30 Things in Your Home You Should Get Rid of By Age 30
Updated: Feb. 17, 2023It's time to get rid of that which no longer serves you or your home!
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Copious Shot Glasses
One is a reminder of your spring break in Cancun, the other was a gift from your fraternity. We get it! You may be sentimental, but how many do you need stacked up in your cabinets, taking up space and truly never being used? It’s time to part with the majority and keep just a few of your all-time faves.
Your First Kitchen Tools
If you haven’t gotten rid of your first set of kitchen tools, chances are you have duplicates that are in much better shape. Take the peeling, rickety, stained and downright crusty ones out of the mix and say sayonara. These 10 simple organization tips show how to turn empty space in kitchen cabinets and drawers into storage for supplies and utensils.
Old Bedding
From your dorm room to your first apartment, your old bedding has seen it all. Especially if it’s the set your parents gave you, you know it’s time to toss out the old linens and make room for a grown-up set.
Clothes That No Longer Fit
You keep around clothing that you may wear again even though it’s not functional, and you store up old clothes from college that you hope to one day squeeze into for a second go around. But if your dresser and closet are filled to the brim, it’s time to do some recon. Pack up those old jeans and give them to Goodwill. Check out these 21 cheap DIY closet updates.
Memorabilia in Boxes
Old family photos are one thing, but letters, concert ticket stubs, dried up flowers from an old flame, etc. all stored in boxes just take up space in your home. Spend an afternoon sifting through such things and get rid of what can’t be displayed out in the open. If you’re struggling, take photos of things you want to remember and then, let them go. Here’s how to restore old print photos that you do want to keep.
CDs and DVDs
Hopefully at this point, you no longer have useless cassette tapes (or heaven forbid, 8-track tapes!) hanging around. You may, however, still be holding onto CDs and DVDs despite their overwhelming irrelevance. Unless you have a CD or DVD player you use regularly, it’s time to toss your discs.
Your Old Cell Phones
At first, keeping your old cell phone around was just a precaution, but if you have one that dates back to the age of the Blackberry or flip phone, it’s time to get rid of it. Here’s what you should do with your old cell phone.
Your Futon
It served you well through college and your various apartments throughout your 20s, but your futon is no longer your couch that can double as a bed. Now it’s just uncomfortable and unsightly. Upgrade your living room with a couch that’s built to last. Check out these 12 ways to make your furniture last longer.
Hand-Me-Down Furniture
Antique furniture can be quite beautiful in the right setting, but if your hand-me-downs look more beat up and useless than rustic and vintage, it’s time to move them along. Fix tables, sticking drawers and chairs with these furniture repair how-tos.
Wire Clothing Hangers
Just as much as you should have an organized and functional closet full of things you actually wear, you should also have decent hangers. The wire ones you collect from the dry cleaner just don’t cut it. They bend easily, cause snags, and are just plain ugly!
Plastic Dinnerware
Eating off plastic dinnerware surely got you through your most frugal of times, but as someone well into adulthood, it’s time to upgrade. Eating off of a real dinner plate is so much better! Check out these quick and clever kitchen storage ideas.
Cheap Rugs
Rugs can transform a room, turning an otherwise bland space into an interesting space. However, if you still have an old polyester rug from your dorm room or first apartment, it’s going to bring down the aesthetic of your home. Vintage wool rugs are a great alternative, as they get better with age. To buy the best carpet for your home, learn about different styles, materials and quality to ensure durability and comfort for your long-term satisfaction.
Beaten-Up Flatware
If you’re planning on hosting guests, having quality, matching flatware is important. Stained, mismatched flatware says you’re not paying attention. Invest in a quality set and donate your old stuff to Goodwill! Check out these DIY kitchen cabinet and drawer storage hacks including a drawer-within-a-drawer for storing flatware and cooking utensils.
Mismatched Dessert Plates and Bowls
Much like old flatware, your plates and bowls should come in sets with a color palette that complements your style and other pieces in your home. They should also be free of any chips! Hosting a party but you don’t have enough table space for all of your guests. Check out these tables that you can build quickly!
