Sometimes as a homeowner, it can feel like clutter appears out of nowhere — especially if there are a couple of kids at home too. While our homes don’t necessarily need to be in tip-top shape every single day. It is nice to have an environment where you can relax and unwind, and that’s often easier to do when there’s less clutter. Today, let’s look at a few mistakes homeowners make that can fuel a never-ending battle with clutter:

Not Giving Things a Home

This is one of my favorite tips because it’s so simple and so helpful. I recommend homeowners start with their daily routines. Think about an average day. What are the things you’re using in your home? Where are you spending the most time? You could start from when you first walk in the door. Do you tend to start taking off your coat and shoes? Where do you drop your keys? When these things do have a specific home, it’s easy for them to land where they may and contribute to the clutter. When they have a specific place though and become a part of your routine, you’ll eliminate those items from the general clutter.

Not Getting the Family On Board

Most people create a bit of clutter in a home, some more than others. This means it can’t just be one person in the house trying to tackle it all. That creates a never-ending cycle where you finish cleaning one area only to find another has become disorganized while you were in the other room. It needs to be a team effort. It’s especially important to get your kids on board so they can contribute and build these habits for themselves. Help them give their belongings a home, build in a quick clean-up time before dinner, and help them feel good about neatening up their space.

Not Letting Go of What You Don’t Need

Cleaning clutter doesn’t just mean removing it from view. Sure, it’s tempting to throw that stack of papers into the drawer or stuff a few more items into a kitchen cabinet, but these things are only going to make more clutter in the long run. If you sometimes find yourself hanging on to things you don’t use, take some time to consider if that’s contributing to clutter and how you might make some adjustments. By freeing up space and intentionally sorting our belongings as opposed to hiding them away create a much better foundation for staying organized.

Not Having a Routine for Decluttering

As most of us know, clutter builds. At first, it’s just a little paperwork on your desk and a few toys that weren’t put away. Then before you know it, it feels like you have hours of work ahead of you to get things back into shape. A routine can help prevent things from getting that far. As I mentioned above, a quick routine with your kids before dinner, for example, or an end-of-the-workday desk clean are little routines that can help you stay on top of things.

How do you deal with clutter at home? Is it a battle you’re always fighting, or you have found some strategies to master the clutter? I’d love to hear your thoughts!