Below are the results of our survey released in preparation for episode #279 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly. If you haven’t already done so, please take the survey.
We asked our audience members to select from among several statements the one that best describes your current wardrobe.
Note: Hover over any pie slice in the chart to see the text of the answer and the number of respondents who selected that answer. (Mobile users: Click on the slices for details.)
For audience members who answered the above question “Other,” we offered a follow-up question to elaborate about your wardrobe.
To view the complete, detailed survey response from any respondent, click on their name (or “Anonymous user”) in the table below. You may also find it easier to read long responses in the detailed view.
| Name (click to view full survey response and comments) | During what period of your adult life was your home the least cluttered? Can you identify anything you did differently then (versus now) that helped keep the space tidy? | What lessons could you learn from your former way of managing your space that might help with your current way of dealing with clutter? | When you travel, do you prefer to unpack your bags completely in the hotel room or to live out of them so that nothing gets misplaced? What do you consider the pros and cons of either approach? | Please select whichever of the following statements best describes your current wardrobe: | Please elaborate if you wish. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linda C. | When living in a small 2 bedroom cottage. Moving to a 3 bedroom 2 bath home just gave me more opportunities to accumulate more stuff I don't need or use | Don't buy more stuff!! Donate and declutter constantly | Unpack completely. | I wear a relatively small number of items of clothing on a regular basis but also possess many items of clothing that I don’t wear much. | |
| Anonymous user | Agree completely | 1. Not to be too sentimental. 2. Declutter something daily, even a small drawer, pile of papers or tabletop. 3. Get things out as soon as it’s a reasonable amount to deliver. 4. Ask myself: if you were moving, is it likely you’d have room or need for this? 5. Why do you need this? 6. Ask myself: looks like this hasn’t been used in 20 years. What makes you think you’ll need it in the next 10? | Live out of them other than toiletries and hanging clothing due to bedbug concerns | I wear a relatively small number of items of clothing on a regular basis but also possess many items of clothing that I don’t wear much. | |
| Kathy | My home was the least cluttered for the first year after I downsized and moved. I was diligent in only letting useful items in and keeping what I had put away. I am in year two now and I can see the clutter trying to edge in. I have a few more toys and craft items for the grandchildren’. I have an air mattress needed occasionally. I have gotten a little lazy in keeping closets neat. I have a few extra clothes. I agree with the statement. In year one I told myself I had a small house. Therefore, I actively kept my things neat, limited what came in to the house, items had a home and closets and drawers had breathing room. Now, I find I tell myself I have a small house. My clothes closet needs to be packed a little more to keep my clothes. The extra toys and crafts need to take up more room. I need to fill more space in my closets. My statement is the same but the way I live with the statement has changed. The first statement and reaction left me peaceful. The second statement and reaction has me feeling stressful and a little overwhelmed. Wow! | If I bring something in, something has to leave. These could be hard decisions but I can see the process is worth it. I know I feel better; free, less anxious with less stuff. | I use packing cubes. I leave the clothes inside the packing cubes and then put the cubes in the drawer. This way I can spread out a bit without the fear of forgetting anything. I leave everything else in the suitcase. Leaving multiple items in the suitcase makes it frustrating to sort through everything’ each time I need something. | I wear a relatively small number of items of clothing on a regular basis but also possess many items of clothing that I don’t wear much. | |
| Kathy | My home was the least cluttered for the first year after I downsized and moved. I was diligent in only letting useful items in and keeping what I had put away. I am in year two now and I can see the clutter trying to edge in. I have a few more toys and craft items for the grandchildren’. I have an air mattress needed occasionally. I have gotten a little lazy in keeping closets neat. I have a few extra clothes. I agree with the statement. In year one I told myself I had a small house. Therefore, I actively kept my things neat, limited what came in to the house, items had a home and closets and drawers had breathing room. Now, I find I tell myself I have a small house. My clothes closet needs to be packed a little more to keep my clothes. The extra toys and crafts need to take up more room. I need to fill more space in my closets. My statement is the same