Top 9 Items KILLING Space In Your Home

You don't need to live in a tiny house to feel like you're running out of space. Sometimes the real problem isn't square footage. It's the stuff we let pile up in corners, closets and drawers. And it's not always obvious clutter either. It's the just in case gadgets, the mystery cables. You don't know what they do anymore. And the expired jars hiding at the back of the fridge. These items quietly eat up room, stress you out and make your home harder to use. So if your space has been feeling a little tighter than it should, it might be time to let go of what's not serving you. So in today's video, you're going to learn the everyday items that are costing you more space than you realize and how to finally clear them out. So item number one on this list are duplicate kitchen tools. I mean, utensils are meant to make cooking easier. But when you hoard every version of the same tool, your drawers just become a black hole. These bulky mismatched gadgets are some of the most common space wasters in just about any home. So if you've got three whisks, four ladles and five types of tongs, don't fool yourself by saying you're prepared. You're just buried in duplicate stuff, because the reality is most people use the same one or two go to tools for all of their everyday meals. And the rest of that stuff just sits at the bottom of their drawer, never touched, but still in the way. And none of these tools are designed to be stacked or stored efficiently. They've got awkward shapes, you know, long handles and all these varying sizes that make even a few extras feel like a total mess. And when you toss all of them together, it only takes one oversized spatula to throw off the entire system. But make no mistake, a chaotic drawer doesn't just look bad. It creates low level stress. You waste time digging around in there. You get frustrated and you end up just grabbing whatever's on top, even if it's not the best tool for the job. And so let's be clear, the solution isn't another divider or plastic bin. It's editing. The real fix here is to pare down your tools to the essentials, only the tools that you use on a weekly basis and everything else. Just let it go. Now, number two, few things waste more space or create more mystery containers than old expired food. And in my view, these are the silent space hogs that exist in every home, hiding behind good intentions and long forgotten leftovers because expired condiments, freezer burned meats and unlabeled leftovers don't just take up space, but they create confusion. You open up the fridge to cook something, but all you see is a ton of clutter. By the time you find what's actually usable, you're either out of time or just no longer interested in cooking at all. And a packed shelf doesn't automatically mean you're prepared. More often than not, it just means you're hanging on to old food. Sauces that have hardened in the bottle, veggies that have turned into a rancid mush and frozen meals you no longer recognize. These items aren't helping you. They're hiding the things you might actually eat. And so mystery bags, half used seasoning packets, crusty jars and stale dry goods, they pile up fast, especially when they're pushed to the back of the fridge or buried under a stack of other stuff. And before you know it, you're buying another bottle of soy sauce because you didn't realize that you already had three. But the good news is you don't need a full blown clean out every Sunday. That's too much. Just doing a quick monthly purge of expired or unusable food can reset your space, free up tons of room and remind you of what you already have. Plus, it'll save you money and reduce a ton of waste. Now, despite what you may wish, your closet and drawer space doesn't magically grow with your wardrobe. And when you keep every piece of clothing just in case, you're wasting tons and tons of space. And most of us only wear a fraction of what we own anyway. So here's something to think about. If a piece of clothing doesn't fit you, flatter you, or you haven't worn it for over a year, it's not serving you. It's just taking up space that something useful could occupy. And in my view, keeping clothes just in case creates more guilt than it does options because clothes pile up fast, especially when they're folded unevenly or shoved into corners. And when your closet is packed wall to wall, it's not inspiring. It's just overwhelming. And the problem here is that you can't actually see what you own. So you keep defaulting to the same five outfits on repeat. And no amount of bins, dividers or folding hacks can fix a wardrobe that's overflowing with items you no longer wear. So take this as a mental reframe. Letting go of old clothes isn't wasteful. It's practical. And don't focus your attention on throwing them away. Instead, focus on reclaiming your closet space because a clean, curated closet makes it so much easier to get dressed, to feel good in your clothes and to stop buying duplicates of things you already own. And taking that a step further, a simplified wardrobe gives you breathing room, not just in your drawers, but in your day to day routine. But let's be honest, there's nothing more frustrating than opening a drawer full of plastic tubs and not finding a single matching lid. I think the first 18 years of my life going through this, where we have an entire drawer of Tupperware and lids that just seem to disappear