Housekeeping systems

I don’t find tubs or boxes work for me because fundamentally I’m too lazy to open the box and put something back in🙄 So stuff gets draped or stacked until there’s a pile of it waiting to be rehomed.😱

I like open shelves that you can just pop things on to. Open bookshelves, open shelves with mugs, pots, food items like olive oil etc in the kitchen, shelves in the study with stationary. It’s as easy to put them there as it is to dump them somewhere else.

Things that need to be concealed because they look messy (socks, underwear) I like to have in shallow drawers so again just open and drop in. The garage is shelved throughout with big wide shelves near the bottom for larger things (no I don’t put the car in there - it’s wider than the garage door!).

My final method is the trunk. I have a big trunk in the garage and I put things like pictures, ornaments, any kind of stuff that’s just sitting around. Once a year I open it and throw stuff away that I haven’t missed and didn’t even remember I had!

Some ideas I may be able to use in that post. Thank you.

I use the large tubs with lids usually purchased from the likes of B&M and other home stores. They are very useful and stackable and you can see what is in them.

No real system, except I changed all the random storage to lock and lock, very many years ago. The empty containers are stored with lids on, in an outside keter 570 litre storage unit. I got fed up of the randoms and the lock and lock are lasting very well indeed and are very useful

Really useful boxes are also amazing for storage. I use these in cupboards, in garage and under my beds. Bought those pre 2010 and more again for moving in 2019. Pizza bags for storing wood carving tools safely under a spare bed. I bought from amazon, lovely quality keeper folding storage crates when I moved. some used now for storing summer shoes etc under a bed, other crates folded as they are too good to remove

My mission is to use what I have these days, hopefully making a little space now and then, it all adds up

Horses for courses. books on shelves, kitchen stuff in cupboards. Easier to wipe down a greasy kitchen door than all those shelves and the items on them,

mian solution is to be ruthless and get rid of anything that you do not need or use and then just keep things tidy. ie put things back where you found them.

I think we all think and work differently, so we all need to find a system thata suits each of us individually.

I don't really have a system. I like cupboards where I can shove things away and pretend I am an organised person.
I am determined to do a big clothes sort out very soon. It's almost top of my to-do list for the new year.
Generally I am always trying to reduce my belongings and shall continue with that hopefully. Going around the house with a bin bag now and then seems to help. And being strong willed about getting rid of stuff.

My massive pans are all on top of high kitchen units.

I have a huge (yes, 100kg or more) yarn collection which is stored largely in the really useful boxes but I know I'm terrible about putting things away in them - especially if they aren't the very top box of the stash! I do use them though as it is for my work and I can put anti-moth things in them to protect the wool, cashmere, silk etc....

I'm with Lathyrus3 though about these boxes if you are a bit undisciplined like me!

Two large pans used infrequently are kept in a deep drawer in the oven housing.
Mainly, if something hasn’t been used for a year it goes, reducing clutter helps keep everything tidy.

When we had a garage with a door from the breakfast room really large cooking pans used once in a blue moon were stored, wrapped, in large plastic boxes on a shelf in the garage. Easy access when needed.

Now in a tiny bungalow we only have what we use regularly. Saucepans are in a deep drawer, other pans in a top cupboard, we’ve no need now for extra large pans.

Recently I’ve found those see through plastic trays useful for keeping dried foods and tins tidy, just pull out the one I want. They also stop me keeping more than we need as once they are full they are full. Also use them to organise the fridge and the under sink cupboard. Things like flour and sugar are in lock and lock boxes in a narrow pull out cupboard. Spices are arranged alphabetically in two slide out plastic trays.

I’ve (finally!!) found I enjoy a tidy, organised kitchen which has encouraged me to be ruthless, anything not used is moved on.

We’re all different. Mr C prefers what he calls organised chaos - not in the kitchen he doesn’t . Good luck finding a system that suits you fancythat. Might be worth experimenting for a bit and not worry if it’s not right first time. I’m about to swap some items about in top cupboards because it just might work better and will have no qualms about moving things back if it doesn’t.

M0nica

Horses for courses. books on shelves, kitchen stuff in cupboards. Easier to wipe down a greasy kitchen door than all those shelves and the items on them,

mian solution is to be ruthless and get rid of anything that you do not need or use and then just keep things tidy. ie put things back where you found them.

I think we all think and work differently, so we all need to find a system thata suits each of us individually.

I agree and also re shelves, especially in a kitchen. They are just dust collectors.

I have boxes of various types but no real system so I do need to get more organised.
Decluttering is the best way to begin, I think.

How is best to store very large pans[some are catering size] that are not in use all year around?
How often do you use them and do you really need to?
I gave a couple of hardly used heavy iron casserole pots away, as I could hardly lift them when they were empty let alone full of food.

Recently I’ve found those see through plastic trays useful for keeping dried foods and tins tidy, just pull out the one I want.

I store dried foods mainly in glass jars; the Douwe Egberts coffee jars have a good seal and are excellent for nuts, dried fruit etc. DD used them to store stuff in the fridge, I notice, rather than plastic.

