The Clutter Fairy Weekly Survey #209 Results
Household Sweet Spots and Problem Areas
Below are the results of our survey about audience experiences related to the topic for episode #209 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly. If you haven’t already done so, please take the survey.
Responses
To view the complete, detailed survey response from any respondent, click on their name (or “Anonymous user”) in the table below. You may also find it easier to read long responses in the detailed view.
| Name (click to view full survey response and comments) | Name up to three clutter problem areas in your home. | List factors that contribute to your difficulty decluttering in problem areas. | Name up to three clutter sweet spots in your home. | List factors that contribute to your ease in maintaining your sweet spots. | What’s an item or category of stuff that you feel as if you could never get too much of? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellen | The garage! | Decision fatigue | Kitchen - I keep almost nothing on the counters, which feels calm and welcoming to me. | I do the dishes daily, or almost daily, so dishes don’t pile up and get overwhelming. I run the dishwasher when it’s not entirely full, guilt-free. I also never leave anything in my car to deal with later. As soon as I get home, out goes the trash and anything to take inside or elsewhere. | My stationary! 🙂 |
| Margy | The kitchen table Huge amounts of clothes Photos | We love our clothes Photos were inherited and there’s so little time to go through them | Tools all go in the toolbox Jewelry goes in the jewelry box Baking supplies have one cabinet in the kitchen The car is usually clean as I dislike driving in a messy car and I have time to deal with it now | Small areas are easy to sort and maintain - that’s how I started decluttering - one drawer at a time. | |
| Lisa Beth | My son's old bedroom. He's restoring a house and as he gets an area done, ransacks his old room in search of memories. Areas that I deal with papers- Parlor table Construction areas from tornado/derecho as each area goes thru it's transitions. | Others use flat surfaces as drop zones Others have high clutter tolerances than I do My hubby does thing in parts and leaves things out- mowing the yard takes me 2 hours, he turns it into multiple days but seems hurt if I just do it. He likes driving the lawn mower. | Kitchen pantry- hardly anyone else cooks from them My parlor (except for the table) it's been decluttered multiple years until it has just the right amount of stuff. | bathroom counter- when I designed the room I left little space around a bowl sink. My contacts and solutions sit there at night. In the morning I clear it off until it has just foaming soap with scents I love. My kitchen peninsula. I keep little on it with dish soap and hand soaps in pumps built into the surface. I have a decorative brass container to hold dishwasher tabs | craft-paint supplies! |
| Suzanne | Paper, random items, todos I’m procrastinating on which lead to clutter | Decision-making difficulty, laziness and avoidance. | Spice cupboard, battery and battery-tester drawer, clothing drawers. | The items have a perfect home, there is no overflow and everything is well-arranged, I have a system that works great. | I don’t think I have such a category since my awareness of excess and having gone past reasonable and overwhelm at clutter. The buying and acquiring has been controlled. |
| Fee | Sentimental heirlooms Paper Large furniture in small house ! | Haven't allocated time to sort back log of paper,but good at keeping up with current mail. Find it hard to let go or replace of large pieces of furniture. Hard to let go of inherited items/memories attached. | Sitting room relatively clear except rather too large furniture! Usually fairly on top of laundry and wardrobe. Not too many pictures on walls! | I regularly declutter wardrobe ,if I am tired of clothes/no longer fit. manage to regularly get laundry done as there is no space for piles. I am Aware that in a small house cluttered walls can feel crowded. | Art & craft materials ! |
| Leslie | Crafting supplies. My new hobby is apparently just gathering the solid not actually making the things. (It's temporary, while I'm working a ton, but the shopping/ storing the stuff so I'll be ready when I can craft is overgrown the areas I can use. | I gotta stop shopping. Lol.. but these are seasonal so I can't just go get them whenever. | My bedroom and bath room closes. My kitchen. | I've limited what's hanging and stored out of season clothes so the closet isn't crammed with everything I own. | Apparently crafting supplies lol.. up until a year ago I would have never said this.. |
| Jennifer | Storage locker | Taking the time to go "offsite" to organize boxes is a hassle. The storage facility has limited space in which to work and my work schedule doesn't allow for long blocks of time. | Closet: I don't have a lot of clothes and I swap seasonal stuff stored in a suitcase. Sentimental: If everything is special, nothing is. My sentimental items fit in one 12-gallon watertight Husky tote from Home Depot. | I buy quality pieces of clothing that I can mix and match. I avoid 'fast fashion', which is often made from flimsy fabrics that don't withstand many washings. My sentimental bin is designed to be grab-and-go. After the California wildfires of 2020 wherein I came within a hairsbreadth of my neighborhood nearly burning down, I wanted to curate and create something I can grab and shove in the car in less than thirty seconds. | STICKERS. I freaking LOVE stickers. I keep them in photo albums as a "dopamine mine" if I'm feeling blue, and they hardly take up any space on a bookshelf. Plus when I shuffle off this mortal coil, my friends can pick stickers they like to remember me by and thus not clutter their own homes. |
| Hila | papers and computer folders | its diffiucult to sort papers, or computer docs and decide what to save. | clothes kithchen stuff pharm stuff | its very cleat what i am using and what don't. so i let go stuff that i am not using. | |
| Summer | Kitchen/dining table floor at the foot of my bed the sink | I procrastinate clearing out photos because it is so emotional. I am unsure what I really want to do with them all! | my bathroom counter | I typically have a pretty clutter-free car because I bring in stuff when I arrive home. | Clothes that fit!! |
| Anonymous user | Mail, kitchen counters | I try to handle the mail the same day it comes in, but sometimes it needs extra handling. | Household supplies, clothes, books | Decluttering household supplies, books, and clothes has made them easier to manage plus each item has a home. | I can't think of any. |
| Barbara | Paper, clothing, keepsakes collected over the years | I have so much paper everywhere, it is overwhelming. I am constantly behind in opening mail and discarding mail. I constantly experience anxiety about things being "out of order", it makes me sad.... | Kitchen, closets, shoes Even though I have a lot of clothes, I can usually find what I need as the closets ae organized by type of clothing and colors. | No such item exists for me. | |
| Noreen | Desktop Garage | Countertops Closets | Kitchen counters are always easy to keep clean as I do not have a lot of space | Craft supplies - Paint, Thread, Yarn | |
