Clear That Clutter!

Are your walls closing in on you? Is your floor space severely diminished due to a build-up of clutter? You have only yourself to blame. Stop making lame excuses and think of all the disadvantages you and your family have to put up with each and every day because of your reluctance to be rid of it.

The main disadvantage when living in a home full of clutter is that clutter actually breeds more clutter. The explanation is simple and extremely logical: you can’t find a particular item because there is too much clutter in the way and it takes you too long to locate so you go and buy a new one which thus adds to the clutter. Makes sense doesn’t it? You soon end up with far more similar items than you will ever need. This type of hoarding may be unintentional but it is hoarding nonetheless.

Other occupants of your home will never miss an opportunity to complain about your clutter unless you happen to provide them with something remotely useful which they feel they desperately need on the spur of the moment. They will likely express their eternal gratitude and you will enjoy some well-earned respite from their tirades but all this is soon forgotten when they trip over some more of your clutter that you've left in their way.

There are many other disadvantages to clutter; it prevents proper and correct enjoyment of household items and space; an extreme example of this is books stored in the bathtub. Many household fittings and fixtures are not allowed to function properly and may even disappear from view!

Clutter slows down the rate at which you can get things done purely because you have to move at least half a dozen things out of the way first before you reach the item you want. This also causes avalanches - usually of books and clothes when you see the item you need but it is at the very bottom of a pile. You have chests of drawers and cupboards you can’t open because of all the possessions in front of them. You can’t shut doors because of all the clothes hanging on the handles and draped over the tops. Do you really want to live like this?

Clutter makes everything look bad. There are likely some very useful items in that pile of junk in the middle of your lounge but the rubbish detracts from the good. Be warned - sort it out before someone comes along and throws the whole lot out while you are not looking.

Clutter is not good for dust allergy sufferers; some of whom happen to be incorrigible hoarders themselves. Such folk will protest that the dust is only a problem when it is disturbed and they are quite correct. They will sneeze and cough their way through piles of old magazines and dust catching ornaments knowing that for their own health, well-being and perhaps even sanity, it would be far better to part with their junk but something at the very core of their being still prevents them from doing so.

Moths, mice and all manner of malevolent munchers will love your clutter - it is a veritable free feast to them. They will devour your stash of goodies left in the garage or the attic and soon it will be no good to anyone but the rag man. Far better to part company with it and donate it to charity while it still has some wear in it.

On a serious note, clutter can be a trip hazard and a fire hazard if stored too near a heat source and can, of course, be a hindrance if a property needs to be evacuated quickly. Landlords often throw up their hands in horror at the amount of clutter a tenant has allowed to accumulate both inside and outside a rental property and may often have to take drastic action when health and safety becomes an issue.

Hoarding can be a real mental health issue in extreme circumstances and professional help may be necessary if an individual lets the situation get so far out of hand so that it becomes a danger to health and well-being.

There really are no advantages to hoarding so clear that clutter and enjoy all that living space you didn’t realise you had. There is no excuse nowadays to hold onto useless and broken items and wrap them around you like a security blanket. There is every facility for recycling so why continue to inconvenience yourself and your loved ones?

Many items can be re-purposed and some given to charitable causes who will sell on if still serviceable or recycle them if they are well past their useful lives.Remember that items such as glass, paper, tins and most plastic packaging can be recycled so you won't be contributing to landfill by disposing of your clutter.

If your mountains of clutter seem insurmountable try clearing a small amount each day; after all, you did accumulate them over a long period of time. Each time you go out take a bag to the charity bank and you will soon notice a difference.