Clutter

How to Win the War on Clutter — One Battle at a Time

One-third of ADDitude readers say that clutter and home disorganization cause them the most stress in life. Here, readers share decluttering plans of attack with apps, books, and tricks.

By ADDitude Editors Updated on May 7, 2025
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Home is where the heart is — and if you have ADHD, there’s probably a bunch of clutter there, too. Poor executive functioning compromises organizational skills, leads to procrastination, and impedes planning and prioritization. The result? Countertops covered in paperwork, beds littered with laundry, kitchen tables strewn with homeless items, and a looming sense of overwhelm.

In a recent survey of 1,885 ADDitude readers, 30% said that clutter and home organization caused them the most stress in life. Sixty percent of respondents said they were dissatisfied with their home organization and de-cluttering skills; only 1% said they didn’t experience trouble in this area.

The aspects of home organization that prove most challenging for readers include:

  • Big decluttering projects (closets, garages, attics): 62%
  • Managing daily clutter: 59%
  • Finding space where items should ‘live’ in your home: 42%
  • Organizing bills and other paperwork: 35%
  • Curbing the impulsive spending that brings more items into your life: 27%
  • Getting buy-in and cooperation from family or roommates: 22%
  • Identifying items to donate or recycle: 12%

“A big challenge is having an ongoing system that works to deal with items that need decisions made about them,” shared one ADDitude reader.

Another reader said that their biggest issue was “unfinished projects like unbuilt furniture, flooring that covers 75% of a room or a half-painted room.”

[Read: 16 Organization Rules You Can Follow]

Decluttering Support: Calling in Reinforcements

The key to taming encroaching clutter? Readers say that getting the right kind of help can be indispensable. Toward that end, nearly 40% of readers report that ADHD medication helps them tackle clutter and home organization.

These supports were rated most helpful by readers (out of 5):

  • Housekeeping service: 3.90
  • Junk removal service: 3.53
  • Professional organizer: 3.37
  • ADHD coaches: 3.32
  • Spouse, family member, friend: 3.06

[Read: 13 Clutter Hacks for the Easily Overwhelmed]

“Donation centers and groups that do home pick-up, like the Salvation Army, are helpful,” one ADDitude reader explained.

Another reader tip? “Planning a party or visit. It forces a panic sweep of clutter.”

Housekeeping, junk removal, and coaching services are powerful but also pricey. Here are 10 low-cost tools recommended by our readers:

Decluttering, Home Organization, and Cleaning Hack

To get to the ultimate goal — an ordered home that feels like a sanctuary, not a stressor — there are myriad paths. Here, our readers share a slew of successful clutter and home organization strategies that have worked for them:

“What helps me the most is everything having its own designated place. It makes it easier to put something away because I’ll know where to find it next time.” —Mariana

“Baskets! If an item doesn’t have a home, it goes in the basket until I figure out where it goes. I go through the baskets at least once a week.” —Mary, Pennsylvania

“Don’t look at the big picture. Instead of trying to organize your house, organize one drawer, or one dresser. As the saying goes: ‘The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention.’” – An ADDitude Reader

“Clear plastic containers and clear plastic boxes, strategically placed to hold some of the D.O.O.M. piles I inevitably create in certain rooms of the house.”— Ryann, Pennsylvania

“If a large empty box comes into the house it has to be filled for donation in order to leave. I keep the box in the hall and we all add to it until it’s full.” — Amanda, Canada

“For each thing you bring into your home, remove one thing.” — Cynthia, Ontario

“O.H.I.O. — only handle it once.” — Ellie, Virginia

“I use the ‘Just 5 Things’ technique: I pick up and put away five items in a room, on a table, or another discrete area.” — Teresa, Ohio

“Having a friend come over to chat while I work on clutter is super helpful, even if they just sit and watch! Just having another person to help me decide where to start, what to do next, or what I should do with something is great.” — Nicole, Nebraska

“While I’m de-cluttering, I designate a space in the room for items that go somewhere else in the house, so I don’t get distracted.” — An ADDitude Reader

“Tackle a small area at a time, asking yourself 3 to 5 questions for each. For the closet, it would be: Have you worn it in the past year? Does it fit? Do you love the way it makes you feel?” — An ADDitude Reader

Decluttering & Home Organization: Next Steps

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