What’s a Collection?

What’s a Collection?

Your house is chock full of things and you’re being hounded by your wife or your parents or your kids to get rid of all your things! But is all that clutter really junk, or are you sitting on top of a mountain of items that can be classified and grouped together and showcased as a collection? A collection is defined as a group of items or things of one particular kind. And if you think that you may have a collection on your hands, you’ll be glad to know that collections are generally not seen as a hoard of useless items at all!

So how do you define what makes all these things a good collection worth the storage space it needs as opposed to a pile of odds and ends?

It seems like you have a lot of the same thing

It’s not quite a collection if they don’t all represent some similar idea across the board, or perhaps follow the same colour scheme or come from the same country. What makes these items form a collection could be something as simple as being made from a certain special material or different types of the same thing. After all, it’s not really a collection if the items are too random and don’t have a link to each other.

It doesn’t have to be useful items either; in fact, it can be a bunch of seashells you’ve picked up over the years, or even beanie baby stuffed toys! We’re sure you’ve seen Coca-cola bottle collections or a collection of snow globes or even a valuable collection of baseballe cards too! But of course the prettier the item, the more you’re going to want to show them off! And that leads us to the next point…

You have thought of or are already displaying some items

Maybe you’ve got all these dried up flowers in frames up on the wall. Or perhaps you’ve put up some shelving to keep your thimbles organized. We’ve heard of people who’ve got specially crafted cabinets to keep the humidity and heat out of your collection of Barbie dolls. But since a good collection almost always illicits some sort of wow factor when put together in the same place, why not display what you’ve collected!

It’s something that you’re passionate about!

Collections come and go, but the thing that makes a collection sustainable, is passion and longevity! Most collections start to look better when there are more and more of the item coming together in a group and while you need to stop eventually, don’t stop too soon! And if there is anything to motivate you, think about the thrill of the hunt – when you will have another unique piece to add to what you have. And certainly when you continue collecting, you’re sure to collect stories about the items too! That’s sure to make it all the more rewarding!

So don’t put off going through your clutter and have a look through your clutter and start sorting it out. Could be that it turns out that there are things that need to be thrown away but perhaps you’ve been secretly squirreling away pieces that are worth putting together to showcase to others. Maybe there are some collections waiting in your garage to begin a beautiful journey of collecting for you!

How to Clear out some Space – The Kitchen

How to Clear out some Space – The Kitchen

Kitchens may not always be the most cluttered spaces, we know of more than enough homes where their dinnerware sets are mismatched. Plates that were accidentally broken forced 2 separate dinner sets to be combined for service but that doesn’t mean that storing all the different sets fit magically together inside the cupboards. Au Contraire, it does sometimes pose a big difficulty for configuring the best arrangement for your items within. So here’s how you can clear up some space and/or make the space more efficient so that you’ll have a little extra room to play around with.

The best kept kitchens are those which are seldom in use. Not sure how true this may be, but I do know that a clean and sanitary kitchen is one that’s free of cooking debris and is also not too overly crowded by too much crockery and equipment.

Now it’s not uncommon to have utensils and kitchenware lying all over the countertops and lying unwashed in the sink, so we’re not going to be talking about the importance of loading up the dishwasher and keeping things clean. More about what happens when the cupboards have one too many sets of plates and other various china.

The pantry is the simplest place to start at where you can start clearing out things quickly and effectively to create more storage space for things. This is the easiest place to start because you just need to look for the items with extra vegetable bits growing out of them, and we’re not talking about blooming plants. If you see mouldy foodstuff and misshapen canned products, these are the first to go. Next would be looking for expired items of course. Similarly you can look through your freezer and refrigerator for leftovers and forgotten items in there to get rid of too. Unless you regularly clean out your pantry (which you should do!) this should take out quite a big bulk of products from your kitchen.

Under the sink are great spots for storing detergents and dishwashing liquids and other cleaning implements used to scour the much and grime off kitchen surfaces. You can install a shelving unit under there so that things will be neat and tidy and within reach. This will keep the harmful substances away from the edibles in the pantry and give the pantry a little more wriggle room.

