12 Items to Declutter This Month
We are in full-blown spring cleaning mode here at BBH! How about you? We’ve learned that having tons of stuff in your space can clutter your mind and cause stress and anxiety. So let’s mitigate that and give ourselves some room to breathe with a dozen things you can declutter today:
1. Expired personal care items
Listen, we all have old hotel shampoo bottles, sunscreens, face masks, foundations, etc. that are LONG past their prime. If something is expired or just not working the same, it’s time to ditch it. And odds are, if it’s expired you didn’t like it that much anyway. If you love it, you’ll use it. Time to move on.
2. Triple and quadruple kitchen utensils
Do you have 68 spatulas, 40 wooden spoons, and 8 sets of measuring cups? Or at least… does your kitchen look like it? Take a few minutes to get rid of the utensils that you never reach for, it’ll make it so much easier to access the ones you actually do.
3. Overly specific kitchen appliances
If you have an airfryer, instant pot, toaster, food processor, juicer, and waffle maker, odds are you have one you don’t actually use. Many of us have bought these over the years with grand hopes of all the extravagant recipes we would make with them. But there they are, collecting dust and taking up valuable space in your cabinets. It’s time to say goodbye. Bonus: appliances are often valuable enough that they’re worth the trouble of trying to sell on Facebook or Craigslist, so go make a few bucks by selling them to someone who will actually use them.
4. Clothes you haven’t worn in a year
In the spring and fall, I go through my clothes to swap out my summer and winter pieces. As I’m doing that though, I inevitably end up finding some end of season clothes that I didn’t wear a single time. Pieces that are at the bottom of my drawer that I never (or almost never) reached for get donated. So, if you have a sweater you keep packing away telling yourself you’ll wear it next year, it’s time to be honest with yourself. You’re not going to wear it. Give it away.
5. Books you will never read
Whether you’ve bought books with hopes of reading them or were gifted ones you have no interest in, you probably have at least one book sitting on your shelf that you will never read. Unless it’s an old favorite or on a current reading list, it’s time to ditch the books you haven’t touched. And let’s be honest, will you ever ACTUALLY re-read The Hunger Games? Donate them to someone who will actually read them.
6. Duplicate hair products
Okay ladies, let’s get real. You probably have WAY more hair products than you need. Like I mentioned earlier, if you love it, you’ll use it. Do you have 3 shampoos and conditioners in your shower? Multiple dry shampoos, curl creams, or heat protectants? Time to be realistic and figure out what you actually use and say “sayonara” to the rest.
7. Untouched seasonings
We’ve all had that recipe that calls for an obscure spice that we can’t pronounce that we only used once. Or duplicates of spices that we forgot we had in the first place. If you never use them, it’s time to pitch them.
8. Unused Art supplies
You may be hopeful and love the idea of being artistic. But if you have a set of watercolors or oil pastels that you haven’t touched since the fifth grade, give them to someone who will actually use them. As George Strait would say “Just Give it Away”
9. Dead plants
Are you a plant murderer? If you have plant babies that are beyond the point of saving, just let them go in peace. Keeping a dead plant in a pot on your windowsill isn’t helping anyone. It just looks sad… Because it is. Poor little pothos. He didn’t deserve this.
10. Throw blankets
How many throw blankets do you actually need? Yes, I know they’re cozy. Yes, I know they’re cute. Let’s try to narrow it down to two or three, okay? Share the coziness and give them to someone else.
11. Decks of cards/games you don’t play
If you haven’t played a board game in years (or ever) it’s time to give it away. In my case, I own approximately 784 decks of cards. I should probably narrow it down to like.. Three.
12. Junk drawer junk
If you have a junk drawer, you probably need to take everything out and pitch 90% of it. Koozies, old batteries, extra bottle openers, etc. aren’t adding value to your life. I promise. It’s called a junk drawer for a reason, kids. Pitch it.
