9 Clutter Traps You Need to Ditch This Week

Clutter doesn’t always mean mess. It’s the little piles, the stuff you’ve stopped noticing, the things hanging around “just in case.” And even if your house is clean, those clutter traps can make the whole place feel off.

The good news is a lot of them are easy to fix—and once you do, your space instantly feels lighter. If your home’s been feeling chaotic and you can’t figure out why, start by ditching these.

That Catch-All Bowl on the Counter

You toss your keys in it, and then one day it’s holding batteries, gift cards, loose change, a few screws, and probably a random LEGO. It feels like it’s helping—but it’s actually making your space look messy.

Dump it out and be ruthless. Give yourself a little tray for keys or essentials and get rid of everything else. No one needs a junk bowl they have to sort through every time they need a hair tie.

The Entryway Shoe Pile

A few shoes turns into ten real quick, especially if you’ve got kids. And when bags, jackets, and boxes join in, the whole entry feels like chaos before anyone even makes it inside.

Limit what lives there—one pair of daily shoes per person and hooks for backpacks or coats. Everything else needs a better home. A clear entryway makes your house feel calmer the second you walk in.

Bathroom Counter Clutter

If your bathroom counter’s covered in face products, stray makeup brushes, and backup deodorants, you’re not alone. But even when the bathroom’s clean, it still feels messy.

Toss anything expired, donate what you don’t actually use, and put the rest in a drawer or bin. You don’t need a spa setup on the counter—keeping it clear makes the whole bathroom feel fresher.

The Chair That Always Ends Up With Laundry

There’s always that one chair. It starts with a sweatshirt and ends up buried in clean clothes no one wants to fold. And once it’s there, it’s easy to pretend it’s part of the furniture.

Fold the laundry, hang up what belongs in the closet, and make the chair off-limits for piling. If it keeps happening, you might need a better laundry system—not another place to dump things.

The Stack of Mail You’re Avoiding

Bills, ads, appointment cards—if it’s piling up on your kitchen counter or desk, it’s visual clutter and it adds to that overwhelmed feeling even if everything else is tidy.

Sort it once a day. Toss what you don’t need immediately and keep one folder or basket for stuff that needs attention. Don’t let it spread out or grow legs.

Too Many Kitchen Tools

You probably don’t need six spatulas, three whisks, or every freebie water bottle you’ve ever been given. And if your drawers barely close, it’s time to let some things go.

Keep what you use all the time and donate the rest. You’ll have more space, less frustration, and it’ll make your kitchen feel way more put-together without spending a dime.

The Junk Drawer

You know it’s bad when you open it and immediately slam it shut. Pens that don’t work, mystery keys, batteries you haven’t tested, and six rolls of tape hiding underneath everything.

Dump the whole thing and only put back what’s worth keeping. Use little containers to keep it from becoming a mess all over again. One organized drawer can weirdly make your whole house feel cleaner.

The Nightstand Overflow

If your nightstand has turned into a mini storage unit with books you’re not reading, chargers, tissues, and lotion bottles, it’s probably adding clutter to a space that should feel peaceful.

Clear it down to the basics—a lamp, maybe a book, and your charger. Tuck everything else away. A clean nightstand makes your bedroom feel like a place to rest, not a storage zone.

The Fridge Door Graveyard

Condiments have a way of multiplying. That sriracha you used once in 2022? It’s still in there, and so is the mystery sauce from takeout three weeks ago.

Take five minutes to toss what’s expired or hasn’t been touched in months. Wipe the shelves and group things by use so you’re not digging for ketchup every night. It makes meal prep way less frustrating.

*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.