Now is the time of year to celebrate letting go. You might have a lot of things on your list this year, like shedding a few extra pounds, getting rid of a bad habit, or starting an ambitious new project. There a lot of things in your home should consider getting rid of too. Here is a good start on some things you should be getting rid of in the new year to reduce the clutter in your home.

Linens

As nice as it is to have clean sheets, in all honesty, you really only need two pairs for each bed. Sometimes we tend to keep them around for things just in case, but that is taking up a lot of space in our linen closets and may be spilling over into other areas. Plus, some older sheets may be getting outdated or tattered and warn.

Shoes

We all have more than one pair. Sometimes way more than that. As nice as it is to shoes for every occasion, including ones that you can use to garden or get dirty, you can probably take a look at a lot of them and realize that you haven’t used them in over a year. They take up a lot of space, so if you don’t need them, donate or throw them away.

Refrigerator magnets/notes

It seems we all use the refrigerator as a clearinghouse for free magnets we are given and for pictures our kids gave us to display for all the world to see. Maybe it is time to put those 5-year old pictures and magnet in a new area and reduce the clutter on your fridge so you can use it for its real purpose of storing your food.

Makeup

Maybe your daughter or wife got a haul of makeup for her birthday 2 years ago. She might not have had time to use something every day and the makeup has been expired for 6 months. It might be time to for them to go through their make up and throw out the expired makeup so they don’t damage their skin.

Spices

You may have got that nutmeg for a recipe a couple of years ago, but found that you haven’t used it since. Take a little time to go through the spices and check and see if they are still fresh or if they can be sent to the trash. Take a whiff of them and see if they are okay.

Electronics

As sad as it is, electronics usually have a pretty short life before they are outdated and need replacing. If you have a VCR that is still blinking on 12:00 and haven’t had a VCR tape since the 80’s it might be time to collect all your old outdated electronics and get them to a thrift store. Just make sure you learn how to properly dispose of electronics when you do.

Toys

The kids will eventually grow up and grow out of toys. It may be time to say goodbye to the toys. Some toy collections may be worth selling, while others can be donated or given to children that need them.

Clutter can add stress to an already stressful life. Take a little time to rid your home of unnecessary items and your life can be less stressful.

 

http://www.hgtv.com/design-blog/clean-and-organize/10-things-to-get-rid-of-now