Clutter quotes and sayings are a fantastic way to give perspective on all that ‘stuff’ you’ve got at home (and in life). Why not use this brilliant collection of clutter quotes as a way to focus on the stuff you have, motivate you in your decluttering, and inspire you to become more clutter free.
I’m slightly addicted to a good quote.
The right one seems to speak to me in a way that other things don’t – are you the same?
I really love that quotes show different peoples points of view, and therefore help me to see things in different ways – which is key to being able to change that which I want to.
They are motivating, inspiring, and funny – but always pretty educational (in a short quick burst that’s easy to take!) – and so I wanted to collect together all the quotes I have found that are specifically related to clutter.
Why?
Well – If you take a look, you’re bound to find at least one that you can relate to for exactly where you are on your decluttering journey right now.
You’ll find all sorts of quotes, from Marie Kondo and Peter Walsh with their decluttering quotes, to Einstein and William Morris (and even me!).
There are even a few funny clutter quotes in there as well – because we all need to laugh & smile more, right!
I recommend writing one or two down where you’ll see them each day, so you get a dose of exactly what you need – and it will help you push through when you’re feeling less than motivated!
So – let’s go, shall we!
Clutter Quotes you’re going to love…
“Less stuff means less to clean, less to organised, less to store, less mess” – Unknown
A brilliant reminder that the physical clutter can be so restrictive if we let it get out of control.
When we choose to declutter – and have less stuff – we can really reap the rewards of a simpler life. I for one like the sound of that!
“Clutter is anything that doesn’t belong in a space – whether because it belongs elsewhere in your home, or it doesn’t belong in your home any longer” – Chrissy Halton
This is my own definition of clutter, and it really helps me by taking a lot of the emotion away from the decision making that decluttering brings.
There’s no-one saying something definitely has to be gotten rid of, rather, it has to simply be put in the right place (whether that’s in the home or not) – and that feels much more do-able, right?
“Simplicity boils down to 2 things: identify the essential & eliminate the rest” – Leo Babauta
Clutter has a way of taking over our lives and making it difficult to focus on what’s important.
But if we can learn how to simplify the chaos, we can make more meaningful progress in our work, relationships, and lives.
Related: Over 35 Meaningful Simple Living Quotes
“You never have to throw away that which you never buy” – Unknown
A hard thing to come to terms with – especially if you’re a shop lover – but it’s worth remembering that yes, buying less means that you have to look after less in your home.
“Happiness is a place between too little and too much” – Finnish Proverb
The message of this quote is that there is a balance to be found between having just enough, and having too much. Too little can bring feelings of deprivation and lack, while having too much can lead to disorganization and clutter.
Finding the sweet spot in between these two places is key to achieving a greater sense of peace and happiness.
Related: Over 30 Inspirational Quotes You’re Going to Love!
“Stuff has gotten a lot cheaper, but our attitude towards it hasn’t changed correspondingly – we overvalue stuff” – Paul Graham
Not sure how much I agree with this, because it’s saying (at least I think it is!) that we can let go of stuff because it’s cheap.
But that’s how we get too much waste – and that isn’t the way forward really. Not long term, and not for the environment.
I think we need to not overvalue stuff in terms of the fact of just keeping for the sake of it.
“We should be choosing what we keep – not what we get rid of” – Marie Kondo
Made famous in her book, THE LIFE CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING – Marie Kondo has a lovely way of thinking about decluttering that makes it more of a joy and less of a hard task.
Related: Positive Decluttering – Why It Works So Well!
“If it doesn’t add to your life, it doesn’t belong in your life” – Unknown
Think about why you’re keeping all that stuff.
Do you REALLY need it? or are you just keeping it for the sake of it? Worth asking because the answer may surprise you!
“You can’t reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterdays junk” – Louise Smith
Everything we own takes some time from us.
Whether it’s cleaning, maintaining, or using, and so it stands to reason that if we have lots of stuff, we won’t have the time or energy to do much else.
“When things aren’t adding up in your life – start subtracting” – Unknown
” ‘Later’ is the best friend of clutter” – Peter Walsh
Because we can always say we’ll sort it out later, we’ll declutter later, or something else that puts it off for another day.
When will that day come though? That’s why clutter builds up – and that’s why “Later” is the best friend of clutter.
Related: FREE QUIZ – How Organised Are You? – & What To Focus On
“Make space in your life for what matters” – Unknown
Whether it’s physical space (like freeing up the cluttered garage to make a gym or craft area), or your mental space (like freeing up your busy day to allow for planning a new business) – you need to make that space available.
