There is always that one item. You know the one—it’s been sitting around for months; you look at it every week thinking, "I really ought to deal with that," before quietly closing the closet door again.
An awareness campaign led by ADEME (the French Agency for Ecological Transition) offers a reality check regarding our relationship with the things we own. Twenty-one households agreed to open their closets to professional organizers for an unfiltered assessment. The results far exceeded anyone's expectations: the average French household accumulates 2.5 tons of belongings. Even more striking is the gap between perception and reality: households believe they own 34 electrical and electronic devices, when in fact they own 99—six of which have never been used even once. After sorting through their possessions with professional help, participants parted with 31% of their items and 37% of their clothing. In other words, more than a third of what we keep at home serves absolutely no purpose.
This discrepancy between what we think we own and what we actually own speaks volumes about our relationship with specific items—the ones that don't fit into any standard cleaning routine. A sculpture inherited from a great-aunt, an old tool gathering dust in a corner of the garage, a musical instrument that never quite gets put away—these objects defy any logic based on frequency of use. We don't clean them because we use them, but rather because, at some point, they inevitably catch our eye—along with the dust that has settled on them. And because they don't fit into any specific category, dealing with them is perpetually put off until tomorrow.

What this task actually entails

Unlike the other tasks on this list, this one has no fixed definition: it involves choosing a specific item—usually one that has been set aside for a while—and finally giving it the attention it deserves. It could be a knick-knack, a tool, an instrument, a collector's item, or a bicycle stored in the garage. Allow about 30 minutes for a truly thorough cleaning—including meticulous dusting, cleaning hard-to-reach nooks and crannies, and perhaps some light maintenance depending on the material (wood, metal, or fabric).

Tips and tricks for tackling those stubborn items

Before you begin, identify the material precisely: wood requires a slightly damp cloth and sometimes a nourishing wax; metal benefits from a little white vinegar to restore its streak-free shine; and fabric or leather often require specific products to avoid further damage. Choosing the wrong product can irreparably damage an antique or fragile item, so it is best to test a small, inconspicuous area before treating the whole piece.
For items with complex shapes (sculptures, openwork designs, or instruments with many crevices), a soft-bristled brush—like those used for cooking or makeup—allows you to reach areas inaccessible to a standard cloth without risking scratches. A vacuum cleaner fitted with a small, soft brush attachment, used on a low setting, effectively complements this precision work.
Finally, take this opportunity to ask yourself a simple question—the very one ADEME encourages households to consider: does this item still belong in your home? A deep clean is often the perfect time to make a decision, rather than endlessly dusting an object that could bring joy to someone else.

The figures from ADEME are unequivocal: we live surrounded by objects we have vastly underestimated, a third of which serve no practical purpose. Tackling that one thing that has been lingering for too long every now and then is both a form of maintenance and a chance to sort through what we keep out of genuine choice versus what we keep simply out of habit.