29 Things People Often Forget To Declutter

There are so many things that are easy to overlook and forget to declutter. This is a little bit of a “memory jog checklist” for you because most of the time we just remember to declutter the things that are in our face, on the surfaces, or regularly irritating. Some things are just really easy to forget about. So today, I want to dive into these things that I feel are often skipped over and are easy to forget about. 

These are the 29 items that I‘ve found are often overlooked so you don't forget to declutter them!

1. Anything You're Trying to Sell 

This is your reminder to check the calendar, pull up your Offer-Up app, (or whatever it is that you use to sell stuff), and see exactly how long it's been! Check those things that you've put up for sale and make a decision on the next step. 

2. Medicines

We get sick. So we buy new cough syrup, throat lozenges, (etc.). But then you might not be ill for another two years and never really stop to go back and check the medicine cabinet. It’s time to throw out all those expired medications.

3. Spices and Seasonings 

It could be that you received a whole collection at once and you don't use all of them, or it could be things that you just purchased a particular spice or seasoning for a specific diet that you were on. Either way, it’s time to get rid of any you are not using anymore.

4. Socks

Don't forget to declutter socks - especially those that have started to get worn, almost have holes (or do have holes), or those that are missing their partner... 

I keep a little pile of my lone socks for a small amount of time just to make sure that the other one doesn't pop up, but eventually, I do have to go in and toss the socks that have not had their partner reappear.

5. Cleaning Supplies

A lot of times cleaning supplies are crammed underneath the sink in the back of the cabinets. You probably have the things that you're regularly using in the front rows of the cleaning supplies but the stuff in the back can be forgotten about. 

All of the scrubbers that are now super rusted and can’t be used or various cleaning supplies that you're not using anymore can all go.

6. Cables, Cords, and Adapters

All of the electronic stuff you toss in a drawer or bin. Somehow these always end up tangled and half the time you're not entirely sure what it belongs to (if it hasn't become obsolete). It’s time to declutter them!

7. Pillowcases

Pillowcases that used to go with different bed sets; (e.g.) random pillowcases that you're not going to use with any of your current bed sets. There's no reason to hang on to unused pillowcases- let them go! 

8. Assembly Pieces and Parts

The bunk bed or desk that you bought from Ikea or Target, or all of the things that we get from Amazon that came with tiny extra packages of tools and screws or pieces that you end up not needing or using - at some point, you have to go through and make decisions about those things.

9. Old Prescription Glasses 

I know the reason for this is that you want to make sure that the new prescription is going to work before you get rid of the old one. So you order new glasses, then put the old ones in their case and put them in a drawer somewhere, then never go back to check on them. 

So if you wear glasses, be sure to go back through all of your old, previously used prescription glasses and let go of the ones you no longer need.

10. Old Cell Phones

Many people will hold onto decades worth of old cell phones (like where you could line them up and look at the progression of cell phones on a timeline.) It's easy to get into that because when you get a new cell phone, you want to save your old one, just as a backup if something happens to it. Or perhaps just in case, you end up not liking the new one and need to switch back. 

It’s just like the prescription glasses where you hold onto it while you're “testing” the new pair but then the idea of “holding on to while you're waiting” then turns into forgetting about them and never remembering to discard them.

11. Makeup

A lot of people don't realize that makeup actually does expire, but in general, we tend to collect makeup. There are so many different shades and colors and styles. We often forget to go back and declutter the things that we're not using anymore; especially makeup. You can see how I reduced my collection by 50% in this post.

12. Jewelry

If you have those earrings that are missing their partner, (kind of like the socks) and you haven't been able to find the other earring; no matter how beautiful the remaining earring is - you're never going to use it. It’s time to get rid of everything missing their pair (or is broken). To help, you can check out my post all about decluttering and repurposing jewelry.

13. Paint Cans 

When you painted your bedroom or when you bought a new can of paint and painted your kitchen cabinets, then you proceed to hold on to these paint cans and are sure it’s a great idea to have for a while. Still, eventually, the paint does go bad.

14. Sunglasses

How many times are you digging through a drawer and coming across three pairs of old sunglasses? We'll use them for the summer and then the seasons change and we stop using them. Then the next year we buy another pair. 

It’s time to throw them away especially if they have scratches all over them. 

15. Old Batteries

Old batteries mixed in with the good batteries; we've all experienced it before. However, we need to be sure to declutter the not-so-good batteries. I think that a lot of the times we get tripped up with when we're testing different batteries and you can't remember which is good and which is bad. Then we can forget to go back and declutter any unused batteries, not realizing bad are mixed in with good (until the moment when we need them!)

