Stop Holding Onto All Your Sentimental Clutter — Here’s How You’ll Sort Through It

Decluttering items with sentimental value is no easy feat. These possessions were once loved and can represent people, places, and experiences that mean a lot to us, so letting them go can often leave you feeling guilty. But letting go of an object doesn’t mean letting go of the person or memory attached to it, and if something no longer feels meaningful or worth keeping then it’s OK to consider parting with it.

There are also plenty of ways to honor a memory without keeping every object associated with it. Here’s how to thoughtfully declutter sentimental items from your home. 

Because this is a tough assignment, make sure to do only what you can, take breaks when needed, and consider phoning a friend or family member for support. You’ll be sorting through some (or all) of your sentimental cutter and deciding what should stay or go. Dedicate this time to one part of your home (like a closet) that houses lots of these items — such as photo albums, memorabilia, decor, etc. — or all the sentimental things we’ve been gathering these last few decluttering sessions (you should have been putting these items aside!).

Now, I want you to consider what these objects mean to you and whether you still want to keep them. If you don’t feel 100% sure about letting something go, then don’t. Consider putting it in your “maybe” outbox or setting another date on your calendar (like six months from now) to reassess certain items. Here are some things to evaluate.

• Set ground rules before proceeding.
• Keep things that hold meaningful memories and that you genuinely want in your life.
• Pare down. For instance, if you have multiple meaningful shirts (like from college, camp, or a favorite band), try to limit the selection.
• Get rid of duplicates. This especially applies to photos. If you have duplicates, consider giving one to another person in the photo or discarding it because you already have the memory preserved in one image. You do not need the rest. Here are more tips on decluttering old photos.
• Curate a collection. If you notice you have a large number of items — like cards or mugs — you might want to pick out the best or the ones you have the strongest feelings about instead of keeping all of them.
• Repurpose your items. Shirts can be stitched into a giant quilt, ticket stubs can become art pieces, and photos can become bookmarks! Lots of your old things can have new life while taking up less space in your home.
• Create “time capsules.” It’s nice to dedicate small shoe boxes to each stage of your life; this can be filled with a selection of objects, and you can get rid of anything that you don’t want to reflect on for each era of your life.
• Keep what you want. Like I said, if you don’t feel 100% about letting go of something, it is perfectly fine to keep it. Don’t feel like you have to reach a certain decluttering goal. Instead, consider it time well-spent reflecting on what matters most to you. 

• Sign up for email updates.
• Visit the 2026 Decluttering Cure page and catch up on assignments.
• Download the Decluttering Cure calendar.
• Check off that you’ve completed this task and track your overall Decluttering Cure progress here!
• See all the winners from our 2026 Organization Awards to get your home organized. 

The Cure Program is a tradition here at Apartment Therapy — it happens every January, April, and September. Click here to learn more about the year-round program and when to sign up.