10 Things To Throw Out This Diwali Cleaning | Declutter Your House | Divya Toshniwal |

Every year we bring out a lot of stuff and organize them and put them back while cleaning for Diwali. We have boxes and boxes of stuff that we haven't used in years and we still can't let go if it . This stuff takes in such a lot of space in our home that when we want to buy new things that we need we don't have enough space for it and hence we go on buying more storage furniture and our house keeps filling in to a point after which we feel the need to move out to a bigger space.

Having a stuffed house can make you anxious and create a lot of stress. It effects you subconsciously . Having open and clear space in your house makes your mind clear too and helps you think through a lot of stuff.

We Indians have this strange habit of hoarding things and holding on to things that we no longer need and I have so many such things in my life . I , for instance , never throw my t-shirts away ( thinking I will  wear them as a night wear ) and now I have more than 30 T-shirts that I no longer can wear outside as they have faded or got d-shaped or for any other reason .These 30 t-shirts are piled up in my cupboard filling it and I still don't have anything to wear . So I decided to declutter my house this Diwali and listed down 10 things that I would either throw ,or sell or give away .


1. Unused Clothes - Anything that you have not worn for more than a year does not need to stay in your closet unless you have a sentimental value attached to it (like your wedding dress). But many a times we just think there is a sentimental value attached while in reality letting go of those thing would not actually mean much to us . Don't hold on to things thinking you are going to need them some day . Trust me when you are going to need them you will buy a new one and not searching for the old one in your closet. 

2.Combs and Brushes - No you do not need a whole bunch of hair brushes and comb. One comb and one brush would do the job . So clear out all those extra stuff either throw or give them away .

3. Travel toiletries - Whenever we travel we pick up the small toiletries from the hotels we stay into ( and that is not bad since you have paid for it). We keep them in our collection assuming we ll use them in our next travel while we end up using the products we use daily or the toiletries provided for that trip . You don't have to keep this collection and just clear off that space . rather keep one set of empty bottles set meant for travel and refill them from the products you use daily . This will also be good for your skin and hair since you know what products suits you best .

4. The extra cables from ancient civilization - Yes all our homes have those boxes where we have kept cables and adapters which are decades old and we are still not throwing them out . They have become obsolete and are of no use . Throw Them Out !!! also the old remote controls that you have kept for god knows what reason.

5.The extra mugs - We get a lot of mugs and cups as souvenirs or as gifts or may be we bought them just because they were cute. Don't stick to them , you are never going to use them . We have one particular kind of mug or cup that we actually use daily and for guests we keep a set of similar designs , so these mugs that you have been collecting are never going to be used and one day you ll find them broken . Instead give them to someone who would actually use them thus eliminating their need to buy it and reduce wastage.

6. Extra seating arrangements - We design our homes to the optimum and then keep adding stuff to it until it looks less like a home and more like a furniture store. We keep so many varieties of seatings that we actually do not need. So this Diwali remove those extra chairs, bean bags , modhas and make your home a little more spacious.

7. The accumulated plastic bottles- On this I laughed so much on while putting on the list (realizing how often I do that ). Everytime we purchase a bottle of soft drinks or juices we wash the bottle and keep it for future use . Out of 50 we end up using one bottle ( not even that some times ) . No I am not saying throw away the bottle . You can keep a couple of bottles and sell of the rest . also if you are a DIY person you can do some creative stuff out of it . But don't keep them piled up in a box or a shelf. Clear the space out.

8. Showpieces and decoratives- Having a couple of showcase decoratives feels good but the tendency to fill your showcase with decoratives is a big No No . This no longer looks beautiful rather looks like a clutter . Be very selective while putting on decoratives in your house and if you want you can replace them frequently but don't fill your living room like it is an antique store.

9. Books and Notebooks - Yes I have plenty of books and I am a hoarder . I keep every book that I ever read . This year though I tried to declutter my trunk and book shelf a little . No I can't just remove them all . But I decided to atleast give away those books for which I was sure I am Never Going to read again and that was more than 50 books . So yes it was a lot more than I initially thought and now I am giving it away . Also there were a lot of old notebooks that I thought I was attached to but I cleared a lot of them too . I definitely don't need them.

10. Negative Thought Patterns- Diwali cleaning is not just cleaning your physical space but also cleaning up your mental space and the energy around you . The agenda behind cleaning your physical space is to make you feel better , but if your mental and energy space is cluttered you cannot feel good by just clearing up the physical space . Hence this Diwali leave behind any negative thoughts , agendas, relations and fill yourself with positive energy to help you live the life you aspire for.

Thank You for taking out your precious time and reading my blog. If you like it please share with others too and subscribe to my blog for more such articles and to keep me motivated to write. 


Divya


Also Read : 10 things I stopped Buying | Minimalism |