into thin air. Now, these containers are meant to organize your life, but when they're mismatched, cracked or just missing pieces without the other half, they actually end up doing the opposite. So tell me if this sounds familiar. You've either got a dish or a lid, but you don't know where the other half is. So rather than getting rid of it, you hold on to it, hoping that the other half is going to show up. I mean, it's kind of like when you lose a sock, right? You've got one of a unique pair of socks and nothing to match with it because the other one has gone missing. So rather than getting rid of the one sock, you hold on to it because you think the other one's going to show up, even though you can be pretty sure it's not going to. But the problem with the missing half isn't the only issue here, because these containers also never really seem to stack properly, right? They slide around, they topple over, they take up more room than they're worth. So what should be a quick grab and go drawer turns into a noisy, awkward balancing act. And so it honestly doesn't take much for this whole system to collapse. Just a few extras or worse, a few broken ones. And suddenly your drawer turns into a chaotic puzzle of random shapes and sizes, none of which actually help you store anything. And so let's be honest. Realistically, you and I only use a handful of these containers on repeat because we all develop favorites on this kind of stuff. And so the rest of them just end up sitting there, taking up space while waiting for a lid that's probably already moved on to Tupperware heaven. So if you want a drawer that doesn't give you a headache every time you open it, follow the lead of this image here. Match everything up, get rid of anything with missing parts and nest what you keep. So that's containers inside of containers with lids stacked neatly on the side to reclaim your space and your sanity. But it's not just drawers and utensils and Tupperware that become such a mess because everyone has a drawer like this as well. With tangled cords, mystery chargers and outdated gadgets that haven't been used in years. But just because they're hidden away in a drawer like this doesn't mean that they're not wasting space. Because let's be honest, that drawer full of tangled wires isn't useful. It's just stressful. You reach in for a charging cable and you end up with a fistful of electronic spaghetti. But odds are more than half of those cords don't even fit your current devices. And so old phone chargers, duplicate USBs, retired HDMI cables, outdated remotes and all those random adapters are some of the most common just in case items that people keep. But let's be honest, when the day comes, when you might finally need that old BlackBerry charger, will you even remember where you put it? Because these items pile up quietly and because they're small, it's easy to forget about them. But that pile grows pretty fast. And so a dozen random cables can easily eat up an entire drawer or box that could be used for things that you actually need. And so most of us only need one or a couple of cords every day. So the rest of them are unlabeled, unused and take up space for no reason. So if it takes you longer than 10 seconds to find the right cord, your system isn't working. So here's the fix. Keep only the cables you use regularly and then toss or donate the rest. Because the reality is, if you really need a cable that you don't have anymore, you can pretty much be sure you can buy it on Amazon for five or ten bucks. But the mental clarity you'll free up by doing this is priceless. Now, at some point, that treadmill you've got in the basement was a fitness goal, but now it's a storage shelf. So let's be objective for a second, because if your exercise gear has become a dumping ground, it's time to admit that it's not helping your health. And it's certainly not helping your space either. I'm talking about everything from treadmills, stationary bikes, dumbbells, yoga mats. They've been untouched for months and they're just collecting dust and taking up square footage that you could actually use. Because these pieces are big, bulky and heavy. And when they're not being used, they dominate the room without adding any value. Plus, they often double as clothing racks or catchalls for boxes and junk, which only makes the room feel even more chaotic and just generally more cramped. And even worse, the guilt they create can weigh more than the equipment itself because it's visual clutter and mental clutter at the same time. So be honest about what you'll realistically use when you buy it. And if a piece of equipment has been idle for over a year and sell it, donate it or just pass it on because your floor space and your sanity will thank you. Now, here's something that I've definitely been guilty of, which is holding on to old and unread magazines because we keep them with the best of intentions. You say, one day I'm going to read that or, you know, it's got a recipe that I like. But years later, those magazines have turned into a pile of paper that just sits there gathering dust and taking out valuable floor space. Because in most cases, these old magazines don't add value to your space anymore. If they've been sitting untouched for years, the chances are you're keeping them out of habit, not with a distinct purpose. They quietly take over baskets, shelves and even floor space, turning once tidy corners