| Marsh | PAPERS AND MORE PAPERS...Happy Earth Day 2024 and we have an entire forest in our home. Dollar$ tree stuff keep piling up for those "new" projects never get to... Still not able to throw away old spices from the Grandmas...ewww. | Sorting the papers go with the flow UNTILL I hit a pile of personal Cards, letters, photos of all who or what are gone. The emotions just upend me. | My organized, eaten of thrown out past due dates = my food stuffs now - both canned or refrigerated. Where I hang my car/household keys EVERY time I come in the door = "One of the best new skills' I learned here on Clutter Fairy!!! Lastly, I keep my car clean inside with a weekly dumping of the recyclable trash box! | I like to eat good food and sweets so I keep my food stuff current and healthy! It feels so good when I get into or out of my car, get into to my home and I know my car is e m p y t y for my next trip. | New bath towels. Too expensive and now most makers are adding this chemical to keep mold? off my wet towels. The same chemical makes my skin itch. Dang! |
| PJ in Oxfordshire | (1) The far side of the bed habitually returns to a state of Mount Doom... whenever someone comes over to visit, that's where the Bags of Doom from the rest of the house go to get them out of the way. I'm slowly working through everything to get the whole volume of stuff down - and doing great thanks to Clutter Fairy!! (2) The car - glove compartment & side pockets in doors. During travel, things just get flung into a pocket or the glove, to get them out of the way. I usually forget to empty them out once I'm home. | (1) Mount Doom - it's easy to overlook as it's the blind side of the bed, so I don't usually go over there. It grows until it emerges over the top of the bed, and then I get overwhelmed thinking about the effort it's going to take to blitz it. I have found that body doubling works really well to tackle it - if I can find someone who's generous enough to spend an hour sitting with me chatting! (2) Glove compartment - out of sight, out of mind. I guess that's the same as (1) above. | (1) Bathroom lotions & potions - had a MASSIVE clear-out end of last year, and have kept it really lean since - so proud of myself! Made some recycled sari cloth baskets (about 6"W x 10"L x 6"H) I keep in the bathroom - one for first aid, one for makeup, and one for backstock (shampoo, earbuds, soap, toothpaste, etc.). Using the "container principle", I only buy to replace things that I've used up or go out of date (for instance - eye makeup goes out of date quite quickly). (2) Front porch area - I found a wooden crate bookcase on Facebook Marketplace, and keep baskets to sort "outdoor" things - one for "dog", one for "scarves/hats/gloves", one for "car stuff that doesn't need to live in the car". I also only have two hooks, so can only keep three jackets (light raincoat, fleecy jacket, and heavy winter coat) one one, and hang a fabric bag full of reusable shopping bags on the other to take to the store. I have a ceramic boot for umbrellas & walking sticks, and a bowl for the house/car keys, walking torch, and lip balm. It's AMAZING having everything in one place - proper game changer as I often have a 1000 things going round my head & could easily forget something important if it was hidden amongst lots of unimportant clutter. | My bathroom routine is so much simpler & really quick now - I only have what I actually use & I can find it really easily. It's easier to keep clean, and I can't exceed the boundaries of the cloth baskets - that's my cue to rein myself back in from spending! The front door routine is likewise so simple to keep up - everything has a place. Even if I come in in a rush - with a wet dog, shopping, etc. - and things get dropped on the floor, it's super easy to go back & reset the space when I get a chance, because there just isn't that much there anymore. If I find a hat somewhere else in the house, it needs to come to the front porch & live in its basket. | haha - so many 🙂 ice cream flavours, fabric for quilting, tiny little miniature jugs (glass, metal, china, etc.), books, interesting rocks, heart decorations, fairy lights, Pinterest images, family photographs, stud earrings, cross-stitch patterns, music CDs, weird little plants sold at a massive discount at the garden centre... |
| Gabriella | 1. my desk 2. my desk 3. my desk | It's also my command center. Everything important paper or other object that needs to be processed gets piled on my desk (advantage: this way nothing gets lost). My working style is to work on several different things simultaneously and keep everything under control in my head - but to create a jumble of quick notes on my desk, as I work. What contributes to the clutter, as well as to the diversity of objects on my desk: I need to see things, otherwise I forget them. I therefore have an Ikea Tjog container for reference papers I use often and for papers that need to be processed. It looks cluttered and this annoys me. Besides, I like to have objects I use often at arms length on my desk (opening a drawer would be too tedious). As a result I keep jars with pens, markers, reading glasses, wipes, paper clips, etc. all sitting on my desk. Although things get put back, the diversity of objects on my desk causes visual overwhelm. I'm torn between having everything at hand and at the same time wishing to have everything hidden in drawers and closed cabinets. My desk seems to be a boxing ring for my generally very structured self and my light ADHD tendencies. | 1. my clothes: T-shirts, tank tops and sweaters file folded in dresser drawers, underwear separated in categories, other items hung up, no chairdrobe but instead a separate rack for worn items to be worn again; I know where everything is and can get dressed quickly 2. body care and makeup: I keep it functional and minimal 3. in general, I can access everything in my home (a small appartment) within seconds, since I have a set place for everything and put things back after using them; besides, furniture/containers are arranged strategically, so that I have quick and easy access to things when I need them (e. g., when I step out of the bathroom, a dresser housing my underwear is at arms length, the laundry hamper is at the entrance of my bathroom). | see previous input | books |
| Anonymous user | paper (stationary, notebooks, receipts...) clothes books | I think I will use the items later | kitchen counter | I want to have the counter clean so it's easy to fix meals | office supplies |
| Janice | Garage, Spare bedroom turned to storage , clothes and basement | Adult child who lives with us their stuff Family members with health issues that make it hard for them to help me The amount of stuff | Bathrooms | I have cleared off a large amount of things and my daughter got rid of a whole drawer of old makeup. | Ice cream |
