The 6 Biggest Causes of Clutter - and How to Stop Them

Clutter builds up while we're not paying attention.  Eventually we can't deny that we've accumulated too many extras, and then we have to take the time to clean up, find homes for things, and donate or toss.

"How did I let it get this bad again?" we wonder, and that's what this post will answer.  Let's talk about clutter sources that home organizers say are the biggest culprits, so that we can pay better attention and stop the mess before it starts.

6 clutter culprits

1.  New purchases

Wait, those Amazon or Chewy boxes just came through the door.  How can they be clutter already?

• Unless the purchase is replacing something that outlived its usefulness, the new item doesn't have a home yet.  It's just adding to the stuff that already fills your space.

• Online shopping has become so easy that we often make impulsive purchases.  These unneeded items get shuffled from place to place until they're finally shoved into a drawer or the back of a closet.

• Sometimes we don't open those packages for a couple of days, so they just sit in the entry area.  (This might also be a hint that the purchase is unneeded.)

One obvious fix for this problem is to limit purchases.  Open up your order history and look at the things you bought over the past two or three months.  Do you even remember the items you ordered?  How many were impulse purchases?  How many are things you thought you needed, but you haven't used them since they arrived?  This reality check may help you be more mindful and less quick to click on "buy now."

When new items come through your door, make it a habit to unpack and find homes for them right away.  Recycle the packaging, break down the boxes, and throw away or prepare to donate the old items you're replacing.

2.  Duplicates

I recently bought a new pair of fit-over sunglasses to replace my five-year-old scratched-up pair.  Of course, the blurb on Amazon encouraged me to buy a pair to keep in my car, another pair for my second car (which I don't have), and one to keep in the house for yard work, taking a walk, etc.

We fall prey to this type of marketing all the time, and most of us have many duplicates of common items.  Spatulas, mugs, flashlights, scissors and the like multiply and overflow their storage spaces.  Tee shirts, towels, sheets, socks and more stuff drawers and cupboards.

How much do you really need?  What fear is driving you to acquire multiple copies of everything in case you lose, break, and/or run out of it all?  Take a deep, calming breath and declutter some of those duplicates today.

3.  Mail

No matter how often we select the "paperless" option or opt out of junk mail lists, the envelopes keep arriving.  And we all know that if you make a donation to one cause, many other organizations "somehow" get your name and address, even if you asked the first group not to share.

Junk mail isn't the only problem.  There are bills to pay, financial statements, magazines we meant to cancel last year, even notices from the kids' school or our church that get added to the mix.  Don't forget the coupons you clip or the articles you print with the intention of using or re-reading them.

If you don't have a system for dealing with mail, or you stack it on the counter because you're short on time, the pile can get out of control within a few days.  Before you know it, the coupons have expired, the bills are late, and your child is stuck doing worksheets in the school library while the rest of his class is on a field trip to the science museum.

Here's the fix:

• Don't let the junk mail touch the counter.  Sort the mail as you're walking from the mailbox, and toss junk into the recycle bin without hesitation.

• Take time to automate as many of your bills as possible so you have fewer on paper.  Keep your checkbook and stamps handy in a desk drawer, and take two minutes to pay each bill when it arrives.  Alternatively, place the bills in a basket on your desk, and schedule one day each week to pay what's there.  (For me, it's Monday right after breakfast.)  You'll never again have a pile of bills to pay.

• Keep an accordian folder* for important papers like this year's pay stubs, most recent financial statements, the latest insurance declarations page, unexpired warranties, and receipts for current-year tax items.  File these papers immediately, remove those that are outdated.

• Subscribe only to magazines you actually read.  Keep them in a basket on the coffee table, and recycle last month's issue when the new one arrives.  (If you haven't read it yet, cancel the subscription.)

• Most school papers can go directly into recycling.  Comment on, but don't save, the piles of math worksheets and grammar exercises.  Kids' stories, poems, or art could be displayed on a bulletin board in their bedrooms.  Replace these every month, and choose the best for your keepsake box.

