Minimalists are total experts at knowing how and when to part ways with items that are no longer serving their needs. They're not prone to letting clutter pile up and take over a room or closet to the point that it becomes unmanageable.

Here, three professional organizers share seven items that minimalists never hold onto for more than a month. If you're looking to become better at streamlining your own space, you'll definitely want to follow suit and make monthly organizing sprees part of your go-to routine.

Meet the Experts

Dana Reder is the founder of Winnow & Bloom.
Amy Berryhill is the founder of Spiffy Chicks.
Shira Gill is an organizing expert and the author of LifeStyled.

"We have a system for managing this on a day-to-day basis, so that it doesn't pile up," Dana Reder, a professional organizer and minimalist at Winnow & Bloom, says. She notes that generally, unneeded pieces of mail will go straight into the recycling bin, and she will make an effort to review anything else within the week.

Reder explains how if there's a magazine or catalog she wants to peruse, it will get recycled right after it's done being read. If it hasn't been read, it gets recycled by week's end.

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Takeout Utensils and Condiments

When picking up takeout or ordering delivery, most minimalists will aim to skip the extra napkins, utensils, and sauce packets altogether, Reder notes. However, oftentimes these items are included automatically, and she makes a strong effort to toss what she doesn't need.

"These also get recycled immediately, as soon as the food is unpacked so that we are limiting the amount of single-use plastic we keep on hand," Reder says.

Kids' Art and Schoolwork

Children bring home tons of papers over the course of a given month during the school year. While it's reasonable to want to hold onto some of your kids' artwork or schoolwork, by no means do you have to keep everything.

"We keep items that feel special, were the product of a lot of hard work, or that we just really enjoy," Reder says.

Items that don't fit into this category can be recycled as long as you're sure your child won't need them again.

Product Samples or Unwanted Products

Collecting various beauty product samples and trying new brands of cosmetics may seem fun, but these tubes and containers can pile up quickly.

"Minimalists don’t hold onto products that don’t suit them," Amy Berryhill, the founder of Spiffy Chicks, says.

Berryhill recommends letting it go whether it's returning it, gifting it to somebody else, or donating it.

Holiday Items

Once a particular holiday is over, a true minimalist will not keep decor up on display or hold onto accents that they do not intend to use again. Before cleaning up from Halloween or Christmas, think about what might be better off tossed into a donation bag than a storage bin.

Berryhill explains how minimalists will enjoy the holidays fully and then move on, keeping only what they love and really used during the season.

Expired Pantry Staples

Shira Gill, an organizing expert and the author of LifeStyled, will go through her pantry once a month and clear out any expired staples. Keeping your pantry organized will make it easier to find what you need as you cook and help you to grocery shop more effectively. Do not let this part of your kitchen become a dumping ground for items long past their prime.

Miscellaneous Things

Do not let a certain area of your home turn into the equivalent of a junk drawer. For Gill, this means dealing with miscellaneous items that do not have a home. Every month, Gill will scan her space for things like mystery keys or cords, expired spices, or mismatched food containers and let them go. This helps her streamline her space and reduce any decision fatigue which makes room for essentials.

"Living minimally means committing to regular edits," Gill says.