TIPical Mary Ellen host Mary Ellen Pinkham shares timesaving tips for storing commonly used items in easily accessible places.
- Keep a bookshelf near the back door, and assign a shelf for each individual in your household. They can keep their homework, shoes, gym clothes etc., in there instead of cluttering up the rest of the household.
- Store items where they are more convenient, not conventional. If the only time to put on your makeup is when the kids are having breakfast, then keep a makeup mirror and makeup in one of the kitchen cabinets.
- Keep kitchen utensils near the area in which they are used. For example, store wooden spoons upright in a jar near the stove. The spoons can be quickly and easily accessed for stirring on the stovetop.
- Place a small jewelry-holder dish inside the cupboard next to the sink where dishwashing occurs.
- Keep frequently used and easily lost items in one area by designating a small drawer in the kitchen for each adult in the family. If there is a surplus of drawer space, children should also have a drawer. Use plastic containers, (leftover butter tubs will do) for storing items such as loose change, keys, eyeglasses, gum, mints and your wallet.
- Keep frequently used numbers by the phone in the kitchen, either in plain view or concealed behind a cupboard door. Categorize numbers into groups like "takeout food," "family," "sports," "work" or "fax." At each phone, have a pen or pencil and a pad of paper. It sounds obvious, but all of us have had to scramble for something to write on.
- Hang a clear plastic shoe organizer on the back of the door to hang mittens, gloves, hats and scarves for easy access.
- Place an attractive basket near the door for library books.
- For easy transport of cleaning products around the house, collect the products that are used together and store them in a single handheld carrier. Allow extra space for paper towels, brushes and rags.
- Use a plastic divider to separate bills.
- Use hook-and-loop fastener, and attach to the remote control for the television set to the piece of furniture used the most. If you watch television while preparing meals in the kitchen, fasten a piece of hook-and-loop to the wall in the kitchen.