but the way I live with the statement has changed. The first statement and reaction left me peaceful. The second statement and reaction has me feeling stressful and a little overwhelmed. Wow! | If I bring something in, something has to leave. These could be hard decisions but I can see the process is worth it. I know I feel better; free, less anxious with less stuff. | I use packing cubes. I leave the clothes inside the packing cubes and then put the cubes in the drawer. This way I can spread out a bit without the fear of forgetting anything. I leave everything else in the suitcase. Leaving multiple items in the suitcase makes it frustrating to sort through everything’ each time I need something. | I wear a relatively small number of items of clothing on a regular basis but also possess many items of clothing that I don’t wear much. | |
| Cee | In past my home had only necessary things and always used decor that I loved and therefore was no need to keep collecting more. If I didn't use it I got it out of my space. Allowed me to clean , dust and vacuum on regular stress free. | Live out of bags. Keeps outfits together and have designated bag for dirty clothes if not at place within room laundry. With laundry available I wash before leaving so I can just unpack and put away when returning home. | I wear a relatively small number of items of clothing on a regular basis but also possess many items of clothing that I don’t wear much. | ||
| Jacqueline | I am least cluttered now than I have ever been. I grew up in a very cluttered home, and never learned about daily or routine maintenance or resets. Cleaning was something we did before a holiday, event or party, not on a regular basis. I like my space best when it is clean and tidy, but when I bought my own house, I didn’t know how to keep it that way and it was constantly messy, despite the fact that I expended huge amounts of time and effort trying to keep it clean. What finally worked for me was doing daily stuff and not saving up cleaning and tidying to do as a weekend project. | I think it depends on the type of trip. If I am staying in the same place for a week or more it makes sense to unpack but if I am moving from place to place I won’t unpack more than toiletries. | Other | I have a decent amount of clothes and I try not to keep anything that I don’t wear. I do wear uniforms to work, so many days I go directly from pjs to work uniforms back to pjs so I don’t get to wear a lot of my clothes as much as I would like. | |
| Celina | when I had to live on 60 sqf/ 6sqm. I was renting a tiny room and I had only as much as I really needed. Mid 20s, so ten years ago lol 😀 | boxes for convenience, not buying more than I can fit into my own space. | treat my bags like small wardrobes. I think there's less sanitary risk. I don't trust cleaniness in such places. | I wear a relatively small number of items of clothing on a regular basis but also possess many items of clothing that I don’t wear much. | |
| Katharine | Yes to remaining stuck if I don’t take responsibility for my actions keeping the clutter.? | Remember to remove items if bringing more in or replacing something. Don’t keep the broken for what if. Space is limited. If I’m shifting items, that usually means I don’t have the space. Interests & seasons of life change; it’s ok to move items on that no longer serve today. | Never unpack. I place my bags in the room location I’ll need them. Unpacking & packing takes time. I’d rather be ready to go at a moment notice. | I don’t have a capsule wardrobe per se, but I own fewer than a hundred items of clothing and wear all or most of them. | |
| Peggy | Right now is the time I am the least cluttered. I'm trying to find something every day to get rid of or work on (could be cleaning the fridge or windows, etc). It is making a difference! | I remember trying to be organized without being willing to actually give up things, like my enormous stack of catalogs. Yikes! | I leave everything in my small backpack, which is all I travel with. I might take a trash bag to use for containing dirty clothes. But I often just re-wear everything since I bring so little clothing. | I wear a relatively small number of items of clothing on a regular basis but also possess many items of clothing that I don’t wear much. | |
| Anonymous user | When I was busy working during the school year in addition to having a spouse and a house dog. During summer break when I was home more often, I was more mindful of picking up after myself because of not inconveniencing both of them. Optional: I strongly agree with her statement. | I could use my time more wisely, pace myself, and stop inconveniencing myself. I miss my spouse, my dog, my career, and how nice I kept my house back then. | Live out of them bc something likely will get misplaced during the trip otherwise. I do bring the packing checklist with me, though, especially for the longer trips when I must use the furniture. This way I know what I brought, so I know what must be re-packed. PROS: Items are readily accessible when kept in the packing cubes, luggage, and other organizational bags. CONS: These packing cubes and organizational bags can get messy in the suitcase, especially when adding bags of souvenirs/newly purchased items. Dirty laundry has its own packing cubes, but selecting clean clothing means rifling through the selections each time, and some materials can wrinkle. | I wear a relatively small number of items of clothing on a regular basis but also possess many items of clothing that I don’t wear much. | |
