Each year as winter winds down we look at all we have collected and have to make the choice to either de-clutter or organize. A lot of money and time went into the things that clutter my house. Most houses only have so much storage. That being said, you have to get creative in your storage methods.
Low height storage bins
These can be used under the bed as well as on the floor of the closet. They can hold arts and crafts, wrapping papers and supplies or the extra shoes. It is also a way to keep the area under the bed from getting cluttered.
Vacuum Bags
These are great for all the off-season clothes you have. Neatly stack the clothes in the bags and suck the air out. Store them under the bed behind the rolling storage bins. They are also good to sort fabrics in for smaller storage.
Stackable Bins
These get a litter trickier. The problem with the box stores are they carry one brand for a while and then discontinue it. The next brand doesn’t stack with what you already have. Instead use a source company such as Quantum Storage. You can start out with a few stacking storage containers and then six months or a year later add more and they will still fit together. These can be used under the sink in the bathroom or kitchen to organize and get more usable room. A good place to use the wall mount stacks is the area between the big garage door and the wall. You can store stuff without getting in the way of your cars.
PVC Piping
PVC pipes can be used to hold all kinds of items. Use 4” pipe screwed to the ceiling in your garage to hold fishing poles. Screw sections of pipe to the wall to hold gardening tools upright. Lengths of pipe can be used to sort dowels, garden stakes with short sections used to organize garden hand tools.
The bottom line is we all collect stuff throughout the year. It doesn’t take long for standard storage locations to become full. Before you just throw good money away take the time to look in each room and see where you might find more storage. It could be room under a couch, under the stairs or even under the bed. It might be overhead in the basement or garage or a narrow section beside the refrigerator.
