Expert reveals what to keep (and toss) when decluttering your home.

1. Duplicates: TOSS

“It’s ok to have two or three spatulas, but you do not need 12 (unless you are running a catering business out of your home),” says Beth. “Same goes for any kitchen item, especially pots, and pans. Even for those special occasions when you have to cook a lot, you don’t need four of the same-size frying pan.”

You may also find that you have duplicate sets of linen and towels. “I don’t think you need more than two sets of sheets per bed and two towels per person living in a home,” says Beth. “I personally only own one set of sheets for my bed, one bath towel, and two hand towels plus a few beach towels for me. I maintain one extra for when I have company staying with me, but that’s it.” 

2. Original essential documents: KEEP 

Even if you store everything on your computer hard drive or in the cloud, it’s worth keeping some documents — especially the originals. These include: 

• birth certificate
• marriage certificate
• divorce decree
• wills or any other estate planning documents
• anything related to the purchase or sale of a property 

“I keep a ‘go box’ of these types of documents so that if I ever have to leave my home quickly or I become incapacitated, myself or my family can quickly get to whatever they need,” says Beth. 

3. Other documents: TOSS

It’s good to keep some original documents, but there are other important documents that you don’t need to physically keep.

“We live in a digital world, and there is just no reason to keep any bills, statements, letters, etc.,” says Beth. “File cabinets just take up too much space.”

But what if the Internet goes down one day, and you won’t be able to access something when you really need it? 

“I promise you, if the Internet ever disappears completely, it won’t matter where you stored anything — our world as we know it can no longer function without the Internet,” says Beth. “I am not saying that to freak you out. The world keeps turning on its axis, and we have no control over some things in life. So just breathe through the fear, and believe it is a waste of energy.” 

4. Sentimental items: KEEP

“Some people attach a lot of emotion to everything they own, and I never want to tell them they have to get rid of anything that apparently means a lot to them,” says Beth. “So, I always recommend trying to divide up those sentimental items into categories like:

• I must see this every day.
• I only need this for certain occasions.
• I never use it or look at it, but I still want to remember it.”

After you decide what is and isn’t sentimental, you may be able to find creative ways to still hold on to them. For example, you can take photos of the items to keep them in your memories. 

“I often suggest with the photos that they create a collage or some type of memory book, which are really easy to make online now through various websites,” says Beth. “For all of those ‘I can never get rid of these T-shirts’ situations, I highly recommend making a T-shirt quilt.” 

5. Magazines and newspapers: TOSS

“Again, everything is online. So if you are keeping a bunch of cooking magazines from the 1980s, it really is time to toss them,” says Beth. 

But maybe there’s a recipe (or other exclusive content) in several magazines that make you want to keep it. If so, you must create a system that isn’t just shoving them into a drawer. If the magazines are unorganized, then what’s the point of keeping them? You’ll probably have a hard time locating that recipe you’ve held on to.

“And if you happen to be someone who has saved newspapers as historical memories, I would say scan the articles/pages that are important to you and either give them to a library (some will still take them) or just recycle them,” said Beth. “The actual paper will start to disintegrate, collect dust, possibly get moldy from sitting in a basement or garage, etc. So bottom line: it is not healthy to have those items lying around.”

6. Baby and children’s items: KEEP

“If you are still deciding if you are going to have more children, you are probably wanting to keep all of the paraphernalia you bought for the first one,” says Beth. “But storing it for more than a few years may become problematic, so consider lending all of it out to friends or family having babies with the promise that they will return it should you need it again.”

But what if you’re done having children, and you want to keep your kids’ clothes and use them as hand-me-downs for your younger kids? After all, it’s a smart way to save money. “Be sure that you don’t save things that are stained, torn, or otherwise unsightly,” says Beth.

You should also consider whether your younger children can fit into the used clothing and whether it suits their taste and personal style. 

7. Cords: TOSS

“Oh, those cords we all collect whenever we get a new electronic device or appliance. And when we get rid of the device or appliance, somehow the cords don’t leave with them — and they end up in a box or bin, multiplying like rabbits,” says Beth.

You might try to convince yourself that you need to hold onto those electrical cords, cables, and wires just in case you really need them someday. But if you haven’t found a use for those cords, what are the odds you eventually will? 

Get rid of them by dropping them off at an appliance store or recycling them.

8. Anything that brings you joy: KEEP

“Yes, it has become a bit of a cliche to say that, but it really is true,” says Beth. “You should always feel like you are surrounded by things that give you a sense of calm and happiness.”

There’s a caveat, though: you shouldn’t save so much stuff that you can’t see your counters or floors. 

“That is clutter. And clutter, by definition, brings chaos to one’s life,” explains Beth. If you hold on to many, many items that bring you joy, “just try to remember that external clutter will eventually create internal clutter and vice versa. So maintaining the right balance of ‘stuff’ in your life is important — or you will feel the burden eventually.”

A decluttering and home organizing service can help you take control of your home.

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