If you find yourself saying, ‘I need to declutter my pantry/wardrobe/medicine cabinet’ more often than you change your sheets, you’re not alone. Ever since Marie Kondo taught us how to (ruthlessly) declutter our homes, we’ve been obsessed with minimalism.
But many of us find decluttering easier said than done. It can also be hard to let go of certain items, even if you last used them years ago. It can feel overwhelming, especially if you need to tackle several areas of your home or you’re knee-deep in spring cleaning. Maybe you just don’t know where to start.
So, to take the sting out of decluttering, we put together a list of household things you can cull quickly while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil or your tea to brew (almost). Plus, some ideas for how to repurpose or upcycle unwanted goods.
You won’t have to think about getting rid of X, Y or Z; you’ll just do it. Even if you only tick one of them off, it means you will have started the decluttering process. And for that, you deserve a cuppa.
1. Old magazines from the archives
Are you planning on reading them again? Chances are you won’t, particularly if the celeb gossip or fashion is a decade old. Put old mags to good use: donate them to a school or playgroup for kids to cut out and collage with. Hospitals, doctors’ clinics and charity shops often take old magazines if they’re in good condition.
Otherwise, unwanted magazines can go in the paper recycling bin.
2. Expired spices, sauces and pantry items
While consuming expired saffron or sumac might not make you sick, spices that have surpassed their ‘best before’ date can lack flavour. As a guide, whole spices can be stored for one to two years, and ground spices can be stored for a year. Ground spices can lose their flavour more quickly, so buy them in small quantities.
As for canned pantry items, in Australia, canned foods with a shelf-life of more than two years don’t need a best-before date, according to Food Standards Australia New Zealand. If the contents smell bad or have an unusual colour, or the inside of the tin is rusted, throw it out; don’t consume or taste the food.
3. Random things you’ve been meaning to fix
Everybody has a basket or cupboard brimming with broken items or clothes that, despite the best of intentions, still haven’t been repaired.
Be honest: for how long have you been meaning to fix these knick-knacks? Are you ever really gonna do it? If it’s been more than a year, do yourself a favour and schedule a day to fix them ASAP. Or, ask someone else to help you fix them. Failing that, donate them via a local Facebook giveaway or ‘buy nothing’ group. Or, just toss them.
4. Linen and blankets you no longer use
If there’s linen in your cupboard that hasn’t been used in more than a year, it’s unlikely you’ll pull it again. Did you know that second-hand quilt covers, sheets and towels (of any brand) can be taken to Sheridan boutiques and outlets for recycling?
If you have linen or blankets that are still in good condition, check if any nearby op shops, animal shelters, or respite centres for unhoused people or women fleeing family violence can use them. Whatever you do, decluttering bedding will make folding and putting away your sheets a breeze… yep, even fitted sheets.
5. Towels that are older than your kids
As above, contact local animal shelters to see if their sweet dogs and cats need your leftover towels. Alternatively, repurpose unwanted towels for craft and DIY projects: shred them to use as stuffing in homemade cushions or pet beds; cut into strips and weave together to make a bath mat; or sew pieces of towels into pencil cases or bucket hats.
Of course, cut-up pieces of old towels make excellent cleaning cloths and rags, too.
6. Chipped or cracked mugs and plates
According to feng shui, keeping chipped and cracked crockery steals your energy. Eek! If that’s not bad enough, the person using the chipped crockery might have bad luck in their career and finances. Bacteria can lurk in the chipped nicks of old dinner plates and mugs, as well, while there’s always a risk of a crack becoming a full-on break. And no one wants to clean that up.
Thankfully, there’s plenty you can do with ageing dinnerware, such as (safely) smashing it altogether to make a gorgeous mosaic artwork. Use chipped mugs as planters for herbs and succulents. If you’d like to salvage your crockery and even personalise it, consider the Japanese art of Kintsugi: fixing broken ceramics with lacquer and food-safe gold powder, which leaves the item with beautiful gold streaks.
7. DVDs and CDs that are collecting dust
Unless you’re a die-hard collector, you’re probably never going to watch or listen to them again. DVDs and CDs aren’t likely to have the same retro appeal as vinyl records or VHS tapes.
The good news? There’s a market for everything, and there probably is someone out there who will take your treasure trove of old media off your hands. Pop them on Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace.
Alternatively, drop them off at any Officeworks store so they can be recycled, along with old audio and tech gadgets, printer cartridges and stationery.
8. Takeaway menus you never really wanted
Whether they were stuffed in your letterbox or you thoughtlessly grabbed them off the counter along with your pad thai, somehow you’ve ended up with a cluttered drawer of takeaway food menus. You don’t need them!
Almost all menus are available online, and you can use an app such as Evernote to save down your favourites.
9. Expired medicines and makeup
If there’s an avalanche of bottles and tubes every time you open your medicine cabinet, listen up. Expired or unwanted medicines should be returned to your local pharmacy, where they’ll be disposed of safely as part of Australia’s RUM (Return Unwanted Medicines) Project. Never throw medications in the bin or down the toilet, as they can impact the environment and waterways.
As for medicines you want to keep, you can declutter your cabinet and make space by collapsing any tablet boxes and transferring the box and its contents (the blister pack and medicines information leaflet) into small Ziploc bags.
Old makeup that hasn’t been used in a while can harbour bacteria. Clean old cosmetic containers and send them to Banish, which recycles a host of household items into new products. Depending on how they’re stored, opened perfumes and fragrances only last three to five years before their scent changes.
10. All the bits of paper, everywhere
Although the world has moved almost entirely online, somehow we still end up with pieces of paper scattered on kitchen benches, study desks and hall tables.
To declutter your letters, bills and documents, gather them all and sort them into piles: items that need actioning; important documents that need archiving; sensitive pieces of paper that need shredding; and bits of paper that can go in the recycling. Consider taking photos of the important docs, and filing them safely on your computer or device.
Avoid unnecessary mail by opting for paperless statements sent to your email inbox, and transfer junk mail straight from your letterbox to your recycling wheelie bin outside. Don’t even let it cross your threshold!
