Tips For Hiders and Seekers: When You Can't Remember What You've Stored

We love storing things out of sight but from previous experience we agree with the mentality that if it's out of sight, it's out of mind. But we love having a clutter free space--so how do we cope?

For starters, it's super important that you assess what you use on a daily basis. Take your desk, for example. Go through each item and ask yourself, do I need this? Do I use this item daily? Does the item serve my goals for the space? The items you use all the time need a place up front and center (even if they are contained with a label). Items that you don't use regularly or that don't serve the vision you have for the space, should be stored elsewhere.
For the items you have to store elsewhere, it's important that you remember what you've stored. Otherwise you're likely to look in a multitude of places, or worse, re-buy that item (with both results leaving you frustrated).

You'll want to use clear storage containers to hold belongings behind closed doors and label them. Labeling is important because you're designating a spot for those items to land. Even if you can see every item in the clear container, the label will help items go back in that box once you're done using them.

We personally love making a list of the items we have stored under our bed and in our closet and keeping the list on our computer. It saves us from having to strain our necks when searching for something. We can quickly just look at the list and know exactly where an item is.

Another way to circumvent forgetting where you stored stuff is to have less stuff in general. Because your inventory of things is less, you'll have a better grasp of what is stored where.

Another way to keep track of it all is to store items close to where you're using them. If your desk is in your room, office supplies might take up a dresser drawer of their own. If you do crafting in the living room, perhaps a storage bench would work well for the space to store supplies.

How do you remember what and where you've stored items?

Related Organizing Posts

[Image from House Tour: Ofer's Clutter Free Home]

One way to remember where you've stored stuff: Have a small home! There are not a lot of options for hiding places.

posted by Lizzy on November 4th 2008 at 1:48pm
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I used to remember everything until i rearranged the apartment.

I dismantled an old shelf and put the pieces in storage. When a friend needed it for his new pad last month, I never found the nuts and bolts, that I clearly remember having put aside purposely to avoid just that one thing. Where? Who knows :(

posted by Daniel Poitiers on November 4th 2008 at 1:53pm
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@ Daniel Poitiers--Next time put the nuts and bolts in a ziploc bag and tape it or rubber band it to the dismantled piece of furniture.

posted by Beth1 on November 4th 2008 at 1:57pm
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@ Beth1 thanks for the tip :-) !
Thats's exactly what I did for the old table, a ziploc bag taped to the piece.
But my friend already has a table ...

posted by Daniel Poitiers on November 4th 2008 at 2:03pm
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I have a clear plastic box filled with ziplock baggies for stuff like nuts and bolts. I write the related item on a post it note and drop said items into the box. It's super easy to find whatever I need whever I need it.

This post reminds me of the "haven't used it in year? you probably don't need it" wisdom. Storing things like nuts & bolts and taxes and photos makes sense. Storing stuff because you can't let it go just doesn't. If you forgot you had it chances are you don't need it!

posted by kimg924 on November 4th 2008 at 2:07pm
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i have a bad memory, and i'm a hider, so i store stuff in clear containers and label opaque boxes. this way i don't go nuts from the mess, and i don't have to remember anything

posted by formosagirl on November 4th 2008 at 4:21pm
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I have a small apartment, but I've managed to tuck all sorts of things into all nooks and crannies. You'd be amazed.

I read Julia Morgenstern's book on organization. She recommended that one keep an inventory of one's belongings and where things are stored. Brilliant!

posted by lolax on November 4th 2008 at 9:37pm
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I'm like you lolax, I'm cleaning it out now and the amount of stuff I'm finding in such a tiny apartment is just mind boggling! I'm stocking up on vintage suitcases and moving all my remaining "stuff" into them, so I'll definitely need to keep track of what I put where! I think I'll be photographing each suitcase and keeping a list of items on my iPhone.

posted by MsUnreliable on November 4th 2008 at 10:30pm
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I group my stored stuff, so anything office related goes in the office cabinet, which in turn are grouped as well. Hall closet infrequently used art supplies, paintings from school and shoes, work area there's a box for sewing and ribbon, gift wrapping, and one for stationary. I also have old stuff that should be in storage (my parents did a massive garage clean out when we all moved out, so I've got all my photos from grade school and all that business) Which is stored in the right upper bedroom cabinet. So if i want something at least it's localized.

posted by a6sinthe on November 5th 2008 at 11:51am
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