10 Things in Your Home Office to Throw Away Today

Your home office should be a space that helps you focus and get things done—not a cluttered mess that slows you down. If you’re constantly searching for lost papers, drowning in old gadgets, or holding onto items “just in case,” it’s time for a refresh.

Decluttering your workspace can boost productivity, reduce stress, and even make your office feel more inviting. Here are ten things you should toss today to reclaim your space and work more efficiently.

Old Charging Cables

Let’s talk about that drawer of tangled charging cables – you know the one. Mine was a nest of outdated Mini-USB cables, frayed iPhone cords from three generations ago, and countless unidentified adapters.

Here’s the reality: if you haven’t used a cable in six months, you likely never will. Those old Nokia chargers and 30-pin iPod cables aren’t “vintage” – they’re obsolete. I kept only one current cable for each device, plus a single backup. Everything else? Electronic recycling. My drawer now closes properly, and I can actually find what I need.

Instruction Manuals

That towering stack of product manuals was my security blanket for years. From my printer’s 200-page guide to manuals for devices I no longer owned, I kept them all “just in case.” But let’s be honest – when was the last time you actually opened a paper manual instead of Googling the solution?

After scanning the few truly important ones (like my ergonomic chair’s assembly guide) and recycling the rest, I reclaimed an entire shelf. Every manual I’ve needed since has been available online, usually in a more updated version.

Dried-Out Markers and Pens

My collection of writing implements was embarrassing – cups full of dried-out markers, pens that barely wrote, and highlighters that had seen better days. The “pen test” session was eye-opening: over 60% of my writing tools were non-functional, yet I kept moving them around my desk for years.

Now I maintain a small selection of quality pens and markers in a single cup, replacing them when they stop performing. The difference in my daily workflow is remarkable – no more frustrated scribbling with dead pens during important calls.

Ancient Technology

The “vintage” tech corner of my office was a museum of outdated devices: a 2009 netbook, three generations of tablets, and a scanner that required a parallel port. My justification? “They might be useful someday.”

Reality check: technology that’s more than 5-7 years old is usually more burden than backup. After properly wiping and recycling these devices, my office feels lighter, and my mind clearer. Keep only the technology you’ve used in the last year – everything else is digital deadweight.

Business Cards

That stack of business cards from pre-pandemic networking events was gathering dust on my desk. In an age of LinkedIn and digital contact sharing, these paper rectangles are largely obsolete. I spent an afternoon digitizing the important contacts and letting go of the rest.

Now, instead of rifling through hundreds of cards, I have a searchable digital database that’s actually useful. The few cards I do receive now get digitized immediately – no more “I’ll organize these later” piles.

Paper Files From Past Years

My “filing system” was essentially a paper time capsule dating back to 2015. Tax documents from three jobs ago, utility bills from my first apartment, and meeting notes from long-completed projects – all taking up prime real estate in two massive filing cabinets.

After consulting with my accountant, I learned I only needed to keep physical copies of certain documents for 3-7 years. One weekend of scanning and shredding later, those bulky filing cabinets were replaced by a single, well-organized accordion file and a robust cloud backup system. The psychological weight lifted was incredible.

Duplicate Office Supplies

My supply cabinet was a testament to panic buying and poor organization. Somehow, I’d accumulated six staplers, countless boxes of paper clips, and enough sticky notes to wallpaper my office.

The reality? I use one stapler, one type of paper clip, and a fraction of those sticky notes. After donating the excess to a local school, I discovered that maintaining a lean inventory actually reduces stress – no more digging through duplicates to find what I need. Now I follow a simple rule: one in, one out.

Old Planners and Notebooks

The stack of partially used planners and notebooks was my productivity graveyard. Each represented a different organizational system I’d tried, abandoned, and kept “for reference.” Some dated back to 2018, filled with to-do lists long completed or obsolete.

After spending an evening digitizing truly important notes and project insights, I recycled the rest. My planning system is now entirely digital, synced across devices, and actually gets used. The mental clarity from not seeing those abandoned attempts at organization is priceless.

Dead Plants

Let’s talk about those brown, crispy plants I kept promising myself I’d revive. The snake plant that couldn’t survive my three-month neglect, the succulent that proved not so unkillable – they were constant reminders of failed attempts at office greenery.

After finally accepting my current plant-care capacity, I replaced them with two high-quality artificial plants. Sure, they don’t purify the air, but they provide the same visual softening of the space without the guilt.

Outdated Software Installation Discs

The bottom drawer of my desk was a software museum: installation CDs for Windows Vista, Photoshop CS2, and countless driver discs for hardware I no longer owned. In an age of cloud services and digital downloads, these shiny coasters were taking up valuable storage space.

After photographing the product keys (just in case) and disposing of the discs, I reclaimed an entire drawer. Every program I need is now either cloud-based or easily downloadable with better, updated versions.