Do you know what the true cost of clutter is? Are you part of these eye opening clutter statistics?

Do you ever feel like your clutter is taking over your life? You’re not alone. From that overflowing junk drawer to that closet stuffed with clothes you haven’t worn in years, clutter seems to have a way of accumulating and taking over our spaces.

But what’s the true cost of all this clutter? Is it just a minor inconvenience, or does it have more serious consequences?

Let’s dive into the real impact of clutter on our physical and mental well-being, productivity, and even our relationships, as well as some surprising statistics on clutter.

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Table Of Contents
  1. The physical cost of clutter
  2. The mental cost of clutter
  3. The financial cost of clutter
  4. The social cost of clutter
  5. 27 Shocking clutter statistics

The physical cost of clutter

Clutter isn’t just an eyesore; it can also have a serious impact on your physical health. Did you know that clutter can worsen allergies and asthma symptoms?

Dust mites, mold, and pet dander love to accumulate in piles of clutter, making it difficult to breathe and triggering allergy and asthma symptoms.

Clutter can also be a safety hazard. Tripping over piles of clutter can lead to serious injuries, especially for older adults or those with mobility issues. In fact, clutter-related injuries send thousands of people to the emergency room each year.

And let’s not forget about the fire hazard posed by excess clutter. Cluttered homes are more likely to experience fires, and clutter can make it difficult to escape in an emergency.

But it’s not just our physical health that suffers from clutter. A cluttered home can also impact our sleep quality. The piles of clutter in our bedrooms can create a distracting and stressful environment that makes it difficult to relax and fall asleep.

In fact, a study by the National Sleep Foundation found that people who reported more clutter in their bedrooms also reported poorer sleep quality.

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The mental cost of clutter

Clutter can have a significant impact on our mental well-being, and the mental cost of clutter is often underestimated.

When we live in an environment that’s cluttered, disorganised, or chaotic, it can lead to feelings of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm. Our minds are wired to seek order and organisation, and clutter can create a sense of cognitive overload that can be mentally exhausting.

Clutter can negatively impact our ability to focus and concentrate, leading to decreased productivity and increased stress levels. When we’re surrounded by clutter, our brains have to work harder to process the visual stimuli around us, which can lead to mental fatigue and a decrease in cognitive functioning.

Clutter can also affect our mood and emotional well-being. When we live in a cluttered environment, it can be difficult to relax and unwind. It can create a sense of chaos and overwhelm, leading to feelings of anxiety and even depression.

It can be challenging to feel calm and at peace in a cluttered space, which can have a ripple effect on our overall mental health.

The financial cost of clutter

The financial cost of clutter can be significant, as it can lead to wasteful spending, increased expenses, and missed opportunities to save money.

One of the biggest financial costs of clutter is the money we spend on buying things we don’t even need. When we have a cluttered living space, it can be challenging to keep track of what we already have, leading us to buy duplicates of items we already own. This wasteful spending adds up over time and have a significant impact on our finances.

Another financial cost of clutter is the increased expenses associated with maintaining a cluttered living space. The more clutter we have, the bigger the home we need. It can also make it more challenging to find and maintain items, leading to increased expenses related to storage and organisation.

Clutter can also lead to missed opportunities to save money. By spending money on things we don’t need, we can miss out on the chance to save money for things we actually need.

The social cost of clutter

The social cost of clutter is often overlooked, but it can have a significant impact on our relationships and social interactions. When we live in a cluttered and disorganised environment, it can affect how others perceive us and even impact our ability to form and maintain relationships.

For example, if we have a cluttered and disorganised home, we may be less likely to invite friends or family over, which can limit our social interactions and lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. It can also be challenging to host guests in a cluttered environment, which can make us feel embarrassed or ashamed.

Cutter can also also impact our work and professional relationships. If we work from home or have clients visit our workspace, a cluttered environment can make us appear disorganised and unprofessional. It can also be distracting and decrease our productivity, leading to missed deadlines and lost opportunities.

Let’s now have a look at some surprising facts about clutter that will help us understand the true cost of clutter on our lives.

These facts can help us to appreciate how much of an impact clutter can have, and why it’s so important to take steps to reduce or eliminate it from our homes, workspaces, and lives.

Cost of clutter: cluttered garage

27 Shocking clutter statistics

  1. The average American spends 2.5 years of their life looking for lost or misplaced items (source).
  2. Americans spend $38 billion annually on storage units (source).
  3. 80% of storage units are used for household items (source).
  4. There is an estimated 6.5 square feet of self storage space for each American (source).
  5. Reducing the amount of clutter in your home would eliminate 40% of household chores (source).
  6. 25% of people who have two-car garages cannot park any cars inside, while 32% can only park one car inside. (source).
  7. There are over 300,000 things in the average U.S. household (source).
  8. Out of all the children on the planet, children in the U.S. only make up 3.7%. However, they have 47% of all children’s books and toys (source)
  9. Living in a cluttered home increases the likelihood of being overweight or obese by 77%. (source)
  10. 80% of the clutter in homes is a result of disorganization, not lack of space (source)
  11. Women only wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time (source).
  12. The average American receives 41 pounds of junk mail per year (source).
  13. American landfills end up with 5.6 million tons of junk mail in them each year (source).
  14. 80% of what we own, we never use (source).
  15. The average American throws away over 80lbs of clothing each year (source).
  16. 23% of adults say they pay bills late because they lose them (source)
  17. Each year, Americans spend $2.7 billion on replacing things they can’t find. Two-thirds of them spend up to $50 per year on this (source).
  18. The average American woman owns 19 pairs of shoes, with 15% owning more than 30 pairs (source).
  19. 60% of people have been late to work or school trying to find lost items (source).
  20. The average adult spends $161 per month on clothing (source).
  21. Clutter in the home is linked to increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol (source).
  22. 20% of American’s who earn between $30,000 and $100,000 are spending more than they earn on things they don’t need each year (source).
  23. Older adults experience a significant decrease in life satisfaction due to clutter (source).
  24. Every year, out of 100 billion garments produced, 92 million tonnes of those garments end up in landfills (source).
  25. 55% of Americans worry that their house isn’t clean or organised enough (source).
  26. There are over 51,000 storage facilities in the US holding people’s clutter (source).
  27. 25% of women admit to having between $1,000 and $2,499 worth of clothes, 23% have between $2,500 and $4,999. and 9% admit to a total of over $10,000 (source).

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The cost of clutter goes beyond just the physical and financial aspects. The clutter in our homes and lives can impact our mental and emotional well-being, productivity, and overall quality of life.

It’s important to take a step back, evaluate what we truly need, and declutter regularly to create a space that brings us joy and helps us thrive.

To get your started on your decluttering journey, read these articles:

So let’s say goodbye to the clutter and hello to a happier, healthier, and more organised life. Remember, small steps can lead to big changes, and the benefits of decluttering are truly priceless. 

Vourneen

Vourneen is the founder of The Plain Simple Life and a certified decluttering and organising coach. She has helped thousands of people simplify their lives over the past 3 years through minimalism and simple living and considers it a personal goal to continue to help others do the same.

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