How to Easily Declutter Every Room of Your Home

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This post makes it easy for you to declutter your entire home, one room at a time, with no regrets.

I truly love to declutter and get rid of things. I realize that might be a little weird, but I just love the feeling of having less stuff. It’s cleansing, purifying even. And it makes life simpler to have less stuff to care for, sort through, and move (especially if you tend to move every few months like me).

I recently came back to live at my parents’ house for a bit after being gone for years. So, I’ve been going through everything I left behind to declutter my bathroom, bedroom, and closet. It’s funny, because there were several things I was ready to get rid of that my mom wanted me to keep and I was like, “But WHY?!” And she was like, “Just in case! You know, someone might use that sometime.” But when you’re talking about a 15-year-old bath salt in a house where no one takes baths I’m a little skeptical as to who’s going to use it. (It doesn’t even smell good.)

Of course, decluttering is easier for some people than others. So, I’ve made this list of items to get rid of in each room of the house that you won’t miss. Seriously. I bet you’ll forget about everything you toss in a month or two.

Focus on decluttering one room each week, or declutter a room each day, or even just declutter a room each month! Do whatever feels doable and non-stressful to you. Donate and give away what you can, recycle what you can’t donate, and throw away what you’re sure you can’t recycle.

Also check out my post, 8 Steps to a Decluttered Life for tips on how to declutter more than just your possessions!

Items to Declutter in Every Room of Your Home

1. Declutter Your Bathroom

• Old toiletries and makeup that you haven’t used in 3 months or more (including expired and travel size freebies)
• Dried up, clumpy, ugly, or excess nail polish – maybe you’re ready to try out a non-toxic nail polish alternative!
• Old toothbrushes no one is using
• Broken or stretched out hair elastics
• Hair accessories you haven’t worn in a year
• Frayed, stained, scratchy, or ugly towels and washcloths
• Curling irons, hair dryers, straighteners, crimpers (throwback!), and curlers no one uses
• Old teeth whitening trays or strips – use them or pitch them!
• Old half-used chapsticks
• Expired sunscreen
• Nearly empty toiletries no one is finishing off
• Expired or unlabeled medications

2. Declutter Your Living Room and Electronics

• Magazines and newspapers you’ve never read or will never read
• Games and puzzles missing pieces; decks of cards missing cards
• Games you’ve never learned or no one plays
• Excess decks of cards
• Air fresheners you don’t have a refill for – most of them have toxic ingredients anyway, check out some non-toxic air freshener alternatives!
• CDs you don’t listen to or have uploaded on your computer
• DVDs you haven’t watched in a year or more
• Anything that’s broken – decorations, vases, ornaments, electronics, etc.
• Candles that are burned out or that you never burn
• Remotes that don’t go to anything
• Unloved toys (for kids or pets)
• Video games you don’t play
• Outdated electronics you don’t use (VHS tapes, cassette tapes, boombox, etc.)
• Excess USB drives
• Computer software that’s outdated
• Unidentifiable miscellaneous cords you don’t use

3. Declutter Your Bedroom

• Smelly, stained, or worn out sheets, blankets, and pillows – please don’t keep them for your guests. I’ve been that guest sleeping with smelly blankets and it’s not a fun time!
• Half-finished projects (you know what I’m talking about)
• Alarm clocks you’re not currently using
• Notes and gifts from past romantic relationships
• Touristy souvenir knickknacks
• Knickknacks in general that don’t spark joy
• Posters and art you aren’t displaying
• Perfumes and colognes you haven’t used in a year or more

4. Declutter Your Closet

If you can’t bring yourself to throw away or donate items from your closet for free, consider selling them on eBay. I’ve written a guide that tells you how to successfully sell clothing on eBay.

