Have you given up on your storage space? Like most, storage and utility rooms become a dumping ground for your belongings when clearing other areas in your home. Often, you place items in your storage rooms that you promise to sort through later or items that you can’t bear to throw away. If your storage space is cluttered and you can’t find anything, it is a good indication that you do not know what you are storing.

Your best plan of attack is to go through everything – yes, everything! Weed through items that you no longer need or use. Ask yourself why you are holding:

• broken or damaged items (tool, gadgets, furniture);
• items that do not belong to you;
• items you should recycle.

Once you have disposed of these items, sort the remainder into categories. Only then can you decide the quantity, size, and type of containers to use. Here are some guidelines to help control the accumulation of clutter in your storage rooms.

1. Ease of Accessibility

Place your most frequently used items on the middle shelves, from front to back. These are the easiest to reach. Place the lightest items on the top shelves and the heaviest items on the bottom shelves. Leave a clear pathway to access your stored items. Do not create a safety hazard by stacking boxes too high.

2. Containerizing

Use storage containers with lids so you can stack them. Clear containers give you the advantage of being able to see the contents. Plastic containers help to protect fragile items like dishes and holiday decorations. Cloth garment bags will allow your seasonal clothing to breathe while still keeping it dust-free.

3. Group Similar Items

Rather than have similar items scattered throughout your storage room, group and store them in one container and one area. In this way, you will save time when searching for them at a later stage. For example, keep all your camping equipment in the same area (tents, sleeping bags, hiking boots, camp stoves, etc.). When your items are stored in the same container, loading them into the car is easier and faster.

4. Label Clearly

Label each container clearly with a description of its contents. Write a date on items with a limited shelf life. If you are keeping things that you will revisit later, place the date of storage on your label. Then, you will know how much time has passed since you last looked at this item. Chances are, if you have not touched something in over a year, you don’t need it.

5. Use Vertical Space

Underutilized space is one of the main problems facing cluttered storage and utility rooms. Create more effective storage space by making use of vertical space. Install shelving against walls. Use hooks and racks to store items off the floor (broom and bicycle racks). Pegboards are a great way to mount hooks, racks, and caddies for holding tools and other hardware.

Need assistance organizing your home life? Be sure to contact Out of Chaos. We’d love to hear from you.

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay