50 Things You Should “Throw Away” Today + Free Printable Checklist

Have you ever looked at clutter and thought, “I’ll turn this into something cool someday” or “I’ll list it on eBay eventually”? I’ve been there, too—but it’s usually just me procrastinating. If you’ve held onto items for six months or more without acting, it’s time to let them go. Check out my list of “things you should throw away” to get started. Trust me, parting with what no longer serves you can bring a refreshing sense of clarity to your home!

Before you get all offended for the environment, hear me out. I am not advocating trashing perfectly good things or filling your car and going to the dump unnecessarily. I’ve gotten emails about this because someone misses what I’m saying and thinks I’m telling them to just pile everything into the landfill. That’s not true at all.

What I am saying is, below you will find a list of 50 things that you can part with (appropriately trash, donate, or recycle) guilt-free because they are not serving a purpose in YOUR home anymore and they’re adding to your stress.  Stress you really don’t need at the moment. Stress that is completely unnecessary because you can do something about it.  Got it? Clear? 

Okay, here goes the list…

50 Things You Should “Throw Away” Immediately!

1. Worn out shoes (you can recycle them at Nike stores to have them turned into Nike Grind material)
2. Old glasses (you can donate them at most optometrists)
3. Take-out menus
4. Toys your kids don’t play with anymore
5. Old tech devices (VHS player, cassette player, etc.)
6. Socks without matches
7. Old newspapers and magazines
8. Broken jewelry and earrings without a matching pair
9. Expired food- don’t forget to check your freezer along with your fridge and pantry. No food stays good forever!
10. Old makeup
11. Expired medicine/vitamins (check the FDA’s website for details on how to safely dispose of medicines)
12. Half-finished craft projects
13. Craft supply scraps
14. Cleaning rags (you really only need a few since you can wash them)
15. Worn out towels (if you don’t have enough cleaning rags, you can cut one towel up into rags, but get rid of the rest)
16. Product boxes- keep them for up to 3 months in case you’ll have to make a return, then get rid of them. Exceptions would be expensive tech devices that you may want to later resell with the box (like a smartphone or game system).
17. Broken or damaged hair ties
18. Old video games
19. Dead batteries (be sure to check your area’s battery recycling options specifically for rechargeable batteries)
20. Old board games (especially if they’re missing pieces)
21. Extra holiday decor (if you haven’t put it out in 2 years, it’s time for it to go!)
22. Decor that doesn’t match your home anymore
23. Extra calendars
24. Old cookware/bakeware
25. Duplicate or broken kitchen tools
26. Old clothes
27. Expired coupons
28. Used up/dried out pens, highlighters, and markers
29. Pet toys that your pet doesn’t play with, or that are broken
30. Old pet clothes/collars that don’t fit your pet anymore, or that are broken
31. Expired pet medications (vet offices are happy to take back many medicines that your pet no longer needs, especially flea/tick and heartworm medicine)
32. Completed school projects
33. Old backpacks
34. Unused or filled notebooks and binders
35. Cards and invitations (either file them away in a keepsake binder or get rid of them)
36. Burned out light bulbs
37. Flash drives (transfer anything useful to the cloud first)
38. Extra headphones
39. Excess phone cases (especially if they don’t fit your current phone)
40. Duplicate computer accessories (mice, keyboards, etc.)
41. Extra cords and cables
42. Random nails, nuts, bolts, and screws
43. Scrap wood (if you don’t have a distinct project in mind for it, get rid of it!)
44. Manuals for products you don’t have any more
45. Random keychains
46. Hotel toiletries
47. Extra flower pots
48. Beauty products that you didn’t like (you can donate these to local homeless shelters and women’s shelters)
49. Unraveled gift bows
50. Wrapping paper scraps (if the amount of paper is too small to wrap most gifts, get rid of it!)

Phew! That’s quite a list!

Free Printable Checklist

To help you remember all the things you should throw away today as you go through your home, here is a handy decluttering checklist printable! As soon as an item is the trash, recycling bin, or donation bin, check it off of your list.

You’ll feel very accomplished when the list is all checked off, and your home will feel so much lighter without all the extra stuff!

Decluttering doesn’t have to be overwhelming; it’s an opportunity to reclaim your space and reduce stress. So grab the “no-brainer” things-to-throw-away checklist I created above, and embrace the freedom that comes from a lighter, more organized home. Remember, every little step counts, and you deserve to enjoy your space to the fullest!

How often do you do a big decluttering session? Or do you prefer to do smaller, more frequent decluttering bursts? Let me know in the comments below!