7 Things Everyone Needs to Get Rid Of After 75

The last few times my sister and I have visited our childhood home, we’ve had arguments about how much to push my 80-year-old dad to get rid of some of his stuff. My sister, who’s more minimalistic and tidy, wanted to do a clean sweep of just about everything in his house, while my dad and I are more into keeping collections, knickknacks, and “just in case” or nostalgia-based items, even if they’re rarely used. I didn’t push for a purge, but I could see the piles of papers and closets of clothes no one was wearing, and knew a big clean was imminent.

After living in the house for 30 years, my dad announced that he was ready to begin the process of getting it ready to sell with the goal of downsizing from a 2,000-square-foot house to a 1,000-square-foot apartment in a senior living community near me. It was time to let the decluttering begin — here are some of the big categories we discussed when planning what to toss and what to keep, which go for anyone over 75.

Even my dad doesn’t use CDs anymore — he’s a SiriusFM guy most of the time. He got rid of his record collection a few years ago, but, when we talked about what he was reluctant to get rid of now, he said CDs. 

He was attached to the idea of them, so we discussed options for how to keep the magic of physical music media alive. We considered keeping the lyric pages and getting a binder in lieu of the plastic boxes, but in the end, he’s leaning towards a clean sweep and donating all of them.  

Things break and can be fixed. I support upcycling! However, when the collection of broken things becomes clutter, it’s a lot more work than fun. It’s one thing to be consistently working on fixing an old radio, but a bunch of slightly broken things collecting dust in the garage aren’t ever going to get fixed. 

The fan with the twisted stand can go, as can the lamp that inexplicably won’t turn on. Plates and cups with chips in them aren’t worth hanging onto for nostalgia’s sake, nor can they be sold as a collection, in most cases.

Especially if, like my dad, you’re considering a move, it’s time to get rid of some furniture. Much of the furniture in my dad’s house is a little bit broken — a desk with drawers that don’t slide smoothly, a couch the cat has torn to bits, etc. But also, a lot of the furniture is bulky, old, and uncomfortable. 

My dad had a wooden living room set from the ’70s that feels torturous to lounge on. It’s time to embrace comfortable furniture — even if it means getting rid of classic pieces. 

I think my dad parted with his large tie collection a few years after retirement, but the house is still filled to the brim with clothes. How many T-shirts, nearly identical khaki shorts, or tattered pairs of socks does one human need?

Pare down the collection by eliminating anything that doesn’t fit, isn’t comfortable, or is too similar to a more favored item. Furthermore, even if millennial fashion is having a moment, if you haven’t worn it since 2000, it’s not worth hanging onto anymore.

Most of the exercise equipment my family has owned over the years quickly turned into clothing racks and doorstops anyway, but especially now that my dad is downsizing, he doesn’t have the need or space for an exercise bike in his office.

If it hasn’t been used in years or decades, it’s time to let it go. My dad loves taking walks and would rather take exercise classes or go to the gym anyways. 

Knickknacks, tchotchkes, souvenirs, doo-dads, thing-a-ma-bobs … we’ve got plenty. I’m not shy about my love of collections, however, after raising two kids and living in a house for decades, my dad’s house is overflowing with things that no longer hold meaning. 

My sister didn’t take her ceramic frog collection with her to college decades ago, but wasn’t quite ready to part with them — so here they are, in the bathroom of all places, dusty and unloved. Time to go, froggies.

This one was a heartbreaker. My mom, who passed away in 2010, was the family archivist, and we have an entire closet in my parents’ bedroom full of physical photo albums dating back to before my parents were married. 

My sister suggested we digitize all of them, but until one of us is up to the task I’m going to hold onto them for him. I’ll definitely be using some of these tips for decluttering massive photo collections — and hopefully I won’t be having the same conversation with my kids when it’s time for me to downsize in 30 years.