Is your storage space clutter-free, organized, and protected?
No matter how few possessions a person has, there are always things we want to keep that we don’t want out on display. Underwear, out-of-season coats and jackets, not-current holiday decorations, cleaning supplies, and Band-aids instantly come to mind as things I don’t really want other people to see when they come into my home.
The items you decide to store should be well labeled and organized for simple and efficient retrieval. Additionally, the items should be reasonably protected so that they aren’t damaged or destroyed in the storage process. I’m also of the opinion that stored objects should be the exception, not the rule — meaning that very little of what you own should be stored out of sight in your home. Many people use storage as a way to ignore clutter, and experience has taught me that ignoring clutter doesn’t make it go away.
The company Hollinger Metal Edge has recently won my favor because of their vast supply of detailed and quality storage solutions. Whether you need a long-term storage solution for photographic slides or comic books, you can find it here. The storage supplies are predominantly archival grade, which helps to protect you materials, and usually has an area designated for labeling. (In the “troubling” and “bizarre” realm, they even have storage solutions for human remains. I’m really hoping these are only purchased by archeologists and scientists.)
What are you currently storing? Is it labeled and organized? Are you storing clutter in hopes that it magically disappears? Is what you’re storing contained in such a way as to best protect it for the future? Are you monitoring the quality of your storage space? What steps can you take to ensure that your storage areas are clutter free and the items you have in storage are protected and organized?
Posted by Erin on Nov 10, 2009 |
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35 comments posted
Posted by Rebecca - 11/10/2009
About those human remains…in our archive we found brain matter preserved as part of very old court case records. No one knew it was there, or it had been forgotten about. But you never know. Still, that’s good company. Have the catalog in my office. There’s also the Gaylord Archival supply company.
Posted by Lose That Girl - 11/10/2009
Thanks for the link to Hollinger. I have some of my belongings stored in various boxes. Some plastic, some heavy cardboard from Ikea. I like the stackable Rubbermaid containers of various size. They stay tightly closed and keep things neat & tidy. I do label the containers but could probably spend some time revisiting what’s in these boxes and have a bit of a clear out.
Posted by Shani - 11/10/2009
I recently found some wonderfully versatile storage boxes at Staples by Really Useful Boxes–and then couldn’t find any more. It turns out they are really only available in the UK. One could ship, but that seems extravagant for empty boxes.
Posted by Jakob - 11/10/2009
After trying a few different boxes, I use all Rubbermaid Roughnecks. Nice thick gauge plastic, different colors available.
Posted by FrightenedByPenguins - 11/10/2009
About those human remains… I’ve been meaning to find something more reliable for my collection of prostitutes feet, I lost half my collection to flood damage last winter and these things are a bugger to replace.
Posted by Michele - 11/10/2009
I can’t stand labels, LOL! To me, labels are fine in a workplace storeroom or in the grocery store, but not in my home. I suspect I’m totally in the minority among unclutterer.com readers, though.
I prefer to keep things in see-through containers or simply remember where I’ve put stuff. For instance, I store rice, beans, wheat berries, and other compatible foodstuffs in mason jars, so no need for labels in the pantry. During the summer, I put my blankets in clear plastic zipper bags, the type that linen sets and comforters come in. My linen closet is organized by type (bathtowels, hand towels and washcloths, my sheets, daughter’s sheets, sofabed sheets, etc.), but there are so few shelves and such a small quantity of linens overall that I don’t feel a need to label the shelves. After I decided how to organize it, I just kept putting stuff back where it came from.
I recently downsized a bookcase out of my livingroom and reorganized my books. They’re grouped by category and one one shelf by author. Labeling the shelves is for a library, though, not for the place where I live. Keep yer labelmakers outta my house, LOL.
Posted by Michele - 11/10/2009
@FrightenedByPenguins, that’s tasteless and IMO seriously out of line for this website.
Posted by brenda - 11/10/2009
I recently bought a label maker. I was going to be so organized!!!! I opened cabinet after cabinet and couldn’t come up with a word or even a phrase for the contents therein.
Problem!
Posted by Tiff - 11/10/2009
To Shani:
I was visiting my local Office Depot and came across the small and large (rectangular) Really Useful Boxes with the side handles that snap up. Check them out…I bought 3, the small were on sale for $2.99. Largest $13.99.
