Storage Solutions for Items You Don’t Know What to Do With

Clutter-free space benefits mental health. However, some items are definite organizational headaches. The self-storage industry is enjoying its heyday because many homeowners own way too much stuff they don’t know what to do with. 

The problem doesn’t start and end with oddly shaped and bulky valuables. Keeping smaller essentials out of sight can sometimes be a puzzle. If you consider yourself a clean freak but your home still looks messy, draw inspiration from these 11 creative ideas.

1. Repurpose Your Shoe Closet

Shoeboxes can house more than footwear. They can also hold seldom-used medium-sized apparel, including hats, scarves and shawls. These stackable containers can help you maximize your wall space while keeping fashion accessories easily accessible.

Think twice about cramming too much stuff into a box, though. You may wrinkle or damage the items when you compress and leave them alone for an extended period. 

2. Suspend Your Baseball Cap Collection

Do you like baseball caps too much? Letting them pile up in one corner is a less ideal way to grow your collection. Aside from being an eyesore, a heap of headgear can fade due to exposure to ultraviolet radiation and collect dust.

Hide your prized possessions in the closet to keep them in good shape and declutter your bedroom. Use hangers with multiple clippers or strap hanging \systems around hanger bars to organize and group them accordingly.

3. Occupy Above-Cabinet Space

The gap between the top of the cabinetwork and the ceiling is often underutilized real estate for storage. It’s an excellent spot to put anything you can’t fit anywhere else. This area can be inaccessible and inconspicuous, so whatever is in there must be visible from the floor to help you remember it exists.

4. Stuff Empty Suitcases

Suitcase compartments are almost always capacious, and light travelers’ luggage is no exception. Hard-shell suitcases can safely house fragile off-season items, protecting them from impact and freeing up much-needed closet space. They’re also stackable, so you can conveniently place them on a high shelf, under the bed or on top of each other.

5. Buy a Multi-Tier Door Organizer

A heavy-duty over-the-door organizer can bring order to your chaotic pantry. Some units have layers with adjustable baskets for holding random dry goods of various dimensions.

6. Stick Magnets to the Drawer Interior

Storing minuscule hair and nail accessories in empty jars is a neat way to put them in one place. A better solution is to use the magnetic properties of iron, nickel or cobalt items to maximum effect. Magnetic strips inside drawers keep them sorted and hidden.

7. Digitize Documents

Do you have stacks of old documents that you want to save but don’t have the space? Consider digitizing them and tossing the paper copy. Having digital copies of documents not only frees up space in your house, but it makes them easier to find, as you can name, organize and search for the file names on your computer. If you ever need the physical copy again, you can simply reprint it. 

8. Retrofit Cabinets With Rollouts

Rollout drawers are an excellent addition to existing shelfless cabinetry. Rolling shelves keep tiny spaces immaculate while ensuring everything is within reach. They are a fantastic alternative to rolling carts for storing and segregating laundry supplies, such as detergents, stain removers and dryer balls. They can also house machine maintenance essentials, including liquid, powder, tablet, and gel cleaners and wipes.

Rollouts are super customizable and painlessly installable. Some manufacturers offer units for do-it-yourselfers, so you can set them up anytime without a contractor.

9. Fill Overhead Joists

Install heavy-duty wire shelves underneath the metal beams or wood timbers supporting your ceilings and floors. Joists can be dozens of inches apart, providing abundant storage space for girthy items you use infrequently but want to keep accessible. Tackle boxes, coolers, paint, sports and recreational equipment, and camping gear are good candidates for this storage space.

10. Hold Extension Cords With Paper Tubes

Cables bounce around, so even properly coiled ones can become tangled. Using paper towel and toilet paper tubes to hold them together is genius. They’re made of paperboard sheets, so you can write on them to note electrical cord lengths and easily peel them away if necessary.

11. Hide Trash Bags Inside the Can

Storing garbage bags can be annoying because their container is notoriously flimsy. Neatly rerolling excess bags after pulling more than you require can test your patience.

A simple solution to keep trash bags in order is to keep them underneath the one in use. This perfect location ensures they’re obscure when not needed and visible when necessary. Seeing them whenever you take out the trash will remind you to put a new one in the can.

Anything Is Storable With Creativity

Storage is an art. Even a minimalist living in a small home can find tidying up a space challenging. Use these helpful tips to rid your house of clutter and keep it organized so everything has its place.