Old makeup, medicine, kids’ artwork (yup)! 10 Items you can toss! #SpringClean

Have you seen me lately? No? Oh, that’s because I’m at home buried under a mountain of mismatched Tupperware and ugly coffee mugs that my bloated kitchen cabinets just heaved onto the floor. What the…where did all of this come from?

It’s time. Time to purge. Spring cleaning is here! It sounds like a chore but man, you’ll feel 100lbs. lighter when you’re done. See this list below? Show no mercy and get rid of it.

1. Medicine

I bet if you were to go through your over-the-counter and prescription medicine bin, about 50% of the items would be expired. Declutter your medicine cabinet and throw away all damaged and/or out of date items.

2. Old Makeup

Do you have one of those makeup drawers that contains 15 different color eye shadows (“What if I have a special event to go to and I’m wearing green?”), brand-new ugly lipsticks, not-your-shade powders and perfume samples left over from the 90’s? If you haven’t used it in over six months, toss it in the garbage. Toss it!

3. Kids’ Artwork

Of course every piece of artwork your child ever did is a masterpiece. But that doesn’t mean you need to keep it. If it’s not something you want to put on the wall or save in a portfolio, sneak it into the garbage (and bury it deep). And, this is the hardest part—dismiss the guilt because this doesn’t make you a bad parent. Besides, you know that one day you’re going to show boxes of artwork to your now-grown children who will say to you, “Why did you keep all this junk?”

4. Spices

If your pantry is overflowing with spice bottles, it’s time to clean house. Dried spices DO have an expiration date, (except cinnamon) so give each bottle a whiff and if you’re not receiving a powerful aroma in return, trash it. No smell = no taste.

5. Vases

Nothing fills up kitchen cabinets like old vases. You really only need three sizes—large, medium and a bud vase. Donate everything else! My “large vase” is also my “juice pitcher” so how’s that for multi-tasking.

6. Plastic Tupperware Containers

If your house is anything like mine, I suspect that plastic containers have a secret life (probably hanging out with those AWOL socks and mittens). How else can you explain why so many lids and bottoms don’t match up? Take five minutes and pair up each lid and bottom in your cabinet. The mismatched ones have a new home. The recycle bin. See ya!

7. Coffee Mugs

Another item that hogs valuable cupboard space: coffee mugs. Everyone has a favorite mug, so keep those and about five more. The rest can be donated to a thrift shop. (PS: Do not save your mugs for a garage sale. No one buys mugs at a garage sale.)

8. Kitchen Utensils

Is your utensil drawer so full you can barely open and close it? Over time, we all end up collecting duplicates of things. Let me be clear—there is no reason to have four different citrus reamers. Empty your utensil drawer onto the counter (you’ll be surprised what was buried in there!). Select one item for each tool, then place it back into the drawer. Keeping duplicates of certain items is ok (different sized rubber spatulas, frequently used wooden spoons, etc.). Place the leftover tools into a box with all those extra coffee mugs and send it off to the thrift store.

9. Single Items That Used to Have a Match

You know those items in your home that have led the single life for some time now and are waiting to be reunited with their mates? That one sock or solo mitten? Face it, it’s not coming back. Ever. Do yourself a favor and dispose of the other one so that you can spare yourself the angst you feel every time you look at it.

10. The Dirty Underwear Gang

If you were ever rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night for an emergency appendectomy (this happened to me), would you be horrified by the underwear you had on? Be honest, you know there’s at least two or three or four pair in your drawer that simply aren’t fit for human consumption. Gather up those grungy unmentionables and get rid of them. This also provides you with an excellent excuse to buy some new ones. Caching!

How do you keep your environment clutter-free? Share your tips with us!

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