9 Things Everyone Needs to Get Rid of After 70

My personal motto when it comes to decluttering is: “When in doubt, throw it out!” It all started when I was moving apartments about a decade ago and trying to decide what to pack or toss. It has served me well since then and has helped me clear out years’ worth of stuff in different homes. While I’m decidedly a minimalist, I get that not everyone shares my zest for getting rid of things — and that includes my over 70-year-old mom who has collections of stuff from her life well-lived. 

Whenever I visit her, I encourage her to declutter her crowded kitchen counters, burgeoning cabinets, and overflowing closets. After all, even if you don’t embrace a decluttering strategy, like Norwegian life-cleaning, there are items that should be tossed in every decade of life, including your 40s, 50s, 60s and, yes, 70s. Any septuagenarian thinking about downsizing, relocating to be closer to family, or just looking to declutter their homes should consider getting rid of or donating these items. 

Souvenirs — old seashells, that Eiffel Tower statue from your trip to Paris, your collection of owl figurines — are essentially dust collectors. Make more space in your home and lighten your cleaning load by donating these items. 

If you can’t bear to say goodbye to all of them, select one or two favorites to keep. That’s what my mom decided to do when I encouraged her to part ways with her mini Greek god sculptures from her trip to Athens two decades ago.

At 70, chances are you defined your personal style and it’s a safe bet you no longer need items like that hot pink clutch you haven’t touched in decades or those jeans that might not fit you anymore. 

Even with my motto, I’m guilty of holding onto clothes that no longer fit my lifestyle — or my waistline. Make peace with your body and move on from these old styles.

On a recent visit to my mom’s, I helped her clean out her medicine cabinet. I was shocked by the number of old pill bottles she had accumulated over the years. Some medications had expired five years ago! 

Take any expired prescriptions to your local pharmacy for safe disposal. (Never throw old medications down the drain or toilet.)

Tax forms from the 1990s, the contract of sale for your first home you bought in the ’80s, your late dog’s proof of vaccination … life comes with a lot of backup. The good news is that much of it is available online these days, making the world a neater, paperless place. 

If you think there’s any chance you’ll need the document in the future, just take a photo of it for easy (digital!) storage.

My husband still has a box of old CDs on the top shelf of his closet that I don’t understand why he’s holding onto. We don’t even have a CD player! 

If you’re still holding on to your collection of CDs, cassette tapes, or VHS tapes, find a place to donate, sell, or recycle them.

My mom used any excuse to throw a party when I was growing up, and she still loves to entertain today. However, she hasn’t used her cactus-stemmed margarita glasses or teeny-tiny port glasses in decades. 

I convinced her to sell those and invest in a quality set of wine glasses instead. And if she does ever host a boozy Cinco de Mayo party again, she can take comfort in knowing that margaritas taste just as good out of everyday tumblers.

If you haven’t used a particular gadget in the past 12 months, are you likely to ever use it? (Looking at you, egg slicer and waffle iron.) Not only will removing these items create more space in your kitchen cabinets and drawers, but it will also be easier to find what you’re looking for.

Some kitchen gadgets to consider decluttering: the pizza stone you never use, a spiralizer you used a few times, or any single-use appliances that are collecting dust.

If you’re still holding onto ornaments from the days when you would change your tree theme every year, or had one Christmas tree in the living room and one in the kitchen, it’s time to pare down. Keep your favorites then post the rest on your local “Buy Nothing” Facebook group for a young family that’s just starting out. 

If you’re sad to say goodbye to them, take comfort in knowing they’ll bring joy to a new family for years to come, or find a special way to display just a few of them.

I only realized recently that my mom still owned an air mattress when I was struggling to help her make room in her closet. Mind you, she has a full-fledged guest room with a queen-sized bed. 

I’m not sure how that one escaped my “when in doubt” motto, but off to the donation center it went!