5 Messy Habits to Break So Your Home Actually Stays Clutter-Free

There’s nothing like coming home to a perfectly organized space. Your closet is sorted, your living spaces are tidy, and your kitchen counters are clutter-free. But keeping things this way is another challenge altogether. However, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Sometimes, it’s just helpful to know what’s holding you back. So, professional organizers filled us in on five common reasons why your home doesn’t stay organized—plus, some helpful tips for keeping things in order.

You’re Prioritizing Aesthetics

There’s something about seeing a beautifully organized space on TikTok or Instagram that motivates us to re-create the look in our own homes. However, arranging our snacks to look like a rainbow isn’t necessarily the best approach to keeping an organized pantry, according to Briana and Erica Spruille, professional organizers and founders of Just BE LLC. “The first thing we discuss with our clients is to get the vision of being aesthetically organized out of their minds,” Briana Spruille says. “Why? Because that is not our initial goal. So many people tell us they need to be more organized when in fact they just need to declutter and simplify so that there is less to manage in their homes and lives.”

So, it’s crucial to focus on the excess and get rid of as much as possible, then find an aesthetic way to arrange it that’s easy to maintain.  

You Don’t Have A Home For Things

Whether it’s an extra roll of toilet paper, your face wash, or socks, every object you own needs to go somewhere. “We might have trouble staying organized because we have not established a specific ‘home’ for our things. Or, maybe we have set aside a place for our items but they don’t get put back after being used,” says Angela O’Brien, professional organizer and founder of Your Space Reclaimed. 

The organizer’s motto is, “Don’t put it down, put it away.” There are lots of ways to keep your home organized with this approach. One suggestion the organizer has is to designate a basket as a temporary spot for things until you put them away. Stash the basket in a busy spot like the bottom of a staircase.  

O’Brien also recommends considering whether or not you have a home for something before you purchase it. This applies to everything from that extra large bottle of laundry detergent to new decor. 

You Don’t Have A System

If you don’t have a system, it’s really challenging to maintain an organized space. While there are lots of ways to create systems, Katrina Green, ADHD Organizing Specialist and Coach, founder of Badass Homelife LLC suggests the zone approach, making sure like items are stored in the right zones of your home. “For example, it must make sense in your brain that this item belongs in the kitchen,” Green says. 

A major part of creating a system is to establish boundaries and rules for yourself. “Taking five minutes a day or even every other day to pick up the things that are not in their real place will reduce your need to take more time to do upkeep,” Green adds. “Spreading it in smaller increments versus looking at it as a project will help you have a less disorganized home.” 

You Don’t Declutter Regularly

Decluttering once a year (or even quarterly) won’t cut it for some spaces. This is because life brings clutter, O’Brien says. “We bring food into and out of our pantries and refrigerators,” O’Brien continues. “Our kids grow out of their clothes and need larger sizes or different trends. We might even develop new hobbies or interests that require new equipment. All of this can make it difficult to stay organized in our homes.”  

So, while you can’t stop living in your home, you can schedule in more frequent decluttering sessions. “A few minutes once a month checking expiration dates in the pantry, a quick review of our children’s clothes once a quarter to see what still fits and what can be handed down, or a yearly clean out of the garage can really help us keep the excess clutter at bay,” O’Brien adds.

You’re Holding On to Too Many Sentimental Items

Grandma’s China set might be meaningful, but if you’re a grab-and-go kind of person—are you really going to use antique dishes? Probably not. The same goes for your kids’ artwork. There’s no need to hold onto every project. 

Erica Spruille tells me one reason why many of us fail to stay organized is that we just have too many sentimental things in our homes. “If you are holding on to too many sentimental items—is it out of guilt?” she asks. “If it’s paper, scan it, and consider passing some things on to another loved one.”

Don’t forget—when everything is important, nothing is important. So think carefully about what you really want to keep.