| Ginger | 🔲 I had to really think hard about this. We have the usual “nesting” spaces and a few decluttering project. Our nests - we tend to police them regularly, cleaning up after ourselves. Plus, I do a nightly walk-thru to pick-up, put-away stuff. ✔️1. Entry way area - we need a storage solution. There’s no closet there. ✳️ I have an idea but haven’t acted on it. Build a behind the door wall hung cabinet for his stuff. ✔️2. Husband’s nest around his recliner. ✳️ I’m thinking of getting a car seat organizer to hold his stuff spreading over the nearby loveseat. ✔️3. My Craft Supplies. I have a closet for storage. It became a Dash & stash zone for a few delayed decisions. I haven’t considered it a major problem. I view it simply as an area I haven’t “done” yet. 🛑 BUT… I’ve realized there’s some buried crafting fodder there. (For collage art journals.) The last run I made at this closet (2020) - I purposefully organized this fodder in limited containers. (2 spiral bound 24 slash pocket project organizers.) I decided I wouldn’t add to it until I used what I had. But, out of sight… out of mind. I’ve collected more. Stored in a basket by my kitchen chair. And, a backlog of magazines I’ve kept to harvest images. 🛑 THAT’S A PROBLEM! And, I didn’t make the connection until thinking about this question. Life has been really chaotic. I feel the clouds lifting, I’ll take care of this soon. | ▪️1. Entryway - needs a storage solution. I have an idea. I’m going to use some cardboard & duct tape to mock up a behind the door hanging wall cabinet. ▪️2. Husband’s nest - needs a storage solution. He’s open to trying one solution I found. ▪️3. Craft Supply Closet - needs a good declutter. And, a rule to keep the floor clear. That’s worked for my other closets & under-beds. | 🔲 Here are 4 Sweet Spots. ▪️Bathrooms. Both are in maintenance mode. Easy to keep clean & find what we need. I regularly assess needs & declutter. ▪️My car. Stays clean and organized. ▪️Our Papers. We have a system that’s been working since 2016. Incoming papers, bill paying, file storage system, & Important Papers. ▪️Email. I managing 4 accounts. Mine, Ours, Mom’s and Dad’s. I’ll be deleting Mom’s & Dad’s this year. As part of my morning routine - I do a daily clear out back to zero. Plus, an annual review and declutter of any saved emails in folders. I also manage photos on my iPhone and iPad daily as part of my morning routine. I need to up,upload a batch to my laptop. | ▪️Bathrooms. Over the years - we’ve made many decluttering rounds through these. And, continue to do so. We only keep what we use. And, we only keep enough. Everything has a place. We put things back in their place. Though, sometimes we may disagree on its place.😀 We compromise on his hairbrush & scissors. Hub needs to SEE it. I need it put away. I put it away when we have company, ▪️My Car. Everything I keep in my car - has a designated out-of-sight place. All purchases go straight into my trunk. I clean-out my car upon exit. I vacuum & wash it regularly. | Cash? 😎 Can’t think of anything for which I need MORE. I’m still drilling down to find the sweet spot for how much is enough for each category. |
| A.G. | Tables and side tables. Kitchen counters (dishes mainly and small appliances). Entryway (shoes and jackets and whatever we're carrying) - small space and often multiple people trying to get in a once so rushed. | Constantly in use. Lack of time. Rushed. Tired. | Clothing. Bathroom. Paper or craft room (usually). | Bathroom is tiny it's not an option to let too much excess build up. Clothing is easy to sort and fold or hang without moving a lot. I have a decent paper system - it's a lot of work maybe twice a year and that's all. Craft room projects get put away when not in progress - only time it really gets messy is when we toss stuff in there doing last minute guest tidying. | Books DVDs or clothing\shoes |
| Diane | My office- just had construction project run through my office and everything got jumbled up and pushed aside. My storage room- seasonal (especially with the change of season it’s becoming jumbled) and inherited items from cleared relative estates My garage- as soon as it gets cleared other stuff magically appears | Parts of Our cellar started flooding so things have to be kept in the garage or storage room. I also live in area where we have 4 seasons so we have equipment and clothing - that we rotate in and out for changes in weather from deep freezing snowy days to sunny hot humid days. We also have what’s left of several Inherited estates. I also have books and some old (and some important) papers. Luckily the previous owners of my place had a business and the storage room has cabinets- but they are pretty stuffed. We also have medical equipment to make my mom’s visits easier. Just life and staying on top of the weather changes keeps me busy. I have to get the cellar fixed | My kitchen- I try to clean as I go. I am kind of a plain cook just need a sharp knife and a cutting board. I do have a couple things like an instant pot and a crock pot but I do use them. I also batch cook. I also have a routine of cleaning that makes public areas (living room, dining room kitchen, bathroom) quick to straighten up daily and before company comes to visit. | I always clean the dishes especially at night because the dishes are harder to clean the next day. When I’m tempted to leave it dirty i remind myself of how I will feel waking up to a mess vs how I’ll feel starting the new day with a fresh start. I also straighten out and have a loosely routine based on FlyLady for the places where we hang out for ourselves because we deserve a peaceful place to live -it shouldn’t just be nice for company. The garage and storage room my problem areas are out of site (and sometimes too out of mind) | Paper, notebooks and office supplies. I like to poke around Staples/ office supply stores. I also like antiques as I appreciate the workmanship but I am careful about what I bring in - it has to have a purpose and I have to a space for it |
| Cee | Paperwork in bedroom workspace corner, Clothing closet too many clothes losing items limited space. Entryway drop zone | Dedicated time for paperwork before piles began again Others recluttering spaces I've cleaned and cleared. Sentimental items, getting easier to sort but still getting hung up | Bathroom, family room, kitchen counter | Assigned everyone a basket for their bathroom items and a space on shelf in closet. Family room nothing allowed to stay on furniture in case guests pop in. Working on ways of preventing a drop zone family trays to create when passing | Time or money. As much as I may love certain things I feel less is better. If I just have clean clear spaces allowing me to think and give elsewhere. |
| Judy | Bonus room (storage) and garage | The microcosm of bits and bobs oozing everywhere in the bonus room is a bit overwhelming. Certain items need to be stored there, but mostly that room is a Valley of Indecision and a heaving Plateau of Procrastination. | My living room is kept neat and tidy. I put everything away at the end of the night before going to bed. It’s decorated with just enough, to my taste and regularly decluttered. This room is certainly a sweet spot to wake up in each morning. | It has an equilibrium of items, regularly cleaned and decluttered. | As far as I’m concerned there is a threshold for everything. Even too much water can kill you. It’s not a category of stuff, but I could never get too much peace in my home. |
| Anonymous user | Basement, and stuff given to me that I don't know what to do with it. | Putting stuff in the basement instead of dealing with it. Also other family members leaving stuff in kitchen counters. | Clothes closet, master bedroom, and dining room are clean and decluttered areas. | I take care of my clothes daily so no piles. I declutter often and let go of the items no longer wanted, bedroom has no clutter. Flat surfaces are cleared regularly, dining room table is clean and ready for the next dinner. | Nothing really. |