Worn Out Bed Pillows
No pillow lasts forever. This means the pillow that’s followed you since college is definitely shot. The National Sleep Foundation says pillows should be replaced every one to two years! So throw out that nasty thing you call a pillow and invest in a well-respected brand, choosing a shape that will provide you a restful night’s sleep.
Here’s why you should be cleaning and replacing your pillows WAY more often.
Flat-Pack Furniture
By your 30s, flat-pack furniture (ready-to-assemble, like IKEA), should be minimal, not the majority. Investing in good-quality furniture will allow you to enjoy pieces for years to come.
Bean Bag Chairs
Bean bag chairs are OK if you have children, but to carry your dorm room bean bag into your adult home simply because you want to save on seating is a no-no. Invest in a beautiful floor cushion as a sophisticated alternative. Check out these floor seating options.
Roommates
Let’s be honest, roommates may be economically sound, but if you’re trying to have a grown up home, sharing it with someone else can make for a messy space with a lot of clashing decor. If you’re in a situation where you can live alone, be sure you do it by the time you’re 30.
Miss-Matched or Warped Food Storage Containers
Despite not having found the bottom or top to your storage containers in years, you’ve kept them around anyway. You even go out of your way to search for the missing piece on occasion. Or perhaps your containers are warped from the dishwasher. Whatever the case, if they’re old, it’s time to toss them. Glass containers with rubber tops ensure safe food storage and they look so much better! Check out these 10 free storage container options.
Random Chargers and Cords
That box full of cords seems like a good idea, but if after months of sitting in the corner you have no idea what any of those charger and cords belong to, then it’s time to clean house. Here’s exactly what to do with those old cords and chargers.
Mismatched Socks
The chances of a pair of socks staying together forever isn’t very high. When you can barely open your sock drawer because of all the mismatched loners in there, it’s time to toss them! Protect safety glasses by storing them in an old sock.
Old Makeup
Stop sifting through your makeup drawer looking for things you actually use, and instead throw out that two-year-old tube of mascara and dried up foundation and make room for what’s new and effective. Check out these 10 awesome ideas for a beauty vanity.
Takeout Menus
The Internet makes takeout menus totally obsolete, so free up space in your kitchen drawers for other essentials and toss out those stacks of paper! Here are 50 household items you should definitely get rid of.
Mini Hotel Toiletries
Every time you go to a hotel, you pick up those mini toiletries and bring them home. However, if you’re not going through them, then they’re only adding up and creating clutter in your bathroom. Many social service agencies will take donations of these items. You might be interested in these 20 bathroom storage hacks.
Unwanted Presents
Perhaps they’re still in their original packaging in your closet or garage, but it’s time to free up space and part with those unwanted gifts. Donate them to Goodwill if you haven’t been able to re-gift them at this point.
High School Band Instruments
Your old clarinet may conjure up memories, but if it’s collecting dust under your bed in its case, it’s time to part with it. You can sell it or donate it so someone who will actually play it! Take a look at these 18 life-changing organizing ideas for hard-to-store stuff.
Textbooks
You’ve been keeping your high school literature book around just in case you want to reread something, while your college books seemed important to keep because they pertain to your career. But, you know that you can find all of that information elsewhere, so donate those books and fill up your bookshelf with your favorite books and more that you’re looking forward to reading. Here are 30 fantastic ways to organize the house before back-to-school day.
Incomplete Games
You keep hoping that incomplete deck of cards will come in handy, or that you’ll find those missing board game pieces, but you won’t. Let them go. Want a better place to store your games? Check out these 25 cool game room ideas.
Old Cameras
A vintage camera can be beautiful when used as decor, but if you have a bunch of digital cameras from decades past that are irrelevant at this point, then it’s time to say goodbye. If you’re storing them because they have photos on them, this is your opportunity to print, upload or delete. Try one of these ideas for a simple DIY picture frame you’ll be proud to display.
Old Magazines
Do you have a stack of magazines you’ve been saving because you think you’re going to reread them? You won’t. No one is really interested in reading dated news, so just recycle them. Then, treat yourself to a subscription to a great magazine like, like Family Handyman! Need a good way to archive magazines? Build these simple wood storage bins and have all your important reference materials at your fingertips.