5 Reasons to Clear the Clutter
Is your home or space a mess? Are you constantly frustrated and spending time searching for things that you use regularly, even on a daily basis? Would you love to be able to put your hands on any item you need because it is where it should be and you know where it lives? It might be time to clear the clutter. Listed below are my top 5 reasons to clear the clutter.
I don’t know about you, but for me, it is always nice to come home to tranquility. Even as a small child I liked less chaotic spaces, and found myself de-cluttering routinely. There was always a sense of accomplishment when my room was clean and tidy. More importantly I knew where everything was and how to find it. I loved to integrate new things into my space and had a lot of fun finding new homes for everything. I would then play peacefully without any distractions. Mess was not a consideration.
On the flipside, as the years went by and items kept coming, it became harder to allocate a home for my new things. I would find myself getting overwhelmed piling things where I knew they should not be. This led to me feeling frustrated at the inconvenience of having to move things to access something that was behind, beneath or on top of something else.
Early on…
Even at a young age the appearance of my space was important to me. Aesthetics played a really big role in how I felt in my space. As I grew older, I realized that if I was going to keep adding things, and did not want to deal with this frustration, that something had to give.
Thus I discovered various methods of weeding out the things I no longer needed or wanted. I found ways to store my things in a more efficient helpful way. As an adult and in my own home, it has really helped to have established these routines from my earlier years. Now as a prof. organizer, I love to help others learn and find that same peace and tranquility in their homes.
Lets take a closer look at why it might be time to clear the clutter..
How often do you find yourself searching for a particular item? Spraying chemicals to control pests? Replacing an item you know is ‘around here somewhere’? Feeling stressed by the ever increasing to-do list? If you answered yes to any of these questions it may be time to clear the clutter in your home.
Here are my top 5 reasons to clear the clutter!
Reasons to clear the clutter
#1. Health and Safety
Dust and pet dander:
With the build up of clutter comes dust. For homes that have indoor pets there is also fur and pet dander. If a home is cluttered, it is harder to clean and vacuum. When a home can not be dusted and vacuumed easily and regularly, dust and pet dander tend to build up. This in turn compromises the air quality, and can cause allergies, and contribute to breathing difficulties .
Mold: Where there is moisture, and lack of good airflow, there is mold. This is particularly the case in wet areas of the home such as bathrooms, laundry’s and kitchens. When a home is cluttered it is more difficult to promote good airflow and see issues as they arise. Mold can cause severe, if not life threatening health issues. It is important to clear the clutter in cupboards under sinks, and areas subject to moisture to help prevent the build up of undetected mold.
Safety: If a home is cluttered there is a higher risk of slipping, tripping and bumping into things. A hazard to most but definitely the elderly or infirm. A cluttered home can also be a hazard to families with young children. Everyday items left lying out can become a risk to curious fingers. For example craft supplies, plastic grocery bags and packaging from parcels. A designated home for your supplies, and a process for dealing with packaging etc. is a great way to keep family safe. (See also number 3. Pests and Chemicals)
Having a clutter free home is important for your health and safety and that of your family. For tips on how to improve the quality of the air in your look for my blogs on ‘How to clear the clutter in your home’, and ‘ways to elevate your home’ where I will discuss how to improving the air quality in your home. Coming soon.
Reasons to clear the clutter
#2. Stress
There is nothing worse then waking up in the morning and being greeted by clutter. Or coming home after a long day at work to piles of things to be done. Having things fall out on top of you when you open a closet door. A drawer getting stuck and only opening half the way. Talk about stressful!
Constantly searching for misplaced items, can lead to frustration, mental fatigue and overwhelm. In some cases the embarrassment of others seeing your house in such disarray, stops you inviting people over. There is no peace in your environment, because you are constantly reminded that there are things to be done.
A clutter free home helps remove some of the stress in life. Thus allows time to do more of what you enjoy, which in turn reduces your stress.
