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Whether you have a home office or a traditional office, you probably have items lying around your desk (Affiliate Link) that don’t necessarily need to be there. As you get busier and busier, you may have issues keeping your desk (Affiliate Link) clear from clutter. This post will help you get your desk (Affiliate Link) cleared out quickly and easily. Read on to find out the 20 desk (Affiliate Link) items to throw away for a tidier space.
Why do you need to clear your desk space?
Well, there are the obvious reasons, like it distracts you from the work at hand and it doesn’t allow you space to work. There are also other reasons, like helping you be more creative and being able to find things more quickly.
30 Desk Items to Throw Away
Ready to clear the clutter? Below are 30 desk (Affiliate Link) items to throw away for a tidy space right now.
- Pens (Affiliate Link), highlighters, markers, and dry erase markers that you don’t like or don’t use
- Miscellaneous drawer items like pins, extra scissors, etc…
- Old rubber bands
- Unused electronics: monitors, computers, tablets, phones, cassette tapes, and recorders
- Old charging cables
- Broken wired headsets
- Old calculators
- Dusty dead plants
- Statues and figurines
- Old colored paper – it discolors over time.
- Unused deposit slips from old bank accounts
- Old checks from old bank accounts
- Old business cards from associates and clients (Affiliate Link)
- Remove pictures on the desk (Affiliate Link) and hang them on the wall
- Out of date papers
- Papers with References that can be saved on the computer
- Old printer cartridges
- Used open envelopes mail. Use paper clips to hold the envelope and bill together.
- Old mail that doesn’t have a purpose
- Junk mail that needs to be recycled
- Old notepads with a few sheets left attached to them
- Extra push pins – we all have too many push pins. Do you even have a corkboard in your office?
- A desk (Affiliate Link) lamp that isn’t being used.
- Old sticky notes (Affiliate Link)
- Old phone books
- Inbox pile of papers
- Nail polish and make-up – my mother would have this at her desk (Affiliate Link) all the time.
- Snack wrappers
- Empty water bottles
- Books that have another home
I hope this list gives you a starting point to clear your desk (Affiliate Link) clutter. I know having a list of items helps me. Below is a checklist (Affiliate Link) to help you.
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Which items from the list above did you remove to clear the clutter? Please leave a comment below.
Here is another post that talks about decluttering your desk (Affiliate Link).
A Clean Office in 120 Minutes (or Fewer!)
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Hi Sabrina,
Such a great list. I just started working with a client who needs to get organized in their office. So, I decided I better clean up my own space. It really does help to have a clear mind and to do the work we need to do.
Hi Sabrina,
Yes, this is a great list. I just started working with someone who is needing to organize their office space. I knew I needed to clean up my own space first before I could even work with them. Having a clear space helps with having a clear mind and a better ability to do the things we want to do.
Oh, I need to do this. My desk is pretty small (4 feet wide) and I have one large drawer. I try to clear my desk at the end of each day or put out what I know I’ll need tomorrow. But my desk drawer is filled with a lot of stuff that I never use. Thanks for the inspiration.
I’m in the process of organizing my desk today and reorganizing my office. These suggestions will come in very handy!
I love your list! It’s incredible how much extraneous, distracting stuff collects on our desks. You mentioned pens and letting go of ones you no longer want or use. I have also found pens on clients’ desks that no longer work. Instead of tossing them, they keep them. So when they go to grab a pen, it’s frustrating to find one in good writing condition.
Taking a few minutes to test the ‘keepers’ is well worth the investment. It’s a natural edit, and it eliminates future stress.
Many great possible “pitch” items here! The desk is a place that tends to collect.
Glad you mentioned old electronics. It’s funny how we can leave those on our desks even when we add a newer one, right?
I tend to have a space where the catalogs collect. Time to go through those!
I go through my desk drawers about once a year, and every time I do, I find something that I kept last time that I still haven’t used. Eventually it will be all gone!
