8 Things People Really Don’t Want to Declutter (But Should Anyway)

Inside: There are certain types of items people are reluctant to declutter. Learn 8 things many people don’t want to declutter, but why they should consider it anyway.

When it comes to decluttering, most of us like the idea of clearing out the space in our homes and getting rid of the stuff we truly don’t need.

But when it’s time to take action? It’s often easier said than done.

Many of us are holding onto lots of things that we don’t want to declutter – even though it would be best if we did.

And despite the challenge, by finding ways to overcome those personal objections, we can achieve our decluttering goals and improve our living space in a meaningful, significant way.

Not sure what those sticking points might be when it comes to decluttering?

Let’s explore some of the things most people really don’t want to declutter and why it’s a good idea to do it anyway.

What are the Things People Don’t Want to Declutter?

We’re going to look at eight types of items that people are often reluctant to declutter. To be clear, suggesting that people consider decluttering these things does not mean that you need to get rid of all of these items.

What I am saying is it’s best not to categorize certain types of items as never having the potential to become clutter and to be open-minded when assessing these types of items.

Decluttering is not about trying to force people to part with their most loved possessions. It’s about letting go of items that have become burdensome and creating space for the things that matter most to you.

Ready to challenge yourself? Let’s get started on the things people often don’t want to declutter.

Things People Don’t Want to Declutter: Sentimental Items

People often don’t want to declutter sentimental items. 

The hardest things to part ways with, for many, are items that hold sentimental value. When you’ve developed an emotional attachment to something, it’s hard to say goodbye – even when that attachment is tied to a physical thing that rarely, if ever, gets stumbled upon in your daily life. 

While virtually anything can be a sentimental item, there are a few common types of items that people are reluctant to declutter.

1. Letters and cards. 

If you’ve got a shoebox or two filled with old letters and cards from friends and loved ones, you aren’t alone. Many hold onto these items and save them for years – even though they rarely, if ever, revisit them to relive those memories. 

Instead of letting these items take up physical space in your home, consider scanning them into digital files or taking photos of them so you can keep them forever.

And if you’d like to keep a few, that’s fine – but consolidate them into a smaller container and make sure they’re well organized so that they can be a source of joy instead of stress.

2. Photos.

Photos can be a difficult area to declutter. If you inherited boxes of other family member’s photos it can be an even greater challenge.

What do you do with images when you don’t even know who is in them or what their significance is? This is why it’s important to declutter photos in your home. It will allow you to get rid of the excess and organize what you have.

You can add notes on the back or put them into photo albums to make them easier to access.

If you have many photographs you’d like to preserve, digitizing old photos is a great option.

Taking the time to declutter your photos will make them easier to enjoy and less overwhelming.

3. Kids artwork.

If you’re a parent, chances are you’ve got a collection of your child’s artwork somewhere in your house. It might be stacked on the counters in your kitchen, or filling boxes and bins in your bedroom.

And while it’s sweet to hold onto those pieces of art as a small snapshot of your little one’s growth, they take up a lot of room and are difficult to keep organized.

Similar to old letters and cards, you can keep digital copies of their artwork without taking up a ton of physical space.

You can also choose a few particularly special pieces to frame and hang somewhere in your house, like your little one’s bedroom. 

4. Old yearbooks.

Many of us celebrated the end of each school year by purchasing a yearbook filled with class photos and messages from our friends and teachers.

But when was the last time you actually opened up one of those yearbooks to relive those memories?

For many of us, it’s been years – if not decades. 

If that’s the case, it might be time to look them over and decide what you want to do. Some people may decide to get rid of all of their yearbooks, others might keep a couple, while others decide to keep all of them.

There isn’t a right or wrong answer here. It’s a personal choice based on what is meaningful and important to the individual.

Other Things People Don’t Want to Declutter

Sentimentality is only one of the reasons people hold onto things. Here are some other types of items people often find it difficult to declutter.

5. Gifts from friends and family.

It’s a lot harder to get rid of stuff that was given to us by our friends and family than stuff we bought for ourselves. Even if it was a gift we never wanted in the first place.

There’s an extra layer of guilt involved in getting rid of a gift – even if that gift is something we’ve never actually used. What if they found out?

The good news – they’re probably never going to know unless you explicitly bring it up. Think about all of the gifts you’ve given to friends and family, and how many of those you’ve followed up on to make sure they’re actively using it. None, right? 

Shake off the guilt, gather up those unwanted gifts, and consider donating them to someone who could actually use them. 

And if you inherited a lot of items? Remember that people are not their things. You don’t have to hold onto everything they owned to preserve your memories with them. Keep the most meaningful and useful items and let go of the rest.

6. Books.

Some of you may stop reading this post just because I dared to mention that books could possibly become clutter.

But if it’s a book you didn’t love, won’t read again, or you simply have too many and they’re overcrowding your space then they may be creating clutter in your home.

Some solve the problem of too many books by opting to stop buying them. They rely on their local library or digital downloads to their e-reader without adding to their shelves – and that works for them.

Other people continue to buy books (often used) and then donate them when they’re done so they don’t continue taking up space in their homes.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your book collection, critically examine them to see how you could cut the number down. You can still keep the ones you love and reference and loan out to others, but it’s also ok to pare things down a bit and donate the excess to others who can enjoy them.

7. Clothes.

Decluttering clothes can be a challenge for a variety of reasons.

Some people have an emotional attachment to their clothes based on memories of when they wore them. Others have a tough time letting go of expensive pieces even though they aren’t wearing them.

Sometimes people hold onto clothes because they haven’t yet let go of their fantasy self and it can be a challenge to accept where you are in your life right now.

And then there are these nagging questions that arise:

What if something comes up and you need to wear it? Or what if someday you fit into those jeans again? What if you finally brush up on your sewing skills to repair that shirt you love with a hole in it?

It’s easy to tell ourselves there’s a reason to keep it all… and difficult to actually bag it all up and get it out of our house. But there are types of items that are helpful to remove from your wardrobe.

Getting rid of these items will help you to feel better about the clothes that you own. You won’t have so many conflicting emotions as you go to find an outfit for the day.

After you ruthlessly declutter your closet, you’ll be rewarded with extra space in your wardrobe making it easier to get ready, and you may find a few items you forgot you owned in the process!

8. Expensive items.

The last one of the things people really don’t want to declutter is expensive items. When you splurged on something you were convinced you’d love but then didn’t (or you did love for a time and now you don’t), it’s harder to let go.

No one wants to experience decluttering regret. It doesn’t feel good to have spent a lot of money on an item that you can only sell for a fraction of the cost.

Getting rid of the item may mean acknowledging that the item is no longer serving you.

It could also mean admitting to yourself that it wasn’t a great purchase in the first place. If that item is serving as a reminder of a past purchasing mistake, then it isn’t benefitting your life in any way. It’s only making you feel bad.

Holding onto something simply because it was expensive isn’t a good reason for it to continue to take up space in your home.

“Remember that the money you spent on your item is gone. You are not any richer because you store this item in your home, and you won’t be poorer if you let it go.” ~Cass Aarssen

Final thoughts on things people don’t want to declutter

Were any of the things listed ones you’ve been reluctant to declutter? Consider why you’ve been avoiding it.

It’s best not to create off-limits categories as any type of item can become clutter. And it’s important to keep this decluttering reminder in mind: if you don’t declutter it, someone else will have to.

Does that mean you have to get rid of all of these things? Absolutely not. It’s about keeping what you love in a way that is manageable and organized so that you can truly appreciate it.

What is one thing you don’t want to declutter but know you should? Leave a comment and let me know!

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