When I lived in my apartments during sophomore and senior year of college, clutter inevitably built up from time to time. I figured out a couple of different reasons as to why this happened.
Apartment clutter builds up because you’re not good at getting rid of unnecessary stuff, you buy things too often, you don’t put things back after you’ve used it, you stash things under your bed, in your closet, etc., you don’t have a solid organization system and you don’t clean your apartment.
Getting rid of clutter is a matter of finding the root cause of it, which, in some cases, can be our mentality.
1. You’re Not Good At Donating/Getting Rid Of Unnecessary Stuff
One of the easiest ways to build clutter in an apartment is to keep everything that you’ve ever owned. Okay, I’m exaggerating a bit. However, we collect a lot of things throughout our lifetime and, as we get older, sometimes we forget to get rid of it. That, or they have too much sentimental value to even think about tossing.
This might be true for a few items, but let’s be honest, if a few shirts, knick knacks, nail polish bottles, sun glasses, etc. suddenly disappeared, you wouldn’t even notice. Not everything that you own is a necessity and it’s time to part with what you don’t want/need. Here are 11 other clear signs that you own too many things.
Solution: An easy way to tell if it’s time to give something away is to ask yourself “have I used this within the last year?” If you haven’t, time to toss it. This doesn’t have to apply to things like family heirlooms, family pictures, etc. This applies to those last couple shirts you haven’t worn since 2020, the candles you bought last Christmas that you still haven’t lit, the books you bought five years ago and still haven’t read, etc. Some good places to donate these things are Goodwill, Salvation Army, thrift stores and your local church.
2. You Buy Too Many Things Too Often
Are you the kind of person that has mountains of makeup and still stops by Sephora every month or so? Do you have 5 different essential oil diffusers or candles in your apartment? Do you have 10 different bundles of yarn that you haven’t made a dent in, yet, swear you’re going to knit with them one day? We often buy things that we find enticing on a store shelf but, realistically, don’t have a need, a practical use, or the time to use it. Sometimes, we never think about buying a product until we discover it that day. Due to this, our apartments look less and less organized.
Solution: To avoid this issue, you’ll need to stop buying things on a whim. When you’re in the store or browsing an online shop, ask yourself a few questions. “Do I have an immediate use for this?” “Would I have purchased this if I hadn’t discovered it just now?” “Is this within my budget?” When push comes to shove, save the item in your cart and wait a week. If you haven’t thought about it or your life has been just fine without it during the week, delete it from your cart.
3. You Don’t Put Things Back After You’ve Used It
Let me just say this: I understand. Life can get very busy, you can get really tired, and sometimes, you just plain don’t care about putting things back after you’ve used it. Unless you’re a certified neat freak, we all get that way. The key thing is, we can’t stay that way.
Solution: Every week or so, we have to take the time to put everything back in its designated spot. If you don’t feel like sacrificing a chunk of time every week to declutter your space, then do it in small chunks every day. You could also invite a friend or family member over every once in a while to help you out.
Another alternative is to hire someone to clean your space every week or so, but financially, this isn’t an option for everyone. If your own two hands are the only help that you have, then try making the chore more enjoyable. Talk to someone on the phone, put on some music or put on a podcast to distract you from how boring the task is.
4. You Stash Things Under Your Bed, In Our Closet, Etc.
Here’s another relatable problem. Some of us might think that we’re organized because we keep clutter out of sight. However, this isn’t always the case. In reality, we’re just piling up a mess in our closet, under our bed, in our cabinets, etc. We’re not getting rid of the clutter, we’re just hiding it somewhere else.
Solution: The best way to combat this is to keep all of your items in a designated spot. This doesn’t mean assigning one corner of the closet to be the ‘hat pile’ and dumping them on the floor. Your stuff needs to be arranged in a way that passes the “where can I find the (blank)?” test. What’s that? Let’s say you have a guest over and they want to find your card games, slippers, blankets, etc. They ask you “where can I find the playing cards?”. Could you tell them exactly where it is without having to get up and dig for them yourself?
5. You Don’t Have A Solid Organization System
Even if you have a general idea of where everything is, you can still end up with clutter if everything isn’t situated correctly. Here’s an example of what I mean. Let’s say that, in your closet, you decided to keep your shoes in the back and against the wall. If that looks like this:
Then you haven’t fixed the clutter issue. In reality, you just moved it to a different spot.
