Spring cleaning is great, but why wait till next year? Why not clean out your home before Christmas? You know, before you accumulate more clothes…before you press the kitchen supplies back even further into the cabinet…before you stack another book…before you slip one more tube of lipstick into your clutch…before you add one more item to your child’s leviathan toy collection.

Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist has already done the work of creating a great “clean out” list, so I will defer to him. This list of 101 Physical Things That Can Be Reduce In Your Home was an excellent resource for me. This list can be your starting point! Print it off – even if you aren’t sure whether you want to begin a journey towards simplicity. You can read it, mull it over, digest the content. Pick just one item from the list and make a start. A small start is still a start. I keep this list and refer to it multiple times a year – when I feel bogged down, overwhelmed, sucked dry, tired of managing stuff. (If you’re a lazy clickers, I’ve included the list at the bottom of post.)

I’d love to hear what first steps you take, or how this list got you started!

Here are some my recent favorites from the list below. You can also check my own short list for starting the journey towards simplicity – The Surprising Alternative to Buying More.

hair ties etc – cut my hair short!

clippings of future ideas & projects (paper version of Pinterest)

clothes – this is ongoing

magazines

catalogs

bottles of water

1. Glassware
2. Cookbooks
3. Kitchen gadgets
4. Kitchen appliances
5. Pots / pans
6. Mixing bowls
7. Tupperware
8. Water pitchers
9. Magazines
10. Newspapers
11. Books
12. Over-the-counter medicine
13. Make-up
14. Barretts / hair clips / ponytail holders
15. Cleaning supplies
16. Personal beauty appliances (hair dryer/curlers, electric razors)
17. Bottles of shampoo/conditioner
18. Photos
19. Photography supplies
20. Sewing supplies
21. Craft supplies
22. Scrap-booking supplies
23. CD’s
24. DVD’s
25. Decorative items
26. Candles
27. Figurines
28. Crystal
29. Vases
30. Audio/visual components
31. Audio/visual cables
32. Computer equipment
33. MP3 players
34. Furniture
35. Video game systems
36. Vdeo games
37. Video game accessories
38. Shirts / shorts
39. Pants
40. Coats
41. Dresses
42. Hats
43. Clothes hangers
44. Shoes
45. Winter gear
46. Jewelry
47. Purses
48. Coins
49. Pillows
50. Towels
51. Linen sets
52. Candle Holders
53. Televisions
54. Items on your bulletin board
55. Magnets
56. Artwork
57. Mirrors
58. Home office supplies
59. Pens/pencils
60. Old batteries
61. Tools
62. Hardware
63. Rolls of duct tape
64. Coolers
65. Manuals
66. Phone books
67. Coupons
68. Sporting good supplies
69. Sports memorabilia
70. Aluminum cans
71. Glass bottles
72. Automobile fluids
73. Automobiles
74. Scrap pieces of lumber
75. Brooms
76. Rakes
77. Shovels
78. Garden tools
79. Plant containers
80. Empty cardboard boxes
81. Board games
82. Puzzles
83. Decks of cards
84. Unused wedding gifts
85. Baby clothes
86. Baby supplies
87. Old schoolbooks/papers
88. Army men
89. Bath toys
90. Toy balls
91. Toy cars/trucks
92. Toy musical instruments
93. Stuffed animals
94. Plastic toys
95. Childrens’ old school papers
96. Suitcases
97. Soda
98. Alcohol
99. Processed foods
100. Christmas / seasonal decorations
101. Cable channels