15 THINGS TO GET RID OF NOW TO DECLUTTER FAST

Here’s a list of 15 things to get rid of RIGHT NOW to declutter fast. Quick fix decluttering hacks like this are a great way to get your home clutter-free with minimal effort. 

15 Things to get rid of now to declutter fast

Decluttering your home can feel like a massive and overwhelming task. 

But the benefits of decluttering your home can be so amazing. 

Which is why I like to hunt down decluttering tips and hacks that help us all get the job done just that little bit faster. 

One great way of seeing instant results from a quick declutter is to go for decluttering the easy stuff fast. 

But what is the easy stuff?

Well, it’s the things you can throw away (or recycle) RIGHT NOW because you just don’t need them. 

If you need a little help working out where to start, I’ve put together a list of 15 things you can throw away now. 

15 Things to throw away now

1. Receipts, bills, tickets and proof of postage 

I am terrible for hanging onto receipts and proof of postage way beyond when I need to keep them. 

If you do the same thing, this is a prime area to target for a quick declutter. 

Throw away receipts for…

• things you know aren’t tax deductible / needed for your tax return 
• anything you aren’t planning on returning
• stuff that’s past it’s return or exchange date 

Nervous about throwing receipts away?

Take a quick pic of them with your mobile and save them in a receipts file.

Ditch old public transport tickets that can’t go down as expenses for your tax return and bin proof of posting receipts for stuff that you know has been returned and refunded.

2. Magazines

Gather up all the old magazines you have lying around because you, ‘haven’t finished reading them’, or ‘there’s something useful in them’ and put them out for recycling. 

The reality is that you are unlikely to read them again. 

Take a photo or tear out the page for information or inspiration you want to keep – though be careful not to end up with a massive pile of tear sheets. 

If you have time you could even donate the magazines to your local GP surgery or dentist. 

Do you have magazines you collect? Make sure you have a shelf or a good storage box for them. 

3. Books

A good bookshelf cull can do wonders for decluttering your home and giving you back useful storage space. 

Go through your bookshelf and be really honest with yourself about books you will never read again. 

Even if it was a book you totally loved. 

Take the books to a charity shop or local library. 

If you’ve got time you could look at selling them. But be realistic with yourself about how much time it would take and what you’d likely make from selling them. 

I have a post on selling clutter to make money that gives some useful tips on what to sell and how. 

4. Old make-up and beauty products

Go to your bathroom cabinet or dressing table and start going through all your products. 

Look for out of date products, products that have dried up or gone gloopy and products you know you’ll never use again.

Be really honest with yourself about stuff that no longer suits you – or never suited you in the first place!

Ditch the lot. 

But make sure to do it in an eco-friendly way. Recycle what you can and DON”T pour liquids down the drain. 

5. Hole ridden underwear, socks and T-shirts

Go through your underwear drawer and get rid of anything that has…

• holes
• the elastic has gone
• discolouration
• is too small (for example, socks that the tumble drier has shrunk over time)
• has lost its shape 
• wires are sticking out (hopefully this only applies to bras 😉  )

Then go through your T-shirt drawer and do the same, less the wire check obvs. 

Ditch the lot, it can all go out for recycling, this is not the pile of old clothes to send to the charity shop. 

6. Clothes 

There are two things you can do for a quick clothes declutter. 

One is to start a seasonal storage system – only have Spring / Summer or Autumn / Winter clothes in your wardrobe at one time. 

But the out of season stuff into vacuum storage bags and store them away. 

That aside, you need to get really tough on yourself about getting rid of clothes. 

Get rid of clothes that come under the following categories:

• No longer fit you and are never likely to
• Don’t suit you or make you feel good when you wear them 
• Stuff that is past looking its best and nothing can be done about it
• Clothes that have shrunk or changed texture (jumpers that have felted after washing)

Start a charity shop pile and a recycling pile. You could also try your luck at selling good quality clothes to make some money back on them.

I’ve got a post that tells you more about selling old stuff to make money. But be realistic about time versus financial gain. 

7. Medicines and supplements 

Go through your medicine chest and get rid of anything that is past its use-by date. 

Please make sure to dispose of old medicine correctly. The packaging will usually tell you what that method is. 

If you are unsure you can usually take the medicine to your local pharmacy and they can dispose of it. 

Do the same with any food supplements you have. 

8. Electronics you no longer use

This one can be a tough one, especially when the gadget has cost you a small fortune. 

But on the upside, this is one form of decluttering that can actually earn you some money. 

Dig out old mobile phones, old tablets, any tech stuff you no longer use. 

Do remember to restore factory settings and wipe the memory to keep your data safe. 

Sites like Envirofone (Global) Gazelle (US) pay you for old smartphones, tablets and laptops and Gazelle will buy just about anything else Apple.

Get rid of old chargers and cables at the same time. You. Really. Don’t. Need. All. Of. Them. 

9. Notebooks 

I’ve always got a notebook on the go. I also have this thing where I don’t immediately throw out full notebooks, “just in case”.

If this sounds familiar, it’s time to get tough on yourself. 

Have a quick flick through to check for anything mega important, then throw them away. 

Well, recycle them if you can. 

10. Kitchen utensils, crockery, pots and pans

Go through your kitchen cupboards and drawers one by one and get rid of stuff like…

• Old storage pots and tubs that no longer have lids
• Cruddy old coffee and teacups that are stained 
• Any crockery that is chipped
• ‘‘Clever’ utensils you’ve bought or been gifted that you’ve NEVER used
• Frying pans that have lost their non-stick 

11. Pantry / larder food

Go through every pot, jar, bag and box of foodstuff and ditch anything past its use-by date that you know you genuinely can’t use. (I’m always a bit more lenient when it comes to dried herbs for example).  Things like… 

• herbs
• spices
• gravy and stock cubes
• sauces
• tins or fruit and vegetables
• flour and baking goods 

Also, get rid of or start a donate / giveaway pile for foodstuff that you know you will never get round to eating. That tin of prunes you bought on a health kick, or those biscuits you can’t touch now you don’t eat sugar 😉 

12. Fridge and freezer food

Go through the freezer and look for stuff that’s been in there forever, that really needs to get binned. 

Then also look for stuff that you keep meaning to use, but never get round to it. Make a plan to use it within the next week. 

Then go through your fridge and get rid of anything that is past its use-by date or that you know you just won’t use. 

13. Cleaning products

Go through your cleaning products and tools and get rid of anything you no longer want, need or use. 

Decant products into newer bottles of the same product. 

Get rid of old rags and cleaning cloths that really are past their usability. 

14. Bedlinen and towels

Go through the linen cupboard and throw out anything that really is past its best. 

• White towels that just can’t be made to look white anymore
• Anything that is ripped or torn
• Bedding that is no longer needed – old kids’ bedding being a major clutterer
• Sheets and bedding that is discoloured or lost its lustre
• Fitted sheets that has shrunk just too much fit properly 

15. The craft cupboard

Now this might be your craft cupboard, but more likely it belongs to your kid/s. 

Get rid of stuff that’s dried up, lost its stick or is no longer desirable for your kiddo’s age group/s. 

Be realistic about what constitutes a work of art or beautiful memento to be treasured and what constitutes half-finishes, not actually worth keeping efforts. 

If you’re super good with your emotions you could even use an app like Canvsly where you can keep a record of the original, so the original can be filed in the bin. 

I’m not there on that one yet though!

So there you have it. 15 things you can get rid of RIGHT NOW  to make a great start at decluttering your home. 

You can find more decluttering tips and inspiration in the Organise & Declutter section. 

Don’t forget to check out my post on selling clutter to make back some money if you think you have the time to get selling. 

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