by Paula Mitchell-Bentley

Created on: October 23, 2008   Last Updated: January 20, 2009

Plastic storage bins are an ever present container in the home. They are used for just about anything you can think of, and then some! We use them in almost every room of the house - the kitchen, the garage, the bathroom, the workshop, the craft room, the toy room and even the bedrooms.

In the kitchen, plastic storage bins can be used to organize your pantry. Tupperware containers of every size and colour can quickly be utilized to storage an assortment of food goods. I find them especially helpful with cereals as they take up much less room than having the cardboard box on the shelf. It also is easier to find things in the pantry as the containers are usually transparent. A row of plastic bins is much more organized looking than a row of half eaten bags of nuts, candy, popcorn, etc.

The garage is where we store all of our out of season decorations - Halloween, Easter, and Christmas decorations store easily in plastic storage bins. That way you can write the name of the holiday on the outside of the bin and, hopefully, find it easily when that season rolls around. It also ensures that the ornaments are kept dust free which saves a lot of hassle and cleaning.

In the bathroom I use plastic storage bins under the sink to organize all of our health and beauty products. I've got an assortment of smaller bins without lids for things like barrettes or lipsticks. That way you can just grab the whole container out and replace it when you're finished. The bins make the bathrooms much easier to clean because there isn't all that "stuff" on the counter tops. It's also a lot easier to find things when everything has it's place.

In the workshop, my husband uses all different sizes of plastic bins. He uses medium sized bins to sort tools out by category such as screwdrivers, paint supplies, glues, etc. He uses tiny bins to separate hardware such as nails, screws, bolts, etc. These bins really help to keep the workshop organized and make things easy to find. He also has the added bonus of keeping all of his supplies free of saw-dust which is more than I can say for everything else that is not in a plastic bin!

In the craft-room, I use the plastic storage bins to sort out all of my scrapbooking supplies and kids craft supplies. We even installed some rods on the wall that can hold plastic storage bins about the craft table to keep things organized and in view. We have one bucket for scissors, one for buttons, one for glues, etc. Things go much more quickly when you can you find what you are looking for.

The toy room is the area where plastic bins are used the most. We have a big shelf with plastic bins the right size for every cube. The toys are sorted by the bins with a picture on a tag of what belongs inside. One for dolls, one for stuffed animals, one for blocks, etc. I made tags for each bin so that the kids know where everything goes. That way they can easily put their things away themselves which saves time for me and teaches them about responsibility and contributing to the family household. It really makes preschoolers feel good about themselves when they can do things by themselves.

In the kid's bedrooms, I keep a big plastic bin in the closet where I can put the clothes that they grow out of. They sure do seem to fill up quickly! Plastic bins are also used for toy storage in the kid's bedrooms. In our bedroom, I have a plastic bin under the bed that holds all the wrapping paper.

Plastic storage bins are great for every room of the house. They are made by manufacturer's for many different purposes now. The bins help to keep your house organized while at the same time, provide a dust free container to keep all sorts of objects in. The only limit to their usage is your imagination!

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