Branded freebies and promotional items like plastic cups, water bottles, koozies, insulated tumblers. If you didn’t pay for it and you don’t use it, toss, recycle or donate it.
Takeout detritus including plastic utensils, takeout containers, sauce and spice packets, and paper menus, which are useful only if you actually use them. “Only keep a few plastic utensils if you use them regularly,” Tanaka said.
Food storage containers. To tame a container collection, “match all bottoms and lids, and throw away extra pieces” as well as any containers that are warped or cracked, said Wendy Trunz, a partner and head organizer at Jane’s Addiction Organization.
Reusable bags. “Make a bag of bags for each car so you have them on hand for shopping,” said Trunz. “Keep one bag of bags in the house.”
Plastic dry cleaning bags and unused wire hangers. “It’s much better to store your clothes in cotton canvas bags, so the fabric can breathe,” said Sarah Giller Nelson, of Less Is More Organizing Services. Eliminating plastic garment coverings also will make the closet appear tidier. “Simply removing wire hangers and plastic from dry cleaning will instantly make it feel better and lighter,” Trunz said.
Clothing that is torn, stained or stretched, including items in need of repair that you keep meaning to get to — get to it today or get it out the door. Nick Friedman, a co-founder of College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving, puts old workout gear in this category: “If it’s stretched out, stained or hasn’t seen a gym in years, donate or toss.”