Expired Cosmetics and Toiletries
This is probably the most shocking discovery waiting in your bathroom cabinets right now. It’s recommended you replace cosmetics according to their specific shelf lives (mascara after 3-6 months, lipstick after 1-2 years), though most of us aren’t doing that. By August, we usually have several half-empty bottles of SPF lying around the bathroom and several packets of mismatched antihistamines scattered around the house. Professional organizers consistently find that bathrooms are stuffed with products that haven’t been touched in years.
Professional organizer Vicky Silverthorn recommends taking everything out and laying them out in categories so you can take stock, double-checking the use-by date on old toiletries and cosmetics – any out-of-date products should be emptied and recycled. The relief you’ll feel when you can actually see what’s in your medicine cabinet is worth the small effort.
Paper Clutter and Old Documents
Baby Boomers have so much paper – old files, receipts, junk mail, instruction manuals – clogging up their homes and offices, while young families have a lot of paper clutter too, but it’s in the form of school art projects and homework. Think about that drawer or filing cabinet you haven’t opened in months. “People don’t realize how much clutter is weighing them down,” says professional organizer Bridget Urgo – when they start to declutter, they can find things more easily, think more clearly, and spend less money because they aren’t buying duplicates.
Take pictures and store them in a digital folder for safekeeping – for example, snap a picture of the model number on the dishwasher manual so you can reference it if you ever need to call the company, as all the other information in those manuals you can get on the company website or YouTube. Your future self will thank you for the extra space and reduced visual chaos.
Duplicate Kitchen Gadgets and Utensils
How many wooden spoons do you actually need? Professional organizers see this pattern repeatedly – kitchens overflowing with duplicate tools that serve the same function. A closet is a container – a finite one, and you can’t make the walls get bigger – if you want the density to stay the same, where it’s easy to hang up clothes and easy to find what you want, then when you add something you have to take something out at the same time. This same principle applies to your kitchen drawers.
Start by pulling everything out of your utensil drawers and grouping similar items together. You’ll likely discover you have three can openers, five spatulas, and enough measuring cups to serve a restaurant. Keep only what you actually use and donate the rest – your drawers will close easier and you’ll spend less time hunting for the right tool.
Old Technology and Electronics
You can start by getting rid of broken items, outdated technology, and old magazines that you no longer need, ensuring all your technology is still used and in good working order. That drawer full of old charging cords for phones you haven’t owned in five years needs attention. Pull everything out of your media center and give it a good cleaning – if you’re still hanging on to DVDs and CDs, now is the time to digitize and discard them.
Be honest about what you actually use versus what you think you might need someday. Those old tablets, cameras, and gaming systems gathering dust aren’t serving any purpose except taking up valuable storage space.
Worn Out Linens and Bedding
One organizer shares: “I just decluttered queen size sheets – we don’t even have a queen mattress in our house anymore! They were a vestige of when I was first married, and I don’t know how they survived in my house that long. Also declutter anything that doesn’t have a matching sheet, is ripped, or is just uncomfortable”. Your linen closet is probably hiding sheets and towels that have seen better days.
Professional organizers suggest keeping only two to three sets per bed, plus a few extra guest sets. Those threadbare towels and scratchy sheets aren’t doing anyone any favors. Quality over quantity makes your morning routine more pleasant and your storage more manageable.
Expired Pantry Items and Condiments
USDA estimates that 30 percent of the food supply is lost or wasted at the retail and consumer levels, with one source of food waste arising from consumers or retailers throwing away wholesome food because of confusion about the meaning of dates displayed on the label. The current system of expiration dates misleads consumers to believe they must discard food in order to protect their own safety, when in fact, the dates are only suggestions by the manufacturer for when the food is at its peak quality – many Americans waste edible food based on confusion about expiration dates.
Still, some items genuinely need to go. Check your pantry for those mysterious jars of sauce from 2019 and spice containers that have lost all their potency. One organizer had cookbooks from when they were eating a special diet that they aren’t anymore, and also tends to accumulate a bunch of printed recipes that are just loose – if they aren’t going to be saved somehow, it’s best to let those go.
Uncomfortable or Outgrown Shoes
Kids outgrow shoes so fast, so that’s an easy declutter, but for adults, you should declutter anything that is uncomfortable or too worn – I’m guilty of this with athletic shoes, I wore kept them past their prime and recently caused myself a lot of foot pain because of it. Don’t do this! Your closet floor doesn’t need to be a graveyard for shoes that hurt your feet or no longer fit properly.
Take a hard look at those dress shoes you haven’t worn since 2018 or the running shoes that are worn down on one side. Life’s too short for uncomfortable shoes, and your feet deserve better than footwear that causes pain or doesn’t support you properly.
Broken or Never-Used Exercise Equipment
That resistance band set still in its package? The yoga mat that’s never seen a downward dog? Professional organizers regularly encounter exercise equipment that serves as expensive clothing racks rather than fitness tools. Be realistic about your actual workout habits versus your aspirational ones.
If you haven’t used a piece of equipment in six months, and you have alternative ways to exercise, it’s time to let it go. Someone else might actually use that stationary bike you’ve been stepping around for two years. Your space should support your actual lifestyle, not the person you thought you’d become three New Year’s resolutions ago.
Old Cleaning Supplies and Products
These do expire, and occasionally we purchase items that simply don’t function properly or that require cleaning before being used again – get rid of anything that’s too old or that you won’t use. Under your kitchen sink probably lurks a collection of half-empty spray bottles, hardened scrubbing powders, and mysterious products you bought for one specific cleaning task.
People don’t typically dispose of cleaning products – they use them up, and empty packages can then be recycled or discarded with other household waste, while unused amounts of cleaning products can generally be safely disposed of down the drain or in the trash. If you haven’t reached for that special wood polish in two years, you probably never will.
Decorative Items That No Longer Spark Joy
After someone sends you flowers, you’re left with a utilitarian-looking vase that inevitably gets stashed in a cabinet or closet with all the others you’ve ever received – you are never going to use those vases when you’re arranging your own flowers, you’ll use the nice Tiffany vase that you got for your wedding. Your shelves and cabinets are probably hosting a collection of decorative items that once seemed essential but now just collect dust.
Those souvenir figurines from vacations, the candles you never light, and the picture frames displaying photos from five apartments ago – they’re taking up physical and mental space. Professional organizing specializes in decluttering, organizing, and unpacking to help you feel a new sense of clarity with your belongings along with maintaining a steady, functional lifestyle. Your home should reflect who you are now, not who you were years ago.
Conclusion
The Professional Decluttering Services Market is experiencing growth, as individuals seek assistance in organizing their living and working spaces to enhance productivity and well-being, with increasing awareness of the benefits of decluttering and minimalist lifestyles. The items we’ve explored represent the most common clutter culprits that professional organizers encounter in homes across the country.
Remember, decluttering isn’t about achieving perfection or embracing extreme minimalism. It’s about creating space for what truly matters in your life right now. Most people don’t realize how much they throw away every day, and one-third of all food in the United States goes uneaten. By letting go of these ten categories of household items, you’re not just clearing physical space – you’re making room for clarity, peace of mind, and the life you want to live today.
Ready to start your own decluttering journey? Which of these items surprised you the most?