Do you still have that pair of jeans you bought three years ago in the hopes of fitting into them soon? What about that cute, colorful cardboard box your delivery came in a few months ago – you’ll make use of it eventually, right? Have you gotten rid of that (hideous) porcelain tea set from a distant family member that’s tucked away in your kitchen cabinet yet?
Cleaning and restoration service company, ServiceMaster of Lakeshore, conducted an extensive survey of 7,000 American hoarders to find out the value of the items people are hoarding in their homes. It was found that we are hoarding almost $50 billion worth of unused goods, which is on average the equivalent of $390.16 per household.
In The Beehive State, it was found that people are hoarding $441.67 worth of items per household, which is the equivalent of over $460 million worth overall in the state! Additionally, 48% of Utahns admit that their unused goods are a fire hazard.
It has been widely reported that illegal dumping is problematic in the U.S. and in Utah, 33% of people admit to having illegally dumped unwanted items (compared to a national average of 26%).
ServiceMaster of Lakeshore has also created an interactive map of the U.S. where you can view these results across the country: https://servicemasteroflakeshore.com/costly-clutter/
Acceptance is the first step to recovery: 16% of respondents put up their hands and admit they are guilty of being hoarders. When broken down, it was found that women (17%) are more likely to hoard than men (14%).
Another interesting piece of information the survey discovered was that only 39% say they recycle their electronic waste. This is actually an environmental hazard due to the highly toxic materials contained in e-waste, such as mercury and heavy metals. These substances contaminate landfills and take up unnecessary space.
[Practicing safe recycling methods for electronic waste is of vital importance – avoid throwing it into general recycling bins as there is a separate way to recycle these items. Perhaps you could donate an unwanted device to someone who can try repair, repurpose or resell it in order to avoid damage caused to the environment].
It seems that hoarding is one of the causes of domestic disputes, as 22% of couples admit their habits have been the cause of arguments! Could this have something to do with the fact that 1 in 10 people say they hoard cash at home?
Think before you buy: Additionally, 17% of people say that most unwanted items they keep in storage were impulse buys.
On average, Americans admit that they have a big clear out around their home twice a year. When asked what the hardest items would be to throw out, 28% of respondents said clothing and 24% said outdated tech. 18% said it would most difficult to throw out furniture; 16% said books; 12% of people said movies and 2% said seasonal items.
