This minimalist list of things to get rid of will make your life less cluttered and more enjoyable!
Minimalism and getting rid of things are synonyms. If you’re a minimalist then you’re probably always looking for ways to declutter your life. If you are not a minimalist then you probably want to find out what is the minimalist list of things to get rid of?
I have to say that there is no definitive list. Every minimalist has their own unique set of things that they have decluttered from their life and a set of things that they want to keep.
An important thing that I have to mention is that you don’t need to follow the exact list that I have created. The goal is to guide you and give you some ideas through this minimalist list of things to get rid of.
Try to adjust the list to your own needs and wants! You could add more to this list, or omit some things. It’s up to you!
Why this minimalist list of things to get rid of is important?
When you declutter your life, you make space for the things that matter most. And in this case, by “things” I don’t mean material possessions, I mean time, energy, and experiences.
You can spend the time that you usually spend cleaning and organizing your home on things that are far more important and interesting, like your relationships, your hobbies, or your goals.
We live in a world full of distractions and it’s easy to get caught up in the rat race. But if we want to live a more meaningful life, we need to declutter our lives and focus on the things that matter most.
This list is also important because it helps you simplify your life. A simpler life is a happier life.
So you have all the reasons in the world to start decluttering.

What to do with the clutter?
Now that you will get rid of some items, you might be wondering what to do with all the clutter.
There are a few options:
– Sell. This is a great way to make some extra money in case you have some expensive items in your house. There are many online platforms where you can sell your stuff, such as eBay or Facebook Marketplace.
– Donate. By doing so, you will not only declutter your life but also will help others to have a better life.
– Throw away. If the item is damaged or very worn, it’s probably best to get rid of it.
– Recycle. This is a great way to reduce your environmental footprint. Here is how to do that.
Remember, the goal is to get those items out of your life!
Now, let’s get into the minimalist list of things to get rid of in order to simplify your life and be happier.

Minimalist list of things to get rid of
This list can be endless, considering how many things some people have. I am not judging, I am just remembering you that there are things in our houses that don’t add any value to our lives.
It’s not about how much stuff you have, it’s about how much stuff you need.
And again, that’s why this list is important because it will help you get rid of the things that you don’t need.
The kitchen
For me, the kitchen is the soul of the house. So let’s start here.
- Unused kitchen appliances
This is something that a lot of people have and don’t use. You probably have that juicer that you used once and then forgot about it. Or that bread machine that you never used because you don’t have time to make bread.
Be ruthless and get rid of all the kitchen appliances that you never use. You don’t need them and they are just taking up A LOT of space.
- Expired food
We are all guilty of this. We buy food and then we forget about it and it expires. Check your pantry, your fridge, and your freezer, and get rid of all the expired food.
- Kitchen utensils
Do you really need that much cutlery? Do you really need 10 different kinds of salad spoons? Nope.
Trust me, it’s going to feel so satisfying to get rid of all the unnecessary kitchen utensils. You are going to have so much more space in your drawers.
- Kitchen towels
Keep only 3-4 kitchen towels and get rid of the rest.
Ask yourself: how many kitchen towels do you use in a week? 3? 4? If you only use a few, then you don’t need 20 of them, since I assume you do laundry at least once per week.
- Extra plates, glasses, and cups
Do you really need 8 plates when you live alone? Do you really need 8 plates when you have a spouse? I really don’t think so.
Notice how many plates, glasses, and cups you need in order to not run out of them during the day and get rid of the rest.
- Extra pots, pans, and lids
This one is for all the “chefs” out there. Do you really need 5 frying pans? Do you really need 3 saucepans? Trust me, you don’t.
Identify how many you actually need and declutter the rest.
- Plastic bags
We are all guilty of having way too many plastic bags. We have bags in bags in bags… Surely you don’t need that many of them!
They can be recycled usually in shopping malls and grocery stores. So do that!
