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A new Apartment Therapy guide lists nine categories of household items that people who have lived in their homes for ten years or longer can safely declutter. The list includes unused decor, expired fragrances, mismatched food containers, outdated paperwork, and abandoned hobby supplies. Most items can be donated, recycled, or sold rather than replaced.
A new Apartment Therapy guide lays out nine categories of household items that people who have lived in the same home for a decade or longer can sell, donate, discard, or recycle without guilt. The list, written by freelance real estate and home improvement writer Barbara Bellesi Zito, targets the accumulation that builds up in closets, cabinets, and drawers over ten-plus years of occupancy, and the author notes that most of the flagged items do not need replacing once they are gone.
The nine categories are: unused home decor, perfumes, food storage containers, old paperwork, costumes and uniforms, untouched hobby and craft supplies, charging cables, children’s clothing, toys, and gear, and anything still in its original packaging. Zito writes from her own experience, noting that after nearly a decade in her home, some items in the back of her coat closet have been there since move-in day.
Several items come with specific guidance. Perfume, Zito notes, generally lasts three to five years once opened, though some high-end fragrances can last longer; bottles kept in sunlight or fluctuating temperatures are likely past their prime. For paperwork, she points out that the IRS states most tax returns can be discarded after the three-year mark, while documents such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, and home deeds should be kept in hard copy. Charging cables should go to an electronics recycling center or a retailer such as Best Buy, some of which offer trade-in programs that return cash or store credit.
The guide also suggests reuse options before disposal: orphaned food containers and lids can be repurposed as pantry organizers or spoon rests, craft supplies can go to scout troops, schools, art stores, or community centers, and outgrown children’s items can be donated so other families can use them. Seasonal holiday decor that the owner genuinely enjoys displaying is an explicit exception to the purge.
Why a Decade of Accumulation Weighs on Homeowners
Long-term homeownership tends to produce exactly the kind of low-visibility clutter the guide addresses: items stored once and rarely revisited. Zito frames decluttering as difficult for two reasons — sentimental attachment and the “I might need this someday” mindset — and her list is designed to bypass both by focusing on objects with little practical or emotional claim.
The guide’s appeal is partly financial and environmental. Several categories — decor, children’s gear, costumes, unopened goods — are donation or resale candidates, while electronics like charging cables require proper recycling rather than landfill disposal. The author also notes that most listed items need no replacement, meaning the payoff is purely reclaimed space.
The Reporter’s Own Decluttering Experience
Zito, a Staten Island-based freelance writer covering real estate and home improvement, grounds the guide in her own household. She writes that she and her husband initially welcomed the storage space their home provided and proceeded to use “every last closet, corner, and cabinet” — a pattern she suggests is common among homeowners who stay in one place long-term.
The piece was published on Apartment Therapy, a home and lifestyle outlet that covers decluttering and organizing as a regular topic. The article includes the site’s standard disclosure that it may earn commissions on linked products and that prices were accurate at publication time.
“I remember the relief I felt when my husband and I became homeowners — in part because we had so much more storage. And boy, did we proceed to use every last closet, corner, and cabinet.”
— Barbara Bellesi Zito, Apartment Therapy
Where the Guide’s Deadlines Are Judgment Calls
The three-to-five-year shelf life cited for opened perfume is presented as a general rule, with the author acknowledging that some high-end fragrances can last longer and that a bottle which still smells fine and does not irritate skin may be worth keeping. The IRS three-year guidance on tax returns applies “in most situations,” according to the article, meaning some taxpayers with exceptional circumstances may need to retain records longer.
The list itself is one writer’s editorial judgment rather than a professional organizing standard. Decisions about sentimental children’s items and holiday decor are left to the reader, and the guide does not address items requiring special handling beyond electronics, such as batteries or household chemicals. The original article text was truncated in syndication, so the complete guidance on items in original packaging may extend beyond what is quoted here.
How to Act on the List
Readers following the guide can begin by sorting the nine categories into sell, donate, recycle, and discard piles. Practical next steps include locating a local electronics recycler or retailer trade-in program for cables, shredding outdated paperwork while setting aside deeds and certificates, and contacting schools, scout troops, or community centers about craft donations.
For disposal of any electrical items, check local recycling requirements first, as many municipalities prohibit electronics in regular household waste. The article also links to additional Apartment Therapy tips on sorting paper clutter for readers who want a more structured paperwork purge.
Key Questions
How long does opened perfume last, according to the guide?
Zito writes that most perfumes last three to five years once opened, though some high-end fragrances can last to double digits. Perfume exposed to sunlight or fluctuating temperatures is likely past its prime.
Which documents should be kept rather than shredded?
The guide recommends keeping hard copies of birth certificates, marriage licenses, and home deeds. Past bills, expired insurance policies, and old tax statements beyond the IRS’s general three-year window can be shredded.
Where should old charging cables and electronics go?
The article recommends taking them to a local electronics recycling center or a technology retailer such as Best Buy that recycles them. Some retailers also offer trade-in programs that pay cash or credit.
Does the list apply to holiday decorations?
No. Seasonal and holiday items the owner genuinely enjoys displaying are an explicit exception to the purge, even though they spend most of the year in storage.
What can be done with unused craft supplies and outgrown children’s items?
Craft supplies can be donated to scout troops, schools, art stores, or community centers. Outgrown costumes, sports uniforms, toys, and children’s gear can be donated so other families can use them.
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