How to organize storage unit?
March 22, 2023 1:00 PM Subscribe
About to do some spring cleaning and I've decided to finally get a storage unit so my house can stop being cluttered and maybe I can actually think straight.
There will be some miscellaneous household items (like space heaters and such that won't be useful for a while) but I think the bulk of it will be toys. I'd like to get a toy rotation thing going for my kid but the problem is we currently have nowhere to store the toys that are out of rotation, so I was thinking of using a storage unit for that. To that end, I'm wondering what the best strategy would be... I think we'd like to use bins to keep things clean but the problem is lifting heavy bins off each other is not going to be fun and also dangerous for our aging backs. Are there clear bins that open from the side or something so that it's easy to transfer toys in and out of? Or is there some other idea I'm not thinking of?
There will be some miscellaneous household items (like space heaters and such that won't be useful for a while) but I think the bulk of it will be toys. I'd like to get a toy rotation thing going for my kid but the problem is we currently have nowhere to store the toys that are out of rotation, so I was thinking of using a storage unit for that. To that end, I'm wondering what the best strategy would be... I think we'd like to use bins to keep things clean but the problem is lifting heavy bins off each other is not going to be fun and also dangerous for our aging backs. Are there clear bins that open from the side or something so that it's easy to transfer toys in and out of? Or is there some other idea I'm not thinking of?
Yes, shelves but also smaller bins so they are easily handled by one person. Pick a size and anything larger than that can be put in a bag or covered by a sheet to protect it.
posted by soelo at 1:15 PM on March 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by soelo at 1:15 PM on March 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
I use wire shelving. There ARE clearish bins that open from the side, and I am using these as my pantry as we travel, but they are not cheap.
Tip: for stuffed animals and soft toys, I recommend bagging them airtight with some silica gel packs and then packing the bags in sturdy bins. Rodents are big fans of soft goods, and I swear they can smell them through a lightweight container.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:17 PM on March 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Tip: for stuffed animals and soft toys, I recommend bagging them airtight with some silica gel packs and then packing the bags in sturdy bins. Rodents are big fans of soft goods, and I swear they can smell them through a lightweight container.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:17 PM on March 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
If this is mainly for toy storage, I recommend using thrift shops as your storage unit. You don't have to worry about maintenance or organization. Your fees pay for someone else to do that. You only pay for what you use. Looks like the average cost for a storage unit in the US is about $100. That'll get you a lot of toys at the thrift shop.
posted by aniola at 3:13 PM on March 22, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by aniola at 3:13 PM on March 22, 2023 [9 favorites]
One of my kids rented a storage unit while he's working out of town. He bought about a dozen big stacking plastic bins. You don't really need daily access, and when you need to get in you can pull the bins out into the corridor and open them. Don't forget to write on the label what's in each one.
Now that I've answered the question, don't do this. My friend with five of them said, "They're like crack. It's an addiction. If you don't need something in your house, you don't need it." He said that in a decade he's never got anything out of one.
Does your kid really have so many toys that they fill his room and closet, so many that you need an 8' cube to fill with them? You're going to be paying $1200 a year, minimum. Is this really worth it?
Storage units are, for most people, not a solution to a problem, but another problem.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 7:14 PM on March 22, 2023 [11 favorites]
Now that I've answered the question, don't do this. My friend with five of them said, "They're like crack. It's an addiction. If you don't need something in your house, you don't need it." He said that in a decade he's never got anything out of one.
Does your kid really have so many toys that they fill his room and closet, so many that you need an 8' cube to fill with them? You're going to be paying $1200 a year, minimum. Is this really worth it?
Storage units are, for most people, not a solution to a problem, but another problem.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 7:14 PM on March 22, 2023 [11 favorites]
I have to agree with AugustusCrunch, in that, unless you're dealing with a sudden loss or change in housing and need a place to store important things for a short time period, storage units are not great. If you have something that you use so little you would put it in storage, chances are you don't really need it. If you love something, but not enough to keep it on hand, chances are it's not as necessary to you as you think it is. This isn't to say you should be divorcing yourself of all material possessions, it's that storage starts off useful and ends, in the most positive way, with the realization that most of the things you put there you didn't really need to keep anyway. In the most negative way (and I apologize for this frankness, but this is very recent experience for me), it's family members wondering why you kept things they hadn't thought of in years.
As others have said, selling or donating? It could be something you do with your kid, depending on their age. Maybe let them know that toys are meant to be played with, and that, if they aren't playing with these toys anymore, it's time to get them to other kids that will give them the workout they need?
posted by Ghidorah at 12:57 AM on March 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
As others have said, selling or donating? It could be something you do with your kid, depending on their age. Maybe let them know that toys are meant to be played with, and that, if they aren't playing with these toys anymore, it's time to get them to other kids that will give them the workout they need?
posted by Ghidorah at 12:57 AM on March 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
I just helped my in-laws consolidate three 20x20 storage units down to one. If you do use storage units, label everything with removable labels in clear tubs. But, if you can reduce your stuff, please do yourself the kindness of not having to manage all this stuff.
posted by deezil at 10:36 AM on March 24, 2023
posted by deezil at 10:36 AM on March 24, 2023
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