People often refuse to believe that there’s any clutter in their home that needs to go. And I don’t blame them for thinking that. For a long time, even I refused to identify myself as a clutter bug because my home had enough space for all the items that I was bringing on the daily. There was never a dearth of space which ultimately led me to believe that my house only has items that add value to my life.
Needless to say, I was ignoring a lot of signs that clearly pointed towards the pile of clutter I had been living underneath. The flat surfaces in my home were so cluttered that there was barely any open space on them. I had to clear out my bed every night before sleeping, and my closets were overflowing with stuff that wasn’t serving any purpose.
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Sometimes, we refuse to believe that our home needs to undergo a thorough purge because it’s spacious enough to store all that extra stuff. We tend to overlook some obvious tell-tale signs that we’re holding on to too much clutter either because we’re unable to let go or just don’t know how to identify clutter at the first place.
Now how exactly can you find out if your home has too much clutter and not enough space? The answer is simple. You need to look for the following signs to be able to decide if you have been living under a pile of clutter without even knowing it:
1. You Keep Buying Storage
If you have been piling up on storage bins and baskets for quite a while now, it’s probably because you have too much clutter that needs a home. So if you are looking for an extra closet or cupboard for your ever-rising pile of clothes or an underbed storage unit for all the extra items sitting in your house, take a step back and think.
Buying storage too often is a sign that you need to declutter the existing stuff in your house and cut down on your impulse spending habits. This will not only make it easy for you to clean and maintain your home but will also save you a ton of money.
2. You Have Too Many Junk Drawers
Junk drawers often act as the catch-all spots in your home where you toss in everything that doesn’t have a designated place to sit in. While it’s normal to have one or two junk drawers, having more than that is a sign that you have too much clutter that doesn’t have a home of its own.
3. You Feel Embarrassed About How Your Home Looks
It’s unrealistic to expect yourself to stay on top of clutter all the time. And it’s okay to run around and do a quick clutter pick-up in your house to make your home look more welcoming to the guests. But when you find yourself feeling embarrassed about the appearance of your home so much so that you are afraid to give your guests a home tour, it’s a tell-tale sign that you are a clutter bug.
4. Drawers And Closets Are Overflowing With Stuff
Now you might find yourself arguing that your house doesn’t have enough space because the drawers and cabinets are overflowing with stuff. But you need to take a hard look at the clutter residing in them. If your closet is so full of clothes that it won’t even close, maybe it’s a sign that you need to declutter it ruthlessly.
5. You keep Losing Things In Your Home
Do you often spend hours, or even days, trying to find things in your home? How often does it happen that you can’t find items in your own home? Maybe there’s a need to organize and rearrange it well but if that’s not the problem, it’s a sign you need to declutter it.
6. You Shop Too Often
If you keep buying new stuff without getting rid of the old, it’s a major sign that you have accumulated a lot of stuff (unless of course your house is big enough for all the stuff). If you want to figure out whether your buying habits are contributing to clutter in your home, be honest while answering these questions:
- Do you have unopened makeup items sitting in your closet for months?
- Do you have clothes with their tags still intact?
- Do you keep stumbling upon items that you forgot you had?
7. There’s No Open Space On Flat Surfaces
Is your bathroom countertop cluttered with toiletries, makeup and bath essentials? Is your kitchen counter full of décor items, appliances and utensils? Is your work desk hidden underneath a pile of paperwork?
When the flat surfaces in your home end up becoming clutter-catchers rather than fulfilling the purpose they were bought for, it’s an obvious sign that you have too much stuff that needs to be sorted through.
8. You Haven’t Decluttered In A While
When was the last time you donated something or sold an item at a thrift store to earn some cash? If it’s more than a year ago, maybe it’s a sign that you need to declutter at the soonest. I’m pretty sure that you must have bought a lot of items during the last one year. But if you didn’t get rid of any of the old items, you are probably piling up on clutter that needs to be tackled with.
9. You Organize Too Often
While it’s good to stay organized, it shouldn’t have to become an everyday need. Sometimes, the need to organize your closets and drawers is an indicator of the fact that your home has a mountain of clutter that you are refusing to let go of. This time, when you find your closets and cabinets overflowing with stuff, try decluttering instead of organizing.
I hope you now realize the state of clutter in your house and how you can go about dealing with it. These signs will not only give you a reality check but will also guide you in finding a solution to the problem.