Spring is almost over, so it’s time to get on it if you haven’t started your cleaning process. You’ve got to make room in your children’s closet for all their back-to-school clothes, and there are tons of kitchen containers that you’ve been holding on to for much too long.
Some of your things are priceless, at least you think they are. You’re not sure how to know what to throw away and what to keep. We can help you sort through your things.
Keep reading for a list of things to get rid of if you haven’t been using them as much as you used to.
Clothes
One of the most cluttered parts of the home is the closet. Many people buy new clothes without getting rid of the torn or that they can’t wear anymore. Sometimes it’s a simple matter of not wanting to part with a single outfit.
One rule to live by is this: If you haven’t worn it in a year, you’re most likely done with it. It’s a good idea to sort through your clothes at the end of each season. Not just during the spring.
This is especially true with your kid’s closets. They fill up fast because, let’s face it, kids grow out of clothes at an alarming rate. If you don’t clean their closet out at the end of each season, you’ll have no room to put any of their new outfits.
When you buy a new pair of shoes, it’s a good idea to toss out one pair of your old ones or at least put a pair away in storage.
Another popular clothing item that people hoard is formal clothes. You indeed spent a lot of money on those bridesmaids’ dresses in your closet, but they’re most likely never going to see the light of day again. Consider donating them.
It feels like there is some void that is specially designated for socks. It’s easy to lose them and leave one lonely sock without a mate. If you have a bunch of single socks, put them out of their misery and toss them.
Towels
How many towels does one household need? Not as many as you may think. You only need two sets per person. Keep one set off to the side for guests.
If you have more than this, bag up your unused towels and donate them to a homeless shelter. They’ll do much more good there than they would be sitting in your linen closet.
Sheets
If you have small kids, it’s easy to hoard sheets. You want to keep some clean ones ready to go if the child has an accident or gets sick.
If you don’t have children or your kids are past the wet the bed stage, your sheets only need to be changed about twice a week. Keep two sets of sheets per bed and donate the rest.
Cosmetics
Believe it or not, sunscreen does have an expiration date. This date gets pushed up even further if the bottle has been exposed to the hot sun. Go through your cabinets and toss out any bottles that meet these criteria.
You probably have an expired bottle of mascara in your makeup bag right this second. Not many seem to know this, but mascara only has a shelf life of about three months after you open it. If you still use it past the three-month period, it can cause serious eye and skin irritation.
A good way to not go over the expiration date is to write down the day you opened it on the tube.
Eye shadow and lipstick last a little bit longer than mascara. Eye shadow can sit in your bag for two years, and lipstick can last for a single year. Still, if you have a shade that you’re not using, it’s better to toss it to make room for new ones.
After a while, your nail polish will begin to separate. When this happens, it’s time to throw it out.
Old Toothbrush
Your dentist will hand you a toothbrush almost every time you go in for a visit. If you have a bunch of these lying around, get rid of some of them. If you haven’t replaced your current toothbrush in four months or more, it’s time to do so.
If you’ve recovered from an illness, you don’t want to use the same toothbrush you used when you were sick. Trade it out for a fresh one.
Expired Medications
The expired medications sitting in your medicine cabinet are only useful for taking up space. They’ve long since lost their disease-fighting power.
Not to mention that they can be dangerous if left in the wrong hands. Go through your house and throw any expired medicine in a garbage bag.
Worn Out Kitchen Items
Old kitchen sponges become a breeding ground for bacteria. Replace your sponges at least once a week.
Most people only drink about one or two cups of coffee or tea every day. This being said, you don’t need a million coffee mugs. Toss out the ones that you don’t use that often.
Many people have the habit of hoarding the plastic utensils you get at fast-food restaurants. If you have a drawer full of these, throw them away.
If you have a cabinet full of discolored plastic containers or that doesn’t have a lid, they aren’t doing you much good. Hire a junk removal company to take them off your hands.
How to Know What to Throw Away and What to Keep During Your Spring Purge
If you haven’t started purging your house or apartment yet this spring, it’s time to grab a garbage bag and get started. If you’re questioning how to know what to throw away and what to keep, the answer is to toss anything you haven’t used in the past 6 months or so.
There are some exceptions to this, such as Christmas decorations. Can donate everything else. Somebody might be able to use your discarded items more than you.
Things that you can’t donate will have to get tossed. We can dispose of your junk items for you. Contact us for more information on our services.
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