How cluttered is the average house?

One in Four Americans Has a Clutter Problem — And Could Be Sitting on Some Serious Cash. All that stuff eating up space could actually be translated into more money in your pockets. One-quarter of Americans cop to having a “clutter problem.” Hardly surprising then, that the average home contains 300,000 items.

What is considered a cluttered home?

Too much furniture or oversized furniture

When you have either too much furniture in a space or furniture that is too large for the room it can make your home look cluttered. Don't fill every inch of the rooms in your home with furniture. Remove pieces that you aren't using or that are crowding the space.

Is the average house messy?

Surprisingly, we found that half of American homes are always clean, while just 1% of Americans never lift a finger and do the dirty work.

What percentage of people have messy houses?

In a survey conducted in October 2014 for SpareFoot, 6 percent of American adults said their house or apartment is “very” cluttered, and 21 percent classified their space as “somewhat” cluttered.

How do you know if your house is too cluttered?

A Cluttered Life: Middle-Class Abundance

What is considered clutter?

Clutter: A collection of things lying around in an untidy mess. (Other definitions can be found HERE and HERE) So, in it's most basic form, it's anything that's untidy and messy in your space.

Does everyone have clutter?

Just about every home has some clutter—even if it's contained behind closed closet doors or tucked away in a garage, basement, or attic. You know where your clutter lurks, and even if it's not visible, it could be causing you stress.

How often does the average person clean their house?

How Often Does The Average Person Clean Their House? Research by the American Cleaning Institute found that Americans spend 6 hours cleaning every week, while a third wonder if they are cleaning enough and correctly. Most homeowners sweep and mop, vacuum, clean the bathroom, and dust furniture once a week.

What does clutter say about you?

Clutter in the living room might suggest blockages in your social life, as well as your relationship with yourself, while a cluttered bedroom might relate to issues surrounding your sexual self, fears of intimacy or gender roles.

How do I know if my house is clean enough?

Is it OK to have a dirty house?

Does a messy house affect you? Absolutely! While it is not healthy to obsess too much over cleanliness and let even the tiniest mess make you feel anxious, a consistently poorly maintained home can pose a great risk to all household members. The consequences of living in a messy home are numerous.

How are some people's houses so clean?

What is considered messy?

There are many things to take into consideration when determining if a person is dirty or messy. Messy is a pile of dishes in the sink; dirty is food stuck on the counter. Messy is moving things around to "organize them," while dirty usually involves a sponge and some Clorox.

How do you know you have too much stuff?

You have items in your drawers and closets that no longer fit or that you haven't worn in a year or more. Take a good, hard look at the insides of your closets and drawers. If you have clothing that hasn't seen the light of day since the 80's (AND it's not a Halloween costume), you most likely have too much stuff.

Can you declutter too much?

This is compulsive decluttering – 'the opposite of hoarding' – also known as obsessive-compulsive Spartanism; being unable to handle mess. You want to live a life that's as minimalist as humanly possible and experience intense stress when confronted with unnecessary physical items.

How long does it take to declutter a house?

Recent surveys indicate that household decluttering takes on average 208 hours a year, at least. In a lifetime, this is 1 year and 3 months. Some will use up to 2 years based on their yearly average time decluttering.

What is the difference between clutter and hoarding?

Distinguishing between hoarding and clutter

On the face of it they can seem quite similar, but there is a big difference between hoarding and clutter. While clutter is the result of general mess or untidiness, hoarding is more serious. Hoarding is what happens when somebody is suffering from a hoarding disorder.

What is the psychology behind clutter?

According to Psychology Today, clutter causes stress in part because of its excessive visual stimuli. It also signals to our brains that our work is never done and creates guilt, anxiety and the feeling of being overwhelmed.

Is clutter related to trauma?

In most cases, this clutter is directly linked to traumatic events. Clutter could stem from the fear of letting go. This would be especially the case if a person grew up during or shortly after a time of war when people did not have much and had to use everything they had until it fell apart.

How often should you change your sheets?

Most people should wash their sheets once per week. If you don't sleep on your mattress every day, you may be able to stretch this to once every two weeks or so. Some people should wash their sheets even more often than once a week.

How often should bath towels be washed?

As a general rule, launder your bath towel (or swap in a clean one) at least once a week and your washcloth a couple times a week. Wash towels more frequently if you're sick to avoid reinfection.

How often should a house be vacuumed?

However, the basic rule of thumb is that carpeted floors and rugs should be vacuumed at least twice weekly and hard surface floors like tile, hardwood, laminate, and vinyl should be vacuumed at least once per week.

Does a clean house make you happier?

Additionally, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America indicates that the physical activity of cleaning coupled with the end result of a cleaner home helps reduce stress, feelings of anxiety, and depressive symptoms. 8 Cleaning can also reduce fatigue and improve concentration.

What should you not do when decluttering?

How often do people declutter?

Some people declutter certain parts of their home at different rates. For example, some parents may clean out the junk of their kids' rooms once a year, but will declutter their own room once every two to three years. Some people declutter their entire homes on a schedule, calling this their “spring cleaning.”