50 Things You Can Throw Out
Trust us: You won’t miss them! HGTV Magazine rounds up 50 things you can toss or donate right this second with zero guilt.

Illustration by Nathalie Dion

From:
HGTV Magazine
- Spare contact lens cases
- Broken costume jewelry
- Dictionaries
- Wrinkled wrapping paper and crushed bows
- Latex paint (if it’s more than a year old)
- A bread machine
- VHS workout tapes
- Manuals for appliances and electronics (they’re all available online)
- Cookbooks you’ve cracked open once
- Random vacuum cleaner attachments
- Old remote controls you don’t recognize
- Scrunchies that have lost their scrunch
- Incomplete decks of playing cards
- Bridesmaid dresses (go to operationprom.org for info on how to donate)
- Take-out menus (everything’s online!)
- Picture frames with broken easel backs
- Road maps (there’s GPS on your phone)
- Mixtapes
- Unidentifiable keys
- Almost empty bottles of bubbles
- In-line skates
- Contents of goodie bags from kids’ parties
- Impossible puzzles no one has ever finished
- Free gifts from cosmetic purchases
- Orphan mittens
- Travel guidebooks
- Chargers for old electronics
- Wire hangers from the dry cleaner
- Dusty potpourri
- Chopsticks and soy sauce packets
- Your “fat” clothes
- Carpet remnants
- Filled coloring books
- Stretched-out bras
- Scratched nonstick pans
- Anything with an antenna
- Prescription eyeglasses that are no longer your prescription (go to lionsclubs.org for info on how to donate)
- Umbrellas with bent or broken spokes
- Allen wrenches from DIY furniture
- Checkbook registers
- Disposable cameras
- Musical instruments no one plays anymore (go to mhopus.org for info on how to donate)
- Business cards
- Smelly towels
- Fishbowls
- Fancy loose teas you received as a hostess gift
- The Yellow Pages
- Soccer uniforms the kids have outgrown
- Vases that came with delivered flowers
- Commemorative spoons and plates
Next Up
The Best Books to Help You Conquer Your Organization & Decluttering Goals
Leave the chaos and clutter behind, and start a new chapter with these page-turning reads.
No-Fail Color Combos From the HGTV Stars
Sometimes two colors are better than one. The HGTV stars share their favorite duos.
Everything You Need to Organize Your Junk Drawer
A few new trays, some essential gadgets and tips from the editors at HGTV Magazine will change everything.
Organization Tips for Every Room in Your Home
Order in the house! The HGTV Magazine editors are sharing their top tips for organizing every room — plus all the gear you need to get the job done.
20 Clever Cleaning Brushes You Never Knew You Needed
Get ready to make your life so much easier with these cleaning tools that save you time and elbow grease.
How to Wash a Tie-Dye Shirt
See our favorite tips and tricks to keep your freshly tie-dyed shirt vibrant for years to come.
How to Clean Your Cellphone
Remove bacteria from your phone with these simple steps.
Easy Essential Oil Disinfecting Spray
Get your home germ-free with this simple cleaner.
How to Clean and Disinfect a Wood Cutting Board
Keep your wood cutting boards germ free with a few simple steps.
30 Essential Cleaning Products Everyone Should Own
Create a ready-for-anything cleaning kit with our editors' favorite sprays, supplies and more.