Cleaning out clutter [1] can be a tough task, especially if you have been letting it build up for a while. Instead of setting aside a huge block of time to take care of months' or years' worth of clutter, take baby steps by throwing away only one type of item a day. And by throwing away [2], I mean recycling, selling, donating, or — as the last resort — trashing. Here's a list of 116 types of items that will take you about four months to dispose of.

— Additional reporting by Maya Berry

The other side of a pair of lost earrings

Scraps of wrapping paper

Cards people have given you with no sentimental value

Receipts you don't need

Ticket stubs

Socks with holes

Old t-shirts

Leftover change

Dried flowers

Magazines

CDs

Hair elastics that have lost stretchiness

Hair accessories you don't use

Shoes that don't fit or that you don't wear

Extra photo prints

Little knickknacks (designate a bowl and fill it)

Kitchen things you don't use

Cooking utensils you have two of

Tired bras

Scarves you never wear

Clothes that don't fit

Gifts you don't like

Old towels

Old makeup

Old toiletries

Old or unused hangers

Expired or sample-size toiletries

Extra buttons

Expired sauces

Toys your pets don't play with

Expired medication

Dried-up nail polish

Bills you don't need to keep

Expired coupons

Old paperwork

DVDs you don't watch

Snacks your pets don't eat

Damaged clothing you can't mend

Stained clothing you can't clean

Old prom dresses

Scratched nonstick cookware

Old underwear or swimwear that's losing its stretch

Outdated electronics

Rusty jewelry

Stockings with runs

Pens that don't work

Clothing you've outgrown

Necklaces and bracelets with broken clasps

Cables and wires you don't use

Worn-out sheets and bedding

Empty bottles of cleaning products

Old mending buttons for clothing you no longer have

Worn-out bath mats

Broken electronics

Purses you never use

Flatware, plates, and glasses that don't match the rest of your collection, plus dingy children's plates you no longer use

Old pillows

Worn-out shoes

Wedding invites

Save-the-dates

Wedding favors you don't use

Old wallets that you don't use

Broken kitchen equipment

Spare furniture parts you don't need

Furniture manuals

Boxes

Unused vases

Extra tupperware you don't need

Old mail

Junk mail

Travel brochures

Bobby pins

Old crayons or art supplies, plus markers that have run out of ink

Random containers and jars

Unused stationery, stickers, and sticky notes

Ripped denim

Old artwork or old children's artwork

Used and ripped envelopes

Broken or old iPhone cases

Old unused batteries

Extra and unused coffee mugs

Old spices

Address labels for your old house

Wrinkled ribbons and bows for gift wrap

Cards or gifts from exes

Frequent shopper cards you never use

Matchbooks

Old shopping bags

Old calendars

Old folders

Magnets

Clothes that are outdated or from college

Broken Christmas decorations

Christmas lights that don't work

Frayed towels

Expired food

Computer cords, firewire cables, etc., that you don't use

Old and outdated software

CDs for old computer programs

Old cell phones

Hand-me-downs that you're guilt-tripped into keeping

Freebie or promotional t-shirts you never wear

Old fortune cookie fortunes

Old bank statements

Old planners

Delete email subscriptions from sites

Delete emails you don't need

Delete unwanted music from your iTunes

Extra buttons that come with newly purchased clothes

Games that are missing pieces

Old schoolbooks you'll never use again

Papers you have backed up on the computer

Books you've already read and don't want to display

Cell phone covers you're over

Old manuals to electronics

Cell phone accessories you don't use anymore

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