Smallin - The One-Minute Organizer A to Z Storage Solutions: 500 Tips for Storing Every Item in Your Home

The One-Minute Organizer

A to Z Storage Solutions

I give thanks to family members, friends, and colleagues for their contributions: my assistant, Julie Moran; organizing coach, Marlo Nikkila; my sister-in-law, Cori Peel; my piano teacher, Debbie Saifi; all my friends at Storey Publishing; and to my parents, Clarence and Lorraine Connor, who taught me most of what I know about organizing without me even realizing it.

Thanks, also, to fellow members of the National Association of Professional Organizers for teaching me the rest of what Ive learned.

I am especially grateful to my readers. Your questions, challenges, and stories inspire and support my mission to help others create more time for the people and things they love.

Dorm Room Feng Shui, by Katherine Olaksen.

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Organizing Plain & Simple, by Donna Smallin.

A gentle guide that helps readers gain control over everyday disorder and be better prepared for lifes big events. 320 pages. Paper. ISBN 978-1-58017-448-0.

Unclutter Your Home, by Donna Smallin. Hundreds of practical ideas for sorting, evaluating, and getting rid of all those unwanted items. 192 pages. Paper. ISBN 978-1-58017-108-3.

Wabi Sabi: The Art of Everyday Life, by Diane Durston. A giftbook that celebrates natures simplicity and imperfection. 384 pages. Paper. ISBN 978-1-58017-628-6.

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Before you read any further, I want you to think about something. What do you believe is the biggest obstacle you face when it comes to organizing your stuff? Is it

Lack of space? According to a survey by the National Soap & Detergent Association, 80 percent of clutter in most homes is the result of disorganization, not lack of space.

Lack of time? In a 2008 poll conducted on behalf of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), 19 percent of women and 11 percent of men anticipate theyd save more than an hour each day if they were more organized, for a total of 15 days annually.

Lack of money? Theres no need to run out and spend money on fancy organizing products. Look around. See what you have that might do the trick at least temporarily. That way, youll have a better idea of what you need should you decide to upgrade later. For examples of common items that can be transformed into storage solutions, look for the Out of the Box Organizers highlighted throughout this book.

Lack of know-how? All of the suggestions in this book are based on the following seven principles of good storage. Let this quick lesson be your guide as you figure out what to do with your stuff.

The average U.S. home has doubled in size in the last 60 years and still we struggle to find a place for everything. Hmmm could it be we have too much stuff? My motto is If you dont love it or use it, lose it.

Why bother storing things you dont use? Eliminate all the unnecessary necessities. Get rid of duplicates. Do you really need three vegetable peelers? If youre keeping something just in case, ask yourself: Could I get this again pretty easily and inexpensively if I need it again someday? If the answer is yes, let it go.

And lets face it. Everything has a life span. Chuck anything that is unusable or unfixable. Are you storing things for grown children? You may be saving things they dont even want! Question everything.

Where you store items depends on a variety of factors. First, gather everything that needs to be stored in one place so you can see how much storage space you need. Allow room for future expansion as with a music, video, or other type of collection. Store frequently used things where you use them; youll be more likely to put them away when youre done.

Take temperature and humidity into account when considering storage locations. Fur, leather, and other natural fabrics, as well as candles, paper, paint, and many other items, have special storage requirements. Keep in mind that basements tend to be humid, which creates a breeding ground for mold and mildew. Attics and garages, on the other hand, may be too hot and dry for storing certain items.

Most important, think about safety. Always store household cleaners, prescriptions, matches, guns, knives, insecticides, paint, gasoline, and other hazardous household materials out of childrens reach, preferably in locked cabinets. Store heavy items on the floor or on lower shelves. And be sure to secure personal and financial information in a lockable filing cabinet to help deter identity theft.

Its a lot easier to know what you have or dont have when you store like items together. In a pantry or food cabinets, for example, organize and store items by type of food such as cereals, pastas, and rices; canned vegetables and fruits; snack foods; and so on. In closets, you might organize by type of clothing such as short-sleeved shirts, pants, and skirts.

Consider creating zones by activity. When you set up a hanging folder to store your tax records throughout the year, you are creating a zone. In the kitchen, you might create a baking zone with cookie sheets, electric mixer, and mixing bowls in one cabinet and rolling pins, measuring cups, and other baking utensils in a nearby drawer. In the garage, set up zones for storing tools and supplies for common activities such as gardening, automotive care, and sports; include a zone for general storage.

Think about how you use an item and how often you use it. Store frequently used items where they are most convenient. In the kitchen, for example, you might keep your coffeemaker on the counter because you use it every day, but store the food processor in a nearby cabinet if you use it once a week or less often.

Store things you rarely use in less prime locations such as the upper shelf of a closet, back of a cabinet, or some other out-of-the way place in the basement, attic, or garage. This includes seasonal items such as clothing and holiday decorations, occasionally used items such as punch bowls and large roasting pans, and tax returns and other paper records that require long-term storage.

Easy accessibility makes a garage or shed ideal for storing frequently used outdoor items such as lawn and garden equipment and bicycles. Because the attic is typically the least accessible storage place, limit attic storage to things you need only occasionally.