| Em | Front door (only entrance) Hallway Kitchen | There aren't places in my apartment for what I DO. The kitchen barely has room to put together a simple let alone to cooking from scratch, or room for hobbies and gardening supplies a water cleaner, and recycling bins, a pet feeding station or trash cans. Taking out the trash requires being able to do two flights of stairs and a trek to the far side of another building (which is frequently not possible because of health issues). The laundry room doesn't have enough space for a laundry basket or a step stool to the shelf with cleaning supplies on it. There is no pantry, and are no good places for litter pans, trash cans, vacuum cleaner, air cleaners, medical supplies, canned goods, winter coats, a sewing nook, or musical instruments and music. I could live here just fine if I only ate frozen meals and watched TV, neither of which I do. | My make up all fits in a box about the size of a cigar box, except for liquid foundation and brushes, which are in the medicine cabinet and in a pretty vase on the bathroom counter respectively. Everything in the box is organized in compartments, ready to use. My kitchen utensils all have storage places and are easy to put away. Five hang on the refrigerator because they are used for things that come out of the refrigerator or are going into the blender. Other knives stand beside the stove and cutting board. Utensils that can be used on the stove are in a mug on the stove. Can openers, vegetable peeler, meltable utensils and other cooking odds and ends are in a divided drawer where they are easy to see and put away. Measuring spoons and whisks hang on hooks where they are used. | My make up is easy to maintain because I only keep the colors and products that look good on me and I don't buy any make up unless I run out. It fits exactly in the box and the box is beautiful, so I am encouraged to put the make up back in it and close the lid so that I can enjoy it. My kitchen utensils are a pleasure to use because they are where I need them, rather than tangled in a drawer. Each one has its own spot in one of four work areas so that I would not have to move from the work area and dig in a drawer when I need them. The three work areas are (1) cold/wet prep between the refrigerator and sink; (2) wet/hot prep between the sink and crock pot/pressure cooker; (3) stove top work area, which includes cutting area and spices of previous work space, plus pots and pans in the cupboard above; and (4) baking prep, which is on the other side of the stove, where it is beside the oven and below the cupboards which hold baking ingredients, along with scales and other baking supplies. Some of the utensils for the last area are artfully arranged on the wall. I enjoy the arrangement, and get pleasure from using and putting away those utensils. | Art supplies (for me, that includes various kinds of paints, pencils, markers, chalks, papers, canvases, fabrics, threads, yarns, beads, wood, carving tools, glues, more papers, inks, ribbons...) |
| rowan | pantry, bathroom products | books, clothing, bedding | kitchen counters - we have his, hers and shared counters - shared is always clear as well as sink is always empty. clothes - I have backstock / off-season clothes and bedding stored in rectangular duffel bags. | Beads! (just kidding - those are of course are all Gayle's) Dragonfly brand Tom Yum Paste Ahmed brand Rose Petal Paste (like jam but denser) | |
| Sandra | Closet (top shelves used for storage) Photos (those printed and stored in closet + digital collection) Storage spaces in basement | Sorting through photos should be pleasurable yet it feels like a job My DH won't get rid of anything and keeps filling up any space I clear in the basement | My clothes The kitchen The living room (and for all those I say thank you Gayle!) | Once I was left with only the clothes I wear, there's no going back. I managed to get everyone on board when it comes to keep the kichen and living room clean and uncluttered on a daily basis | I was first tempted to write wine and chocolate, but in fact it's emails and text messages from my children, but studying in other ciites |
| PAM | PHOTOGRAPHS BOOKS INHERITED ITEMS | PHOTOS - MINE AND INHERITED - ARE SO NUMEROUS. INDECISION ON WHAT TO KEEP/NOT KEEP. ONCE GONE CANNOT GET THEM AGAIN. | BATHROOM KITCHEN LARGE COLLECTION OF POST CARDS FROM ALL ROUND THE WORLD SORTED INTO COUNTRY OR TYPE SUCH AS ANIMALS/PLANTS/SHIPS etc.. | POST CARDS ARE SORTED INTO CATEGORIES, EASY TO ENJOY, AND PUT AWAY. | GRAPE NUTS |
| Barbara | Island, bath counter, back door hall | Island- Difficulty categorizing receipts and mail for action so it piles up. Back door is a mixture of items going to car, garbage can or garage placement. Need to organize garage. The items linger and pile up until I can't get by them. Bath- alot of different body care items and my delay in putting it away. | Bath tub and shower. I keep it clean always. Front Porch. Very little to deal with. Drawers. I keep kitchen, bath, desk and craft room drawers neat. Even my tool chest is fairly organized. I never realized. I'm proud of myself. | Drawers have specific tools that do not "grow" out of control. I rarely add to them. I use contents frequently. They have organized, specific "homes". (I'm learning about myself) | Clothes. Fighting appearance of aging. Keeping up appearances so as not to be seen as elderly, weak or an easy victim. |
| Christine | My biggest problem areas are 1. The entryway walk-in closet is a catch all space that stores coats and shoes, it has floor to ceiling shelves for tools, potting materials, extra light bulbs and electrical wires, seasonal.decor, the vacuum cleaner and it's attachments, lomg term papers, Christmas decorations, the standing fan, folding chairs, the cat carrier and two bins of sentimental items from my childhood. Stuff is always in transit and the floor gets cluttered up quickly. 2. The craftroom where I sew, paint, and knit as well as create cards, scrapbooks and wrap presents. It's also has a desk for my home office, laptop, short term papers, plants, bookshelf, cat litter box and cleaning tools like brooms, mop and feather duster. Also a spot for donations and projects in progress. | Both spaces have many functions. A lot of stuff moves through or needs to have a home. I live in a two bedroom apartment, everything other than eating, sleepimg, lounging or hygiene needs to fit in these two spaces. | My bedroom and bathroom are well organized and clutter free. | The number one reason is I made it pretty so I dont want to mess it up! The clothes fit in my closet and dressers, neatly folded and by category. It makes getting dressed easier. Minimal.decor on surfaces and a cute rolling cart as a bedside table for vitamines, glass of water, currant reading materials and my sunlight lamp. Ligjt colors and nice art on the walls, family pictures, flowy curtains, cute linens and a comfy throw for an impromptu nap. Nothimg under the bed, a basket in the closet for dirty clothes, hooks behind the door for a wool sweater and my bathrobe. In the bathroom the vanity is kept clear except for the hand soap and a small dish to catch the odd lip balm or piece of jewelry. One drawer houses all my necessities to get ready. Not big but deep enough for clear containers to store everything upright. I keep it open until i'm finished, put the things back as I'm done using it. I also have clear containers under the sink for overstock and less used items, broad categories like hair care, dental hygiene, face products, seasonal stuff and travel. Above the washer and dryer i have shelves with banana leaves baskets for hand towels, hair dryer, heating pad or seasonal decor. I used self adhesive paper with a minimal.design on the back wall to upgrade the space. Trays to corral laundry necessities, an opaque bin for dirty rags, a rod and hangers to air dry my tops. Color matching my accessories to create harmony. Everything has a dedicated home. Organizing by grouping like with like. Keepimg extras to a minimum. Having routines to maintain these areas clean and put stuff away as I go. Very functiomal, yet pretty. | The fromt door opens into the livingroom and I make it a priority to keep it uncluttered. The big window faces south and this is where i keep the majority of my plants! MORE PLANTS! |
