How do you know how much is TOO much? You see the clutter around the house but that's just because you haven't cleaned up or organized, right? Maybe not.
Here are 13 signs that you may have too much clutter in your home:
1) Piles of things in the corner(s) of your rooms. Walk around your home. What do you see. Look closely because sometimes we get so used to the 'stuff' that we become 'clutter-blind' to it and don't see it anymore. We stop noticing the excess because it has become a normal part of our surroundings. Inspect the corners of your rooms - your bedroom, your office, your living room. Focus on those often overlooked spaces. Perhaps there are objects you haven't used in months, or even years, gathering dust in these corners.
If this is the case, it is likely that we have no specific place for these items. They're not there because they're useful or because we love them. They're there because we haven't decided where else they should go. Our homes should be a place of comfort and peace, not a storage unit for forgotten items. If clutter is invading on our spaces and lives, it might be time to reconsider what we truly need and start decluttering.
2) Flat surfaces filled with stuff/items. What is on your countertops? Your desk? Your bathroom counter? Are these surfaces filled with things? If there is no room left to put a coffee cup or a piece of paper, it is too much. Believe me, I lived this reality for WAY too long.
Once I started decluttering and freeing up these surfaces, I noticed a significant shift. Having clear surfaces is not just about creating more physical space - it's SO much more than that. It's about creating a sense of calm and order in your home.
The act of decluttering can be therapeutic, and maintaining clear surfaces becomes a form of self-care. Looking at less clutter gathered on our surfaces brings a sense of peace and calm that we may not have realized was missing. And trust me, once you've experienced the serenity of clutter-free surfaces, there's no going back.
[Would you prefer to see the list on video? Click below...]
3) We have to move items from a couch, chair, or bed to sit down. Is there laundry pile on your couch? Are there toys in the chairs or on the bed? These spaces fill up quickly and then we find yourselves shifting items from one place to another just to sit down or go to bed. Do you struggle with this area? It is likely because everything doesn't have a 'home'. I used to have throw blankets and kids blankets all over my living room. I now have a small storage ottoman that keeps things tidy and out of sight. Getting rid of the clutter and finding ways to organize what is left will enable you to relax in your favorite chair at any time!
4) Having to pick up a lot of items from the floor before sweeping, vacuuming or mopping. If you find that general cleaning is difficult because of the stuff laying around, you definitely have too much stuff. How many times have I thought to myself, I'll go ahead and mop today - it will only take 15 or 20 minutes and then I'd look around and realize it would take WAY longer than that because there was so much stuff I needed to move first! Why? Because before you can even start cleaning, you have to spend significant time shifting, organizing, and picking up items that are cluttering your space. The excessive items are not only causing visual chaos, but they're also prolonging your cleaning time and making daily chores more difficult and time-consuming. This is a clear sign of having too much stuff!
5) You cannot close the dresser drawer or put items in your closet. Ugh! The frustration of actually trying to put your clothes away and they won't fit in the drawer or closet! Stuffing and pushing and crunching them down doesn't make it any better, it just makes us more frustrated. Wedging one more hanger in the closet is no easier. If there's no room, there's no room! This is where the "container method" can help. You have a limited space for a specific space - a drawer, a box, etc. Once it is full, you have to choose which items to keep so that they will all fit in that space. For a better idea of the "container method", watch the video here.
6) Store items in your car because there is no room in your house. Guilty! Yes, I've actually done this. When I moved a few years ago, I just had too much stuff for my new (smaller) place. This was before my decluttering journey began and I thought I just had to keep things so when I ran out of space, I kept it in my car! It was mostly crafty things and items I THOUGHT I needed but eventually realized I did not. Whew, that's embarrassing to say out loud. This, more than anything, was a wake-up call about the extent of my clutter problem.
7) Fearful of having someone dropped by unannounced. I used to live with this fear on the regular. I was terrified someone would come by and my house was such a cluttered mess I just couldn't let them come in. If you've experienced this you know, it's an awful feeling. I am living proof, you can overcome this fear. After decluttering my space I remember sitting on my couch and talking with my mom on the phone. I told her that for the first time I can say that I am truly not in fear of someone dropping in. Wow, it felt good!
8) It takes you too long to get dressed in the morning. It takes a long time, but why? If you are like me it is because you have lots of clothes that don't really fit good or that you don't really like. You try them on again somehow thinking that this time it will be different, but it's not. So you try on something else and before you know it you've tried on 5 outfits and none of them make you feel good. If you ONLY have items that fit and make you feel good in your closet, then getting ready is so much easier and quicker. I had to experience this one to believe it, but it is true.
9) Laundry baskets - How many do you have? I used to have 3 laundry baskets and it never failed that 1 of them was always sitting on the floor near the laundry area filled with items that had nothing to do with laundry! It became a collection of this, that and the other. A dark hole of junk that had no other place to go. I got rid of all but ONE laundry basket so now I have to use it as it is intended and empty it out so I can use it again. Problem solved. No more junk stored in the laundry basket. I realize this is not the answer for everyone, but it sure worked wonders in our household.
10) Too many JUST IN CASE items. This was one of my worst decluttering issues to overcome. I had SO many 'just in case' items I held onto. How could I let go of something if I might need it in the future? I had to do something. These just in case items were cluttering up my whole house. But the question kept haunting me - "What if I let go of this and then I need it later?" This indecision led to an accumulation of items that were seldom used, but constantly occupied space in my house.
It was about changing my mindset and my approach towards the items I possess. It was about understanding that holding onto things 'just in case' was doing more harm than good. And so, I decided to take the necessary steps to overcome this problem, to free my home from the grip of the clutter, and to create a more organized, peaceful space.
I started using the 20/20 rule and letting go got much easier. Basically, the idea is that if you can replace an item for $20 or less and in 20 minutes or less (buying locally or online) then it is ok to let it go. It is so freeing once you implement it; it empowers you to let go and not feel the guilt. Read more about the 20/20 rule here.
11) Spending too much time looking for something you know you have. I wish I knew how much time I've spent looking for things. If I could only get that time back, right? It would happen over and over. I'd lose something - a pair of scissors, a bungee cord, my container of rubber bands and I'd look and look but to no avail. So what do you think I did? I would buy the item again! And sure enough, as time went by, I'd find the original item - usually in a place I had put it so I wouldn't forget it or not be able to find it. So now you have duplicates. Purchasing duplicates not only leads to unnecessary spending, it also contributes to the clutter in your living space. Every time you bring home a new item, it takes up more room. This can create a vicious cycle where you can't find what you need because of the clutter, leading you to buy more duplicates.
12) Paying for storage. According to rejournals.com, a staggering 38% of American households have self-storage units in addition to their homes. It's quite remarkable! Most people have some form of storage space at their homes like a garage, a basement, an outdoor building, or an attic and most of these spaces are packed to the gill, so they still need additional space for MORE STUFF! If you are paying for storage for items you haven't seen or used in years, you may want to start decluttering here.
13) Expired food and medication. Have you ever cleaned out your pantry and found that you had lots of expired food in there? Food items that got accidentally shoved to the back, pushed aside by newer groceries, and were slowly forgotten. So, what happens next? More often than not, you end up buying more of the same items, unknowingly increasing the pile of duplicates in your pantry. This is a clear sign that you may have an excess of stuff. The same goes for medications, vitamins or supplements that are not used regularly.
I hope these 13 items have made you think a little about any cluttered spaces you may have in your home and how you can go about making your home more clutter free and relaxing.
Until next time,
Happy Decluttering!
Lisa