Hoarding things is very easy and very harmful! In this article, we will answer a question. How to avoid hoarding things at home?
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How to avoid the accumulation of objects at home?
Introduction
Accumulating useless objects is very easy.
According to a study*, each family owns on average, 30% of disposable items in their home.
We don't always realize it: a package here, a bill there, a new garment, a few items bought "just in case"... and gradually, our home fills up.
SO, How to avoid the accumulation of objects at home?
The solution isn't necessarily to spend several hours tidying up each week. In my opinion, the most effective approach is to learn to control the objects that enter and leave our home.
Why do we accumulate so many objects?
Before trying to avoid accumulation, one must understand how it works.
Every day, new objects enter our home:
- 📦 parcels and online orders
- ✉️ Letters, correspondence and invoices
- 📄 administrative documents
- 🛍️ shopping bags
- 📦 Packaging and boxes
- 👕 new clothes
- 🏠 Decorative items for the home
- 🎁 gifts
Taken separately, each of these objects seems insignificant.
But the real problem arises when Objects enter faster than they exit..
Let's imagine a very simple situation:
You buy five new clothes every month, but you don't get rid of any clothes.
After a year, you have… 60 extra items of clothing.
Note that the 60 extra items of clothing take up space, collect dust and require storage.
The same phenomenon can occur with books, shoes, kitchen utensils, toys, papers, decorative objects, etc.,
Accumulation is therefore a mathematical consequence
The phenomenon can almost be summarized with a very simple formula:
More things enter your home than leave it. = accumulation.
While :
So many objects going in and out = Mastery
That is why, in the long run, I think it is much easier to prevent accumulation than to have to regularly do a major clean-up.
Why is the accumulation of objects problematic?
Owning many objects is not necessarily a problem in itself.
The problem begins when we possess more items than necessary.
One extra item may seem insignificant. But when there are dozens or hundreds of extra items, the consequences become much more significant.
Here are the 2 key steps to maintain a well-ventilated and tidy home.
1. More items mean more cleaning 🧹
All the objects in our home must, sooner or later, be cleaned.
Note that an empty shelf is very quick to dust. On the other hand, a shelf filled with dozens of items requires more time.
The objects need to be moved, the surface cleaned, and then each object put back in its place.
The more objects we own, the more time we have to devote to their upkeep.
Therefore, reducing the number of items means less cleaning time.
2. More items mean less available space 🏡
A dwelling has a limited surface area.
Each piece of furniture, each box, each object and each item of clothing occupies a part of this space.
As our possessions increase, we often tend to look for new storage solutions:
- buy a new wardrobe
- add shelves
- use boxes
- rent a cellar
- storing cardboard boxes in a garage
And that's where the problem becomes paradoxical.
We store bulky items by buying storage furniture for… things we don’t really need.
Tidying up doesn't always solve the problem
This is an important distinction.
Tidying up and decluttering are two different things.
- Organizing is about finding a place for objects.
- Decluttering involves asking ourselves if we really need these items.
For example, if you have 100 books and your bookcase can hold 50, you will need to buy a second bookcase.
By buying a second shelf, the problem is partially solved, because you have managed to store your 100 books.
But in truth, you haven't solved the underlying problem: Did you really need 100 pounds? Perhaps you only needed 50 pounds.
That's why minimalism often starts before tidying up.
Sometimes, the best possible storage solution is simply the one you decide to throw away.
How to avoid cluttering your home?
In my opinion, we need to act on two levels.
First step: reduce what already exists
We must begin by removing items that are no longer useful.
For this step, it's better to be more rational than emotional. Indeed, emotions shouldn't prevent you from throwing away what has become useless.
Second step: prevent the accumulation from starting again
This is probably the most important part.
Because it is pointless to declutter your home today if, six months later, you have accumulated the same amount of items again.
The goal is therefore to create a system that naturally limits accumulation.
Otherwise, you'll just be constantly decluttering and decluttering your home.
Here are 6 steps to remember:
Step 1: Remove all items that are no longer essential
The first step is to do a major sorting.
For each object, you can ask yourself a few questions:
- Do I use it regularly?
- Does it still meet a need?
- Do I already own something that performs the same function?
I've written a few articles about decluttering your home. If you have any questions, feel free to read them.
Step 2: Define the essential number of objects
Once the decluttering has been done, it is important to avoid returning to the previous situation.
For this reason, I really like the idea of defining a reasonable number of items per category.
Let's take clothing as an example.
You can decide that your wardrobe contains only the number of clothes you actually need.
For example :
- 10 T-shirts
- 5 pairs of pants
- 2 jackets
- 2 coats
- etc.
There obviously is no no universal number.
The essential number depends on your job, your lifestyle, the climate in your country of residence, and your habits.
The goal is not to have exactly 10 T-shirts because another minimalist decided to.
The objective is to determine:
«"How much do I really need?"»
Once this number is defined, it becomes much easier to control new purchases.
