Are Clear Storage Bins For You?
“Sherri, before reaching out to you for help, I tried shopping online for containers for my home and I’m not gonna lie...it was really overwhelming. Feeling frustrated, I hopped in my car and headed straight for the Container Store but sadly, I found myself walking the aisles, looking at baskets, bins, storage totes + containers (which of course came in every shape size + color known to mankind!) It was awful and I wound up leaving the store without buying anything because I felt defeated.” - Cheryl Adams
As one of our nearest + dearest clients, it was in that moment when Cheryl realized she was in over her head + reached out to us for help. And I’m sharing her journey with you because it so vividly paints a story that’s relatable to many.
In fact, we oftentimes think the solution to our problems are buried in the what (in this case storage bins) but really, solutions come from the why. And had she known then, “why” she was shopping for storage — welp, she’d have had a sense of “what” she actually needed. Lucky for Cheryl, we got it all straightened out :)
My friend, storage containers are an excellent solution when it comes to maintaining an organized home or corralling all of your belongings in one area, but there are a few things to consider about clear storage bins because they're not for everyone.
Love ‘em or hate ‘em let’s dive in + learn why.
Different Organizing Brains
As professional organizers, our job isn’t to pass judgment or to simply tidy up.
Instead, as your organizing coach, our job is to help you identify clutter + determine what to keep vs. what to get rid of. By peeling back all of the infinite layers that encompass clutter our goal is to help uncover the root cause of clutter by gaining a better understanding of your goals + why you want to create a more organized home.
Oh, + did I mention that the work we do with you over the long haul is to clearly identify how your organizing brain works?
Let me explain.
For some people using colored storage bins or even woven baskets wreaks havoc on their home (+ in their minds) because no matter what, they can’t ever find what they’re looking for. And it’s all for one very obvious reason: because if it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind.
Usher in the concept of utilizing pretty labels + clear storage bins to store their belongings. It makes perfect sense — the bins come in a multitude of sizes in order to keep things organized + it’s always easy to see what’s inside.
But there’s another side to this. For others, the thought of having a ton of clear storage bins on the shelf (in their garage, closet, or throughout the main living areas of their home) overwhelms them with anxiety. The mere thought of being able to see in the bin drives them crazy + they worry that the moment someone uses the storage bins, things inside the bin will get shuffled around + disorganized and because of this my friend, their mind can’t relax.
In this instance, the solution becomes organizational systems that make sense for the way their brains work (i.e. not having clear storage bins) but setting them up so that they can also be easily understood + maintained by others (i.e. categorizing + labeling the bins or baskets).
Fairly remarkable to see how one simple solution of using clear storage bins to stow away belongings has two incredibly different outcomes for people.
That’s having different organizing brains + it’s what we help you discover about yourself + your family. Even more perplexing, it’s not uncommon for people to prefer clear storage bins in certain areas of their home + colored storage containers, woven baskets, or textured bins in another. It simply means, organizing the right way takes time.
The Benefits Of Clear Storage Bins
Regardless of whether it’s for food in your pantry, clothing in your closet, tools in your garage, craft supplies in the kid’s room, or your art studio — clear storage bins are fantastic for helping you get organized, create systems + maintain them over time.
Depending on what you’re organizing, you can be granular about how you organize allowing only one type of item per container. In some instances, this makes a ton of sense but in others, it is better to loosely categorize things all together + stow them in the same container based upon their activity.
Clear Storage Bins Communicate What’s Inside
We’ve already hit on this as a major benefit of clear storage bins but telegraphing exactly what is inside the bin before having to pull it down from the shelf, take the lid off + look around inside of it is certainly a valuable reason to consider using them.
They Don’t Require Labels
If you absolutely love pinning away all the gorgeous labels you can find on Pinterest you might not like this one :) Because you can see exactly what is inside them, you don’t need to label clear storage bins. And then, if you’ve used up whatever was inside before + now something else is being stored inside you won’t have to worry about creating a new label.
So in some instances, one could argue their more versatile, flexible + fluid. On the other hand, labeling is a part of always keeping tabs on what’s inside any bin (clear or not)
Clear Storage Bins Are Timeless + Uniform
As an interior design + professional organizing firm, beautiful interiors make us swoon. And the same baskets or exact same colored bins can be difficult to find one, two, three, four, or even five years down the road. However, clear bins always have a plethora to choose from + knowing you’ll be able to find the exact same bin or something that is such a close match means your investment upfront to create a beautifully organized, and uniform look, will last.
Identifying Contaminated Foods
It’s not likely that you’d notice a difference in your flour or pancake mix being outdated because of clear storage bins but when it comes to clear storage bins for pantry or refrigerated items it helps if they’re clear. Typically, a no-brainer but it clarifies why food-safe storage is almost always clear — and if it’s not, ask yourself why.
What Needs to Be Stored
Beyond identifying your organizing brain + how it works, it’s important to explore all the benefits of clear storage bins in order to pick the right storage solution you need to get clear about what items need to be stored.
Long story short boo, if find that you still need to declutter you shouldn’t be buying containers! And I say this for one extremely important reason: because you don’t know what needs to be contained. So, if that’s you right now + you’re like “oh, shoot — they got me!” don’t sweat it. Instead, check out our Guide To A Clutter Free Home which helps walk you through step-by-awesome-step of how to get to from where you are right now right up to the part when you ready to start containerizing
Remember, if you don’t want to go it alone we’re always here to help).
Why Measuring Space + Belongings Matters
With everything you need to store in one place, it makes sense for you to measure both the space you have available (i.e. the shelves or closet area) and also the stuff you’ll store in the containers. This way, you’ll not only be able to answer ‘is this a container I want?’ but you can be confident in knowing that it’ll actually fit + that it will corral all of your belongings.
Consider Size + Weight
When you’re on the quest for clear storage bins, at some point they all begin to look the same. That said, there’s a still a couple of things you really need to consider. Not only do you need the appropriate size for the belongings you have to stow away but you also need to consider the weight capacity + where you’re putting them. To keep bins from getting too heavy, use smaller bins — this way if you’re storing books or paperwork the bin won’t be both big + heavy. And as always, ideally, heavy containerized bins are placed on the floor as you don’t want to overwhelm a shelf with too much weight.
Should Your Clear Storage Bins Have Handles
We recommend that you always look for containers that are easy to pick up, move around + put back where they belong. And if you think about it, it makes sense. You’ve spent time, money + energy investing in getting organized, setting up systems + now containers and the one way to ensure you maintain those systems is buy clear storage bins with handles.
Lids Are Essential For Stacking + For Cleanliness
Another obvious one but also easy to forget. You want a lid so that everything you store inside those gorgeous clear storage containers stays clean. But it’s easy to overlook how the bins you’re buying stack. A sturdy lid that is well supported makes it easy for you to stack a few bins on top of one another. The last thing you want is for a few new bins full of organized belongings to come crashing down because the lid wasn’t strong enough. Typically, stackable containers have a lip on the lid + one on the bottom which prevents the bins from slipping, leaning + falling over.
Now after sharing a ton of organizing goodness with you, I’m curious… are clear storage bins for you?
And because we’re all about exceeding your expectations, get ready to do another happy dance.
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