Let’s face it, clutter happens. It’s a normal part of a busy, functioning household, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have an impact at home.

That’s what the IKEA Store & Organize Report 2026: Finding Meaning in the Mess explores—how home storage and organization affect people’s relationships, daily time, and personal identity.

Among their top findings, clutter tends to happen most often in very specific areas of the home, making them key places to focus your organization strategies—and no, it’s not the infamous junk drawer.

According to IKEA, here are the top three areas of the home most likely to get cluttered, along with other spots to keep an eye on.

Kitchen Countertops

These numbers are even higher in the United States alone, with a whopping 32% of respondents placing kitchen countertops at the top of their clutter hotspot list, according to Licca Li, Home Furnishing & Retail Design Manager at IKEA.

Kitchen countertops were identified as the top clutter hotspot in homes worldwide. According to the report, 24% of respondents cited kitchen countertops as the most commonly cluttered area of their home, and interestingly, the most likely to lead to arguments (usually between partners).

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As the heart of the home, kitchen countertops see a lot of action, from food prep and cleanup to groceries. They also often serve as storage for small appliances like toasters and coffee makers, along with pantry items like spices, bread, and more.

As homes get smaller and kitchen space becomes more limited, creating clear organization systems and keeping clutter off countertops becomes an ongoing effort.

SUNNERSTA Kitchen organizer set

Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers

Similarly, Li says the report found that kitchen cabinets and drawers were the second-highest clutter offender in the home. Like countertops, kitchen cabinets and drawers hold a huge mix of items, from cookware and utensils to food storage containers, gadgets, and seasonal kitchen tools.

“Because many of these items are used infrequently, people can end up placing things wherever there is available space rather than maintaining a clear organizational system,” Li says.

And since it’s easy to close the doors and hide the clutter, it can be easy to ignore until it starts to impede kitchen functionality.

UPPDATERA Flatware tray, light bamboo

Wardrobes

Coming in at third place are wardrobes and personal clothing closets. The report notes that 23% of survey respondents worldwide said wardrobes were the biggest clutter hotspot in their home.

However, they are far less likely to cause arguments than kitchen areas, likely because these spaces are often personal rather than shared.

Li says wardrobes are particularly clutter-prone because items like clothing, shoes, and accessories tend to accumulate gradually. They can also provide extra storage for out-of-season items, clothes that no longer fit, or sentimental items with no other storage option.

“Seasonal changes, evolving styles, and items kept ‘just in case’ all contribute,” Li says. “And unlike an open surface, a wardrobe allows clutter to stay hidden behind closed doors, making it easier to postpone sorting and decluttering.”

SKUBB Organizer with 6 compartments, white

Other Clutter-Prone Areas of the Home

Naturally, these three areas aren’t the only clutter hotspots in the home. Li points to several other areas that came up consistently in the survey results, including:

• Refrigerators (17%): Without clear zones or routines, refrigerators can quickly get cluttered as older food, new food, and leftovers combine, and items get hidden in drawers and at the back of the space.
• Garage, loft, or storage rooms (17%): Often treated as the catch-all storage space and filled with items people don’t use regularly but are not ready to part with.
• Living room or lounge areas (16%): One of the most multifunctional spaces in the home where everyday items can accumulate quickly.
• Bathrooms (16%): Combining limited storage with a surprisingly large number of small items, often functioning as a shared space.
• Bedrooms (15%): Highly personal spaces where everyday clutter can accumulate without becoming readily noticeable, often making them low on the priority list when it comes to organization and cleanup.

In addition to these common areas, Li notes that home offices, dining areas, children’s rooms, and hallways were other notable hotspots, although they didn’t make it into the top contenders. While clutter is possible in any room of the home, Li says the report uncovered one common theme.

“Clutter tends to concentrate in the same kinds of spaces that are high-traffic areas, everyday storage zones, and rooms that have to work particularly hard for modern life,” Li says.

Armed with this knowledge, we can make smarter decisions about our own home organization and explore ways storage solutions can make everyday life a little easier (and more clutter-free!).