A new year means a fresh start. While it may feel like you have an entire year ahead of you to declutter your home, the best time to do it is before the ball drops in Times Square. Here are the top 10 things you should declutter to start off the new year with the right mindset and in a tidy home.
Declutter for the New Year:
10 Things to Organize
1. Tupperware
You know the drawer. It’s the one you can barely close full of takeout containers, some of which are probably cracked and unusable. First, take everything out of the drawer. Match every container with the correct lid. Throw out any that don’t have a match. Next, examine each piece for cracks or warping. If anything is unusable, throw that out too. Lastly, take a look at all of the containers you have. Do you have more than you can realistically use? Cut it down to a reasonable size; throw out any takeout containers you don’t need to keep and donate in-good-condition Tupperware. Put everything remaining back in an organized manner and try to keep the drawer tidy throughout the year.
2. Pantry
Most people have at least one expired product in their pantry (and it’s probably a spice). Did you know while spices don’t necessarily expire, they start to lose their flavor 6 months after opening? Go through your spices and get rid of any you can’t remember buying within the last year. Toss out any other expired products lurking in the back of your pantry. Make a list of what you’ve thrown out so you can replace them during your next grocery trip.
3. Junk Drawer
Admit it: your home has one somewhere and is long overdue for a declutter. Go through it and throw out any trash. Pare down the 100 rubber bands to a reasonable 50. Find the multiple pairs of scissors you been looking for all year and put them in the front of the drawer. As you put everything back in the drawer, consider using a drawer divider to maintain organization as you grab and go from the junk drawer.
4. Linen Closet
The linen closet is a catchall for fitted sheets that have lost their elasticity and towels long past their prime. Take a good look at all of your towels and sheets, creating a separate pile for what you no longer use or is unusable. If parts are still usable, you can cut them up for cleaning rags. Whatever can’t be repurposed, get rid of it.
5. Magazines
You know those magazines you subscribed to years ago? Do you read any of them or are they collecting dust in your living room? If you do read them, great! Keep reading and recycle them as you go. If you don’t, get rid of them. You’re not going to make any of those recipes from 2003. After you recycle your old magazines, unsubscribe from what you’re not consistently reading anymore to avoid another magazine pile up and declutter next year.
6. Makeup
Did you know makeup has an expiration date? Most expires 6-12 months after it’s been exposed to the air and in contact with your skin. Using non expired products not only gives you a smoother makeup application; it also lowers your chances of acne. Go through your make up and throw out anything older than 6-12 months. If you can’t find an explicit expiration date on the product, check the back for an icon of a little round container with a number. This indicates how many months the product is good for after opening.
7. Winter Clothing
In a few months, you’ll be getting your wardrobe ready for warmer, spring weather. Don’t put your winter clothing back in storage without decluttering it first. Are there any pieces you no longer wear? How many pairs of jeans and coats still fit your kids? Donate anything you don’t wear, throw out anything too ratty to donate, and mend anything in need of repair before putting it in storage for the next 8 months.
If your wardrobe is desperate for a full declutter, check out our closet decluttering post for tips on how to get started.
8. Toys
If you have kids, they might have acquired a few more toys during the holidays when their current collection is already overflowing. Round off this season of giving with a lesson or reminder. Sit down with your kids and their toy box, talk about what they don’t realistically play with anymore, and show them the benefits of donating their unused toys. Then take the toys to your local charity together.
9. Your Inbox
While a cluttered inbox isn’t something physical you see, you do interact with it almost daily. Unanswered emails and online shopping receipts can secretly add to mental stress. Go through your inbox and delete junk mail, respond to any unanswered emails, and sort emails you need to keep into their respective folders. Future you will be so grateful past you decided to start the new year with 0 emails in your inbox.
10. Holiday Decor
Before you pack away your holiday decorations for the year, sort through what you have. Are there any you didn’t put up this year? Maybe you have a few pieces you’d like to swap out for something new next year. Get rid of what you don’t want or need now so you don’t have to go through it in 10 months.
After completing your declutter for the new year, you may have a large pile that needs to be taken to a donation center or thrown out altogether. If you’re looking to save some time, give Moving U & Junk U a call. Our junk removal crews provide friendly, professional removal services. We’ll get your items where they need to go whether that’s to a local charity or a recycling facility. We’ll take care of all the heavy lifting for you and make your unwanted items disappear so you can start your new year feeling declutter-ed and organized.
3 Steps For Quick And Easy Junk Removal For Your New Year Declutter
- Get Your Price
Our all inclusive pricing is volume based. We’ll give you an estimate for your removal ahead of time so you know what to expect on the day of your pick up. - Schedule Your Junk Removal
We know you probably want this junk removed as soon as possible, so we’ll always try to accommodate with same or next day service. But even if you’re planning removal for a month from now, give us a call, text, or email. We’ll schedule your junk removal so you don’t have to worry about it. - Say Goodbye To Your Old Junk
Our friendly junk removal crew will give you a call half an hour before your arrival window to let you know what time you should expect them. They’re also trained movers, so they can safely remove the junk from your home. Wherever it is–basement, living room, loft–we’ll remove it from there. You won’t have to lift a finger (except maybe to show us where the junk is located).
Bonus Step:
If you have any other items you need removed, we can remove them along with your holiday clutter. Some of our most popular removed items are:
Ready to get your junk removal quote? Give us a call or text at 484-301-2442 or email us at info@movingujunku.com