That comes with a good declutter!
“Collect moment, not things” – Unknown
A favourite of these clutter quotes.
Things get broken, last for a short while, and tend to get forgotten when the next thing comes along (this is especially true for kids toys) – whereas special memories of events in our life can stay with us for a lifetime.
Think back – do you remember exactly what you got for christmas for the past few years, or do you remember the actual memories of the day itself more vividly?
This in itself is a great way to think when you are trying to declutter, as you not only save money on buying less, but also spend less time on the upkeep of things – so you have more time and money to spend on making those memories that will last a lifetime…
“Reminder: You’ve got everything you need” – Unknown
It’s all about mindset with this one. If we get it into our minds that stuff is just things, and we have too much usually – then we’re halfway there…
You don’t have to be a minimalist to deal with the clutter – but having less helps everyone!
“Once you need less, then you’ll have more” – Unknown
More time, more energy, more money, more space – more of pretty much everything! – sounds good, right?
“Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions” – Barbara Hemphill
It’s all too easy to put your head in the sand when decluttering.
I feel like this when there are unmade decisions that feel too hard to make – but this quote really puts it into perspective, as you are going to have to make the decision sooner or later.
I know that once I have made the decision I feel so much better – my cluttered mind feels better – so much more empowered – which helps to make the decision making quicker the next time – a win-win!
“If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down” – Buddha
“Out of clutter, find simplicity” – Albert Einstein
“Your home will be easier to clean AND organise, with less stuff in it” – Chrissy Halton
“Clutter is not just physical stuff, it’s old ideas, toxic relationships and bad habits” – Eleanor Brown
Always worth remembering. Clutter isn’t always visible. Our heads can be FULL of clutter – and that’s why self care is so crucial to our happiness.
“The more things you own, the more they own you” – Unknown
“In a sense, clutter is the end result of procrastination” – Jeff Campbell
“You never really know how much stuff you accumulate until you move house” – Unknown
When you have to pick up everything you own, pack it away, move it, and then unpack and place it in the new home – it gets very real how much you have (and how much you may not need).
“Make space to have daydreams about possibility” – Erica C. Cote
Related: Over 25 Uplifting Quotes and Positive Sayings to Boost Your Day
“How many things are there which I do not want?” – Socrates
“Don’t mind the mess, my kids are making memories… Of me yelling at them to clean up the mess” – Unknown
“Get rid of clutter and you may just find it was blocking the door you’ve been looking for” – Katrina Mayer
I love this quote because it gives a really strong visual image of clutter physically blocking the way you want to go – and that’s powerful!
“Keeping baggage from the past will leave no room for happiness in the future” – Wayne L. Misner
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful” – William Morris
An oldie, but a goodie! – and as relevant today as it always was.
“Clear clutter – make space for you” – Magdelena Vandenberg
“Accidentally decluttered my kitchen today – shelf feel down & smashed 10 cups…” – Unknown
“The first step to crafting the life you want, is to get rid of everything you don’t” – Joshua Becker
“Your home is living space – NOT storage space” – Unknown
Definitely one to remember.
We all too often fill our homes with stuff – but having space is so much more important to being able to relax and enjoy where we live.
If everything is precious, then nothing is – Unknown
Having too much means you can’t enjoy anything as it’s all hidden away or merges with everything else.
We need to treat things differently – and have things that ARE important but also things that AREN’T – and clutter tends to form when that balance is disrupted.
Our memories are within us, not within our things – Unknown
“The meaning of things lies not in the things themselves, but in our attitude towards them” – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
“The problem: we put more value on our stuff than on our space” – Francine Jay
“The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life” – Marie Kondo
Is your home reflecting the life you want to lead? If not – get rid of the clutter that’s blocking it…
“You don’t need more space, you need less stuff” – Joshua Becker
Often when I was decluttering for clients in the past who were moving house, when we were finished they realised that their current home was more than adequate for what they wanted.
They’d just lost the space under the unwanted stuff. Something to think about, for sure! Especially when most people would move to a bigger house given half the chance.
If it doesn’t matter – get rid of it – Unknown
There you have it – loads of brilliant clutter quotes and sayings to love.
I hope you’ve found one (or two!) that really spoke to you and that these quotes will inspire decluttering to start (or carry on) in your home right now.
I’d love to know which is your favourite, so let me know in the comments below…
And then – go, declutter, and have fun!
If you’d like even more quote inspiration, then why not check this out next: 13 Uplifting Homemaking Quotes To Help Run Your Household
