https://www.bin-store.com/blog

While moving a few weeks ago, I decided it was the perfect time for a good clear-out. Despite being passionate about decluttering and organizing my home, I admit that sometimes I neglect the job for way too long.

What I should say is that I neglect decluttering and organizing certain areas of my home. Have you ever noticed how some spots become “invisible” on a psychological level to us over time?

I have a small plastic bin which sits on my desk and which holds a jumble of odds and ends. Whenever I wouldn’t know where to put something, in the bin it would go, typically to be ignored and forgotten.

I finally cleaned out that bin before moving, and what do you know? I had five dollars in change in there—plus plenty of other genuinely useful items, some of which I had been searching for in vain for some time!

If you too have a plastic bin which is essentially serving as a junk drawer, I highly recommend taking some time to tackle the mess inside now and again. You never know what you will find. Here is how to do it:

1. Clear a space somewhere to work.

2. Remove all the contents of the plastic storage box.

3. While decluttering and organizing is the perfect time to actually wash plastic containers. It is rare for them to be empty, so now that you have emptied out this one, wipe it down with a washcloth and a little light detergent. Rinse it off and wait for it to dry.

4. As you wait for your bin to dry sort the items you poured out of the bin into piles. One pile can be items you know should go back in the bin. Another can be junk you will throw away. You can make additional piles for items that should be stored elsewhere.

5. Dispose of the trash you have identified, and store all the other items in logical locations.

Hopefully when your task is complete, you will have a lot less stuff in your plastic container. It should be less of an eyesore, and should also offer you more functional value as a result. You will be able to immediately see and grab what is inside when you need it, and will no longer lose items at the bottom of the bin for months on end.

To prevent the bin from returning to its “junk drawer” status, I suggest that you come up with a particular “purpose” or “theme” for the contents of that bin going forward. It should no longer be just a convenient place to put anything and everything you do not know what to do with—it should be used for certain types of items only.

This may mean you need to incorporate that bin into a larger organizing plan for your home, which could entail additional work. But this isn’t something which you should feel discouraged about. Think of it as a chance to transform your home into a tidier, more organized, more enjoyable environment.