Jobs for the week - out of date items

This week is our final 'building momentum' week. Throughout January we have been focusing on easy wins to build confidence and momentum. I hope that you are now feeling fired up and ready to tackle some other areas of your home.

This week we are decluttering out of date items. These should not take too much decision making, but we are still flexing our decluttering muscles!

If you have 5 minutes

Medicine cabinet: Open your medicine cupboard or first aid kit and check for expired medications or ointments. Set them aside for safe disposal—most pharmacies in the UK will take these back for proper disposal.

Fridge: Do a quick sweep of your fridge and pull out anything past its use-by date, including condiments and leftovers. Dispose of responsibly.

If you have 30 minutes

Kitchen: Take everything out of your pantry or cupboard. Check the dates on tins, jars, and packets, and sort them into keep, use soon, or bin/recycle. Consider donating non-expired items you won’t use to a food bank.

Beauty products: Go through your skincare and makeup collection. Most products have a small icon showing their shelf life after opening (e.g., 6M for six months). Toss anything expired or that has changed in texture or smell.

If you have longer

Full kitchen refresh: Check your freezer for out-of-date or unidentifiable items. Defrost it if needed and reorganise to make sure everything is visible and easily accessible.

Declutter storage areas: Check under the sink, in the loft, or in storage boxes for forgotten cleaning products, old candles, or random household items. Evaluate if they’re still safe and usable.

Plan ahead: As you declutter, take note of commonly wasted items or those you overbuy. Adjust your shopping habits to avoid waste in the future.

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