People are always talking about the latest “must-haves” for your home. Must-have kitchen appliances. Must-have accessories. Must-have travel gadgets.

But it’s not often that people talk about the things you must NOT have! These are the things that are just taking up precious space in your home – and it’s time for them to go.

So, take a look around your apartment for the following things – and get rid of them!

• Your Collection of Cords: Do you have a collection of cords and no idea what all they go to? Probably. And there’s probably no need to hang onto all of them. Most electronics can be recharged with the same few cords you use on a daily basis. Ditch the cords that you don’t use!
• Manuals, Phonebooks, and other Papers You No Longer Need: Every time you purchase something new, it most likely comes with a manual – which you might look at initially – and then you throw it in a drawer. And in that same drawer, you might have a phone book or two – which never get used. And let’s not talk about the useless stack of papers you have stashed in a desk drawer. Throw them away!
  • You can find manuals online – along with any phone numbers you might need. And if the papers are important, consider scanning them into an app and uploading them for safe storage.
• Old Makeup: Does your bathroom look like a smaller version of Sephora? Do you have a bunch of lipsticks that you never wear and old mascara tubes that you don’t use? Then it’s time to toss them away. Makeup doesn’t last forever, and this quick guide can help you decide if it should stay or go. 
• Games You Don’t Play: You may have a collection of games that you thought would be fun (and it turned out they weren’t) or games that your children used to play when they were younger – and there’s no need to hold onto them. Make sure they are complete and see if someone else would like them.
• Broken Items You’re Not Going to Repair: Have you been holding onto things with the intention of repairing them? For how long? Perhaps it’s time to get rid of them – because if they’ve been sitting there for a while, they’re not going to get repaired. 
• Clothes That Don’t Fit: Do you have some clothes hanging in your closet or in drawers that don’t fit – and you’re keeping them in hopes that they will? How about giving them away and making some room in your home? You want to hold onto clothes that make you feel your best – and those clothes probably don’t do that.
• DVDs and CDs: In a world where practically everything is available digitally, do you really need those DVDs and CDs that are taking up space? Maybe you can sell them! Well Kept Wallet shares 12 places you can sell used DVDs.
• Expired Medication: Expired medication loses its efficacy and should not be held onto. The FDA shares some advice as to how you can dispose of unused medicines safely. 
• Worn Sheets and Towels: Threadbare sheets and towels can go. They’ll only get worse with use, and pretty soon, you’ll just have towels and sheets with big holes in them.
• Lidless Plastic Storage Containers: Raise your hand if you have some of these in your cupboard! Don’t save them! You probably never use them – because they don’t have a lid – and they’re just clutter now.

Which of these things do you have hanging around your home? Are you ready to take the next step and get rid of them? You might be surprised by how liberating it is – and how much valuable space you gain!