Normally under counter shelving tends to be under-utilised, this is because of the irregular shape of the pots and pans. Installing hooks on the walls could be a good idea so crockery can rest hanging against the walls instead of taking up valuable real estate in the drawers. If you are okay to do an overhaul of your shelving and storage units installed in the kitchen, consider swivel racks for hard to reach corner cupboard spaces also help you to maximise the space that you already have.

And when all else fails, look to your countertops. If there is a sad amount of food preparation space, you can consider minimising the number of appliances which are not being used as frequently and putting them into storage. Good Luck!

Start downsizing clutter in your life by going through your storage spaces!

Start downsizing clutter in your life by going through your storage spaces!

It can be a great mystery how we accumulate so many possessions so quickly. Sometimes you can entertain yourself by picking up a random objects and thinking, “where did this come from?” or, “how long has this been here?” If those answers don’t come easily you might be one of those people who just likes collecting stuff. Nothing wrong with that but eventually you’ll find space is limited. Then of course there’s all that stuff that we didn’t collect ourselves. Things accumulate over the years. Unwanted gifts. Objects inherited from family members and good friends, that end up being white elephants squatting malevolently in the corner just to the side of the television set. The boxes, cables, instructions, paperwork, packing foam, and boxes that you didn’t buy, but came free with other, more important stuff, you did. Let’s be honest there is no reason you can’t shed some of these possessions if you really want to.

For some of us it’s a requirement. With so many people working at home these days we often have to become our own file room attendants just to keep the paperwork organised. Closets filled with boxes of dusty documents and stacks of professional literature litter our “home-offices”.

Take heart. You’re not a pack rat, or a hoarder, you’re just living a modern civilised lifestyle. Nothing to be ashamed of. Whatever the reason for clutter in your life there’s no reason that you have to live with it. Take a moment to sit back and look at the mountains of stuff around are there entire piles or even rooms full of things you don’t need? If so do yourself a favour and clear up some of that clutter. It’s easier than you think.

The best place to start is with the items you’ve already put into storage! Boxes that sit unopened in closets and attics left over from the last move. Junk from the last job that’s become pointless and outdated. Broken or obsolete electronics that were expensive and therefore difficult to part with. Suitcases full of clothes for climates you’ll never visit (or at least not soon enough for the style to hold up.) The ever present “junk drawer” that keeps growing and growing with “things you absolutely can’t get rid of”, but haven’t been through in years. These are good starting point.

Clearing out your long unexplored storage space will give you back the space you need for things that are actually necessary in your day-to-day life. What most of us don’t consider about the things we put in the long term storage is that eventually some of these things will become obsolete. Of course we would like to hang onto as much of our past as we can , but unless we occasionally go back through that past we will never be able to separate what we really like to keep and what became useless long ago. As a matter of fact there is really no better place to start Downsizing your clutter then in these long forgotten boxes.

Simple steps for mattress and box spring storage.

Simple steps for mattress and box spring storage.

If there is one piece of furniture that does not respect to to its amount of continuous use and abuse it is the humble mattress. Everyone has a favorite chair, or position at the dining room table where it is easy to overlook the most used item in the household. Used constantly for eight hours (or more) on a daily basis the modern mattress is a delicate piece of engineering ingenuity. In order to maintain a high level of comfort and usefulness over years or even decades proper care and storage of your mattress and box spring is essential.

Whether you intend to store your mattress for only a few months to many years protecting the surface of your bedroom furniture centerpiece is the primary concern. While you want to keep your mattress safe from stains, water and the dirt and grime that accompanies any move it is important to allow your mattress and box spring to breathe while in its protective wrapping. This will help prevent your stored mattress from becoming susceptible to mold and mildew which grows eagerly in an environment of trapped humidity. Of course your self storage facility will provide a climate controlled and secure location for your furniture storage, so your main concern in wrapping your mattress is simple surface protection.

The best option for protecting the surface of your mattress while in storage is a breathable plastic mattress storage bag. These are commonly available at any mattress store, or furniture dealer who sells bedroom furniture. They can also be purchased from moving companies, and self storage facilities. The construction of these bags is of a specific design that protects the mattress and box spring from the elements and insects while allowing the items inside to breathe.

