Ever get the feeling that your clutter is conspiring against you? Every time you clear a space, it’s as if your stuff multiplies overnight and shows up in a different corner of the house. One mom recently found herself battling this never-ending chaos in her cozy little home and embarked on a mission to restore order.

This mom’s all-too-familiar struggle with clutter ignited a spirited debate on how to balance a tidy home with everyone’s attachment to their stuff. Turns out, keeping a clutter-free home is easier said than done!

More info: Mumsnet

Mom feels overwhelmed by the amount of clutter in her home, starts secretly donating family’s things hoping they won’t notice

Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)

Mom lives in a cozy home with her husband and daughter, wants to keep it tidy but her family won’t get rid of any old things they don’t use anymore

Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)

Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Mummyof287

Mom starts sneakily taking old stuff to the charity shops, including her daughter’s beloved toy, which she ends up buying back because she feels guilty for getting rid of it

Living in a cozy home, this mom found herself drowning in a sea of random stuff. Her husband and 7-year-old daughter seemed to have a severe allergy to throwing anything away. Seriously, it was like they were competing for the title of “World’s Best Hoarder.” The husband was constantly complaining about the lack of space, but when it came to actually getting rid of stuff, he turned into a sentimental softie.

So, what’s a mom to do in this situation? Start a secret decluttering mission? Yup, that’s what this mom did. Armed with a lot of oversized trash bags, she began sneakily whisking away items to the charity shop. She figured if no one noticed, no harm done, right?

But even secret agents have their slip-ups and so did this mom. Sometimes she got a bit too carried away and had second thoughts. “I’ve sometimes been a bit too ruthless and then regretted it,” she admitted.

Her undercover operations weren’t all smooth sailing. Mom once donated her daughter’s beloved soft toy, only to later stumble upon an old photo of her as a toddler holding that very toy. Feeling guilty, mom rushed back to the charity shop to buy back the toy. Nostalgia can really sneak up on you, can’t it?

Determined to keep the peace (and the clutter) under control, she convinced herself that if she didn’t mention it, her husband and daughter wouldn’t miss the disappearing items. But the struggle was real: wanting a spotless home, but also wanting to keep all those precious memories.

So, desperate for solutions, mom turned to the internet and got a mixed bag of advice. Some parents shared their own sneaky tricks, like bagging up kids’ stuff and labeling it with a date. If no one asks for it within a year, off it goes to the charity shop.

Other netizens were outraged at the idea of secret purging, with one user sharing their anger when their partner overzealously tidied up their stuff. “It’s utterly disrespectful,” they raged, suggesting that boxing up items and sorting through them together was a better idea.

Then there’s the mental load of it all, as clutter is much more than a simple physical inconvenience. It can also seriously impact your mental well-being. When your space is packed with mess, it can create a sense of chaos that leads to increased stress and anxiety.

Just imagine your mom suddenly popping in for a surprise visit, with all your dirty clothes and kids’ toys taking over every corner of your home. How embarrassing, right? You would probably not hear the end of that from your mom.

Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)

Experts say that, “Ideally, home is a place where we can rest and relax. However, clutter can make it hard to do that. One study found that women who reported more clutter in their homes had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol throughout the day compared to women who had less clutter.” Well, I think I know what I’m doing this weekend.

Professional home-organizers recommend involving everyone in the decluttering process by creating a sense of teamwork. In this way, you can keep your home tidy without stepping on anyone’s toes or causing unnecessary family drama.

To find out more about how clutter impacts our lives and how we can deal with it the best way possible, Bored Panda reached out to Jamie Hord, Founder of Horderly Professional Organizing, for some comments. She told us that taking baby steps, until we get the hang of the decluttering process, is the way to go. Starting small, maybe with one junk drawer under the sink in the beginning can make a big impact.

When asked how can someone decide which items to keep or let go, especially when dealing with sentimental items, Hord explains that asking some important questions can make the decision easier, such as: “Do I have better?”, “Would I wear this today?”, “Do I have a photo with this?”.

We asked Hord what are some of the long-term benefits of maintaining a clutter-free space. She explained that decluttering brings a lot of amazing benefits. “It’s great for your overall mental health and clarity, focus and attention. It can also help with saving money and being less wasteful – being more mindful of what you are spending and bringing into your home, setting systems up so that items aren’t expiring, or you aren’t purchasing duplicates of anything.”

So, is this mom wrong for her secret decluttering missions? How do you handle clutter in your home? Share your thoughts in the comments and let’s help this mom out.

Netizens relate to the mom’s story, saying they also struggle with the same issue, offering mom different suggestions for dealing with the clutter

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