100 Things to Ruthlessly Declutter
Ruthlessly decluttering 100 things sounds like a huge task and a little intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. When you are ruthless, you are looking for quick wins so this means staying out of sentimental spaces.
This is about removing things you don’t use or don’t want. It is not about organizing and making it look pretty. You might not get everything but you’ll make a huge dent. Just keep going and build momentum.
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Where Do You Start Your Ruthless Declutter?
Before you even start looking around your home, it’s important to know what method of decluttering works best for you. Nothing will stall you faster than following a process that doesn’t work for you.
Are you a weekend warrior? Some people like to set aside a big chunk of time — a full day or a weekend — to tackle the job. They want to make all the decisions and push through. This is a short deadline and will definitely put the ruthless decluttering to the test!
Or are you a daily declutterer? It’s a bit less overwhelming to think about committing to 15 minutes or 30 minutes (or whatever window of time you have) to declutter every single day. That 15 minutes becomes 7.5 hours over a month.
Know what works best for you!
ENTRYWAY & FRONT CLOSET
Footwear.
Look around the front door and into your closet floor. There’s probably a mess of shoes, boots and sandals. Maybe even slippers. Pull out every pair that doesn’t fit someone in your family. Then take out any of your own that hurt your feet. Why keep things that cause us actual physical pain? You can have the discussion later with family if you aren’t sure if they still wear all their pairs.
Jackets & Coats.
The same rules apply. Anything that does not fit needs to go. Also target jackets with broken zippers; if you aren’t getting rid of them, then you are taking them to the tailor to be repaired since they definitely won’t get fixed inthe closet!
Gloves, Mittens and Hats.
Accessories have a bad habit of multiplying on the shelf. Have a quick sort through and ensure you have proper pairs. Mittens or gloves with holes in them are not getting worn nor are hats that don’t fit or that your kids won’t wear anymore. If your preschooler’s baby hat is up there, moving it to their memory bin is a task for another day. Today is about removing items from your home. We are going for easy wins!
Hangers, Baskets & Organizers.
When doing a ruthless declutter, this is the time to get rid of any broken hangers or hangers you don’t like. Sometimes you end up with an odd mix. If you have baskets that aren’t effective or worn out, get those out. Same with any back of the door organizers if they aren’t working for your family at this point in time.
KITCHEN
Expired Food.
This means going through the pantry, fridge and deep freeze as well as any emergency supplies in your home or vehicles. (If you drive on the highway in winter, you should have something that won’t spoil, like energy bars, granola bars or trail mix)/ Condiments in the fridge, old spices in the cupboard and any freezer-burned items might be some of your quickest wins!
Food No One Will Eat.
Yes, we don’t want to waste, but if you have unopened food you know your family will never eat, donate it to a Community Fridge or Food Bank if it’s still good and throw it away if it’s not.
Also consider here any one-time recipe ingredient you tried and didn’t like. (Goodbye, five-spice powder!)
Small Appliances You Don’t Use.
If you bought an air fryer and it hasn’t been out of the cupboard in a year, maybe it’s time to let it go. Or you have two slow cookers, but since your kids have moved out, you only use one of them, you can donate the other one.
Duplicate or Excess Items.
Be honest about what you use at this stage in your life. If your teens only use glasses, let go of all the plastic cups. Do you have way more water bottles than family members? Easy wins here! What is just sitting there taking up space? Let it go!
Worn Out Linens.
Dishcloths with holes in them and towels that are worn flat from drying pots and pans for years are easy targets. Don’t forget to check those potholders and oven mitts as well. (Oh, this reminds me that my oven mitts need to be replaced!)
MEDICATION TO RUTHLESSLY DECLUTTER
Expired Medication, including inhalers and Epi-pens.
This might not be stored in the same place, but check all places you have medication. Expired medication can be returned to a local pharmacy or hazardous waste collection site.
BEDROOM
Clothing can be challenging for a lot of reasons so, for the purposes of this particular challenge, try to keep this one simple.
Socks & Underwear.
Look for the socks with holes in them and the underwear you don’t like for whatever reason – don’t fit, elastic is gone, worn out, etc. Throw them out!
Clothing That Makes You Feel Bad.
This is not the time to have the I’m-going-to-lose-the weight discussion. That’s not ruthless. Instead declutter the clothing you won’t wear because it makes you feel bad. It might just be one or two specific pieces. Be tough here and yank it out of there!
BATHROOMS
Old or Expired Cosmetics.
Cosmetics usually last 2-3 years if sealed, but once open, the clock is ticking. Mascara and eyeliner have short shelf lives at 3 months, foundation lasts around a year and powdered makeup closer to 2 years. Bacteria can build up and cause infections. It’s not worth it.
In case this helps: some pharmacies now have a spot to recycle old cosmetics containers, regardless of the brand!
Toiletries You Aren’t Using.
Everyone has tried hair products that didn’t work. Maybe there’s a body lotion you were gifted, but you don’t like the smell. Don’t keep products you aren’t using. Pull anything you know you or your family isn’t using. You are being ruthless about these items leaving, because what you want more than all these options is to regain the space they are currently wasting under your sink or on your counters.
Remember, sunscreen does expire. Check for an expiration date on the container. If you can’t find one, it’s generally three years from the date of purchase. (If you can’t remember when you bought it, it’s probably expired! BOOM! Easy ruthless declutter in the bag!)
Worn Out Products.
Run your fingertips over your emery board or nail block and see if it still has grit. Those nail clippers that are hopelessly dull and annoy you every time you need to clip a ragged fingernail can go too. Do you see that old razor that was left under the sink when your partner replaced his electric razor?
This includes toothbrushes, which need to be replaced every three to four months. Also check the bristles. If they are starting to bend or sort of “fan” outward, then it’s time to get a new toothbrush.
