I once opened a laundry room drawer to find it full of rusted nails and screws. I asked my client why he had them, “might need ‘em one day.,” was his reply. The nurse in me thought, “What you are going to need is a tetanus shot!” But, I thought better and we moved on. Which brings us to Day #8 of the 12 Days of Decluttering Challenge.

Today we are going to declutter some low-hanging fruit. To me, these are things without (much) argument or debate need to go, but you just haven’t gotten around to it. Here is your list:

• Rusty nails, hooks, screws, and bolts

• Rusted tools

• Old batteries

• Dried Paint (and/or paint that you don’t use)

• Broken light bulbs

And if you are struggling to organize some of those things, here a few helpful tips for you:

• Buy batteries in an organizer case like this one or this wall mounted one 

• Contain bulbs in one location in a clear bin like this one

• Consider a divided organzer like this for screws, bolts, etc.

• Take this opportunity to not only discard rusted tools, but also to donate duplicates that are in good condition

If you are just joining the challenge or missed a day, you can see all the days of the challenge here. There is no better time to start than right now.

Caroline