10 Sneaky Clutter Creators and How to Bust Them!

Life has been a little crazy lately. Full of all kinds of good and bad. Deaths and weddings, special events and chores, work and fun, sadness and joy. That’s life. C’est la vie! Always changing, always growing. 

But you know what? When I get a second to sit down and observe my space I notice something. All that life is all over and it looks like clutter. That’s right! Life is messy. Literally. 

There are a lot of sneaky clutter creators that can sneak up on you when your life is busy and I’m sure you have experienced the same thing. That being said, what are these clutter creators and how can we fight back? How can we return our spaces to the beautiful simple and calming environments we desire? How can we, to some extent, prevent those sneaky clutter creators in the first place? Let’s work through it together! 

Sneaky Clutter Creators to Watch For

First of all, it’s helpful to know what to watch out for. Sneaky clutter creators are things that get into our house either because we need them or because they are easy to obtain. They can easily pile up if not managed. These are things that sneak in because we are busy, not because we are consciously choosing to collect them.  

I know you are trying your best to stay clutter free but these things seem to crawl into all our homes despite our best efforts. Let’s identify them so we can stop them from taking over every clear counter and spare room. 

1: Freebies

The first of the sneaky clutter creators that I find in my room as we speak are the freebies. My husband brought home a gift bag of random junk from a party.  I was given some stickers and clothes by friends. Tomorrow my hubby will do a race and who knows what kinda swag he will bring back. 

Freebies are definitely one of the worst sneaky clutter creators and they can be hard to avoid. I try not to ever accept freebies from events but as you can see, not everyone in my house participates in that policy. 

What is challenging for me is not accepting hand-me-downs and gifts. I like to be sustainable and frugal so I tend to accept whatever is given just to see if it might be useful. 

With both freebies and gifts the best way to stay on top of the clutter creep is to sort through it quickly. Use what you can use and get rid of the rest. Regift, donate, or trash but get it out before it piles up!

2: Subscriptions

The next sneaky clutter creator I want to mention are subscriptions. Not digital subscriptions, although those can get out of hand too, but subscription boxes. I don’t have any but I clean for people who get subscription boxes of dog toys, makeup, clothes, and snack foods. 

The idea of these subscription boxes is that you will get to try lots of different things which sounds cool but what ends up happening is you only like and use a small portion of the things sent to you and the rest piles up. 

Instead of subscribing to get way more than you want or need buy makeup you’ve researched, clothes you know you will wear, snacks that look tasty, and one or two dog toys! My dog refuses to play with anything but his favorite hedgehog anyway! 

3: Toilettries

I love a clean counter top but I’ve noticed clutter creeping into my bathroom and it’s only getting worse as the wrinkles start to appear. Toiletries can really pile up. First you need hair gel and then you need mousse, you need a spray bottle and you also need leave in conditioner. You need normal lotion and old face lotion and you need…well you get my point. 

How do you prevent the insidious clutter creep of toiletries? Well, first of all, try to find the stuff that really works for you and then stick to it. I know that’s easier said than done but once it’s done why keep trying a million different products? It’s just wasteful and bad for the earth. And second, when you have found the right stuff it should be fairly easy to store it off the counter and out of sight. 

I keep my makeup in an open pencil holder box in the top drawer of my bathroom cabinet for easy and hidden access, all our shower items fit in the hanging caddy, and anything else is stored in other drawers that are convenient. Of course there are still some things on the counter top but not near as many as there could be. 

4: Mail & Packages

I think you can agree that one of the biggest sneaky clutter creators we all face is packaging, specifically packaging with a smiling arrow on it. You know what I mean. I literally have one such box sitting on my floor as we speak and I’ve been meaning to break it down and take it out to the recycle all week. I think about it every time I’m running out the door. 

And you know what? I should know better. I once had a million baby cockroaches hatch out of a cardboard box in my house. If that doesn’t motivate you to take care of all those boxes and envelopes I don’t know what will. 

An adjacent clutter creator is mail in general. Try to sort mail as you get it. Immediately toss junk mail and handle the important stuff (which is truly minimal if we’re honest) at least once a week. 

