Clutter is something we all have in common. No matter how vigilant we are, it finds its way into our homes and gradually builds – until it leaves us feeling anxious, defeated and overwhelmed.
Making a habit of decluttering at the weekends can take the edge off. But if you want to avoid mass-decluttering sessions, you really need to declutter as part of your daily routine. Yes, that sounds like a pain, but it’s worth it!
But what needs decluttering so often? I’ve listed some common clutter culprits below and spoke to three professional organisers to find the cheats and habits to keep up with them.
1. Local business pamphlets
Junk mail is inevitable and it comes through the letterbox daily. Most are easily tossed on the recycling. But some leaflets do make us stop and think. Local business pamphlets are such a thing. They make us doubt ourselves: but, what if the washing machine does break down, or what if I do need a local locksmith? As I write this, I’m looking at a local spa menu that I’ve had sat on my desk for months, and I’m determined to use.
Helen Sanderson, The Clutter Therapist and author of The Secret Life Of Clutter, says she ‘asks clients to give these a two-week limit on the fridge or noticeboard. If you haven’t called the plumber or booked the taxi by then, you aren’t going to. Add their details to your address book or phone contact rather than keeping the leaflet, most businesses have a website anyway.’ She also advises to ‘open your post standing next to the recycling bin, not on the kitchen counter, so the junk never gets the chance to land anywhere.’
Juliet Landau-Pope, productivity coach and author of What’s Your Excuse For Not Clearing Your Clutter?, advises that you ‘Keep a recycling basket in the hallway so you can declutter unwanted paper and cardboard packaging, together with junk mail, quickly and easily. Put a marker pen nearby so you can cross out your personal details.’
Remember, if you ever need to find a local tradesperson or service, you can usually find what you need online. The only part of the leaflet you might want to hang on to are any coupons or discounts. But make a note of the expiry date on your calendar before you do so, so it doesn’t turn into clutter. If you really are determined to hang on to these pamphlets, you can always take a photo of it, but then it does have a chance of becoming digital clutter.
2. Digital photos
We take photos daily, but how often do you go through them? Our phones only have so much storage, so odds are, you just keep on taking them until they’re no longer backed up. And we’re left scrolling for five minutes just to show one specific photo to a friend.
‘Blurry shots, screenshots and duplicate photos quickly hijack your phone storage.’ says Vicky Silverthorn, professional organiser at You Need a Vicky. ‘Try getting into the habit of spending just two minutes in the evening deleting unnecessary photos from your phone – that way, you won’t need to scroll through thousands of images later on.’
When it comes to screenshots, Helen says: ‘These are usually a saved idea, a code, or a reminder that’s already out of date. Most have done their job within hours. Clear them out at the end of each day, transferring any outstanding items or notes to a to-do list.’
Try to move each photo to a dedicated album so you can easily find what you’re looking for in the future. Move them over to labelled USB sticks when you want to make some more space on your phone. These can make for brilliant gifts at Christmas.
3. Kids’ artwork
This is a tricky one because it’s sentimental, and you might not consider it clutter. But children’s artwork can stack up quickly, and if it’s not stored with care, it can end up damaged, which defeats the point of keeping it in the first place.
‘Parents feel enormous guilt about this one,’ says Helen. ‘So I tell them: keep the 10 pieces a year that genuinely stop you in your tracks, photograph the rest, then let it go. A shoebox with a lid is the limit, once it’s full, something old leaves before something new comes in.’
Taking photos of any artwork you’ve determined not to keep can help preserve it. While displaying and rotating their favourite works can give it purpose. My sister recently framed her children’s artwork to personalise the playroom – it makes the space feel like it belongs to my niece and nephew.
4. Almost empty jars and packets
‘Almost finished’ jars and packets frequent our kitchen cupboards and fridge door. Perhaps there wasn’t time to rinse it out prior to recycling, or maybe the culprit didn’t want to use the final dregs. Either way, this is a common sight.
