Utilize Tight Spaces for a Clean Home

Inventory Your Stuff

The best things to store in your inconveniently located nooks and crannies are those items you won't need access to very frequently. Out-of-season clothes, tools, equipment and sporting goods are perfect items to store in those odd places in your home.

Take an inventory of the things that could be stowed away, and then make a written list that is separated by category (clothes, tools, etc.).

For example, many people store their out-of-season clothes under the bed in plastic containers, boxes or zip bags. The space beneath a basement staircase is a great spot to store extra dishes and glassware in boxes.

Identify Your Space

With your inventory list in hand, walk around your home and explore the dead spaces that could serve as storage without creating an eyesore. Match items on your inventory list with the spaces where they could feasibly be stored.

For example, many people store their out-of-season clothes under the bed in plastic containers, boxes or zip bags. The space beneath a basement staircase is a great spot to store extra dishes and glassware in boxes.   A corner space between a couch and a wall might be a good spot for an antique wooden "ice box" where magazines can be stored out of sight. Display cases specially made to fit into corners are a good option for storing old books and family heirlooms.

An entrance hallway can offer storage options, too. Hang frequently used coats on a stylish antique "hall tree." An old-fashioned metal milk container makes a great umbrella stand, and a hall bench with a seat that lifts up provides a hidden place to store shoes and other items.

Add storage in your bathroom with vanities that are designed to fit directly above the toilet tank. A variety of attractive options are available at most home stores.   Get Creative

Discover new storage spaces by taking a creative look at your home. In a guest room closet where you hang clothes, for example, place a two-drawer file cabinet on the floor where you can store old files and magazines you really love and don't want to throw away.

Turn a corner into closet space by installing shelves or a clothing rack along the wall and hanging a curtain from the ceiling to divide it from the rest of the room. You can also create your own shelving using plywood and galvanized pipes.

Garages typically are full of spaces that are underutilized. Side and back walls are good areas to hang ladders, bicycles and various gear on large hooks. Ceilings in the corners of the garage also are good places to mount hooks and hang mesh bags full of sports equipment. Or try mounting bars with ropes and pulleys to suspend laundry or other canvas bags for extra storage. Hardware stores have many hooks and other storage options perfect for this part of the house.

Put the spaces under your deck or porch to work, too. Place empty flowerpots and smaller gardening tools in dark plastic garbage bags, seal them up and place them on top of a plastic tarp under your deck or porch. Erect wooden lattice outside the deck or porch to hide your storage items behind, until you need them.

Taking inventory of your storage items and spaces has the added benefit of identifying things you really don't need to keep. Clear the clutter and toss out or donate your unwanted items to charity.