The biggest mistakes Americans make when decluttering
Lesley Spellman and Ingrid Jansen
America’s clutter crisis is more than just a storage issue, it's emotional. And now, two UK-based experts are helping Americans unpack the emotional baggage behind the physical mess with the U.S. launch of their bestselling book, Reset Your Home: Unpack Your Emotions And Your Clutter, Step By Step.
From overstuffed garages to overflowing storage units (more than 50,000 across the country outnumbering Starbucks and McDonald’s combined), clutter has become an epidemic. But a new wave of emotions-led decluttering is resonating across the U.S., led by Lesley Spellman, 56, and Ingrid Jansen, 51 hosts of the globally ranked The Declutter Hub Podcast, already a trusted voice for thousands worldwide.
Their book, published by Bloomsbury and available nationwide from today 'June 24', turns traditional tidying on its head. The core message: decluttering starts not with stuff, but with self-awareness.
Why America’s Decluttering Tactics Aren’t Working:
Lesley and Ingrid are tackling common misconceptions around clutter in the U.S., one myth at a time:
“You love a deal… maybe too much”
Americans are deal-hunters - from outlet malls to flash sales. But bargains can quickly become burdens. “That dopamine hit from a discount fades fast,” says Lesley. “What lingers is the clutter, the guilt and the overwhelm of too much. Instead of asking, ‘can I afford this?’, try asking, ‘do I have space, time, or energy for this in my life?’.”
“You store instead of solve”
The U.S. self-storage industry is worth more than $44 billion - and still growing. “It’s like renting a second home for things you don’t use,” Ingrid says. “And instead of relief, people often feel even more weighed down. True peace comes not from outsourcing your clutter, but from making peace with it.”
“You confuse busy with productive”
In cluttered homes, even the simplest task can feel exhausting. “You’re not lazy - you’re overwhelmed,” says Ingrid. Studies show clutter contributes to stress, poor sleep, decision fatigue and even relationship tension. “Clearing physical clutter is often the first step in clearing mental clutter too.”
“You buy in bulk but forget your limits”
Buying in bulk makes financial sense - until it overwhelms your shelves. “We see pantries turned into panic zones,” says Ingrid. Reset Your Home teaches readers to align shopping habits with their real lifestyle. “It’s not about stocking up - it’s about creating a home that works for you.”
“You’ve inherited a cluttered culture”
From childhood keepsakes to “just in case” drawers, American homes often carry decades of emotional weight. “We’re taught to keep, not to question,” says Lesley. “But every object has a story - and not all those stories still serve us. You don’t need to carry it all forward.”
The duo’s method is tailor-made for real people: busy parents, retirees downsizing, adults with ADHD, or anyone who feels overwhelmed by it all.
Their approach is emotions-first, stuff-second, neurodivergent-friendly, step-by-step, not all-at-once, kind, forgiving and practical.
And with nearly three million podcast downloads and a community of more than 60,000, it’s clear their style is exactly what the U.S. has been waiting for.
A cluttered country:
54% of U.S. adults feel overwhelmed by clutter
25% with a two-car garage can’t park inside
Average household spends $3,000/year replacing lost or duplicate items
Clutter is linked to higher cortisol levels, poor sleep and emotional tension at home
Ingrid said: “Life is busy, and our homes should support us, not stress us out. Decluttering isn’t about having a picture-perfect house - it’s about creating a space where you can relax and enjoy life. It’s not just about decluttering your home, it’s about decluttering your life.
“We’ve always felt so connected to our US audience through their love of our weekly podcast so we are delighted to spread the word about emotions based decluttering via our brand new book, Reset Your Home.”
Lesley added: “Because we were both lucky enough to relocate from England and Holland to New Jersey and Georgia respectively for a time, we feel so connected to our US audience.
“We couldn't be more delighted to be spreading our emotions first, stuff second approach to decluttering via our brand new book, Reset Your Home across the pond.
“Decluttering isn’t about finding pretty containers, quite the contrary. It’s about understanding the emotions that sit behind the stuff and why they've been holding you back from making the right decisions about your clutter. We’re excited to be introducing these concepts via our brand new book to our US based friends.”
Reset Your Home: Unpack Your Emotions And Your Clutter, Step By Step launched in the U.S. on June 24, 2025. Available to order via Bloomsbury, Walmart, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org.
Carol Driver
Driver Media Ltd
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