The Most Cluttered Areas Pro Organizers See in Every Home (and How to Fix Them Fast)

It’s no secret that professional organizers are experts at identifying and dealing with clutter, and while they make their way inside all types of rooms and closets, they’ve found that there are some spaces within the home that are repeatedly messier than others.

We spoke with Amélie Saint-Jacques, the founder of Amelie Organizes LLC, who shares the types of areas in the home that are most prone to extreme clutter. In her experience, this includes the entryway, playroom, extra closets and guest rooms, and flat surfaces such as the kitchen counters or dining room table.

Saint-Jacques goes into detail regarding why exactly these spots are so prone to clutter and provide easily adaptable solutions for how to fix this issue. By intentionally following her pro guidance, you’ll be well on your way to creating a more livable home in no time.

Entrways

It is all too easy for an entryway to become overwhelmed by clutter, Saint-Jacques explains.

“People leave multiple pairs of footwear, jackets, outerwear, as well as accessories like backpacks and purses, plus whatever they were carrying when they came in the door,” she says. “It adds up!”

The key to maintaining a more streamlined, organized entryway is limiting what you allow to stay in there. Saint-Jacques suggests implementing a rule that allows each family member to store two pairs of shoes in the entryway and no more, for example.

Additionally, she notes, that every item kept in the entryway should have a proper home. For example, backpacks should go on a hook instead of on the floor and every jacket should have a hanger, Saint-Jacques says.

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Playrooms

If you have young children at home, you’re likely well aware of how cluttered playrooms can get. This is partly because new additions are always coming into the home, Saint-Jacques explains.

“Kids receive a lot of toys as gifts, including from relatives and even from attending birthday parties,” she says.

Of course, engaging in regular decluttering sessions is key—during the lead up to or right after birthdays and holidays can be a great time—and Saint-Jacques is a proponent of getting children involved in this process. She recommends helping your children get rid of any toys they’ve outgrown by donating them to other younger kids.

Then, once you have determined what exactly you’ll be holding onto and what will be leaving the home for someone else to enjoy, it’s integral to give everything a home, according to the organizer.

“Your kids can’t pick up their toys if they don’t know where the toys go at the end of the day,” she explains.

While adding a bit more storage is an ok solution in some instances, you will eventually run out of room and have to really limit how many new pieces come into the house, Saint-Jacques adds.

Extra Closets and Guest Rooms

People have a tendency to use closets and guest rooms as drop zones for items that they do not know where else to store, but then they forget about what’s actually in these areas, Saint-Jacques shares.

Taking the time to go through everything you’ve been holding onto will pay off.

“The only way out is through: you have to look at those items and make decisions,” she says.

Ask yourself what’s worth keeping and where you’re going to potentially store it. Anything you do not love can go straight to the donation bin.

Flat Surfaces

If you feel like you’ve barely seen a bare kitchen countertop or dining room table in months, it’s time to get intentional and go through the piles of mail and the like that you have been putting there.

Saint-Jacques recommends creating specific solutions to keep things at bay going forward.

“Create a mail corner where you have a tray to deposit the mail, a letter opener, and ideally a recycling bin or shredder to dispose of the paper,” she says.