The Home Detox: Letting Go of What’s “Toxic” in Your Space

Feeling overwhelmed by clutter and grime in your Chicago home? You’re not alone. Between work, family, and the bustle of city life, keeping your space clean and peaceful can feel like a constant battle. But what if you could reclaim your home—and your peace of mind—starting today?

January is for fresh starts. While some focus on diets or dry months, your home deserves a reset, too. The good news? You don’t need extreme willpower—just a simple plan. Grab a basket, some bags, and your favorite cleaner. We’re going on a hunt for the “toxins” in your home: the items that, even if they’re good or expensive, make you feel bad every time you see them. Let’s clear them out and make room for joy.

1. The Closet Bullies

We often keep clothes that fit a past version of ourselves or simply don’t make us feel good. That shirt that’s too tight or those pants that pinch? If they whisper negative thoughts when you wear them, they’re toxic. Your home should uplift you, not bring you down. Letting go of just five pieces can feel incredibly freeing.

2. Bathroom Guilt Trips

Open your cabinet. See that expensive cream that irritates your skin or the lipstick that never looked right? Purchases made with hope that now just spark insecurity are clutter of the worst kind. If it doesn’t work for you, it’s okay to let it go—even if it was pricey. You deserve a bathroom that serves you, not shames you.

Don’t Forget the Actual Dirt

Sometimes the biggest toxin is literal grime. That sticky spot on the floor or the pile of pet hair in the corner steals a bit of joy every time you see it, whispering that you’re a “bad housekeeper.” If the thought of a full scrub feels overwhelming, consider getting some deep cleaning help. For now, just carry your spray and wipe that one spot. Immediate action stops the negative self-talk.

3. Conquer the “Hot Spot” Piles

We all have them: the counter or chair where mail, keys, and random items accumulate. These piles are mean—they grow quickly and make you feel lazy and disorganized. Here’s the secret: every item in a pile is one of three things:

• Something that belongs in that room (put it away now).
• Something that belongs in another room (toss it in a tote to deliver later).
• Something that doesn’t belong in your home at all (donate or trash it).

Tackling a hotspot takes 60 seconds and reclaims your peace. If piles are a constant struggle, a regular apartment cleaning schedule can help maintain that clear, calm space.

4. The “Should” Items That Breed Guilt

Toys you feel you *should* play with, unfilled baby books, expensive exercise gear gathering dust—these aren’t just objects; they’re reminders of unmet expectations. They make you feel like a bad parent or poor money manager. Give yourself permission to release them. Your worth isn’t tied to unused stuff.

5. Kitchen & Pantry Triggers

Food can be emotionally toxic. That junk food you battle with or the protein powder from a forgotten health kick can trigger negative self-talk every time you open the cupboard. If it makes you feel bad, let it go. Your kitchen should nourish you, not nag you. And while you’re there, check expiration dates! Old condiments and mysterious leftovers are physical toxins you don’t need.

6. Sentimental Clutter & Unfinished Projects

Sentimental items should bring warmth, not guilt. If that inherited knick-knack or urn only makes you feel obligation, it’s okay to respectfully let it go. The same goes for half-finished projects—the chair you meant to paint, the pictures waiting to be hung. Either finish it now or release it. Completing or removing a lingering task is a powerful form of decluttering.

7. Make Maintenance Effortless

The goal is a home that supports you, not stresses you. Once you’ve detoxed, keeping it that way is easier. For the deep cleaning tasks that feel too big—like scrubbing bathrooms or kitchens—enlisting a professional home cleaning service can be a game-changer. Think of it as self-care for your space.

Living in a busy city like Chicago, your time is precious. If you’d rather spend your weekend enjoying life instead of scrubbing, you’re not alone. Many Chicagoans rely on trusted cleaning services in Chicago to maintain their sanctuary. It’s the easiest way to get your space cleaned thoroughly and consistently.

Ready to stop the cycle? Sometimes the best step is to schedule a cleaning and let the pros handle it. Whether you need a one-time reset or ongoing maintenance, finding a cleaning service near me that you trust means you can finally relax in a spotless home. As a local Chicago cleaning company, we understand the unique needs of city living and provide fast cleaning services designed for your busy life.

January is all about resets. Some people out there doing juice cleanses or dry January, giving up junk food, but you have to detox your home, too. The good news is you don’t need kale or willpower or suffering. All you need is your tidy tote or a laundry basket, some trash bags, and your favorite cleaning supply. Grab a donation box or bag, too. And here’s what we’re going to do. We are going to look for toxins in your home. So, I’m going to detox my home. Hopefully, you’re going to detox yours along with me. Grab your stuff and let’s go. If you’re feeling like ashamed of the mess and the clutter, it is not your fault. You are not lazy. You are not messy. You’re just over capacity. And it can be really hard to know like what to get rid of because everything might be good or expensive or, you know, useful. But this is why I love this detox. And what detox is is focusing on the toxic things in your home. Even if they’re good, even if they’re expensive, if it makes you feel bad, we’re letting it go. So, let’s start here. And I’m going in my closet because for me, this is where the most toxic bullies are. I’ve struggled with my weight for my entire life. I’ve been 250 lbs and I’ve been 125 lbs and everywhere in between. So, even though I’m not unhappy with my body, there are things I want to change, there is clothing that when I put it on, I’m reminded of things I don’t like about myself that otherwise I wouldn’t even think about, like shirts that make my arm jiggle really obvious or a little tight on my stomach or pants that just don’t fit the way I like. and I put it on and I feel like instantly I’m calling myself fat and and ugly and I need to work out, but I’m not saying that. The clothing is. So, today it’s leaving. Find like five pieces of clothing that are toxic and say goodbye. Yeah, these ones are just they’re too lowrise. Why is lowrise a thing? My muffin top. Bras that poke you. You’re like, ah, you’re being stabbed. Say goodbye. We are not organizing. We are not sorting. We are just finding things to leave. Just fast forward while I go through my knickers. But floss. Is this even? I don’t even know what this is. My bracelets and earrings get caught on all this. I’m not a lace person. Which reminds me, my wicked witch of West lace one. I’m not a lace. Yep. No lace. It gets caught on everything and then I’m like ripping the No, it’s not. It’s going. My pile. my pile of decluttering. I feel good. Get rid of the toxins. Let’s move on. All right, let’s talk about bathroom products like makeup or face creams. Maybe I’m alone here, but a lot of these things are actually really toxic to me because I purchased them with the intent they’re going to fix my wrinkles. I’m going to look flawless. I’m going to look so much better. I bought red lipstick thinking I was going to be Taylor Swift over here. And then I look at these things. It doesn’t look good on me. And I’m like, you’re bad at makeup. You’re old. You’re wrinkly. No, these are toxic. It doesn’t matter that this cream was like $140. I actually like this one. But why is so expensive? It doesn’t matter what you paid for it. If it doesn’t work for you, if it burns your eyes or peels off your face or for whatever reason, you just don’t love it. Don’t let it stay because now that you look at it, it’s so mean to you. Maybe it’s good. Maybe it’s useful. Maybe it’s expensive. But that doesn’t mean it’s not toxic. It’s perfectly good, but it’s been open and used. You can’t donate that. So, you just close your eyes and say, “It’ll be okay.” And you never think about it again. You know what else can totally be considered a toxin? Actual dirt. Not because it’s physically toxic, but maybe there’s like pet hair or or goo or a spill. And every time you look at it, you will say, “Oh, I’ll have to clean it later.” And it kind of steals a little bit of your joy. It makes you feel like a dirty person or a bad housekeeper. What if today while we’re decluttering, we carry our favorite cleaning product and if we notice something, we take literally one second and eliminate that toxin immediately. We’re not scrubbing our whole house here. We are taking action so that we stop feeling bad about ourselves every time we see those little pile of crumbs. One of the absolute meanest things, the things that hurt you the most in your home are actually piles. I call these hot spots where you come in and you just drop a bunch of stuff that you don’t want to deal with or you don’t have a place for it to go. And why this is so mean is because it gets out of hand fast and every time you look at it, it’s telling you you’re lazy, you’re messy, and that you’re not good at managing your time or your home. Stop it. Everything in your pile, any clutter, is basically three simple things. stuff that belongs in the room that you have to put away, things that don’t belong in the room that you have to take to where they do belong, or things that you shouldn’t even have in your home in the first place and need to declutter. So, let’s identify those. Go through if it’s like, “This is cute and my kids used to have it. Does it belong in this room?” No. Does it belong in another room? No. So, is this something that belongs in my home? No. Just because it’s good doesn’t mean it’s good for you. So do this