12 Clutter Hotspots Taking Over Your Home (Here’s the Fix)

The kitchen counter was clean this morning, I promise! Somehow by 3pm, it’s buried under mail, backpacks, keys, water bottles, and who knows what else. You clear it off, and within hours, it’s a mess again.

Sound familiar? Certain spots in your home are clutter magnets – they pile up constantly no matter how often you clean them. These clutter hotspots happen because of daily routines and the rush of busy life. But you can get them under control.

Below are 12 clutter hotspots taking over your home – and simple fixes to eliminate each one for good.

Why Clutter Hotspots Happen

Clutter hotspots pop up due to daily routines and activities of a busy home. We need things to function in our day-to-day lives and these things find their way in the most common and busiest areas of the house, often getting dropped off in a rush. However you can keep hotspots under control. With a few simple steps it can be done and your home won’t feel as messy and dysfunctional in these areas.

Why Fixing Clutter Hotspots Matters

You may wonder…what’s the point? Its just going to get messy again after I clean it up. Yes, things will pile up but a little maintenance goes a long way and there are benefits to making this effort.

By keeping clutter hotspots under control you will feel less overwhelmed mentally (outer order, brings inner calm), you will have less stuff to manage, and gain more clarity in thinking and decision making. Keeping your home tidy also allows you to focus on its use as a sanctuary and place to escape outside stress.

Not to mention there is a physical benefit to dealing with clutter. Untouched clutter can contribute to allergens, dust mites and, in some areas, mold; so fixing clutter hotspots can improve your overall self care and wellbeing.

• Less overwhelm by the stuff in your home
• More mental space and clarity for decision making, creativity and productivity
• Save money by knowing what you truly own without buying duplicates or excess stuff
• Improved physical wellbeing by removing cluttered areas that may attract allergens, dust and mold
• A more peaceful, inviting home that welcomes guests or relaxation without so much clutter in the way

The 12 Clutter Hotspots (And How to Eliminate Each One)

Ready to tackle the clutter? Here are the 12 most common clutter hotspots in every home – and exactly how to eliminate each one. You don’t need to fix all of them at once. Pick 2-3 problem areas to start, get them organized, and build from there.

1. The Entryway

The entryway is where everyone comes and goes from the house.  Even if this is your backdoor, you have some sort of “entryway” and often it becomes a clutter hotspot because this is where things get dumped first.  You want to get items out of your hands when you enter your home.  This action multiplied by other family members results in a lot of clutter! 

How to fix it? First, assess the area to see what doesn’t belong and place it in it’s rightful spot. Then assess the area to see what is useful there (maybe jackets, umbrellas and keys are helpful to have by the door).  For what needs to stay, create an organized space for it. 

Tips for organizing an entryway

• Back-of-the-door hooks for coats and hats
• No door? A freestanding coat rack will organize items that hang.
• A shoe rack for stacking boots and sneakers
• Umbrella stand
• A bowl and/or tray for keys, mail, wallets, loose change

Moving forward avoid dropping everything in this zone as you and family members arrive home.  Be sure everyone knows where things belong, i.e., jackets are to be hung, backpacks go in bedrooms, shoes on the rack, mail in the tray.  Every few days review the entryway and move items to keep the area tidy. 

2. The Laundry Room

Laundry is a major household chore that no one can avoid.  Wherever you do laundry, be it a room, in the garage or a small closet, it is easy for this space to become cluttered with laundry supplies, dirty clothes, clean clothes – all of it! 

Tips for organizing the laundry room

• Contain laundry supplies (detergent, softener, dryer sheets) with wire mesh baskets
• Keep a hamper to hold random, loose items from around the house to be washed
• Once clothes are clean and dry, move them to their final destination
• Only keep laundry-related items in this area…don’t allow other supplies or random household goods to make their way in 

3: Your Desk

Any sort of home office or desk often becomes a clutter hotspot with all the papers, supplies, notes, coupons and random things we acquire.  Keep your desk clear with trays for managing paper, file folders for catalogs and notebooks, and a desktop organizer for pens, pencils, scissors, etc.  For desk drawers use smaller trays to keep items contained. 

