14 Items Pro Organizers Urge You to Throw out in April

Grocery bags collect quickly, especially during the holidays when we tend to shop more. And although they pile up fast, Reynolds says they don’t leave as quickly. “While it is necessary to keep a few, I give you permission to let go of the massive amounts of extras,” she says.

“Spring is the perfect time to check expiration dates on items such as sunblock and insect repellent,” says professional organizer Allison Flinn, the founder of Reclaim Professional Organizing. Flinn advises replacing expired formulas with any products you’ll need again in the months ahead.

For Cheeseman, spring is the time to throw out things like chalk that was left outside, deflated balls, outgrown bikes and scooters, and things that got beat up over the winter. “Use April as a transition month to replace commonly used outdoor toys as needed and take inventory of what your kids may want to use for summer,” Cheeseman says.

Take Cheeseman’s advice and don’t wait until summertime to discover your sandals are dingy or have broken soles. “Go through your family’s warm-weather footwear and get rid of old sizes, items that are very worn out, or sandals that you never even wore last summer,” she suggests.

This month, reassess your winter gear and part ways with winter coats, gloves, hats, boots, and sporting equipment you no longer have use for. “Families tend to hold on to too many items ‘just in case’, but if something hasn’t been used in a few years, it is likely safe to donate or pass along before storing it all away for next year,” Eaton says.

Mugs accumulate in the winter when we receive them as holiday gifts and purchase new ones for cozy holiday beverages. “More than two or three per person in the household is what I consider excess—time to donate or repurpose into planters or other craft items,” Reynolds says.

Reynolds says April is the time to donate old books that are only collecting dust on the shelf. “It’s time to make space for new ones that you will actually read,” the organizer says.

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April is a great time to assess pool accessories and warm weather gear. “Review pool towels, sunglasses, goggles, water toys, pool floats, and anything else primarily used in the summer,” Flinn advises. If items are damaged and no longer usable, she says it’s time to toss and replace.

To avoid chaos and confusion while packing for spring and summer travel, declutter the junk drawer and get rid of miscellaneous cords and chargers this April. “Most times, we don’t even know what it belongs to,” Reynolds says.

Take this spring to finally tackle messy drawers. Something you’re likely to find? Tons of old product manuals. “Believe it or not, every manual is available online—if it’s instructional you can always look it up,” Reynolds says. Toss old manuals—especially for products and appliances you no longer own!

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