The Joyful Sort Top 5: Things To Declutter Today
One of the most daunting parts of the decluttering process can be getting started. Whenever I’m working with a new client and they’re feeling especially stuck, I have them ease into things with simple wins that will help build confidence and motivation to keep them moving forward. I’ve mentioned in previous posts that trash is a great starting point - it requires almost zero decision-making and can provide some quick visual encouragement - but in the hopes of keeping the ball rolling beyond that, here’s a list of a few more no-brainer items to which you can easily feel good about saying goodbye.
1. Expired items
Food, medication, beauty products - anything that’s stamped with an expiration or shelf life date that has since come and gone. Some food categories, like meat and dairy, are obvious pitches if they’re past their prime, but if you’ve got a something unopened that feels a bit more safe or is just shy of that Best By date, start an “Eat First” spot in your fridge or pantry and use it up as soon as possible. For medications, anything over-the-counter can be crushed up and mixed with cat litter or coffee grounds before going into the trash, while expired prescription medication needs to be taken to a pharmacy drop box or to a mass disposal day coordinated by local law enforcement. Thanks to a fellow PO on Instagram, I recently learned that most makeup and beauty products are actually stamped with what’s called a PAO symbol, like the one pictured below, which tells you how long it’s safe to keep the product once it’s opened (MIND. BLOWN.). Articles like this one also offer some great guidelines on how often your go-to beauty items should be replaced.
2. Old magazines, newspapers, and catalogs
Even in the era of Pinterest, snuggling up to flip through the new issue of Real Simple is still one of my very favorite things in the world. If I see a particular product or article that interests me, I’ll either add it to my Pinterest boards right then or fold down the corner of the page and do a quick Pin before I toss it into the recycle bin. If Pinterest isn’t your thing, but you still want to keep tabs on favorite images or tips from magazines or newspapers, tear out only the page or pages that you actually need and store them in a magazine file or pretty basket so that you can easily reference or actually enjoy the article or image. No need to hang onto stacks and stacks of bulky volumes that, chances are, will just end up gathering dust anyway.
3. Mismatched food storage
Ah, the dreaded Tupperware drawer. Do they even make actual Tupperware anymore? (I Googled it - they do!) A jumbled, messy food storage drawer is something that I’ve encountered at almost every single client home in which I’ve worked and, if budget allows, my number one tip is to start entirely from scratch with a new matching set. I’m especially partial to a mix of glass Pyrex and the Brilliance line by Rubbermaid. Even if your budget only allows a few new pieces at a time, you’ll still save yourself the hassle of trying to match up lids or unsuccessfully attempting to nest random-sized bases together.
4. Stained or ripped linens/clothing
My dear, sweet husband and I were recently folding laundry together one evening (don’t let anyone tell you that being a married thirty-something with children is boring, Young Millennials) and I happened to catch him pulling a pair of ratty, ripped gym socks from his pile. After some back and forth as to whether he could fix them with a “quick darning” (see note above re: thirty-something life being very, very exciting!), I convinced him to toss them into the trash can and add a few new pairs to the list for our next Target run. Be honest - the odds of you actually taking the time and effort to mend or treat a shirt or sheet set that has seen better days are slim, or you would have done it already. Those items are taking up precious space in your world, and you deserve better than socks with holes and grubby dish towels.
5. Reusable shopping bags
Tell me if this sounds familiar: you buy reusable cloth grocery bags in an effort to be more eco-friendly, but then forget them at home on grocery day and end up buying a few more, and a few more, and a few more after that. Or you get a shopping bag from your favorite clothing store that’s so nice and sturdy that you’ll surely use it again for all kinds of things, because you can never have too many bags, right? Spoiler alert: there is such a thing as having too many bags, and they’re overcrowding your basement stairways, garage entry points, utility closets, under your sink, etc. and quickly morphing to heavy, annoying, visual clutter. Gather all of your bags into a pile, pull out the style or material that you really like, and then limit yourself to a small designated in-home supply (no more than 20, please) and car (three to five, max) and donate the rest.
Try picking just one of these categories to start, and let me know in the comments how you feel afterwards! My hope is that you’ll kick-start some serious decluttering energy, freeing up some physical and mental space along the way. Have a great week, friends!