5 Things Minimalists Toss Right After Vacation to Avoid Post-Trip Clutter

Minimalists don’t let time spent away on vacation derail their efforts to keep clutter out of the house. Upon returning home from their trips, organized individuals always declutter key categories of items to ensure that their spaces remain tidy and functional.

Here, two professional organizers detail five categories of items that you should go through upon arriving at your house following a getaway—be it two days or two months.

Travel Toiletries

Rather than stuffing your cosmetic bag back into your bathroom drawer and calling it a day, consider taking some time to sort through your selection of travel toiletries.

“You know those half-used travel shampoos or random hotel lotions that somehow end up in your bag? Minimalists tend to toss or donate them right away because they know they’ll just clutter up the bathroom drawer,” says Di Ter Avest, the founder of Di is Organized.

She also encourages people to take inventory of the travel toiletries they used on their trip and those that they didn’t touch, noting that if you didn’t open a specific item while away, you probably won’t reach for it at home, either, so there’s no need to store it for future use.

After tackling your toiletries, go through travel-related meds, too, adds Malaika Lubega, the founder of Huza Home Harmony.

“Typically, minimalists buy only a small quantity or exactly what they need for that particular trip,” she says. “They do not stock up or save for the next trip in the future.”

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Their Digital Photo Albums

Make an effort to do some virtual decluttering when you return from time spent away, too. Ter Avest explains that the first task she completes upon arriving home from a vacation is deleting unwanted photos from her phone’s camera roll.

“It’s so easy to snap 200 versions of the same sunset,” she says, adding that minimalists will not only delete duplicates but also get rid of any blurry shots. “That way, their camera roll stays filled with meaningful memories—not digital noise,” Ter Avest says.

Travel-Specific Clothing Items

Lubega shares that minimalists will get rid of any trip-specific clothing items that they do not anticipate wearing again in their day-to-day lives, such as ski gear or safari gear.

Of course, it may be worth recouping the cost of some of these items if you can by listing them for sale via online platforms. At the very least, be sure to donate anything in decent condition so that someone else can enjoy it during their own vacation.

Luggage or Luggage Tags in Poor Shape

It’s common for luggage to accumulate scratches and dings, and these aren’t reasons to get rid of a perfectly good suitcase, but if your travel gear is officially in a poor state or just not serving you, by all means, get rid of it upon returning home.

Bag tags in particular may sustain rips and spills and are easy to replace on the cheap—there’s no need to hold onto any that aren’t in good condition, Lubega notes.

Paper Clutter

It’s difficult enough to stay on top of all of the paper coming into your home during your day-to-day life, so make an effort to keep vacation-related papers from piling up. Minimalists will recycle things such as old receipts, brochures, printed guides, maps, tickets, and the like, Lubega explains.

“Once the trip is done, then there is no use to hold on unless it has meaning or is sentimental,” she says.

Those who are inclined to save a couple of items, such as a playbill from a show or a hotel room keycard from a luxe property, should tuck these things away for safekeeping immediately rather than allowing them to collect dust on the counter.