I am chronically disorganised. I always have been. When I was a child, it was semi-endearing; when I was at university, it mattered little given that the constant takeaway boxes and piles of clothes from my other housemates were also strewn across our living space .
When I first moved out, I lived alone so there was no one else there to be impacted by my disorganisation but me. Now in my thirties, though, I live with my husband and daughter and my mess-making has been the cause of the bulk of our arguments. And we’re not alone in our decluttering desolation.
According to recent research by Olio , one in six adults has considered breaking up with someone because of how messy they are. A study across 2,000 adults in a relationship, revealed 47 per cent argue on a weekly basis about clutter in their home – with 23 per cent admitting their partner’s approach to tidiness has put a strain on their relationship. My husband would count himself in both those statistics.
I know I need to change my ways, the question is how? Luckily, we’re living in the age of the professional organiser – experts at creating systems for keeping a space tidy and organised, and adept at helping even the hardiest of hoarders declutter. Many are amassing tens of thousands of followers on Instagram and racking up millions of views on TikTok, too. From organisational award-winner Lucy Mancey and her almost 40,000 followers, to Charlotte Silver , known as @organisedbycharlotte on Instagram, who keeps.