Storage porn for the Type A's of the world.

By HELEN VNUK

My house was pretty much under control before I had kids. I had plenty of things, but I knew where to find them. I had cans of food neatly lined up in my pantry. I had books grouped by subject on the shelves. I had CDs in alphabetical order.

Since having kids, my house is now overflowing with things. Or, to be more accurate, clutter.

I have so many fluffy toy animals in the house that I swear they must be reproducing when I’m not looking. As for Lego, there are apparently 62 bricks for every person in the world. If you haven’t got your 62, I may have them. Embedded in my foot.

I don’t have a lot of spare time and I don’t have a lot of space, so the only way I can get on top of all the clutter in my house is to have smarter storage. (Or for my kids to do their fair share of the housework, which I can’t see happening anytime soon).

Here are the best storage hacks I’ve come across:

1. Storage hacks for the bedroom.

• Want a good way to keep your scarves so you can see all of them? Put shower curtain rings on a coat hanger and run the scarves through them.
• Tossing shoes down the bottom of a cupboard isn’t the best way to look after them. An empty wine carton will neatly hold six pairs, and the carton can then be stored under your bed.
• If you’ve got lots of earrings and other small pieces of jewellery, an ice cube tray makes a great container to keep them organised.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Everloc. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words. 

2. Storage hacks for the bathroom.

• Looking for somewhere to keep spare towels? Roll them up and put them in magazine racks or wine racks.
• Stick a magnetic strip somewhere in your bathroom – perhaps on a cabinet – so you can keep your bobby pins and other small metal things together.
• A vintage ladder standing in the bathroom looks great and gives you lots of shelves for storing items.
• Here is a great option for renters who can’t exactly get an expert in to screw shelves into tiles and walls: invest in some suction-based products (like shower caddies) that will give you extra storage options without leaving a permanent mark.

3. Storage hacks for the kitchen.

• Can’t ever find the lid you want for a plastic container? Store lids neatly in a CD rack inside the cupboard.
• Put hooks on the inside of your kitchen cupboard doors. It’s a bit of handy extra space to hang things like cloths and measuring spoons.
• Buy a folder full of plastic sleeves, and every time you rip a recipe out of a newspaper or magazine, pop it inside its own sleeve. That way they’re easy to find and keep clean too.

4. Storage hacks for the kids’ bedroom.

• Over-the-door shoe holders are ideal for small toys. The pockets can hold cars, little dolls and all sorts of bits and pieces, and because they’re made of clear plastic, the kids can see where their things are.
• Set aside one big stackable plastic tub for each of your child’s school years. You can put books and projects in there without them floating around the house.
• Plant hangers hung from the ceiling are a handy place to keep soft toys – and they also make a nice feature in the room.

What’s your best storage hack?

Everloc, the Australian designed bathroom, kitchen and laundry accessories brand understands the need for storage and have designed a range of suction based accessories that provides both practical and stylish storage solutions for Australian homes. The patented suction based technology holds up to 15kg and requires NO tools, NO drilling and NO screw-driving to install and can be reinstalled time and time again.

Everloc products are available at Target, Bunning’s Warehouse, Howard’s Storage World and Big W.

For more information visit www.everloc.com.au