5 Items to Throw Out and Never Look Back

Every home has clutter, whether you’re conscious of it or not. Some things are so small or insignificant that they get overlooked when you’re on your tidying up spree. They are the most insidious, seeming to multiply when you turn your back. Read on to find out several items you should throw out right now, without even stopping to think about it.

Expired items

Whether you’re talking about old antibiotics you didn’t finish or the spices in the back of the kitchen cupboard, expired items are everywhere and can harm you if you use them.

• Food items: Check your pantry for old spices, dry goods, canned goods, or any packaged food. Next, take a minute to go through your refrigerator and ditch the expired condiments like ketchup, mayo, hot sauce, or salad dressing.
  
• Medication: Prescription medication can be especially harmful, but over the counter medicines and supplements expire as well. Contact your pharmacy for instructions on how to dispose of items correctly for the safety of pets and small children in your care.
  
• Makeup: A lot of bacteria lives in old makeup. So even if it’s something that hasn’t expired, if you’ve used it for several months, it’s time to throw it out.

Writing instruments

Throw out non-functional pens, dried out markers, broken mechanical pencils or those well-chewed pencils populating your desk drawers.

Socks

Whether they’re missing a match or have a hole in the toe or heel, it’s time to let them go. No, you’re not going to fix them, and its mate is probably long gone. No, no one knows where it went.

Grocery Bags

While reusing plastic grocery bags is a great idea, just how many do you need? Keep a reasonable number for reuse and recycle the rest.

Old Reading Material

Cull the magazines and release any books you’ve finished reading and won’t be reading again. A lot of places love donations of these items, such as shelters, jails, and nursing homes. Share the love of a good book with others rather than keeping your space cluttered. By paying attention to the little things around us, it’s easy to find a lot of clutter that you might sweep under the radar. A quick toss of these items will free up more space than you think and leaves your world much tidier.