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"  Closets and cabinets may help keep your house clutter free, but when you can&amp;#039;t stash another thing in either, it&amp;#039;s definitely time to purge. First step: A little mental housecleaning. &amp;quot;Ask yourself what purpose each storage area should be meeting for you,&amp;quot; says Star Hansen, a professional lifestyle organizer. &amp;quot;Then keep only items there that serve those needs.&amp;quot; To help you get you started, we&amp;#039;ve got some pare-down pointers and product recommendations for common household spaces. Read on to learn how to put an end to storage spillover for good. Linen Closet  Purpose: House linens and extra toiletries  \u2022 Keep just two to three full sets of towels (bath, hand and washcloth) per family member and a few extra sets for guests. Use shelf dividers so stacks don&amp;#039;t topple over. \u2022 Recycle raggedy towels with stains or holes in them. &amp;quot;Store these with your cleaning supplies, or donate them to your local animal shelter,&amp;quot; says Charlotte Steill, a certified professional organizer and owner of Simply Put Organizing. Same goes for shabby sheets and blankets. \u2022 Store good sheet sets and blankets under beds in a plastic rolling bin or in a pretty lidded box in the room where they&amp;#039;re used. \u2022 Corral extra health and beauty aids such as shampoo, cotton balls and cotton swabs in bins or stackable plastic shoeboxes. &amp;quot;Don&amp;#039;t buy more than you can fit in these containers,&amp;quot; says Steill. &amp;quot;That way you&amp;#039;ve got spares but aren&amp;#039;t going overboard with stocking up.&amp;quot;  Photo: iStockphoto Bathroom Cabinets  Purpose: Store health and beauty products you use every day  \u2022 Toss old makeup you haven&amp;#039;t used in six months or beauty products you don&amp;#039;t like anymore. \u2022 Hang a pocket shoe holder over the back of the bathroom door for small items such as brushes, combs and hair clips. \u2022 Store products you use daily in a pretty countertop caddy so they don&amp;#039;t sprawl out everywhere. Or stash handled totes with each family member&amp;#039;s personal items under the sink, says Steill. \u2022 Keep two rolls of toilet tissue in the bathroom; the rest should go into a bulk storage area somewhere else in the house, such as the laundry room. \u2022 Relocate medications to a cool, dry place away from heat and light. In the bathroom medicine cabinet, humidity and temperature changes can damage them. A kitchen cabinet works, as long as it&amp;#039;s not near the stove, sink or dishwasher. \u2022 Place first-aid items you don&amp;#039;t use daily, such as bandages and antibiotic cream, in a zippered plastic bag or plastic shoebox under the sink or in your linen closet. Don&amp;#039;t forget to label it so you can find it in a hurry. Photo: Thinkstock Laundry Room  Purpose: Make laundry chores easier to do  \u2022 Stack plastic see-through shoeboxes or bins on a shelf with small laundry aids such as bleach pens, laundry markers and stain removers, says Steill.  \u2022 Use lazy Susans on shelves to make starch, suede cleaner and other seldom-used laundry items more convenient to grab.  \u2022 Place a small bowl or basket near the washing machine to catch stray buttons, coins and anything else you find in pockets. \u2022 Utilize unused space by placing hooks on the wall to hold hangers or a bag for dry-clean-only items. \u2022 Mount a retractable clothesline or accordion drying rack on the wall, or use a tension rod set high in a door frame for hanging drip-dry items. \u2022 Keep a trash can handy so you&amp;#039;ll always remember to clean the dryer&amp;#039;s lint screen. \u2022 Store messy items such as detergent and bleach bottles in plastic bins or dish pans to catch drips and residue, says Hansen. If you buy extra-large containers at warehouse clubs, transfer to smaller jugs so they&amp;#039;re more manageable. And keep extra laundry supplies in your bulk storage area. \u2022 Keep hampers near where each family member undresses. If there&amp;#039;s space, a sectioned hamper in the laundry room makes sorting easier. \u2022 Hang an organizer to hold your iron and ironing board over a door or on the wall. If space is limited, consider a wall-mounted ironing board. Photo: Anthony-Masterson/Getty Images Pantry  Purpose: Keep groceries handy for easy meal planning   \u2022 Line up similar canned goods, then label the corresponding shelf section &amp;quot;veggies,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;soups&amp;quot; or whatever other categories are most used in your house. \u2022 Repackage items in flimsy boxes or bags, such as spaghetti or rice, in airtight, stackable containers so they&amp;#039;ll stay fresh and you can find them at a glance. Tip: Square containers stack better and take up less space than round. \u2022 Stash packets of seasoning or soup mixes in plastic, wicker or metal bins. \u2022 Designate a snack shelf or bin so everybody can help themselves to Mom-approved treats\u2014and not rummage around upsetting your organization.  \u2022 Post a whiteboard or notepad inside the pantry door, and get into the habit of immediately writing down items when you&amp;#039;re running low. \u2022 Check the National Center for Home Food Preservation site for the expiration dates of most foods. In general, acidic canned goods such as fruits and tomatoes last 18 months, while canned vegetables and meats can last several years. If in doubt or if the can is leaking, rusty, dented or buckled in any way, toss it. Print out the pantry storage guide and post it inside your pantry for guidelines on how long items last. And, going forward, use a black marker to label the date of purchase on items, then rotate and discard accordingly.  Photo: Don Farrall/Getty Images Hall or Entryway Closet  Purpose: Provide a landing pad for easy departures and srrivals  \u2022 Hang a pocket shoe holder inside the closet door for hats, scarves and gloves. Or stack and label plastic shoe boxes on the closet shelf to contain individual family members&amp;#039; items.  \u2022 Do a seasonal coat swap so you&amp;#039;re not wading through down coats in the middle of summer or lightweight windbreakers in the middle of winter. Hide off-season outerwear in underbed storage containers. \u2022 Add hooks somewhere inside the closet for hanging umbrellas, purses and backpacks.  Photo: Henrik Weis/Getty Images Playroom  Purpose: Give kids a space of their own for fun and learning  \u2022 Purchase shelving with baskets or sturdy square fabric cubbies for kids to store toys. Teach them to put similar items together, such as cars in one bin, stuffed animals in another. Post labels or pictures of items on the outside of the bins to encourage easy cleanups. \u2022 Rotate toys and games every few months so kids aren&amp;#039;t overwhelmed by having too many choices. Store extra toys in a plastic bin high on a shelf in the playroom closet. \u2022 Weed through playthings with kids on a consistent basis\u2014say, right before holidays and birthdays. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s important to involve your kids so they feel empowered and learn decision-making skills,&amp;quot; says Hansen.  Photo: Justin Bernhaut/Getty Images Basement  Purpose: Store household items that don&amp;#039;t get used frequently  \u2022 Move items that can be damaged by moisture and mildew, such as videos, DVDs, photographs, books or family keepsakes, to another storage space. Or add silica gel packets to storage containers to control moisture. \u2022 Keep everything off the floor in case of flooding. Stack clear plastic bins on metal shelving to store holiday items, spare kitchen items and bulk storage of household supplies such as paper towels. Or elevate storage containers on wooden or plastic pallets that can be configured to whatever size you need. Label everything. \u2022 Use hooks to hang items, such as luggage or bikes stored indoors for the winter, on exposed studs or from ceiling rafters. \u2022 Group items by frequency of use. For example, don&amp;#039;t keep seasonal decorations at the easy-to-reach base of the stairs when you only need to access them a couple times during the year.  Photo: Fuse/Getty Images Garage or Shed  Purpose: House family vehicles and/or outdoor items  \u2022 Move out anything that doesn&amp;#039;t belong. &amp;quot;The garage and shed shouldn&amp;#039;t just serve as a catchall,&amp;quot; says Hansen. &amp;quot;There should be three to five well-defined zones that are dedicated to specific tasks such as gardening, a workbench or sporting goods storage.&amp;quot; \u2022 Invest in heavy-duty metal shelving so you can stack plastic boxes full of seasonal decorations, camping equipment or small tools easily. Label everything. \u2022 Get stuff off the floor so you aren&amp;#039;t tripping over it. Hang tools on the walls, on a pegboard or from simple hooks. Overhead storage systems that suspend from the ceiling enable you to stack large items, such as snowboards or cross-country skis, out of the way.  \u2022 Toss balls and other unwieldy sporting goods such as bats or hockey sticks in tall garbage cans.  \u2022 Avoid storing any items that can be damaged by moisture or freezing temperatures, such as paint. If you&amp;#039;re storing items that might attract pests, such as birdseed or pet food, keep in a sealed plastic container. \u2022 Make sure outdoor fabric cushions and umbrellas are completely dry before putting them away for the winter so they won&amp;#039;t be ruined by mildew. If there&amp;#039;s no room for furniture itself inside, shield it from the elements with weatherproof covers or tarps. Photo: Fuse/Getty Images  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/home/organizing-cleaning/tips/a2135/organize-your-storage-spaces-113489/>