When Buying More Bins Makes Clutter Worse

Read time: 3 minutes

As a professional organizer, this might surprise you:

Sometimes the very thing people think will solve their clutter problem is actually making it worse.

I can't tell you how many times I've walked into a home and found beautiful baskets, matching containers, drawer organizers, and storage bins everywhere.

And yet the space still wasn't functioning.

The problem wasn't necessarily the bins.

The problem was that the bins were purchased before there was a plan. Before any decluttering happened or the clutter hotspots were identified, bins were bought.

When a space feels overwhelming, buying storage feels like progress. It feels productive. It feels like something is finally being done about the clutter.

But often what we're really doing is organizing things we haven't even decided we need to keep. Storage can hide and contain clutter. It can't solve it though.

Running to your local Homegoods and filling your cart with bins and organizational tools makes you feel like you are about to reclaim your life and solve all your problems.

But I urge you to slow down, and apporach your clutter more mindfully so you can fix it for good, not just for a week or two.

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CLIENT STORY

One client I worked with had what we jokingly referred to as a graveyard of unsuccessful Homegoods purchases in her garage.

Over the years, she'd spend hundreds of dollars on baskets, bins, organizers, and storage containers that were affordable and looked like they would do the trick. Every time a space felt frustrating, she'd head to the store looking for a solution.

The intention was there and it was admirable. She wanted her home to function and feel better.

But instead of creating long lasting systems, she had accumulated a collection of organizing products that didn't fit her space, her belongings, or her actual needs.

She inadvertently slapped a band aid on the problem, at best.

By the time we finished her project, most of these containers ultimately ended up being donated.

Not because her storage products were faulty or bad - but because they were purchased impulsively before there was a plan.

She learned from our sessions that buying more product simply because it's cheap and readily available is not necessarily the way. Intentionally choosing the products and investing in the right ones can take longer but it's the more sustainable route.

And it's definitely worth it.

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I would love to say this was an isolated experience but honestly I see this all the time. Many clients have a stock pile of good intention purchases that only worked for the short term, or possibly not at all.

One of the biggest money-saving tips I can give people is this: spend your time before you spend your money.

• Declutter first.

• Create categories.

• Understand what needs to live in the space.

• Identify what's causing frustration.

• Measure.

• Then, and only then, start shopping for storage solutions.

I love a good bin, don't get me wrong. I probably own more than most people.

But the best organizing tool I've ever used isn't a bin, basket, or container.

It's clarity.

Knowing what you need, what you use, and what deserves a spot in your home, life, and mental space.

Once you have that clarity, the bins become easier.

They're simply there to support the system - not create it.

The best organizing products are the ones purchased with intention, not desperation.