Have you decluttered a bit, but your home still looks and feels messy? These 12 little things can make your house look cluttered!
You want to clean up and declutter your home fast, but feel overwhelmed? I get it. I have 2 small kids under the age of 5 and most days I feel overwhelmed by life itself, not to mention the state of my home!
Thankfully, there are several small steps you can take to clean up your home and make it look less cluttered quickly. These things that you can do take little time and pay big dividends in making your home look less cluttered overall.
1. Messy countertops and surface tops
Messy countertops look, well, messy. A quick way to keep a room looking clean, tidy, and less-cluttered is to clear off all the countertops and shelf-tops (dressers, bookcases, etc.). Keep a few things there and keep it limited to only those items.
For example, on a dresser, you could keep a clock, a jewelry box, and a planner.
2. Unmade bed
Making your bed takes 2 minutes and has the advantage of making the whole room look cleaner and more organized instantly.
3. Cluttered fridge front
Tons of papers and magnets posted on the fridge can make the kitchen seem cluttery, even if the rest of the kitchen is clean. Limit the number of items you put up on the fridge.
4. Excessive decorations
Have you ever been to that house that has so many decorations (pictures, knick-knacks, etc)? Instead of focusing on the person you are with, your eyes are drawn to look at everything in the house! (Maybe out of curiosity?)
A few, simple decorations well-placed can make your house feel like a home and not a museum.
5. Messy entryway
Keep the entryway clear! Have a neat place for shoes, a place to hang up jackets (on hooks or in the closet), and keep packages, papers, and other items out of this place.
6. Piles of paper
I have 2 little girls (who LOVE crafts), so I know all about paper piles.
Ignored paper clutter is one of the worst things that make your house look cluttered!
Most of the paper piles fall into 3 main groups:
- important documents you need to keep
- kids papers and school work
The main rule here is to handle everything ONE time. With your mail – open it and address it right away, or put it in a designated place (an inbox) to address weekly on a specific day and time (and make sure you do it!)
Have a file box to keep important documents.
Display carefully selected kid’s work (art and projects), keep a few, and recycle the rest.
7. Excessive toys
To stay on top of the toy mess, you need to regularly go through toys and remove toys and games that are:
- broken
- missing items
- no longer played with
Remember children don’t need a ton of toys, it’s better if they are allowed to use their imaginations to be creative.
Related: 6 tips for organizing kids toys
8. Too much furniture
Having too much furniture is especially important if you have a small home or a small room. Too much furniture (or excessively large pieces) can make your room or home look cramped and smaller than it is. (Plus, furniture adds surfaces where items can collect and be clutter – see #1.)
9. Laundry piles
Piles of laundry look like mountains of fun to my kids! If I let the laundry pile up, the clothes will soon be strewn about the house here and there.
Keep them in laundry baskets, tucked in a closet until you can fold and put away everything. Check out my laundry tips for making things even easier!
Related: Laundry hacks to keep you sane!
10. Stacks of dishes everywhere
Keeping dishes in the sink or leaving them on the counter makes for a messy looking kitchen and dining room. I make sure to clean up after every meal by putting all the dishes in the sink (at the very least) and wiping counters. Most of the time I load the dishwasher after each meal and then run it as soon as it’s full.
11. Overstuffed bookcases or cabinets
Bookcases and cabinets shouldn’t be the same as a storage closet. You don’t want to stuff as much as you can in each. The goal is to put items there that you need or use regularly, so you can access them quickly and easily.
12. Electronic clutter
Cords, electronic gadgets, etc.
Have a place to keep any electronics that you use on a daily basis, and put away items that are used less frequently. And if you don’t use it, donate!
Once you have addressed these 12 steps, you can easily take 5-10 minutes each day to keep your home looking clean, presentable and less cluttery, by following these easy, daily routines:
- Make the beds
- Close the closets
- Keep the sink empty
- Keep the entryway clear
Related: Time management tips for busy moms
Don’t ignore these little things that make your house look cluttered! Your home will have an instant lift if you take care of these 12 problem areas. Keep on decluttering!
