The Expiry Decluttering Method cleared things I was holding onto 'just in case' – and my closet is finally free of guilt-inducing 'anchor pieces'

If there is one category many of us are good at decluttering, it is food. After all, food expires, forcing us to toss it rather than sit on the fence about whether we will use it later. So, why not apply that same logic to other areas of our home?

From clothing to hobby supplies and decor pieces, attaching an ‘expiry’ date to items you are on the fence about can finally help you cut those ‘just-in-case’ pieces for good.

I gave this decluttering method a go in my own home and finally let go of items I had been trailing along for years – here’s why the experts love it, too.

What is the expiry decluttering method?

The idea behind this decluttering tip is simple: you set aside a box (a cardboard box, from Walmart or some old packaging that you can write on is ideal) and fill it with the items you are not sure about.

You can then write an expiration date on said box, giving you a physical deadline by which you have to use the items. If you do not use them by the time they ‘expire’, you have to get rid of them, just as you would when decluttering a pantry.

Brenda Scott, professional home organizer and owner of Tidy My Space, says, ‘The 'expiry' method works really well for clothing, home decor, small kitchen appliances, and fancy dinnerware. Setting the items aside to see if they're needed makes the final decision obvious. Oftentimes, the items aren't missed, and when the deadline approaches, it's easier to let go of stuff.’

Another benefit of this method is that it allows other people in your household a chance to use the items as well, so nothing is thrown out or donated by accident, Brenda adds.

By leaving the expiry box in an easy-to-access spot, the items have a fair chance of being used again. For example, you might not use that one kitchen spatula, but you may be surprised to find that your partner uses it regularly to make breakfast.

How I used the expiry method

No matter how often I try to be more ruthless when decluttering, there always seems to be a few items that I cling onto ‘just in case’. The two worst offenders are stationery and clothes.

Organizing a closet and decluttering a home office are two of my least favorite tasks for this very reason – I never feel like I accomplish much because there are so many items lingering behind. This is where the expiry method came in to help me decide what to declutter without forcing me into any rash decisions.

I tried this method out with clothes to start, packing away all my ‘maybes’ from trying the Post-It Note decluttering method and decluttering a closet with an app, into an old packaging box, and decided on a deadline of four weeks.

Because the clothes in the box were mostly colder-weather clothes, I wanted to give myself the chance to use them by the end of the cold season and before the warmer days in spring, so they would be cleared out or ready to go into long-term clothes storage when I switched out my seasonal garments.

I prefer to pack everything into vacuum seal bags, available in packs of 24 with a pump from Walmart, before hiding them in under-bed storage bags. These clear-top bed storage bags from Wayfair allow me to see everything at a glance, should I need to dig something out of season.

Over those four weeks, I found myself only reaching into the box twice – once for a cardigan, and once for a pair of cozy tights. All the other items had gone untouched and on reflection, they hadn’t been used the year before, either. They had only served to make me feel guilty.

Because they were already nicely boxed up, they all went in the car and were driven to my nearest donation center.

I love how this method made it easier for me to avoid declutter regret. Avoiding going back through the items before I put them in my car also prevented me from going back on my promise to myself to declutter them – I can’t wait to give this a go for my spring and summer wardrobe, too.

Organizing essentials

Meet the expert

Brenda Scott

Brenda Scott is passionate about home organizing, decluttering, and creating a safe home. At Tidy My Space, she helps people to keep their homes tidy when life gets busy. Brenda shares useful tips and gives practical help with sorting and editing her clients' spaces, leading them to feel less stressed and bringing the luxury of time to be spent with family, friends, or on themselves.

This slow decluttering method isn’t just good for smaller clutter – it also works for larger items such as furniture. Brenda continues, ‘If the item is larger and can't fit in a box, for example, furniture or artwork, then put a sticky note on it with today's date and a deadline date.

'The deadline date will be when you have to make the final decision. If you can move the item to the garage or basement, then at the deadline, see if you missed it or had to use it.’

You can also use Post-its in a visual clues trick to visually prompt you to do jobs you've been putting off.