| Anonymous user | kitchen countertops overflowing bedroom dressers clothing piled in heap on BR floor | I care for an older family member, post stroke, and have to do EVERYTHING. All of her things came with her, and I feel my things and I have been pushed back into my bedroom. I have a Chronic Illness that makes me so fatigued and I often only do the housework 1xweek after taking care of Sister and getting her to all Dr and PT appointments. Anxeity about my living situation. | Refrigerator bathrooms, except countertops cat litterbox and area | I open my mail as I come in my front door, and instantly throw useless mail into the trashcan by the door. I take out Trash and Recycling every morning. I happily watch The Clutter Fairy every Tuesday if at all possible. | Anything RED |
| Jeanne | The kitchen, so much happens there when my sons are visiting. Food prep not totally cleared adds up. Plus my laundry nook opens into the kitchen, so I must constantly keep up in this area. | others leave cups, plates bout the house. I must constantly pick up after these men! | Living/dining area and my bath/ bedroom are easy to keep up, They are on the western spare side. | I always clear my car completely after each trip. I vac and wash once a week on Fridays. | Outdoor plants! |
| Aimee | Lately, everything…. But Paper, #1, dishes #2 (dishwasher is broken), and laundry #3. | Single mom working full time with two teenage sons that do very little. I also have a horse (my last) and 3 kitties. I manage to feed everyone but overwhelmed with responsibilities. I need repairs that I cannot afford right now and my child support may be held up since their father just lost his position. Our home is a mess and it affects both of my sons, and me of course. I went through chemo a few years back and tire easily. | Cat litter boxes are cleaned regular! Refrigerator for the most part Pretty good about removing outgrown clothes. | Strong responsibility towards my children and animals. I manage their food intake and do pretty well ensuring they eat healthy. | Horses. Ha ha! Sadly I am on my last one. Finances do not support that luxury, just trying to provide for him until the end. I like things but nothing really brings me any joy except animals-something I can interact with. My sons are growing up and have their own pursuits now. I would also be a crazy cat lady if I could but I wouldn’t do that! Too much work and expense. Love them to pieces too. |
| Lela | To-do pile on kitchen counter | I’m lazy sometimes | Paperwork & mail | I scanned most paperwork several years ago & do much more online now to avoid creating new paperwork. I spent the last couple of years taking us off every junk mail & solicitation list possible, which involved going online &/or making phone calls to request our address be taken off their mailing lists. | Food. Lol |
| Annie | The basement is the main dumping ground. The next area is the garden shed and lastly bookmarked items on computers. | The basement is the place we save our recycling and donations. Our local recycling center has very limited hours so fitting it into the schedule is not easily done especially during the cold and snowy months. The donation center is a 40 mi. round trip. I go to that town once a month but again their hours are limited and don’t often coincide with my trip. So it can be months before those items can be moved on. I tend to bookmark videos for later watching but can’t seem to remove them faster than I can save them. The garden shed hold items I am unable to lift so I have to wait for my other half to move items I cannot. | The main areas of the house are usually easy to keep clutter free since I am using those areas all of the time. When I notice clutter, I try to pick it up and put it where it belongs. It’s the areas less used that accumulate things. It’s much easier to ignore when the things are out of sight. | One big factor is that we don’t bring much in anymore unless it’s something we really need. The other main reason, I try to do a quick pick up and put away each evening. | I love books. Some are good to read once and move on but there are two categories that I will continue to accumulate, the Dune series and Star Trek books especially the classic series. |
| Susan | Paperwork (particularly sentimental); Random bits’n’pieces that I can’t categorise (sentimental again); Things that might be useful in future (do-it-yourself stuff … old wood, screws, electrical plugs, etc, etc) | Difficulty making decisions. | I’ve now managed to tame clothes & books. Both categories are well-organised. Ok - I’ve probably got too many - but I’ve enough bookshelves for all the books to be single-stacked. Ditto clothes - but I know where they all are. I don’t feel troubled or overwhelmed by these. Also, I’m happy with food storage in the kitchen. Don’t bulk buy. Happy to regard the shops as my larders! | ‘One-in-one-out’ … especially for clothes. Keep a strict eye on food, and only buy more of each category when I’m dangerously low. | Books 😉 |
| Peggy | The worst area is the garage: keeping boxes for helping our daughter declutter, multiples of tools that hubby wants to keep, overflow from other areas due to the lack of basement or other storage space. Have removed a few things lately that makes it look a bit better. We can move around in there, it just looks cluttered. | Hubby likes to keep all the duplicate tools and kitchen gadgets. I like to keep a big pile of boxes to help our daughter declutter. | Our family room generally stays tidy. As a result, I'm able to put out a jigsaw puzzle on a whim. Several times, I have had a friend over to puzzle with me. Before we start, we have lunch on the puzzle table, then clear it and puzzle. So much fun! The living room stays pretty good but it's trickier because that's where the mail collects. | I bought a large metal tray for my husband to put all his stuff on. Tray sits on the top of our bookcase. From where I sit, I can no longer see all the stuff, much easier on my eyes! | I have a thing for cardigans and hoodies because I'm always cold. But I usually control myself because I know I already have enough. |
