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Easy and Efficient Under Sink Storage

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

What have you tried to store under your kitchen sink? The space is different in each house depending on where the water lines and disposal end up. You are lucky to get one skinny container on one side of the cabinet.

Then there is the mix of cleaning products; dish-washing liquids, powders and tablets; trash can liners; rubber gloves; and assorted scrubbing doo-dads. The shapes and sizes are a nightmare to organize and contain.
When you are in a hurry, something is bound to topple over. Gooey spills, dishwasher detergent powder, and spider webs conspire against you to make a sticky, dirty mess under there!

Let me offer a few suggestions. You are free to mix and match to come up with a solution that fits your unique circumstance.

  • Store only what you use in the kitchen here. If you have an adequate pantry or space in your laundry room, keep the majority of your cleaning products there. This also helps cut down on the danger of poisons a child can reach (locks are necessary, but should not be the only safeguard!)
  • Move trash bag liners to your plastic wrap area. These boxes should fit in the drawer on their side.
  • Cover the floor of your cabinet with a rubber mat or shelf liner. The spills and grit will be easy to clean with a wet sponge. Once that cheap particle board gets wet, it is never the same. A pristine cupboard looks good when you get ready to sell.
  • Use a slide out container with a stable bottom. Choose solid plastic, mesh, or metal stripping that is less than ½″ apart to avoid tipping.

A 6 qt plastic shoebox with no lid will do for the side of your cabinet that has the most head room. This is the frugal organizer’s option.

Lynk Professional Kitchen Under-Sink Rollout Double Drawer

Lynk Professional Kitchen Under-Sink Rollout Double Drawer

The Rolls Royce of pull-outs for the tall side is the 11″ x 21″ chrome Lynk Professional Kitchen Under-Sink Rollout Double Drawer. There is an 11″ x 18″ version as well.

Finally, I love the 13″ x 13″ ITSO wide tray at Target ($5.19) This can hold sponges, rubber gloves, scrubbers on the short side.

Once you make these changes, you will be surprised at how easily and efficiently you can access everything you need from your now beautiful under sink storage!

This is a reprint of a guest post I wrote for Organize with Sandy, originally published on 8/16/10.

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Closet Storage Tip: Use Shelf Dividers

Friday, August 13th, 2010

Don’t you hate it when you fold lots of towels or tees and the first time someone grabs one off the shelf the pile tips over?
That’s where closet shelf dividers come in. You can attach these to either solid shelving or the wire shelves in your closets. Just be sure you are ordering the right type! These are a few examples.

Check your big box stores first before you pay shipping.

Organize It

Chrome

Chrome Shelf Dividers
from OrganizeIt.com
Item No: 014982186409
10” high by 12” deep
Set of 2 – $6.99
These can slide on front of shelf, so fit all widths

Acrylic

Acrylic Shelf Divider
from Amazon.com
8″high x 12″deep
$13.75 each
Pricey, but so elegant! Use for  your MBR closet only?

Lilian Vernon

Wire

Wire Shelf Dividers
from Lilian Vernon
SKU: 603989
10 1⁄2″ x 1 3⁄4″ x 12 1⁄4″ H
Set of 2 – $9.98, 4 for $19.96
Expands to fit between most wire shelving slats.

NOTE: Lillian Vernon also has a solid shelf version at a reasonable price, but these fit only 12” shelves.

When you are planning the number to purchase, decide on an odd number of stacks and buy one more divider. (i.e. 3 stacks => 4 dividers)

Finally, if you want to fold with the best of them and fast, this is a neat folding tool!

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Michael Graves Closet Organizing System, A Review

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

When I first saw the Michael Graves closet organization system, I thought, “No Way! That will be too much weight on one closet rod!”

With further thought about the possibilities, I have come to the conclusion that the ClosetMax system will work for some folks provided their needs are within certain parameters. Think with me to see if you “qualify” to use this system.

The Michael Graves ClosetMAX System

  • You are committed to keeping only the amount of hats/shoes, sweaters that fit in the hanging bins – a clear “one in, one out” mandate.
  • You want to use the double hang rod in a child’s closet to put his/her hanging clothes within reach.
  • You will use only 3-4 of the hanging storage bins to keep weight at a minimum.
  • You are able to reinforce your existing closet rod that is 6′ or more in length.
  • You are ready to keep the essentials of a spartan wardrobe and let go of mistakes, mismatched items, “weight loss” wannabes, stained and irrepairable items.
  • You will only keep linens used in the adjoining bath here, not the entire linen closet!
  • You want to use the 6 shelf bin to sort and label children’s clothes for each day of the school week.

OK, I am convinced that this system has merit provided it is used carefully. These are the pros and cons to consider when making your decision.

Pros:

Versatility and cohesive look – The many choices of organizing bins  give lots of options while the neutral palette ties all pieces together.

No tools required – Everything hangs from your existing closet rod.

Multiple double hang options – Each piece has the double hang bar holder, so you can use the lower bar in any configuration.

Cons:

The weight issue – Everything hangs from your existing closet rod. Be ruthless in trimming down your wardrobe and use this system to keep it in check.