• When a school notice needs to be signed and returned, sign it right away, and have your child put it in the front pocket of their backpack so it's not "lost."  Reminders about school activities can be recycled once the date and time are entered on the family calendar.

• Limit extras.  If given the option, don't take a printed receipt.  Don't take the free newspaper.  Don't take fliers and coupons, unless you'll actually use them.  You probably don't need the takeout menu from your favorite restaurant.

* This blog is reader-supported, with NO ADS.  If you purchase through my links, I may earn a small commission.

4.  Clothing, shoes, etc.

When your children's rooms are messy and they don't know where to start cleaning, remind them to pick up the clothes.  Somehow, many dirty clothes don't end up in the hamper, and discarded but re-wearable clothes don't get hung up again.  Maybe you do the same with your jacket and purse, or there always seems to be a basket of clean clothes waiting to be folded and put away.  My husband tends to drape his clothes over the chair in our bedroom.

Scattered clothes and shoes can make any room look messy, but fortunately this is an easy fix.  These items have a place to belong – they just didn't make it there.  This is a matter of habit.  Train yourself to take the few seconds required to hang things up and put them away.  If you need extra hooks, a shoe rack, or more hangers, get them and use them.

5.  Food and dishes

We all enjoy a snack or a drink while we're reading, working, or watching TV.  But glance around your rooms right now.  How many food packets or soda cans do you see?  How about plates, bowls, or mugs?  What's been left on the kitchen counter or in the sink?

I don't know about you, but my mom taught me to put the garbage in the can and to wash my dirty dishes (or put them in the dishwasher).  Yes, this takes a bit of time.  But if you make it a habit after every meal and before you go to bed, the mess stays small, your time investment is equally small, and your home looks clean and cared-for.

6.  Unfinished projects

Hello crafters, parents of young children, and multi-hobby enthusiasts!  This one's for you, because we all get excited about new projects, but many of them can't be completed in one day, or even one week.  They're hanging around, taking up space on dining tables, kitchen islands, or other craft spaces, making our homes look more cluttered than they should.

We all know that some of these projects never get finished.  Inside cupboards and closets linger projects we got bored with.  They hide out and gather dust just in case we ever decide to pick up scrapbooking or model-building again someday.  I call this fantasy clutter, because we keep projects we have no time or inclination for just because we like the idea of them.

Let's fix this.  For those projects you're actively working on, use a bin to gather all the supplies and store them away when you're not working.  This makes it easy to start again because you don't have to hunt for your supplies, but since everything's in a bin, you can still eat at the table.

As for the fantasy clutter, let's get real.  Why did you stop doing this project in the first place?  Was it because you didn't have time for it?  Or maybe you didn't enjoy it as much as you thought you would.  I know it's hard to let go of something you spent money and time on.  But why not make room for items you will use?

It really is okay to quit a project without completing it.  Better to use your time for something you'll enjoy than continuing to carry the guilt of not finishing.  The money has already been spent, the time has already been used, and none of it was a waste.  Think of it as an experience that let you try something new and gave you a better idea of how you would like to spend your free time.

You'll feel so much lighter when you let go and donate the supplies to someone else who might enjoy them.  Give yourself a fresh start, move on, and accomplish something you actually care about.

What are your biggest clutter culprits?

Now that you have some idea what to look for, take a walk through your house and notice the clutter hot-spots.  When you pay attention, you'll see things more clearly.

Maybe you'll see all the shoes by the front door, the snack plates on the coffee table, or the clothes you haven't hung because you ran out of hangers.  Maybe you'll decide that your wooden 3D puzzle kits need their own bin, you need to improve your mail-handling system, or that it would be smart for you to cancel one or more monthly subscription boxes.

The result is a simpler, more spacious home that's easier to tidy.  Isn't that what you want?

Related article:  8 Ways to Stop Clutter Before It Starts