11 Things People Who Hate Clutter Secretly Do When No One's Looking
People who hate clutter can't leave it there for long, but they're not necessarily loud about it.
Roman Samborskyi / Shutterstock Have you ever visited a home that looked totally spotless? If so, the person likely either hired a professional cleaning crew or had a strong aversion to clutter. Believe it or not, having a penchant for avoiding clutter comes with its own set of habits that help keep clutter at bay.
If you want to decrease the amount of clutter in your home or even just understand more about what people do to keep clutter at bay, take a look at this list below.
These are 11 things people who hate clutter secretly do when no one's looking
1. 'Mise en place' cooking and bartending
constantgardener from Getty Images Signature via Canva
Take a close look at how the bartenders at your favorite bar work next time you’re out. You might notice that the bar always stays clean, no matter how crazy business is. This is partly due to the practice of mise en place.
“Mise en place” means “put in place” in French. The concept is simple: everything has a specific place where it belongs. When you’re done using it, you don’t drop it and place it later. You keep holding it until it’s in its proper place, then return it to its original position.
It keeps clutter and chaos at bay like nothing else, and yet, very few people notice it in action.
2. Clean as they go
Claudiad from Getty Images Signature via Canva
Another major secret that goes hand in hand with mise en place is cleaning as you go. Most people don’t notice when a host at a party casually chats them up while wiping down the counter. They also don’t notice if a host sneakily tosses a dirty napkin in the bin while making a joke.
Cleaning as you walk through a room is such a simple thing to do. Subtle as it is, it’s a habit that quickly curbs clutter.
3. Regift items they don't want or need
RDNE Stock project from Pexels via Canva
If you’re like many other people out there, you’ve been given a gift you didn’t want or like. Some of us will ask for an exchange receipt or just chuck the gift. Others may leave it to gather dust in a corner of an attic.
Around one in three of us would, however, regift it. Regifting is sneaky. It’s done when no one is looking. It also cuts down on clutter and waste. So, maybe it’s not all that bad?
4. Donate used goods
AndreyPopov from Getty Images via Canva
If you’re not a fan of regifting but still want to get rid of clutter, there’s another low-key option that you can choose. A lot of the most clutter-free homeowners I know have a weekend every season dedicated to rooting through their items.
Any items they decide to get rid of either end up in the bin or are donated to a cause of their choice. This is a smart money move, since donations can be major tax write-offs.
5. Toss stuff they don’t need or that doesn’t serve them
Oksana Krasiuk via Canva
When it comes to clutter, few people are as adept at removing it as cleaning expert Marie Kondo. She became famous for her cleaning method, which required cleaners to throw out anything that doesn’t spark joy.
All items you keep through the “KonMari Method” are then carefully put away and treated with care. As someone who’s tried the KonMari Method, it’s a fairly smart method that can get rid of a shocking amount of clutter.
6. Repurpose items
Uplight Pictures from Getty Images via Canva
If you’re a sentimental parent, you likely have a bunch of baby clothes that you don’t want to get rid of but can’t figure out what to do. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. It’s a conundrum that can happen with almost any clothing item one cares about: clothing too meaningful to toss, but totally useless for anything other than cluttering up a place.
Some crafty folks have taken old clothing from loved ones or babies, trimmed them up, and created new items from them. Quilts, pillows, and even stuffed animals can be made this way.
7. Wince at other people's clutter
Prostock-studio via Canva
People who hate clutter don’t like looking at it. It’s cringe-inducing, even when it’s not their own. When they’re out and about, most clutter-haters try to keep their opinions to themselves. Even so, that doesn’t stop them from being grossed out by the clutter they see in other people’s homes.
As a person who hates clutter, I have definitely seen homes that made me take a quiet mental note to throw things out after a visit.
8. Stash things strategically
pixelshot via Canva
Most people have met individuals who are “okay” with clutter as long as it’s not within casual eyesight. These are the folks who will have cleared-out tabletops, crisp desks, and walk-in closets that tend to look pristine as can be, but still have drawers jam-packed with items.
Strategic stashing is all about making the most out of the storage you have. People who hate clutter will often purchase organizers that help them maximize their storage space. They make a point of adding extra storage space whenever it’s possible.
9. Downsize their closets
Mariakray from Getty Images via Canva
Did you know that 65% of all people have clothing in their closets that still have price tags on them? It’s true. Most of us have unused clothing items just languishing away, waiting for that one day they’ll be worn.
Clutter haters can’t stand that. If they notice that a clothing item isn’t being worn, looks shabby, or otherwise doesn’t mesh with their style, they’ll toss it.
10. Go digital
Canva AI Studio with AI via Canva
If you’re like many other people, you might have noticed that offices are going digital at breakneck speeds. Even paper-heavy industries are starting to digitize their records. If you’re a person who works in a home office, you likely are aware of why: paper clutter.
Digitizing paper documents and having them carefully categorized is the easiest way to reduce clutter at home. The more paper-heavy your field is, the happier you’ll be if you do this. Trust me on this!
11. Hire help or pay for extra space
paulbr75 from pixabay via Canva
Believe it or not, decluttering isn’t always a one-person job, even if you’re a person who vehemently hates clutter. That’s why many people who hate clutter tend to hire professionals to help them clean it out, determine how to use their space more efficiently, and assist with relocating their own items to and from a storage facility.
If you hate clutter, investing in keeping your life clutter-free is a surprisingly smart (and common) move. Who’d have thought?
Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer whose work has been featured in Yahoo, BRIDES, Your Daily Dish, Newtheory Magazine, and others.
