Storage Room Organization. Tips, Life Hacks, And Ideas
We will teach you how to turn your storage room into the most organized place in the world!
Even if you live in a small apartment in the very center of a city, you know very well how many different things we tend to keep with time! Clothes, sports gear, footwear, tools, and all sorts of other stuff grow bigger and bigger taking more and more space.
And one day, you look at all this with the only one thought in your mind: how do I sort this all out? Is it possible to somehow organize all this?!
No worries, folks, it is all possible! And moreover, it is pretty simple and we would even say fun! In this article, we will teach you how to easily turn your storage room into a super organized spot in your home with minimal effort and time.
And in addition, you are going to find out what common mistakes people tend to make when organizing their storage spaces at home. Like this, you will be able to avoid those.
How to Make Your Home Storage Room Better Organized?
To some of you, this may sound like a mission impossible. How would anyone ever manage to keep all that stuff in order?! But hey, hold on!
If your storage room is stuffed with all imaginary and unimaginable things that you have been collecting there for years, it does not mean that it can’t be brought to order.
Of course, it may seem to be difficult, especially if you have piles of things being kept there. In this case, you might think that sorting all that out will take you weeks if not months!
But in fact, the process of a storage room organization is pretty simple and fast. And if you get a bit creative, it can even turn out to be fun.
You just need to take a few handy tips and suggestions into consideration before you start.
And below, you can learn more about each of those nuances in all possible details.
Create Your Storage Room Inventory
One of the toughest parts of storage room organization is getting a handle on where everything is located. From what is in each bin to which pipes and wires go to what container, creating a basic guide can help you find exactly what you need!
Of course, it is quite a boring thing to do, but believe us, later, you will say thanks to yourself for spending time on that!
Label Everything
Each and every container in your storage room must be labeled and signed. Like this, you can know for sure what is kept in this box and what stuff is stored in that. This step is especially important if you prefer keeping your belongings and other stuff in non-transparent tanks.
Color Coordinate Bins
The best way to organize your storage room is to keep it as simple as possible. For this purpose, we would suggest using colored bins of different colors in order to separate similar items by product type, season, or holiday, for example. It will help you easily find exactly what you are looking for next time!
Stick to Clear Containers
If you love to stock canned goods or buy food in bulk, clear containers can make storage room organization way easier.
Through the clear walls of the tank, you can quickly see exactly what you have in each container, and when you need to make a trip to the store when you utilize see-through containers.
Recycle Old Egg Cartons
We usually throw the old egg cartons in the trash but they can serve us another purpose. try them out as storage containers instead! For example, for storing jewelry or delicate Christmas ornaments. Or maybe you are looking for a place to put extra nails, screws, and other hardware?
Reusing old egg cartons as a container for your tiniest items is a cheap and easy storeroom solution!
Consider Using Pegboard Shelving
Whether you are storing arts and crafts supplies or power tools, a pegboard shelf system will make it easy to find what you need! Because you’re likely storing a variety of items in your storage room, this is an awesome and versatile basement organization idea.
Hooks Also Matter!
Ironing boards, brooms, mops, and dustpans can all have a convenient home on the wall with utility hooks. Installing these hooks by the entrance to your storage room so you can group vacuums, carpet steamers, and other cleaning supplies will make life much simpler on cleaning day
Make Use Of Wire Shelves
When it comes to storing outdoor supplies like watering canisters, planters, or extra building materials like carpet squares, shutters, and wood panels, wire shelves are a great option. It can withstand the weight of heavy items and be adjusted to store items of varying sizes.
Create a Paper Filling System
Keep paper clutter from accumulating by investing in file cabinets and creating your own filing system!
This is an excellent way to organize your storage room and ensure all of your instruction manuals, product warranties, taxes, and other files are in one convenient place.
Keep Holiday Supplies Together
Gift bags, wrapping paper, and holiday decorations are often the enemy of storage room organization. But just because you use them once a year doesn’t mean you shouldn’t create a streamlined system.
Keep decorations sorted by seasonal use and make sure what you use the most is easiest to reach!
Use Walls For Your Home Gym Storage
Trying to make your storage room double as a home gym? Utilize wall space to store weights and mount workout equipment. Creating a designated fitness area will not only keep your basement tidy, but it will also help you stay safe while you work out!
Get Yourself a Clothing Rack
Living somewhere with all four seasons means you likely won’t need all of your clothes in your closet at once!
Create a distinct home for coats and jackets in the summer and tank tops and shorts in the winter by adding an affordable clothing rack or something even more sturdy.
This will make organizing your storage room easy!
These tips and life hacks will help you easily make your storage room a more organized space and do it relatively quickly. In addition, since each of these ideas does not require any special skills or tools to bring to life, every one can effortlessly make use of them in their homes in a day or two!
But if you think that it is enough to only know what tricks and life hacks to use in order to organize your storage room better, you are not quite right.
We recommend you check out the most widespread and common mistakes that homeowners make. Those mistakes can easily turn all of your organizational efforts to dust!
Most Common Mistakes People Make When Organizing Their Storage Rooms
If you have a small storage room, it might be quite tricky and effort-consuming to bring it to order (we don’t even mention the time needed for that!). Imagine the feelings of those who have large storage spaces, or those who use their garage for this purpose!
