Tips for Efficient Storage
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? What does that have to do with clutter, you ask?
Nothing really. But there’s a question that closely parallels that classic inscrutable question.
Is this particular appliance out of sight and stashed away because you don’t use it often? Or you don’t use it very often so you stashed it out of site and it’s hard to get to?
It’s easier to show you what I mean than to take the time to explain. We usually do this quite naturally when it comes to the “efficiency” of our kitchens.
And I do this most when it comes to my morning coffee. (Let’s get those early morning priorities straight!) My coffee maker is placed on the counter that is immediately below my coffee cups. My coffee beans are stored in a large bin righ below the counter, along with my coffee grinder.
If I were to place my coffee grinder on the opposite side of the kitchen that set up wouldn’t serve me well. Two events would likely occur. First the coffee grinder would never get back to its proper home across the kitchen. Or I’d give up grinding coffee and switch to using that pre-ground stuff. (Nope, I would never give up drinking coffee!)
As you can plainly see “efficient storage” means nothing less than placing the objects you intend to use in the most accessible places. Did that pancake griddle land under the sink because you never used it? Or you just didn’t know where else to store it?
If you really want to give it another chance, try storing it where it’ll be handy for you to use.
Another useful tip along these lines is to store similar items together. For example, if you have several flower vases, store these together. The next time you reach for a vase, you only have to visit one location to find all of them. There will be no going to the first place, only to realize that the perfect vase is hiding under the stairs in the basement.
