Streamline Your Life: 24 Things To Declutter Easily In 2024

How has your 2024 been so far? Feeling the itch to declutter, but not sure where to start?

No need to keep things we don’t use, don’t like or we have multiples of.

They’ll just end-up making us feel bad, and we’re not about that life in 2024!

If you don’t know how or where to start decluttering, check the list below and see how many items you can get rid of.

Once you’re done, peek at this similar post from 2023 and use the momentum to keep going.

1. Old Ideas and Goals

If you keep writing down the same goals and not making progress on them, maybe it’s time to let them go. 

Is this still important to you? Why or why not? Is the goal or idea part of your current lifestyle or does it below in the past. 

There is nothing worse than being dragged down by an old idea or feeling bad about yourself because of goals you never have energy to work on.

Just say: Thank you byyyeeee, and move on!

2. Other People’s Expectations

The only expectations you want to keep are your own. People will always have opinions, expectations and judgments; that’s how we navigate the world. But that doesn’t mean you have to follow that path in your decision making or your plan of action.

Say thank you for your input, I’ll consider that and let it go. It doesn’t belong in your heart.

3. Scrolling

The act of picking our phones to “just scroll“ has become so habitual that we don’t even realize we’re doing it. 

I’ll get my phone to check the weather for tomorrow or find a recipe, and oops, it’s an hour later and I’ve been scrolling social media for no good reason. 

You can work on the habit of leaving your phone in a different room for a couple hours a day or setting limits (check General - Settings - Screen Time on iPhones).

4. Digital Junk

So many files, so little time!

While you’re at it, next time you’re “watching TV“, but not, and you’re just scrolling on your phone, take this opportunity to delete the junk. 

Go through your photo folder and delete blurry photos, screenshots, multiples of the same picture (keep your favourite).

Flip through the accounts you’re following on social media and unfollow (or mute) any accounts that have not posted in a long time, are not posting content that is interesting or relevant to your interests, are creating envy (and often make you want to buy things you don’t need) or that make you feel less than.

Anytime you receive a newsletter you’re not interested in anymore (especially the sales ones that make you feel urgency), take the 1 minute it takes to unsubscribe.

5. Obsolete Electronics

Oh goodness! Whether it’s an old phone, broken earbuds or a multitude of cords that don’t belong to anything anymore, people tend to hold on to their old electronics. Usually it’s for one of two reasons: electronics are expensive, it feels wasteful to just throw them away, and there is some nostalgia in finding your old iPod at the bottom of a drawer 😳.

If the iPod in question still works and you have music on there that you love, it’s OK to keep it.

But the gazillion cords and the unusable and broken electronics have no place in your home. 

They do need to be recycled properly though (please don’t just throw them in the garbage, as they contain precious metals and other bits you don’t want in the environment). Check your local Waste Management by searching : waste management “your city“ electronics recycling. Many municipalities have a Waste Wise App where you can search to find your local recycling facilities and what goes where. 

6. Empty Boxes

It’s like we can seem to part with a really greatly made box. But I would say, unless you plan to resell the things that came in the box (specifically electronics), there is no good reason to keep empty boxes.

Go ahead, flatten them out and send them to be recycled.

7. Old Socks and Underwear

Simply said, you deserve better. 

You deserve to wear undergarments that feel great and make you feel put together. 

8. Uncomfortable Shoes

Men don’t seem to have a problem with this as much, but sisters, we have to stop with the shoes that hurt our bodies!

If all you can think of is when you’ll be able to take your shoes off, they’re not worth it.

Find shoes that will support your beautiful life.

9. Clothes (that don’t fit your body or your lifestyle)

Don’t let your clothes bully you. That pair of jeans that you can’t fit in anymore, that dress that you bought for an occasion that never comes; let them go.

Life is made of seasons, and some clothes fit some seasons better than others. Only keep the clothes that make you feel like yourself and you wear all the time. Store the special or seasonal clothes, and donate the rest.

10. Expired Medicine and Beauty Products

Medicine that is past its best before date loses its potency. 

For any drugs that are life saving, like an epipen, make sure you have a replacement before you dispose of the expired item (in a pinch, you could still use it).

For the rest, in Canada you can bring any medication to a pharmacy. For pills, take them out of the packaging and put them all in a plastic bag. Pills in blister packs can be left in the packaging. Don’t dump liquids down the toilet, it ends up in our water system and is very hard to treat. Simply bring the bottles to a pharmacy. Make sure any personal information has been removed from the packaging.