That’s going to be an endless process, they may think.
And when people start organizing their storage areas, most of them tend to make the same mistakes that don’t make things easier, of course.
We decided to list the most widespread flaws for you so that you could be aware and prepared, and avoid taking the same path.
Don’t Wait Until You Have Enough Time!
We know that most of you think that you will start organizing your storage room when you have a full day or even a weekend free for that. But this day may never come! Instead of waiting for a suitable moment, start doing a bit now and then.
Half an hour today, forty minutes or an hour tomorrow, a full day on the weekend.
Like this, the process will always be in constant progress and you will finish it faster than if you decide to simply sit and wait for the right moment to come.
Don’t Buy Storage Bins First!
It may be very tempting to go to the store and buy all those cute storage bins and containers! However, we would recommend you revise your stuff first. See what items need to be discarded, and check out what is left.
Like this, you will understand better what sort of containers you need for keeping those and how many of them you will have to buy.
Your Storage Room Must Not Look Ideal!
You might expect your storage space to look exactly like the one in a picture that you saw in a magazine, but reality hits. Be realistic: sometimes it is physically impossible to reach that ideal scheme!
So simply do your best to make it look as neat and tidy as possible, and don’t get upset if it doesn’t remind you of an ideal sample of perfection your neighbors will be jealous about.
Keeping Too Much Stuff Is Not a Good Idea
It may be so tempting to keep certain things, but in order to make your storage room more organized, you need to get rid of everything that is not being used. So what you should do is to go through and consciously choose to keep the items you use and love and discard the rest.
Don’t Forget About the Shelves
Many homeowners tend to stack storage bins and containers in their storage rooms, and they completely forget about using their shelves!
This way, their space gets stuffed rather quickly and here we go again: you have piles of containers that must be organized again!
So if you have some spare money and time for installing the shelving, invest in that. It will save you a lot of space in the future.
Store Your Stuff In Zones
Instead of piling everything together, we recommend you divide the storage area into zones. Decide where you will be keeping your sports gear and stuff, where the tools will be stored, and what corner will go for the Christmas decorations, etc.
Like that, you will add more reason and logic to the storage space making it easier for you to figure out where you should search for the certain thing you need right now.
Make Frequently Used Items Easy to Put Away
To avoid cluttering the space, again and again, make sure that the items that you use more often than others can easily be removed after they are used.
See, if it is hard to put them back in their place, you will simply get lazy to do that! Like that, things will start cluttering the space.
Leave Some Room For Additional Items
That means, simply leaving several empty storage containers of different sizes to be able to put new things there when they need to be stored long term.
It is still a good idea to go through items from time to time and get rid of anything you are no longer using.
However, having a bit of buffer space will keep your newly organized area from getting re-cluttered quickly.
As you can see, in fact, there is nothing complicated about keeping your storage room organized or even returning it back to order after the extended messy period. Just make sure you use our tips and life hacks that we shared with you, and remember to clean and tidy up the area slowly step by step if you can’t do it at once.
You will see that the process will take quite a little time and you will have a well-organized storage space in the end!
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Frequently Asked Questions
⭐Can a garage be used as a storage room?
Yes, it can, even if you keep your car there. Just make sure that the storage area is separated from the area where the vehicle is kept.
⭐Where to store stuff if my storage room is very small?
If the space is really very small, then the only possible option is to try using walls to attach hangers, hooks, shelves, etc. Like that, the floor will not be occupied and you will still have enough spare room to move around.
⭐Is it ok to make a storage space in a basement?
Of course! Why not? Just make sure it’s not too humid there to avoid mold. Basement is a great option in fact, since it can be fully used for storage only.
How do I organize my basement storage room to make use of every inch of it? Maybe you know some handy life hacks or tips? I’ll be very grateful!
Well, in my basement storage room, I store all my stuff in translucent plastic containers so that I can see what’s in each of them. Also, I have shelves there to free the floor from different things and make it walkable. I also label all my boxes and containers. It helps me to quickly find what I need.
What do you put in a storage organizer? I consider buying one but I don’t have a clear idea of what can be kept in it.
Well, you may store different small tools there, as well as cables and wires, desk accessories, toys, and travel toiletries. A plastic rolling cart can also be used to hold small items, such as hats, socks, jewelry, or makeup. A three-drawer rolling cart is mobile because it’s on wheels and can be quickly used in different spaces.
How do I organize my storage room? I tried several times but each attempt ended up with piles of stuff again!
Consider storing items inside clear bins instead of cardboard boxes and store items upright. Also, I figured out that it’s easier to store large, heavy items on the bottom towards the back. And if you place items you need more frequently towards the front, it will make it easier for you to find them and bring them back to their places later.
Will carton boxes be ok to use as storage containers until I buy plastic ones? We’ve just moved and I need to keep all the stuff in something, and we just have boxes.
I guess that, as temporary containers, boxes will be fine. But not for the long-term storage, of course!
What wall paint color would you suggest for a small and narrow storage room with high ceilings and a rectangular window high on the wall?
I’d say, use white! The room should have some daylight anyway since there is the window, and white walls will reflect it around making the space look bigger and more spacious.