Posted by Tiff - 11/10/2009
To Brenda:
First declutter, then organize like things together, then label everything. There’s no other way.
Posted by *m* - 11/10/2009
Thanks for the Hollinger info — just ordered some boxes (on sale). Good timing — we just unearthed a stash of incredibly great, incredibly old photos while cleaning out my MIL’s house.
I keep a lot of stuff in Rubbermaid-type bins in the basement — we only had water in there once in 10 years, but once was enough to put a scare into me.
Posted by FrightenedByPenguins - 11/10/2009
@Michele
Too soon after Katrina for flood damage jokes? Sorry my bad. In all seriousness though, I could really do with some decent storage boxes for my attic. But then I think I really need to dispose of most that is stored there before spending money on storage. Once I’m tidy and organised though I’d certainly look into something like these.
Posted by Mike - 11/10/2009
The prices on Hollinger look reasonable. How is their shipping? I don’t see anything in their FAQ.
Posted by momofthree - 11/10/2009
Rubbermaid Roughnecks–I have scads of them lining the walls of my garage for all our “keeper” stuff. Love the 18 gal size and the durability of them.
Posted by Gillian - 11/10/2009
I’m fanatical about labelling. In my place, if it’s put away, it’s labelled. The problem is what’s not put away. I also keep lists of where it’s been put, so that I have an index and don’t have to lift down what’s on the top shelf. There are labels on stuff in the kitchen cupboards, in the fridge and freezer tho’ I don’t always stay up to date. Unfortunately most of the labelling is up to me, so it’s more work.
Posted by Vanessa - 11/10/2009
I live in a small apartment, but we lucked out with a fairly large basement (pretty much just a giant hole under the house, but how many apartment dwellers get a basement??). I’ve never been down there because it creeps me out, but we use it for the 3 or 4 boxes of storage. We have large plastic containers that hold our out-of-season clothes and old books that I can’t get rid of; i.e. mostly books I loved when I was a child that I want to give to my kids. I probably won’t be having kids for another 10 years, but common sense cannot deter me from keeping them, haha.
Posted by WM - 11/10/2009
I don’t really think of most of the things filling my storage room as being “stored” (preserved, packed away in boxes). My storage space is filled with sports and camping gear that I use all the time.
That said, I use shelves, a few tupperware bins, and a couple of hooks to keep it organized.
Posted by chacha1 - 11/10/2009
This was a great question. I had to think about it for a minute! … I have some boxes of tax records. One other box of old financial records. (A pile of disorganized 401(k) statements in the cabinet base of one of my bookcases. Photo albums in another. Travel & timeshare info plus camera gear in another.)
We have acquired a lot of closed storage, since we are both collectors (working on that) and I hate to dust. Glass-fronted or cabinet bookcases or display cases, mostly full of books. Our apartment is blessed with ample kitchen storage, so much so that I have *more* books in the kitchen cabinets! As well as patio cushions and art that isn’t currently on the walls, in the big cabinet over the oven.
DH is the one with unlabeled boxes stuffed into the three closets in the home office/guest bedroom. Don’t get me started.
Posted by Sarah - 11/10/2009
I’m trying to use the opposite of the out-of-sight-out-of-mind principle to overcome a years-long habit of buying something I already have lots of because it’s not obvious to me where it is. So I’m storing things in transparent containers on shelves, instead of hidden away in a basement!
Posted by infmom - 11/10/2009
The answer to the headline at our house is no, no, and no.
But I’m working on it, inspired by The Book. One of our main problems is that our daughter moved out three years ago and left an awful lot of Stuff here. My parents cavalierly disposed of my belongings and my brothers’ without a second thought, all our lives, and I was determined not to do the same to my kids, so about all I could do was put the Stuff in boxes and set them aside as neatly as I could. And insist that she clean out at least one box every time she comes over here, but with her horrendous daily commute to work, she rarely has time on the weekends to visit any more.
We have a storage room attached to the garage, with shelving around three sides, but it badly needs cleaning. Same with the garage. The garage roof leaks, limiting where we can put things, but we plan to have that fixed in the next week or two, and that opens up a lot more space for storage. Of course, the real solution is to get rid of as much of the stuff now being stored as we possibly can. I’m going to work on that, too. My main objective is to get the closet in my daughter’s former bedroom (now our office) emptied out so we can store our off-season clothing in there.
Posted by infmom - 11/10/2009
Oh, I forgot: For archival storage of all types, the Exposures catalog (exposuresonline.com) can’t be beat.
Posted by Catherine Cantieri, Sorted - 11/10/2009
Hollinger is a great company; I’m glad to see them get a little love.
Erin, I completely agree that “very little of what you own should be stored out of sight in your home.” How many people have storage sheds or storage units that they haven’t even seen the inside of in years? Is the stuff in storage really improving their lives?
Posted by JJ - 11/10/2009
Our very large food pantry and storage under the stairs with holiday / luggage / etc. gets a yes, yes, yes.
The 13 file boxes of paper in the boiler room gets a no, no, no. That is my current project. I’ve freedom filer labeled my filing cabinet drawers and set up a computer folder system that exactly matches the files in the drawers. My process involves taking a 6″ stack of paper to the computer desk. I read then pick: trash, scan then trash, or scan then file. When finished with that stack, I get a new stack. It will take me weeks, but when the paper is gone, wahoo! I’ll then have space to put up shelves for the empty mason jars.
RE: Human remains.
I used to work for the USPS. I was surprised the first time I had to process some cremated remains. Death certificate on the outside of the box and everything. One of the more odd moments. Not quite as hair raising as the time we got the package leaking blood addressed to a prison inmate. Turned out to be moose meat. How the sender thought mailing it parcel post from rural Alaska would be fine escapes me.
Posted by Gina - 11/10/2009
My apartment comes with a storage closet off the patio — the only things I keep in there are all my moving boxes (heck ya I keep them!), my sleeping bag, a plastic tub with potting supplies, and 3 plastic boxes with all my Christmas/holiday decorations.
Everything else lives inside my apartment, organized so that it’s easily accessible. I have a small wooden box for all my digital camera stuff, and I have some of those paper-covered DVD boxes with other electronics and software. These sit on a shelf in my spare walk-in closet (which is turned into a small craft area since I don’t have enough clothing to fill 1 walk-in closet let alone 2.) I also have a rolling metal cart with several cloth bins in the closet for storing scrapbook and craft materials right by my crafting space.
I keep my household tools in a small toolchest on the floor of my entry closet (along with my outerwear, my spare air mattress, and my vacuum cleaner).
I keep a medium wicker box in my bathroom cabinet with my supply of OTC cold goodies.
My printer is sitting on a large wooden file cabinet, where I store all my files in one drawer and printer supplies in another drawer.
All my shoes fit into an over-the-door cloth organizer that holds up to 12 pairs of shoes. I use the top row of pockets to tuck other things away since I never have more than 9 pairs of shoes total (except outdoor footwear, which doesn’t fit in this thing — they are lined up on my closet floor). There’s a row of built-in shelfs in my bedroom walk-in closet where I keep all my bath and bed linens on open shelving.
Otherwise everything lives either in a drawer or a kitchen cabinet, or on a bookshelf. I have one chest of drawers in my bedroom. My night table also has drawers but I have nothing to put in them so they are empty.
Posted by gypsy packer - 11/10/2009
A Sharpie pen will write on plastic boxes. When items are switched out, remove the ink with nail polish remover.
I like Rubbermaid boxes with SpaceBags inside. For small items, especially the collection of USB’s and chargers, secondhand plastic shoe boxes work fine.
Underbed boxes work well for the majority, and some have wheels. A line-item inventory written on top will enable you to keep track of storage items, and help track things when more than one category of item is stored in the box.
Posted by Kathryn Fenner - 11/10/2009
@infmom
Your children are lucky. I choked up. My mom, otherwise pretty great, made me clear everything out and haul it with me when I left to go 1000 miles away to my first, stressful professional job. I moved a lot in my 20s and couldn’t store much well, and most was lost, stolen, damaged or jettisoned. Now, I’m no packrat and never was, but I have virtually nothing from my youth. My parents still live in the same house I grew up in, with a very sparsely stocked attic that could easily have held those few boxes.
Oh well. Sic transit gloria mundi. It’s only stuff.
Posted by Nana - 11/10/2009
I’m inordinately pleased with my three Xerox boxes for out-of-season clothing. They live atop a closet and the lids are labeled “summer” and “winter” on opposite ends. Someday, I will purchase the clear plastic, I suppose.
Posted by Rae - 11/10/2009
I live in an RV so I’d say that about 99% of what I own is stored away so that it doesn’t get knocked about when I drive.
