Storage Hints

Storage Wars

No doubt you have seen this popular show on the History channel.  It is one of their highest rated shows showing people fighting over abandoned or unpaid rent storage units.   The goal of the participants to find the one with the hidden treasure of old valuable coins or a set of china worth lots more than they paid for the storage unit.

And I know some of you may have storage wars of a different kind at your house or apartment.  The one that involves overstuffed closets or attics that almost burst when a door is opened.   Perhaps it is another interesting variety where one party simply believes the second party has too much "stuff" as it is every where.  

Though I hope neither case is present for you, this article from the Home Action Newsletter by Al Clark could help those who are.

Helpful hints on how to make the most of storage is always good. Personally, we did this a long time ago to resolve a concern about space in our master closet.   My wife has been so happy ever since!!

I hope you have the same success!

Low-Cost And No-Cost Fixes For Overstuffed Closets

You can save tons of money getting your closet in shape if you use things are lying around your home says Consumer Reports’ ShopSmart Magazine Editor-in-Chief Lisa Lee Freeman.

Below are some no-cost and low-cost closet fixes featured in ShopSmart, plus their top two picks for do-it-yourself closet systems. The full list is available in the June 2014 issue.

Free or super-cheap:

• Mason jars can be used to stash rolled-up belts, tights and scarves. 
• Corkboards provide easy-access to jewelry particularly necklaces, earrings and bracelets (use decorative pushpins to dress it up).
• Ice cube trays are sized just right for earrings and other small jewelry items and they’re stackable.
• Rubber bands can secure bulky items, such as a puffy down vest or jacket, that have to be rolled up tightly.

$25 or less:

• Rubbermaid Flex Tote storage boxes, $8 (homedepot.com) can be filled with cotton items and is easier to squeeze into tight spaces than traditional storage boxes. 
• Hanger Hamper, $9 (containerstore.com) is a triangular bin that stores extra hangers neatly without tangling; the triangle shape nestles neatly into the corner of a closet.
• 3M Command Hooks, $3 (containerstore.com) can be hung anywhere in a closet where there is a little space to hang robes, nighties, necklaces and more.
• Acrylic shelf dividers, $17 each (organizeit.com) keep T-shirts, jeans, and sweaters neatly stacked on a shelf; they can also prop handbags upright and don’t add visual clutter.

Best Closet Systems

Do-it-yourself closet kits can save you hundreds of dollars over professionally installed systems. 

ShopSmart tested  those designed for a six-foot wide closet from ClosetMaid, Elfa, Ikea, Martha Stewart and Rubbermaid. Here’s a look at two of the winners:

Best Overall: Platinum Elfa Reach-In, $560 (containerstore.com) This system held all of the stuff without anything getting smooshed, plus it was the easiest and fastest unit to install, taking 35 minutes, with minimal drilling. There is a lot of customer support – online and video directions are clear.

Best for small closets: Rubbermaid Homefree Series, $90 (rubbermaid.com)  This kit was the cheapest of the bunch and held all the stuff. It was also fairly easy to put together, though installation time took more than an hour.