According to Helen, ‘These sit in the cupboard because throwing away something that still has something in it feels wasteful. My rule: if it’s not enough for a proper serving, combine it with the new one or bin it now, not after the third time you’ve moved it to reach something else.’
Empty jars can be reused around the home as makeshift vases, storage jars or even candle holders. If you want to avoid empty packets in the cupboards, you can always remove it as you unpack the weekly shop (if the food within is individually wrapped). This would save space in the cupboard and make it clear when you’re running low.
5. Handbag pockets
All sorts of things get bunged into the handbag that we’re determined we will sort later. Tissues, snacks, samples, business cards, car park tickets, you name it. There’s often clutter still hiding in our bags from when we first purchased it, too, such as silica gel sachets and care instructions!
Vicky says: ‘Handbags and coat pockets easily accumulate old receipts, loose change and stray hair ties. Getting into the habit of emptying your bags nightly when you walk through the door can help prevent losing important items. It also lightens your physical load!’
I do what I call a ‘bag check’ every night to stay on top of the clutter. This involves checking I have what I need for the day ahead so there’s no last-minute ‘I’ve lost my keys’ panic. I top up my medicine and mints as needed while I’m here. You can always invest in a handbag organiser for large tote bags that lack pockets.
While silica gel sachets do keep the bag dry, I recommend taking them out and reusing them elsewhere around the home, such as for keeping your jewellery or photo albums dry. Otherwise they’re liable to rip and make a mess. If you want to keep it in your bag, make sure it’s protected.
Here are 8 clever ways to reuse silica gel sachets.
6. Dry cleaning hangers
Empty hangers are likely cluttering your wardrobe, especially if you’ve made the switch to velvet hangers and don’t know what to do with the plastic ones. Wire hangers also make their way on to the clothes rail every time we do the dry cleaning. Again, it seems a waste to throw them away, but these wire hangers will eventually take a toll on your clothes.
Vicky continues: ‘Empty hangers can create visual chaos in your wardrobe, and they also take up a lot of unnecessary space. Try ditching anything flimsy or broken and consider putting together a pile of dry-cleaning hangers if you have them to return next time you do the drop off.’
Wire hangers can distort the shape of your clothes and potentially damage them if the metal protrudes. If you’re feeling crafty, you can reuse wire hangers around the home. One hanger could be bent into a kitchen roll holder, or a plant trellis or it can come in use for unblocking your drains too. Meanwhile, some supermarkets and large clothing retailers will accept and recycle plastic hangers, such as Marks and Spencer and Tesco.
Wardrobe declutter kit
7. Newspapers
Local newspapers come through the door daily. But, if you don’t have time to flick through them, they soon stack up on the coffee table. My dad has this problem. His daily paper is so thick, he’s often reading about old news as he tries to catch up! In the end, my mum has to filter through and pull out his favourite sections to make the task easier.
‘Newspapers, like junk mail, can quickly escalate,’ says Vicky. ‘Leaving them out creates unwanted clutter and they also collect dust if left over time. Dropping them straight into the recycling bin, once you’ve finished, will help keep your coffee table clutter free and make room for tomorrow’s news.
‘To avoid leaving newspapers or magazines lying around and creating unnecessary clutter,’ adds Vicky, ‘try designating a box or basket for everything you’re currently reading, and once it’s full, perhaps it’s time to recycle. If you are holding on to bulky newspapers for the sake of one or two articles, then consider cutting those out and saving them in a folder rather than keeping the whole thing – or you can simply take a photo for future reference.’
Old newspapers can be repurposed as window cleaners, wrapping paper or as stuffing to shape your boots and bags. If you’ve got multiple papers coming through the door, consider switching to digital subscriptions to limit the waste.
Although Juliet reiterates that you should ‘Keep digital clutter at bay by unsubscribing regularly to all those pesky newsletters that pop up in your inbox.’