LAUNDRY ROOM.
Empty Containers.
I’m not sure why the stain remover always gets put back on the shelf empty. Maybe we’re busy with the laundry and don’t want to run to the recycling bin. Take a moment to check how full those containers are. (You’d like to know now and not on laundry day that something has run out!)
Wire Hangers.
If you have dry-cleaning, throw out the hangers your clothing comes home on if you don’t use that kind at home. The dry-cleaner might even take them back.
Unmatched socks.
Let go of those strays lurking in your laundry room. If they had matches, those socks would’ve made their way back to the bedroom. Let them go!
Iron & Ironing Board.
If you are not ironing anything in this stage of your life, add these to your donation pile. Most of us don’t even think about these and keep them out of habit. If your wardrobe doesn’t require it, either donate these items or move them to a storage space so that they are not taking up a spot for items you use regularly.
Household Cleaners You Don’t Like.
Most household cleaners do not have an expiration date although bleach is known to lose potency at a rate of about 10% every six months. If you have any cleaners you don’t like because you don’t think they are effective or you simply don’t like the smell, you aren’t going to use them and that’s okay!
Check with your city or town for how to dispose of these properly as manywant them dropped off at a Hazardous Waste collection and not dumped in the landfill. We can be ruthless and responsible when decluttering hazardous items!
Cleaning Tools You Don’t Use.
Maybe you ripped out the carpets last winter and now only have hardwood floors, but didn’t think about getting rid of the carpet cleaner until now. Do you have a mop you don’t use because you don’t buy pads for it anymore? These items are meant to help you, but if they aren’t being used, then they are simply weighing you down.
LINEN CLOSET TO RUTHLESSLY DECLUTTER
Sheets & Blankets.
Check what you have in terms of sets of sheets and blankets. Remove anything that does not fit on the current beds in your home. .
Pillows.
If you have extra pillows in your linen closet (or wherever you store bedding), examine their condition. Due to dust, allergies and even pet dander, pillows should be replaced every two years depending on the type of fill.
Towels & Face Cloths.
Towels and face cloths get worn out, but we don’t tend to think about it. Think about it now. If it’s stained or threadbare, let it go.
RUTHLESSLY DECLUTTERING YOUR BOOKSHELVES
This is a hard one for a lot of us. We don’t want to think about being ruthless with our books so keep it really simple and quick for this round of decluttering
Cookbooks.
If you can’t identify at least one recipe in that cookbook without opening it, then it’s one you aren’t using. Get rid of “aspirational cookbooks” (they aren’t inspiring you… they are making you feel bad!). You know what’s in the cookbooks you love and use! Keep your favorites and let go of the rest.
Novels & Other Books.
Readers know when we’ve got a book we aren’t going to finish. Pass along the ones you can’t finish and the ones you didn’t love, because the truth is that you won’t read them again or even want to lend them to a friend, so there is no point in keeping them
If books belonging to your kids or teens bring up strong emotions, that’s not part of a ruthless declutter so you have full permission to skip these categories of books for now!
PAPER CLUTTER
Junk mail, Coupons & Paper Menus.
You will likely find these in your kitchen, but they might be your living room or your entryway. The truth is that 90% of them are likely never going to get used and are easy enough to put into recycling or garbage. Any that you are keeping need to be used soon or be tossed as well.
Empty Envelopes, Receipts & Old Bills.
If you need a receipt to return an item, put it in your wallet or with the item you are returning. Old bills can usually be thrown out, since most account statements (electricity, etc.) are available online. Get rid of the rest of that paper before it attracts more clutter to that spot!
Manuals & Product Boxes.
You do not need the box for your latest smartphone, let alone the phone case! We could spend a lot of time trying to understand why we keep these types of boxes or we could simply let them go and move on. Today, we do just that and keep the momentum going!
You also do not need the manual for your air fryer, deep freeze or television you bought three years ago. These are all available online.
TOYS & GAMES.
Depending on the age of your kids, this category might be too sentimental to tackle when you are looking to be ruthless and just get some things cleared out. Tread lightly and don’t let this section slow you down!
Broken Toys or Toys with Missing Pieces.
This might be action figures with a missing leg, cars without a tire or puzzles that are short a piece or two. No hard decisions today, just get rid of the ones that are clearly not worth keeping or even donating.
Anything that Really Doesn’t Match Your Kids’ Age.
Whether you have babies, pre-schoolers, grade schoolers or teens, you can let go of toys from the previous stage. Skip the sentimental ones, but take a moment to quickly weed out a few that won’t be missed.
ELECTRONIC CLUTTER.
These are the ones to go after on a low energy day when you need some wins but can’t get yourself going! These will add up quickly and give you loads of satisfaction! (You could probably hit 100 things in this category alone, but don’t give up on other areas!)
Clean out your email.
Purge your inbox and your sent items. If you find subscriptions for newsletters you don’t read, click unsubscribe to help Future You. It’s also a good idea to scan your contacts and delete the old ones you know you don’t need.
Clean up your phone.
Those text conversations that are no longer relevant, PDF menus you haven’t opened in months and unused apps can go. Have a quick scroll through your photos and do a quick delete of anything that is blurry, any obvious duplicates, random screenshots, accidental photos and any photo you can’t identify the people or location. Don’t overthink it.
On a day you have time to do a more in-depth go through of your phone, try this post.
The key to being ruthless in decluttering is to look for easy wins and remove unwanted items as you walk through your whole home. This is not sentimental, it’s about being practical. It’s about random stuff leaving your home so that you can live the life you deserve!
If you want an extra challenge, try letting go of 100 donatable items. As valuable as it is to let go of both physical and digital trash, letting go of 100 donations is a great goal and will help you declutter even more ruthlessly!
You got this!
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