Have you ever taken a really close look at the storage pieces in your home? In my living room, I have a beautiful wooden chest with 12 individual drawers. When you make the conscious choice to live small, having a piece of furniture like this is an absolute lifesaver. Tucked neatly away in the corner, it gets used constantly.

Each of those 12 drawers has a highly specific purpose. One is dedicated entirely to my sewing items. Another holds household basics like batteries and light bulbs. I even have drawers specifically designated for placemats and cloth napkins.

Organized? Yes. But recently, I realized something important: there were a lot of things tucked away in those drawers that I hadn’t touched or used in over a year.

As I’ve been focusing on living more intentionally and keeping my space manageable, I knew it was time to clear out the extra.

The Clear Container Strategy

When I tackle a decluttering project, I have a very specific method. I always use clear plastic containers to hold the items I’m sorting through.

Why clear? Because it keeps the project visible! If I were to put items into a solid-colored bin and set it out in the garage, those things would be out of sight, out of mind, and I would completely forget about them. But a clear bin forces me to look at the clutter. It slightly bothers me to see it sitting there, which provides the perfect motivation to find all that stuff a new home.

Usually, I recommend letting a decluttering bin sit for a week or two just to make absolutely sure you don’t need to reclaim anything. But for this project? I know without a doubt that I haven’t used any of these items in a full year, so I’m not worried at all. They are moving on today!

Here is a look at what I cleared out of my drawers:

• An endless supply of Allen wrenches: Seriously, how many Allen wrenches does one person need? Every piece of furniture or household item comes with one, and they just accumulate. Plus, I already have a designated set in my primary tool drawer!
• An old paintbrush: I honestly don’t know why this was taking up prime real estate, considering I haven’t painted a single thing in a year.
• A small hand pump: This was imported for blowing up sports balls or tires, but I don’t own a single thing that requires an air pump anymore.

A Lesson from the Growing-Up Years

As I was sorting through these items, it brought back memories of how I managed clutter when my kids were growing up. Back then, I kept a designated box out in the garage. Whenever the kids outgrew something, or we realized a household item wasn’t being used anymore, it went straight into that box.

The rule was simple: if a certain amount of time passed and no one went out to the garage to pull an item back out or reclaim it, it was time for that item to move on.

For instance, when my son decided he was officially done playing with a certain set of toys, into the box they went. I would then invite all the neighborhood kids over to go through the box and pick out a toy they wanted to keep. Whatever was left over after our neighborhood exchange went straight to charity—though honestly, between neighborly sharing and the kids, there was rarely anything left over!

Comfortable with Letting Go

That is my small-space editing wrap-up for today! Hopefully, a year from now, I won’t have quite this much unneeded stuff hiding out in my furniture.

But practicing intentionality means making it a habit to occasionally open up our storage spaces and reevaluate what we are holding onto. All of these items had a very real purpose at one point in my life, but they no longer do.

And you know what? It is completely okay to let them go.

Have a wonderful, intentional day!

YouTube Video Link: https://youtube.com/shorts/VXQngf51JbA