Get a head start on a fresh New Year by clearing your house of clutter right now.
By Bobvila
Make the Holidays Easier
With spotless cupboards, an orderly closet, and a cleaned-out storage space, the holidays are lot easier to manage. When you’re rushing about preparing for the holidays, having Christmas decor in easy-to-find containers, serving dishes beautifully placed and accessible, and your favorite holiday attire near at hand makes it easier to find everything you need without fuss. Also, as the end of the year approaches, keep in mind that any donation to a charity organization is tax-deductible!
Continue reading to learn how to make the holidays more efficient by getting rid of these 25 items before New Year’s Day.
Expired Pantry Goods
Take everything out of your pantry and check each label, then toss anything that’s past its expiration date. While you’re at it, wipe down the shelves and make a mental note of the staples you have on hand to make holiday grocery shopping easier.
Dirty Tablecloths That Never Seem to Get Clean
Take an inventory of your tablecloths. Pay special attention to the ones that get a lot of use, and finally accept that the wine stain will never go away. Get rid of or donate old tablecloths, and consider purchasing a new one for Christmas dinner.
Broken Ornaments
During the holiday season, Christmas ornaments may become a little worse for wear from children, pets, or clumsiness. If they can’t be easily fixed with some glue and a little time, the broken ornaments need to be weeded from the pack.
It’s tough to throw away ornaments that bring back happy memories, so consider upcycling the fragments into playful wall art. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, now’s a good time to go through other seasonal decor and get rid of anything that’s damaged or dingy, or that you just don’t like or use anymore.
Mismatched Food Containers
Over the holidays, you may want to send guests home toting containers of delicious leftovers. Take control of your food storage containers now to avoid the frantic, last-minute scramble for usable receptacles. Throw away containers without lids, and vice versa. Donate any extras you don’t need.
Mugs You Don’t Use
It turns out you can have too many mugs. But it’s so hard to let them go, isn’t it? That said, there are probably a few that you never use and wouldn’t miss. Dig out the rarely used mugs in the recesses of your kitchen cabinets, and donate them to a local soup kitchen or church.
Winter Clothes That No Longer Fit
Assess your winter wardrobe and discard anything that no longer fits or is no longer in style. Donate items you don’t need or want to those who can make good use of them during the cold winter months.
Toys
Kids grow out of toys surprisingly quickly. While it’s tempting to keep beloved toys around as a reminder of your kids’ childhood, why not donate the unused playthings to youngsters who may not have presents waiting under the tree. Pass along gently used toys and throw out those that have been loved too hard. As you’re sorting through and feeling nostalgic, consider picking out one or two items as keepsakes.
Extra Craft Supplies
If you’ve worked on any DIY projects this year, there may be a lingering surplus of crafty items on hand that you may not use again. Donate the extra glitter, paint, and baubles to a classroom in need, and ring in the new year with a craft room that’s primed for action.
Junk Drawer Overflow
If it’s been a while since you last organized it, your kitchen junk drawer is probably overflowing. Now is a great time to get it under control. Toss out expired coupons and flyers, recycle old batteries, and throw out any unneeded receipts. Get a drawer divider and use it to group together like objects, such as chargers, paper clips, rubber bands, and other junk-drawer denizens.
Utensil Drawer Surplus
Transform your utensil drawer from clutter central to clutter-free with the help of a few dividers (or a flatware organizer) and a whole lot of purging. Get rid of duplicates, and donate any utensils that you never use.
Unrecognizable Items in Your Freezer
Get to the bottom of things—the bottom of your freezer, that is. Throw away anything that’s been sitting there for longer than a year. If you have no idea how long something’s been in there, toss it anyway, and be sure to label freezer contents appropriately in the future. If you notice that you’re throwing away a lot of food, maybe it’s time to adopt a new meal planning strategy that will help you make better use of the food you have.
Bills, Statements, and Other Mail
After you’ve paid your bills and reviewed paper documents that come in the mail, you generally have no use for them (as many documents are available online). It’s time to tackle the papers in your ‘to shred’ pile and clear up your desk space. This is also a terrific time to reach out to providers to request having your bills sent to you via email instead.