| Judy | End table in living room. Desk Photos in my computer. | I put lots of papers in the end table and books I am in the process of reading until I can’t get another thing in the drawers- then I empty it all and try to put anything away I am not currently using. I have a large desk - currently I am using it as a staging area to pack for vacation. Because it has a large flat surface it can hold a lot. I love photography but I take a lot of pictures with the intent of sorting but don’t often find enough time to sort all that I have taken. I am retiring soon - one of my first projects! | Clothes Closet - I don’t have a ton of clothes or shoes which helps. Kitchen - I’ve found ways to organize and declutter it often, only keeping what I truly use. Book shelves- can’t keep more than the shelves hold - one in one out rule. | ||
| Cheryl | Kitchen table, a perpetual dumping ground for procrastination items. | My kitchen table collects bills to pay, paper lists of things to do, and appointment reminders | Kitchen counters I keep cleared off, | I like a clear cooking area | Spices |
| Linn | 1) 3 bedrooms that storage spaces 2) kitchen counters 3) kitchen desk | 1) overwhelmed 2) difficulty maintaining a counter once it’s cleared off. 3) Difficulty having discipline to work until completion, focusing, confidence in decision making | 1) Necessary daily vitamins and supplements 2) backyard patio and wood deck. 3) Kitchen dishes, pots/pans, utensils, cups/mugs, utensils, plastic bags and cooking gadgets. | 1) Don’t have to worry if I’ve taken my needed meds and supplements. 2) Pleasure in enjoying the organized areas of my kitchen 3) Enjoy the visual beauty of cleared open space of my patio and deck. | Photographs and old movies. I have 18 large reels of movies beginning with my parents dating! I am 77 |
| Lynn | The top of the clothes dryer is my frequent flyer of clutter. It is the drop spot for things going into or out of the garage or for the miscellaneous things that belong in the garage but have yet to be assigned their home on a shelf. I try to make myself take something from there each time I pass by in the direction it needs to go but that doesn't always happen.. At the very least, I clear the top off once a month and put things away. It is a never ending battle to keep it cleared off for more than a week. | I need to revamp the organization of items on the shelves in the garage to better enhance the ebb and flow of items stored out there.. The current system isn't working very well for me This will be the third time through the process and I want to get it right this time. Problem is I haven't yet figured out how to improve it. I have everything thing sorted into household and gardening categories with some in bins and some loose on shelves. It isn't very easy to backfill with newer items without it being a project to do so. The incentive is that I need to get it done now before the hot weather makes it too hot out there. Or, procrastinate long enough that it goes on the do in cooler weather list. | My kitchen, clothes closet and bathroom are the easy spots for me. I don't let things go for more than a day before being tidied up. | I do the laundry as soon as full load has accumulated and hang it up as soon as it comes out of the dryer. This is easy to accomplish because I have pruned my seasonal clothes down to enough to clothe me for 7 days before I run out of clean clothes. This also helps keep my closet uncluttered as long as I keep practicing the one-in/one-out method for both my clothes and shoes. In my bathroom and kitchen I spent the time and money to prune to just essentials and organized everything into various containers.. it makes it easy to maintain when everything has a easy home to access. | Garden seeds, herbs and spices, and art canvases. |
| Anonymous user | Well any flat surface like a table or counter. Also putting clothes away. Clothes that are warn but not ready to be washed | Don't know how to organize my papers so everything is just piled on a table | Sock/ undie drawer. Cutlery drawer. Linen cabinet | Towels are easy to fold and everything is square. Socks are small and fold easily | Yarn |
| Janet | I struggle mostly with old stuff. I have my parents wedding album. I have some old professional pics of old relatives. I thought of making a family tree & attaching the pics, but technology changes so quickly for a job that big! That’s my stuck spot | They are not replaceable once disposed of. I have one son and he’s not interested in anything. But that might change if he meets someone. | My kitchen is much easier now that I have less. The same with my clothes (although I just bought two more pairs of jeans…ugh). My Jean drawer is kinda snug but with jeans 2 lbs make them fit too tight or too loose. The bathroom is easy to keep decluttered but I still don’t enjoy cleaning it. | My kitchen counters stay clean bc I read the mail & dispose of junk & file bills in yo be paid. I clean up after cooking. It’s nice to see a clean counter. As I walk through my place I’m always thinking what else can I get rid of. I dont have too much left. Except 8 totes of photo albums & one box of photos. 😩 | Probably shoes. My mom would say underwear. She used to tease me saying I can open a store. I’ve gotten better - but I also used to have over 100 pairs of shoes. If I had the space I would have shoes in every color & heel height. |
| Granny | Study desk - not too bad at the moment, but it's calling my name. Family room table - also not too bad, but does collect stuff until we need to clear it. Kitchen counters - need to get them clearer than they are - not a problem to work in the kitchen, just looks cluttered. | My desk is kind of organized, but gets a little out of hand. Some labelling needs to be done, I think. There are also tasks out - Family photos - I have a box on the floor of photos to throw away/shred, but I need to scan the photos I chose to keep first as I may be missing something in my story; Family papers - Some are on my study desk, some on other surfaces in the study - they have to be scanned and then filed or tossed. | My laundry is a well-oiled weekly task that always gets done and finished. My pantry is well-organized - everything new goes behind older items, like items are grouped, I regularly go through and handle items (use them or toss them or give them away). Our car is (relatively) clean. | I enjoy handling the laundry - it's something that I know "gets done". We always clear the car when we come home. There are items in the trunk area which "live" in the car - things my husband needs regularly, reusable shopping bags, scrapers and brushes for snow (we take those out in the spring/summer/early autumn), but otherwise there's nothing. | Hugs from the grandchildren!!! |