right now. Like look at this. This is a diaper for a dog I don’t even have. What the heck is going on? If you find something like this important, does it belong in this room? Yes, it does. It’s memories. Take it there right now. Just like put it away. Takes 2 seconds. If you come across something else that you’re like, “This belongs in the bathroom.” This is why I love my tidy tote. Or you could use a a laundry hamper or a box. put it there and as you move throughout your home, you can put things away and empty it to where it goes. So, it’s a way of quickly simplifying this process and you can tackle a huge messy pile that’s been bullying you for a long time in literally 60 seconds. This goes in the garage. Cards, I’m giving you permission to throw them in the trash. Trash. Trash. This is important. >> >> goes here. This is where I’m getting stuck. This is like some piece of equipment off a car that’s not mine and I’m not sure and it could be important, which is why I have the random I don’t effing know what this is or if it’s important bin. If you don’t have one of those bins, grab anything you see laying around. Make that your new I don’t know if this is important or not. I better keep it random bin and just shove stuff there. Life-changing. You’re welcome. The rest is trash. We need life. Let’s move on. Did you know that toys can be toxic, too? And I’m not talking about other weird non-organic slime or microlastics, like toxic to you as a mom or dad. that guilt that we feel when there are toys that we feel like we should be playing with our kid. Like those mess maker educational toys or flashc cards or those board games that take for freaking ever to set up that just we see them and we feel like we’re a bad parent. And I have some of those in my home even though my kids are older and they look a lot like this. You know those books? It’s like from mom with love and you’re supposed to fill them out with all these favorite memories you have of your kids. I always buy these and then I never actually fill them out and I leave it out as like a to-do. Now I’m reminded of my failings every time I look at it and I’m like someday, someday, someday. But every day in between now and someday I feel like a bad mom. It’s ridiculous. I am going to let these go. I’m a good mom. I don’t need to do a scrapbook or fill out some stupid thing or like keep their hair to prove it. And neither do you. Declutter the things that make you feel like a bad parent right now because they’re toxic. Let’s talk about expensive things. Maybe it’s the stereo equipment or the speakers. For me, it’s camera equipment. How many tripods does one girl need? When I need a tripod, I’m like, “Which one’s the good one? Why doesn’t this one have an adapter? And why do I still have this old ring light that doesn’t have a cable? Is this $100? Probably. But it’s all just toxic. Why? Because when you look at expensive clutter, it reminds you of wasted money. It reminds you that you should be using it. Like the treadmill and the exercise bike in the other room. I look at these things and I feel like I’m bad at managing my money. I feel wasteful and I feel all the negative things. when the reality is if they just left, I wouldn’t feel that way anymore. If you’re not using it and you don’t love it, it’s okay to let it go even if it was expensive because it’s hurting more than it’s helping. I’m really struggling with these because I know they were like a couple hundred and I could probably sell them. I’m going to take a picture of these immediately and post it because if you take action on something, that’s also a form of decluttering. I’m going to post it online. I’m going to give it 3 days. If nobody wants them, I’ll donate them. Why am I waiting? I’m going to take a picture and post these right now. Are you seeing a pattern here? It’s stuff in your home that has a home. It’s not even necessarily like physical clutter that’s all over your space. It has a place to go, but every time you look at it, it makes you feel like crap. It makes you feel bad. It is signaling negative self-t talk to you, and that’s what makes it toxic. And what if this year you were like determined that everything in your home is stuff that makes you feel good and all the bad stuff you’re putting this boundary and saying I deserve better. Enough is enough. And you get rid of it once and for all. This is my biggest struggle right now. Come with me to my shame. Food can actually be toxic. And I’m not just talking about the chemicals that are in the food. I mean like toxic as in it’s calling you names. Here is an example. Somebody gave us four freaking tubs of sour keys for Christmas. I’m a sugar aaholic. Every time I come into this pantry and I see these, I’m like fighting for my life not to eat them. You know, I’m coming in for soup or spaghetti sauce and then I see this and I’m like, “Don’t do it, Cass. You’re gross. Don’t do it. Don’t eat them.” Ugh. And sometimes I win and sometimes I don’t. But why am I fighting? This is ridiculous. No one likes these except me. Why are they even in my home? They’re leaving right now. And maybe you don’t struggle with junk food and that’s okay. Maybe you bought protein powder last January, you know, and you were like going to be buff and you realize