Overwhelmed and frustrated by the disarray of your household?
Consider paring down these clutter-causing items.
But out of sight, out of mind isnt always thebest option when decluttering your house.
Credit:Jason Donnelly
One major clutter culprit?
Having too many of the same items or keeping ones that are no longer useable.
Jason Donnelly
1.
Collect and donate any utensils you no longer use.
Books
Avid readers and nonreaders alike seem to end up with overflowing bookshelves.
All other books can be brought to your local public library, thrift store, or book buyback retailers.
you’re free to also find out if your school district accepts donations as well.
Never being able to match up your reusable food containers is a sign you probably have too many.
Clear out your entire cabinet and match up lids with their corresponding bottoms.
Any loose items without a pair can be recycled.
Warped and stained canisters should be tossed out, and ones that are rarely used can be donated.
Glassware
Between vases, pitchers, and mismatched cups, glassware can take up a lot of space.
When clearing out your glassware collection, keep coordinating sets together and donate the random standoffs.
Stemware and flower vases that havent been touched in years can also be placedin the thrift store pile.
Check expiration dates and throw out any expired products.
Supplies that are still viable should be moved to the front of the cabinet to be used first.
If you’re able to, combine multiples into a single container.
Old Clothes
Closets are some of the mostcluttered areas in your home.
Duplicates of the same garment.
Sort and eliminate any you no longer wear.
Donate retired garments that are still in good condition and free up much-needed room in the process.
Sports Equipment
Garages can be overrun very quicklyby excess sports equipment.
Balls, racquets, and bats can be hard to store and come in multiples.
Go through athletic gear and keep items that are used often and donate old ones in working order.
Decide how many of each item you actually need anddispose of the rest.
Does your child have several skateboards but only uses one?
Toys
Kids are notorious for playing with a toy for one day and never touching it again.
Water Bottles
Water bottles can be one of the most difficult items to store.
Typically they are too tall for kitchen cabinets but laying them down can lead to a jumbled mess.
Depending on your lifestyle, you probably only need one water bottle per family member.
Take any remaining water bottles to your local thrift store to be donated.
Utilize a magazine holder to stack the remaining bottles.
If a charger no longer works properly, dispose of it instead of keeping it around.
The remaining cords and chargers should be wrapped up and secured with a rubber band or tie.
The first step tocontrolling a cluttered mail moundis to only put the mail you actually need on your stack.
Immediately shred items as necessary and recycle all junk mail so it doesnt contribute to the pile.
Using a labeled storage container or basket for important mail can be helpful for staying organized.
Condiments
Having too many condiments can clutter up your fridge quickly.
While having a range of options is appealing, many dont get touched for months.
When it comes todecluttering a refrigerator, disposing of multiples is essential.
Having multiple flavors and brands of the same key in ofsauce or toppingcan cause a condiment pile-up.
Dispose of expired items and use up the rest of any duplicate bottles.
To avoid a disorganized fridge, evaluate your condiment section before grocery shopping to prevent buying multiples.
While these machines can be helpful and fun to use, they do not store easily.
Pull out all your portable cooking devices and make a list of ones you actually use often.
Return those to a designated cabinet or drawer and give away the others.
Generally, you only need one of each appliance, so donate multiples if you have them.
Many dry cleaners also accept wire hangers that they can re-use to store garments.