into just literary dumping grounds. And so what starts as a couple of issues quickly snowballs into a pile that no one even wants to deal with. And most of these magazines are completely outdated. And so the content isn't just old, it's actually irrelevant. They're filled with ads for long gone products, trend forecasts that never materialized and cutting edge tips that just no longer apply. And so even if there is still one relevant article in each of those issues, the effort it takes to find it, digging through, you know, hundreds of dusty pages is rarely worth the time or the mess it creates in your space. And don't forget that that visual clutter drains your energy every time you walk past it. And so if you're holding onto these magazines for nostalgia's sake and give yourself permission to flip through them one last time, tear out anything that might be genuinely useful or have sentimental value to you and then just recycle the rest. Having a single labeled folder or envelope with these handpicked clippings is way more useful and space efficient than having a forgotten tower of paper. Now, here's one that the DIY community is definitely guilty of, and that's holding on to half used paint cans. I mean, they seem harmless at first, you know, just a few leftover cans after that weekend project. But over time, the half dried paint, those crusty brushes and the random rollers start to fill up closets, corners and utility shelves. Let's be honest, how often do you really go back to touch up that wall? In my experience, old paint cans are one of the sneakiest forms of garage or storage clutter because you keep them thinking that you'll reuse that paint. But years pass and over time they become unusable. They dry out, the paint separates or they just seal shut with paint crust around the top of the can. And don't forget that they're bulky and heavy. And when you multiply that by three or five or ten cans, suddenly you've lost an entire cabinet or shelf that could have been used for actual essentials. And a lot of these paint cans aren't even labeled. So you don't know the exact color, the finish or where in your home it was used. And so with that in mind, it becomes practically useless. And if it smells off or separates when you stir it, it's definitely expired. Plus, the paints, brushes and rollers are often stored together, which makes everything feel messy, sticky and kind of impossible to sort through. So you end up with a pile of maybe someday items, but you're never realistically going to touch them again. So what should you do instead? Keep a small, clearly labeled jar for each current wall color if you really need it for future touch ups and then recycle or dispose of full sized cans if you haven't opened them in over two years. A recycling center in your area will often accept latex paint and it'll allow your shelves to breathe again. Now, here's one we've all been guilty of, which is holding on to old towels and bedding. I mean, these items don't beep or flash, but old linens are some of the most silent space hogs in your entire home. And specifically, I'm talking about those scratchy towels, stretched out fitted sheets and faded pillowcases. You know, none of us are reaching for them anymore. And they're just sitting there making your closet feel full and frustrating because in most cases, towels and bedding wear out pretty slowly. And so it's easy to misunderstand the moment when they stop being useful. But once they lose their softness, their elasticity, or they just start fraying at the edges and they become visual and physical clutter, and since linens don't stack perfectly, just a few unused extras can make a shelf feel crammed and chaotic. So these aren't cozy anymore. They're just bulk taking up premium storage space. So think about frayed towels, stained blankets, rough sheets and mismatched sets from three apartments ago. They pile up because we think we'll use them as rags or we'll save them for guests in the guest bedroom. But more often than not, they just sit there folded and forgotten, blocking the stuff that we actually use. And it's no surprise that we don't use them because we don't want to use them for ourselves. And we also don't want our guests to use them either. So they don't actually serve any real purpose anymore. If it's too worn for you to enjoy, then it's definitely too worn to keep. So you want to keep only what's fresh, functional and actually fits your current space. The rest of that stuff, it's time to let them go or repurpose them in a thoughtful way. So decluttering doesn't have to mean getting rid of everything. It just means making space for what actually matters, because most of us are holding on to things out of habit, guilt or the hope that we'll use it someday in the future. But all that stuff, it weighs you down mentally and physically. And the truth is a home that feels calm and functional isn't built by organizing more. It's built by owning less. So something's not adding value, comfort or clarity to your day to day life. And it's time to say goodbye. Clear that drawer, get rid of the extras and give your space the breathing room it deserves. And if you want to learn what you should be doing with your space instead, I recently published another video that will teach you how to design a cozy home that you love in the right way. So that sounds like something you'd be interested in. Watch this video next. I'll see you there.