Most of us have a few things sitting around the house that we haven’t used in years. Maybe it’s an old cell phone, a collection of hotel toiletries, or clothes we keep hoping will fit again someday. We hold on to these things because they might come in handy, or because throwing them away feels wasteful.
Before long, those little piles turn into crowded closets, overstuffed cabinets, and drawers filled with things we barely remember owning. Clearing out some of that clutter can free up space and make it easier to find the things you actually use.
If you’ve been meaning to declutter but don’t know where to start, here are 15 common household items you can probably let go of.
1. Old Cell Phones
Old cell phones have a way of piling up in drawers long after we’ve stopped using them. Unless you have a working backup phone or one with sentimental value, there’s little reason to keep several outdated devices collecting dust.
Check whether your old phones qualify for a trade-in, donation, or electronics recycling program before getting rid of them. Just remember to back up your information, remove your SIM card, and perform a factory reset first.
2. Damaged Appliances
A broken toaster, blender, coffee maker, or hand mixer can sit in a kitchen cabinet for months while you keep telling yourself you’ll fix it. If you’ve already replaced the appliance and have no plans to repair the old one, it’s probably time to clear it out.
Getting rid of appliances that no longer work can free up valuable cabinet space for things you actually use.
3. Old Power Cords
Almost every home has a drawer filled with mystery chargers and tangled power cords. Some belong to electronics you no longer own, while others have been sitting unused for so long that you can’t remember what they connect to.
Check the labels and connectors before tossing anything, just in case one belongs to a device you still use. Take cords you no longer need to an electronics recycling location instead of throwing them in the regular trash.
4. Old Toothbrushes
Keeping one or two old toothbrushes for household cleaning makes sense because they’re handy for scrubbing grout, shoes, and other small spaces. But there’s no reason to keep an entire collection of worn-out brushes under the bathroom sink.
Set aside the ones you actually use for cleaning and discard the rest. If you’re looking for more ideas, here’s a useful beeswax furniture polish recipe for another household project.
5. Old Memorabilia
Greeting cards, movie tickets, old receipts, event programs, and other keepsakes can take up more storage space than we realize. Some items hold special memories, but others are sitting in boxes simply because nobody has gone through them.
Keep the pieces that genuinely mean something to you and let go of duplicates or items you no longer care about. You can also take photos of certain keepsakes before letting them go if you’d rather save the memory without keeping the physical item.
6. Worn-Out Loofahs and Sponges
Old bath loofahs and sponges aren’t meant to last forever. They can hold moisture, collect dead skin cells, and develop unpleasant smells or visible mold when they aren’t allowed to dry properly.
Check them regularly and replace them according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. A washable washcloth is another option if you’d rather use something that can go through the laundry.
7. Expired Medicine
Medicine cabinets often become storage spots for old pain relievers, cold medicine, antacids, and vitamins. It’s easy to forget about these products until you start looking for something and discover that several packages have passed their expiration dates.
Go through your medicine cabinet and separate expired or unwanted products from those you still use. Check local pharmacy take-back programs or disposal instructions rather than flushing medication down the toilet.
8. Damaged Clothing
A shirt with a small tear or a pair of jeans with a loose button may be worth repairing. But clothes with permanent stains, large holes, stretched-out fabric, or lingering odors can sit in the closet for years without ever being worn again.
If you have no plans to mend or repurpose something, it’s probably time to let it go. For clothes with unpleasant odors but otherwise in good condition, try these 12 Ways to Get Smells Out of Clothes before deciding what to do with them.
9. Clothes That No Longer Fit
Many of us have clothes hanging in the closet that haven’t fit properly in years. Maybe they’re from a different stage of life, were expensive to buy, or you’re saving them for a day when they might fit again.
Take an honest look at what you actually wear and what has been sitting untouched. Donate or sell clothes in good condition to make space for pieces that suit your current wardrobe.
10. Free Promotional Items
Free tote bags, promotional T-shirts, water bottles, coffee mugs, and giveaway items can accumulate surprisingly fast. Just because something was free doesn’t mean you need to find a place for it in your home.
Keep the items you regularly use and donate the extras if they’re in good condition. There’s no reason to let a pile of unwanted freebies take up space in your closets and kitchen cabinets.
11. Expired Skincare and Makeup Products
Beauty products are easy to forget about, especially when they’re tucked away in bathroom drawers or makeup bags. Old mascara, foundation, face creams, and lotions can change in smell, color, or texture as they age.
Check the expiration dates and the recommended period after opening, and discard products that are past their recommended use period or have changed noticeably. Your bathroom drawers will be easier to organize when they’re no longer filled with products you don’t use.
12. Hotel Toiletry Samples
Those little bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion from hotel stays seem worth keeping when you first bring them home. A few months later, they’re often still sitting in the same drawer, collecting dust.
Keep a small supply if you regularly travel or use them for overnight trips. If you have more than you’ll ever need, stop bringing home additional bottles and find a suitable way to pass along unopened products.
13. Empty Cardboard Boxes
Saving a few sturdy boxes helps if you move frequently, ship packages, or need storage containers. Keeping every delivery box that arrives at your door can quickly turn a closet or garage into a cardboard storage area.
Break down boxes once you’ve unpacked your purchases and no longer need them. Recycle the ones that are damaged or taking up unnecessary space.
14. Old Soap Scraps
Small leftover pieces of bar soap often end up sitting around the shower or bathroom sink. You can save a few scraps and combine them into a new bar, but there’s little reason to keep a growing collection nobody plans to use.
If you enjoy making your own soap, save the pieces for your next batch. Otherwise, clear them out and make room for the soap you actually use.
15. Dried-Out Cleaning Wipes
Cleaning wipes can dry out if their packaging isn’t sealed properly, leaving you with a container full of wipes that no longer work for their intended job. If they’ve completely dried out and you have no other use for them, throw them away.
Check the packaging before deciding how to dispose of them, and never assume wipes labeled flushable are safe for your plumbing. Put used and unwanted wipes in the trash rather than flushing them down the toilet.
