6 Costco Finds a Pro Organizer Would Buy Right Now
Being a minimalistic single person, it’s unsurprising that I don’t do my regular shopping at Costco. But I will make a trip every so often to stock up on Kirkland brand wine, my favorite two-pound bag of tortilla chips, and whatever vitamins I’m currently low on. Not to mention, taste all of the samples and grab a slice of pepperoni pizza on my way out.
On one of my recent outings, I spotted a popular organizing product, and as a professional organizer, it got me curious as to what other things Costco carries that could help get a home more organized. I usually lean on The Container Store or Amazon when sourcing supplies for my clients, but I figured it would be good to know what Costco currently has in stock so that I can recommend it to anyone with a membership card.
Here’s what I found at my local Costco, which may or may not be available to you depending on your nearby store.
Food bag storage organizer
Say goodbye to ripped or crumpled boxes of Ziploc bags in that one kitchen drawer. Instead, keep snack, sandwich, quart, and gallon bags tidy inside these bamboo containers (priced at $18.99 at time of shopping) that are pre-labeled. These individual organizers can make it much easier to arrange, especially if you have odd-sized drawers or want them to easily move with you and fit in your next kitchen. In other words, they give you much more flexibility and cost under $5 per box.
Kitchen and pantry storage bins
The iDesign brand has been a favorite among professional organizers for years. In fact, I’m pretty sure I bought one of their bins to organize my first post-college apartment. While the price tag on this set seems hefty — it was $114.99 when I visited — you’re getting a set of 18 (in five different sizes) at a little over $6 per bin. The clear acrylic makes it ideal for the fridge or pantry organization since you can see everything in them and they’re easy to label. Handles help you pull them forward, making sure nothing is missed and, therefore, hopefully preventing food waste.
Wall-mount shower dispenser
From Kohler, this three-piece organizer can be mounted in the shower to dispense shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Not only is it more aesthetically pleasing than mismatched bottles, but it also comes in handy if you’re already buying your shower products at Costco. Bulk bottles take up a ton of room in a space that’s designed to be compact. So, rather than struggling to find a spot on a shelf for your gigantic pump dispensers, you can load these up and simply put the rest of the bottle elsewhere (say, the linen closet) until it’s time for a refill. It’s available at select Costco stores.
Non-slip hangers
Ah, the ultimate secret weapon for a more streamlined closet. I invested in velvet hangers over 20 years ago when they were first marketed. You can find them relatively cheap in a lot of different stores, but here? You can get them for approximately 32 cents per hanger — it was $15.99 for a 50-pack on my trip — which is one of the best deals I’ve come across. If your closet is brimming with mismatched hangers, specifically thicker plastic or wooden ones, switching all of your clothes to a set of these will make a massive difference, both in how organized it looks and how much more room you have on the rods.
Stackable Instacrate
I’ve kept four of these collapsible crates in my car for the past five or so years. I purchased them around the time I started my organizing business because they came in handy for carting heavy donations, such as books, out of my clients’ homes. They stack well and each one can hold up to 12 gallons. Whether it’s to corral groceries in the trunk, the kid’s sports stuff in the garage, or files in the office (yes, they are designed to fit letter-size hanging folders), these are extremely versatile and save a lot of space when not in use. It’s available at select Costco stores, but you can also find it on Amazon.
Stackable shoe boxes
I love recommending these to clients who have a lot of formal shoes but not a lot of space in their closets. They can stack on an awkwardly high shelf to reserve space and the fact that they open in the front means you don’t have to shuffle them around to get to the pair you want. This particular style has openings not only in the front but also on the sides. They’re large enough to fit up to a men’s size 14 shoe.