I use Rubbermaid totes of varying sizes in the exterior compartments for tools, sports equipment, and out of season clothing.
In the wardrobe, I use clear plastic containers for underwear, socks and tights, scarves and other accessories.
In the overhead compartments in the study, I have some Ikea ‘kasette’ boxes to store office supplies, the few tools I like to keep on hand, candles, and assorted other small items. In these same compartments, I also have seagrass baskets to hold printing paper, DVD cases with sleeves to hold my hundreds of DVDs in only about a square foot of space, and cotton bags to hold clothing that can be wrinkled as well as linens.
In the overhead compartments in the lounge, I use makeup cases (the hard kind with lots of compartments) for art supplies on one side and open plastic baskets and appropriate plastic containers for pantry items.
In the cubby under the wardrobe I keep shoes in a plastic basket on one side and laundry supplies in a tote on the other.
I’d say that the only real ’storage’ space I have in the rig right now is under one of the dinette benches where I packed away old journals and papers, but they’ll be getting moved to more accessible seagrass baskets in the study soon since I’ll be removing the dinette. The other bench hides seagrass baskets holding small kitchen appliances I use occasionally. Otherwise, everything else that’s hidden out of view is used for daily living.
Containerizing is definitely important. I started off by piling stuff into the overhead cabinets and couldn’t find anything, plus it all moved around whenever I drove anywhere! I sometimes have to take out four boxes to get the one I want, but it’s still easier than not using containers. I do want to get rid of the Ikea boxes and replace them with stackable clear totes like I have in the wardrobe, or at least something where the lid latches on tightly. I only used the Ikea boxes because I had them on hand at the time I moved in.
I do label a little bit, but it’s not all that necessary except in the case of the exterior compartments where I have several of the same totes packed in three or four deep. That said, I’m toying with the idea of using chalkboard paint on my cabinet doors and writing the contents on them for the novelty factor, with very basic category labels (‘food’, ‘entertainment’, ‘linens’, etc.). Not sure yet if I’d end up regretting that.
Posted by Sky - 11/10/2009
@FrightenedByPenguins very inappropriate….but funny.
I swear by my Rubbermaid boxes. I store stuff in them in the attic, garage, closets, etc. Nothing gets wet or buggy. They are all labeled and they stack nicely.
I’ve used the Ikea Kassette boxes but they don’t quite cut it after a while.
Tiff: I agree, there is no other way.
Posted by Terry Matlen - 11/10/2009
My problem is once I store things, I never get around to purging them years later when I no longer need the stuff-like old bills, etc.
But these boxes look really nice- thanks for the tip.
Posted by PATTY - 11/10/2009
Anyone storing Mom’s or Grandmom’s lace and crochet – please, please, do not store them in plastic. They need to breath, some archival paper between them, a dark place with limited temperature swings, and you can keep these treasurers for another lifetime
Posted by Marie - 11/11/2009
@FrightenedByPenguins, I laughed so hard at your post I think I hurt myself.
My storage was looking really nice because my husband was able to bring home empty paper boxes from work. They were the plain white ones with handles. Now the office supply company changed the paper and the new boxes are Le Suck.
Posted by Laura - 11/11/2009
Regarding labels:
In this wonderful age of the internet, it is simple to find free printable labels in all sizes, colors and designs. I have so many different labels, sometimes it’s hard to choose just one!
We built a large shelf in our garage over the electric garage door (otherwise, wasted space). To label these large Rubbermaid totes, I find clip art on microsoft.com and print out a huge pic on an 81/2 X 11″ piece of paper and tape it to two sides of the tote. A cute turkey for Thanksgiving, a black cat for Halloween, a wreath or an elf or Santa for Christmas …. you get the idea.
Posted by Zman - 11/11/2009
@FrightenedByPenguins: your problem was that you put all your (L)eggs in one basket. Next time sort the lefts in one container and the rights in another. Rubbermaid Roughnecks would be appropriate.
Posted by Rena - 11/12/2009
Good ideas…but Gaylord Brothers and Light Impressions are typically cheaper than Hollinger (I’m a museum geek…and these are the supplies we order).
As for those who are grossed out by the “human remains” boxes, bear in mind that Hollinger typically serves museums, archaeologists, and scientists…these ain’t boxes for Aunt Edna.
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