Scientific Verdict: Americans Can’t Throw Away These 10 House Things

Can YOU Throw Away Any of These Things?

If you have reached a point where you are simply sick and tired of the clutter taking over your space, then a change of habits is probably just around the corner. First and foremost, you are not alone.

Half of Americans have a minimum of one room in their home that they think is simply unsalvageable due to all the clutter, according to brand new research conducted by Talk Research for The Container Store.

Establishing what clutter is to you could be different than someone else, but it might still cause a set of issues once it builds up in your home. Messy homes can definitely leave us feeling anxious, helpless, overwhelmed, and maybe even embarrassed and ashamed, or guilty.

It could easily distract us, and overstimulate our mind or even overload our senses, making it quite difficult to relax either physically or mentally. Besides, it’s even more frustrating when we can’t seem to find what we need.

Luckily, scientists decided to illuminate the matter, and now we have studies to explain why we behave the way we do. Americans spend 2.5 days per year looking for misplaced items. Naturally, this makes it even harder to focus and sleep at night, not to mention the conflicts it might stir up with everyone else in their home.

Here’s what you need to know about Americans’ relationship with clutter, and how you can address your own with a series of organizing tips.

A very common concern is the amount of space in the home

You might be shocked to read this but a third of Talker Research survey participants declared that they feel cramped in their homes, especially those who live in apartments. Interestingly enough, most of those people who are unhappy with the amount of space they have admitted already knew it was a problem when they decided to move into their homes.

Many of them also wished they had at least three more rooms in their home to feel more comfortable and to manage all their belongings. The best choices to expand their home also include wanting a bigger bedroom and larger kitchen. As far as managing the space goes, the most common challenge people face is learning how to organize their closets.

Others have complained that they have items that don’t fit in the space that was meant for them, like shoes for a bedroom closet, or they just can’t find enough room for belongings because they didn’t designate a particular area for that.

However, the Container Store still wants customers to understand that there are plenty of available solutions. In fact, it’s all about tapping into smart tricks to maximize the space, like utilizing the back of the door with a hanging door rack, making use of space under a bed with an under-bed drawer, and even upcycling common items that could potentially serve as a creative storage space.

People purge clutter more than anyone would expect

How often do you set aside time to clean out your home and get rid of clutter, in all fairness? According to this survey, the average person takes part in three important cleanouts every year, and almost a third do so more often.

So you don’t have to wait for spring cleaning, you can easily tackle the clutter as soon as you start to feel overwhelmed throughout the year. Respondents also explained that they can easily address clutter often enough because they can’t stand it and work hard to find a designated space for every item lying around in their home.

Some rooms are tougher to organize than others

Every area of a home comes with its own challenges. However, some rooms are definitely harder to keep tidy than others. The survey also indicated that some homeowners find organizing their own kitchen and garage way more challenging than other rooms. However, the easiest rooms to organize are generally the living room, bedroom, and bathrooms.

Some items are very difficult to let go of

It could be easier to donate some used books than clothes, especially if they take up space in your closet and you rarely wear them. As respondents declared they might be able to part ways with an average of 30 percent of the items in their home, over half of them wish they didn’t have to throw out items to find enough space.

According to the survey, here’s a list of objects that Americans have a hard time removing:

1. Clothes (29%)
2. Kitchen equipment (21%)
3. Hobby items (16%)
4. Shoes (13%)
5. Groceries/ food items (13%)
6. Furniture (13%)
7. Seasonal decor (12%)
8. Memorabilia (12%)
9. Random/one-off items (12%)
10. Books (11%)

You can try these helpful decluttering hacks from some survey respondents:

The survey was also extremely beneficial when it comes to bringing decluttering tips and tricks to the forefront. Many people have taken on the challenge to fully tap into their creativity and tackle the clutter in their homes. Below, we enlisted some of the best ideas we got:

• when you buy something new, get rid of one thing to even it out;
• choose the furniture with built-in storage, like ottomans and benches with hidden compartments to store the items.
• use vertical space, like installing a loft bed to allow the space for a desk or even storage underneath.
• add shelving in closets, walls, and even in the garage.
• store-related items in over-the-door shoe holders.
• hang hammocks from the ceiling to store toys and stuffed animals in kids’ bedrooms or even a playroom.

Additional DIY tips for organizing and decluttering

Whether you decide to take a minimalist approach or go all-in with your clutter by using it as the main decor, there’s a series of ways in which you can get organized without bringing in a pro, even though you shouldn’t rule out that option.

First, you can repurpose the baskets you get as gifts to use them as attractive storage bins. Then, you can put up a pegboard with some hooks to efficiently organize items like jewelry, photographs, arts and crafts supplies.

Use the shower curtain rings to hang all kinds of items in your bedroom closet, like scarves, handbags, belts, or even ties. They are also extremely helpful for hanging dish rags and towels in the kitchen.

You can save some glass jars to store those loose items, whether they’re office supplies or loose screws, nails, and bolts in the garage. You can keep the drawers well-organized by using cereal boxes.

Then, cut off the base of an empty cereal box and carefully wrap it with decorative paper. Reuse glass candle jars in the bathroom to store the cotton swabs, cosmetics, and hair ties. Also, we would advise you to keep your old cabinet hardware to use them as hooks for belts, ties, and any other items that can be hung.

You can purchase lazy Susans to use dead space in the pantry and other storage areas. Keep your shopping bags in order by using old office file holders. Breathe some new life into your clutter by turning to cluttercore design.

You can also display sentimental pieces in quite an intentional and eclectic way by using a gallery wall, bookshelves, and decorative bins.

If you found this article useful and you are already eager to start decluttering, then our purpose here is done. But before you go, we just want to let you know that we also have other tips and tricks “up our sleeve,”  which we think might help, such as: 5 Beautiful Plants That Will Bring Color to Your Garden This Fall