Do You Have Clutter Blindness? 3 Surprising Solutions
You look at clutter-free homes on Pinterest and you swoon but your house never looks like that no matter how many boxes of donations you get rid of! Why? Is it possible that you have clutter blindness?
Did you know that anything can be clutter? That’s right. Things that make your house look cluttered can even be the stuff you are always using!
Why? Because if those things are not put away they are cluttering up your space.
You might have clutter blindness and not even know it. That may be the reason your house never looks like you want it to. Is it possible that you are used to clutter?
Maybe you have clutter blindness because it’s what you are used to or maybe you even secretly like clutter! Organizing a messy house is easier than you think so let’s find out what you can do!
What Is Clutter Blindness?
You may not have heard of the term clutter blindness before but that doesn’t mean you aren’t clutter blind. What is clutter blindness and how do you know if you are clutter blind?
Clutter blindess means that you are used to clutter. You are used to seeing things that make your house look cluttered because they are always there.
Maybe you secretly like clutter. It’s pretty common.
Most of us grew up in cluttered homes and because of that we have different clutter blindness levels. We might not notice that we have way too many decorations or we may think that we need stuff so it has to be available and can’t be put away.
But there are ways to fix clutter blindess. Organizing a messy house just means finding your clutter and finding a way to deal with it!
Once you do that your home can look clean and tidy like you want it to! Let’s get to the problems that may be causing your clutter blindness and their solutions.
You might secretly like clutter if you like to keep things “handy”.
Throughout the course of the day, we use many different products and items. We may use the same things over and over so we tell ourselves, “Why put it away? I will need it again soon. If I keep it here, it will be handy!”
The problem with this is that you end up with counter-tops full of things that are “handy” for when you will need them later. These are the things that make your house look cluttered, even after you have decluttered well.
With all this “handy” stuff lying around you can’t use the countertops or tables for the things you actually need to do. The stuff that is handy has become clutter that gets in your way!
Not only that but it makes your house look really messy and disorganized.
What can you do instead?
So what can you do in order about these things that make your house look cluttered? How can you keep them handy without making your house look cluttered and messy?
You need to think about where you use each item and find an organizational solution that is easy to use and near to where you will use each item.
You can keep your makeup in the top drawer of your bathroom cabinet. Maybe you leave the spatulas and cooking utensils on the counter but why not try putting them in the drawer right next to the stove? Instead of leaving your coffee on the counter put it in the cabinet by your coffee pot.
Whatever it is make sure the organizational solution you come up with makes it easy to pull out the item and put it back. This way you will be able to keep things handy but put them away too!
Once you have had your organizational solutions in place for a while and you start to enjoy cleared countertops and tidy looking home you will find your clutter radar becoming more sensitive and you will slowly heal your clutter blindness.
You Have Clutter Blindess and You Hate Empty Spaces
Do you find yourself seeing empty spaces on your walls or countertops and trying to fill them with decorations? Do you feel like empty spaces look cold and austere while spaces with more in them feel cozy and inviting?
Many people feel that way. They instinctively fill every open space. They spread out all over their desks, hang a bunch of stuff on their walls, and cover every other surface with decorative tchotchkes, photos, and mementos. Let’s face it.
We are used to the look of cluttered homes and without all that stuff we feel like we might be in a doctor’s office.
The problem with this look that all cluttered homes have is that it makes our homes feel claustrophobic and it gives us little room to grow. Slow decorating and curating decor that makes you happy is great but you still have to pair down once in awhile.
We can actually look like a cluttered person even if we aren’t if we like to spread everything out like that. It can also make cleaning day much harder! When was the last time you dusted all those little things?
What can you do about it?
Since you are used to the look of cluttered homes it actually makes you feel comfortable. This is a form of clutter blindness because what looks like clutter to other people looks “cozy” to you. How can you reverse this attitude? Gradually.
Start with putting away things that don’t belong on the counters and throwing away trash.
Next, declutter you home decor and get rid of a few decorations from each area. Get used to having more space.
Take time to acknowledge the lighter look and the easier use of each space. Then let go of a few more things.
You know how Doctor’s offices aren’t cluttered? That’s because clutter stresses people out and open spaces make them feel calm…
Resist the urge to fill every empty space and make it a habit to put things away. Eventually, you will get used to the look and feel of more open spaces. When you do that you will no longer be clutter blind.
You Have Clutter Blindness and You Think The Store Can Fix It!
Another dead giveaway that you may have clutter blindness is that whenever life presents a problem you run to the store for a solution! Maybe you secretly like clutter and you want to hide it in more clutter.
You are always looking for a new hook or shelf or plastic box to put stuff in or on! You feel like the only way to make life easier is to buy something for every single thing that comes up.
The problem with that is that the more stuff you have the more you need to take care of and the more you need to store and organize.
And guess what? The things that make your house look cluttered include all these organization solutions that won’t work as long as you don’t declutter!
Pretty soon you are overwhelmed by all your “solutions” and your house is full of clutter again!
What can you about clutter blindess and storage solutions?
When your storage solutions are no longer working, instead of buying more storage, go through the stuff you are storing. You may find that you can pair down and everything will fit in the storage you have already.
When you feel that you need a gadget to help you with something that you are trying to accomplish ask yourself if there is anything you already have that could be used.
If you do need to buy something consider what will be the best solution and opt for versatile quality solutions rather than single-use gadgets.
Sometimes organizational solutions take up more room than they help you save so do your research. Sometimes the old solutions are the best solutions.
Just remember cluttered homes can be well organized but that doesn’t mean they are livable!
You Might Have Clutter Blindness But That Can Change!
So maybe you grew up in a cluttered home and you like things “handy” and “cozy”. Because of that, you have become clutter blind and you appear to be a cluttered person.
It may take time to change the way you look at your home. But as you slowly declutter and organize your home you may find that the benefits outweigh the discomfort of change. You will start appreciating a tidy open look and your clutter blindness will go away.
You will find yourself spending less time on cleaning and organizing and more time with your family. When friends drop by you won’t be embarrassed and when you are trying to get ready in the morning it will be easier to find clothes and shoes and keys and get out the door!
Do you think you have clutter blindness? What would you like to change to make your home more clutter free while still making it work for you? Please share in the comments below!
Need More Help Overcoming Clutter Blindness?
If you think you have clutter blindness and feel like you need more help knowing how to declutter your home I have created a great E-book that will help you take the process in 3 phases that will help you build your decluttering muscles gradually!
It will help you to be FEARLESS in the decluttering process and finally get your house looking the way you have always dreamed of!