Solution: If you take the time to place them on a shoe rack, in the boxes you bought them in, or in clear boxes, such as these:
Then your shoes look organized and you’ve fixed the problem. If you have to buy some storage products to get everything situated and looking neat, then go ahead and do that. If you want a full guide on how to organize every single room in your apartment, check out my other blog post!
6. You Don’t Take Time To Clean Your Apartment
Decluttering things from time to time can help to tidy up your space, but if you never take the time to full-on clean it, then tidying won’t do much. Fixing the problem at its source will make managing it easier in the long run.
Solution: You should be cleaning your apartment every week and, at most, every two weeks. Create a cleaning schedule for yourself and stick to it if you don’t want to suffer from the clutter. If your life is really busy, then you’re either going to have to hire help, ask friends/family for help, or set aside time to do it by yourself. This can look like getting up an hour or two early or going to sleep a little later than usual.This can also mean missing out on some leisure time activities (socializing, playing games, etc.) every once in a while.
7. You Own Too Much Of The Same Things
Sure, it makes sense to buy some backup toilet paper, paper towels, soap, etc. However, you don’t need a backup for things that aren’t running out any time soon, or at all. Maybe that’s not the case though. Perhaps you have a habit of losing everything you touch and end up needing to buy another. Whatever the case may be, you’re buying too much of the same things.
Solution: One way to fix this problem is to only buy a backup of what you’re currently running low on. I don’t mean grabbing three tubes of toothpaste because you’re bound to run out of the first two at some point. I mean buying a second tube when the first one is nearing its last legs. This will free up space in your drawers and such.
If you’re the type to constantly lose stuff and end up buying seconds, thirds and fourths of the same thing, start taking pictures of where you put something. As the pictures pile up, save them in folders labeled “toiletries, hair care, desk supplies, etc.” If that doesn’t work, try these solutions suggested by Magnetic Memory Method.
8. You Don’t Store Enough Things Digitally
Are you someone who has a bunch of reading books, textbooks, dvds and documents? These are items that can easily pile up and can easily contribute to a clutter filled apartment. The good news is, we live in a digital age that can squeeze all of these physical items into your phone, tablet, computer, etc.
Solution: You’ll want to buy/download digital versions of them. There are plenty of reading apps that are bound to have the books you like, streaming apps that have the movies you love, textbooks that you need for your class, etc. Doing this is quite literally going to make the clutter disappear.
9. You Don’t Put Your Dirty Clothes Where They Belong
Those really hard work days can leave you with just enough energy to throw your day clothes on the floor, put on pajamas and crawl into bed. If you have those days often, then I have some news that’s hard to hear. You need to muster up enough energy to put them in your hamper, not on the floor. Loose clothes scattered around an apartment is a fast and effective way to make it look dirty, cluttered and uncared for.
Solution: If you don’t already own a hamper, you need to buy one. That, or something that’s big enough to hold all of your dirty clothes in. Piling them in a corner on the floor doesn’t make your apartment look any better. It’s the same situation with the pile of shoes from #5; there’s no organization system in place, therefore it’s still cluttered.
10. Your Roommates And/Or Pets Contribute
If you live with more than one person, then the clutter in your home probably isn’t all your fault. In fact, it might not be your fault at all. Your roommates might be the ones refusing to put stuff back, throwing dirty clothes on the ground, buying too much stuff, etc. Maybe it’s not even humans who’re the problem. We all know that cats and dogs are infamous for turning an organized room into an absolute mess. There are two different solutions for these kinds of dilemmas.
Solution: When it comes to your roommates, you’ll need to respectfully confront them about the messes they’re making out of your guy’s living space. They might not even be aware that their lack of organization is affecting you. Not sure how to start the conversation? Check out this guide to get started. If your problem is with your pet, then you’re going to have to train them to not make a mess out of your things. Here is how you train a dog, and this is how you train a cat. You can also put them in their cage while you’re away.
11. Your Decor Could Be Working Against You
Okay, so we all love decor here. I mean, I have a whole section of my website dedicated to it. The key to doing it right, however, is knowing how much room you have to work with. Your apartment isn’t a 5 story mansion, so it can’t fit a 5 story mansion’s worth of decor in it.
Solution: To avoid cluttering your space with excessive decorations, start with a small amount and work your way up. Amazing decor doesn’t have to take place overnight; it’s often a passion project that takes months and years to finish. This allows you to pace yourself and really get a sense of what your apartment needs and doesn’t need. Buying everything at once can not only feel overwhelming to work with, it can turn into a pile of mess fast.
If you try all of these solutions and your place still comes out looking cluttered, then here are 10 ways to make the apartment look more visually organized than it actually is.
