Organizing Products That Don’t Work

There are all sorts of organizing products out there that promise a neat and tidy closet, kitchen, or home. When all you want is to get things clean and organized, it’s no wonder these items end up in our shopping carts. 

But the truth is, a lot of these items don’t work as advertised. I’m sharing some of the top products I see in client’s homes that you may want to avoid. 

Battery Organizer 

Most battery organizers are made for specific sizes of batteries. This means it’s only going to work if you’ve got those specific batteries and nothing outside of what will fit in it.

You’re better off finding a more generic container like drawer dividers.  These can be inserted it a container if you don’t have a drawer available.

Spicy Shelf

Spice racks and organizers are very specific. The jars have to fit on the step-shelf or in the holders. Instead, sort your spices by how you use them.

Gift Wrap Organizer

Seasonal organizing products are popular, but they only work if your items fit into the designated containers. Evaluate your wrapping collection and supplies before purchasing any storage solutions.

One solution that works well is an under-the-bed storage container.  It is long enough to hold the long wrapping paper rolls. Gift bags do well in rectangle boxes.

Scarf Hanger 

These hangers have large holes in them to hold scarves and belts. In most cases, once you stuff the scarves into the hanger, you can’t see your collection anymore.

Instead, try rolling them into a drawer or storing them individually into an over the door shoe organizer with clear pockets.

Purse Stuffers & Purse Hangers

On “The Home Edit,” they purchase specific products for purse and bag storage. One item is a purse stuffer, which is a curved piece of plastic that helps your purses stand on their own.

Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on these, you can stuff your purses with tissue paper. The purse hangers are similar in price, but hold one bag per hanger. This may be a fine option for luxury bags, but unnecessary for everyday totes.

Under-the-Sink Shelving 

Admittedly, any under-the-sink spaces can be a challenge to organize because of the pipes. Often, shelving seems like a great idea, but since no under-the-sink space is the same, the shelving unit often doesn’t fit. You’re better off editing what’s underneath the sink — get rid of what you can — and search for containers that will fit, such as a small set of drawers, storage boxes, or even lazy susans.

A Toy Box

The classic toy box may hide the clutter from site, but it’s still a mess inside the box. In general, there are only two things I suggest be stored in a toy box – dress-up clothes and stuffed animals.  Due to how they are played with, these two categories of toys do well shoved in a box.  Anything else will get lost in this dark pit!  

Food Storage Organizers 

We’ve all gotten frustrated when we can’t find the matching lid to the bowl. However, an organizing product isn’t really going to help. It’s another product that’s too specific. I don’t often tell my clients to throw out what they have and buy something new.  But this truly is the best way to organize food storage containers.  All of the mismatched sets collected over the years make is very hard to organize them in a user-friendly way.  Toss your old sets and start fresh!

Jewelry Cabinets 

These take up space on your vanity or dresser and they often don’t have the right spaces for anyone’s collection. Instead, look for individual components such as the velvet trays or ring holders and put them in a designated drawer. Or customize your own space with hooks.

There are some organizing products out there that may work, depending on your needs. These include: 

• Pots/pans/lids Organizers: These work if you have right number and size of the pots and pans that fit in them.  
• Makeup Trays: These are good if you don’t have a ton of makeup products.  
• Shoe organizers: As long as you put your shoes back on the shelves or in the cubbies, these will work.  And you need to have enough storage for the number of shoes that you own. 
• Underwear Accordion: If you are one to roll/fold every pair, this is for you.  
• Golf bag organizer: This only works if you’ve got exactly the right number of bags, shoes, and clubs.  

When you’re looking for organizing storage, make sure you edit your space first. Then, take a look at what you need storage for. Measure your space; maybe even take pictures of your items. Use all of this information to help you at the store to purchase the right material. 

Of course, we can help, too. Give us a call!