Clutter refers to the accumulation of personal belongings that is not controlled and often unorganized. Hoarding, on the other hand is an excessive accumulation of personal possessions that have some value but are difficult to justify in one’s limited space, time, and resources.
Clutter Can Be Managed
Clearing clutter is simply about allowing yourself to take the time to sort through and decide if you need them to keep or to throw them away.
This is the essence of clutter. If you have too many things in your home, it can make it difficult to find them. It’s easy to keep clutter at bay once it has been cleared.
Hoarding Is More Pervasive
Hoarders may be more inclined to keep possessions that aren’t valuable because it can be difficult to part with them. Hoarders don’t always look as bad as they appear. Sometimes hoarders don’t realize they have a problem and just want to preserve things that could otherwise be thrown away if they don’t have the money to dispose of them.
Hoarding Is More Expensive
You may be able find items in your clutter-ridden home by looking through piles and stacking them on shelves. If your home has become so cluttered that it is impossible to find things, you may need to purchase additional storage or an organization system. This investment might be worthwhile in some cases, but it may not pay off if you are trying to get rid of things that are still useful.
Hoarding can lead to people having no storage space and not being able to find what they need.
Personal Clutter
The main difference between cluttering and hoarding lies in the fact that clutter is often a personal concept. When discussing clutter, there are often specific standards that describe what an average house looks like. People learn to live with clutter and find it comfortable.
On the other hand, hoarding is usually a sign of a deeper mental disorder or problem such as depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder or lack thereof.
Clutter Isn’t Always Disorganized
It is easy to think of clutter as a synonym for disorder. However, clutter doesn’t always have to be disorganized. Sometimes, people accumulate too much stuff and don’t take the time to organize it properly. They may feel overwhelmed and become disorganized over time.
Hoarders might have difficulty organizing their belongings. Clutter can cause problems if it grows too large and difficult to manage.
You can seek help with clutter and hoarding and think about your financial situation, the resources available, the effort required to clean your home and how much time it will take to maintain a manageable clutter. It doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is hoarding clutter or has a problem with it.
