30 Things To Remove In Your Home Sparing No Mercy

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Let’s face it, there’s a time for everything to come into our life and a time for everything to go out of our life. It’s the cycle of stuff, so feel free to spare no mercy.

1. Old herbs and spices

(which actually has a shelf-life that’s been kept a big secret since very few people seen to know)

old herbs and spices

The thing here is, herbs and spices expire. The good part is, they actually last a long time, like 1-2 years. The bad part is, you’ve had these a very long time, most likely. And although these don’t spoil, they do lose their flavor and strength. So if you’re going to the trouble to give a gourmet touch to your food, this won’t be the way to do it.

2. Expired fridge food

(that got lost and forgotten behind other and newer food because you can’t see it anymore)

fridge-food

Depending on the food item, you’re looking at anywhere from a few days to a week, excluding condiments (which also expire, but not so fast). The shelf life of fridge food at StillTasty.com has guidelines you can check out if you want to be armed with information about the life of what you’re eating from your fridge. I’m sure some of you don’t want to know however, so you can skip this point.

3. Expired cupboard food

(that got lost and forgotten behind all the newer stuff shoved in there)

expired cupboard food

I think you’ve all known this but I’ll say it anyway – packaged food doesn’t live forever. FoxNews covered this topic on when does food go bad and you can hear for yourself (or not).

4. Old vitamins and medications

(which you don’t take anyway or they probably wouldn’t be old)

expired vitamins

They say you can judge your age by how much dust is on your vitamin bottle caps. Now, you won’t find expiration dates on these bottles because the FDA doesn’t make them do that. But they do lose their potency, so what would be the point in taking them (which you’re not anyway).

5. Old cleaning supplies

(that you obviously don’t use to clean with or they wouldn’t be old)

cleaning-supplies

According to Good Housekeeping.com, ” Keeping cleaners beyond their recommended shelf lives can cause them to lose some efficacy while degrading plastic containers can alter their formulas.” In their article you’ll find how long to keep these type of products around, which range anywhere from 6 months to a little over a year or two.

My guess is, some of you don’t even remember buying the product, or that you now have hardwood floors instead of carpet and don’t need carpet cleaner anymore, and so forth.

6. Old makeup

(which is old after it expires, but no one told you that. Or told you that expired makeup is bad for your skin and eyes)

makeup

The problem is, makeup can do some damage to your face when it expires and all those nasty bacteria thingys start formulating in the product. It manifests on your skin with irritations and bumps, which totally defeats the purpose of trying to make ourselves look better!

7. Ugly unworn clothing

(which you’ll never ever wear again and not sure what you were thinking when you bought it – other than it was probably on sale.)

ugly-clothing

There is no scientific fact I can provide you with here. It’s just plain common law – if it’s ugly, don’t wear it and if you’re not wearing it, don’t keep it. Kappish?

8. Clothing that doesn’t fit

(which you’ve been saving for the day you loose enough weight to fit in them again, even though it will no longer be in fashion most likely)

clothing that doesn't fit

Be real is all I can say. And when you do lose the weight, you don’t want old clothing anyway since you’ll be celebrating in the small size section of the retail store.

9. Single socks

(that lost its mate while being sucked into the dryer’s black hole. Sad)

single socks

It’s such a tragedy but this sort of thing happens to most all of us at one time or another. And for some, it happens with each wash cycle, and my heart goes out to them. Take them out of the drawer and give them final burial please.

10. Disgusting worn out shoes

(that you just forgot to be thrown away, right?)

worn out shoes

But you can always turn them into a nifty shoe planter:

worn-shoe-planter

11. Accounting records dating back to the 1900’s

(which you kept just in case you wanted to refer to it someday, I’m sure)

old papers

That’s right, we’re in the 2000’s now, in the year 2015 to be exact. Boomers, it’s time to let go! The general rule is to keep tax related papers seven years (according to Nolo.com), so you can safely move supporting tax return papers earlier than 2005 into the trash can. The “keep forever” retention rule applies to your actual tax return documents, so don’t be tossing those, okay?

12. Junk mail

(that you’ve kept in case there was something important in them. Face it, there never is)

junk-mail

Essentially, all you’ll find in the junk mail you’ve been keeping around is expired shit. Period.

13. Expired coupons

(which you saved to save money, of course)

expired coupons

Why? Don’t answer, just toss.

14. Old celebrity gossip magazine issues

(which is out-dated every week when celebrities change partners)

celebrity gossip magazines

That’s right, the last issue of People magazine is old news this week. Drop it off at your nearest hair salon.

15. Wire hangers

(that went out in the day “Mommy Dearest” entered our TV screens)

mommy dearest on wire hangers

Personally, I was terrified to ever use wire hangers again after seeing this movie. But the fact is, I see her point. This clothing invention that is supposed to hang clothes in your closet causes more anxiety and messy closets than any invention I’ve ever come across. I’m sure a lot of you can relate with trying to pull one of those out of your closet, am I right?