| CHRISTINE | PAPER, PAPER, PAPER | My house floor plan is to blame for most of my clutter. Small house, 3 levels.... stairs all day long. I need to triplicate almost everything on three levels. Like paperwork, medical supplies, cleaning supplies, bottled water, etc. I perviously had lived in a ranch style home, EVERYTHING was on one level, and that was so easy, fast, economical. and even safer (from stair accidents). | always a sweet spot. The backs of all of my doors with those clear over the door hanging shoe pockets, storing all smaller items. I can see everything at a glance. But the "over the door" metal hooks part for this organizer did not work out for me. Instead I use a hanger. I tie the metal grommets at the top of the organizer, to a sturdy hanger with string. Then I hang that hanger on a coat hook, on the back of a door. I even cut off the bottom 3 rows off of the long organizer, to make it shorter, and easier to use. (I use those cut off rows to organize other places) Bonus, when I have to hide an organizer, I easily take the whole thing off a door , and it is short enough to hang it inside a closet. Especially helpful, if company comes, in hiding personal bathroom/medical products. Bonus plus: I can easily use these hanger-shoe organizer , wherever I move. | The " shoe organizer-.hung on a hanger-.hung on a door hook "only needs restocking, which is easy, because you can see what needs restocking at a glance.. For overnight guests, I hang a new hanger/organizer on the back on guest bedroom door. In the pockets, I put in guest treats, like pre packaged small chocolates, dried fruits, chips, small spring water bottles, tiny wine bottles, notepads+pens, tissues, small ziplock bags, maps, tiny emergency flashlight, and a tiny wrapped gift for them to bring back to their children/grandchildren/pet.. I tie a big colorful bow on the hanger. This "hanger/organizer on the back of the guest room door idea" keeps the flat surface of a night table clear for company to use for their own things. A welcome basket is nicer, but it would take up too much valuable table space, in a small guest room. | Organic specialty pantry staples to be used gourmet cooking/baking Like the best quality..... vanilla beans, dried fruits, honeys, spices olive oils, balsamic vinegars exotic, spices, white baking chocolate. |
| Loretta | The kitchen counter is my biggest problem. It attracts papers, more papers, and odds and ends. | The kitchen is centrally located and thus the counter seems to be the best place the put things. | My coffee table, which used to be a mess, is kept clear and any items that land there are put away at the end of the day. I love having a large variety of clothing. Everything is neatly sorted and fits into the closet and dresser. | I clear away the coffee table every night so it's clean for the next day. I have a strict one in, one out rule for clothing, which means the closet and dresser are never overstuffed. Also, clothes are put away or in the hamper, never left strewn about the house. | Chocolate |
| Jeanne | Crafts in craft room, inherited furniture and China, glassware and basement storage of misc | Everything is useful for crafts! Antique inherited furniture and expensive China, glassware not worth selling Storage of sentimental, holiday. Crafts, memories, photos, kitchen small appliances ~ all in basement Old age, limited energy, overwhelm, lack of money for professionals Had two pro organizers for closet and pantry. Altho both took away donations and I was ruthless, I think I could have done it myself with much cheaper help but who? Family is too busy, husband and I are feeble, no close friends. | Kitchen cabinets, pantry Clothes, shoes, jewelry Coat closet | Don’t cook much or enjoy it so limited items in kitchen I wear tees and jeans every day so got rid of all else Pleasure to open coat closet with only one of my coats in it, however hubby has 7 and tools on floor. | Craft items |
| Jane | Flat surfaces and storage spaces | Laziness on my part | The main bedroom is a sweet spot, as I'm very conscious of keeping it peaceful. | Knowing the importance of keeping the main bedroom peaceful makes me mindful of making the bed and putting things away in there. | Chocolate for those times when it's needed! |
| Janice | my desk. I put everyone else first, feed them, clean up, hand feed a 21 year old chihuahua about every 2 hours while awake, carry him to the bathroom, and just put my stuff on my desk for 'later.' thankfully new Vet, New Food and huge improvement. Feeds self now. So peeling the onion has begun! I am ridding a lot of stuff, better to have less to manage. thanks for teaching me that!! | “I’m the cook, and shopping and food prep leave me with little energy for urgent kitchen organizing.” I have begun to batch prep salads and set trays with the measured ingredients, just like a cooking show and it helps. | Laundry Room. Everything has a place, so when an item is removed from the shelf, one knows right where to put it back. I like to do laundry. My mom had a wringer washer and I used to help her. I think of those happy memories. (not for her , it was hard work) I have painted the walls a happy yellow and added minor decor, like a Laundry-themed clock hung with tiny colored clothespins on a rope. And a nice (washable) throw rug. I also wipe down the washing machine and dryer and occasionally scrub the Laundry tub, what a difference.!!! | shelving shows where to return an item. No overstock and stacking. Minimal extra containers of detergent When one gets low, I do place the new one on the floor ( no room on the shelf) but just one and for a short time till current container is empty and rinsed of every drop. wipe up spills on the side of the liquid detergent container, that looks messy to me. Happy warm yellow walls. curtains match laundry-themed wall clock. It is a basement but that corner does not feel like one. | pencils. I love pencils. and Yarn. I love yarn/ |
| Terry | Counter in the bathroom and bathroom closet Kitchen counters Kitchen - storage for pots/plans/mixing bowls/food storage containers. | Kitchen counters - more of a maintenance issue, keeping on top of it Kitchen storage - I've already gotten rid of the obvious ones, now getting ot the more difficult ones. Also, I have to get down on (and up from!) the floor. They are deep, might need some internal structures to make best use of the space. But I think reducing anything I can would be the first step. Bathroom -I use some things every day, but not really space for them on the counter especially for some larger items (ex. 16 ox contact lense solutions), | Sink/dirty dish area. Things collect, but I stay on top of it. Either after dinner or while coffee being made in the morning. Counter tops - I also mentioned this as a difficult area - it's both. Things collect there and I stay on top of it Car - things had really piled up in there, but working to stay on top of it now | Sink/dishes area, Kitchen counters - I clean up regularly, especially either at night or first thing in AM to gather anything that didn't get handled previously | Crafting supplies in two categories - polymer clay related and beading related. I give myself a break in these areas, but am pretty fierce about not taking on any new hobbies that require new genre of supplies. |
| Lori | The "drop zone" in our kitchen nook is the biggest trouble spot in our home. We don't have a mudroom, and just a tiny entryway, so with with winter wet and salty boots or summer adventure gear, the accessories from the day end up dropped in the corner nook. | This one is largely my doing, without complications. | Our refrigerator, pantry, and cupboards are well-managed pictures of efficiency. I cook daily and find joy in their functionality despite our small kitchen. | I have a strict routine for cleaning the dishes each night, prepping the coffee maker for the morning, and packing lunches before getting ready for bed. | Less is more. I'm hardly a minimalist, but I'd rather have the "right" or "best" thing than all of the things! |
| Becky | The catch all drawer. I clean and organize it regularly and yet after a month it seems like I have to start all over. It is full of things I use, but it seems to get out of hand quickly. My pantry. My kitchen is tiny and lacks drawers so my pantry not only has food, but my flatware, aluminum foil, bags and my hand mixer. | I think the need to be prepared and also the lack of storage in the kitchen is a killer | My pictures. It is because I really enjoy doing photo books so keep up with them and they never get behind. In fact I wish I had more photos to organize. | My pictures bring me joy. Such great memories. | ? |
