Stacking Storage Cubes

June 15th, 2011 | Author: storage units

Face it. College dorm rooms are small and simple. You need to devise a place for everything and everything should be in its place. How to reach this storage nirvana? First and foremost use your noggin.

Know your dorm room

If you have visited your college, you have probably seen your dorm room or at least something comparable. If not, check online and see if your college has some images of dorm rooms on their website.

Tip: In addition to photos of dorm rooms, look for floor plans of the various dorms and for listings of room dimensions, furnishings, and floor amenities [such as laundry and kitchen-type facilities].

In other words, really snoop the place out. Once you have a visual image and some working dimensions, it is much easier to determine what to pack and more precisely where all your stuff will be stored.

Create your zones

It only takes a few steps and if you have a roommate, be sure to talk about these points with them.

Establish zones for the functions of your room and develop the storage for that zone’s function.

Study Zone

Use small portable plastic baskets [for inside desk drawers] to hold small items
Sturdy, portable, closing paper file folders hold papers
Canvas totes, old suitcases-stacked, baskets with lids, and small bookshelves can store all study essentials

Sleeping Zone

Get risers for your bed
Purchase low, plastic covered storage containers, of various sizes, which can possibly stack and slide under your bed

Eating Zone

Stackable storage containers with lids can be purchased in plastic or Pyrex and used to store food and snacks
Plastic portable containers with lids work well to store dirty dishes-prior to you hauling them to the kitchen for washing

Entertaining Zone

Think portable storage: plastic storage drawers on wheels will hold dishes, food, and kitchen utensils
Plastic storage cubes can be handy for stacking, storing, even double as extra seating, hold speakers or act as a small table

Storage Zones: closet or wardrobe, for clothes and other essentials.

Get some hanging storage for shoes, purses, and other small lighter weight items
Buy all the same-sized hangers, so they fit uniformly in your closet
Shelf dividers, which clamp onto the closet shelf, will hold and separate clothes and keep everything from getting all jumbled together
Hanging closet shelf organizers help hold everything and come in different widths and sizes
Over-the-door hooks make great storage for coats, towels, and you name it

After you figure out how to store your college essentials, keep the dorm clutter to a dull roar by following these tips.

Conquer Clutter

As you prepare and pack, to move into your dorm room, remember NOT to bring too much stuff. Study all the stuff you are packing and visualize where it will be stored-once it hits your dorm room
Always maintain how much stuff comes in the room. Label your stuff, your roommate’s stuff, and know which stuff is communal. Ok, you do not have to go so far as to be sewing labels in your underwear, however, knowing up-front whose stuff is whose, will alleviate future hassles
Keep the room clear of clutter. Talk to your roommate[s] about what level of cleanliness they are comfortable with and express your feelings to them
Establish a routine for organizing the room and stick with it-nuff said. Just 10 minutes everyday de-cluttering, will go along way in keeping order in the dorm
Discuss ideas, with your roommate[s], so you both/all know each others’ expectations

Still need storage?

In just about every city you should be able to find off campus storage units for rent. Before you spend that extra dough, think if you really need all that stuff.

Showing responsibility for your room, your stuff, and keeping it all stored and organized will go a long way in helping you create more time and less frustration in your college life.

Instantly download your FREE College Life Tips To-Do List? at College Life Tips to help you prepare and pack for college. It is a college essential.

By Mary Wiseman

Article Source: ezinearticles.com