A 'Boyfriend Basket' Is The Key To Minimizing Clutter

Living with your significant other isn't always easy, especially if your partner is decidedly the messy one in the relationship. If you find that sweaters are hung on chairs instead of hangers and drinking glasses live permanently on the nightstand instead of in the cupboard, then we'd like to suggest an organizational hack that will keep you from losing your mind while cleaning up: the boyfriend basket. 

This organizational tool for cleaning up the house quickly is one of the best ways to survive living with a messy person, whether they're your partner, kid, or just a disorganized roommate. To use this decluttering method, simply scoop up all of the random items your boyfriend (or any other messy person in your home) leaves around your shared living space and plop them in a basket. Not only will you be able to hide the eyesore of clutter, but it will also make it easier for them to find their misplaced items too. 

While this isn't a relationship-saving tip, it will save you from the daily scavenger hunt for misplaced items. Once you've tried the boyfriend basket, there's no going back. 

The boyfriend basket is a great organizational hack to implement into your cleaning routine since it's a one-time purchase solution to an ongoing problem. You can get a simple rope basket from Target for under $20. If you're looking for something less basic, you can upgrade your boyfriend basket to an unconventional basket that will elevate your decluttering routine and function as an art piece in the house when you're not using it. 

Alternatives to the standard boyfriend basket include Ferm Living's ceramic baskets, Alessi's round wire baskets, and even baskets originally intended for another purpose, like these handcrafted metal fruit bowls from Serax.

If you want to keep the boyfriend basket out of sight and still in reach, then opt for a large tote bag that can be hung on a wall-mounted coat rack in your mud room or entryway. Boyfriend baskets can be convenient and stylish.

Living with clutter isn't just an eyesore, it's a common cause of stress. A report on stress management by Mayo Clinic found a link between the perceived amount of clutter in a person's home and their cortisol levels, noting that the increase of clutter caused cortisol levels to spike upward. This is important because cortisol is a stress hormone that throws your body into fight or flight, which is why cluttering is linked to overwhelming feelings of distraction and frustration. The report also noted that a cluttered office desk can weaken your brain's natural ability to process information. 

Whether you're dealing with a roommate's messy habits or rounding up your child's toys, the boyfriend basket is a simple way of decluttering that proves house cleaning doesn't have to be that bad. By helping the person you live with straighten out their mess, you also help yourself.