My Why

Here are 10 eye-opening facts about clutter in American households:

  1. Americans Own Too Much Stuff – The average American home has over 300,000 items, from clothes to kitchen gadgets to toys. (LA Times)

  2. The Rise of Consumerism – With the explosion of e-commerce, Americans are buying more than ever—online shopping has increased by over 80% in the past decade, making it easier to accumulate clutter. (U.S. Census Bureau)

  3. Frequent Influx of Clutter – On average, Americans bring home 60 new items per month, whether through shopping, gifts, or impulse purchases. (Simplicity Institute)

  4. Storage Struggles – 1 in 4 Americans can’t park their car in their garage because it’s too full of stuff. (U.S. Department of Energy)

  5. Kids Multiply Clutter – Families with children tend to have toys overflowing in 75% of their homes, and parents spend an average of 3,680 hours (or 153 days) over 18 years cleaning up after their kids. (Forbes, Real Simple)

  6. Clutter Costs Money – The U.S. self-storage industry is now a $40 billion business, with over 51,000 storage facilities nationwide—more than McDonald’s and Starbucks locations combined. (Self Storage Association)

  7. The Mental Toll of Clutter – Studies show that clutter increases stress and anxiety, with cluttered homes linked to higher levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), particularly in women. (Princeton University, UCLA Study on Home and Families)

  8. How Much Time We Spend Cleaning – The average American spends six hours per week cleaning their home, and nearly 50% of people feel their homes are not clean enough, even after tidying up. (American Cleaning Institute)

  9. Lost Time & Productivity – The average person spends 2.5 days per year searching for lost items in their home, costing U.S. households billions of dollars annually in wasted time and unnecessary repurchases. (National Association of Professional Organizers)

  10. The Clutter Effect on Happiness – People who describe their homes as “cluttered” are more likely to feel depressed, fatigued, and overwhelmed, while those with tidy spaces report feeling happier, more focused, and more productive. (Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin)