Are you a Hot Mess? Take the quiz.

Is your life organised or are you a hot mess?

are you a hot mess, a shoe and clothes on a lamp shade

What is in your fruit bowl right now?

Neat fruit bowl full of limes, oranges and lemons

Mystery keys, sticky notes, safety pins, hair ties, medication and pretty much a mixture of everything. Oh, and sometimes a mouldy apple.

Fruit of course! And maybe a few other inbox style issues like bills to pay.

I don’t have a fruit bowl, it’s clutter.

How messy is your car?

The neat, clean interior of a blue vintage car. The steering wheel has wooden panelling

It’s a second wardrobe and storage space. It contains clothes, melted drink bottles, receipts and shopping that is yet to make it into the house.

Pretty tidy but once or twice a month I give it a vacuum and bring in any forgotten items from the back seat.

I don’t leave anything in it, so it’s empty of clutter.

What do you do with your suitcase upon return from your holiday?

2 suitcases on a neat doorstep with a French bulldog and cactus nearby

Leave it for many weeks until I eventually realise it contains all those things I have been looking for. Then I pick out what I need, as I need it. Meanwhile cobwebs form on the wheels.

Unpack it in the coming days after the jet lag wears off and before the drudgery of the working week drags me into a deep depression.

Unpack it when I get home. I can’t sleep until it is emptied and put away.

Do you have a lot of sentimental items?

mess of sentimental items on a bench top including a video and papers

I have all my school diaries, a lock of my firstborn's hair and bus tickets from 2005. Everything is sentimental and must be cherished.

Some. I find it difficult to throw away things which have important memories attached.

No I don’t. It’s basically junk.

How do you feel about having guests in your home?

Arial view of a dinner party. 7 guests all have a full plate and are leaning forward to touch glasses in the middle of the table

I am embarrassed if someone pops over unannounced because there may be underwear strewn across the couch, including period stains.

Having guests over is a great incentive to tidy up, and I get it done in an hour or so.

Fine, but I don’t like it when guests dump their bags and paraphernalia on my kitchen table.

What does your computer desktop look like?

A messy computer desktop with open files including a weather website and Google search results

A million folders and files. Lots of tabs open. I delete stuff when I run out of space, which is often.

Organised chaos. I can find things when I need to.

The desktop is almost empty and everything is filed properly. It’s a reflection of my house and my dead cold heart.

What is the status of your wardrobe at the moment?

Neat closet wardrobe or shop containing hanging dresses and tops, and folded jeans and jumpers

It’s mostly on the floor, especially the high volume items.

It includes nostalgic items and things I grew out of which I swear I will fit into again. But usually I can find what I want.

It’s a capsule wardrobe and I wear everything in it.

How do you manage your paperwork?

Tax, other paperwork and a calculator are on the floor in front of someone sitting down out of shot

When the electricity is turned off I know I need to figure out where I put the bill so that I can pay it.

Put it in a pile and and deal with it when I have a burst of energy.

I don’t have any paperwork. Everything is paid and filed that day.

What does the exterior of your fridge look like?

Fridge exterior in a neat kitchen with timber floor and no mess

Mismatching magnets adhere all manner of things to it. Papers fall off every time I open the fridge door.

It contains a to-do list of bills to pay and appointments to make. I clear it off from time to time.

The surface is clear.

What does the interior of your fridge look like?

Lit-up fridge interior in a dark room with little mess

I have no idea what’s in there but it doesn’t smell good.

Pretty good but there are too many condiments and sometimes vegetables need to be thrown away.

I know what is in my fridge. I have a limited selection of basic condiments and rotate my vegetables to use anything nearing expiry.

Are you a Hot Mess? Take the quiz

You are a Hot Mess

You are great at living in the moment, stumbling in from Friday after-work drinks, dumping your bag in the kitchen and finding a rancid Tupperware container in it Monday morning. Or taking off to the beach with the kids for the weekend leaving the sink piled with dishes. People love your spontaneity and vigour. Don't ever change! Well at least not too much. Consider contacting The Decluttering Co to get some better systems in place.

You are a lukewarm mess

You have a healthy respect for organisation and also enjoy a wine in front of Netflix. Whether you schedule your tidying for weekends, or just fit it in when you can, you are not afraid to go to bed with dishes in the sink. Bravo! Drop us a line at The Declutter Co for further improvements.

You are a neat freak

You are tidy, organised and a lover of systems like us at The Decluttering Co. Remember to relax sometimes and put your feet up.

Being organised means fewer nasty surprises.

Here is a handy article about getting your shit together. And another about how cluttered you really are. If you need help with your stuff and your systems, get in touch.

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