How to Avoid Clutter Traps

With the new year here, many people will be making resolutions. Maintaining a clutter-free home might be one of them. Doing so is challenging and takes a lot of diligence. It's smart to take at least five minutes a day to pick up and keep things from accumulating throughout your house. But even when you do that, you will still find that some areas in your house are clutter traps.

Just by being aware of these traps, you can avoid letting clutter get out of hand:

1. The Entryway - Your entryway is a magnet for clutter. If you all kick of your shoes, take off your jackets, and drop your bags when you walk in the door, next thing you know there is a mess! If you want people to remove their shoes when they are in your home, be sure to have a specific place for them, like a shoe rack or bin. Also, designate a spot for bags and jackets and keep your entryway clutter free.


2. The Coffee Table - Who doesn't love to curl up on the living room couch with a good book or magazine? The problem is that those books and magazines often end up scattered across the coffee table. Solve that problem by placing a basket on top or under the table where you can store reading materials when they are not being used.


3. The Kitchen Counter - The kitchen counter is definitely a high-risk area for all kinds of clutter. From small appliances, to pots and pans, to spice bottles, there are many things that can accumulate and get out of hand. The key to avoiding this is to have a place for everything. 35 Genius Products and Tips for the Most Organized Kitchen Ever


4. The Junk Drawer - You know you have one. That catch-all drawer where you hide all the stuff you don't know what else to do with. But then when you go to find something, the drawer is such a mess that you it takes forever to find anything or you never find what you're looking for at all. You can still use this drawer for miscellaneous items that don't have another home, just go through it every couple of months to keep it from getting too disorderly.


5. The Nightstand - Your bedroom should be a peaceful oasis where you can relax and rejuvenate at the end of the day. But it's hard to do that if you are surrounded by clutter. The nightstand can easily become a receptacle for various items such as jewelry, books, pill bottles, lotions etc. If your nightstand doesn't have a drawer, you can place a basket underneath it to keep reading materials handy and perhaps place a small basket on top for other items.
   


6. The Bedroom Chair - Maybe it's a chair or maybe it's an exercise bike, or even a treadmill but eventually, it becomes a place to hang your clothes. It's so tempting in the moment to just drape your clothes somewhere. Don't. Do. It. It only takes a few minutes to hang your clothes in the closet or place them in a drawer. You will be glad you did when you don't have a mess to clean up at the end of a long week.


7. The Closet - Speaking of hanging clothes in the closet it's also easy to let things get messy in your closet. Especially if you have a large, walk-in closet. It seems the more space you have, the more likely you are to let clutter take over. Again, take the few moments to put things in their proper place and you will maintain a neat and tidy closet. 30 Closet Organization Ideas

If maintaining a clutter-free home in 2022 is one of your resolutions, being aware of these clutter traps is a great way to start!

If you are looking to buy or sell a home in the Huntsville area, let professional Realtor Mike Manosky help you with all your real estate needs! Give Mike a call today at 256-508-0211 and check out https://www.movetohuntsville.com/ for more information!

Photo Credits: hgtv.com, realsimple.com, lovepastatoolbelt.com, simplyorganized.me

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