Reasons to clear the clutter
#3. Pests and chemicals
Mess and clutter attracts all kinds of pests by giving them places to hide and feast. Growing up in Australia, I only had to miss a few breadcrumbs under the toaster overnight, and in the morning there would be a line of ants embellishing my kitchen counter.
Clutter often means piles of paper, whether it be books, magazines, food packaging etc. Where there is paper and cardboard there are dust mites, cockroaches and crickets. Add moisture and now you have a magnet for these plus more. Mice and rats love moisture, paper/cardboard and soft clothing and linens.
Whilst all homes contain these items, the difference in a well maintained and clutter free home, is that these issues will be detected early. Once detected it is then possible to treat the problem and remove the attractant before the problem gets worse. Pests enter your home through cracks and crevasses, doorways and window sills. You will usually see them along the window sills and base boards of your home.
Once pests build up and take hold it is often necessary to use harsh chemical treatments to remedy. This then links back to possible health issues from exposure to chemicals and poisons.
What can you do?
A clutter free house inside and out, is a key component in keeping pests from building up in your home. By reducing clutter and allowing good access to base boards and windows of your home, these areas can be easily inspected, cleaned and maintained. Less pests means less chemicals and poisons, which helps keep your home as toxin free as possible. Here is a link to a detailed description of common household pests.
For information on how to reduce the use of harsh chemicals in your home, stay tuned as I will be writing a blog exploring this in the near future.
Reasons to clear the clutter
#4. Time
The smallest of piles sitting on a household surface, be it the kitchen bench, floor or chair, will make your home more time consuming to clean. I find if their is an extra pile or even a few small items sitting out, it means moving it each time to wipe over, dust or vacuum. Now obviously this is not always avoidable, however, the less piles you have to move, the easier it is to clean.
When clutter accumulates, it becomes easier to misplace or loose items, and harder to find them. A lot of time is wasted searching for these things.
Even 5 minutes twice a day looking for keys, wallet, etc. adds up. It doesn’t sound like much, however times by 7 days a week, and this is over an hour you could have been doing something more enjoyable.
Reasons to clear the clutter
#5. Money
How much money do you spend replacing lost items in your home? Do you have duplicate items such as books, clothes, tools etc? How often have you ‘misplaced’ or lost something? How many items have you replaced due to damage caused by not having the space to store it properly?
It never ceases to amaze me just how many duplicate items I find in my clients homes. More often then not, it is due to not having been able to find the original. This is often caused by lack of space for the volume of items in the home. Followed by lack of appropriate storage solutions.
Then there is the cost of paying for help to de-clutter your home. Clearing clutter does not come naturally to everyone. So hiring a professional is worth every penny. However like any profession, their is a cost to hiring a professional organizer for their time and expertise.
Then there is the time when it comes to moving house. All the extra time and expense packing all that clutter one end and unpacking the other. Then there is the moving van. The larger the moving van the more the cost. Talk about expensive!
In Closing…
It is worth taking the time and making the effort to clear the clutter in your home. You will save time, money and bring back your quality of life.
For a guide on how to clear the clutter in your home be sure to subscribe to my email list. I regularly post articles with tips and tricks on how to clear the clutter and make your house a home.
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Love this post—Great information! So many reasons to declutter. I would love to read a post with your tips on the best way to start…especially when you feel emotionally attached to certain things (well, really to the people who gave them to you!) and have a hard time throwing them out or giving them away.
Thank you.. This is a great suggestion! I look forward to writing this soon 😃
Tons of great tips and reasons to declutter. I try to do this regularly, and even though I am not a great shopper, it is mind-boggling to see how quickly things pile up if I don’t stay on top of it.
Thanks Malathy,
Yes it really does accumulate. Getting into the habit of de-cluttering on a regular basis really does make a difference.
Donna
Love your work!! This looks amazing xxx
Thank you! I look forward to adding loads of great content for you to enjoy.