Haven’t cleaned this in your house? 5 signs you’re clinging onto the past
Everybody is guilty of a bit of household clutter. It may be leaving out a pile of laundry that needs to be folded, or a stack of washing up in your sink that needs to be tackled.
Ignoring our cleaning is perfectly mundane, as long as it doesn’t get out of hand. If you’re guilty of these popular signs of clutter, it may be worth conducting a spring clean.
When we clean, our mental health is boosted. We’re calmer, in control of our surroundings, and there are no lingering tasks to add to our stress or anxiety levels.
According to the American Cleaning Institute, nearly 80% of US homes geared up for a spring clean in 2024, making the start of the new season the perfect time to sort out the mess left over from your winter hibernation.
If you’re looking to sort out your home to build a healthier, happier and cleaner lifestyle, these are some of the key signs that you’re unintentionally holding onto the past.
5 signs you live a life of clutter
1. Apps you never use fill your phone’s homepage
Flappy Bird was a craze from over ten years ago, so why do you still have it on your phone? 69% of UK adults consider themselves digital hoarders, with their phones filled with information and apps that take up storage despite never being used.
You may even be guilty of taking photos, videos and screenshots of things that you may believe you need at the time, but instead add up to digital clutter. Think of old e-receipts, blurry videos from concerts, and multiple versions of the same selfie.
34% of Brits are guilty of keeping these files on their phones, even though they know they won’t use them. If you don’t use it, don’t need it and don’t really want it, deleting the clutter may be the perfect detox your phone needs.
2. You’re unintentionally collecting things in your house
When you first started reading a book or magazine, you may have enjoyed it and added it to your bookshelf. Fast forward two years, and you’ve gained an entire collection of literary material that you never intended to keep in the first place.
Try tackling the bookshelf and seeing what you will likely read again. If it’s of no interest to you, try offering it to a friend if you think they’d be interested in reading a thrilling book or a great article.
If you own a complete collection, there may be a buyer online hoping to get their hands on your unwanted books.
3. Doing a full-house clean is impossible
Have piles of old newspapers and scarcely watched DVDs in your house? Those are magnets for dust that can feel like big ‘events’ to move, organise or audit, making cleaning feel like a bigger effort and hassle than it needs to be.
A good rule of thumb is that if attempting to clean would mean you knock over stacked clothes or piles of objects, you’re living a cluttered lifestyle. Your home environment should have enough clear space to stretch, relax, and complete hobbies – not just being a storage space for your unwanted and forgotten goods.
4. You have one too many memory boxes
Building a memory box of mementoes from past friendships, relationships, and key moments of your life can be an exciting and creative ways of keeping memories alive, rather than leaving them as forgotten photos in your camera roll.
If you’ve got more than you can count, however, you may be clinging onto the past a bit too much. In fact, 52% of Brits confessed that they would be upset if their partner had photos of their ex on their phone.
There’s nothing wrong with remembering the past, but just make sure that you’re not trying to relive it so much that you’re missing out on what’s around you.
5. You own kitchen appliances you never use
When was the last time you actually used that cheese toastie maker collecting dust in your cupboards? Or that juicer that you thought would be the next big diet craze? Or even the milk frother that you only remember to use once a year during winter?
It’s easy to be tempted to buy a new device that will make enjoying your favourite food and drinks easy and more efficient, but that’s only if you use it.
When you buy something without using it enough to become a worthwhile purchase, you may be cluttering up your home and emptying out your bank account more than you should.
Try dusting off your old kitchen appliances and breathing new life into their circuits, or consider donating them or selling them to an owner who would enjoy them more.
How to keep clean habits
When cleaning can feel like a big chore to complete in one weekend afternoon, eating into your free time, trying to do a little bit each day can make it more manageable. Here are some of the top tips from the Gathered team on how to maintain a tidy home to keep a calm mindset:
Set fun challenges – If you’re waiting as you cook your dinner, or the adverts begin as you’re watching your favourite TV show, try to clean as much as you can in the short period of time. Suddenly, taking the bins outside is a 60-second adventure, rather than a bore.
Make a chore chart – If you live with lots of people, mess can add up quickly. Dividing out cleaning tasks can make the spring-cleaning feel manageable, fair and less time-consuming.
Plan rewards for yourself – We’re not recommending you turn yourself into Pavlov’s dog, but planning out a reward for your hard work can keep you focused on ticking off items on your to-do list.
If you struggle to wash all your clothes, make a cup of tea and grab a sweet treat after you put a load on. For a bigger task, like paying bills or cleaning the car, planning a self-care night can help the stress melt away afterwards.
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