If you have a lot of binders and books but limited desktop space, consider a small bookshelf or a 3-tier rolling cart to keep close by.  This helps contain all your office needs without crowding the surface of your desk so you can use it for its intention:  writing, using your computer and being creative.

4: The Pantry

Kitchen pantries are a major clutter hotspot, even for the most organized of people!  Feeding a family takes a lot of effort (and food :)) and the pantry is likely the most used storage area of the home.  How many times a day are you and your family members going in and out of the pantry?  When you think about how much use this area gets, it’s no wonder it is a clutter magnet. 

Don’t worry about having a Pinterest-perfect pantry (this is not attainable or sustainable for most people, myself included).  You simply need to get the clutter under control and have a basic system of organization. 

Tips for organizing the pantry

• Start by moving everything out and tossing old, expired food items
• Donate canned goods you’ll never use
• Wipe down the shelves
• Return items to the pantry using zones, meaning keep like-minded items together (baking supplies, breads, canned goods, spices, etc). 
• Use clear bins to hold items 
• Maintain your organization by returning from the grocery store and placing pantry items away in the right place – not random spots. 
• Teach your family members to do the same when they eat and put something back in the pantry – to put it in the right place.

5: The Refrigerator

You can’t talk about the pantry without mentioning the refrigerator as well. The fridge is the same concept as the pantry when it comes to keeping it decluttered: remove expired and unwanted items regularly and keep items organized by storing like with like (i.e., proteins together, produce together, condiments together). Use clear bins to contain small to medium sized items.

6. The Kitchen Countertop

The kitchen countertop is a dump zone of everyday stuff:  backpacks, mail, cooking supplies, water bottles, clothing items and of course, dishes – funny how it seems a lot of non-kitchen stuff ends up here! 

Step one is to take everything to its proper place: hang jackets, stack mail on desk, toss trash, clean out backpacks and place elsewhere, put dirty dishes, water bottles, etc in the sink.  If items on the countertop don’t have a proper home, create one.

The simplest way to keep countertops cleaned off is to avoid using it as a drop zone and put things in their correct place to begin with.  This may take an extra step or two and, I get it, you’re exhausted! But save yourself energy and time later by putting items in their proper place up front. Direct your family members to do this too and build the habit.

7. The Playroom

When you have children, especially younger ones, their stuff seems to be everywhere.  It’s hard to pinpoint one clutter hotspot for kids.  However the playroom or designated play zone seems to be the number one place for kid clutter in a home.  Keep this hotspot under control by first limiting the amount of toys your children have. 

Consider non-clutter gifts when holidays and birthdays roll around.  Think twice before buying the latest toy gadget or set of books (consider the library instead).  Maintaining a reasonable amount of toys is step one to reducing toy overwhelm and is an ongoing mindset. 

Second, do a toy declutter.  Take a close look at what your children are playing with and determine what they love and what they have grown out of.  For the toys that are left, use a basic bookshelf and basket system for organizing.  Encourage your children to clean up after playdates and at the end of the day.  Help them do it, play music, make it a game.  Even just two minutes of a daily clean up can keep this clutter hotspot more manageable.

8. The Junk Drawer

I think everyone must have a junk drawer and what even is this? Typically a drawer that anything and everything finds it way into, making it a very common clutter hotspot. The good news is junk drawers are fairly easy to organize as they are a small space and much of it’s contents is stuff (or junk :)) you can toss!

To organize your junk drawer, first remove everything and toss what is no longer need, broken or expired. Use small, flexible trays or a drawer tray divider to then contain what is left. Go through this drawer every so often with a trash bag to keep it under control.

