Is a clutter free home a clutter free mind..does it work for you.

What is clutter.
If by clutter you include books on shelves, paintings, mirrors on walls, lamps on chests and tables, a favourite ornament bought on travels as a memory, a shell collection from places visited then I have clutter.
Or
If your idea of clutter is piles of newspapers stacked, so many ornaments you can't count, needing to move one thing to find another, not being able to find anything because of stuff all over etc then I am tidy.
I am very organised and know where to find documents bills, receipts, they are all filed.
I couldn't leave dirty pots in a sink until the next day, I always clean up my kitchen after every meal and wipe round. I put things away when I have used them, but that's the way I am.
I have what I consider and my friends do a very tidy home and I am happy the way it is.
I don't see the point of leaving things out and making work for myself at a later time when it takes seconds to put things away.
Does it really matter what your home is like if whatever it is like suits you that is the only thing that matters.

My friends husband calls it suffering from piles.
Piles of stuff at the bottom of the stairs, waiting to go up.
Piles of stuff at the top, waiting to come down...

I wish DH would use the lovely big workshop at the end of the garden, but he prefers to be in the house around people, so the house, thankfully fairly large, has a succession of his little heaps of things to be done and as for the kitchen table.....

I like clutter free and pretty much know where to lay my hand on anything important. DH's man cave is a shambles and after 40+ years he still asks where obvious things are even though I've had a similar system in all the houses we've lived in. I despair......

I cannot cope if surrounded by clutter. If the place is getting untidy, it means I am unwell or stressed about something.

I am not a minimalist (like *Free and Easy*) but I do have a place for everything and like to have everything in its place.

I have always been like this and in my youth always said that I could not marry a man who smoked or was untidy. DH doesn't smoke .........

He hid his untidiness from me very carefully until I had married him and life since is often on an edge between my need for order and his tendency to put things down where he is and then not remember where that was. Usually I have picked them up and put them where they ought to be, but I can now tolerate more clutter than I used to.

My house is clutter free, I am a minimalist. That’s just how I am. I have a large metal filing cabinet in my newly created small office (just had a loft conversion in our bungalow, so new Office is by the stairs). I file everything in plastic folders and can lay my hands on anything I need instantly. Bliss! OCD? Maybe, but it makes me ?

I have specific places for things like keys, tv remote etc. but several months ago I had a clear out of my kitchen cupboards and yesterday wanted my slow cooker to make a casserole and couldn't remember where I had put it. I was also looking for my winter dressing gown, I remembered washing it and folding it but again couldn't remember where I had stored it. Eventually found the slow cooker pushed to the back of a cupboard I rarely open and the dressing gown in the airing cupboard buried under bedding (yes I know that would be the logical place to store it but no-one has ever accused me of being logical!)

William Morris.....along the lines of "everything in the house must be beautiful or useful"...............That`s me out then....

I have lots of 'stuff' Books, paintings, ornaments, photographs, plants etc. But they are definitely not clutter. Now we have a larger house, everything has a place and is returned to it after use. Except in DHs case where he puts it where he calls the ' logical ' place !!!. Not quite up to William Morris standard yet, but working on it.

grannyqueenie thankyou...only trouble is it is over 4 yrs ago!

I have hoovered tidied kitchen going to tackle under stairs another day.. I always do"understairs" if I'm bored lol
Off now to dd to help her with housework (always different doing someone elses

Have sifted through all my papers got 2 black bags full of burning paper that I have accumulated so bonfire day coming soon lol.

ok bye all hope you all have a fruitful day

I can't stand clutter and "stuff" . And yes I can lay my hands on anything at all within a few minutes. I have a filing cabinet for all the paper work, and everything is kept in it's correct place. I have a rule - only ever handle paperwork once. I either trow it in the bin, action it, or file it. End of story.

I think large clear folders are a really good idea for paperwork.
Even if you can't bear to look at the contents of the bill, letter, or whatever, you can at least put into the folder so its where you can find it, if needed.
I used to do that.
Now I have a table full of clear plastic folders, letters, bills, p45s, school letters...

bikergran no wonder you’re feeling disorganised, I think coping with loss impacts on all sorts of aspects of life. I can remember after my mother’s death constantly feeling not in control of things in my everyday life I even dreamt about losing things.
Try to find an easy to manage system that works for you, it’s can be so tiring wasting energy searching for stuff. All the more so if other people are depending on you to look after them too. Try to be kind to yourself in the midst of it all. x

Yes I have folders for paperwork.
One mine. One husband. One stuff I need to keep.
One for paperwork that needs my attention now, outstanding bills etc. Hospital and other appointment letters for my medical needs.
I have a ring binder for bank statements
I have a large expanding box file for my medical records.

For years I used to have mountains of paperwork but it isn't neccessary.

When the post comes it's either binned, shredded, or put in the relevant file.

Although I like my house to be a home with ornaments and the odd thing on a coffee table, I do find it is easier to find things if you are tidy.

It makes the place easier to clean too. Everyone is different but I find unnecessary clutter and untidy rooms make me feel depressed.

hmm..yes cornergran I have posted something on another thread (bereavement) how my head feels.

Alima I shall have a poke round lol..see what I can salvage.thanks all

While you are decluttering biker, is there a chance you will find something worth £15 which you no longer want and can flog easily? Problem solved.

Depends what is meant by clutter. I keep things that mean something to us, ornaments, pictures, glass, that type of thing. I don’t think of them as clutter as they all have a place and are part of our home. I guess others could view them as clutter .

Paperwork is different, it’s organised, I can find most things if not instantly within a few minutes. I’d worry if not.

You just sound overly busy bikergran. We all have daft moments, I understand how annoying it is to lose cash but don’t be too hard on yourself. Accidents happen.

I have enough pictures, ornaments etc to make my home homely but, no excessive clutter. I live on my own so sorry that my daughters will be left to clear everything when I "pop off".
I think trying to declutter a whole house at once can be overwhelming. Start with the bathroom, a nice spring clean and get rid of those toiletries you don't use or need. Once you've got your first room done you will feel better about tackling the others

I’m not clutter free at all, but I do know where things are kept, a place for everything and everything in its place!

Plus I know which cupboards to open carefully or stuff will fall out onto the floor, but all important stuff is safely filed away.

hmm well only myself to blame for clutter....I am quite minimalistic where furniture/photos/ornaments go(only have 1 big ornament couple of candles on stands)

I have a brief case with all docs in car/certificates etc etc .
I think it was being gormless and loosing the money this morning that started it off..Ive been watching my pennies so was mad at myself for being sloppy tut..

Tomorrow I may start to de clutter...thing is I need everything tut..ok well we shall see.

I can't stand clutter either.
Goes back to a time when I was overwhelmed with work, family etc and felt I had lost control.
I was the only person in our office (about 20 people) who always had a clear desk.

Houses with no clutter can be a bit boring, because clutter often shows your interests and personality. What do you do in an empty room? There should be books and papers about, pictures, the occasional ornament. Well, that’s what I prefer. I like to walk into a room and immediately know something about who lives in it.

I do tend to be a bit untidy, but recently when my son was checking some financial stuff for me he said my financial records, papers etc. were quite well organised.

Hate clutter.

I always know where things that matter are and put down keys, bag etc in the same place. It's the things I move about with that are the trouble - esp. my glasses wh I put down wherever I happen to be, or my diary