Surprising Ways to Pare Down at Home

Like anyone who enjoys poring over home design photos, I appreciate well-designed, beautiful objects and gracious spaces. I treasure images of cozily overstuffed rooms brimming with books and squashy pillows. But the fact is (a fact I am slowly and reluctantly coming to grips with), the more stuff we have — to care for, clean, maintain, repair and replace — the less time and money we have to enjoy our home and the life we lead in it.

Does this mean we would all be better off living in spare, minimalist homes? Of course not. Each of us has highly individual preferences and needs. But what we can do is challenge some of the assumptions we may have about the things we assume everyone "must" have in the home. Try to keep an open mind as you read the following lists — could you imagine going without any of these things? Your answers may surprise you.

Kitchen. Consider which tools you rarely use but feel you "should" have in the kitchen. If you don't actually use these things, consider letting them go.
Food processor: For some a daily essential. For others a dust gatherer.Salad spinner: What about gently wrapping the leaves in a dish towel instead?Highly specialized tools: Garlic press, pasta maker, panini press etc. If you don't reach for it at least once a week, why hold on to it?Trash can liners: If you compost, your trash should be fairly dry. Why use a liner? Empty the can directly into the outside garbage instead.


Dining room. How many sets of dishes, flatware, glasses and linens do you really need?
Specialized cocktail glasses and wineglasses: Go with one type of wineglass and a versatile tumbler that can be used for cocktails and water.Placemats and tablecloths: Which do you prefer to use? Two sets of either placemats or tablecloths are probably all you need.Holiday or "fancy" dishes: Gussy up your table for special occasions with flowers, seasonal fruits and homemade place cards instead.


Living room. Streamlining this space can mean shorter cleaning times and a more relaxed atmosphere.
Magazines: Subscribe to digital versions of your favorites.Books: Check them out from the library.Music and movies: Store music on your computer and use a service like Netflix or Hulu for movies.Decorations: Unless you really love them, why not remove a few and see how the space feels without? Less decor means less stuff to clean.Extra surfaces: More flat surfaces mean more clutter is bound to accumulate there. Why not take away extra tables and cabinets rather than filling every corner? A little empty space can be refreshing.



Cleaning supplies. Is your cleaning cupboard crammed so full of stuff that you can hardly open the door? You may be surprised at what you can do without.
Paper towels: Cut up old T-shirts to use as rags for messy spills and keep a big pile of them close at hand.Specialized cleaning products: There are very few places in the home that an all-purpose cleaner can't clean.


Home office. There is no reason to accept being surrounded by stuff in your office. If your office is not working for you, consider these ways to reduce clutter.
Printer: How often do you really need to print? After realizing we print only airplane tickets, we got rid of our bulky printer and just visit a copy shop or a friend's house when we must print.Desktop computer and laptop: Do you need both? Some may, but if you really use only your laptop, consider selling your desktop computer to someone who would really use it — or donate it to a local school or library.Filing cabinets: Consider paying a service to scan all of your paper documents and save them to the cloud. Then shred all but the truly essential ... and use the paper shreds as packing material.



Bedroom. The bedroom should be peaceful, an oasis. What is clogging up your space?
Extra bedding sets: How many do you really use? Two sets of sheets per bed plus several blankets (and a duvet for cold climates) for layering should suffice.Clothes and shoes: Which are your favorites? Which would you immediately reach for to pack on a trip, or if your house were burning down? Consider getting rid of everything else.



Bath. Reducing bathroom and linen closet clutter is simple, and can make your mornings run more smoothly. Why not give it a try?
Towels: Use monogrammed hooks or color code your towels for each family member, so towels get reused more. Keep only two sets of towels per person and one extra for guests.Toiletries: What do you use daily? Put these items front and center in your medicine cabinet, and get rid of the rest. Seriously, you will never use those old half-full bottles of lotion.
Rethink your daily "essentials": Do you need everything you use daily? Keep in mind that thousands of products are marketed to us that we don't really need. You could try using one multipurpose lotion instead of several, or even join the folks who take a no-poo approach instead of shampooing.



Sports and hobbies. If you have accumulated a lot of expensive gear, you may be reluctant to let it go. Keep things you love and use with some regularity, and sell or donate the rest.
Seasonal gear: If you use your boogie boards only for one week each year while on vacation, consider renting them as needed instead. You will save storage space and save room in your car on your trip to boot.Hobbies you have given up: Think you might take up golf, drumming, painting or kayaking again "one day"? Let it go. If your passion is rekindled in the future, seek used equipment to get started.



Yard, Garden and Home Improvement

Caring for even a small home with a modest-size yard or garden can produce a lot of accumulated supplies and tools — and those who love to garden or tinker with DIY projects may be most prone to falling for the newest, coolest tools and accessories, causing unneeded clutter and waste.
Lawnmower and rake: If you replace your lawn with a low-maintenance alternative, you can give away the lawn care tools. Or mow, but let the grass clippings lie instead of raking, which is better for your grass anyway.Seed pots: Use egg cartons, recycled tin cans and old flowerpots to start seeds.Garden markers: Write directly on pots or make your own markers using recycled materials.Specialized tools: Aside from a basic tool set, most of us can do without a lot of specialty home improvement and gardening tools. If you need something specific to get a job done, rent it from a local tool library or home improvement store, or borrow from a neighbor.Tell us: Have you streamlined your home supplies? Please tell us how in the Comments.

More: 4 Obstacles to Decluttering — and How to Beat Them

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