8 Household Items to Purge in 2020

Look through your closet and ditch stretched-out or damaged items, old costume pieces, painful shoes you know you won’t wear again, and bridesmaid gowns. While you’re at it, look at the pile you were tentative about getting rid of last year and let it go. Look for local organizations to donate usable pieces or find a recycling option for items that cannot be reused.

Do you really need a dozen sets of sheets or those four old pillows you keep around just in case? Most likely, not. If they’re beyond their lifespan, damaged, unable to be cleaned, or just not your style anymore, recycle or donate them if possible. See our Lifespan of Bedroom Products article for more tips on reclaiming space in your bedroom and linen closet.

Whether they’re leftover packets from take-out, jars lurking in a cabinet, or bottles hanging out in the door of the fridge, throw away expired sauces, dressings, and spices along with items you bought for just one recipe and never opened again.

A paperclip here, a screw there, a handful of rubber bands – if they’re not contained, get them organized or relegate them to the trash.

You bought that donut pan two years ago and still haven’t used it? You have 14 random pint glasses? Storage containers but no matching lids? Free up some cabinet space by getting rid of cookware, dishes, and drinkware that you haven’t touched in quite some time. Throw away or recycle damaged items, and donate usable pieces to a shelter or resale shop.

You have permission to keep a couple for rags, but mismatched, faded, or damaged towels – or bath linens that clash with your color scheme or current taste – can move on to a better life. Check with your local animal shelter for donation options. See our Lifespan of Bathroom Products article for more tips on keeping your bathroom in top shape.

Check makeup and toiletry containers for suggested expiration dates – if you don’t remember buying it or it’s long past its prime, let it go. Same goes for lipstick that didn’t quite look right, the tail end of that bottle of moisturizer you swear you’ll cut open and use (you haven’t yet!), and eye shadows more suited for the cast of “Glow” than everyday life in 2020.

Go through those boxes and bins of scrap paper, balls of yarn, sequins, and pompoms. If you didn’t use them in 2019, what’s the likelihood you’ll use them this year? Pull individual pages from old magazines you may want to refer to later, then donate these leftovers to a daycare, school, or nursing home where they can find a new life in someone else’s projects.