Over the years, I have found myself collecting things. Now, I want to say that I’m not a hoarder by any standards, however, there are several items in my house that I know I probably have too many of.
And so that’s why I started getting rid of it and creating a stress free environment for my home. And let me tell you, it has made all of the difference in the world. And I couldn’t be happier.
So these are the 33 things that I got rid of that have helped create less clutter and less stress.
1. Expired Pantry Food You Forgot You Had
Listen, I have a ton of different crackers and snacks left over from the last 2 holiday seasons. I mean, some mystery cans, they’re stale. Nothing’s wrong with going through every now and then, and removing any expired canned products or leftover crackers and snacks that are probably stale by now.
2. Food Containers Missing Their Lids
Oh, am I a hoarder of Tupperware? Probably. I have so many different Tupperwares and so many different lids. And I finally got down there and matched every lid to a container, and everything left over was recycled.
3. Duplicate Kitchen Gadgets and Utensils
There was a time where I had like 5 to 8 different spatulas, all different sizes, plastics, metals. All kinds of things, right? 3 different can openers. But I realized that I had my favorites, and so I cut those down to basically one can opener that I really love, and just two separate spatulas. And I donated the rest.
And now the drawer closes without a fight. It’s so nice. You don’t realize how nice it is until it happens.
4. The Mug Collection That Outgrew the Cabinet
Mugs arrive as gifts, as work swag, as collectibles, and I won’t lie. I have spent time in gift shops and bought different mugs, just as memorabilia. But in reality, how many does one person really need? So the ones that have chips or corporate logos and things like that, I just went ahead and got rid of.
5. Spices That Expired Years Ago
I love to cook. When I’m not working, I love to cook from scratch, and because of that, I have developed quite the spice cabinet. I have spices, duplicates, in fact, and some are expired. So I finally got the urge to get up there, take all of my spices out of my cabinet, wipe my cabinet floor down, and really go through and figure out which spices I needed and which ones were expired, and I got rid of those.
6. Worn Out Sponges and Stained Dish Towels
Crusty sponges are gross. Frayed towels are grosser. It doesn’t matter if they’re clean, the towels. If they’re frayed and they’re worn and dingy, donate them. I tell you what, ever since I did, my sink area feels instantly cleaner.
7. Expired Medicine in the Cabinet
The cough syrup from a cold you can’t remember having. Yeah, it’s probably time to get rid of that, especially if it’s sticky and the lid is sticky and you’ve just had it. Check the expiration date. If it’s expired, dispose of it safely.
8. Old Makeup and Skincare Past Its Prime
Did you know that old mascara and creams can irritate your skin? I mean, let’s be honest about sample products. And the shades you never wear. I tell you what, getting rid of old products that you don’t use in colors you don’t use anymore, it really speeds up your morning and your vanity stays pretty clean.
9. Dried Up Bottles of Nail Polish
Thick, separated bottles, colors you don’t love anymore. Why do you hang on to these? Why do I hang on to these? I finally got the nerve and got rid of the ones that I know I have outgrown. So I’ve kept the ones that I use, but I’ve recycled the rest.
10. The Hoard of Hotel Toiletries
Yeah, tiny shampoos are useful. Sometimes, right? But let’s be honest, are you really gonna use them or did you save them just because they were offered to you for free? And you wanted a little bit of a memorabilia item, a little bathroom souvenir. Get rid of them. If they’re in your vanity, it will become much cleaner. If they’re on top of your sink, it’ll become much less crowded.
11. Thin, Scratchy Towels You Never Reach For
Now, don’t get me wrong. It is a good idea to have thinner, older, dingy, scratchy towels around for, you know, cleaning up messes or anything of that nature. But in reality, you probably only need one or 2 of those. So feel free to get rid of them, and if you don’t want to donate them to the thrift store, donate them to an animal shelter. They will gladly take those.
12. Clothes You Have Not Worn in a Year
As you get older, your body’s gonna change. Your expressions are going to change. If you go a whole year without wearing a certain article of clothing, why are you hanging on to it? Especially if it’s ill fitting or itchy. Or you think to yourself, maybe someday I’ll wear it. No, you probably won’t. Get rid of it. I promise you. A closet full of things you love is an everyday luxury.
13. Single Socks and the Ones With Holes
The lonely sock pile will stay lonely. If you have a sock and it doesn’t have a match, get rid of it. If you have socks that you only wear on Sunday because they’re holy, get rid of them. Go buy new socks. They’re affordable. And I promise you, new socks are one of the best feelings in the world.
14. Flimsy Wire Hangers From the Dry Cleaner
Wire hangers are no bueno. Get rid of them. Switch to plastic. So when you do pick up your clothes from the dry cleaner and they come on those wire hangers, just remove it and put it on a plastic hanger. And then recycle them. I promise you, the mental ease pays off immediately.
15. Shoes That Hurt or Are Falling Apart
Life is too short to be wearing shoes that hurt your feet. If they’re causing blisters, or your soles are worn, or there’s tears in the material, throw them away. Your feet are one of the most important things on your body. Take care of them. Buy newer shoes, get more comfortable shoes that you’re actually gonna wear.
16. Tangled Cables and Mystery Chargers
You know you’re a real adult if you have managed to collect a ton of different cables and mystery chargers to devices that are long gone. If you can’t tell what goes to what, then you don’t need it. Keep the ones that matter, label them, and take back your drawer.