they taste like butt and you don’t like it. That is toxic because every time you look at it, you’re just reminded of your failings. I am eliminating the sugary junk. So when I come in here, I don’t have to fight my urges, fight my impulses, and call myself all the nasty things I call myself that I wouldn’t otherwise unless I was looking at this junk food. Maybe you love this stuff and it makes you not feel bad about yourself. Keep it, friends. Whatever it is that is calling you names and making you feel bad, that is toxic. And everybody’s form of toxic will be different. Identifying yours is the entire point. Put it in a trash bag or donate it. And let’s move on. What about the licorice that nobody likes but me? Oh, is it pull and peel? Oh, it’s pull and peel. It’s pull and peel. It’s pull and peel. It’s my favorite candy. It’s my favorite. I >> feel like 2 p.m. Cass break checks that 700 p.m. Cass >> 2 p.m. Cass has self- discipline, but that’s the whole point. 1000 p.m. Cass is going to eat all of these while playing Fortnite. Joe’s over here shaming me for throwing out the candy because it’s wasteful. Both of us have wastes that would be a little bit smaller had we not keep holding on to this crap. I am being harsh because these are toxic. Oh, I love them. I love them. I love them. I love them. I love them. I love them. It’s >> true. I’ll close. He took them. Now I know they’re in the house and I will search everywhere for them later. Thanks, Joe. Now, let’s talk about actual toxins. Like, the stuff in your fridge will kill you if it’s expired. >> The best before dates are suggestive. Number one. Number two, you just did this a month ago. >> Yeah, >> there’s going to be no expired food there. >> Let’s do it. I bet you there is. If it’s expired, it’s leaving. There’s always two people and they get married. One who like have had food poisoning and refuse to keep expired food and two is just playing roulette with his life. It’s like that mayo. It’s probably okay. This Parmesan cheese expired last month. Haha. Haha. Honey Dijon expired. Those old leftovers that you’re not sure what it is and when you cooked it. Don’t risk people’s lives. Speaking of leftovers, let’s talk about leftovers. I’m not talking about fridge leftovers. Leftover things from things. Here’s an example. You had a party. You had a bunch of alcohol. Now there’s an inch left in all the bottles that can go. Or the candle that’s almost all the way burnt out. Maybe you built some IKEA furniture and for some reason they give you three extra screws and a little Allen key. Those are leftovers. Why do we put them in our junk drawer? All these little leftovers are actually just friction. Remove the friction from your life by removing all these little leftovers. That that that did not that that did not work out like I thought it would. Procrastic clutter. That’s the stuff that you should do something with, but you’re real lazy, so you just kick it till later. I should break these boxes down and put them right there. But you know, I don’t. But every time I look at it, I’m filled with guilt for being such a terrible person. Let’s take two seconds. The things you’re supposed to return, the stuff you’re supposed to, I don’t know, procrastinate on is bad. Look at me doing people stuff. A real grownup. >> Yes, me grownuping. It’s freaking 2026. >> 3 seconds. Winning at life. This is a weird one, but I do feel like this can be toxic, and that’s sentimental clutter. This is my dead cat. I loved my cat, but every time I look at this, I’m like, I don’t really want to put it in my memory bin, but I feel guilt and shame for not like loving this dead cat box that has ashes in it. Like, it’s so ridiculous. If this was gone, I would never think about it again, which is why it’s toxic. Because when I see it, I feel shame and just all the bad feels. When you look at your treasured memories, you should feel joy. You should feel like the warm feelings of happiness. And if you feel anything other than that, it isn’t doing what it’s supposed to do. Your home is not a museum for you to just hold everything that ever had a memory ever. You have to be really selective and only the special, most cherished, most wonderful memories deserve a spot in your home. Joe had a good idea. Instead of putting Marvin in the trash, I can spread Marvin outside. My grandma did this once with her friend, but they were on a boat and the wind blew it in their mouths and all over their faces. Don’t do that, okay? If you’re going to spread. But Marvin Marvin can be out here. Goodbye, Marvin. Kitty, go chase it. Nope. It’s definitely going in my eyes. It’s gritty. I’m going to donate the urn. No, no, I’m throwing it out. But no, seriously, it’s in my eyes. >> In my mouth. >> You bury her. You don’t go like >> Oh, bury it. You didn’t say bury it. That would have been so much smarter. I got to take a second to thank today’s video sponsor, HelloFresh. This year, I want to live my life on easy mode, and I want dinners to be easier, too, which is why I treat myself to a few HelloFresh meals every single week. They have so many meals to choose from, and they are all chef inspired, and I love their step-by-step instructions. Everything is pre-portioned, so there’s a lot less waste. I don’t have to think