January is Get Organized Month! How To Stack and Store Stuff!
Getting organized is a process, and choosing and using the right containers for storage is a really important step in the process!
During my presentations, I talk a lot about Containerizing and how to do it the right way! (BTW, “Containerize” is a word introduced by Julie Morgenstern in her book Organizing From The Inside Out). And for ease of writing (and reading, I expect!), I am talking about large storage containers during this article, and not the little ones in your kitchen cabinets.
Why Containerize?
-To protect your items.
-To maximize your vertical space.
-To keep your items conveniently portable.
-To provide boundaries and limits for collecting.
-To enable retrieval of similar or related items when needed.
To Protect Your Item, choose the right containers that will offer physical protection and structure for your stuff. Consider heat and cold variations when you are storing your stuff (as in, snow globes will FREEZE and SHATTER if they’re kept outside), protection against bugs and moisture and dust. Cardboard is almost NEVER the right choice for long term storage of your belongings because it is susceptible to moisture, dust and bugs plus it degrades over time and usage.
Containerize your really heavy or fragile items to protect them from falling or from harm. And store both heavy and fragile items in small containers with only a few other things (but not together, of course!).
Maximize your vertical space. Containers are great for utilizing your vertical space well, since you can stack containers into tall stacks. When you are storing filled containers, store the heaviest and widest containers at the bottom of the pile, and don’t just keep piling. For safety sake, most stacks shouldn’t be over 3 or 4 containers tall.
Keep your items conveniently portable. I have no intention of moving from my home any time soon. BUT, if I did, it would be super easy to move the contents of my crawl space. Most of the contents are seasonal items and decor, and all are pared down, categorized, containerized and well labeled, so moving would be a piece of cake.
When containerizing, don’t pack really big containers full of really heavy items. Those 18 gallon Rubbermaid containers are great for storing holiday decor, bedding or clothes or toys, but not books and photos and papers – those heavy dense items would make the big containers too heavy to conveniently move and stack.
Containers provide boundaries and limits for collecting. Containers provide reminders of what is the reasonable amount of stuff to keep. Think about your dresser. It seems reasonable to keep one or two drawers of t-shirts (or socks or underwear), right? But if we don’t containerize our stuff in a drawer, it is difficult to determine how much for something we actually own. Containers provide a gauge for quick estimates of content.
When you’re explaining to your kids (or others) how much of something to keep, you can say ‘one container’ or 2 or whatever of memorabilia or stuffed animals, etc.
Containers enable retrieval of similar or related items when needed. Label your containers, so you can find things again. Affix a label to two sides of the container, one end and one side. DO NOT label the top, for as soon as you stack your containers, you will not longer see the top.
Label your container (and DO NOT write the containers’ contents on the container!), and be willing to change them if the contents change. I have spent 17 years now searching for good labels. So far, the best combo is a Post-It note and a Sharpie marker covered over with clear packing tape.
Decide if you want to see the contents of the container or not. Clear containers provide a clearer view, but are often more expensive and less sturdy. In addition, we may want an opaque container for a more uncluttered look in your storage area.
If you are packing away seasonal decor this week, or looking to get organized for 2020, give some thought to the right containers for the job!
We have good intentions want to do the Right Thing, but we don’t always know how!
down those specific tasks that need to be completed! “Clean Garage” isn’t specific, but “break down cardboard boxes flat”, “tune up bicycles”, “winterize snow blower”, “hang peg board” or “go through drawers in work bench” surely are.
unclaimed and unfixable items, the unused and unwanted stuff, the plain old rubbish.
cardboard can be inviting to bugs and rodents, and can harbor dust, dampness and mold.
space is time well spent. However… organizing our kitchens can seem really overwhelming, since there are things, both useful and scary, behind every door and in every drawer!
Yes, if you’re asking, you probably have too many of these. Decide just how many you feasibly need. I’m the only one that uses go-mugs, and I use the same 2, rotating them daily. We have a few more than 2 water bottles, but not too many. And next time you’re at an event where they are giving away free water bottles or can wraps or coffee mugs, just say “No, thank you”.
even better than others… Like now! With the new year upon us, there are news articles every where about how to clean out your stuff and even a Netflix show just about de-cluttering!
Ish Hooks in my closet, for: my walking clothes to make that early morning walk more likely to happen; my pjs, if I want to re-wear them; jeans to wear again the next day, etc. These Ish Hooks keep my flat surfaces cleared and clutter free.
My husband and I were reminiscing about our childhood holiday decor. He has clear memories of putting away the cardboard boxes in the garage rafters every year. Sometimes that works, but sometimes it doesn’t! Plastic is better for long-term storage. It’s sturdier, water and bug resistant, stack-able and reusable. Bonus – lots of home improvement stores have plastic containers on sale right now!
with me before the second class began. She said that my advice to “shop your stuff first” had really resonated with her. She used the example of deviled ham: Her husband had a taste for deviled ham, and asked her to pick some up at the store when she was out. She asked him if he had checked the cabinet first, and proceeded to find 4 cans of ham in the cabinet already. This is not a criticism, by any means, because many of us operate exactly that way! It happens!
your closets, cabinets, laundry or utility rooms, your car’s trunk, the garage, etc.?
tea lights, other candles and candle sticks, and filled in as much as she could with what she had before purchasing more.
a “fold in thirds down the long edge, then folded three times so it fits on the shelf AND easily hangs on the towel rod” family.
a half across the short edge and then half again, so they fit better on the hall closet shelf” family.
A towel hook works, and can be personalized to hold each person’s towel.
hand, head over to 