Out with the old, bed/bath edition: 24 things to declutter before the new year
Here’s the thing, right? No pressure. Zero, none. Sometimes people have this end-of-year purge, or they find themselves with sudden inspiration to pare way down after the holidays.
And maybe you’re giving yourself what you need most these last few days of the year: rest. That’s what I’m leaning into.
So, here’s this list that you can print and check off. Go in any order, whatever feels easiest/fastest, so you can rack up quick wins. Keep filling the bags/the boxes for donation, and see below for resources for donation and recycling.
Gather the following to prep
trash bags
a large box or container to gather recycling
a laundry basket to collect any dirty clothes you stumble upon
empty bins, boxes, or bags for donation
Read over the list and start imagining discovering and letting go of these items. Start wherever you want, but start. If you need to, set a timer for 30 minutes and turn off the ringer, get focused and go all in for 30 minutes. Stop when it’s done if you want. Or keep going, now that you have some momentum.
Sometimes it can help to hold yourself accountable by telling a close friend or family member your intentions, even sending your own before and after pics.
Have a plan in advance for what you’ll do with the donations—don’t let them sit or become buried by life; get them out.
Here’s the list to jumpstart your decluttering. You’ve got this!
Clothes & accessories
Anything more than 2 sizes too small or too big
When our bodies change sizes, as they often do especially for women, we don’t gain and lose in the exact same proportions/places; something that fit you at x weight might not fit you the same or as well if you return to that weight. if you MUST hold onto some larger or smaller clothes, save only your absolute favorites, the timeless pieces, the difficult-to-replace items you really love and did wear, and put them in a labeled bin in a storage area—not mixed in with your closet that ideally has clothes for your TODAY BODY
Clothes that technically fit but not quite right in one or more places (difficult to give hugs because arms are too snug, unable to raise your hand without your tummy exposed, not confident in your ability to pick up something off the ground due to tightness, cleavage is too much)
The bin of mismatched socks—it’s time to let them go
Bathing suits that aren’t flattering or make you feel self conscious
Clothes that are overly loved and it shows (these are GREAT for textile recycling, see below)
When was the last time you decluttered underwear? It’s time to toss underwear that’s saggy, stained, holey, or way too uncomfortable
Clothes with stains or holes. Or jeans with the chafed thighs where it’s so thin that one more wear will surely rip a hole in them
Clothes with material that is itchy or irritable to your skin
Clothes that belonged to your ex, or were gifted from a former friend, or have other bad juju attached to them
Clothes you’ve recently bought or received that still have tags on them—be honest, will you really wear this, have you tried it on and it fits and you feel good in it? If so, commit to keeping it and ditch the tags. If not, say goodbye and don’t beat yourself up
Old uniforms or work shirts from former jobs
Free swag like that 5k shirt you ran in 2016 or a random shirt from your bank for opening an account
Anything your cat peed on (or like that 2024 trend, get rid of it if there was poop on it)
Any organizing products you’re not really using or don’t love (funky hangers that have special features that you don’t use/love, plastic drawers that are poorly utilized, those hanging soft shelves that quickly become frumpy and catchall
Declutter shoes if
you haven’t worn them in the past year
they don’t actually fit
honestly they’re not comfortable and cause blisters or pain
you don’t love the style or look anymore
they’ve got a lot of wear and tear, if they’re not wearable out of the house
Belts: if it doesn’t fit, you don’t love it or wear it, or it doesn’t quite match any outfit, let it go!
Handbags/purses/clutches: keep only what you use/love/need that is still in good condition. Sometimes you can sell designer bags, remember to check all pockets
Tips to elevate the closet: matching hangers gives the most uniform and aesthetically pleasing look. Ditch the wire hangers and store hangers and random assortment and find one you love. It makes an instant difference. Having items spaced apart so you can see and grab without having to push clothes away in both directions to retrieve something—huge.
Reminder: the floor is not storage. Aim to keep your closet floor clear.
Expired makeup
Old nail polish/products
Old health and beauty product(s) you no longer use, that are dried up, broken combs etc
Outdated or opened-too-long toothpastes, medicines, vitamins, etc —check the expiration dates on these! (Or, the easy tosses, like the baby Tylenol when your youngest is 10)
The extra hair tools—how many curling irons can one person truly need?
Stinky, old, faded, thinned-out, or mismatched towels
Extra sheet sets; how many do you need and can you let go of the outliers? (The random pillowcase that matches nothing; the extra top sheets no one uses, the twin-sized sheets that no longer fit any of the beds in your home)
Tips to elevate the bathroom: Less is truly more. Having only what you need, love, and use makes getting ready a breeze, and it’s that much easier to keep your space tidy. (1) Keep only the everyday products on the bathroom counter or out; if it’s used weekly or monthly, it can be put away. (2) Store like with like (all hair products together, all face care products together, etc.). (3) Label so everyone can find and knows where to return items. (4) If you have backstock…that can live somewhere else entirely. We are normally limited on storage in the bathroom, don’t waste it by having an entire CVS shoved in there.
Reminder: Consolidate what you can to pare down on the number of items that are occupying space. If you have 3 bottles of ibuprofen and none are expired, can you combine them into one? Or if there’s 2 open bottles of kid’s Benadryl, can you pour one into the other? If there’s multiple open boxes of q-tips or tampons, can they be combined?
OK, phew, you made it to the end. Or, maybe this is just the start of a whole new journey for you. Focusing on removing these 24 items made a difference in your space, am I right? Want to get your bedroom to sanctuary-like status? Read more here for a step-by-step guide to create your very own oasis at home.
LOCAL RESOURCES:
My favorite place for textile recycling: Phoenix
Local nonprofits that accept gently used donations of all of the above items: Phoenix, Forget Me Not Families, Friendship House, CHILD Inc., Volunteering with Love (Carol Derrickson, via FB)
You can use this 24-item list all at once, one at a time, a handful at a time, here and there, once now, once in a month, whatever. There’s no right or wrong way. It’s meant to be a guide to help you LET GO of what you don’t really use/need/love. No judgment if you want to call in a professional; bedrooms are actually my favorite space to address because it’s where we start and end our day, where we recharge, where we rest and seek refuge from the chaos of everyday life. This is a gift you can give yourself. Remember, it starts with a free discovery call.