- Cookbooks
If you have a favorite cookbook that you use often, you can surely leave it! I am talking about the ones that gather dust on them.
Trust me, if you haven’t used it until now, you are not going to use it in the future. And if you want a specific recipe, you can find it online.
- Extra containers and jars
I know, you think that one day you are going to need all your containers and jars to store food and them. All at once. Probably because you will have thousands of guests and a lot of food will remain uneaten.
Ummm… not. Just leave a few of them that are better quality and declutter the rest. They take so much space for nothing.
The bedroom
I think that the bedroom is the place where we should feel the most relaxed. But how can we relax in a room that is full of clutter?
- Clothes that you don’t wear
This is the most important part of the whole bedroom. Clothes are taking up so much space in our closets and we don’t wear all of them!
Be ruthless when it comes to clothes. If you didn’t wear a piece of clothing in 6 months, it means that it doesn’t bring any value to your life and you can easily live without it.
In case you are in doubt about a piece of clothing, place it in a box and mark it with a date 6 months from now. If you didn’t think about it and this time, it means that you don’t need it.
- Shoes that you don’t wear
The same goes for shoes. If you have shoes that you never wear but you keep them “just in case” on occasions, it is time to let go. Because what are the chances that you will actually wear them?
My husband still has those shoes that I told him to get rid of a couple of years ago because he hadn’t worn them. And yes, he still didn’t.
- Socks and underwear
Socks and underwear are the easiest things to declutter since you can see immediately if they have holes or not and if they are very used. If they do, it is time to say goodbye.
- Extra bedding
I am a believer that 2 beddings are enough. When you wash one, you can use the other and vice versa.
- Makeup and skincare products
First of all, expired makeup and skincare products. They have an expiration date for a reason. After that, they can cause irritation and skin problems.
Second of all, you don’t need a lot of makeup. I am pretty sure that you don’t wear all of it. Choose the colors that suit you best and get rid of the rest.
- Towels
The same goes for towels. How many do you actually need? 3-4 should be more than enough.
- Jewelry
I am not an expert in jewelry because I don’t like wearing it. But I see a lot of girls and women that have so much of it and they never wear most of it.
If you are not wearing it, why do you keep it? Do you think that one day you are going to wake up and say “Today is the day! I am going to wear that jewelry.”? I don’t think so.
- Unused items inside your nightstands
We all have those things that we put inside our nightstands and we never use them. I am talking about magazines, creams, some random bills, and other things. Go through them and see what you actually need and use. The rest has to go.
- Candles
I love candles! But I like to have a few of them that are high quality and pretty. I don’t need 20 of them that I am never going to use.
Try to implement a similar concept. Choose the candles that you love and use often and declutter the rest.
Related: How to become a minimalist in 30 days?
The living room
This is the place where we spend a lot of time. You should feel good in your living room, and that is why you need to declutter your stuff.
- Books that gain dust
A minimalist library is totally ok to have, but a huge one that you never read is not.
Leaving only the books that you love and coming back to is a great idea. The rest can go.
- Movies and TV series that you will never watch again
You surely have some DVDs that you don’t like to come back to.
So why do you keep them? The room is going to feel so much lighter without them!
- Old magazines and newspapers
These items are really useless, and they take up a lot of space that you could use for something else.
If you have a lot of them that are outdated – recycle them.
- Unused vases
There is no point in having something just for the sake of it. The only purpose of those vases is to gather dust and to spend time cleaning them.
Keep only one for flowers and get rid of the rest. You can also always use mason jars instead.
- Decorations that you don’t like
You might have some decorations that you don’t really like, but you keep them because they were a gift or because you feel guilty for spending money on them.
If they don’t make you happy, get rid of them! You can try to sell them if they are expensive and you don’t want to just donate them.
The bathroom
The bathroom is usually a smaller room, but it can get cluttered easily.
- Old medication
You should declutter your medication every 6 months or so. Check the expiration dates and get rid of the ones that are no longer good. It is such a satisfying thing to do, oh!
