your dog or cat doesn’t play with

49. Baskets or bins that don’t serve a purpose

Things to declutter in the bedroom

50. Clothes that don’t fit or you no longer wear

51. Shoes

52. Purses and accessories you don’t use or wear

53. Bed linens and unused comforters

54. Pillows that have lost their shape

55. Extra curtains

56. Throw rugs

57. Jewelry you don’t wear

58. Exercise equipment you don’t use

59. Loose change and other pocket items that end up on your dresser-top

Things to declutter in kids’ rooms

60. Toys that aren’t part of your toy rotation

61. Clothes and shoes your kids have outgrown

62. Board games and puzzles that are missing pieces

63. Books your kids don’t read

64. Extra sheets and bedding you don’t use

65. Wall hangings and decor items they’ve outgrown

66. Socks with holes (My son has about a million and a half of these)

67. Dried up Playdoh

68. Pajama sets that are missing tops or bottoms

69. Extra clothes hangers

70. Backpacks that have holes or tears that can’t be patched

71. Fast food kids’ meal toys

Things to declutter in the garage

72. Broken holiday lights

73. Holiday decorations you don’t use

74. Rusted nails and screws

75. Power tools that no longer work

76. Broken rakes and hand tools

77. Dried out paint and paintbrushes

78. Damaged extension cords

79. Kids’ bicycles they’ve outgrown

80. Outdoor toys your kids no longer play with

81. Cardboard boxes

82. Broken or rusted patio furniture

83. Grills or barbecue utensils that are rusted or broken

Things to declutter in the closet

84. Winter coats and accessories you no longer wear

85. Old greeting cards you don’t want to keep

86. Suitcases or luggage that’s broken or you don’t use

87. Gift wrap and tissue paper you don’t need

88. Broken umbrellas or unused raincoats

89. Extra reusable shopping bags that you don’t need

90. Extra flashlights you don’t need

Other miscellaneous things to declutter

91. Any packaging that can be recycled

92. Food wrappers that pile up in your car

93. Arts and craft supplies you don’t use

94. School supplies you don’t need

95. Expired gift cards

96. Old receipts and paperwork you no longer need

97. Coupons for stores you never shop at

98. Take-out menus for restaurants you don’t eat at

99. Extra office supplies, like empty pens or broken pencils

100. Old electronics and chargers

Tips for Decluttering Your Home

Before you start digging through your stuff, I thought it would help to give you a few decluttering hacks you can use to make this process as smooth as possible.

Use a timer

Decluttering your house can eat up hours of your time if you let it. A simple way to avoid the time-suck is using a timer to limit how long you declutter in any one area.

For example, you might give yourself 20 minutes to go through your bathroom cabinets or an hour to declutter your bedroom closet. Whatever time frame you decide on, stick with it. Otherwise, you’ll end up falling down the decluttering rabbit hole.

Keep the items you’re decluttering organized

As you start to declutter, you’ll need to decide what you want to keep, what things to throw away and what to donate or recycle. You can run into a problem if you’re not keeping track of what’s what.

Before you get down to business, set up some bins or boxes for each category to help keep things separate. And remember to grab your decluttering checklist so you can mark items off as you declutter them!

Ask the right questions

As you’re going through your things, ask yourself these questions:

• Do I use this?
• Do I need this?
• Is this a duplicate of something I already have? (I confess, I’m guilty of buying things twice because I forgot about the first one.)
• Would I buy this again if I didn’t already own it?
• Does this make my life easier in some way?

You can also go the Marie Kondo route and ask yourself whether an item sparks joy.

Although I think you still need to consider something’s function before tossing it out. I’ve held on to plenty of stuff that doesn’t fill me with rainbows and sunshine because it still serves a purpose.

What to Do With Your Unwanted Stuff

If you’ve gone through this list and decluttered all these items, you should have several piles of stuff at this point.

Some of if you’ll just throw away. Anything expired or broken can go right in the trash.

Some of it you might be able to recycle. Cardboard boxes and plastic bags go in this category.

Then there’s the stuff you might want to donate. But if you’re short on cash, let me make one little suggestion. Why not sell your clutter instead?

There are so many places you can sell your extra stuff for cash, including decluttering apps, Facebook Marketplace, eBay and local bargain groups. Selling things online is my personal favorite because you can get rid of your stuff and make money without leaving home!

If you’re looking for some ideas on where to sell extra stuff, check out these apps:

• Decluttr. Decluttr is great for selling electronics, CDs, DVDs and even Legos.
• Second Sale. If you have books you want to get rid of, you can list them on Second Sale.
• Gazelle. Gazelle is great for selling electronics. You can box up your items, ship them to Gazelle and get paid!

You can also sell your clutter in-person using apps like Letgo and OfferUp but I prefer apps that let you stay close to home.

Final thoughts on things to declutter

If you’ve been wanting to declutter but felt like you had no clue where to start, this list can get you going.

And if you’re already a decluttering pro, I’d love to hear your best tips for keeping a clean and organized home!

Need more help getting organized? Read these posts next:

• How to Start Decluttering When Overwhelmed: 10 Practical Tips for Tackling the Mess
• 22 Amazing Planners for Moms to Help You Get Organized
• 8 Genius Organized Mom Hacks You Need to Try Now
• Weekly Cleaning Schedule for Busy Moms (Keep Your Home Clean With Simple 15-Minute Tasks!)

100 Things to Declutter