6 Ways to Reduce Clutter in 2024
I’m in my mid-50’s and it’s mind boggling to think of the ways our homes and places of work have changed in my lifetime. When I look back at the skills and habits I developed in my youth, I know they don’t exactly translate to today’s challenges. For example, I was taught to save things because I might need them one day. That skill doesn’t help me navigate a world where technology is constantly changing, big box stores are a short drive away, I can order almost anything without leaving my home, and there is a massive amount of physical and digital information flowing into my home and my head every day.
It’s no wonder that we are overwhelmed by clutter. In fact, a study done in 2014 by NAPO* revealed that 54% of Americans are struggling with clutter and aren’t sure what to do with the things they don’t want. In my experience, the pandemic only raised that percentage. For every person who decluttered during the COVID years, I see 5 more homes that stockpiled stuff. In fact, the uncertainty of these years have made it harder for many of us to make decluttering decisions.
Change is good - when we are prepared for it. As a professional organizer, part of my work is helping clients find better approaches to dealing with the overwhelm of stuff. I know that adjusting our habits to PREVENT clutter will immediately begin to lighten the burden of too much. This is especially good news for those of us that might not have time or the physical resources to do big decluttering projects all at once.
Even better, when we exercise these clutter prevention habits, our efforts to declutter and organize spaces are more likely to last. Here are the 6 most effective habits to stop clutter before it has the chance to move in (and stay) with you:
Resist ‘FREE’ items - nothing is really free if it’s taking up space in your home and not serving a purpose. Another way of saying that is that everything you bring into your home has a consequence. The ‘buy one, get one’ or ‘gift with purchase’ items are designed to improve sales for a company, not organize your life. It is hard to turn down ‘FREE’ but I suggest we ask if something at home is similar or serves the same function? For example, do I already have stickers with my address on it, several makeup bags from my favorite brand, and plenty of notepads and pens? If so, turn down the ‘FREE’ item and enjoy the many benefits of owning only what you need.
Change your shopping habits. Are you a ‘just in case’ buyer? When standing at the store, it’s so easy to drop ‘extra’ in our cart because we aren’t certain if we have more at home. Next thing we know, we are stockpiling toothpaste or canned corn! Try this thought exercise when tempted to just in case buy - ask yourself “what is the worst thing that could happen if I got home and we didn’t have this?” If the answer is not too tragic, pass that purchase up. Because I do see a lot of product inventory in homes, I work with clients to organize spaces like pantries and bathroom cabinets. Beyond just looking pretty, functional organization in these storage spaces prevents unnecessary purchases for two reasons - we can see what we already own and we understand how much our spaces can comfortably store. If we know we have room for one extra tube of toothpaste and we know exactly where that tube is, we are less likely to invest in multiple tubes of toothpaste.
Upgrading should trigger Outgoing. In the excitement of a new purchase, it’s so easy to overlook the opportunity to reduce clutter. The one in, one out rule works but only if we develop the habits to support that rule. When something new is coming into our homes, we should tie the ACT of purchasing something into the physical ACTION of taking something out.
If we upgrade our phone, turn in the old phone AND the charging cords. Did you get a new kitchen gadget? If it replaces an older model, let that one go. Completing the ONE OUT action is one of our most powerful clutter reduction strategies.
Change with Technology - I often see vital family room storage devoted to DVD’s, CD’s, and VHS tapes that no one uses. If you prefer streaming movies and music, edit the physical collection down to favorites only. Don’t store old TV’s, printers, or hard drives - I have a theory they are the modern equivalent of dead plants - and they suck energy out of the room. Instead, recycle these dead electronics so they can go on to live again! Be aware of old cords and cables - most of these are unsafe and outdated but very easy to recycle.
Stop Paper in its Tracks. The best way to reduce paper clutter is to never let it in your home in the first place. Toss or decline receipts at the store that are not needed. Turn off paper statements to banks and utilities and decline junk mail to reduce clutter and the risk of identity theft. Those of us who grew up before computers may prefer to print recipes or articles because we process information better this way. That’s fine as long as we put limits on self generated paper. I suggest to clients to write an expiration date on paper when you print and treat it like an expiration date. If you haven’t tried that recipe or read that article in 6 weeks, you probably won’t.
Have a No Buy Month. Consider only buying what is absolutely necessary for a period of time. Get creative with the clothing you own, eat the food stored in the freezer and panty, and use the toiletries you’ve been saving. When tempted to purchase something, consider what you already own that can be used to serve a similar purpose. Many of us need to adjust our finances following holiday expenses and a no-buy month puts money in the bank while helping us declutter.
By putting clutter reducing strategies into ACTION each day, we chip away at the excess in our homes and prevent new clutter from building up. These are the habits that make it easy to keep clutter out of our spaces and maintain organization in our homes and workplaces. Without these habits, organizing will always feel like a series of major projects with results that don’t last. These clutter reducing strategies get easier with practice and allows us to get to an organized state faster and, most importantly, to maintain organization!
*Reference for statistic - https://time.com/3741849/americas-clutter-problem/