about what’s for dinner, look up recipes, meal plan, or go to the grocery store. Everything comes right to my door and in just a few minutes I have the most amazing delicious meal. If you want to give HelloFresh a try right now, visit the link in the description and you’ll receive a free zilling four-star chef’s knife on your third box, which is $145 value, plus 10 free meals on your first box ship free with the code clutterbug HF ZWL. Make sure to use my code to get this deal before supplies run out. Offer valid while supplies last. Link above will automatically opt you into HelloFresh’s best active offer if redeeming after the activation window. This I feel like I’m struggling with the most today, but maybe you can relate. Half finished projects. So, the chair you were going to paint, the thing you were going to fix, the to-do on your list that makes you feel like a failure every time you look at it. My grandmother passed away and this was in her garden and my mom wanted me to paint it. That was over 2 years ago. I haven’t got around to it. I did paint it. I didn’t like it. I repainted it and now it’s just a burden. Here’s what I’m going to say about these unfinished projects. What if you just finish something now? Finishing a project counts as decluttering. hanging those pictures you said you were going to hang that have been just in a stack forever. That counts. Taking action and doing the thing counts. I tonight am going to watch a movie and I’m going to paint this good enough and I’m going to give it to my mom and if she doesn’t like it, she can repaint it herself. But I am tired of looking at this and feeling like a bad daughter, a bad granddaughter, and a bad human being. I’m getting it off my plate once and for all, and you should, too. Last but not least, the someday stuff. This is all like the past New Year’s resolutions that you had where you bought all the supplies and it still is sitting there collecting dust, making you feel like a worthless human being. Most of the cluttered homes I go to, a large majority of the clutter is bins to get organized. Enough is enough. You don’t have to keep subjecting yourself to like the self flagagillation by looking at all those promises you didn’t keep to yourself. You’re amazing. You don’t have to do all the things you said you were going to. You are amazing just as you are. What if you let all of those go and you start fresh this year with just you, what you got right now, and all the potential going forward. Let go of all the someday I should, if only one day stuff and start truly fresh for 2026 because I promise all that stuff is toxic and you don’t need it. You ready? You feeling good? All right, I hope you’re feeling super inspired. Give this video a thumbs up and I’ll see you guys next time. Thank you guys so much for those of you who have stayed to the end. You know, when you’re like doing something new and it feels amazing and you’re like, “This is my new whole personality.” I feel like that about firefighting. So, I became a volunteer firefighter. It’s almost been 2 years. And up until now, it has been I bought shirts and hats and decorations for my house. And then last week, reality came crashing down. We had a structure fire at 2 in the morning. I had not yet gone to bed. And I was there until noon the next day in minus5° on a hose line. My mouthpiece froze. Thought I was suffocating and going to die. I was getting sprayed with so much water. I was soaked and freezing. I couldn’t feel my fingertips after like 2 hours of excruciating pain. And I’m like, are they going to fall off? Should I take off my gloves? Will my fingers fall off my toes? It was horrible. My arms hurt so bad because fire hoses are ridiculously heavy. I sat down at one point and just put it between my legs and was spraying the fire and then all the like mist and water froze on me. So when my pack was dead and I was time to like switch out for someone else, I could not stand up. Guess what happened at the end of 10 to 11 hours of freezing cold, soaking wet absolute horribleness? We tore the house down anyways because we couldn’t put it out. I know not every day is going to be great, but that was like just had me contemplating all my life choices. You know what I’m saying? Cuz I’m just complaining. I’m just going to carry on for a second. So, uh I got home, had to do a live, but realized when I looked in the mirror that my eyes were completely bloodshot because I had broken all the blood vessels in my eyes from either the extreme cold, which I’m allergic to. I also had hives all over my face, so I had to use a filter, which was crazy. Or the fact that the hoses had frozen and I had to drag them and I’m very not overly strong, but I wanted to feel like I didn’t want to like, boys, this is too heavy. I got girl arms. So, I was like, I’m a man. I got a penis, too. And I dragged that frozen hose a very long way. Every bone in my body was screaming in agony. I came home. I did the live. And then I cried in my bed the whole day. The next day couldn’t even walk. Eyes still bloodshot. Face just full of hives and soores. And every muscle to go pee was like, “You can do it. You can do it.” You know what I’m saying? Moral of the story is Cass needs to lift weights. See you guys next time.