| Allison | Life happens. Decades ago I lived in a one bedroom apartment with less stuff. Then I got married, bought a house, accumulated tools and whatnot. Downsized a few years ago so I have less stuff again. I'm moving toward minimalism so there's fewer decor objects and home feels more peaceful. | I only unpack hanging clothes and toiletries. Everything else stays in the suitcase. Less likely to leave anything behind this way. | I own a large wardrobe and wear a great variety of clothing on a regular basis. | ||
| Evelin | My home was the most organized when I had just moved to a new apartment and worked only part time. Every evening I did a reset and I cleaned everything as I went or at least I cleaned every day. Now I work long hours and when I come home after a long day I don't want to do anything. When I have a day off I don't want to do it either. | You have to do a little bit every day, otherwise it gets overwhelming. | I live out of my bags because I don't know how clean the hotel room really is 😅 | I own a large wardrobe and wear a great variety of clothing on a regular basis. | |
| Anonymous | I moved out at 18 and had no household clutter while living alone or with roommates. What money I had went to rent, some food, bus fare, and fun, much in the form of alcohol, partying, and Pac-Man. Music yes, tv no. Born in the 60s. I agree with statement if I live alone and DON’T have/acquire physical or mental health issues. | Move into a rented apartment. Live a simpler life and get rid of things that need maintenance, and don’t buy anything unless needed. Move around more - dance, clean, visit or invite others, and get off the couch. Like I did when I didn’t have clutter. | I unpack toiletries, footwear, and what needs to be hung on hangers such as outerwear, dress clothes, items that wrinkle. Pros: it works for me. I know where everything is, prefer not to used the drawers others have touched/used, the system works. Cons are if I don’t do the above. When I leave extra out I’m more likely to forget. Ie. white converter for devices while in Europe. If I’d returned to the bag I wouldn’t have forgotten it when I unplugged it, set it on a crisp white duvet, and missed the white on white. The pause between point A and point B. The incomplete action. | Other | I don’t have a capsule wardrobe and since I have about 15 pairs of panties and same or more for socks (and I wear all of these socks and panties), well I’m over a hundred items. 4 seasons here, including mud, rain, snow, freezing and windy, warm, hot and humid, camping, exercise, travel, did I miss anything? No clothes clutter except for a little to repair and get special cleaning. |
| Patty | I had a smaller house and moved every 3 years | Pretend I was moving every 3 years | If on a cruise I unpack. Otherwise I keep all but hanging clothes in suitcases. Packing cubes are a real help with organizing | I don’t have a capsule wardrobe per se, but I own fewer than a hundred items of clothing and wear all or most of them. | |
| Anonymous user | I have now achieved a relatively clutter free house as our children are long gone. But clutter is so subjective isn’t it. My treasures, his clutter. | Past self saw things in terms of storage rather than the objects within. Storage =good allowed me to ignore an excess of possessions =bad. It genuinely didn’t occur to me to try and consciously reduce what I owned, apart from the turnover generated by fashion changes and the changing needs of children. Seems odd to look back in it. | Three days or more, I unpack, if the area is clean and easily accessed. Fewer days than that I keep things in the case. Depends if I am touring or making one stop only. Repeated unpacking is boring. I pack very lightly these days. It’s usually pretty easy to see what I have, this is especially the case if there is an ELEVATED SURFACE to place my bag on. Hotels please take note. Those luggage racks they often provide don’t accommodate a clamshell style cases when open That makes all the different. (And there is always only one!) Scratching around in my case at floor level is the pits! | I wear a relatively small number of items of clothing on a regular basis but also possess many items of clothing that I don’t wear much. | |
| La | I prefer to live out of my suitcase, but my partner likes to unpack in the hotel room. I rarely leave anything behind, but perhaps his clothes are (slightly) less creased… | I don’t have a capsule wardrobe per se, but I own fewer than a hundred items of clothing and wear all or most of them. | |||
| Noreen | Probably least cluttered in late 20's, early 30's. LIved in 1 bedroom apt and had not accumulated a lot. Since then live in a 3 bedroom house and have filled each room with furniture and decor. | Less is more. I have been getting back to being comfortable with less decor. | Prefer to live out of my bags. Only unpack toiletries and electronics. | I own a large wardrobe and wear a great variety of clothing on a regular basis. | |
