Keep your space clean and tidy with these home storage tips.
They say your house always looks bigger when it’s clean. But home organization isn’t always simple or space-dependent.
Fortunately, there are a world of tips and tricks out there to get you pointed in the right direction, whether you live in a small apartment or a mansion on the beach.
Having trouble maximizing your space? Here are ten home storage tips to help keep your space decluttered.
Use the Space Under The Bed
Children and adult bedrooms can be epicenters of clutter. Utilizing all the available floor space is the best way to ensure your personal items have a home and are not just being tossed about.
The space between your floor and bed is a great place to store excess personal items such as shoes, out-of-season clothes, extra bedding and other small items. Buying or building a platform bed with storage compartments can also help reduce clutter. Or if you have the space and are feeling adventurous, you can buy or make a loft bed and have plenty of floor space beneath.
Use The Back of Doors
The back of doors is another storage hack that people often overlook. Invest in door hangers or cubby storage for shoes and other small personal items for your bedrooms. For the bathroom, you can also get door hooks and cubbies for towels and toiletries. If you don’t have a mail bin or storage space in your living room or kitchen, make or buy one that sticks to the back of the front door.
Buy Furniture with Storage Space
Living rooms can be a mess of furniture, blankets and other clutter. Investing in furniture that doubles as storage space is a great way to maximize living room space. Tables with underneath storage and two-in-one ottomans are a great, non-tacky option to store blankets, throw pillows and/or games. Wicker or similar type baskets that double as decor work as well.
Use Plastic Bins
Finding storage space for less-used and seasonal items can be one of the more difficult facets of home organization. Investing in plastic bins is a great way to maximize storage without sacrificing too much closet space.
Plastic bins are great because they are reusable and more study than cardboard boxes. Plastic bins are also stackable, making it easier to maximize floor space in closets, attics and garages and withstand extreme weather conditions such as humidity and flooding at a much higher rate.
Invest in File Storage
Important documents such as birth certificates, work documents and tax returns can also be another unneeded source of clutter. Investing in a file cabinet is a great solution not only to store your documents but to organize them so you know where they are when you need them.
Remember, file cabinets don’t have to be office-sized to be functional. There are plenty of home office and bedroom file cabinets on the market perfect for any sized space. You can also build your own if you are the DIY type.
Invest in Hanging Shelves and Rings
Utilizing your wall space is a great way to save on floor space. Invest in hanging shelves for books, spices and trinkets. Rings and floating racks in the kitchen are great for storing pots, pans and appliances.
Need more space? Add more layers. If you’re crafty, you can incorporate this into your home decor and have it double as a display.
Maximize Your Wall Space
Similarly to hanging shelves, taking advantage of wall mounting is a great option to get the most out of any space. Mount your TVs so you don’t have to invest in bulky entertainment systems.
If you have musical instruments like guitars, hanging them on the wall will be better for both damage prevention and display. You can even mount bikes and have them double as decoration.
Free Standing Racks and Rolling Carts
Freestanding racks are a great way to store extra clothing items, or act as coat and scarf racks in the colder seasons.
Sliding pantries are also a great option for kitchen storage. I’ve even seen people go as far as to make storage space narrow enough to fit between their fridge and wall.
Garages, Basements and Attics
Garages, basements and attics are generally the areas of the house with the most unused or seasonal items, and by extension, the most clutter. Luckily there are a few things you can do to get the most out of your home storage areas.
Installing shelves and wall mounts is a great way to store tools, balls and seasonal items. Keep wires wrapped in recycled toilet paper and paper towel tubes so they don’t get tangled; camping and sports equipment in large bins or bags if you don’t have the original packaging.
Clean Out What You Don’t Need
Of course, if you really want to maintain a tight ship, there’s really one simple tip: learn to let go. At least once a year, go through your belongings and do a mass exodus of things you no longer use or need. Donate clothes and books that you no longer wear or want. Throw out items that are in no condition to wear or use, including kitchen appliances and old furniture.
Want more space, but not ready to let go? Invest in a storage unit.
