13 Sneaky Sources Of Visual Clutter — And How To Solve Them For Good

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No matter how diligent of a cleaner you are, visual clutter is something that we all struggle with on a regular basis. This is because visual clutter comes in many forms and tends to sneak into the house without you even realizing it. In order to flip the narrative on visual clutter, however, you need to know what steps to take, otherwise it will be an uphill battle that you never win. Fortunately, there are many solutions that can help you beat the clutter at its source — many of which are easy to implement and highly intuitive.

Visual clutter comes in a number of categories. There are those items that wind up on the floor — shoes, backpacks, and laundry piles — and then there are those that are cluttering up counter or table space — charging cables, knife blocks, supplements, even hygiene products. While you need easy access to all of these items, you don't necessarily want them taking up valuable square footage. The key, therefore, is to find natural places to conceal these items. A basket for shoes, hooks for backpacks, and laundry hampers in convenient locations will keep floors clear. Meanwhile, baskets for device charging, knife inserts for kitchen drawers, and trays or bins for supplements and hygiene products can be highly instrumental in keeping visual clutter at bay. With the right approach, you can keep your home operating smoothly without sacrificing your visual peace.

It's pretty commonplace to see a pile of shoes inhibiting the flow of a space, especially in a narrow entryway. But, it doesn't have to be this way. If you're tired of seeing and tripping over soccer cleats that have been left in the foyer or mudroom, now is your sign to take command of the situation. You can be as laid back or regimented as you like. A simple open basket can do wonders for shoe clutter, or you can purchase a designated shoe storage organizer like the AOODA two-tier shoe rack. The key is keeping your shoes neatly compiled in one area, rather than strewn across the floor.

Charging cables can be the bane of anyone who is trying to keep their home free from visual clutter. The tangle of cords looks bad, but you also can't entirely avoid them in an age that is marked by electronic dependence. The good news is that you have options when it comes to wrangling this clutter. Establish designated charging stations throughout your house — one on your nightstand, another on a coffee table — plus, try the hack that'll keep cords in order in your kitchen when not in use (hint: it involves stashing charging devices in a cute countertop basket).

Paper clutter is one of the hardest forms of clutter to manage, mostly because its flow never ends. Between mail, medical paperwork, kids' school papers, and other documents, it's easy to feel like you're managing a never-ending paper trail. A good system can help you manage papers without too much effort. Solutions like the IRIS USA file bin keep your documents organized by category, yet portable so you can tuck them into a closet or attic until you need them. For items you need close at hand, grab something like the Wishaac desktop mail organizer, but sort through this monthly to keep things from overflowing. Shred sensitive documents regularly to keep them from piling up.

Laundry is another one of those revolving door tasks — just when you think you're done, the hamper magically seems to refill itself with clothes to be washed, folded, and put away. Keep a hamper in every bedroom to make it easy for children to toss their dirty laundry in the wash. A sorter hamper like the Bathola clothing hamper makes separating lights and darks simple, so you don't have to dump the hampers out on the bed or washer, creating more clutter just to separate them later.

Your child is a prolific artist — so prolific in fact that you feel like you are drowning under their creations. In order to showcase your child's artwork without covering the front of the fridge, purchase some frames to make a gallery wall (like the Decoruhome gallery wall set) so you can easily swap out old creations for new artwork. Invite your child to sort through their artwork with you and decide what should go on the wall this month. Other pieces can be kept in an art portfolio for you to look back on as your child grows.

It's totally normal to keep supplement bottles out on the counter where you'll remember to actually take them, but they can also clutter up your space significantly. There are a couple options that will help you wrangle them for good. Firstly, you can clear some space in nearby kitchen cabinets — just enough room for the bottles to be stored — and replace the "reminder bottles" with a handy medication reminder phone app like Medisafe or MyTherapy. Or, even easier, you can acquire a stylistically cohesive bin, basket, or tray like the Bagnizer bamboo lid boxes to keep bottle handy and accessible, but concealed.

A countertop knife block can seem like a practical storage solution for tools you use frequently, but the reality is that you probably only use a few of the knives that are permanently stored in the open. Cut down on the visual clutter by investing in a knife drawer insert like the Bambusi in-drawer knife block. You'll free up counter space and create a less cluttered corner in one fell swoop.

Bottles of face cleanser, tubes or hair products, and your daily makeup essentials that are left on your bathroom vanity might seem like a practical location since you use them everyday, but the reality is that they are cluttering up your space. Beyond this, they are creating chaos and making it harder for you to clean your vanity. The solution? Find easy-to-use organizational tools, like bins, that you can access quickly and stash with just as much ease. An easy hack can help you store your makeup palettes, and Dollar Tree products can help you keep other beauty products organized.

Children's toys are one of the most classic sources of visual clutter. From brightly colored, flashing plastic toys to the bin of LEGO building pieces that are constantly littering the floor, toys are a figurative nightmare. For younger children, use clear bins with photo labels affixed to each container, to encourage independence in cleaning up messes and keep things neatly organized. Older children can take responsibility for organizing their own toys by allowing them to label their own toy bins, like these handy Dollar Tree toy boxes, which are kept in a location that the children can easily reach and use them.

Much like the aforementioned shoe pile, backpacks are commonly left by entrances which creates massive visual clutter. Solve this problem once and for all by creating a backpack parking station. Once backpacks have been emptied of papers and lunchboxes, teach children to hang them on designated hooks in the foyer closet or mudroom. Getting them off of the floor will reduce visual clutter significantly. If you have enough room in an entryway, consider using a cube storage shelf as a backpack organizer.

Although you might think that leaving hand-washed dishes in the drainer is no big deal, it can actually be a source of visual clutter. Try an aesthetic alternative to a dish drying rack, like a sleek hanging dish rack. Either way, be sure to empty it regularly to keep the clutter to a minimum. Or, sidestep the temptation to let them drip-dry by hand-drying them and putting them away immediately instead. 

Water glasses are often forgotten around the house — on the nightstand, in the living room, even in the bathroom — and can create visual discord in your home. One of the best ways to stop this habit is by adopting the one-touch rule, which will change the way you clean your house. Instead of putting a water glass down after using it, take it right to the kitchen and put it into the dishwasher, or hand wash it. With this approach, you'll never have glasses piling up around the house again.

You love your furry friends, but their feeding station is giving off some seriously cluttered vibes. If you're tired of staring at grimy food and water bowls day in and day out, find a quiet corner of the house to become a chic "feeding station," with food and water dishes integrated into a sleek design. Options like the Neater Feeder dog bowls even have high-walled guards to prevent mess.