It only takes 60 minutes to throw out these 16 things and make your space 100% better
Throwing things away becomes easier when you focus on items with clear expiration dates or those taking up valuable storage space without serving a purpose.
Donating clothes, towels, and hobby supplies frees up room in your closets and drawers while helping schools, daycare centers, and senior living communities put your items to good use.
You can tackle decluttering in 15-minute sessions by focusing on one area at a time, such as your bathroom, kitchen, closet, or home office.
Hiring a local home organizing professional provides helpful guidance when you need support creating systems that keep clutter from building up again after your initial cleanout.
Throwing out stuff is hard for most of us because we can't be sure we won't need whatever-it-is again. But, we’re confident you won't miss these 16 things once you toss, donate, or otherwise dispose of them. It will only take 60 minutes, and you can even do it 15 minutes at a time if you want to. Let the purging begin.
Bathrooms contain a lot of things we no longer need or have never used. Declutter your drawers, shelves, and medicine cabinet by tossing these things:
Find a DEA-approved drop-off location where you can turn them in instead of tossing them, which is discouraged. You can throw out most medicines, including most prescription medications, in your trash if there is no option near you to turn them in, but follow these guidelines to do it safely.
Did you know your makeup and skincare only hold up for so long in storage? Toss out any products you’ve had for longer than the recommended time:
Liquid foundation: 6 months to a year
Lipstick: 1 year
Mascara: 3 months
Sunscreen: 1 year
Facial Moisturizer: 1 year
According to the American Dental Association, you should change your toothbrush every three to four months.
No one wants to use a towel that feels like a piece of sandpaper or looks like it's been around since the last century. You can repurpose old towels for cleaning pets or use them as household rags. Then, buy some new ones and enjoy the softness.
When taking on this project, expect questions only a pro can answer. With our network of local pros, you'll get the job done and your questions answered—without the hassle and stress of doing it yourself.
Chances are it's time to let go of a lot of what’s taking up space in your closet. The easiest way is to grab a big trash bag and just do it. You won't miss any of it when it's gone.
You're waiting to lose the last few pounds to get back into your old jeans, but even if you can get back into them someday, they may be so out of style you'll never wear them. Donate them and make room for some new, updated items to spruce up your wardrobe.
Don’t leave dry cleaning bags on your clothes when you put them away. Your clothes need to breathe. The only reason there are bags on them is to protect them from getting dirty between the store and your closet.
Time for some tough love: The old, stretched-out underwear you're keeping for when you haven't done your laundry needs to go. Also, let’s all finally agree that those single socks are never going to be reunited with their mates and need to be thrown away.
What needs to be tossed from your kitchen? A lot. By tossing out a few key items, you can free up storage space, get your kitchen neatened up, and enhance your cooking.
If you have a bottle of ketchup in your refrigerator or soy sauce in your pantry, you don't need the little packets that come with your takeout or delivery orders. You think you'll use them someday, but you probably won't, and they're taking up valuable space in your kitchen.
It’s unfortunate but true: Some spices lose their potency very quickly. That entire jar of an unheard-of spice you bought for 1 Tbsp. in one recipe three years ago? It’s probably time for it to go. Toss anything that’s past the expiration date.
Saving plastic bags from the grocery store is fine if you use them. But if you never do, you can return and recycle them at the grocery store, then get some reusable bags to use instead.
With so many recipe resources available online, cookbooks may be less important to many home chefs. If that's the case for you, save your favorites and donate the rest.
There is probably no place in your home with more unused items and clutter than your home office. Decluttering will make it easier to focus on your work.
Unless you plan on replacing the lenses in your old prescription eyeglasses, donate them. You can find drop-off locations at most big box stores or ask your optometrist if they know of a place where you can give them to help others.
If you want to save articles or images, cut them out of the newspapers and magazines you have stacked in your office and toss the rest. Or better yet, scan them to your computer or snap a photo on your smartphone.
Similar to pitching old magazines and newspapers, dated mail should also be tidied up. If you have a pile of greeting cards on your desk, you can snap a photo to save it without taking up space. And if you have old bills hanging around your home office, make sure they are paid, then discard them. If you have mail advertisements that you plan on using, put them somewhere you’ll see them, like on a tack board. Otherwise, ditch the junk mail to clean up your space.
Credit cards sitting around are not only clutter, but they could cause you major headaches if they end up in the wrong hands. If you have a shredder, shred them right away, and if you don't, you can cut them up into small pieces.
If you took up painting or other crafting hobbies and then grew tired of them, here’s the permission you need to give away the supplies you bought. Schools, daycare facilities, and senior living communities will happily take your crafting items and put them to good use.
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