If you’ve ever seen a professional organizer in action, you know they don’t waste time debating over clutter. They get straight to the point, tossing things that no longer serve a purpose, take up unnecessary space, or make a home harder to maintain.
When I started thinking like a pro organizer, decluttering became so much easier—because instead of convincing myself to keep things, I started asking, Would a professional keep this?
If your home feels a little (or a lot) overcrowded, here are 14 things an organizer would toss without hesitation—and why you should too.
1. Expired Pantry Items
Let’s start in the kitchen. You know those half-used spice jars, dusty canned goods, and random bags of flour you haven’t touched in years? A professional organizer wouldn’t think twice about tossing anything past its expiration date.
Even if it’s technically still safe to eat, if you haven’t used it in over a year, are you really going to? Clearing out expired pantry items instantly creates space and makes it easier to find what you actually use. The same goes for stale snacks, baking ingredients you forgot about, and opened sauces that have been sitting in the fridge for way too long.
You wouldn’t drink expired milk, so why keep old food taking up space in your cabinets? Take a few minutes to go through your pantry and fridge, toss anything that’s past its prime, and start fresh with only the items you truly need.
2. Plastic Containers Without Lids (Or Lids Without Containers)
I don’t know how it happens, but somehow, plastic containers and their lids always seem to part ways. If you have a cabinet full of mismatched pieces, it’s time to let them go. Pro organizers know that keeping these random extras only adds to the chaos.
Matching sets make storage easier, and you don’t need 50 containers for leftovers—just a few good ones. If you can’t find the lid for a container, it’s not worth keeping. The same goes for warped, stained, or cracked plastic containers that have seen better days.
Take everything out of your cabinet, match up what you can, and donate or recycle the rest. If you really want to make your life easier, consider switching to glass containers, which last longer, stack neatly, and don’t stain like plastic does.
3. Clothes That Don’t Fit or You Never Wear
We all have those “someday” clothes—the jeans that used to fit, the dress we thought we’d have an occasion for, the trendy top we bought but never felt quite right in. But holding onto them just creates unnecessary clutter.
Organizers encourage people to keep what actually works for their life now and donate the rest. Imagine opening your closet and seeing only clothes you love and wear—it makes getting dressed so much easier. If something doesn’t fit, is uncomfortable, or hasn’t been worn in a year, it’s time to let it go.
The same goes for those sentimental t-shirts from high school that you never wear or the pile of “maybe someday” pieces you’re holding onto. Decluttering your wardrobe creates space for items that actually make you feel good, and donating your unused clothes can help someone who needs them more than your closet does.
4. Old Magazines and Newspapers
Unless it’s a truly special edition, stacks of old magazines and newspapers just take up space. Pro organizers know that you’re never actually going to go back and read them. If there’s something you really want to keep, take a picture of it or save it digitally.
Otherwise, it’s time to recycle. Magazines, in particular, tend to pile up fast, whether they’re from subscriptions you forgot to cancel or issues you kept thinking you’d read later. The reality is, if you haven’t touched them in months, you probably never will.
Instead of keeping stacks of outdated reading material, create a rule—only keep the most recent one or two issues and recycle the rest. If you love having magazines around, consider switching to digital subscriptions, which take up no space and let you keep all your favorite content without the clutter.
5. Unused Kitchen Gadgets
We all have that drawer (or entire cabinet) full of kitchen gadgets that seemed like a good idea at the time. That avocado slicer, the fancy espresso maker you used twice, the waffle iron collecting dust—if it’s not something you regularly use, it’s just taking up valuable kitchen space.
A professional organizer would remind you that the best tools are the ones you actually reach for. If you only use a gadget once a year or can do the same task with a simple knife or spoon, it’s probably not worth keeping.
Instead of letting specialty appliances clutter your cabinets, stick to versatile tools that serve multiple purposes. If you’re unsure whether to get rid of something, try putting it in a box for a few months. If you don’t reach for it, you don’t need it. Donate or sell anything that’s just taking up space.
6. Random Cords and Chargers
Every home has a mysterious collection of cords that belong to who-knows-what. Instead of keeping them “just in case,” a pro would recommend tossing any cord that doesn’t belong to something you still use.
If you’re worried about needing one later, label the cords you keep so they don’t turn into another tangled mystery pile. Outdated phone chargers, extra HDMI cables, and random USB cords often pile up in junk drawers, making it hard to find the ones you actually use. Instead of letting them create unnecessary clutter, sort through your collection and keep only the ones you truly need.
If you’re still worried about getting rid of the wrong one, store them in a labeled container so you can easily find them later. The reality is, most of these cables and chargers are cheap to replace if you ever need them again, so there’s no reason to let them take over your drawers.