- Unused bottles
Do you have a lot of empty or unused shampoos, conditioners, perfumes, and body wash bottles?
They are useless! Recycle them as fast as possible!
- Extra hair ties and clips
Sometimes even I am guilty of having too many hair ties and clips. They are small, so it is easy to lose track of them.
But you don’t need more than 2-3 of each. Get rid of the ones that are old and stretched out.
- Razor blades
Invest in a reusable razor, and you won’t need to keep so many razor blades around. It saves money and nerves!
The office/study place
This place can get pretty cluttered because it is where all documentation and miscellaneous thing go.
- Pens that don’t work
Unless you are a pen collector, you don’t need pens that don’t even write.
- Unused notebooks
Do you have a ton of cute notebooks that are waiting for you to come and pick them up but it never happens?
You can either use them now or get rid of them.
One option could be to start a gratitude journal and write every day or so things that you are grateful for.
- Papers that you don’t need
Whether it’s emails, old documentation, or anything else – if you don’t need it, get rid of it!
- Promotional materials
Do you have a lot of business cards or other promotional materials that are just taking up space?
Set up a place for them and go through them every few months to see if you need to keep them or not.
- Extra office supplies
No more than one pair of scissors, 2-3 staplers, one pack of paper clips, and so on.
You don’t need more than that, and they are just going to take up space.
The kid’s room
This is probably one of the most challenging places to declutter. This is because it doesn’t involve only you, but also your kids.
P.S.: Read this article about minimalism with kids before decluttering their room.
- Old toys
Get rid of the toys that your kids don’t play with anymore. The ones that are broken.
Also, the ones that they have outgrown.
- Old clothes
Kids grow so fast that their clothes become too small for them in what feels like the blink of an eye.
Get rid of the clothes that they have outgrown in order to make some space in their closet.
- Books that they don’t read anymore
The same concept goes for books, as well.
If they haven’t read these books in quite a while, it is time to let go.
Other items
There are some other items that don’t really belong in any of the categories above.
But they are still things that you can get rid of to declutter your home!
- Furniture
Furniture takes up so much space. You might have some extra furniture in your storage or some that you don’t need in your house.
Get rid of it to declutter your home and make some extra space.
- Those junk drawers
Ohh, this is not only an item. I would need a special minimalist list of things to get rid of only for these drawers.
You probably have some drawers in the house that contain everything in this world, from old batteries, and cables, to receipts.
Go through them and declutter them! You will feel so much better after that!
- Sports equipment
If you are not using it, someone else could be! Get rid of the sports equipment that you don’t use to make some extra space in your house.
- Sentimental items
These are probably the most challenging things to get rid of. Unused gifts, expensive but unnecessary purchases, and items with sentimental value that you don’t use.
It is hard to let go of them, but if they don’t bring any value to your life, it is time to say goodbye.
Related: How to Get Rid of Sentimental Items?
Embrace simple living
Once you have gone through this minimalist list of things to get rid of and decluttered your house, you should feel so much lighter and happier.
But, more importantly, you will have taken the first step towards a more minimalist lifestyle.
Now, it is time to embrace simple living and make a conscious effort to live with less.
In order to do that, I would encourage you to let go of anything that no longer serves you. I don’t mean only material possessions, but also toxic relationships, bad habits, and anything else that is holding you back.
Also, make a conscious effort to live in the present moment and enjoy the simple pleasures in life.
Last but not least, don’t forget to declutter your mind from negative thoughts and emotions!
If you want to get a more comprehensive understanding, you can read this article about Minimalist Items to Keep
Final thoughts
Minimalism is powerful. It can help you declutter your home, your mind, and your life.
But most importantly, it can help you find happiness in simple things and live a more fulfilling life.
By going through this minimalist list of things to get rid of, you will take the first step towards a more minimalist lifestyle.
And probably toward a better life in general!
Happy living! Cheers!
Further reading: Your complete clutter-clearing guide