Common Disposable Products You're Using That Are Actually Cluttering Your Home

To create a more peaceful and organized home, you may need to deal with clutter first. You're not alone, as one in four people in the U.S. has a clutter issue, according to NBC News. Such a problem may be exacerbated by the amount of things Americans have — an estimated average of 300,000 items ranging from office supplies to toys to clothing.

Managing clutter in your home is a big step in relieving stress, reducing cortisol levels, and maintaining focus. Unorganized closets can create a stressful morning routine when you can't find the clothing and accessories you need quickly. You may spend money on things you already have in the kitchen or bathroom because items are pushed to the back of a stocked shelf or cabinet. Plus, it can be easier to keep your space cleaner without so many items everywhere, and disposable items may also be a huge source of the problem.

Some of the best strategies for decluttering a home include putting items into categories of what to keep, throw away, or recycle. Disposable items like paper plates, paper towels, half-empty product bottles, or single-use plastic bags are replaceable with more sustainable options made from fiber, cotton, bamboo, glass, and more. Try utilizing different storage techniques so you don't forget how to take better advantage of your more eco-friendly options — i.e., placing your reusable bags somewhere so you won't forget them before going to the store. With the right adjustments, you can prevent clutter from accumulating in your home.

Paper towels can help you dry your hands and clean surfaces. However, those large rolls can take up lots of space in your kitchen pantry, especially if you buy them in packs or bulk. Plus, it's costing American households lots of money — with a total of $5.7 billion spent in 2017, according to The Atlantic. The American expenditure on paper towels adds up to what all other countries combined spend.

Instead of taking up a whole shelf in your kitchen closet, consider something smaller that won't even take up an entire drawer like reusable microfiber cloths. You can get them in a colorful pack and throw them in the washing machine when they become soiled. They are perfect for both dry and wet cleanup on surfaces or drying dishes. The HOMEXCEL Microfiber Cleaning Cloth is a best seller with a 4.6-star rating on Amazon — a 4-color 12-pack is only $7.99.

A similar option is Swedish dishcloths, which can replace as many as 17 rolls of paper towels. These biodegradable and absorbent cloths made from cellulose and cotton are easy to refresh with a warm rinse, throwing them in the laundry, or boiling them. Choose from different colors and designs and save money as a Wettex Original Swedish Dishcloth for Kitchen 10-pack goes for $8.69 on Amazon.

Make holiday dinners or simple snacks more special by replacing paper towels or napkins with cotton or linen napkins. Get reusable napkins made from 100% cotton when you buy the GRUPPERA 6-pack in white or black for only $4.99 from IKEA.

While some people save those used plastic bags instead of trashing them once they put groceries away, about half of today's shoppers still get single-use plastic bags. Even after buying a reusable bag, as many as 63% of a MaCorr Research survey respondents admit forgetting to bring it. 

Reusing plastic bags is better than trashing them as they add to the endless plastic in landfills, and some wildlife like turtles have ingested them — yes, they even clutter the oceans. However, saving too many plastic bags without using them or not organizing them well creates clutter and a potential breeding ground for pests looking for places to nest, like roaches or spiders. A good solution is the popular VARIERA plastic bag dispenser from IKEA, available for only $4.99. Mount one by your front door so you never forget to grab some plastic bags on the way to the grocery store, and make it hard for pests to hide.

Better yet, never forget your reusable bags again by finding stylish, strong ones for multiple purposes. The FRAKTA large shopping bag only costs $0.99 from IKEA, which reviewers praise for its heavy-duty strength and ability to carry lots of items at once — food, laundry, tools, etc. The stylish and foldable Green Bulldog Reusable Grocery Bags available in a 3-pack for $29.99 on Amazon can easily fit in your car or hang by the door. It holds up to 65 pounds worth of items and replaces as many as six plastic bags.

Unused cleaning products are common items to get rid of when decluttering. You may have several bottles of almost empty or redundant cleaning products under your kitchen and bathroom sink taking up way too much space. Of course, you must clean your home and wash your body, but you can cut down on so many products by researching and finding the best multiple-use ones. 

Dr. Bronners Liquid Castille Soap is a perfect example of a multi-use personal and home wash product. Made with various oils including coconut oil and hemp oil, this natural cleanser is safe enough for the face and body. Use it as a shampoo, bubble bath replacement, or hand soap (opt for the Tea Tree version due to its antibacterial properties) general house cleaning, washing pets, dish soap, and laundry. Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner is pine-scented and specially formulated for floors, laundry, and dishes.

Simple Green AllPurpose Cleaner comes in 22 to 96-fl oz spray bottles in original, lemon, and lavender scents and is suitable for cleaning and removing grime from your carpets, floors, vehicles, and counters. It has 4.8 stars on Amazon and customers praise its cleaning power.

Start buying large refill bottles of your favorite product to replenish smaller elegant dispensers like the Lewistin Shampoo and Conditioner Dispenser, available for $11.99 on Amazon. This practice can prevent you from constantly throwing out plastic bottles every time you run low on hand soap or shampoo.