12 Organization Tips That Are Actually Cluttering Your Space
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To get rid of clutter, decluttering is a no brainer so to speak, but ironically some popular organization tips may be going against having a tidy space. There are a few of these practices that consume too much room or complicate things with too many steps and can actually lead to even more clutter.
Let’s debunk a few of these well meaning but counter productive tips to help you keep that environment truly streamlined and organized.
Over-Stacked Storage Bins
Usually you are told to stack bins, which is good advice if you can but if you can’t then it can become a complete mess. They can, in some ways, help, but they can also pile up and make it so you need to unstack everything to get what you need. The bins get piled with the frequently used items which makes more clutter.
Labeling Everything in Excess
Being able to label something can be helpful, but too much of it will make it visually cluttered. Placing labels on every item or container is too much visual ‘noise’ which overwhelms. It will also make it more difficult to reorganize later, as you will have to change or remove labels. Labeling to a minimum is key to keep a clean look.
Small Storage Containers Multiplied
According to Abby Organizes, organizing drawers and shelves with smaller containers is popular and used for storage in rooms, but too many can crowd the space, making it harder to get to whatever you’re looking for. This abundance of containers can even result in a mess rather than in making more order.
Overfilled Catch-All Drawers
It seems like a good idea to have a designated junk drawer, but having miscellaneous items filling it usually results in clutter. The more it gets filled with things, the harder it is to find anything. Instead of becoming an organized storage space, it can become a mess in no time. Keep catch-all areas to essentials and limit them for managing.
Using Too Many Decorative Baskets
Beautiful and useful, decorative baskets can be a nice addition to a room until you have too many and the room starts to look and feel cluttered. If you have baskets everywhere, you can feel like you have clutter even when you don’t. Stick to a few key areas for baskets and make sure they’re the right size for the items you’re storing.
Adding Too Many Shelves
Extra shelves seem helpful, but too much shelving on walls can make a room feel overwhelmed. Too many shelves mean you have too many items to store and the spaces look busy on your walls and in your space. Don’t make shelves too extravagant or add too many unless you really need that functionality.
Saving Every Box for ‘Organization’
It may be tempting to keep every box from packages to organize things in the future, but before long, you’ll have an empty box pile. These boxes take up space; they are cluttering up your area. Keep boxes if they have an immediate use only and don’t be a hoarder of ‘just in case.’
Overfilling Closet Organizers
Closet organizers are nice, but if you fill them to the gills, you’re going to have trouble finding your clothes and they’re going to look messy. The purpose of organizers is defeated when cramming too many items into them makes access difficult. Instead, use organizers to make visible and easily accessible the essential items without overcrowding.
Using Too Many Drawer Dividers
Drawer dividers can help, but too many create tiny, ineffective compartments that make it difficult to organize large things. Such a tactic usually fills the drawers with items shoved into the small spaces. Try to use dividers to balance out the space in your drawer so you can cram without order and vice versa.
Keeping All Paperwork “Just in Case”
Stacks of unnecessary paperwork can be created by holding onto every document for safe keeping. Some papers are important, but many can be digitized or discarded. With fewer physical papers, you have more space, and your storage areas aren’t cluttered with piles of documents everywhere.
Hoarding Organizing Products
Buying endless organizing products can seem like a good idea, but they rarely get used and only add to the mess. Storage areas can become cluttered and chaotic, with too many products. Don’t buy organizational tools you don’t need, and don’t buy them just in case.
Organizing Every Small Item Separately
Over-compartmentalization occurs when you separate every small item, from hairpins to paper clips, into individual compartments. Too many tiny containers fill drawers or shelves, making it more difficult to keep track of things. It helps to group similar items together for a more efficient, less cluttered organization system.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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