| Cynthia | Actually I am now in the least cluttered time of my life. I have finally given into taking things back to where they belong. I tell myself do it now instead of trying to ignore the problem. | If I am staying for a week or more I unpack. I don’t have as many clothes when I travel so the drawers are spacious and things are easy to find. If I leave my clothes in the suitcase it is easy to get out of the room quicker. | I wear a relatively small number of items of clothing on a regular basis but also possess many items of clothing that I don’t wear much. | ||
| Summer | Keep my stuff in the bag but still very disorganized. | I wear a relatively small number of items of clothing on a regular basis but also possess many items of clothing that I don’t wear much. | |||
| Anonymous user | I was living alone with my son in an apartment after a separation. I had fewer things at that time. | Have fewer things to manage | Live out of my suitcase. I do organize it with packing cubes that really help. | I don’t have a capsule wardrobe per se, but I own fewer than a hundred items of clothing and wear all or most of them. | |
| Jean | Perhaps getting older equals more stuff? | Living alone does reduce some clutter! | I usually keep the bag packed, except for sleep ware and toiletries and maybe a couple things on hangers. | I don’t have a capsule wardrobe per se, but I own fewer than a hundred items of clothing and wear all or most of them. | |
| Melanie | Totally agree | To regularly declutter every day. | I unpack completely as it makes the room my own and helps me to ground in my new experience. | I wear a relatively small number of items of clothing on a regular basis but also possess many items of clothing that I don’t wear much. | |
| Linda | I agree as to using your circumstances as an excuse will keep you stuck but sometimes you can not help the circumstances you are currently in but by taking action, even minute ones, can help you get unstuck | I prefer to unpack all the way. Pro-clothing airs out and may be less wrinkled and everything is out to see. Con-something could be left when packing up. Living out of bag: pro-items stay in one spot. Con-clothing may be more wrinkled and all jumbled up together. | I don’t have a capsule wardrobe per se, but I own fewer than a hundred items of clothing and wear all or most of them. | ||
| Jetta | My home is currently the least cluttered it has ever been. | I need to just take action. I have done this with all of my house except my home office area which is fairly organized, but not as tidy as I would like. | I don’t want things to get misplaced so my clothing stays in my suitcase. My toiletries are out for use, though. | I don’t have a capsule wardrobe per se, but I own fewer than a hundred items of clothing and wear all or most of them. | |
| Dawn | I'm going to take the opposite side of the original question. 🙂 My home is less cluttered NOW. 🙂 Moving to a condo from a home a little over six years ago, I needed to seriously declutter due to not having a basement and asking the question, "What do I NEED to bring to the condo, knowing that storage in the 1-car garage was going to be limited" (i.e., not wanting to store thing there which would suffer damage from that environment). So, what I'm doing now to declutter what remains is, 1: Watch what I bring in 2: Declutter and refresh one area at a time 3: Find concentrated times where I can make a lot of headway (Example: A few weeks ago I spent 12 hours in two days mostly in my office) 4: Encouraging myself with the fact, I WILL GET THERE, especially because EVERYTHING COUNTS. 🙂 | I think I'll be playing devil's advocate on all of these questions... I see that my major downfall from the past was emotionally not wanting to deal with it all so I consequently didn't plan any time to address it in very small swatches, leaving the major avalanche untouched until I had to address it: moving to a place with significantly less storage allowed. | When I travel, I HAVE to unpack completely so I feel I'm "home" vs. in transition. I mean, there is a PLACE for health and beauty items--the bathroom and clothes--either hangers or drawers. My books, etc. go on the desk. I'm rather anal retentive about the whole thing: I have a packing list which I access for each trip. Before leaving I go through every spot so I make sure I'm not forgetting anything. The con for me of not UNpacking is feeling UNsettled...I just have to. | Other | I'm trying to get down to a little more than capsule. I'm in a transition of seeing which clothes I need to give away yet after losing 35+ pounds. I'm down to going through some tops and pants. I had the realization in the last week that I don't need to FILL my closet because I previously had a lot of clothes I didn't wear on a regular basis just hanging there. For now I'm stopping on major pieces. |
