Ways to Organize Your Junk Room

Sort

• Most junk rooms have an accumulation of items that you really don't need to keep. Any organization plan will start with sorting to narrow down the number of items. Throw away items that don't work, need repair or parts. Give away clothing that does not fit, furniture that doesn't match your home and any duplicate items. You don't need four items of the same thing. Another question to consider when sorting is: when was the last time this item was used? If the answer is more than a year ago, get rid of it.

Containers

• Once you have narrowed down the items in your junk room, obtain appropriate containers for storage. Clear plastic bins are available in different sizes, and the big advantage is that you can see what is inside. Stack the plastic bins to increase floor space. If you have excess paper, use a filing cabinet or cardboard boxes to save only papers that you need, such as tax returns. Throw out instruction booklets for long gone appliances and out-of-date magazines. If you have shoes to store, get an over-the-door shoe bag or rack. If you have space, shelves or cabinets will allow you to easily see everything and keep items off the floor.

Group Items

• To make the items in your junk room easier to locate, arrange them in groups. Put all the out-of-season clothing together. Craft supplies, sports equipment and seasonal items should be stored in categories. You can further group items by color, size or season used.

Considerations

• Consider how your junk room is really used. It may serve as a large closet. Maybe it doubles as a spare bedroom or office. If the room is just a large closet, it won't matter how the storage shelves or containers look as long as they work well. A spare bedroom might require storing most of the items out of sight. In that case, under-bed containers and pretty baskets on a shelf might work best. In the case of a home office, use file cabinets along with plastic bins to keep office supplies within reach.

Labels

• A system of labels will speed up locating what you need. For containers, post a list of contents on the outside. If you have decorative baskets, make small decorative hang tags to list contents. Mark stored individual items with dates so that in the future, decisions about what to get rid of will be easier.