My problem is that I have this humongous old desk with lots of drawers so space is never an issue. If I were to replace it with something smaller, I’d have to be much more selective.
That’s great, Janet! Drawers can be a trap in desks. You really only need two smaller drawers and 1 filing cabinet. Thanks for commenting.
All these years later and I still have the big desk, though there’s a lot less stored in it than there used to be. I haven’t given up on the idea of getting rid of it, but if it doesn’t happen in the next few months, it probably won’t until I have to move, hopefully a long time from now.
Oh I am all over this… I am a neat freak and have a VERY TIDY office space. Sure, there is a lot of stuff there, but I purge often… esp if I haven’t used it in awhile.. it’s outta here! lol Thanks for helping others! 🙂
That’s great, Kristen! Keeping an office organized is a daily tasks. I hope this helps people clear their clutter. Thanks for commenting.
I am definitely one who can only work in a clear space, otherwise I just can’t think. My weakness.. are upright files. I tend to fill them and then never look at them again. Time to clean those out (get rid of them?) and go through your list as well.
That’s great, Lisa. Thanks for commenting.
Desk is clean. But, there’s three boxes of stuff that needs to be filed, tossed or saved. Time to get to work on that.
Good luck! Take it one box at a time and split it over 3 weeks this way you will concentrate on each box and not feel overwhelmed. Thanks for commenting.
Sabrina – I’ve found that clean, flat surfaces work best for me. And I know this sounds crazy, but I think one of the single best things I can do to eat healthy is to keep my environment tidy. If I look around and see a planned, organized, classy space – I act more like a level-headed, organized classy gal (complete with healthy eating habits). A sloppy environment is much more likely to yield the female version of the odd couple’s Oscar Madison. A neat environment brings out the Felix in me.
Also, I find that if I’m putzing – not trying too hard to clean – I do my best work. If I actually think, “Why was I saving this postcard?” and realize that I needed to write down an address – and then put it into my computer’s list of contacts – it turns out much better than if I get in a hurry and just start throwing things in the garbage can. It seems elementary – but it’s so important! Thanks for a great post.
It’s great that you know how you feel around clutter and a neat space. Not many people realize their surroundings effect them.
I totally agree, taking time through the different piles in the office is more effective than rushing through a pile and throwing things away.
Thanks for sharing.
Really great list, Sabrina! I don’t officially have a desk, but work on my dining room table and find it easier to keep it neater and less cluttered than a desk. I have storage bins for files etc., so make sure to not collect “stuff” around me. Every once in a while it gets stacked up with binders and papers, which is my cue to stop and see what all of it is.
One thing I just de-cluttered were the emails on my server (they all come into my Macmail where I manage them), and was shocked to find I had 22,000 emails there since November! That is really scary, so I am purging not only those, but unsubscribing from unnecessary email lists whose info isn’t being read or used. Thanks for the wonderful list!
Good for you, Beverley! Digital decluttering is so important. I recently purchased a new computer and decluttered my old computer before transferring files to the new one. It really did help. I feel more aware of where things are and what I was and wasn’t using. Thanks for commenting.
Great post cause I think if it is hidden in a draw what does it matter or in a neat pile in corner or in a pencil holder. I do have a large desk with lots of clear area, but I get your point & I dont let things pile up. Pinned. Great list.
Great job, Roslyn. Thanks for commenting.
Hi Sabrina, I cleaned off the top of my desk recently but a lot of the items you mentioned are in my top drawers. Out of sight, you know. I know I need to do it and you have prodded me. Thanks. I wish I could remember where I saw a cute video showing a desk from about 20 years ago being cleaned bit by bit as the things we don’t need anymore vanished. Things like paper postits, clocks, etc.
Great idea! I will need to make one. =)
Oh, I have a lot of cleaning up to do too! It’s been on my list 🙂
But this is helpful, and spurs me on to do it! Thank you.
Glad it helped, Susan Mary!
Yowza! I have some cleaning up to do. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks for commenting, Teresa. Pass yourself. No pressure here. =)