I was watching a show on Home and Garden TV last night and heard two terms that made me sit up and take notice: “hot storage” and “cold storage.” The terms were used in reference to home organization. According to design experts, when it comes to storage none of us is as bad off as we think. Apparently, most of us have enough space but it’s cluttered up with things that should be given away, recycled, thrown away.
I must admit… that’s true for my home. I really need to purge little used items. Once I do, I can make use of the show’s storage terms that grabbed my attention. According to design experts, “hot storage” is used to describe storage that’s at waist level, like a countertop, the top drawer, the first shelf in a cupboard, etc. You want to put the things you use the most in “hot storage” areas. By doing so, experts say, you’ll find staying organized a lot easier.
As for “cool storage” it is defined as the areas you have to bend over or reach up for – to stash things you use less frequently. For example, in organizing a linen closet, you would want to keep your bath towels in “hot storage” and extra comforters in “cold storage.”
Another tip: Large storage spaces should be divided and subdivided. Experts say you can make the most of storage throughout the house by thinking vertically and horizontally, whether it is a closet, a drawer, or a shelf beneath the sink. Unless that space gets divided and then subdivided, much of it goes to waste.
For example, I have a mountain of sweaters on a closet shelf that often topples when stacked too high. The solution: purchase a slotted divider that gives each sweater its own space (and a small and stool to keep in the closet so I can access the hard to reach sweaters).
I also learned that I could get added mileage out of deep shelves by putting items stored in the back at a higher level than those stored in front. By doing so I can scan the contents at a glance, reach for what I need and easily return things to where they belong.
I love an organized home and in the past have taken great pains to incorporate ideas like those mentioned above throughout my home.. However, I find that the initial organizing is only half the battle; the real struggle for me is keeping it neat. The bottom line: when you know where something is or where it goes you avoid wasting precious time looking for an item you “thought” was right there.
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