 16. Pet Supplies

It can be easy to remember the ones that are always in your face, like the toys that are falling apart that you just throw away as they start to break; remember things like sweaters, extra leashes, and light-up reflectors. 

It can be hard to remember to go through and update your pet supplies and make sure that you're only keeping what you're still using, but we must remember to do it. 

17. Pictures

Physical photos can start to add up, or even digital photos, especially nowadays where we're snapping pictures all the time with our phones, like every time you eat something or go somewhere or see someone. Then these photos will start to back up on the cloud and we often forget to go back and make sure that the photos that we have on there are worth keeping. You can see how I keep my pictures off my phone in this Youtube video.

18. Documents

Government documents, tax documents, etc. You only need to keep your tax documents for seven years. Even then, it doesn't have to be the physical copy. I have all of my tax documents uploaded online and backed up. Literally, all of our paper documents from the house fit inside of one zipper binder.

19. Email Folders

I have different folders for every type of email I'm likely to receive. So coupons, financial receipts, and everything else that I might receive a regular email about, I probably have a folder for it. However, I have to remember occasionally to go through and clear out those folders. 

20. Flower Pots 

I've moved into many places, apartments, and houses, where flower pots were left behind, such as old cracked flower pots that haven't been used in years. I think this is one of those “out of sight out of mind” types of items, especially for people who aren't avid gardeners who are most likely to collect and have all of these flower pots that are not being used. 

21. Hats

Baseball caps that we've collected for summer or for different sporting events or activities that we've gone to, or how about those fedoras that were cool (for like two uses) that you don't wear anymore. We often forget to go back and declutter the hats that we're not using. 

22. Luggage and Travel Cases

Perhaps the hinges or zippers are broken, but many times people feel bad about getting rid of luggage, even luggage that's damaged or doesn't work (and they know they're not going to use it) because it feels wasteful. So don't forget to check where your luggage is stowed away and make sure that you have an actively working set. 

23. Coupons and Receipts

Those coupons can expire so quickly, so a week later, it might be time to declutter them already. Also, where are you storing all of your receipts? Do you have them wadded up in some kind of a zipper in your purse or at the bottom of your wallet or crammed into some little pocket somewhere? 

Please be sure to take the time to go through and declutter those things so they don't begin to build up.

24. Pots and Pans

Wouldn't it be great if you had only pots and pans that you loved? Unfortunately, we so often have extra pots and pans that have the scratched Teflon that you'll never use because it's going to get the little black bits of Teflon in it. Perhaps it’s just an odd shape and doesn't work with any of the dishes you actively make? 

Either way, be sure to go through and de-clutter any of those pots and pans that you're not actively using.

25. Pens 

I like to have good quality, sturdy pens. I hate to grab a pen and find that it doesn't work. When that happened you've got to toss it and search for another one that does work. You might as well just declutter the pens that you're not using or are no longer working.

26. Sunblock

Last year’s sunblock has been sitting in the cabinet and you didn't use it all winter; now it's expired. Sunblocks are one of those things that you usually need to buy an updated version of every year because they can stop working properly. Don't forget to declutter the old sunblock from your cabinet.

27. Manuals

Sometimes it's good to hold onto a manual when you first get a new piece of equipment to make sure that you know how it's functioning. I held onto my instant pot manual for a good two weeks to make sure that I had all of the settings down. 

At some point, you become pretty confident with whatever it is that you're trying to use; plus most of the manuals are available online. Getting the information you need is often effortless to get.

28. Holiday or Greeting Cards

These are difficult for many people to get rid of because they feel guilty, as the card was something someone gave to them (and for many people it sounds mean to throw something like this away.) Instead, they'll store it in a drawer or box but then won't remember to go back and go through those cards and get rid of the super old ones. 

So whatever amount of time you feel comfortable holding on to your greeting cards, thank you, cards, and holiday cards are totally fine, but you must remember to go back and sift through those cards and eventually throw out those that have passed their acceptable “hold onto time”.

29. Remote Controls

I want to empower you to declutter any remote controls that are no longer being used. These could be remote controls that you don't even remember what they belong to or those that no longer have appliances. 

We have remote controls for everything, right?  So be sure to go through and make sure that the remote controls that you have are functional and have a corresponding device that they work for.

So that's it! Those are your 29 reminders of things to not forget to declutter! If you're struggling with getting any of the clutter out the door, then I want to direct you to my free master class, where I share my holistic clutter-free formula.