Clutter is weighing us down and stealing our time, money, and space. Here are just a few examples -- by the numbers.
11% -- the amount of Americans renting extra space.
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According to industry statistics compiled by SpareFoot Storage Beat, 11 percent of American households are renting self-storage units at an average cost of $85.14 per month. It’s a 44.3 billion dollar industry with 52,301 self-storage facilities nationwide.
300,000 -- the number of items in the average American home.
The accuracy of this often-quoted number is difficult to assess, but many professional organizers believe it’s not unreasonable, if you’re counting everything from the forks to the paperclips. No matter what the exact number is, most people agree, it’s too high!
1 in 4 -- the number of American households with a 2-car garage that can’t park a car inside.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 25 percent of people with 2-car garages can’t park even one car inside. In some geographic areas, that number may be as high as 75 percent!
40% -- the amount of housework that could be eliminated by getting rid of clutter.
It’s no secret that clutter makes it more difficult to clean. According to the National Soap and Detergent Association, decluttering can eliminate 40 percent of housework in the average home, .
77% -- the amount that clutter raises your risk of carrying extra pounds too.
A Florida State University study found people with extremely cluttered homes were 77 percent more likely to be overweight. Clutter can make it more difficult to cook and can increase the desire to eat comfort foods. Clutter also raises stress hormone levels, making it more difficult to lose weight.
71 -- the number of toys owned by the average American child.
A survey by the Toy Industry Association found the average American child has 71 toys, but one fifth of households have more than 100 toys, and more than ten percent of homes have more than 200 toys.
54% -- the number of Americans who feel overwhelmed by their clutter.
A survey by Decluttr and the National Association for Professional Organizers (NAPO) found more than half Americans are overwhelmed by their clutter and 78 percent don’t know what to do about it or find the decluttering process too complicated. If that’s you, watch The Clutter Project at 8pm on Local 4+