• Socks and stockings with holes or snags
• Socks, gloves, and earrings without their match
• Old and freebie t-shirts you don’t wear
• Clothes and shoes you don’t like, that don’t fit, that you’re sick of, and that are uncomfortable
• Clothes and shoes that are stained, torn, holey, or worn that you won’t repair
• Basically any clothes that don’t spark joy!
• Extra buttons that don’t go with any of your clothes
• Shoelaces you’re not using
• Purses, wallets, and bags you haven’t used in a year or more
• Formal dresses you’ll never wear again that aren’t sentimental to you – check for a local initiative providing formal dresses to underprivileged girls!
• Jewelry you don’t like, that’s rusty or broken
• Outdated prescription glasses – consider donating to Lion’s Club
• Swimwear and undergarments which are stretched out, worn out, stained, or you don’t wear for any reason
• Sunglasses you don’t like, or are broken or scratched
• Hats, scarves, and gloves you haven’t worn in a year
• Belts you don’t wear
• Hangers that are broken or aren’t being used

5. Declutter Your Kitchen

• Sauces, canned foods, dressings, baking ingredients, and condiments which are expired
• Cooking utensils you have multiples of and don’t use (when will you ever use 5 spatulas at once?)
• Containers that don’t have matching lids or lids without containers – we’ve all got those.
• Empty jars and containers you don’t use
• Foods no one in your household likes
• Broken, chipped, or stained dishes, utensils, and mugs
• Pots and pans scorched beyond repair
• Pots and pans with the coating peeling off – it will end up in your food and eating that stuff is terrible for you! We love our GreenPans, which are non-stick ceramic pots and pans that don’t contain any toxic chemicals!
• Fridge magnets without a purpose
• Excess shopping bags – recycle them!
• Recipe books you don’t use (that’s what Pinterest is for, right?)
• Table linens you don’t use: napkins, placemats, and tablecloths
• Serving utensils and dishes you haven’t used in the last year
• Unidentifiable items in the freezer – grab your Sharpie and label everything!
• Cookie cutters you haven’t used in the last year
• Any kitchen appliance or utensil that seemed cool when you bought it but you have never gotten around to using
• Any duplicate kitchen items you won’t use simultaneously
• Take-out chopsticks – buy some reusable ones if you really do use them
• Extra twisty ties and chip clips you don’t need

6. Declutter Your Desk

• Receipts you’re not keeping for a specific purpose
• Tickets, pamphlets, brochures, lanyards, name tags, business cards, and itineraries you aren’t going to use again
• Old miscellaneous candy, mints, and gum
• Cards without especially sentimental notes written in them
• Stationary, planners, and calendars you’ve had a year or more without using
• Take out menus, loyalty cards, or coupons you don’t use
• Catalogues, phone books, and instruction manuals you don’t use (most instruction manuals are online)
• Extra photo prints you aren’t displaying or looking at
• Invitations for events in the past
• Books you’ll probably never read or read again
• Paperwork you definitely won’t need to reference again or have backed up on your computer – this helpful article helps you with how long to keep paperwork
• Pens that are empty or don’t work well
• Excess pens and pencils in general
• Extra pairs of scissors (any more than one or two is probably more than you need)
• Stress balls
• Key chains
• Bookmarks
• Paperweights
• Unidentifiable keys
• Locks you’re not using
• Simple calculators
• Extra or old folders, binders, dividers, etc. that you’re not using

7. Declutter Home and Craft Storage

• Pieces of hardware when you don’t know what they go to
• Lights and batteries that don’t work anymore
• Old art supplies
• Paper and wrapping paper scraps
• Wrapping paper, gift bags, and tissue paper you don’t like or won’t use
• Old house paint – read about how to dispose of paint safely
• Old party supplies
• Cleaning supplies that are almost empty but you aren’t going to finish off
• Cleaning supplies that you tried and didn’t like, or that you’re trading in for non-toxic alternatives
• Empty flower pots – either plant something or toss it
• Luggage and duffel bags which are worn out, ugly, or that you just don’t use
• Instruments you don’t play
• Tools you don’t use
• Gardening supplies you don’t use
• Sports equipment no one has used in a year
• Home decorations that never come out of storage
• Boxes and containers not holding anything

I also recommend my post 8 Steps to a Decluttered Life for tips on how to declutter more than just your possessions!

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Feature photo by Brad Javernick of Home Oomph