Once you have your mattress properly wrapped it is time to consider the length of time you hope to store your mattress. If you are self storing your mattress and box spring for less than six months is commonly acceptable to store them vertically, like books on a shelf. For this relatively short amount of time you should not expect any long-term degradation of the structure of your mattress. On the other hand if you intend to store your mattress for a time longer than six months you need to consider that gravity will be exerting a continual pull on your sideways stacked mattress. The springs and filling of your mattress will be drawn down toward the floor possibly resulting in a permanent change to the structure of your mattress, ruining its comfort and usability. For the long term storage of mattresses and box springs the best option is to store them horizontally in the same position as they were designed to be used.

When you retrieve your mattress and box spring from storage take the time to air them out before use. A simple procedure, just remove the mattress bag from around the mattress and let it stand vertically in a well ventilated area where air is allowed to pass over each exposed side for at least a few hours. This will allow the mattress to dissipate any stale air smells, allowing you a more comfortable experience when it’s time to lay down your head.

Some handy packing tips for self storage

Some handy packing tips for self storage

More and more people are turning to self storage as a solution for reducing clutter in the family home. Whether you are simply cleaning out the attic or preparing for a cross-country move a few simple packing tips will help you utilize your space at the self storage facility to the utmost.

One thing many people give short consideration to his choice of packing materials, specifically boxes. We are all well attuned to the idea of using cardboard boxes for packing and storage. What many people fail to consider is that there are other options available these days which may make your storage experience easier and more convenient. Plastic boxes can be purchased for now even rented from many self storage facilities around the world. The benefits of these boxes are innumerable. They can be cleaned and reused, their clear sides allow for easy visibility of their contents and their story structure is specifically designed for secure stacking and protection of fragile contents.

No matter which boxing method you choose be sure to label each box with a clear label that gets no doubt as to the content. This will help you organize your space in the storage unit as there are many items which you may need access to in the future that you do not want to go hunting for. This will also give you a basic idea as to the weight of any particular box. This is important as moving many boxes can be strenuous work, being able to gauge the weight of the box you are about to and prevent you from causing yourself injury. Also heavier boxes are best stored lower to the ground while those containing lighter items can be stacked on top of other boxes safely.

As for furniture and appliances you will want to make sure they are cleaned thoroughly before being put into the storage unit. Large appliances like refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, etc. will require special preparation to make sure that all moisture is removed before they are put into storage. Check your manufacturer’s recommendations that came with the instructions to each appliance when it was purchased. It is also notable that in a pinch these large items can be filled with other property you plan to store, such as stuffed toys, sheets and blankets, or bulky clothing. While you want to secure these appliances with their doors mostly shut, it is advisable to leave a small gap in each door perhaps with a small piece of cardboard to allow air circulation that prevents mold and mildew.

Furniture will be hopefully disassembled as completely as possible. Table legs should be removed and individually wrapped. That is an bed frames should also be disassembled. Chairs should be wrapped in packing paper and stacked gently. Expensive electronic appliances such as televisions and stereos should be carefully wrapped and placed in individual boxes surrounded by a sufficient amount of packing material so as to protect them from shifting or accidental impact.

When filling your self storage unit with your properly packed property make sure you leave a pathway from the front of the unit all the way to the rear, so that in the future you can easily reach items stored in the back without having to remove everything else in the unit.

Before leaving your unit take a few quick photographs for insurance purposes, keep these photos with a detailed inventory list of what you put in storage. This is not only for your protection, but also the protection of the self storage facility owner.

How to Clear out some Space – The Store Room

How to Clear out some Space – The Store Room

Following up from the previous article from this series about the Closet, today we’re going to talk about the Store Room.

Although a vague name for this kind of room, in some houses it could mean the Garage, and in others it could be an Attic. It could just as easily be any other storage room that is specifically put aside for storage of knick knacks and items that don’t specifically belong in other rooms.

The Store Room

Depending on who’s in your family you could have so many different combinations of items here. The fathers and husbands normally stash their tools and hardware here. The kiddies have clothes racks and bicycle and sporting equipment. A fair amount of cleaning equipment like the heavy duty vacuum cleaner and mops and brooms could be kept here too, along with all the gardening shears and hoses and other such apparatus.