Wasted space – Each of the hanging bins will take 10-20” of closet rod space. Only install the pieces you will fill from top to bottom

Wide access needed – this system may not work for the older narrow closets with limited entry or sliding doors. In order to find what you need quickly, the bins should have direct “reach in” access.

The ClosetMax Collection is now available at Target. You can view the collection online at NeatFreak. This manufacturer blog states that you must purchase from retailer. I guess The Shopping Channel counts because that site sells the above configuration for $89 (S&H extra).

Like any other tool, this closet system will work for the right application. I have been known to hammer the 1” nail I need to hang a picture using the end of a screwdriver. Not the best idea. Use the right tool to get the best results.

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ADD-Friendly Organizing from the Pros

Monday, May 10th, 2010

ADD friendly ways to organize your life - coverEven if you don’t think you have any level of Attention Deficit Disorder you may want to read ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life. In contrast to books that say, ”Just do this, this and this and you will be organized,” ADD-Friendly goes further with very specific methods on how to establish order that will last.

The authors have experience with ADD-ers on two fronts. Judith Kolberg is a professional organizer who founded the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization when she realized that traditional organizing techniques did not work for a significant number of people. Giving insight on working with the psychology behind disorganization is Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D., a nationally recognized authority on adult ADD.

The authors share strategies that ADD folks can use to help themselves, how to use the help of friends and family, and when to look for professional guidance. With the wealth of techniques given to tame the big three- things, time, and paper- you are sure to find one that will work for you!

Even the page formatting accommodates short attention spans with side-labeled chapter titles to encourage skimming, bold headings that break up the page, and large font text that makes it easy to delve deep in the section that grabs your interest.

Get the book and read it before you pass it on to the messy person you think really needs it. You might be surprised how much you will personally benefit!

Read a more in-depth book review from MentalHelp.net if you want to know more before you recommend this book to a friend.

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Tools: Digitize Your Paper Piles

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

If you are ready to move into the digital age with your paper records, the Neat Company can help.

The Neat Receipts portable scanner can handle receipts and invoices, business cards, and full page scanning. The accompanying software allows you to both organize the information and search for key words for quick retrieval.

“NeatWorks software uses OCR and patented parsing technology to identify and capture key information from scanned documents.  On receipts, it looks for the date, vendor, amount and sales tax.  On business cards, it captures all of the contact information: name, company, title, address, phone, email, website and fax.”

Watch a demonstration of this product to see its capabilities.

Empty your file cabinets onto a thumb drive or your computer’s hard drive to save space and for searchable digital files. How neat!

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Favorite Purse Organizer: the Pouchee

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Pouchee.comFor women there are certain things we have to carry with us at all times: keys, cell phone, lipstick, pens, etc. Put these small things in a big purse and you have instant disorganization! So, we buy purses with lots of little pockets to hold all of our “must haves.” But, to change from one purse to another means to empty out every pocket. What a time waste!

The solution is purse organizers.  The Pouchee is my favorite purse organizer because it is a self-contained unit that you can grab and GO!  There is no wrapping, no sagging, and no assembly. The best way to describe the Pouchee is:  your change purse on steroids.

Black Pouchee exterior

Black Pouchee interior

Within a compact 7×5×3″, you will be able to tote lipstick, cell phone, tissues, a wallet or change purse, all of your credit cards, keys, even a note pad.  The sturdy 2″ metal rings and magnetic closure make it easy to pick up and exchange from one purse to another, or to carry alone when you are on a quick errand. There are enough inner dividers and even a zipper compartment so that all your “must haves” will find a home. You won’t have to dig for keys!

Best of all, the Pouchee comes in 12 different colors in cotton (washable) and 11 colors in leather. You can make a fashion statement with red leather, or support a cause with the Breast Cancer LTD Edition.

Other Pouchee products are available with plenty of pockets including a jewelry traveling case (11×14×2″), and two sizes of automobile console caddies.

I especially wanted to let you know that the Pouchee Purse Organizer is on sale now through Mother’s Day for 10% off your entire purchase. Use the code poucheemom at checkout at the Pouchee.com Store.

Even if the whole package weren’t so practical, I would still love the logo of a kangaroo holding a tiny purse! Cute!

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Pretty Post-its – New Organizing Solutions

Friday, January 29th, 2010

Some days it pays to be a National Association of Professional Organizer (NAPO) member. This week I received a packet from 3M with samples of the new Post-it offerings we have been seeing on commercials lately. The not so subtle hint read, “6 Great Blog Topics for 2010.”

OK, I will share the love. These are my 3 favorites.

1. Durable Filing Tabs – 2″ square tabs that attach securely to any file folder, can be used for creating subcategories in hanging files. At Office Max, four assorted colors, 24 total tabs, $2.99.

2. Removable label pads- have full adhesive backs, are repositionable, and remove cleanly. Use these to label any size storage container. My favorite is the 225 piece neon assortment from Amazon at $9.40.

3. Post-it pockets – Lightweight plastic sleeves that peel and stick on the wall. These are pretty, antique floral prints in three sizes- receipt, bill, and letter.  I want the letter size pockets, 1 pink and 1 blue, $6.99.

It always helps to have more options for paper management and labeling storage. Thanks 3M for the presents.

FreedomFiler

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