6 Root Causes of Clutter and How to Tackle Them
Life changes, decision avoidance and a lack of efficient systems can be contributing factors to a build-up of mess
If you have clutter in your home, you’re certainly not alone. Most of us hang onto unneeded things and struggle to keep our homes tidy. But if we could identify the root causes of the clutter, could we make it go away?
In my professional opinion as a home organiser, identifying the cause is definitely a great first step. Clutter may have one of several root causes – read on to discover six, as well as how to address them.
In my professional opinion as a home organiser, identifying the cause is definitely a great first step. Clutter may have one of several root causes – read on to discover six, as well as how to address them.
2. You lack habits for keeping your home tidy
Some people are not in the practice of hanging up their jackets or putting away their beauty supplies. Patterns like these can cause a state of disarray at home. But it’s not impossible to establish new habits.
I recommend trying an approach called “the habit loop,” from the bestselling book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg. Essentially, it involves three steps: cue, routine and reward. The cue is a reminder that initiates a new behaviour. The routine is the behaviour itself. The reward is the benefit you get from doing the new behaviour. It’s a method that has worked well for me as well as for some of my organising clients.
Find home storage designers and professional organisers on Houzz.
Some people are not in the practice of hanging up their jackets or putting away their beauty supplies. Patterns like these can cause a state of disarray at home. But it’s not impossible to establish new habits.
I recommend trying an approach called “the habit loop,” from the bestselling book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg. Essentially, it involves three steps: cue, routine and reward. The cue is a reminder that initiates a new behaviour. The routine is the behaviour itself. The reward is the benefit you get from doing the new behaviour. It’s a method that has worked well for me as well as for some of my organising clients.
Find home storage designers and professional organisers on Houzz.
3. You lack systems for handling your stuff
Not having systems in place to handle items we touch every day can lead to a lot of clutter build-up. Here are a few of the big culprits.
Not having systems in place to handle items we touch every day can lead to a lot of clutter build-up. Here are a few of the big culprits.
- Paper and post are the No. 1 source of clutter in many homes. If you’re unsure how long to keep old bank statements, bills, tax returns and other records, or if you lack an efficient system for handling pending paperwork such as unpaid bills, the mess tends to mount. The good news is you can take some simple steps to address your paper pile and create a system for sorting post. If you need help sorting the old items and setting up a new system, I recommend scheduling an appointment with a professional home organiser.
- Mobile phones, keys, glasses, wallets and laptops Lacking a designated location to store these items can lead not only to clutter, but to endless frustration. The solution is simply to designate a location, so you don’t have to search for these items every time you leave the house.
A kitchen drawer with a charging station is ideal, but if you don’t have one, then simply corral these items into a small basket near an electrical outlet where you can easily grab them when you leave the house.
- Bags, computer cases, backpacks, sports kit and outerwear Wardrobes and coat racks can fill up quickly with these bulky items, with extras ending up on the backs of chairs or draped over banisters. Often there are just too many of these pieces, so consider winnowing your collection.
Sort through coats and donate any that no longer fit or you no longer use. Hang everyday bags and outerwear on a coat rack or in a cupboard near the front door. Store ski jackets and special-occasion bags in a different location.
- Children’s art supplies, toys and homework Children generate a large amount of clutter, with the most intense period of disarray beginning in babyhood and continuing through primary school. Taming this mess can be challenging for even the most organised person – especially when it comes to toys that pile up as friends and family members offer gifts. If your child will agree, consider donating some toys to a charity to cut down on the mess.
4. You own too many items used for the same purpose
I commonly help clients who have collected an overabundance of pens, pencils, reusable shopping bags, notepads, serving bowls and platters, kitchen tools, sunscreen, binders and coffee mugs.
Fortunately, this is a relatively straightforward decluttering challenge. Simply reduce your collection of these items to an amount that will reasonably fit into your storage space and that you will realistically be able to use.
In future, consider what you already own before buying. Be realistic about whether you have room to store a new item.
More: 8 Things You’re Storing in the Kitchen That You Don’t Need To Be
I commonly help clients who have collected an overabundance of pens, pencils, reusable shopping bags, notepads, serving bowls and platters, kitchen tools, sunscreen, binders and coffee mugs.
Fortunately, this is a relatively straightforward decluttering challenge. Simply reduce your collection of these items to an amount that will reasonably fit into your storage space and that you will realistically be able to use.
In future, consider what you already own before buying. Be realistic about whether you have room to store a new item.
More: 8 Things You’re Storing in the Kitchen That You Don’t Need To Be
5. You avoid making decisions about your things
Some people avoid deciding what to do with their clutter by placing items in a basement, garage or cupboard not visible from the main living spaces. This is a common tactic when quickly cleaning up before a party. However, this type of clutter weighs on people’s minds, because they know it has to be dealt with sometime.
I often work with clients to sort through boxes and bags of stashed belongings that have been left in place for years. If you know you have such boxes lurking, consider enlisting the help of a friend or a professional to help you sort through them and get them out of your life.
Some people avoid deciding what to do with their clutter by placing items in a basement, garage or cupboard not visible from the main living spaces. This is a common tactic when quickly cleaning up before a party. However, this type of clutter weighs on people’s minds, because they know it has to be dealt with sometime.
I often work with clients to sort through boxes and bags of stashed belongings that have been left in place for years. If you know you have such boxes lurking, consider enlisting the help of a friend or a professional to help you sort through them and get them out of your life.
6. Your health gets in the way
A long-term health problem can sometimes result in household clutter, as schedules are upset by medical appointments and free time becomes scarce. In these circumstances, a person may lack energy or mobility. Similarly, clutter can accumulate as we age and lose energy, balance or mental capacity for making decisions.
In such cases, it may be necessary to get outside help. A family member might need to attend to the clutter once a week. A professional organiser may need to create systems to more easily keep the home tidy.
A long-term health problem can sometimes result in household clutter, as schedules are upset by medical appointments and free time becomes scarce. In these circumstances, a person may lack energy or mobility. Similarly, clutter can accumulate as we age and lose energy, balance or mental capacity for making decisions.
In such cases, it may be necessary to get outside help. A family member might need to attend to the clutter once a week. A professional organiser may need to create systems to more easily keep the home tidy.
On the other hand, extreme clutter or hoarding is usually caused by underlying issues that may require the help of a psychologist or other health professional.
For most of us, clutter is simply a part of modern life. If you struggle with it, you’re certainly not alone. But take heart: with determination and a little help – whether moral support from friends or the guidance of a professional – you can overcome it and live a more organised life.
Tell us…
What strategies do you have in place for dealing with clutter? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
For most of us, clutter is simply a part of modern life. If you struggle with it, you’re certainly not alone. But take heart: with determination and a little help – whether moral support from friends or the guidance of a professional – you can overcome it and live a more organised life.
Tell us…
What strategies do you have in place for dealing with clutter? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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A change in life circumstances – a new baby or job; a move to a new home; an illness or injury – can be stressful and lead to a typically tidy home becoming cluttered. Eventually, this type of clutter resolves when the baby starts sleeping through the night or the moving boxes are unpacked. The question is how long adjusting will take and how much your clutter will bother you in the interim.
If you’re frustrated by your chaos and you lack time or bandwidth to address it, you may want to seek help from family, friends or a professional home organiser to get you through this stressful phase.
Several years ago, we helped a couple with a toddler who had just moved into a new home. Their jobs were demanding, their extended family far away, and their friends busy, leaving the couple with no real help. At the weekend, they tended to their child and had little time or energy left for unpacking. So they hired us to unpack and organise their belongings and ready them to host their first housewarming party.