9. The Coffee Table

Family room coffee tables often are a clutter hotspot – this is where a lot of the family action takes place – watching TV, eating, playing games, doing homework, folding laundry – you name it!  The coffee table is often the only surface area in a family room and holds the brunt of stuff. 

The first thing to do is — you guessed it – remove what doesn’t belong.  Put random items in their proper place. Use the coffee table for playing games, homework, eating dinner, etc. but don’t leave things there when the activity is over. Enforce these habits with your family members, (i.e., put books away, take dishes to the sink). If you use the table to fold laundry, don’t leave it there. Put clothes in bedrooms or stack up for family members to put away themselves.

Tips for organizing a coffee table

• Use trays to hold magazines, books, and photo albums
• House all the TV and tech controls inside a soft basket
• Consider a coffee table with a top that opens and has storage underneath to store blankets and throw pillows
• Consider a two-level coffee table and stack board games, books or homework supplies on the bottom shelf

10. The Closet

 Any sort of closet can become a clutter hotspot:  the linen closet, storage closet, coat closet, your own clothing closet.  Perhaps you have one that is messier then the rest, so you’ll want to tackle that one first. 

If it the closet is super full, only clean out bite-sized areas (a shelf or rack) one at-a-time. Remove everything from that area and toss/donate/recycle what you no longer need.  For items returning to the closet, use a system of hangers (thin, velvet hangers are ideal for saving space and looking neat) and boxes to keep it organized (soft fabric bins are great for holding loose items like hats, accessories, household items, etc). 

Maintain the organization by only storing items inside for the closet’s main use: keep only bedding and towels in linen closet, coats and outdoor apparel in coat closet and so on. This helps turn clutter hotspots into organized zones!

11. Your Handbag

Your handbag is likely a grand mixture of everything when you are away from home:  receipts, notes, trash, coupons, snacks, makeup, hair ties, etc.  Daily use means your main handbag easily becomes a clutter hotspot. If you don’t have time to do it daily, even a weekly declutter of your handbag will keep things under control. 

Tips for organizing your handbag

• Remove all its contents to easily see what’s inside
• Toss trash, old receipts, expired coupons, tissues, etc. 
• Replace empty hand lotions, sunscreen or worn down lip balm with fresh items (if needed) 
• Use smaller bags within your big bag to contain like-items so they aren’t rolling around the bottom of your purse

12. Your Car

And finally, your car. If you are carting kids around from one activity to the next or have a job that requires a lot of driving, your car is likely a clutter hotspot.

Start by cleaning out your car on a regular basis. At the end of each day would be ideal but at least once a week will suffice.  Toss trash and remove items that don’t belong and place them in their proper spot.

Tips for organizing your car

• Keep a basket in the car to contain loose, random items (kids shin guards, water bottles, store returns) so they don’t bounce around the car.
• Carry the basket inside your house when it’s time to clean out the car instead of crawling around gathering everything
• Use a divided storage container to keep emergency or mainstay items (an outdoor blanket, sunscreen, cleaning wipes) organized at all times

Keep Clutter Hotspots Under Control

Clutter hotspots will always try to pile up – that’s the reality of a busy home with daily routines and things coming in constantly. The key is having simple systems in place so they don’t take over.

Pick 2-3 problem areas from this list to tackle first. Get them organized using the tips above, then build the habit of maintaining them. A 2-minute daily reset in each area is all it takes to keep clutter from spiraling out of control. Your home (and your sanity) will thank you. And remember the reason why this decluttering matters (see benefits above). It is a worthwhile effort!

Helpful Organizing Tools

Below are a few simple tools to help keep problem areas under control.

• Woven Storage Bins – these woven bins contain just about anything: toys, clothes, cosmetics, charging cords.
• Car Trunk Organizer – keep car and road trip necessities contained
• Rectangle Letter Tray – hold catalogs, mail, school forms and other loose papers
• Heavy Duty Wall Hooks – mount self-adhesive, sturdy wall hooks to garage walls, entryway, or mud room for hanging items