We Asked Cleaning Pros What Minimalists Throw Away Every Week—and They Named These 8 Things

Minimalists understand the importance of keeping their homes organized and clutter-free at all times. They do not wait until the start of a new season or time off of work to tackle a big cleanout; they simply take small steps every day to maintain a functional, streamlined home.

Here, three professional organizers speak to eight categories of items that minimalists are always cognizant of getting rid of by week’s end, no matter what, to avoid having to deal with chaotic countertops and jam-packed drawers later on.

Junk Mail and Paper

You will never set foot inside a minimalist’s home and be confronted with an overflowing stack of mail or a pile of papers that needs to be sorted through, Jayna Lattimore, the founder of Ordered, LLC, shares.

She explains how minimalists like to keep spaces simple and surfaces clear at all times.

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Receipts

On a similar note, minimalists do not have an inclination to hold onto receipts over the course of a week. Kristina Pinkerton, the founder of Organizing Huntsville, views these as unnecessary clutter. The longer you let it take up space, more receipts will accumulate over time.

If you worry that you will need to reference a receipt down the line for business purposes or for your personal records, you can always snap a photo of it on your phone before tossing it into the trash can.

Empty Shopping Bags

Minimalists do not have a tendency to accumulate paper or plastic shopping bags from trips to the grocery store or mall. Rather, Lattimore explains, minimalists like to run errands using reusable shopping bags, which is the more environmentally-friendly option anyway. After making a purchase, they’re also quick to part with things like shoeboxes and plastic wrap, she adds.

Be mindful that you don’t need to keep more than a handful of reusable totes on hand, either—accumulating too many will just lead to its own kind of clutter. Keep the totes that you like to use often on a hook by the front door or in your car so that you will always be prepared with one, whether running planned or impromptu errands.

Duplicates

Minimalists don’t feel the need to keep three pairs of scissors on hand, for example, when they only truly need one. Duplicates do not stick around for long in a minimalist home, Lattimore states.

This practice, she says, simplifies decision-making and reduces clutter.

Lone Socks

It’s all too common to run a load of laundry and find socks whose pairs have gone missing. Maria Baer, the founder of The Baer Minimalist, has created her own system for dealing with single socks in her own home.

“If I happen to find a single sock in a basket full of clean clothes, I will set it aside until we have wrapped up that week’s laundry but do move it along if it isn’t matched by week’s end,” she says.

Rather than tossing the sock into the trash, Baer finds a way to reuse it, adding it to her textile recycling pile.

Kids’ Art and School Worksheets

As the mother of five-year-old twins, Baer is all too familiar with how quickly children’s art (and worksheets, favors, and the like) can pile up in the home over the course of a given week. She has set up her space so that each of her children has a drawer of items they can add to as often as they please. Once it is full, they must go through what they’ve chosen to hold onto and decide what can go.

“I try to share the philosophy that some things carry their importance over time, while others don’t seem quite as special if you re-evaluate in a week, a month, or a year,” Baer says.

Gifts They Won’t Use

Following a minimalist’s or their child’s birthday or holiday celebration, they will be quick to donate items that they received and do not intend to use, Lattimore notes.

“They appreciate the thoughtfulness, but they aren’t likely to let guilt force them into keeping something they don’t like or won’t use,” she says.

Freebies

While it seems like everyone loves free stuff, minimalists may be the exception. Pinkerton explains how minimalists either decline them upfront or donate extras within a week to avoid clutter.

“Promotional tote bags, pens, and sample-size toiletries often go unused,” Pinkerton says.