| Kit | Our first 2 homes were less cluttered only because we didn't have the money and time to accumulate everything we wanted yet. | - Don't keep everything indefinitely. Stuff should leave, even if it's good stuff. - Don't buy for a wide selection of options in each category. Choosing favorites is more functional. | Live out of my bags. - Pro: I know where everything is and don't have to figure out how to organize it in this unfamiliar space. - Con: I have to dig for things. | I don’t have a capsule wardrobe per se, but I own fewer than a hundred items of clothing and wear all or most of them. | |
| Anonymous user | When I was busy working during the school year in addition to having a spouse and a house dog. During summer break when I was home more often, I was more mindful of picking up after myself because of not inconveniencing both of them. Optional: I strongly agree with her statement. | I could use my time more wisely, pace myself, and stop inconveniencing myself. I miss my spouse, my dog, my career, and how nice I kept my house back then. | Live out of them bc something likely will get misplaced during the trip otherwise. I do bring the packing checklist with me, though, especially for the longer trips when I must use the furniture. This way I know what I brought, so I know what must be re-packed. PROS: Items are readily accessible when kept in the packing cubes, luggage, and other organizational bags. CONS: These packing cubes and organizational bags can get messy in the suitcase, especially when adding bags of souvenirs/newly purchased items. Dirty laundry has its own packing cubes, but selecting clean clothing means rifling through the selections each time, and some materials can wrinkle. | I wear a relatively small number of items of clothing on a regular basis but also possess many items of clothing that I don’t wear much. | |
| Yvonne | My home was the least cluttered when I first moved in with my fiance. We had no children , I had gotten rid of a bunch of my own things because I didn’t want to move them into my new home with him, and we had very little money to spend on non essentials . | I not unpack my toiletries and my hanging garments. Everything else stays in my suitcase. I don’t like feeling like I might forget something if I take too many things out and spread them around the hotel room. | I own a large wardrobe and wear a great variety of clothing on a regular basis. | ||
| Lela | I am least cluttered now. The older I get, the more “stuff“ gets on my nerves. I’m tired of maintaining and cleaning it all. I agree strongly with the statement about actions empowering me. | My house was more cluttered when I was younger, so the only lesson I learn is by looking back and thinking that I don’t want my house to be that hard to clean and maintain anymore. | I put my bags on a luggage rack or wooden furniture and keep everything in one spot. Pros – much less chance of bringing home bedbugs or other critters! Cons – sometimes my stuff is really crowded into one spot that way. | I don’t have a capsule wardrobe per se, but I own fewer than a hundred items of clothing and wear all or most of them. | |
| Anita | I sometimes blame my clutter on not having enough time. | I’ve always had clutter. Even back at home with my parents. My mom loves ornaments etc. My sister and I were always scrap booking. So unfortunately I’ve never really learnt to be uncluttered. If anything I’ve learnt to be very sentimental over things( which is nice in some ways but does complicate getting rid of things. Then we were brought up to not waste anything… so we kept envelopes to use as drawing paper, scraps of material for patching holes in clothes or using for rag. The one positive thing in the past was window shopping on Sundays when the shops were shut and we’d just gaze at things we liked rather than purchasing. | I travel a lot and most times live out of the suitcase/ bag. Pros: saves time Cons: clothing gets creased. | I don’t have a capsule wardrobe per se, but I own fewer than a hundred items of clothing and wear all or most of them. | |
| Anja | My home is least cluttered now although there were times when I had less room and consequently less stuff. A lot of clutter had been because of working from home and having a home office as a teacher. That was definetely circumstancial and never an excuse. I had actuelly not enough time and brain power then. Circumstances do matter as well as actions. I would never phrase a statement like the one above. I do not think I use excuses mostly but reflect on what I can do and how my circumstances can be changed by me. Very complicated issue but for me not a question of blame. That is just not how I look at things. | Having less space to live in helps with less inventory. This is also part of the container concept. I am looking forward to a big enough but smaller space. | I like unpacking things completely because that's more tidy and comfortable to me. | I own a large wardrobe and wear a great variety of clothing on a regular basis. | |
