In our never-ending quest for home organization, it’s easy to neglect some of those out-of-the-way areas. For example, you might overlook the dining room buffet, hall closet, or dresser drawers as you focus on areas with a bigger visual payoff. Just because these spots are out of sight doesn’t mean they should be out of mind. Follow our top five storage tips to make the most of drawers in closets, cabinets, and dressers throughout your home.
Start with a Clean Slate
Just as you’d start a general home organization project by decluttering, this is a great way to begin organizing your home storage areas. Take stock of what you’ve got by emptying out drawers. To really stay organized, be sure to work on this process one piece of furniture or cabinet at a time. It won’t do you any good to completely gut every drawer in a room. That’ll just make the mess even worse!
Whether it’s a kitchen cabinet or bedroom closet, follow these three steps with each set of drawers you seek to organize:
- Set aside items you don’t use or love
- Arrange everything that is remaining in groups of like items
- Clean the inside of your empty drawer(s) and closet, including the floor
You’d be surprised to find out just how many things live in our closets that rarely—or never—get used. By regularly emptying out drawers and racks, you can discover true opportunities to save space and reduce clutter.
Once you’ve sorted your belongings and given the interior of the drawer or closet a good wipe-down, it’s time to determine the next steps. Donate or sell clothes and accessories you no longer want or need, with these items placed aside, begin packing like items back into drawers and closets. In your junk drawer, keep all those pens & writing utensils together next to pads of paper. For your closet, keep bottoms with bottoms and tops with tops. This will make getting dressed or jotting down a memo easier! Remember: Limit drawer storage to thin or light items that don’t take up much space. Placing bulky items in your dresser can result in your clothes getting snagged or torn when you open drawers.
Swap items out with the seasons for maximum closet and drawer space.
One of the biggest culprits when it comes to conserving closet and drawer space? Out-of-season clothing, such as swimsuits and sweaters. These pieces can often take up valuable drawer space that should be reserved for things you actually use right now. For any items that are currently out of season, set them aside. You can figure out where to put them later, but common storage solutions include:
- Under-bed storage boxes and drawers
- Hanging closet organizers with compartments
- Storage solutions that hang from your garage ceiling
- A storage unit at a nearby self storage facility
From swimsuits in December to Christmas decorations in July, belongings you’re not using add clutter to your living space. Our best recommendation is to free up prime real estate and place these items in a storage unit for safekeeping.
Use dividers to organize inside drawers.
Division isn’t usually a good thing—except when it comes to home organization. When it comes to drawers, it’s the key to tidiness and accessibility to your items. If you find dividers that work and look great, go ahead and invest in them. Feel like saving money? Consider the following DIY options:
- Pieces of PVC pipe
- Shoe boxes, either whole or cut to size
- Cardboard pieces covered with pretty fabric scraps
- Custom wooden partitions
The best thing about drawer dividers is that they can be used anywhere in your home. Create custom dividers for your bathroom vanity, kitchen cabinets, craft storage areas, or anyplace else that needs a little organizational help.
Consider “out of the box” storage ideas.
Sometimes, changing things up can make all the difference. Have tons of t-shirts? Try stacking them in an upright position in your dresser drawers so you can see the design on each tee.
Short on space? Borrow a trick from seasoned travelers and roll your clothes before placing them in a drawer or closet organizer. These home organization ideas put a new spin on closet and drawer storage:
- Tie scarves around a hanger
- Store sheet sets in their pillow cases
- Prevent boots from hogging space by keeping them upright with pool noodles
From using ice-cube trays to organize jewelry to putting socks in Christmas ornament boxes, there are plenty of affordable, easy ways to get your home in order.
Rent a storage unit at Prime Storage to free up even more space in your home.
These tips work great for short-term organization, but you can keep things even more organized by placing them in a convenient, affordable storage unit. Whether you want to swap out clothing with the seasons or have items that need a more permanent home (outside of your home), Prime Storage provides units in a variety of sizes.
With facilities throughout the country, there’s likely a conveniently located storage unit near you. To get started, rent or reserve a unit online. You can also contact one of our friendly storage professionals for answers to your questions.
