43 things to get rid of in the next 43 days

You probably have a few go-to purses and barely touch the others. Get rid of any bag that’s so heavy you hate carrying it, looks ratty, or has torn lining. “If it’s not something you would spend money on to have it repaired – if it even could be repaired – you can’t use it,” says Novak.

Toss old lunchboxes that have broken clasps or zippers, or that aren’t insulated if you need to keep your food cold. “Some of them are so gross in the corners with food stuck to them,” says Novak.

“They’re not good for you – you could injure yourself,” says Novak. Anything that you wouldn’t hand to a guest doesn’t belong in your cupboards, she says.

Choosing a book used to require a trip to the bookstore, scanning the shelves for the most interesting ones. But now that new books are just a click away, they tend to pile up before we can read them, says Richmond. “Knowing we spent money on something and didn’t use it triggers this personal guilt issue,” says Richmond. Sit down and figure out when and why you bought each one, then send the ones you don’t plan to read anytime soon to a book donation organisation.

Get the clutter-free home you’ve always wanted by cutting out any home décor items that just don’t suit your personality anymore. “They’re in the home so long they’re just part of the landscape,” says Novak. She recommends clearing off your bookcase, then considering whether you actually love each item before putting it back.

Keep a few tablecloths and table runners in basic colours that could work in different seasons. Ones that only work for one specific holiday just take up precious storage space. “You don’t have to have occasion-specific ones that take up room year-round but you use once a week of the year – maybe, if you remember you have it and want to iron it,” says Novak.

Cutting down on the number of toys your kids have is the first step to cutting down the mess they make during playtime. Anything with broken or missing pieces can go in the garbage. If you’ve noticed your children don’t touch all their toys, ask them to pick three to give away. “Let them know that you’re giving them to an organisation for kids who don’t have any toys,” says Novak. You could also put less-used toys in a box for six months, she says. If your kids don’t ask for the playthings back, they probably won’t miss them if you give them away.

“Life is changing fast,” says Richmond. “Technology we spent good money on only a few years back is now antiquated.” They’re hard to let go because you remember how useful they were, she says. But unless you can honestly say you would use that outdated phone that doesn’t have a charger, get rid of it.

If you don’t generally take baths, you’ll probably never get around to using those bath bombs and salts you’ve been hanging on to. By the time you finally do use them, the moisture and traffic in the bathroom will probably make them unusable. “A ball of salt or bath bomb crumbles aren’t relaxing to put in the tub,” says Novak.

Don’t feel obligated to keep the protective bag that an expensive dress or suit came in. “Think of them as a transportation device,” says Richmond. “Then, if you want to use it in your closet…by all means protect away.” But if you’re more inclined to smush it into a corner of your closet, let it go.