| Yvette | DIY wood scraps Scrap fabrics and clothing un-mendable kept for making dog beds covers, filling and dog toys | Small house with no storage spaces beside furniture I built | Shelving units built vertically to store food glass jars once decanted | Decanting food as soon as delivered and day to day decanting when big jars are not full enough any more to decanter in smaller jars to leave big ones free for next delivery | Woodworking tools |
| Evelin | my desk, it's too small for all the activities that happen there - paper work, studying, crafting, painting... a small closet with all kinds of stuff - cleaning supplies, extra toiletries, toilet paper, candles... a wardrobe full of winter coats, electric cords, board games and a sewing machine | actually I think it's because I don't want to get rid of any stuff... | bedroom - (almost) no clutter living room - (almost) no clutter bathroom - the clutter is at least corralled in containers | I have one drawer that is dedicated to "worn once, doesn't have to be washed yet" clothes, so I don't need "the chair" to catch them all. Jeans that are still good go on hooks behind the door. Best invention ever. | stationery, dresses, socks, underwear |
| Debra | The worst space is my desk and working through paperwork | Local bureaucracy. It’s incredible. | I have no problem keeping things decluttered except insistent paperwork which has to be dealt with. It’s not filing—I have good systems in place— it’s all the non-stop yak-shaving bureaucracy in Austria and Germany. | I have „Dailies“, meaning daily things I aim to get done. They range from the very obvious (making my bed, showering, cleaning the (separate rooms) bathroom and the toilet, cleaning the kitty litter, taking out compost and recycling to the city bins) to physical exercise, etc. I don’t like a lot of clutter so if there’s something away from its „home“ I follow the 1-minute“ rule and put it away immediately. | It used to be books but now i only keep DT books which were written by friends or are particularly special to me. Otherwise it’s all kindle or audiobooks. Now I think it’s probably clothes, because it’s not easy to find them in my personal trifecta: style, fit, price |
| C | Study/guest/crafts room (it serves all three functions at times) Former child's bedroom, used to be guest room, now serving as storage room Spare closet in the hallway, our tetris of boxes of things used occasionally | Factors that contribute to my difficulties decluttering: not enough mental energy to make decisions for some items, and the "follow through" afterwards, not enough time because regular housework alone takes too long; too many volunteer activities but it is which is what we both like to do in our retirement. AND saving all sorts of materials that might be used for crafts. | All the "public" rooms are kept quite/relatively tidy: Entrance Hall, Living rm, Kitchen, WC/ Bathroom. | I trained myself and DH to tidy up kitchen before bedtime, and I regularly look around Lvrm and entrance to clear things/ tidy up. Same for Bathroom/WC. Whenever I leave a room, I check to see what in there needs to go to another place. (if I remember) Am using up craft materials and have vowed not to buy anymore. | Family photos, TG all digital nowadays. |
| Anonymous user | papers around desk that need action bedside table - medications, water kitchen counter - dirty dishes | papers around desk - trying to manage complicated renovation project, exhausted, lack motivation because feel unable to accomplish due to medical issues bedside table - trying to find products that work so have a bunch to try out dirty dishes - husband leaves dishes on counter instead of washing, also he leaves cabinets open | huh - there are "sweet spots"? I cheated and read next question - never have had a messy car; also front porch is tidy as well as front yard is tidy (back yard is always in flux with my husband's projects) Marie-Kondo-ed dresser has been working for over a decade | tidy car - have always kept it clean (probably because might have a passenger and I would be embarrassed if it were messy) porch & front yard - again don't want to be embarrassed in front of neighbors having my husband's friends or relatives visit seems to snap him into tidying up | (got too much of everything) |
| Anonymous user | “Office”/ spare bedroom, kitchen counters, dining room | Excessive paper all over since desk and drawers are full and hard to access. I need to refile some in ome taxes so the office is overrun with papers and files I never get to. Kitchen counters - I have nasty habit of not putting things away, especially things I use daily or multiple times a day, such as supplements. | Living room, bathroom | Regular sorting of things in living room and bathroom keep the spaces manageable | Reading material, although I have gotten rid of the contents of an entire bookshelf and ready to get rid of more. Realizing finally it’s just a drain when public libraries have so much available. |
| Lesley | Kitchen Bedroom Entryway with dog leashes, harnesses, and raincoats | My dogs want to help and distract me. So I guess they count as the other distracting house members ! My high energy time is early in the morning before work and the lighting in my house is poor. I haven’t tried wearing a headlamp yet! | The dishwasher where dishes are clean or dirty help me keep the sink empty. I make myself take trash out daily to avoid dogs getting in the garbage! | Dogs dogs dogs; I enjoy them so much that I walk other peoples dogs for a side hustle | |
| Eve | Only 3?! (1) Trouble with clothing piling up in front of closet so I can't access it. (2) Counter clutter including items that are drying and then never get put away. (3) Paper clutter that is piled instead of filed. | Other members of my household constantly leave stuff on the counter. No one in my family ever does laundry except me. I am so busy with theirs that I never get to mine. No time to deal with papers and heal from injury and run a business etc. | Stairs - this used to be a problem but now I take a load up /down with me each time. Cars - with all the auto burglaries we keep the cars empty Hallway - it's narrow and leads to all major rooms so nothing should pile up there. Ditto laundry room has to be functional so it's in good shape too | answered in previous response | Health supplements, comfy pillows |
| Anne | Closets, bathroom counter, purse storage | Big project that is hard to break down | Pantry area with appliances Jewelry storage Dish storage and access | Limit the number of dishes in my home Always take everything out of my car Lots of storage in guest bath, so it stays easy to keep organized | Pyrex bowls |
| Name (click to view full survey response and comments) | Name up to three clutter problem areas in your home. | List factors that contribute to your difficulty decluttering in problem areas. | Name up to three clutter sweet spots in your home. | List factors that contribute to your ease in maintaining your sweet spots. | What’s an item or category of stuff that you feel as if you could never get too much of? |
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