11 things you need to throw out this Chinese New Year

April Kennedy April Kennedy
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One of the best traditions associated with Chinese New Year (aside from all that delicious food) is the practice of clearing out the home to make space for a fresh living space filled lots of new energy.

So today, we will cover 11 things to throw out this Chinese New Year! Of course, most of us hold back because we don't want to be wasteful. So we encourage our readers to try and sell or repurpose any old and disused items you discover in the course of your cleaning. The most important thing is to set aside a good amount of time to declutter on the Lunar New Year's Eve and consider how to make the contents of your home support your new life in the coming year.

1. Declutter in the entrance

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The front entrance is where good luck comes into the home, so it's important to keep this space clean and attractive. Sweep from the doorway into the home. Also, make sure to replace any old lightglobes and chips in the paint. Finally, make sure this is done on New Year's eve and not on the following days because this is believed to be bad luck.

2. Magazines and books

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A sense of history is important in any home, but that doesn't mean that temporary, out-dated or irrelevant items have a place in your home. So throw away any old magazines or trashy books. Replace them with positive new reading materials – perhaps they could be related to your New Year's resolutions!

3. Old calendar items

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Old reminders and notes on the walls work away at your subconscious and reminding you of things to do. These little things all add up to suck away your energy. So store, file or throw away these old calendar items. It's time to create space for a new you!

4. Broken cutlery

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Traditionally, people are advised to throw away old crockery this time of year. But many people these days are also interpreting this to mean it's ok to upcycle or recycle your old pots. Just don't leave them lying around gathering dust.

5. Get fresh towels

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Towels tend to get tired, stiff and stained over time. So take this time of year to spoil yourself with a fresh set. Perhaps you could use the old towels as spare rags.

6. Old containers

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Most people tend to accumulate an incredible amount of little mismatching containers during the year. They tend to make the kitchen or bathroom look a mess. So create some order with matching containers. Maybe you could colour code them!

7. Ratty old slippers

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House slippers are incredibly cheap, but they do get worn down very quickly. This is the time to replace them. It's the little things that can make life that much more pleasurable.

8. Dead or failing plants

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Most of us have mixed success with growing plants in the home. That's all a natural part of setting up an urban garden. But every now and then you need to take stock and decide what needs to stay and what needs to go. Perhaps all your plants need are a little trim. Get rid of those dead old leaves!

9. Replace old bed linen

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Bed linen, like towels, does tend to get stained and worn after a year or so. So replace the sheets so your bedroom is just that bit more fresh and inviting for the New Year.

10. Damaged or fraying carpet squares

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Small household maintenance tasks can tend to get forgotten while we go about our lives. Fraying or stained carpet should definitely be revisited this year. If you have carpet squares, they are easy enough to replace.

11. Chipped tiles

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It's very easy to repair a small chip in your floor or wall tiles. But if you let something like this go, it can easily turn into a much larger problem. So invest in some hairline fix solution and get to work. It will totally be worth the effort.

If you want to do a quick cleanup before you get started, have a look at Surprise visit? How to clean the home in 5 minutes.

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