5 Things With 'Negative Energy' to Declutter From Your Home — It's Not Too Late to Add to Your Spring Clean

I am a strong believer in the concept of things carrying energy. And sage smudging aside, there is one other thing you can do to improve the energy inside your home, and that's declutter.

But rather than the somewhat broad task of decluttering for better Feng Shui, this list focuses on things with negative energy that are better off removed or recycled from your space.

Things like unused footwear around bedrooms and entryways, expired food in your pantry, forgotten to-do lists, worn-out door mats, broken items, and old gifts should be on your list of things to declutter from your home. And here's why.

1. Footwear

Helen Ye Plehn, Feng Shui expert and founder of Helen Creates Beauty, tells me that footwear is one of the most common things with negative energy to declutter from your home.

"Start with decluttering your entryway or bedroom, which represents safety and rest," she says. "If you struggle with anxiety or feel ungrounded, declutter shoes to stabilize your root chakra and red aura layer."

As for the shoes that you do style regularly, I recommend finding ways to conceal clutter in an entryway. And you can also go one step further and adopt the concept of uwabaki for even better energy indoors.

Helen Ye Plehn

Helen Ye Plehn is the founder of Helen Creates Beauty and the author of the Aura Color Wheel by Hay House: a system to identify your soul's purpose through your Soul Aura Color. She is an angel channeler, intuitive painter, certified crystal healer, third-generation Feng Shui master, and spiritual teacher. Her mission is to help one million souls to find and live their souls’ purposes with joy and fulfillment.

2. Expired Pantry

When you're decluttering your kitchen, the first place to look for anything with negative energy is your pantry. And Helen tells me that the culprit is expired food items that are taking up space.

"Creative spaces like your kitchen can accumulate stagnant energy, such as guilt and shame," she says. "Releasing these old items with gratitude strengthens your sacral chakra and orange aura layer."

Not to mention it's a healthier move overall. One of the biggest pantry organization mistakes is holding onto expired items, and this is your sign to survey this space.

3. Past To-Do Lists

Now, this is one clutter-causer with negative energy that I'm guilty of. It's the type of clutter minimalists never have, and it's just what you need to remove from your home for better interior energy.

"In a home office, anything related to past or unmet goals or things associated with failures needs to be let go of, such as old papers or to-do lists," she advises. "This will boost your self-worth or confidence and strengthen your solar plexus and yellow aura layer."

Aside from cleansing the energy in this productive space, it'll also help you get closer to maintaining a clutter-free desk — and that's a win-win.

4. Worn Door Mats

According to Helen, old door mats are also a key contributor to the negative energy of a home. "Like shoes, your front door represents how opportunities enter your life," she explains.

"It's one of the major energy portals in your home. Replacing old, worn door mats with new ones activates both root and heart chakra alignment and welcomes new opportunities into your life."

Cleaning your doormat regularly is a great way to keep up impressions and avoid bad energy. Or you can treat yourself to a fresh one, like this Blue Doormat from HAY.

5. Anything Broken or Saddening

And lastly, Helen says that broken items or gifts that no longer serve you or are associated with pain will foster feelings of guilt. Think imperfect items you're holding on to for repurposing, torn clothes, and any present that doesn't spark joy.

"Instead, I recommend decluttering these sentimental items from your home, and only keeping what evokes authentic love. Doing so activates your heart chakra and green aura layer."

Using the KonMari method to declutter this type of clutter is a brilliant hack to improve the energy in your home. Or you can lean on the cobwebbing method for a more cleansing approach.

Decluttering is just one of many ways to remove bad energy from your home. So, for more insight into curating a home that's flooded with positive energy and to avoid trends that are bad Feng Shui, sign up for our newsletter.