It is very easy to accumulate a lot of useless objects during a year. From makeup to papers, to toys and all kinds of knick-knacks that take space and don’t serve a real purpose other than weighing you down. After all, we all tend to over-consume. We fear that we might need it later, or simply have a hard time letting go of objects of all kind. It is, therefore, a good thing, once spring arrives, to go around your house and get rid of a few objects. No wonder spring cleaning has been a tradition for decades. But it can be a strenuous task and it can be hard to know where to start… And where to stop.
So as not to throw out anything you see in your path and regret it the next day, we have prepared for you the ultimate guide in order to have a successful spring cleaning. Here are 15 things to throw out during your spring cleaning because owning things is great, but owning only useful things is better.
1. Sort through your electronics
Take the time to sort through your various electronic devices. You probably have some old remote controls, cameras, or phone chargers which you can get rid of. Find out if you can recycle your old electronics before throwing them in the garbage.
2. Papers
We tend to accumulate instruction manuals, bills as well as various guarantees, even if they are very old. Know that many instruction manuals now find themselves on businesses websites, so you can put all these papers in the recycling as well as your old grocery receipts.
3. Incomplete board games
If you have board games with missing pieces, don’t keep them. You can’t play Clue without Colonel Mustard! Or play Monopoly without the Peace Avenue! You should make space in your house and recycle all these games you don’t use anymore.
4. Pens or highlighters that don’t work anymore, unused supplies and wrinkled wrapping paper
Sort all your office supplies. You probably have pens that don’t work anymore, highlighters that are dried up, or some creased tissue paper. When they are mixed together they can take up a lot of space. It is best to throw them out, even to recycle them, once and for all!
5. Clothes
Clean out your wardrobe. You probably have clothes that are too big for you or too small. You probably have some clothes you could get rid of because they aren’t trendy anymore or you’ve changed your style. Why not give them away to a second-hand store? You will make someone happy and you’ll have added space in your wardrobe.
6. Old makeup and other beauty products
It is best to throw out products you’ve had for too long. Especially those that you use on your face and that risk giving you blemishes. Face powders keep well, but not creams or foundations that haven’t been used for many years.
7. Dictionaries and old magazines
If you are like my grandmother, having charming books and old dictionaries make it hard to throw them out and replace them with electronic ones. However, if you only use online dictionaries, there’s no reason why you should keep a collection of them.
8. Your collection of old towels
Are you really going to go to work with a yellowed shirt (that used to be white)? The answer is no. You can transform your shirt into a cloth or throw it out. You can also get rid of old towels that are only accumulating dust in your linen closet right now.
9. Old lighters that are taking up space. They don’t work? Throw them out!
If you have a collection of lighters in one of your drawers, clean it out and get rid of those that don’t work anymore.
10. Utensils and other surplus tools, household products you have in double
No, you don’t need two can openers nor utensils bought on the spur of the moment that finally, were gadgets you never took out of the packaging and that are still in the back of the drawer. It is the same battle for the tools and household products bought because of ads and that was finally useless or unused: give them away!
11. VHS
Not many people still have the adequate material to play VHSs. If you have tons of old movies that are only collecting dust (and take too much space in your drawers) it is best to get rid of them. If there is no family footage, rare or valuable films that you wish to transfer on a DVD: Get rid of them!
12. Medication
There is no use in keeping all of your old expired medication. Verify the expiry date on the medication you often use. For the meds whose use you’re not sure of or those that are for rare diseases, you don’t throw them out in the garbage or the toilet! Pharmacists have an obligation to take back freely your old unused medication and syringes.
13. Old sports equipment, school objects and children’s toys
Your child had a ton of toys or sports equipment when she was 10 years old? Now that she’s 17, everything is kept in a corner in the basement and it takes up a lot of space. Give or sell everything you don’t use anymore in a garage sale. There’s no use in keeping all these toys.
14. Shopping bags
We constantly buy some and we end up with a huge collection. Next time, keep some in your car and/or in your purse, and few at home.
15. Vases and other unused home decorations
Do you have a collection of vases or decorative objects stowed in a box because you find them outdated, but you don’t want to let go of the just yet because you’re not sure if they will come back in style one day? We have great news for you: you can give them away without feeling any remorse. Chances are very low that your vases from the 70s will come back in style. Make yourself happy, free some space in your wardrobe and offer these objetcs to a second hand store.
Source :
Astuces de Grand-Mère
