I love a good life hack. There is something inherently satisfying knowing you have beat the system, saved yourself some money or just made things infinitely easier for yourself as let’s face it, life can be tough enough so if we can catch a win, it makes you feel great!
A previous blog showing you 5 FREE storage solutions went down really well and so thought it was about time I shared some more purse friendly solutions.
Cut to the chase woman… Ok, Ok. Here we go. 5 simple storage hacks just for you.
Shoe Storage
Shoes are always one of those things that always seem to be in the way. Unless you have a large hallway, big show units where they can be put away out of sight completely it can be hard to find a solution that hits that calm and tidy spot.
Often in our hallways we do however have a row of coat hooks somewhere and the great thing is they are relatively cheap to get hold of too. I bet you never thought about popping a row lower down the wall though… now you have! Voila! Now you have some shoe hooks as well as your coat hooks.
Simple to tidy away, simple to maintain and takes up no space at all so perfect for even the smallest of hallways.
Drinks bottles
I don’t know about you, but I seem to have quite the collection of drinks bottles. I would get rid of a few but the kids go through them as if they were disposable. Whether lost, broken or just decide they don’t like that colour that day, I am forever switching them around.
I also find that they are a smidge too tall for my shelves and so have to lie them on their side to put them away and due to their round nature (funnily enough) they just roll about and end up looking really messy in the cupboard or falling out as I open the door.
This really simple storage hack has changed that though… magazine holders! I know, so simple!
Pop the magazine holder on its side with the tallest part on the bottom and you can then stack up your bottles without them rolling all over the place or taking up lots of room.
Cleaning products
Sticking with the kitchen cupboard theme. The cleaning cupboard is one that can easily become over cluttered with all the options we have these days or different products we have to keep for different rooms.
To give yourself a tiered look without having to buy extra shelving, pick yourself up a cheap and thin curtain pole or tension rod and add to the top of your cupboard.
Any sprays can then be added to the new pole leaving the whole of the bottom free for wipes, cloths, sponges, bags and anything else. It will also save you that painful task of having to get out all the bottles looking for that one you really need that is almost always at the back. This way you can easily see what you have and just grab and go. No more topping bottles coming to greet you when you open the door.
Drawer Dividers
This is ideal for keeping the illusive junk drawer tidy but can be applied to absolutely any drawer. I particularly like doing this in the kids underwear drawer to separate their pants and socks.
All you need is some thick cardboard. I think enough of us receive enough Amazon parcels through the door to have enough of this usually going in the recycling bin.
Cut lengths of cardboard to fit your drawer and then depending on how many compartments you would like cut slits in the cardboard for another piece to slot into (makes sense in the picture)
If plain cardboard isn’t your thing you can decorate the cardboard with paint, left over wrapping paper or anything else you would like to use. It will still work out cheaper than buying drawer dividers online.
No matter whether you choose to make DIY dividers or bite the bullet and buy some, they are a great way to keep you tidy and maintaining the clutter as they provide a barrier. Rather than waiting for the whole drawer to be crammed full and overflowing before you declutter it, if items have a designated “zone” you are less likely to add more to it if it is already full. You then know you don’t need any more of that item or something needs to go.
Gardening Tools
Are your spades, rakes and loppers all piled up in the corner of your garage or shed? You take one and wait for them all to collapse around you. Or maybe they are on hooks but then you have the fear of one falling off and bashing you on the head every time you have to get something else?
You can pick up some plastic tubing or pipes from most DIY stores relatively cheaply. Cut them into small sections, using two sections for each gardening tool and screw to the wall, with one towards the top of the tool and one towards the bottom.
No risk of them falling off, no risk of them all collapsing, easy to grab and go and takes up very little room.
So, there we have it, 5 simple storage hacks for you that anyone with any budget can do. Remember you don’t have to spend a fortune to have a decluttered and organised home. You can calm your chaos with just a little bit of hard work and imagination.
If this has inspired you to take on your next declutter project, you can download my guide to declutter success here. It is a totally free resource to make sure that your next project means your space stays clutter free.
The Organised Co. 