Pick a day for important paperwork if you must and do not keep things just in case. You will probably be able to obtain a record again if you really need to. Last but not least, throw the envelope away! It’s just making that paperwork even bulkier and messier in your space. 

5: Vitamins

Another sneaky clutter creator I’ve noticed is vitamins. People get on a kick, buy a bunch of vitamins or hear of new ones to try and take them for a little while but then lose the habit. The next time they get in the mood they buy more vitamins, maybe even ones they forgot they already had and guess what? The bottle collection grows and grows. 

Fight this sneaky clutter creator by thoroughly researching vitamins before buying them, using them up, or getting rid of the ones that don’t work for you. Always check your stash before you add to it.

6: Sales

The next in our list of sneaky clutter creators is even creepier than the rest. What is it? Sales. That’s right! We all love to save money but sometimes sales can convince us to buy things we don’t really need. At other times they trick us into getting much more than we need. 

Before you fall for a great deal ask yourself if you really need the item, if you would buy it if it wasn’t on sale, and if you can actually use multiples of the item before it expires. If not, you will probably save more money by simply not buying the item at all or buying less of it with the side benefit of not cluttering up with your house. 

7: Hobbies

Do you know what the messiest part of my space is? The crafty places. Both in my jewelry making and my sewing I struggle to keep craft supplies organized but more than that I struggle to keep them decluttered. 

Hobbies can create lots of scraps. Be honest with yourself and throw away what you will not be able to use for another project. Hobbies can also lead to overbuying. A lot of people grab anything that they see in the store and hoard it away for one day. That leads to piles of supplies but not necessarily to any finished products. I highly recommend only buying for only one project at a time. 

On the other hand, people have given me a lot of fabric that I haven’t gotten to yet. In that case I try not to buy anything till I’ve worked through what I have or gotten rid of what doesn’t inspire me. The same could be applied to any freebie supplies for any hobbies. 

8: Single Use Gadgets 

Speaking of sneaky clutter creators, one of the easiest to fall for are single use gadgets. Whether for the kitchen, the garage, or the bathroom there are a million little “solutions” out there that really aren’t necessary. 

Instead of an avocado cutter use a knife, instead of a silicone tube for peeling garlic use the palm of your hand, and does anyone really need a Vegetti?” Not to mention all the disposable dishes and one time use coffee pods that just down right disrespectful to the planet. 

Avoid single use gadgets if you want to avoid clutter. Stick to the good old fashioned solutions that are often higher quality, longer lasting, and more versatile. 

9: Clutter You’ve Already Decided to Let Go Of 

Funnily enough one sneaky clutter creator I see all the time is clutter itself. People are good at bagging up or boxing up stuff for donation or a yard sale but they aren’t great at actually getting rid of it. 

If you are going to have a yard sale pick the date (though it’s debatable whether or not it’s actually worth it. If you are going to sell something on Facebook Marketplace list it today! And finally if you are going to drop something off for donation make sure it’s in your car and on your mind the next time you go that direction! 

If you regularly get rid of stuff it will be a lot easier than if you let it pile up. 

10: Busy Schedules 

Last but certainly not least the sneakiest of all sneaky clutter creators is the busy schedule. Anything can become clutter when you are too busy to deal with it. And then, in those precious moments of spare time, it often feels too overwhelming to sort through. I know that from first hand experience. 

So how can you fight clutter when you have a busy schedule? Well, the best way is to stay on top of it. You do that by following all the tips above and not putting off decisions you could make in a moment for another time. Don’t let those decisions turn into piles of literal clutter. 

And what if you do have a little clutter piled up? Just set a 5-15 minute timer and see what you can manage to clear in that time. I guarantee you will be surprised! 

You Can Win the War Against Sneaky Clutter Creators

The truth of the matter is clutter is part of life because change is part of life. We will always be obtaining and releasing items from our life but as long as we keep identifying sneaky clutter creators we won’t drown in junk! 

What if you have a lot to declutter? What if you are completely overwhelmed and don’t know how to start? I can help you declutter your home! I created a realistic and practical process called Fearless Decluttering! Grab your e-book and workbook today!