Have you ever stopped to think about why we accumulate so much clutter? I know I have, and I find it fascinating (and infuriating) how quickly it can take over our homes without us even noticing. In my experience, I’ve discovered that there are specific reasons we gather clutter in our lives. In this post, I’ll share the 10 types of clutter I’ve identified that most people encounter and my proven strategies for tackling them. Together, we can create a more organized and peaceful home!
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1. “Just in Case” Clutter
This type of clutter is caused by excessively stocking up or holding onto things “just in case” you need them someday. Some of these tendencies likely developed in your family of origin. Your parents, and maybe even grandparents, may have accumulated this same type of clutter. “Just in case” clutter is mainly caused by fear and a scarcity mindset in which you worry that you may not have enough of the things you need later, so you’d better hold onto them.
Of course, historical and recent events have shown us that having a reasonable number of consumables on hand is a good idea. But there’s a difference between being prepared, hoarding, and having too much clutter. Stocking up or holding on to everything isn’t helpful and is likely stressing you out for no good reason.
2. Procrastination Clutter
The person with procrastination clutter says, “I’ll get to it later.” It said that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and the second best time is now. The same is true for decluttering: it’s better not to let the clutter in at all, but since we have, now is the time to get it out. If you don’t invest a little time now cleaning out your clutter, you’ll spend a lot of time cleaning it up.
3. Bargain Clutter
People with this bargain clutter tend to be bargain hunters or treasure seekers who look for or value things. They’re always searching for a “better fix” by buying new things to fill an emptiness inside. But that’s not where the real treasure of life lies. This type of clutter also accumulates because we enjoy the thrill of finding a bargain and the feeling that we’re getting a deal. I love that feeling, too, but that bargain-hunting thrill can get us into trouble if we buy things only because they’re a deal and not because we actually need them.
This type of clutter is difficult to get rid of because we tend to overestimate the value of things we’ve accumulated. Plus, letting go of things you “paid good money for” can seem wasteful. But once you accept that the money is already gone, it’s much easier to part with the items you don’t need.
4. Aspirational Clutter
Aspirational clutter is one of those seemingly well-meaning types of clutter, like the clutter accumulated from accepting too many hand-me-downs or holding onto too many sentimental items. Aspirational clutter results from things we’ve collected because we want to be or dream of being something. We aspire to be someone who rock climbs, reads classic novels, takes hot yoga, rollerblades, hosts fondue Fridays, or paints landscapes in their spare time. But now, all the things that go with those abandoned hobbies are collecting dust, shoved in a corner or a closet somewhere.
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5. Perfectionistic Clutter
The person with perfectionistic clutter continually puts off decluttering because she thinks, “Next week, I’ll do it perfectly.” This is different from the person who procrastinates by putting off an unpleasant task. If this is you, the desire for perfection keeps you from taking any action at all. But perfection is impossible; it’s not going to happen. You will have to do some decluttering and then do some more. You’ll make a mess before it gets better, and it will never be 100% perfect, but it will be better than it is now.
6. Harried Clutter
The word “harried” basically means “strained from persistent demands.” So, the person with harried clutter is someone whose clutter has accumulated because they have too much going on and they’re constantly running around frazzled. This often leads to buying duplicates of items you already own because you don’t have organized spaces. And you have to search a million and one places to find what you need, so you quit searching and just buy another version of the thing. Later, you’ll likely find the original somewhere random in your house when it’s too late; the clutter has begun. You’ve got duplicates, and, once again, you’ve wasted time and money.
Americans spend two and a half days a year looking for misplaced items and collectively spend $2.7 billion each year replacing items – and the numbers aren’t better in Canada and other countries. Plus, more than half of us are regularly late for work or school due to these frustrating searches.
7. Chaos Clutter
Sometimes, we get so worn out and busy with life that we inadvertently hold onto all the things because we have no idea where to start. But when we finally come up for air and notice the mess around us, we ignore it because we still feel overwhelmed. When we’re overwhelmed, we feel paralyzed because we don’t know where to begin. There are some hard seasons in life when you should absolutely give yourself some extra grace. But, you do need to take the time as soon as possible afterward to clear out any clutter and then set up systems that will help you keep it out in the future.
8. Sentimental Clutter
If you collect sentimental clutter, you hold onto things because of their emotional hold over you or their perceived value. When you look at those things, you think of the person who gave them to you, and that brings back a flood of memories. Or maybe you don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings by getting rid of the items they’ve given or passed down to you. It’s okay to feel this way, but when you can’t part with anything because of this, and you have no room for it, that’s a big problem.
9. Excess Gifts Clutter
Gift clutter can be a little tricky to work through because this kind of clutter piles up from the best of intentions. It means you have people who love you and want to bless you with things. Maybe there are people whose love language is gifts, and you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.
Getting rid of gifts that people have given you tends to invoke feelings of guilt and thoughts like, “How could I get rid of this lamp that my aunt bought me? Or this necklace from my grandmother?” Try to remember that their gift was meant to bless you, not burden you.
10. Creative Clutter
If you’re a creative clutter collector, you love to create food, arts, crafts – you name it. But cleaning up isn’t very creative, so you often leave a mess in your wake: knitting needles stuffed in the couch cushions, a sink full of mixing bowls and spoons, and paint cans taking up half of the hallway. But it’s possible to create and not have a total disaster of a house!
FAQs About the 10 Types of Clutter
When you’re decluttering, you can tackle all 10 types at once (except maybe sentimental clutter). They’re all clutter and need to be cleared out. But you should be aware of the clutter types that you struggle with so you can avoid bringin more clutter.
Pay attention to the descriptions of each type in this blog post as you read it. Which ones jump out at you? When you look around, what clutter type do you see most?
More Decluttering Ideas
- How to Declutter Your House in 7 Easy Steps
- FAQs About Decluttering Your Home
- How to Declutter Sentimental Things
- 5 Decluttering Mistakes to Avoid for a More Organized Year
Summary: 10 Types of Clutter
So there you have it, 10 types of clutter you probably have in your home:
- “Just in case” clutter
- Procrastination clutter
- Bargain clutter
- Aspirational clutter
- Perfectionistic clutter
- Harried clutter
- Chaos clutter
- Sentimental clutter
- Excessive gifts, clutter
- Creative clutter
What type of clutter do you collect most? Let me know in the comments below!
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