We all love filling our homes with beautiful things. But at a certain point, enough is enough. Having too much clutter can actually be stressful and make it harder to keep your home clean and organized. Here are 6 home items you may want to stop buying for a while—because chances are, you already have plenty!
Kitchen Gadgets
The kitchen section of stores like Target and Bed Bath & Beyond is filled with single-use appliances and tools promising to make cooking easier. But let’s be honest: how often do you really need an avocado slicer, an egg yolk separator, or an electric pasta maker? These gadgets just take up precious drawer and cabinet space. Before buying more, take an inventory of what you already have. You likely have all the tools you need for everyday cooking.
What to do instead
- Take a pause before adding to your collection. Only buy gadgets you know you’ll use regularly.
- When adding new tools, get rid of ones you don’t need. Donate unneeded gadgets to charity.
- Organize what you have for easy access. Use drawer organizers, mounted racks, and clear canisters so you can easily see—and use—what you already own.
Throw Pillows
Throw pillows can easily make a room feel cozier. But it’s also easy to go overboard. Too many on a bed or sofa can feel cluttered and require extra time to decorate. Do you really need 12+ throw pillows in your living room? Probably not.
What to do instead
- Before buying more, count what you already have. Anything over 8 pillows per room is probably excess.
- Remove pillows seasonally to keep things feeling fresh. Store off-season pillows in a closet or under the bed.
- Add pillow inserts to give existing pillow covers a fluff boost when needed. No new pillows required.
Candles
Candles set a wonderful mood and make homes smell lovely. But having too many can be both a fire hazard and a waste of money. Limit excessive accumulation by stopping before you have more candles than you could possibly burn. 10-12 candles per room is plenty.
What to do instead:
- Burn what you have! Make it a goal to light candles more often so you use what’s on hand.
- Limit storage to 2-3 candle drawers or boxes. When full, stop adding more.
- Shift to flameless LED candles. These provide ambiance without the fire risk and waste.
Coffee Mugs
Coffee mugs seem small, but they really do take up a lot of cabinet space when you collect too many. The average household only needs about 6 mugs to meet daily needs. But many kitchens have 2-3 times that amount!
What to do instead:
- Donate excess mugs to charity or gift them to coworkers and friends.
- Start using up your stash. Try designating mugs for each family member’s exclusive use.
- Skip souvenir mugs and look for smaller travel mementos instead.
Towels
It’s smart to have ample towels for bathing, hand drying, and cleaning up spills. But extra towels crammed into closets equal more laundry and wasted space. 8-12 towels per household is usually sufficient.
What to do instead:
- Remove old, worn out towels to make room for new ones, rather than adding to the pile.
- Reduce your laundry load by using towels more than once before washing, when they aren’t dirty.
- Store excess towels elsewhere. Donate or use as rags once they become threadbare.
Photos
Digital photography makes it easy to snap endless pics on our phones. But after you’ve curated the best shots for your social media feeds and cloud storage, do you really need to print them all out? Limit your photo clutter without sacrificing memories.
What to do instead:
- Be selective about what you frame and display. Print only your very favorite photos.
- Use digital photo books and albums via apps like Shutterfly instead of physical versions.
- Display a rotating selection of framed photos rather than mass framing everything at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can reducing clutter improve my life?
Clutter can lead to feelings of stress and anxiety. Having an organized home with only items you love and use creates a peaceful environment and reduces cleaning time. Stopping excess purchasing helps maintain that simplicity long-term.
What’s the best way to declutter what I already have?
Start by sorting through each room and making three piles: trash, donate, and keep. Be ruthless about only keeping items you know you use and love or that serve an important purpose. Then properly dispose of or donate the other two piles.
How do I avoid re-cluttering after decluttering?
Stick to strict limits on storage areas for items prone to accumulation, like only allowing yourself 1-2 boxes of holiday decorations. Also, freeze spending in certain categories for a set period of time, like no new throw blankets for one year.
What should I do if I’m overwhelmed about decluttering?
Take it one small step at a time! Tackle categories one at a time, like focusing on just kitchen gadgets first. Set a timer for short bursts of decluttering like 15 minutes at a time. Accomplishing even small tasks will start to make you feel empowered.
What do I do if I have a hard time parting with certain items?
Be honest with yourself about what purpose items are really serving. For purely sentimental pieces, take photos before donating to have the memory without the clutter. For items you might use “someday,” give yourself a deadline like if you haven’t used it in a year, it goes.
Conclusion
Cutting back on an overabundance of home goods is liberating! You can save money, enjoy more peaceful living spaces, and reduce your environmental footprint. When it comes to household items, less is often more. Be mindful of redundant purchases and redirect that energy into truly meaningful additions to your home. Start paring down unused excess and see how much lighter you feel. What home items will you stop stockpiling?