Just like medication, beauty products, even the dry stuff, expire. There are guidelines online, but opinions differ. Pay attention to the smell and consistency of your products, if they change in any way, it’s time to throw them away.

Beauty products don’t have a best-by date, but they have a symbol (little open jar, with a number on it) indicating how long the product is good to use, after opening. One thing you can do is, anytime you open a new lotion or mascara, write the current date on the product (with a sharpie or on a piece of tape that you can stick to the tube). Then you’ll know old old the product is.

11. Sport or Hobby Equipment

Were you into scrapbooking a few years back?

Haven’t laced your skates in how many years now?

Chances are you will not use this stuff anymore. If you’re looking to make space in your home, consider passing these items along.

12. Fantasy Recipes and Cookbooks

Ugg, I’m guilty of this and recently donated some cookbooks I wasn’t using, so I could replace them with more practical ones.

Cookbooks are enticing and make us think if we buy them, we’ll certainly become better versions of ourselves. But that’s not always true.

If you have cookbooks you never open and they’re taking precious space in your house, consider donating them.

13. Superfluous Food Container

I’m talking about containers without lids, that are stained or scratched, or ones you bought to make lunches for work, but you work from home now and never use them.

They take So 👏🏻 Much 👏🏻 Space 👏🏻! No need to keep the ones you’re never going to use.

14. Stuff on Your Fridge

Magnets, drawings, take-out menus, reminders, invitations, etc.

Start fresh and take it all down.

15. Plants You Don’t Like

I know, they’re living things and we generally feel bad about trashing a perfectly good plant.

I currently have plants I would love to pass along. I just don’t like them and I’m not very good with them.

If, like me, you were given a plant you can’t seem to find a good spot for and don’t like the look of, give them away to friends and family (ask first) or post on a No-Buy Group and see if anyone wants it.

16. Planners

Planners don’t make us more organized. The habit of planning does.

If you’ve bought planners in the past, that you have never used or lost interest in a few weeks in, chances are planners (or these ones at least) are not for you.

If they’re undated and unused, you can take them to a donation centre (otherwise - recycle).

17. Books You’ll Never Read Again

Don’t get me wrong, I love a bookcase full of lovely titles as much as the next person.

I’m guilty of this. I’ve kept many books and some series I never see myself parting with. And then there are books I enjoyed while reading, but I know I will never read them again (and books I previously wanted to keep, can end up in a donation pile eventually). 

Here are a few places you can donate books: thrift stores (check first, they don’t all take books), your local library, Little Free Libraries in your neighbourhood, etc.

18. Home Decor You’ve Outgrown

Our tastes change. 

Trends come and go. 

This is your permission to donate home decor that’s not in your style or taste anymore.

19. Old or Uncomfortable Linens

I don’t know if there is anything worse than sleeping in uncomfortable sheets or drying yourself with old ratty towels! 

Just like your underwear mentioned earlier, you deserve better. Good linens don’t have to cost a fortune. Or sheets are from IKEA and we’ve never had softer sheets.

Animal rescue places are often looking for clean, but older linens - check before you donate.

20. Part of a Set (you’re not using)

Anything that comes in a set, people tend to keep. Like an attachment that goes on an appliance or a set of 12 glasses.

But what if you never use that attachment (and don’t see yourself ever using it). 

You have a set of 12 wine glasses, but there are only 2 adults in the house and one of them doesn’t even like wine 😏.

Unless you have the space and plan to host that many people in the near future, feel free to pair down your collection. It’s not because it’s part of a set, that you need to keep it.

21. Tools (from assembly required furniture)

If they’re very specialized tools, or if you are someone that moves often (hello military families 👋🏻) and need to disassemble your furniture, of course keep them.

Make sure you identify the tools properly and keep them all in one spot.

But the 27,000 Allen keys from IKEA? You can let those go. They can go back to IKEA in their Recycling Station (usually near the Customer Service).

22. Luggage

How many pieces of luggage does one person need (asking a for friend 😉)?

The answer will evidently vary depending on your type of trips and how you travel (carry-on only anyone?).

Luggage are items we often forget about until we have to travel. See if there are some you can part with.

23. Reusable Totes

How many is too many?

With the single plastic ban (which we love), the reusable totes tend to be pilling up, as we forget them at home.

Keep only the ones you use and keep them in a place where you’re going to use them (for me that’s in the trunk of my car and a couple in my car door pockets).

24. Piles of Donations

Finally take the stuff you decluttered to their proper donation places.

Use the extra totes (see #23) to bring your donations to their new homes.

Don’t know where to take them, check this list.

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