Six Things to Get Rid Of Before the New Year

Many of us try to get organised for the New Year, so we can begin focusing on our goals. While decluttering typically happens in February, it’s worthwhile getting a jump start before the old year ends. We have a few tips you can use to decide what needs to go before the new year begins.

Why is decluttering important?

Decluttering is a sign of self-care that can reduce anxiety, improve mood, and bolster productivity. When you declutter, it helps you to organise your time, the physical space, and what to prioritise. You’ll have less cleaning, more energy to focus on your passions, and less stress.

Six things you should consider getting rid of before the end of the year.

Clothing and hair accessories: Although it is potentially daunting, taking out what you no longer wear or need allows you to focus on what you enjoy wearing. You might find this activity challenging to decide what items to remove from your wardrobe, so commit some time to this task. Focus on garments you have not worn over time or no longer fit well. Check for hair and body accessories that might be damaged or broken. You can donate garments that are in optimal condition to charity.

Old or stained tablecloths, dishtowels, and hand towels: There are many parties, dinners, and other festivities during the holidays. While cleaning up, you might notice badly stained tablecloths, hand towels, or damaged dishtowels. Do a quick inventory and pay attention to those that might also be overused. You should throw out the ones that are irreparably stained or damaged.

Toys, books, and clothes your kids have outgrown: Your kids can help you with selecting the clothes and toys they no longer need. Including your children in this activity teaches them responsibility and how to be charitable to others. You can donate the books to other children, a library, or a school. Decluttering helps you to organise their room or play area, so you can easily find the things they need for school or play dates.

Gifts you’ve never used: We’ve all gotten a gift that we were not fond of or never had the opportunity to use. When doing your inventory, you might realise that you have several of the same items. Gift-giving is a big part of the holidays, and you might have several unused gifts taking up valuable storage space in your home. Instead of keeping these gifts, regift them to others who will appreciate your kindness.

Old pillows: Our couches get a facelift with new throw pillows or cushions for the holidays. Sadly, we typically overlook the pillows on our beds. New pillows can help with better sleep posture, quality of sleep, and reduce muscle tension. If you don’t want to throw out your old pillows, donate them to your dog, cat, or a local shelter. After all the partying and late nights during the holidays, a new pillow is a great way to wake up to a new year!

Old containers and shopping bags: If your kitchen cabinets have a lot of plastic containers and old shopping bags, it is time to declutter. Those old containers you had take-out food from a restaurant in have served their purpose. You may have held on to them for when you are hosting so you can pack leftovers or give your guests food to take home, but you don’t need that many. Removing excess shopping bags and old stained containers creates valuable storage space you will need.

Old charging cords: Dedicating a drawer for storing chargers and other electrical cords can reduce the risk of tangled cords at electrical sockets. However, keeping a bunch of chargers that you don’t use is holding on to clutter. Test the cords with the items to see if they still work; if not, throw them out. You can donate the charger that still works to someone in need.

We hope these tips help. To make the process of decluttering easier, try targeting one task each day. If you enjoyed this article, head to Find Yello, click on the Articles tab, and then select Lifestyle for other informative articles packed with tips you can use.

Sources: House Beautiful, Bob Villa, Real Simple, Deliberately Here, and Redbook.