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Good Housekeeping writer Alyssa Gautieri outlined eight things she plans to declutter before the holidays, including winter clothing, unused decorations, bags, robes, candles, cords, pens and throw blankets. The article is personal advice, not a report of a broader trend or a formal study; donation options depend on local organizations and their policies.
Good Housekeeping writer Alyssa Gautieri has shared eight categories of belongings she plans to clear from her home before the holidays, including winter clothes, unused decorations, excess bags, robes, candles, old cords, pens and throw blankets. The personal checklist offers readers practical examples of items to sort, use up, discard or consider donating as households make space for seasonal items and gifts.
Gautieri says she is applying a “one-in, one-out” rule to winter clothing, planning to remove sweaters and boots that no longer fit her style or that she rarely wears. She suggests donating clothing that remains in good condition. She also plans to pass along holiday decorations she has pulled from storage but does not intend to display, recommending thrift stores or community centers as possible recipients.
Other items on her list include reusable grocery and tote bags, bath robes, partially used candles, chargers and other wires, pens, and spare throw blankets. Gautieri says she kept 10 bags she uses, discarded older ones and plans to donate the remainder. She discarded two of her four robes, and suggests that towel-like fabric from an old robe could be cut into cleaning rags.
For candles, Gautieri says she is giving herself until the end of the month to burn through older ones before throwing them away. She also describes saving attractive jars for reuse after removing leftover wax. Her other suggested checks are straightforward: identify cords that no longer work with current devices, test pens and discard those that are dry or leaking, and donate new or gently used throw blankets to local charities or animal shelters where accepted.
Making Room for Holiday Storage
The list connects routine household sorting with a specific seasonal pressure: making room for decorations, gifts and other holiday items. It also frames decluttering as a chance to redirect usable belongings rather than automatically throw them away. Gautieri names thrift stores, community centers, charities and animal shelters as possible donation destinations, although acceptance rules can differ by organization.
For readers, the article provides a manageable set of categories to check rather than a claim that every household needs to clear the same items. The advice is based on Gautieri’s own home and preferences; the source does not present survey findings, expert research or evidence that this approach produces a particular result.
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A Personal Seasonal Checklist
The source is a Good Housekeeping article by Alyssa Gautieri, who leads the publication’s gift guide strategy and writes commerce content. It presents her plans and observations in the first person, including discovering decorations she had forgotten about and finding that her collection of bags had grown beyond what she used.
The article is not an announcement of a new policy, product or research finding. Its eight categories are examples selected by one writer ahead of the holidays. Gautieri’s suggestions range from deciding what to keep to finding another use for an item, such as turning worn towel-like fabric into rags or saving a candle jar after cleaning it.
““one-in, one-out””
— Alyssa Gautieri, Good Housekeeping writer
Donation Rules Vary Locally
The article does not say whether the suggested donation sites in Gautieri’s area accept every listed item. Donation policies, condition standards and seasonal needs vary, so readers should check with a local organization before dropping off decorations, bags, clothing or blankets. It also does not provide a broader estimate of how many households are decluttering or measure the effects of the suggested approach.
Gautieri describes her own plans, not a completed inventory of every item or a universal recommendation. The source does not specify which candle jars she will reuse, where she will donate items, or whether the suggested destinations will accept them.
Check Items Before Clearing Them
Gautieri’s immediate next steps are to sort the listed belongings, decide what she will keep, and remove items she no longer uses. She says she plans to give older candles until the end of the month to be burned before discarding them, and to donate suitable decorations, clothing and other goods. Readers considering similar steps can check condition and local donation rules first, and follow safe handling directions for candles and electrical items.
The source reports no follow-up on how much Gautieri ultimately removes or where the donations go. Any broader outcome remains unknown.
Key Questions
What eight things does Alyssa Gautieri plan to declutter?
Her list includes winter clothing, holiday decorations she will not use, grocery and tote bags, bath robes, partly used candles, chargers and wires, pens, and throw blankets.
Which items does she suggest donating?
Gautieri suggests donating clothing in good condition, unused holiday decorations, extra bags and new or gently used throw blankets. She names thrift stores, community centers, local charities and animal shelters as possible destinations, but readers should check each organization’s acceptance rules.
What does she recommend doing with old robes and candle jars?
She suggests cutting an old robe made of towel-like material into rags. For candle jars she plans to keep, she describes warming the container in very hot water to loosen leftover wax, then scooping the wax out; follow safe handling practices and avoid burns when handling hot water or glass.
Is this a survey or expert-backed decluttering guide?
No. The source presents Gautieri’s personal checklist and plans. It does not report survey results or research showing that all households should declutter these categories.
Source: goodhousekeeping.com
