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The thought of a professional organizer entering your home may send you into a cleaning frenzy. Even if you’re naturally tidy, piles of items can easily stack up, whether due to a lack of storage or a lack of a system.
That’s not all an eagle-eyed organizer can spot, though—we asked several professional organizers to reveal what they immediately notice upon entering a messy home.
If any of them sound familiar, there is no need to worry. They also spilled how to combat the disarray of clutter with some simple tips.
Excess of a Single Category
Too much of anything (including good things) can lead to cluttered chaos. A common culprit of a messy home is excess belongings of a particular category, says Marissa Hagmeyer, co-founder of NEAT Method.
Think of overflowing bookshelves, toys strewn across the floor, or a mountain of shoes piled up near a front door.
If this sounds familiar, get serious about donating or tossing items that are broken, stained, or no longer being used.
Hagmeyer also recommends setting limits on the amount of personal items that can be kept in drop zones—say, one coat per family member near the entryway—then storing the rest in each person’s bedroom.
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A Stale Scent
The first thing Sara Losonci, founder of New York City-based organizing service Shelfie, notices when entering a messy home is the odor. Messy homes are often filled with thick air full of unhealthy particles like dust and mold—gross.
“I can almost always tell if the smell is from pets, dust, mold, dirty laundry, or a combo of all,” Losonci says.
To combat a stale scent, open your windows and do a deep clean. You may be shocked at how much dust is trapped under the clutter. Once you get a whiff of clean air, consider ordering an air purifier.
“I’ll Deal With This Later” Piles
Even the most organized amongst us are guilty of creating piles of paperwork or a corner of half-finished to-do projects.
“Clutter always breeds more clutter, so the piles inevitably grow over time,” Joanna Teplin, co-founder of The Home Edit, tells The Spruce..
Teplin’s solution: put systems in place to stop the piles from starting in the first place. If you struggle with mail piling up on your counter, place stackable paper trays in the location where you typically drop things.
Organizing Tip
If the issue is half-finished projects, like clothing you need to mend or donate, hold yourself accountable and set a deadline.
Lack of Storage
When a home starts to look messy, Ashley Murphy, co-founder of NEAT Method, says it’s often because too many belongings are stored out in the open.
That’s an indicator that you lack proper cupboard or closet space, so consider investing in freestanding pieces like a sideboard or storage bench.
There’s no such thing as too much storage, so take a look at which pieces of furniture could work harder for you. It may be time to replace pieces that lack (but could contain) enclosed storage like end tables, coffee tables, and media consoles.
A Cluttered Floor
Constantly tripping over boots or backpacks? Items collecting on the floor is a good indicator of two issues: either those items don’t have a clear home, or the place they belong is too full, says Murphy.
The first step to combating ground clutter is to create a categorizing system. Once a system is in place—jackets live here, umbrellas belong here—it’s a breeze to both locate and put those items away.
“Add labels to each container or basket to simplify the process even further for everyone in your household,” Murphy says.
Crowded Drawers and Cabinets
Clea Shearer, co-founder of The Home Edit, can immediately spot a cabinet or drawer that’s partially open, as if someone tried to slam it shut with too much stuff inside.
The only solution is to purge excess items such as receipts you no longer need, dead batteries, and expired gift cards. Then you can create a system with storage that fits the space.
“You get the item or you get the space, but you don’t get both!” Shearer says.
Dust, Dirt, and Crumbs
Messy homes are inherently much more difficult to clean, as spaces are harder to access with a vacuum or rag. Emily Ranager, the director of operations at Shelfie NYC, says that living in an untidy environment also often inhibits motivation to keep up with basic cleaning tasks, too.
“Messy homes tend to have crumbs inside the kitchen drawers, fluffs of hair in corners of the floor and around baseboards, and ceiling fans with thick ribbons of dust,” Ranager says.
To combat the grime, start by clearing surfaces, not just working around them. No cheating allowed! Pick everything up off the floor and put it in a bin so you can vacuum. After vacuuming, return everything to its proper home.
