Useful storage tips and tricks that will help create more space in your home. Strategies for reducing that everyday clutter.
It doesn’t seem to matter how big or small a family’s dwelling is, they could always use more room. Life is full of stuff. And eventually, you need to find a place for it all or you end up on the next season of Hoarders: Buried Alive. We’ve got some awesome storage tips to help you organize your home, find space you didn’t even know you had, and help you take control of the chaos. Let’s get started!
Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day
You didn’t create the chaos and gather the clutter all in one day, so don’t expect to organize it all in one afternoon. Organizing your life and home in an effective and efficient way is a process. It’s easy to look around and become overwhelmed. So you wander around the house looking for a place to begin and end up playing old video games you found behind the entertainment center while dusting.
Pick the one place in your home that’s bugging you the most and start the process there. Whether it’s organizing the kitchen, the hall closet, or finally going through the disintegrating boxes in the basement, pick one spot to tackle first.
See What You’ve Got
You can’t organize a space if it’s still filled with stuff. Take the opportunity to get the space set up properly. Do a thorough job by pulling everything out. This way you can see what’s there and ensure it’s all going back into a neatly organized and clean area. How often are you going to clear out your garage to power wash it clean?
Someday Storage Tips
Often, we fill up our empty spaces with stuff we never use. Moving boxes from one home to the next, sometimes never unpacking them at all — because they are the “someday” boxes.
- “Someday I’m going to wear those over-the-knee leather heels.”
- “Someday I’ll get back into airplane model making.”
- “Someday I’ll turn those old mason jars into candles.”
If you’ve held on to something for months or years waiting for someday, maybe it’s time to let it go. Skinny jeans can be motivational or depressing. Either way, they take up closet space and leave you waiting for someday that never comes. When you go through things to organize, it’s important to ask:
What’s my Reason for Having it?
You may keep things for sentimental reasons, or because it’s something you honestly use or wear. It’s great to be sentimental, but does keeping this item for that reason make sense? Of course, you’ll want to keep valuable family heirlooms. But do you really need to hold onto 20 little knickknacks your great aunt Bertha gave you when she was having a garage sale?
We often clutter our lives with stuff when what we really want is peace. Actually, research shows that living in a cluttered environment takes away from that sought after feeling of peace. The chaos around you can contribute to chaos within.
When was the Last Time I Used It?
Some decisions to get rid of things are easier than others. Many people subscribe to the Marie Kondo theory of “If it doesn’t bring you joy, toss it”. Others figure if you haven’t used it in six months or a year then it’s time to let it go. No matter what you use as your standard for keep or toss, really take the time to consider the last time you used something.
Why Am I Keeping it?
If you’re keeping something because you use it on a daily or regular basis, it should be accessible. Not buried away in some closet. A clean home will quickly lose its appeal if it makes life inconvenient. You don’t want to have to pull everything out of the closet or use a ladder a few times a week to get to the stuff you need for everyday life. As you’re going through your things, make piles:
KEEP
- Use regularly, need accessible
- Seasonal or occasional use
- Accessible storage
TOSS
- Donate
- Upcycle/Recycle
- Garbage
If you’re not sure about some things, you may need a “revisit” pile as well. But you don’t want to do this too often or you’ll end up putting everything back into your closet to go through another day.
Think Outside the Box
A lot of times, people aren’t organized because they toss everything into closets, totes, or drawers designated for storage. It’s all shoved into one inconvenient place and stacked to the ceiling. So even if it is organized, it’s inconvenient. The minute you move the totes or boxes to get at something, the system falls apart. It’s uncertain chaos every time you go searching for something.
Labels are a great way to let you know what’s in each tote, but make sure they’re secured and waterproof so you don’t end up with a garage filled with smudged labels you can’t read. When labeling boxes or totes, label more than one side so if the box gets turned you can still see it without having to move everything else.
High and Low
Many people lose out on usable space because they only think eye-level. There are plenty of spaces you can use to organize your life. You just have to look up, down and to the side. Some ideas may include:
- Put flat totes under beds
- Add pantry shelves to the laundry room or a front hall closet
- Use a closet organizer
- Use vacuum bags for bulky stuff like winter clothing
- Make use of book or pantry shelves
- Upcycle boxes and containers to make storage items
If you follow the above storage tips, you’ll be able to organize your home, office, and life in a way that will make you less stressed and more productive. Don’t forget to bookmark our site for easy access to resources and tips to help you live your best life.