16. Broken stuff

(that you had perfect intentions to fix on the “some day” which has never come yet and never will)

broken-dish

Another fact you need to face is that, if you didn’t fix it within a day or so after it broke, you probably won’t be doing so in your busy near future.

17. Antique technology

(that became antique when a newer model came on the market soon after you bought it)

old-mac computer

But then again, people are getting creative with their old macs, since they can’t seem to get rid of them:

old-mac-planters

18. Electronic adapter cords

(which no longer go with anything that you know of)

adapter-cords

Pictured above is a drawer of adapter cords. But there are probably more than a drawer-full of adapters you’ve kept around which belong to devices you no longer have – and don’t even know it because you have no idea what device the adapter goes to.

19. Broken electronics

(that no longer work and will never work again because you don’t have time or inclination to fix it. Besides you probably replaced it already.)

broken-cassette-player

While a lot of you have tossed your broken electronics and already replaced with a new one, I suppose the only reason you kept the broken one is in case your new one breaks down? Just a guess.

20. Gadgets you can’t name

(because you don’t know what it is, what it is for, or what it does)

gadget

I have no idea what that is, nor do you probably. But there are many of these kinds of gadgets found in kitchen drawers and, when I ask what it’s for, the answer is always the same – “I dunno.”

21. Spare parts

(that you no longer know what it’s a spare part for)

spare-parts

I come across these all the time working with people and it’s always the same story – it goes with something. Good luck on ever finding that something it goes with.

22. Old keys

(that once opened something but you no longer know what it opens)

old keys

I’m sure that among all those keys you’ve kept around, that some of them could be used to break into your old house you used to live in ten years ago. But since you probably don’t carry those evil intentions around, the only thing you are opening is the drawer they are kept in.

23. Old user manuals

(of items you no longer have)

old-manual

If you have this, or anything like it, bless your heart for keeping it. But there’s a time to say good-bye to stuff, and this may be the time.

24. Old batteries

(that won’t charge anything)

old-batteries

I should have said “expired batteries” because they do expire and rendered useless after time. Apparently, batteries generate energy and uses a chemical reaction contained inside the battery cell, whether it is being used or not (according to LifeScience). So if you want to charge up one of your devices, these old batteries won’t help you.

25. Mis-matched dish-ware and glasses

(which makes kitchen cabinets an eye sore and entertaining un-stylish)

mismatched-dishes

Okay, even if you don’t entertain guests for dinner, get rid of them. They are now just loners in a world of plenty.

26. Used-up pots and pans

(where the only surface left is scratched)

pots-pans

There’s a fact I’d like to bring up here, is that scratched Teflon pots and pans are dangerous. The Teflon breaks up and seeps into your food, and that can’t be a good thing. I’m sure Martha Stewart agrees.

27. Plastic containers without lids

(rendering the container completely useless thereafter)

containers-without-lids

You’ll be pleased to know there are no lurking dangers of containers without lids (or lids without containers). Although they won’t harm you in any way, they will eventually do a hostile take-over of your cabinet space. So, you’ve been warned.

28. Leftover pet paraphernalia

(for pets you no longer have)

pet-toys

I didn’t want to include this subject point, but there have been a lot of people I’ve worked with that still have dog leashes and dog toys for dogs long gone and don’t have intentions of getting another dog. Same for fish stuff – fish long gone yet tons of aquarium stuff stored away. Either get a new pet or start playing with the toys yourself to make use of them.

29. Old water kept stored in plastic bottles

(for your emergency prep kit, however dangerous when stored in heated sources)

water-bottles

Bottled water is considered a “shelf stable” product, so it does have a shelf life, although the FDA has not determined what that shelf life is for it. At room temperatures, it can last a long time, but in heated temperatures, not so long and not so good since unknown chemicals seep in from the plastic. The unknown health risks of drinking warm water tells me to advise you to use precaution.

The only thing they would be a good use for is for though is if you need an emergency bath.

30. Old paint

(stored in case you might ever need to do touch-ups – however these will never match the color again)

old-paint

Paint cans are not labeled with expiration dates, but someday they won’t do you any good. According to HomeGuides, “Painting a room with bad latex paint can cause it to have an offensive odor that becomes progressively stronger. Bad latex paint also can leave a visibly rough finish on the painted surface and may quickly begin to peel.”

So, unless you want to mask your own odor with offensive paint odor, go buy new paint for touch-ups.

 

 

 

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2 Comments

  1. Betty Bjorken

    Feel pretty good. Keep most of this stuff at a minimum. We have moved about 20 times in the last 45 years. It sure helps keeping the saved garbage to a minimum. Can’t imagine what it would be like if we had stayed in one place.

  2. Hannah Elizabeth Lee

    So of this stuff that you say there is no reason that you can not keep it. Like broken stuff: if it is from your gramdmom you will want to keep it. If you just have it then you shout get red of it. Old ugly clothes lets say your gramdmom gave it to you ae you going to want to give it away no. I do not think so, But if you are just keeping old ugly clothes then you should give it alway.

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