Key Storage Categories You Might Be Missing
Clients of professional organizers tend to come from all walks of life, ranging in age, household size, and income level. But what these clients all have in common is some type of organizing challenge, regardless of how they got there.
While places like offices, pantries and closets are the usual suspects in need of decluttering, we have found there are a few household spaces that are often overlooked.
Here are three categories that we frequently help our clients set up for more streamlined organization systems.
Returns
With the ease of online shopping, returns have become a normal, though somewhat irksome, part of life. There are a myriad of items that can belong to the Returns category: articles to be taken or shipped back to a store, books borrowed from the library, objects left behind by a friend, or even gifts ready for an upcoming party.
Establish a “go-back” zone to help corral the clutter to one area, whether in an entryway closet, or a pretty bin in your spare room. Bonus points for keeping this zone as close as possible to your usual exit!
Periodically take note of what’s in your zone, and then make an appointment on your calendar (with reminders!) to return each item. See how many you can consolidate into one trip, and enlist any household members for their help while they’re out running errands.
Spare Parts
Another ubiquitous presence in our homes is the accumulation of extra accessories and attachments that come with our many electronics and appliances, not to mention all. the. cords.
Get in the habit of either immediately grouping matching parts in a clear baggie, or wrapping up the cords and adding a tag. Clearly label the items of the corresponding appliance or electronic and when it was purchased.
Place the parts in a labeled bin and set it in a storage area—out of the way, but not completely out of sight, because we all know what they say…!
Add a reminder on your phone or calendar to check the bin every six months or so, and then clear out and donate or toss anything you know you won’t need anymore.
Decor on Hold
While this can be a year-round category, we especially tend to do this after a major holiday: set certain decorative items aside as we reconsider whether we want to continue to use them. Perhaps an item doesn’t fit our current style, or maybe it’s broken, but because of its nostalgic value, we are reluctant to toss it. Or sometimes you just need to set aside the object until there’s time to repair it.
Make space in an area where the items won’t get lost in the shuffle, one that is easy to find and easy to access.
If the decor has sentimental value, store it until you can ask any loved ones whether they’d like to hold on to it.
And you know the drill! Make an appointment with yourself every few months to go through the items and make decisions on what is next for them.
Bonus Level
Ready to level up? Once you have a rhythm going with these storage areas, use these extra hints to stay in the flow!
All three of these categories will have items continually moving in and out, so be sure to leave some breathing room. Otherwise things will just spill over into more piles.
Love your limits, and stick to the plan! Setting reminders is a key part to the system—treat them with the same importance as any other appointment, and you’ll be amazed how well your plan works.
Solutions to problematic storage categories are our specialty—we’d love to bring help and hope to your home through customized organization for your season of life.
Cheers!
Your MHS Team
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