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What if your clutter had an expiry date? - 25th September 2025
Often it can be hard to find a reason to declutter, but surely it's always easier with food items and medicines because they have expiry dates printed on the packaging. To use these things after their 'Use by' or 'Expiry' date could be dangerous or at the very least, unpleasant. 
Struggling to declutter? Start with a food cupboard
In your kitchen choose one food cupboard that is over full and remove all the contents so you can see what you've got. By the time you have it all set out in front of you it will likely become clear that you have duplicated items due to things being hidden from sight.
Do you have half-full jars that should have been stored in your fridge after opening? Assume that this food is no longer fit to eat and dispose of it. Work through all items checking the 'Use by' date and disposing of items accordingly. Also, use your commonsense to tell you if it's a good idea or not to keep certain things that are technically 'usable'.
This should be relatively easy with little cause for hesitation or reluctance. If the food is old, it needs to be thrown away - as simple as that.
What about your medicine cabinet or shelf?
I decluttered our medicine cabinet recently and ended up with a small bag full of items which I took to my local pharmacy for safe disposal. Half consumed boxes of tablets, tubes of ointment that had not been used in ages, an ancient bottle of cough medicine, all way past their best. If you have stored prescription meds it's often the case that you get more than you need and inevitably you store what is leftover not wanting to be wasteful. However, medicines have expiry dates and when you clear out the old ones it makes it much easier to find the items that you are using regularly and that are in date.
What if ALL your clutter had expiry dates?
Just imagine how much easier it might be to declutter certain things if they all had an expiry date on them! Think, clothing, children's toys, gadgets of all kinds, anything that is broken and hence useless.
Try this for yourself. Look at some things you really would like to declutter and work out - when was their expiry date?
Some examples:
Dead pot plant - expiry date was the day it went brown and crispy!
Garments that no longer fit or suit you - expiry date, the day you realise you will never wear them again!
Books - enjoyed, but you know you will never read them again. Expiry date, when that realisation lands.
Unwanted gifts - things you never asked for. Expiry date, the point when you realise you are not obligated to keep unwanted gifts.
Hopefully you get the gist?
Let me know has the idea of expiry dates got you thinking differently about YOUR clutter?
Keywords: kitchen, bathroom, methods
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