100 Things to Declutter That Are Probably Taking Up Space in Your Home

Let’s be honest. If you walked around your house right now with a trash bag, you could probably fill it in ten minutes without even trying. We all have stuff we keep “just in case” or because we forgot we even had it.

I made this list because I got tired of staring at my own junk drawer and pretending I didn’t know what was in it. So grab a bag (or three), pick a room, and start crossing things off. You don’t have to do this all in one day. Even five things off this list is a win. Trust me, you’ll feel so much better after you declutter some areas of your home.

Here are 100 things you can probably get rid of today. (Want a printable checklist instead? Here it is.)

Kitchen

1. Expired spices (be honest, some of these are older than your car)
2. Plastic containers with no matching lids
3. Lids with no matching containers
4. Mismatched or chipped mugs
5. That one appliance you bought for a recipe you made once
6. Extra takeout menus (you order on an app now anyway)
7. Novelty ice cube trays
8. Reusable water bottles you don’t actually reuse
9. Grocery store plastic bags stuffed in a drawer
10. Expired pantry items
11. Duplicate kitchen gadgets (how many can openers do you need)
12. Recipe cards for meals you’ll never make
13. Broken or bent utensils
14. Free promotional cups from restaurants
15. Cutting boards that are cracked or stained
16. Old dish towels that have lost their absorbency
17. Takeout condiment packets
18. A blender you don’t use because it’s too loud
19. Coffee mugs from places you don’t remember visiting
20. Reusable straws you never actually pack

Bathroom

21. Old makeup that’s changed color or smell
22. Half used bottles of lotion you didn’t like
23. Expired medications
24. Travel size toiletries from hotel stays years ago
25. Nail polish that’s gone thick and gloopy
26. Hair ties that have lost their stretch
27. Old toothbrushes (yours or the free dentist ones)
28. Ratty towels that have seen better days
29. Sample size products you were “saving”
30. Empty bottles you keep meaning to refill
31. Products bought for a trend you never got into
32. Razors that are dull
33. Perfume you don’t wear anymore

Closet and Clothes

34. Clothes that haven’t fit in over a year
35. Anything with holes you were “going to fix”
36. Single socks with no match
37. Shoes that hurt your feet every time you wear them
38. Clothes with tags still on from a store you can’t return to
39. That formal outfit from an event five years ago
40. Workout clothes for a workout routine you quit
41. Old uniforms or work clothes from a job you left
42. Wire hangers from the dry cleaner
43. Belts you never wear
44. Purses or bags that are falling apart
45. Clothes that don’t fit your current style anymore
46. Pajamas that are more holes than fabric
47. Winter gear you don’t need in your climate anymore

Paper Clutter

48. Old bills you’ve already paid
49. Receipts for things you no longer own
50. Expired coupons
51. Instruction manuals for things you don’t own anymore
52. Junk mail (recycle this immediately, don’t even open it)
53. Old greeting cards
54. School papers from years ago
55. Business cards from people you don’t remember
56. Printed emails or documents you have digital copies of
57. Warranty papers for expired warranties
58. Old calendars and planners
59. Magazines you’ve already read

Living Room

60. Remote controls for electronics you no longer own
61. Old phone chargers and cables that don’t fit anything current
62. DVDs or CDs you never watch or listen to anymore
63. Decorative pillows that are more clutter than comfort
64. Candles that are burned down to nothing
65. Throw blankets you never actually use
66. Coffee table books you never open
67. Old batteries (dead or otherwise)
68. Board games missing pieces
69. Picture frames with no pictures in them

Bedroom

70. Extra pillows you don’t need
71. Bedding sets that don’t match your current setup
72. Old jewelry that’s tangled or broken
73. Books you know you’ll never finish
74. Stuffed animals you’re keeping out of guilt
75. Old journals you never write in anymore
76. Alarm clocks you don’t use since you switched to your phone

Office and Tech

77. Old cell phones sitting in a drawer
78. Cords and cables you can’t identify
79. Dead pens and dried out markers
80. Sticky notes you’ll never use
81. Old textbooks from school
82. Outdated technology like flip phones or old tablets
83. Printer ink for a printer you no longer have
84. Broken headphones
85. USB drives you can’t remember the contents of
86. Software CDs (yes, some of us still have these)

Garage and Storage

87. Paint cans for a project you finished years ago
88. Broken tools
89. Extra screws, nails, and hardware with no known purpose
90. Sports equipment you no longer use
91. Empty boxes you’re saving “just in case”
92. Holiday decorations that are broken or you never put out
93. Camping gear you haven’t used in years
94. Car accessories for a car you no longer own

Miscellaneous

95. Gifts you never liked but felt bad tossing
96. Free promotional items from events
97. Anything duplicate you forgot you had two of
98. Broken items you keep meaning to fix
99. Things you’re keeping for a version of yourself that doesn’t exist anymore
100. Anything you haven’t touched, worn, or thought about in over a year

How to Actually get Through This List

Don’t try to do your whole house in one weekend. Pick one category, set a timer for twenty minutes, and just go. Keep three piles going: keep, donate, and trash. If you’re on the fence about something, put it in a box and revisit it in six months. If you never opened the box, you have your answer.

Decluttering isn’t a one time thing either. Things creep back in over time, and that’s normal. Come back to this list whenever your space starts to feel heavy again.