The easiest way to create space in the garage is to organize things into its separate categories.

For the garage, or coatroom, a mudroom bench and coat racks could easily help you to segregate the dirty items you may want people to leave at the entrance to your home so that snow and dust and mud doesn’t get tracked into the house. Besides also providing a comfortable place for people to sit and tie their laces or slip off their boots, it will also help family members to keep track of their footwear instead of having them strewn all over the entranceway.

The traditional way of keeping tools would be in a box which can sometimes become a BIG group of boxes if you are really into your handiwork. Although we know of many people who have fantastically created and sleek workspaces for screws and nails and the like, pegboards are a cheap and ingenious creations that help you to organize your tools in a vertical manner so that you don’t have to worry too much about tools being cluttered together in a drawer.

Sports equipment cages are also very useful; if you’ve got kids that play sports, there are bound to be basketballs, netballs, hockey sticks, skiing gear and all sorts of bulky odds and ends. Also not just for your sports equipment, but also as a see-through container which allows you to easily stack unbreakable items together. You can group those vacuum-sealed packs or the extra futon in here or stash away leftover wood and metal scraps together.

Overhead shelving is also a great way to create additional storage space. If you are more handy with motor mechanics, you can even make the shelving mobile so that it becomes easier to stack items on and swivel them out to a higher and out-of-the-way location. Do remember not to put items which are used too frequently up here if not it could be more of a hassle to keep putting up and taking down these items!

And when all else fails, there is always a storage solution to immediately open up spaces up to the size of entire rooms for you to store your items until you can decide what to do with them. Good Luck!

How to Clear out some Space – The Closet

How to Clear out some Space – The Closet

So you’ve run out of storage – an inevitable occurrence that will stress you out and force you to reconsider your cupboard priorities. We’ve all been there…

Hopefully things are not falling out from the closet and things aren’t bursting out from under the bed, but today we’re going to talk a little about how to start clearing out a little space for yourself in an already tight (pun intended) situation. Now it really depends on what you’re trying to clear out, and there are so many ways to go about getting different parts of the house sorted out. In the interest of a giving you a good idea of how to manage these different areas as well as possible, we’ll dissect each location and do this article in a series.

Today we’re going to talk about your closet or wardrobe.

Closet

Girls’ worst nightmare. And some guys we know too. Unless you have a celebrity style house with a walk-in wardrobe, you’re sponsored by branded labels and lots of space to spare, chances are that your closet is wall to wall full of items that may or may not have seen better days.

We all know what it’s like – that sinking feeling when you open up your wardrobe and Yup, tonnes of clothes but none to wear. Barely enough space to put more clothes in even. So what’s a fashion addict to do? It’s painful but it has to be done. Break out the black trashbag and a donation box and start looking through the clothes which may have seen you through a memorable first date or kept you warm during the last cold season.

First things first – start with the clothes that truly don’t fit and toss them out. Sometimes this means having to wear every single piece and then looking yourself in the mirror to see if you would truly ever wear those bell bottoms or crop tops of netted singlets again. As much as we all hope for our skinny youth, it’s important to be realistic and put limits to the extremes we would go to to contort into clothes which are too tight or are really out of fashion.

You should also be tossing out clothes with rips and holes in them – especially the socks and the underwear sets that you swear are your favourite/lucky pairs. Unless of course the fashion for the season calls for it, otherwise being threadbare is generally not a good idea and having these present in your clothing normally invites even more tears and accidents to accompany them.

Another good tip is to sort out your seasonal wear like the thick jackets and gloves and boots which you’ll only bring out during winter. Most of these items are made of good quality material, all the better to keep the heat in when it’s cold, unfortunately the good material takes up SO much more space than the summer cardigan or autumn pullover. However the good material means it would have also cost more to acquire and so it’s not really a great idea to just give these up to make space. Putting these items into vacuum bags and storing them away either in the attic or in a self storage unit could be a very quick way to clear out some space without actually having to throw away anything!

Where all else fails, remember that every article you throw away, frees up another hanger for more clothes to join the family! Good Luck!