After we went through our storage space to declutter it and get things ready to be moved into our new house, I wished I hadn’t stored so many things! While storage often sounds great in the moment, you’ll often find you don’t need the items when it’s time to revisit them.
In no particular order, here are a few things that instantly went into the declutter pile when I sorted through our storage unit:
Old Baking Pans
Even though they were old and past their prime, I thought I would use them again for some reason…
In the meantime, I had found a set of baking pans that worked great for me, so the ones in storage were unnecessary.
Old Clothes
Yikes…I think I have a bit of a problem when it comes to keeping old clothes. Some of it was stuff I thought I’d fit into or want again but when I looked at it, I realized there was a reason I had tucked it away in the first place – go with your gut and donate/get rid of the stuff!
Here’s another fun idea if you’re looking to get rid of clothing but also breathe some new life into your closet…try a clothing swap with some friends! I’ve participated in a seasonal clothing swap a few times in our community, and it’s been so much fun!
Winter Accessories
I hadn’t realized just how many cold-weather accessories we had accumulated over the years! Winter is long around here and we’ve been gifted a ton of winter mittens, toques, and other accessories.
I found a large bag of items we hadn’t touched in years! I decided to keep a couple pairs of gloves from a really good brand, but the rest got donated to a local women’s shelter.
While winter gear might not be the thing you accumulate, it’s usually some type of seasonal accessories that sneak up on us—make sure you think twice before stuffing it in storage!
Oven Mitts
Another frequently gifted item, but one that I’m being more strict with myself about. I only need one pair for my kitchen routine and hosting, so everything but my favourite had to go!
What’s something in your kitchen that you have too many of?
Tupperware
My opinion on Tupperware is that it’s an everyday kind of item, so if it’s something you’ve tucked away, you obviously don’t need it! Time for it to go!
I’ve also recently been experimenting with how few Tupperware pieces I can own. When I pulled everything out of storage, I was truly overwhelmed by the amount we suddenly had. I had kept EVERYTHING we had collected since my last big declutter in our original little basement suite years ago.
Tupperware is one of the main culprits of the “but I might need it” philosophy that so many of us fall prey to in our homes. We hang on endlessly, believing that one day we’ll suddenly need it, only for the drawer to continue growing and growing.
I’ve tried many times throughout the years to truly downsize my Tupperware drawer, without much success. It would look great for a bit, but soon enough, the drawer would be overflowing and un-closable. In an upcoming blog, I’m going to share about what made ALL the difference and FINALLY helped me downsize the stuff.
Decor
When I opened the bin of decor I had stored I couldn’t believe it…99% of the items didn’t fit my style anymore—it was like a weird little time capsule into my past self and honestly I wasn’t here for it. I ended up getting rid of almost everything in the bin, just keeping a couple of glass items that still fit with my design aesthetic for our new home.
My advice—don’t put decor into long-term storage. I can almost guarantee you won’t want the items you stored whenever you eventually unpack them again.
The only type of decor I would recommend storing is minimal seasonal decor (i.e., Christmas decorations). Having a set time (once a year) that you know you will pull everything out and revisit whether you like it or not means that you’ll be able to stay on top of the items and make sure they still work for you and your home.
Having a concrete plan in place for when you will review and declutter items is important. If it’s being stored on an unknown timeline, there’s a greater chance you’ll forget about it and it will take up unnecessary space.
What are some items you stored but wished you hadn’t?
Little Minimalist on the Prairies 