Clutter creep could be why your home always feels messy, but changing it starts with a simple hack

Looking around my house right now there are piles of clutter by the doorway, on the kitchen table and on my kitchen sideboard. It didn’t start out that way, and I had actually cleaned and organised most of those areas, but one by one clutter just started to pile up.

I’m not the only one with this problem, which has the very catchy name clutter creep. It’s even something Maria Patisso, a Sydney-based professional organiser and founder of Organise My Life experiences in her own home.

“Honestly, it’s so hard, [on] my own kitchen bench – it’s the handbag, the car keys… because I think we all lead such busy lives,” she told nine.com.au.

“I’ve been a professional organiser for years, I’ve got two kids, I’m always working, and sometimes you’re just so exhausted you just put it in the first place that you see. Then it just stays there and because you’ve put something there, everybody else puts things there as well. All of a sudden, you’ve got half the bench covered in things when it should have food on it.”

Clutter creep might seem like something that’s just a bit annoying, but it has a bigger impact, making rooms look and feel smaller and surfaces harder to clean. This leads to stress and overwhelm making what should be your sanctuary difficult to relax in.

Patisso said clutter creep tends to get noticed when there are big life events like moving house, downsizing or having a baby, but it’s something we also spot when guests are coming over.

Once you’ve noticed that clutter has accumulated it’s time to tackle it. Instead of diving in head first the best approach is to start small and do a little bit at a time.

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“Generally, people pull everything out of the wardrobe, get overwhelmed, and then they can’t be bothered putting it back. So just start with maybe the hanging items, or maybe your underwear drawer. Always start small,” she said.

“A really easy way to begin is by getting rid of the rubbish. Get rid of things that you no longer use any more, or things that you once loved but absolutely don’t use now. Get rid of the things you don’t want first, and then reassess everything that’s left.”

After decluttering Patisso recommends creating systems for the items you are keeping. She said this step is “just as important as the decluttering itself”.

For me, that means working out a better way to deal with parcel packaging and receipts that end up on one end of my kitchen table. It also means figuring out a more functional system for recycling and items that need cleaning at some stage but not urgently. 

One option for the recycling and parcel packaging clutter I often have is to deal with it when it arrives, or at a designated time each day.

As for the pile of clutter in my entryway – which began as one box after I moved in six months ago, actually separating that into donations, recycling and rubbish and then removing it would free up a lot of space. I could then use that area as a spot to organise some of the items creeping over my kitchen surfaces – it would be the perfect drop zone for mail and parcels.

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Whether you’ve sorted out those areas of clutter creep or just want to prevent it from continuing there are a few things Patisso recommends to help keep you on track.

Setting some new rules

Her first tip is good to have in mind next time you buy something new. It’s the ‘one in, one out rule’.

“If they’re going to purchase something – say, a new t-shirt, they have to get rid of an old T-shirt. Generally, when we’re shopping, we buy things because we fancy them, not because we actually need them. It even comes down to things in the kitchen; if you get a new pan, get rid of an old pan,” she said.

Completing the cycle is also a good habit to get into when you come home from the shops with new items. It applies as much to your reusable shopping bags and receipts as it does to the new things you’ve bought.

“When you bring something home, don’t leave it sitting in the shopping bags; either get it washed and put it away, or put it away, straight away.”

Her next tip is to have regular decluttering sessions, particularly for seasonal items like clothes, but make sure you schedule them in your diary or calendar as this makes it more likely that you’ll do them.

“Once summer is finished, go through all your summer items, pack them away somewhere else, and get rid of the things you know you haven’t worn that season to help you prepare for the following year.”

The saying ‘a home for everything and everything in its place’ is another tip that prevents clutter creep because when items have a specific home you know where to put instead of leaving it on the kitchen bench.

In addition to doing those things, make tidying the home a weekly reset ritual to really nip clutter creep in the bud.

“I would suggest that families pick a day of the week – like a Sunday – to do a 10-minute reset and get the kids involved. It’s really important that kids see this as a normal routine,” Patisso said. 

“At the end of the week, do a quick 10 minutes: see who can put as many things away in the right place as possible. If a family of four does 10 minutes, that’s 40 minutes of collective tidying every week. It gets you set for Monday morning, and it definitely makes you feel better and ready for the week.”