If you feel like your home is a cluttered mess, you’re not alone. We’ve all been there before. Well, maybe not to the same extent as some people out there with their hoarder-Esque homes (seriously). But we’ve all felt that way at one time or another–usually when our significant other walks into the living room and asks us what in the world we were thinking by stacking piles of clothes on top of each other and lining them up against the walls.
We know how it feels to have a house that looks like it’s falling around us because we had too much clutter. And while most people would be happy with just tossing everything away, knowing they’ll end up repurchasing new stuff, others of us want to take a more proactive and preventive measure by getting organized.
But where to start?
One great way to start your home organization journey is by checking out some statistics about it. Knowing how common or rare your situation might be or how severe other people’s cases can get will help give you a better idea of the severity of your problem and what kind of progress you need to make.
1. The average American family has 5 hours and 54 minutes of cleanup time each week. (OnePoll)
2. Disorganization results in 23% of adults paying their bills late and incurring late payment fees. (Harris Interactive study)
3. 5000 hours during our lifetimes looking for items in our house. (Ikea)
4. 63% of those surveyed planned to get rid of outdated clothing next year. (MSN.com poll)
5. A study of 2,137 U.S. women revealed that their closets had an average of $550 worth of unworn clothing. (10 Yetis survey)
6. Women with shoe racks are 7 times more likely to be on time for work than women without them. (IKEA study)
7. Disorganization (not lack of space) causes 80% of household clutter. (Soap and Detergent Association study)
Homeowners should organize their homes to help them save money and time. They won’t have to spend as much time looking for things, and they’ll be able to pay their bills on time. Additionally, homeowners will be less likely to clutter their homes if they are organized. Finally, homeowners should create a system to maintain their home organization. This could involve weekly or monthly cleanups or only organizing specific areas of the home at a time. Whatever system homeowners choose, they must stick to it if they want to keep their homes organized.