If you flipped to the front page of your Target app/ad on New Year’s Day, you would have seen two things advertised.
1.’The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.’ by Marie Kondo.
2. Plastic Tote Storage Bins.
There were many other products for sale of course. However, as a minimalist, those were the ones that jumped out at me. I couldn’t help but notice that Target was selling two seemingly opposite products yet ‘tricking’ customers into thinking they were related. Or maybe Target, itself, was confused.
‘Why are Kondo’s book and tote bins opposite?’ One (the book) is related to decluttering and only keeping items that spark joy in your life. The others (storage bins) are related to storing excess clutter (that probably doesn’t spark much joy in your life).
What Sorts of Things Do You Store in Tote Bins?
- Decorations you hang once per year?
- Clothes your kids have outgrown?
- Your couponing stockpile of shampoos and razors?
- Old photos and yearbooks?
Notice a theme? Things you don’t use often, things you’re saving for the future, and sentimental items you rarely look at.
OK, Now Take a Moment to Think About Where You Store Your Tote Bins.
- Up in an attic?
- In the garage?
- Under the bed?
- In the basement?
Do you notice that theme? All places that are out of the way and rarely accessed.
Are You Starting to See the Problem Here?
Let’s dive a bit deeper into the storage bin trap and how to avoid it. (Note: I’ll be referring to all storage bins here, not just tote bins. Cube storage bins, wicker baskets, repurposed boxes, and any other container you tend to keep around your home to corral…clutter.)
OK, here are the top 4 reasons you should take a serious pause before buying more storage containers to organize your home.
Looking for a Quick and Easy Jump Start to a Decluttered Home?
Subscribe to Space for Simplicity and receive the Declutter 911 Challenge worksheet for free! Declutter 9 household categories, down to 1 item, for a total of 1 week. Stop letting your clutter control your life! Unsubscribe at any time.
1.They, Themselves, Become Clutter.
People love keeping empty baskets because they’re the ultimate in ‘I may need this one day’. However, when they aren’t in use, where are you storing the storage bins? Are they sitting on the floor of your closet? Hanging out on your counters? Stacked in a corner?
Basically, they’re taking up real estate that doesn’t need to be taken up and before you know it, the decluttering tool has become clutter. More to shuffle around, more to own, more taking up visual and physical space.
2. They Enable Your Clutter Problem.
Storage containers are textbook clutter enablers. Allowing you to accumulate and accumulate and still have a ‘place to put’ all of your possessions. Owning bins and baskets provides a bandaid for your clutter problem, but it’ll never solve your clutter problem.
I always say ‘If there is a surface, there will be clutter.’ The same goes for storage bins. If you have extra baskets laying around, you may think ‘Gotta fill these with something!’
3. They Make You Feel Like You’re Decluttering.
When you’re really just organizing.
When you think about simplifying your life and getting rid of clutter, you probably think about ‘organizing’ your possessions in a way that makes them neater and easier to keep track of. However, if you’re overwhelmed with the number of possessions in your home, you need to declutter first, and then organize what’s left. Systems will stick much better if you follow that order.
When you have a bunch of bins and baskets that allow you to clear off your counters and floors, you’ll be living under the illusion that you’ve tackled your clutter problem, when in reality, you’ve just temporarily organized your clutter problem. Spoiler alert: If this is the case, you’ll probably still find yourself frustrated and re-organzing in another week/month.
4. They Often Make Items Less Accessible.
Minimalism and simple living are about owning only those things that you love, use, and find add value to your life. By nature, many bins (especially those with covers) keep you from easily accessing your belongings. This creates a situation where it’s not possible to use the things you own on a daily basis.
Everybody has a unique organizational style that works for them, and a good percent of the population are visual and/or lazy organizers. They don’t want to have to sort through a bin, or remove (and reposition) a cover on a basket to get what they want. They may even forget that the items in the bin exist (and therefore never use them).
If this is you (or other members of your family), then having too many bins stored away will be working against your goals of remaining organized and really using the items you own.
Stop Organizing and Start Decluttering.
So what should you do? Never buy a storage container again? No. However, before you do buy one, make sure you first look at how much you can declutter the category you’re attempting to organize. Can you:
- Cut your child’s toy truck collection down from 10 to 2?
- Edit down your Christmas decor to fit into a single tote or recycled box?
- Pass along some of your children’s old clothing that you know won’t be worn again?
- Donate 10 of the shampoos you got for 50 cents a pop and only keep 1-2 back ups at a time? (Read my post about my extreme couponing days for more on this topic.)
Storage bins are handy when used purposefully and in moderation. Just make sure you’re using them as assets (and not hindrances) on your journey toward simplicity.
Things Like Tote Bins Are Designed to Contain Items You Don’t Access Often.
If you have more than a handful of this type of storage container, this means you have a lot of items in your home that you’re not using very often. If this is the case, you’re probably a great candidate for a solid decluttering session or two.
Clutter in a box is still clutter. Even if it’s hidden. You’re still paying rent/mortgage for square footage to store it, you’re still re-organizing it month after month, and you’re still living in a home that’s more chaotic (and less functional) than it could be. It’s time to stop organizing and start decluttering!
Suggested Action Item:
Go through your home and find 3 storage bins. They can be tote bins, cube organizers, or baskets in your kitchen. See if you can declutter their contents and eliminate the three containers from your home. If the container is really nice and you feel you can use it to upgrade a storage area in another part of your home, do that. However, I recommend donating, selling, or giving away the containers altogether. Happy decluttering!
Looking for a Quick and Easy Jump Start to a Decluttered Home?
Subscribe to Space for Simplicity and receive the Declutter 911 Challenge worksheet for free! Declutter 9 household categories, down to 1 item, for a total of 1 week. Stop letting your clutter control your life! Unsubscribe at any time.