17. Broken Electronics Waiting to Be Fixed Someday
The cracked tablet and the toaster you promised to repair? Stop. You know you’re not going to get those fixed, especially if they’re dead, you’ve lost the charger, and you don’t know what to do with them. Go ahead and recycle them. You’ll clear your shelf space and I promise you, you’ll clear your mind.
18. Remote Controls for Long Gone Devices
Just like with the broken electronics. If you have a remote control to a TV or a stereo that does not work anymore or that left your home a long time ago, get rid of them. Stop letting your coffee table be the remote graveyard. I promise you, you don’t need it, you won’t miss it.
19. Instruction Manuals You Can Find Online
Every single instruction manual that comes with a new product is free and it exists online in a PDF somewhere. Your booklets are pure space takers. Trust the internet and recycle the pile.
20. Stacks of Old Magazines and Catalogs
If you are not going to read these, even if you think you are, and you know you probably won’t, just get rid of them. Besides, there’s too much material out on the internet, and now that we all have the internet at our fingertips via our phones, there is no reason to have a leaning tower of magazines.
21. The Bottomless Junk Drawer
Where dead batteries, random keys, and takeout menus go to retire. I promise you, you’ll only want to keep the ones that are generally useful and you want to get rid of the rest. If there’s a key in there and you have no idea where it goes, get rid of it. You will not miss it. I promise you. And having a drawer that opens and closes smoothly is a very satisfying feeling.
22. Dead Pens and Dried Out Markers
If half the pens in your house don’t write and you keep putting them back in the cup, what are you doing? Test them all real quickly and recycle the duds, do something with them, get them out of there. You don’t need them. Grabbing a pen that works is a nice change. I promise you, try it.
23. The Pile of Extra Throw Pillows
At some point they become pillows you throw on the floor every night. So keep the ones you love and give away the rest. And if you don’t want to give them away to a thrift store or to family or friends, donate them to an animal shelter. I promise you, not only will your couch feel more inviting, but you’ll be giving animals a lovely little pillow to lay their heads on.
24. Dusty Knickknacks With No Real Purpose
If you’re like me, you have shelves of trinkets. Mostly, they collect dust. I bought them while on vacation because they’re cute. And I do like little trinkets. However, I’m at the point where I’m ready to stop dusting so much and let my space breathe. And that way, I only have a few of the good ones now, and they stand out.
25. Plants That Are Beyond Saving
A thriving plant lifts a room. I love how I have become a plant mom over the last decade. However, becoming a plant mom, I knew that if I wasn’t gonna propagate it while it was alive and it died, I needed to get rid of it. Nothing is grosser than having old dead plants hanging in the living room.
26. Broken and Outgrown Kids Toys
If you have kids and they have outgrown toys, donate them. If you have kids, and they have games that are missing pieces, throw them away. Trust me, your kids will get more. Holidays happen all year long. They’ll get new stuff, I promise you. So donate to others and give somebody else the chance to have a good life with them. Fewer toys means calmer and better play.
27. The Graveyard of Half Empty Cleaning Sprays
If you look under your sink, how many duplicates do you have? Combine them into one. Get rid of the empty bottles. Or if you have a bottle of cleaner in there that you are just not using anymore, get rid of it. Why are you hanging onto it? For just in case? That case may never come, I promise you. Clean up your space. You’ll feel better, and then you’ll be able to see the products that you actually do use.
28. Old Paint Cans Crowding the Garage
We all have paint cans. We’ve all bought them. We need them, and we don’t always use all of the paint in them. So why are we hanging onto them for the next project? Trust me, paint goes bad. If you’re not doing that next project right away, that paint can is just sitting there. It’s not doing anything but taking up space and cluttering your space. So get rid of it. Your garage will feel much better, I promise. It’ll feel like storage instead of a dumping ground.
29. Free Swag and a Mountain of Tote Bags
If you go to any conferences or you go out of town or go to join any meetings, you’ve probably gained a lot of lanyards, branded pens, totes. And trust me, the totes I keep. Most of them. They’re useful to me. But in reality, the other stuff, it’s not very useful, so get rid of it.
30. Mismatched and Worn Out Sheets
Old, wrinkled, pilled, mismatched sets are jarring to look at. Why are you hanging on to them? Just keep 2 good sets per bed and the rest can go in the rag bin or to a shelter. Nothing beats slipping into clean, crisp sheets every night.
31. Paper Piles and Bills You Can Shred
Of the things I tend to hold onto, paper bills are one of them. If they’re old, if it’s junk mail, or if it’s expired coupons, they can stack up very quickly. Go through them. If you have something that’s sensitive material, shred it. Recycle the rest, go paperless. It’s 2026 and we’re living in a paperless world these days. Let your counters be clear and stress free.
32. Gifts You Only Keep Out of Guilt
If somebody gave you a present, and you’re holding onto it because you feel guilty that you don’t like it, and enough time has passed, get rid of it. You showed the kindness. That part’s done. Donate it and let the guilt go. I promise you’ll feel better.
33. The Avalanche of Reusable Shopping Bags
These are great until you have 40 of them stuffed under the sink. LOL. Keep a manageable stash by the door where you actually grab them. Donate the overflow. I promise your trips will become much smoother.
