Do you want to give your home or office a quick clean up?

Looking to take back some much-needed space in your living quarters?

In this post, I offer a collection of thirty-one items you can throw away or recycle, right now.

Take a couple of moments to read through the list.

Pick out a couple of items that you think would be of most benefit to you and your space.

Then, start your decluttering session.

You might want to start at the top of the list, and then slowly work your way down it, disposing of items, one day at a time.

No matter how you decide to tackle things, you’ll bring some order to your space.

As always, if you’re ever in doubt as to whether you should recycle or trash an item, check with your local municipality.

Visit their website or place a phone call to find the answers you seek.

Now, on to the list!

 

Expired store coupons, flyers, and announcements.

If the date has come and gone, it’s time to get rid of it.

 

Dried up pens and markers.

You won’t be able to write well with any of these items.

 

Hair accessories that have lost their elasticity.

Hair elastics, scrunchies, and bands should be tossed if they can’t do their job properly.

 

Expired key tags and membership cards.

It’s time to let these items go. For those tags or cards you might want to keep at home, or not cart around with you all the time, stores can now look up your customer records by email, phone number, or other identification method.

 

Dried up rubber bands.

That giant pack of rubber bands? Yeah, those bands aren’t going to regain their elasticity.

 

Threadbare towels and linens.

You’ve probably got brand new ones stashed away somewhere.

 

Shoes that don’t fit.

If shoes are worn out and down, it’s time to trash them. If they are in good condition, donate them to a local shelter.

 

Expired makeup, lotions, and creams.

Holding on to these cosmetics won’t magically make them fresh. Do you really want to run the risk of putting potentially hazardous bacteria and gunk on your skin and face?

 

Hard candy, gum, and packs of ketchup and mustard, sitting in your car’s glove compartment.

The temperature inside of a car can become quite cold and hot over the course of a year. It’s a good idea to toss these items to be safe.

 

Expired batteries.

Check with your local municipality for the best way to dispose these items.

 

Electronic chargers for devices that are obsolete, or that you no longer own.

Why get tangled up with unnecessary cords and chargers?

 

Coffee mugs you hate to look at or use.

Life’s too short to use mugs you absolutely despise. Use the ones you love, recycle or donate the rest, and actually enjoy your coffee and tea breaks.

 

Clothes with set-in stains.

Those stains aren’t going to come out. Seriously. It’s time to let them go. If anything, tear fabric up to use as rags before throwing away.

 

Plastic food containers with no matching lids or bottoms.

Cut down on all those containers in your kitchen and recycle any that don’t have appropriate mates.

 

CD jewel cases.

Transfer individual discs to CD storage books, or buy digital versions of albums and songs.

 

Badly damaged sporting goods equipment.

Honestly, these items aren’t going to help you or anyone play a good game of anything!

 

Ancient board games and jigsaw puzzles with missing pieces and parts.

You deserve to play an enjoyable game…with complete pieces and parts.

 

Expired foods from your refrigerator.

There’s no reason in the world why you should keep these items. Give your fridge a quick wipe down while you’re at it.

 

Party or wedding invitations.

You came, you saw, you partied. You can let these items go.

 

Freebies from trade conventions or conferences.

Unless they are items you can use on a daily basis (such as pens) or items you don’t already own twelve of (such as water bottles), get rid of them.

 

Broken or busted umbrellas.

Do yourself a favor and make it easy for you to find an umbrella that actually works the next time it rains.

 

Cellophane wrapping, packing peanuts, and plastic shell containers from recent purchases.

Recycle these items and immediately get back a chunk of space.

 

Old class or course notes.

Your notes were meant to help you learn material while you were taking class. After the fact? Well, not so much.

 

Bags of recyclable items sitting in your hallway, mudroom, garage, or porch.

Been meaning to place these items out for pickup for the longest time? Take care of them right now.

 

Those saggy socks sitting in your hosiery drawer.

You’ll have a new lease on life when you wear socks that stay up on their own! Trust me.

 

Expired travel guides and maps.

It’s difficult to travel and find your way around with last year’s maps and guides.

 

Handbags or purses that are literally falling apart.

They’ve done their job toting all of your things with them. Now it’s time to let them go.

 

Badly cracked or broken furniture.

If it’s cracked or broken now, without any weight on it, what will happen if you sit or lean against it?

 

A broom or sponge mop that leaves a trail of bristles or sponge pieces.

Yup, these items will only make cleaning house even more difficult! It’s time to invest in a new mop or broom.

 

Instruction manuals for items you no longer own.

There’s no need to keep these items if you no longer own the appliance in question.

 

Empty bath containers, old bath puffs and razors in your bathroom’s shower area.

Recycle the former, and trash the latter.

 

How about you? Which of these items are you going to trash, right now? Can you think of anything else people would do well to dispose of? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!