Plastic Storage Bin

Plastic Storage Bin Organization

So you’ve decided that you want to be more organized and need some help. A plastic storage bin is probably the answer. They come in lots of different sizes from small (about 1.5 gallons) to large (up to about 18 gallons).

You will need to measure the area where you will be storing the plastic bins to be sure they will fit. Otherwise it kind of defeats the purpose of trying to get organized in the first place. Then you will have to decide on a few other things too. Like color. Today you can buy a plastic storage bin in lots of different colors. For our family we put all of our Christmas decorations in red plastic bins. That makes it easy to identify when I’m in the attic pulling down all the bins in preparation for the Christmas decorating.

Plastic Storage Bin Colors

We also have colors for Thanksgiving and Halloween too. When you have as many plastic storage bins as we do, then having different colors makes it a lot easier to manage.

Next you will have to decide on the type of lid. Earlier we bought some plastic bins that had hinged lids on them. At first I thought they would be great but as it turned out, the little hinges broke off almost immediately. Then with the hinges broken, the lids will not stay securely fastened. So my recommendation is that you buy removeable lids. This shouldn’t be a problem since that’s the most popular type of plastic storage bin made and sold these days.

In my workshop I use a rolling plastic bin cart (two of them actually). They hold a lot of small parts and pieces and keep the clutter to a minimum. My wife has a larger rolling plastic storage bin cart in her workroom to. The one she has uses six plastic drawers as opposed to the 4 drawer bins I use in my shop.

Since we have to keep a LOT of accounting records, we use plastic storage bins for those too. A plastic storage bin will hold up a LOT better than one of those cardboard boxes you can buy at an office supply store. After a few years, the cardboard will deteriorate and the boxes along with the contents will become harder to move around without the box breaking open. Another nice thing about plastic bins is that they are reusable too. So for our accounting records, when the seven year period required by the IRS is up, I shred the records and then reuse the plastic storage bin.

Organizing is not over rated and clutter has a way of becoming invisible. Take a look around your home of office and you will see things that have been setting there for months and maybe years. It’s easy to put something in the corner while thinking ‘I’ll put that where it belongs later”. Then for the next few days every time you see it, you think, “I really need to put that where it belongs”. Then over the course of a few weeks/months you stop seeing it. To me it’s a little like seeing a new billboard while driving to work. When a new billboard goes up I notice it right away because it’s new or different. At least out of the norm. Then over a period of time I notice it less and less. Eventually I stop noticing the billboard at all. Well that’s the same process the brain goes through with clutter too. You may notice it at first but over the course of a few weeks, it will just start to blend in.

Since you searched for ‘plastic storage bin’ I’m guessing that something caused you to notice the clutter or some outside event (like a new years resolution) has put you in the frame of mind to get better and more organized. Good for you.

Without a doubt, when you use a plastic storage bin to store and organize the cutter (or other stuff) you will end up with more pleasant surroundings and your brain will not have to try to remind you to put stuff where it belongs. It’s a little work and getting started is the hardest part, but you will be glad you did. Just be sure to buy the plastic storage bin that is the right size for the job.