7. Freebies and Promotional Items
Those free tote bags, keychains, and mugs from events or companies? They add up fast. Organizers know that just because something was free doesn’t mean you have to keep it. If you don’t use it or love it, let it go. Your space is too valuable for things you don’t truly need.
Freebies are often given with good intentions, but they quickly become clutter that serves no real purpose. If you have piles of promotional pens, notepads, or stress balls you’ve never touched, it’s time to be honest with yourself—do these things actually add value to your life?
8. Duplicates of Everyday Items
It’s easy to accumulate extras of things without even realizing it—especially when they seem small and harmless. But before you know it, you’ve got five pairs of scissors, three almost-empty bottles of lotion, a dozen spatulas, and more pens than you could ever use in a lifetime.
Professional organizers emphasize that keeping just one or two high-quality versions of an item is far better than holding onto an excessive amount of duplicates. Having too many of the same thing not only clutters your drawers and cabinets but also makes it harder to find the ones you actually like and use.
9. Old Towels and Bedding
If you open your linen closet and find a jumbled mess of mismatched sheets, fraying towels, and pillowcases from a bedding set you no longer own, it’s time for a reset. Professional organizers recommend keeping just two or three good-quality towel sets per person and two sets of sheets per bed—one for the bed, and one as a backup.
Anything beyond that just takes up valuable space. Old towels and bedding tend to pile up over time, especially when we replace them but never get around to tossing the old ones. But if they’re worn out, stained, or no longer fit your bed, there’s no reason to keep them. Animal shelters always need old towels, so consider donating them. If they’re too rough even for that, repurpose them as cleaning rags before finally letting them go. Your linen closet will be so much easier to manage with only what you truly use.
10. Broken or “To Be Fixed Someday” Items
We all have that one spot in our home where things go to die—a drawer, a shelf, or a pile in the garage filled with broken or malfunctioning items we swear we’ll fix someday. But if that day hasn’t come in months (or years), a professional organizer would ask, Are you really ever going to fix it? Be honest with yourself.
If an item has been sitting there for ages, you either don’t actually need it or it’s not worth the trouble to repair. Instead of letting these broken items take up space, set a deadline—if it’s not fixed within a month, get rid of it. If it’s something valuable, see if a repair shop can fix it. Otherwise, recycle it, donate it if possible, or throw it away. Keeping non-functional items just adds stress and clutter to your home.
11. Old Makeup and Toiletries
Makeup and skincare products don’t last forever, even if they look fine sitting on your bathroom shelf. Using old foundation, expired sunscreen, or dried-up mascara isn’t just ineffective—it can be harmful. Bacteria and mold can grow in makeup over time, leading to breakouts and infections.
If you have lipsticks from five years ago or half-used bottles of moisturizer that you didn’t love but kept anyway, it’s time to toss them. A good rule of thumb: mascara should be replaced every 3-6 months, liquid foundation every 12 months, and lipstick after about two years. Sunscreen loses its effectiveness after the expiration date, and any product with a strange smell or separation should go immediately.
12. Unused Craft Supplies
If you’ve ever walked into a craft store and been struck by inspiration, only to have those supplies sit in a drawer unused for years, you’re not alone. While crafting is a wonderful hobby, holding onto supplies for projects you never started (or finished) just creates clutter.
That fabric you bought with big plans? The half-empty paint tubes from an old DIY? If you haven’t touched them in a year, you probably never will. Instead of letting these materials take up space, consider donating them to a school, community center, or a friend who actually will use them.
13. Unused Decorative Items
Home decor is supposed to make your space feel warm, inviting, and like you. But over time, it’s easy to accumulate decorative items that no longer fit your style or serve a purpose. Maybe it’s a piece of art that doesn’t quite match your space, a vase you never use, or a pile of decorative pillows that just get tossed aside.
A professional organizer would remind you that just because something was expensive or trendy at one point doesn’t mean you have to keep it forever. If it no longer makes you happy or doesn’t work with your home’s current aesthetic, let it go. Donate it, sell it, or pass it along to someone who will actually enjoy it.
14. Toys Your Kids Have Outgrown
If you have kids, you know how quickly toys can take over a house. What started as a small collection can quickly turn into an overwhelming pile of stuffed animals, plastic figurines, and forgotten playsets. If your child hasn’t played with something in months, chances are they won’t miss it.
Professional organizers encourage parents to declutter toys regularly—get rid of broken items, donate those that are still in good condition, and rotate favorites to keep playtime fresh. A good rule of thumb? If your child doesn’t notice it’s missing, it was never that important.
