The Year is 2025. Here are 25 Things You Can Declutter Right Away

Technology changes, lifestyles evolve, and yet, many of us still hold on to items that no longer serve a purpose. If you’re ready to create more space and simplicity in your home, here are 25 things you can declutter right away—because in 2025, you just don’t need them anymore.

1. CDs

Streaming services and digital downloads have made CDs nearly obsolete. If you haven’t touched your CD collection in years, it’s time to let them go.

2. DVDs

With Netflix, Disney+, and countless other streaming options, most DVDs are just collecting dust. Keep a few sentimental favorites, but consider donating the rest.

3. Take-Out Menus

Every restaurant has their menu online. There’s no need to keep stacks of old take-out menus in a drawer.

4. Phone Books

Phone books are a relic of the past. If you need a number, a quick online search will get you there faster than flipping through a bulky book.

5. MP3 Players

With smartphones and music streaming services, MP3 players are no longer necessary. If you’re still holding on to an iPod from the early 2000s, it’s time to say goodbye.

6. Cables You Don’t Use

We all have a drawer filled with mystery cables from long-forgotten devices. If you don’t know what they belong to, you probably don’t need them.

7. Outdated Magazines

Unless it holds sentimental value, that stack of old magazines is just clutter. Recycle them or donate to a school or library.

8. Paper Maps

With GPS on every phone, paper maps have become unnecessary. If you have a glove compartment full of them, it’s time to declutter.

9. Calculators

Unless you’re using a scientific calculator for work or school, your phone likely does everything you need.

10. Encyclopedias

Wikipedia and online resources have made printed encyclopedias outdated. If they’re taking up space, consider donating them.

11. Dictionaries

With spell-check and online dictionaries at our fingertips, physical dictionaries aren’t essential anymore.

12. Business Cards

Most people connect digitally now. If you have a pile of old business cards, consider scanning the information and recycling the rest.

13. Travel Guides

Travel planning has gone digital. Outdated guidebooks are often useless, especially since destinations change so quickly.

14. Fax Machines

Unless you work in a rare industry that still uses fax machines, this is one item that can go.

15. VCR/DVD Players

Unless you have rare VHS tapes you cherish, most VCR and DVD players are now unnecessary. Streaming services have replaced them.

16. Landline Phones

Most households have moved on from landlines in favor of mobile phones. If yours is just sitting there unused, it’s time to disconnect.

17. Address Books

Contact lists are stored in our phones now. If your address book is outdated, consider digitizing the important info and recycling the rest.

18. Old Greeting Cards

Keeping a few meaningful cards is fine, but stacks of old birthday and holiday cards take up unnecessary space.

19. Unused Checkbooks

Many people have switched to digital payments. If you rarely write checks, keeping multiple checkbooks isn’t necessary.

20. Old Remote Controls

Devices change, but old remotes tend to stick around. If you no longer have the device it controls, toss the remote.

21. Camera Film Rolls

If you don’t own a film camera anymore, those old film rolls aren’t doing anything but taking up space.

22. Instruction Manuals

Most product manuals are available online. Unless it’s something highly technical, you likely don’t need to keep paper copies.

23. Old Prescription Glasses

If your prescription has changed, donate your old glasses instead of letting them pile up.

24. Loyalty Cards

Many stores now track loyalty points through phone numbers or apps. If you’re carrying around a pile of plastic cards, it’s time to declutter.

25. Usernames and Password Lists on Paper

Keeping your passwords in a notebook might seem convenient, but a password manager or secure digital record is safer and easier to access.

Sometimes we write these lists and end by saying, “choose 1 or 2 and get started.” But I think with this list, I can confidently say “declutter all 25.” Because by minimizing these 25 items, you’ll create room for the things that actually add value to your home and daily life.