Step 3: Check the items before they enter the accommodation
This is probably my favorite piece of advice.
The best time to avoid accumulation is before the item enters your home.
Let's take a simple example.
You go home with:
- packaging
- a receipt
- a cardboard box
- an advertising item
If you already know you don't need it, why bring it into your home?
Throw them away immediately in the nearest container (a bin suitable for your waste).
It may seem insignificant. But repeated every day, you prevent hundreds of pieces of waste from entering your home each month. And you also save hours of sorting and cleaning.
So I like to apply a very simple rule:
New useless item → it doesn't stay in the house.
Step 4: When a useful item enters, another one leaves
Of course, not all new items are useless. Sometimes we genuinely need to buy something.
This is where I use a second rule:
One object enters → another object exits.
This rule is particularly effective for categories that tend to accumulate.
Let's take the example of clothing once again.
If I buy a new T-shirt when my wardrobe already contains the number of T-shirts I need, I must choose: Which old T-shirt should I take off?
This forces me to think before I buy. And above all, it mechanically prevents my wardrobe from getting bigger.
Note that this rule works for many categories (for example: kitchen utensils, decorative objects, shoes, etc.).
Step 5: What to do when an item leaves the home?
Personally, I find it interesting not to immediately replace every item I get rid of.
For what ?
Because we can sometimes have the impression that an object is essential when it is not actually so.
Let's take an example.
I decide to get rid of an item that I rarely use.
Instead of telling me immediately:
«"I'm going to have to buy another one!"»
I prefer to wait patiently for 15 days.
After a few weeks, I can observe whether his absence actually creates a problem.
Two situations can then arise.
Situation 1: I am missing the object.
In that case, I can buy a similar item, because I see that this need really exists.
Situation 2: I don't miss the object.
In that case, I don't need to buy anything.
And that's just a small, minimalist victory. 😊
Step 6: Understanding why we accepted a bulky object?
Becoming a minimalist is a process that requires time and reflection.
You'll probably make some consumer mistakes. And it's not the end of the world when that happens.
On the other hand, we need to analyze why we make mistakes, so that we don't repeat them.
To truly avoid accumulation, it is helpful to observe the reasons why we buy or accept new items that later become cumbersome.
For example :
«"It was on sale."»
Some people are tempted by promotions. But a promotion doesn't transform a useless item into a useful one.
Thus, ignoring promotions can be a way to avoid accumulating useless items at home.
«"It was free."»
When an item is free, the lack of cost at the time of purchase can be appealing.
However, a free item still has a cost: it takes up space and may require storage and maintenance.
«"It was given to me as a gift."»
A gift may have sentimental value, but that does not mean we should keep every gift we receive forever.
The person who gave you a gift wanted to please you, not make you feel trapped by an object.
«"This could be useful someday."»
The famous "just in case".
But how long are we prepared to keep an object solely for possible future use?... which may never come.
Don't use "just in case" for every item.
Minimalism does not mean no longer buying anything.
If you've read this article carefully up to this point, you might think I'm suggesting throwing everything away. That's not true!
Avoiding accumulation does not mean that you have to stop consuming completely.
- We need to replace some items.
- We can treat ourselves from time to time.
- We may have new needs.
The goal is therefore not:
«"Never buy again."»
The goal is rather:
«"Buy consciously and avoid letting unnecessary items accumulate in your home."»
Minimalism does not necessarily seek to eliminate all objects.
Minimalism seeks to keep only the objects that truly have a use or value for us, and to eliminate the rest.
The real objective: to prevent accumulation before it begins
In my view, this is probably the most important lesson of this article.
We can :
- spending an entire Saturday tidying our house.
- sort our clothes every month
- fill several bags with items to donate every 6 months.
- better organize our closets each week.
But if we then continue to bring in new objects without thinking, The accumulation will begin again and again.
That's why I prefer to think of minimalism as a daily lifestyle rather than a one-off big clean-up.
The goal is not just to create emptiness. The goal is also to maintain emptiness.
Conclusion
SO, How to avoid the accumulation of objects at home?
We must begin by understanding one very simple thing:
A home doesn't become cluttered overnight. It becomes cluttered gradually, as objects enter more quickly than they leave.
To avoid this phenomenon, I find it helpful to follow five principles:
- do a major clean-out and remove items that are no longer essential
- determine a reasonable quantity for each consumption category
- refuse or immediately discard unnecessary items
- apply the rule «"One object goes in, one object goes out"»
- wait before replacing an item you have just disposed of.
This method not only allows for a more minimalist living space, but also... reduce the time spent tidying and cleaning.
And above all, it allows you to develop an essential habit: no longer just ask yourself "where am I going to store this item?", but also "do I really need to bring it into my home?"«
In my opinion, it is often this second question that makes all the difference.
How to avoid the accumulation of objects at home?
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Are you rather minimalist or frugal Jonny?
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