| Denise | I honestly can’t think of a time when my home was less cluttered. I have always lived in small apartments with limited closets and storage space. My home now is 1167 square ft and it seems luxurious in comparison. However, it’s still cluttered. WHY? . I finally came to the realization that no matter how much room I have I will fill it. Light bulb!!! It’s my thinking and not the space. So this year I have been seriously getting rid of loads of things. The more I get rid of the easier it gets. I’m in my late 70’s and by the time I die, I Don’t want any clutter. I totally agree with the statement. | Small tasks done consistently works better than tackling a large and unrealistic project | I unpack things that wrinkle easily if I’m staying a few days but if only 1 or 2 nights in each place I live out of my suitcase. I’ve traveled a lot and personally, no matter what I try, I’m still disorganized. I spend a lot of time rearranging and re packing. | I wear a relatively small number of items of clothing on a regular basis but also possess many items of clothing that I don’t wear much. | |
| Danetta | I agree. I tend to be an action gal, figuring that one less piece of clutter helps, no matter how small. | I was no role model in the past. I learned from my mom to acquire to excess. My home looks much better and I can find things now that I have thinned out almost every category. | It depends on the length of stay. I unpack almost nothing for a one night hotel stay so that leaving is easy in the morning, but unpack progressively more with each additional day in one place. I can do laundry, repack outfits, check the snack box, and reorganize my suitcase/ backpack during longer hotel stays. | I don’t have a capsule wardrobe per se, but I own fewer than a hundred items of clothing and wear all or most of them. | |
| Kim | My home has been the least cluttered when I have had sufficient (or surplus) space. I have lived in 450 square feet up to 2500+ square feet. Having ample space makes it possible to have a place for every item. I don't really agree with Gabriella's statement. I am a minimalist but there is a certain base amount of things that I need. If I don't have a drawer in my kitchen, where am I supposed to store my cutlery and kitchen utensils (this has happened to me before!) | I get mentally taxed when I don't have enough space for my basic things. I learned that I must have enough space and so I moved to the other side of Canada where the real estate is a fraction of the price of Toronto. Now I have twice as much square footage (850+) -- enough space! | I unpack completely so I can see what I have. I have sometimes left things behind in hotel rooms -- my bad! Working on that... | I don’t have a capsule wardrobe per se, but I own fewer than a hundred items of clothing and wear all or most of them. | |
| Kara | I agree with this statement! Any action I take to reduce clutter motivates me and empowers me. I feel energized and the resulting feeling of airiness makes me feel wonderful. This statement also gives me pause to reflect on things I haven’t decluttered and why. I do see that I have used blame to escape action. Better to ditch that victim mentality and get on with it! Thanks, Gabriella! | I have hired a professional organizer a few times, and this has helped me immensely each time! There’s no way to convey the positive impact this has had. And I’m always amazed at the speed and clarity and efficiency A professional organizer brings to the job! | I prefer to unpack completely. Usually. I feel more like a regular person when things are put away. However, sometimes I leave things behind if they’re in a drawer. | I don’t have a capsule wardrobe per se, but I own fewer than a hundred items of clothing and wear all or most of them. | |
| The Maggs | The best uncluttered period was the time before kids. Once they came, everyone gave gifts at all times of the year and more at Christmas. The stuff accumulated fast after they came. Then once they went to school, the art projects and daily information came in like a firehose! | Limit what is given from family members and follow the container method. By sifting through the art work and school projects on a continuous basis, this will be better than trying to go through it all at once after bins of items were full. | When on a cruise, we unpack all of our bags on the first day when we get to our room. When traveling on land, we live out of our suitcases versus unpacking everything every day. | I don’t have a capsule wardrobe per se, but I own fewer than a hundred items of clothing and wear all or most of them. | |
| Name (click to view full survey response and comments) | During what period of your adult life was your home the least cluttered? Can you identify anything you did differently then (versus now) that helped keep the space tidy? | What lessons could you learn from your former way of managing your space that might help with your current way of dealing with clutter? | When you travel, do you prefer to unpack your bags completely in the hotel room or to live out of them so that nothing gets misplaced? What do you consider the pros and cons of either approach? | Please select whichever of the following statements best describes your current wardrobe: | Please elaborate if you wish. |
Learn from the Past | Clutter on the Go | Default Capsule...
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