I tried glass jars for small things, didnt get on with them very well, so think that is a no for me.

I can see that different things work for different people.

Shelves - I have used it in one area and it worked well.
I think it may work well for me in say garage[assuming DH is ok with that and will have them put up or do it himself].

Large pots and pans I use about 3 times a year. Say, Christmas, Easter and say Summer?
Which is awkward really.
Currently they clog up a cupboard.
Sadly, house and kitchen designed prior to the deep pan drawer era.

I am working hard on the decluttering.
Partly why now I can see the wood for the trees and that I need different housekeeping systems to what I have been using.
Yes, I think I may have to do some experimenting as to what works for me.

Tubs - I am finding that I have some. I declutter. I need smaller ones, or bigger ones if can then put two sorts of something into something.
I feel I need about 20 of all different sizes!

Really useful boxes. Sort of tried that.
Sort of feel I dont want to store more things. I want to get rid of things need to be stored.
But that may be because the stuff let to declutter is more of the need to store type, and I havent quite got through it all yet.
Plus I have a loft. Things have got put up there. Oh dear. Surprise, that needs a sort through.

I have learnt to get some tubs that are see through.
The grandkids can then see what is in them, say jigsaws, rather than having to open boxes or non clear tubs to have a look[which I notice they dont do as a matter of course].

It very much depends on the sixe of your house and whether or not it is plentifully provided with cupboards or not.

My mother kept pans she rarely used in the understair cupboard - I keep mine in the cellar.

Outdoor toys: Buy one of the big plastic chests meant for storing cushions for outdoor furniture in a DIÝ store, at a pinch it can be left outside in the garden, if tthere is not room for it in the garage.

Then get all the stuff you fin difficult to store out, and decide how much of it you need. If you have n ot used it for the last two years - throw it out!

Plus I have a loft. Things have got put up there. Oh dear. Surprise, that needs a sort through.
I wish you hadn't mentioned that, it reminded me 😁

I think that by my mid (nearly late) 70’s I am too old to think about “housekeeping systems” 🤣🤣🤣

We keep a few rarely-used kitchen items on shelves in a covered area outside the back door. They include a very large sauté pan (no room in kitchen cupboards/drawers). and a massive baking tin, used twice in 2024 to make crumbles for 18+.

Plus there is also a collection of large ex biscuit/shortbread tins, used for transporting e.g. cheese straws and fairy cakes, to various family events.
And a few insulated bags (mostly from M&S) for storing excess supplies outside, esp. at Christmas.

We have as much space as we need. Everything has a place, not necessarily where one would assume. The rarely used pans are stacked in a certain cupboard, some are hung by handles in the walk-in.

Baking tins are nested and stacked in the walk-in, a linen towel wrapped over, on a shelf - always clean and ready.

The children's outdoor toys - lined up on shelves in the garage.

Allira

^Plus I have a loft. Things have got put up there. Oh dear. Surprise, that needs a sort through.^
I wish you hadn't mentioned that, it reminded me 😁

As far as I am concerned, Christmas decorations and suit cases apart, if you are thinking of putting something in the loft, it is something you will never use again so it can go out.

The only things in my loft are - as mentioned - Christmas decorations and suit cases.

I keep large pots ,a slow cooker and pressure cooker in the utility room I have more frying/sauté pans than is sensible but they stack and live in the oven .Alll other pots,roasting pans etc have a cupboard beside the cooker .I keep spices and dried herbs in drawers next to the hob and everything except the ketttle and toaster is kept out of sight I like clear worktops.My cd collection lives on shelves hidden behind the living rooom curtains ….all 2000+ of them and the hi fi is in the sideboard Clutter makes me stressed so minimalism is better for me.I don’t “do” ornaments I do have a large Buddha with 4 copper candle cups in front of him and a banksy statuette”throw flowers not bombs” that was a gift bought at the banksy exhibition last year .Nothing else on surfaces anywhere in the house

My mixer is so heavy I can't keep lifting it out of a cupboard so it stays on the worktop.

I follow the ikea hacks page on Facebook but rarely go to ikea. I’ve had space in my downstairs toilet made into a cupboard with areas for wash baskets to be filled etc. understairs I’ve had some slide out drawers fitted for shoes etc
You have to work with what you have but follow the page for a bit and look on Pinterest

Rosiesmaw2 I'm the same age.I live in a retirement community where many people are older than 80. I have seen what relatives have to go through when cleaning out their loved one's home when the die. I've been getting rid of lots of things so my relatives don't have a massive chore when I'm gone. So it's never too late while you're still living to get organized.

Camry1952

Rosiesmaw2 I'm the same age.I live in a retirement community where many people are older than 80. I have seen what relatives have to go through when cleaning out their loved one's home when the die. I've been getting rid of lots of things so my relatives don't have a massive chore when I'm gone. So it's never too late while you're still living to get organized.

You assume that I am not! (Organised, I mean) 🤣🤣🤣
My point was just that this old dog isn’t really in the market for new tricks- been there , done most of them!

I'm a knitter and have hundreds of balls of yarn. I keep them in the plastic zipped bags that new pillows come in. I can see what I have without opening the bags.