15 Things You Can Get Rid Of Right Now To Instantly Make Your Home Prettier And Less Messy
Springtime is approaching, and during this time of year, people tend to declutter their homes — and there are very specific but simple things you can do if you want a cleaner and prettier home.
If you’re a big fan of HGTV-type shows, then you probably get inspired to go through everything in your house and organize it every once in a while. Sometimes even with a clean space, things still feel messy. There are several easy ways to up your cleaning and organizing game, and they will make all the difference. Here are 15 different things you can do that will make your home feel even prettier and decluttered.
1. Wire Hangers
If you’re rearranging and organizing your closet space, one way to make the space look more appealing and clean is to get rid of the wire hangers and purchase all matching hangers. Velvet or wooden hangers are beautiful and non-slip options.
2. Donate Old Shoes and Clothes
Really, before you can do too much deep cleaning, you have to get rid of anything old or useless. We’re all guilty of occasionally hoarding too many clothes and shoes that we no longer wear. Go through your closet, pick out the things you don’t want anymore, and donate them or trash them, depending on their condition.
3. Lonely Socks
Along with donating your old clothes and shoes, throw away the socks that are no longer a pair. I'm still not sure how it happens, but somehow socks get separated from their matches, and they never show up again!
4. Old Air Filters
Air filters are easily one of the most overlooked things in the house. But every few months they are supposed to be replaced, and if they aren’t, they will start looking dirty and make the air you're breathing dirty too.
5. Expired Makeup and Skincare
No, you aren’t one day just going to decide you want to wear that old, cheap lipstick you bought one time. Just get rid of it. And go through all your makeup and skincare to see what has expired.
6. Medication
If your medicine cabinet is starting to look like you might be an 80 year old with a bunch of health issues, then it’s probably time to clean out the cabinet. Medication also expires or if you don’t use it anymore, dispose of it properly.
7. DVDs and CDs
How many people still own a DVD or CD player? If you’re a young GenZer, then you might not even know what these things are. Unless you’re actively using the DVDs or CDs, why keep them around?
8. Expired Food Items
The kitchen isn't the most fun thing in the house to declutter, but you will feel so refreshed after you do it. Any food in the pantry or fridge that is expired should be thrown away. You can also buy those clear organizing containers to put everything in its place and make it look nice and clean. It's also a good idea to wipe down the shelves while you’re at it.
9. Junk Mail
I'm shocked that we're in 2023 and still getting junk mail! Stop leaving it laying around on the counter and throw it in the trash! This also applies to magazines that you've finished reading.
10. Useless Electronic Plugs and Chargers
Are you a plug hoarder? That random plug that you don’t know what it goes with can just be trashed. You most likely already have a replacement for it if you even use it at all.
11. Your Expired Bath and Body Works Products
I’m attacking myself with this one, because people always give me these products for holidays, and I never use all of them! In fact, I’m starting to gravitate toward more natural products now, so I rarely use the old stuff. No matter what brand it is, if you have old body wash products just laying around, then clear them out.
12. Old Toys, Games with Missing Pieces
This might apply the most to those who have children, but if you’re keeping old toys and things with missing parts, just get rid of them. Your kids have already moved on to the next phase, and they're probably not using something that's broken anyway. The same thing applies to decks of cards or board games with missing cards.
13. Cardboard Boxed Items
For your food pantry items, you can make the space look way better by eliminating the cardboard boxes and using a clear glass jar or container in its place. It takes a little extra effort when putting groceries away, but it looks so clean. Plus, you'll be able to see at a glance what needs to be restocked.
14. Organize Your Food Containers
I’m referring to your Tupperware items here. After some time, this turns into a sock situation. We lose a lid, or get so many different size containers that we have a cluttered space. Clean out the ones you don't use and keep the sizes organized with their respective lids.
15. Appliance Manuals and Electronic Original Packaging
Still saving your iPhone box? Why? I was also doing this until someone brought it to my attention that there’s really no point. Throw away all your device’s packaging and appliance manuals because you can google instructions for anything these days.
Closing Thoughts
If you’re someone who is super satisfied when seeing things clean and organized, then you will benefit from these little changes. You don’t realize how much the small changes impact your space. It’s easy to let things get cluttered, but it’s never too late to get organized.
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