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Good Housekeeping’s Alyssa Gautieri outlined eight categories she is clearing from her home before the holidays, from winter clothes and decorations to spare wires and blankets. Her recommendations include donating usable goods, testing pens before discarding them and limiting reusable bags to the number she uses. The list is personal advice, not a reported study or official waste-management guidance.
Gautieri says she is applying a “one-in, one-out” rule to winter clothing, removing sweaters and boots that no longer suit her or are uncomfortable, out of style or scuffed. She recommends donating clothing in good condition to a local organization. She also plans to give away holiday decorations she will not display, suggesting thrift stores or community centers and advising readers to donate them soon enough for someone else to use them this season.
Other items on her list are reusable grocery bags and tote bags, bath robes and half-used candles. Gautieri says she kept 10 bags she uses, discarded older ones and plans to donate the rest; she notes that some food banks and pantries accept new or gently used totes. She says she got rid of two robes from a collection of four, and suggests turning towel-like fabric into cleaning rags. For old candles, she proposes setting a deadline to use them, then reusing attractive jars after removing leftover wax.
The final categories are old chargers and wires, pens and spare throw blankets. Gautieri says incompatible phone chargers can go, recommends testing pens and discarding those that do not work or leak, and plans to donate her least-favorite blankets. She suggests local charities or animal shelters as possible recipients for new or gently used throws. These are her own household decisions and suggestions; the article does not present them as universal rules or report on donation policies across organizations.
Making Room Before Holiday Storage
The list addresses a common seasonal pinch point: holiday decorations, gifts and winter gear can compete for limited closet and cabinet space. Sorting belongings before those items come out may help households identify what they use, what can be passed on and what is no longer useful to keep.
Gautieri’s suggestions also distinguish between donating usable goods and discarding items that are worn out. That distinction matters because donation organizations set their own acceptance rules, and a general suggestion to donate does not confirm that a particular thrift store, pantry, charity or shelter will take an item. Readers should check locally before dropping off belongings.
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A Personal Seasonal Checklist
The source is a Good Housekeeping article by Alyssa Gautieri, who describes her own plan for clearing household items ahead of the holidays. Its eight categories span clothing, seasonal decor, household textiles, candles, bags and small electronics accessories; the central approach is to review stored items rather than make a broad claim about how much every household should own.
The article includes small reuse ideas alongside its donation advice: cut towel-like robes into rags and repurpose candle jars after removing the wax. Gautieri also frames the exercise around making room for holiday gifts and decorations. The supplied material does not include outside research, expert interviews or figures on household clutter, donation volumes or environmental effects.
““one-in, one-out” rule”
— Alyssa Gautieri, Good Housekeeping
Donation Rules Vary Locally
The supplied source does not specify when the article was published, beyond its seasonal framing, or whether Gautieri completed every planned task. Her wording describes intentions for several categories, including candles and blankets, rather than confirmed outcomes.
It is also unclear which local organizations accept each item. The article says some food banks and pantries accept totes and suggests thrift stores, community centers, charities and animal shelters as possible donation destinations, but acceptance policies vary. It does not establish whether any listed organization will take used bags, decor, blankets or clothing in a reader’s area.
Check Items Before Donating
For readers following the checklist, the practical next step is to sort items by condition and intended destination. Test pens, separate working chargers from incompatible or damaged ones, and set aside only clean, usable clothing and household goods for donation. Contact a local organization before taking items in, particularly when its rules for used goods are not clear.
Gautieri’s plan is a seasonal personal checklist, not a scheduled public program or announcement with a formal next milestone. The source does not report further updates on her decluttering or on whether the suggested donation locations accepted the items.
Key Questions
What eight things does Alyssa Gautieri plan to declutter?
She lists winter clothing, unused holiday decorations, grocery and tote bags, bath robes, half-used candles, chargers and random wires, pens, and throw blankets.
Is the list based on research or a personal plan?
It is Gautieri’s personal seasonal checklist published by Good Housekeeping. The supplied source does not cite a study or present the recommendations as rules for every household.
Where can readers donate the items?
The article suggests local organizations, thrift stores, community centers, food banks or pantries for some bags, and charities or animal shelters for gently used blankets. Check with the organization first, since acceptance policies vary.
What does the article suggest doing with old robes and candle jars?
Gautieri suggests cutting towel-like robes into rags. For candle jars, she says to remove leftover wax after warming it in very hot water, then reuse attractive jars. Follow safe handling practices around hot water and melted wax.
Source: goodhousekeeping.com
