Here’s Why Bins Are Overrated
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Can we just take a minute to discuss one organizing revelation? Here it is: you do not need bins to get organized! Far too often, I’m met with the following question from a prospective client: ‘how many bins should I order before our session?’ The answer is always the same: NONE!
Why, you might ask? Well, the first critical step in any organizing session is to declutter. Decluttering helps us shed unnecessary items we’ve been holding onto out of guilt, habit, indecision, fear, you name it. Decluttering allows new opportunities to flow into your space and reinvigorate it with fresh, new energy. In other words, decluttering is a hugely important part of the organizing process.
And once you declutter, you will inevitably be left with far fewer items than what you started with. If you’ve ordered fifty bins from the Container Store and you now only require half, you’re stuck with a whole glut of bins. In other words, the bins are now clutter.
Sure you could go and return the excess bins at the Container Store, but here’s another suggestion. Just make it easy on yourself and order *only* what you need after an organizing session (and don’t forget to measure so you end up with the right dimensions).
And once you’re ready to purchase your bins, let me drop another bombshell on you: don’t purchase so many! Sure, a few bins might make cleaning up your kids’ toys much easier, but there’s no need to trick out (AKA litter) your home in 500 acrylic bins. Why? Bins become clutter magnets, often becoming an excuse to invite even more clutter into the home (this is especially true if you have an online shopping addiction, which is a different story altogether).
Another reason why bins don’t always win: they often create unnecessary barriers to entry. It’s so much easier to reach for a box of brown sugar on your pantry shelf than it is to rifle through a bin to access it. You could also simply label different categories on your shelf without the fuss of a bin. Slap a label on the edges of your shelves and you can achieve the same result.
Which brings me to my last crucial point: organizing is not just about containing. It’s also about flow! You should be able to dance seamlessly around your space without bumping into bins (I swear this is almost the last time I use the word ‘bin). It’s about swinging opening the front door and dropping your keys on a nice open tray. It’s about opening the fridge door and reaching for an orange without having to lift five acrylic trays in the process.
All of this is to say that if you feel intimidated by the decluttering process on account of bins, don’t! You can achieve a beautifully harmonious space without all those containers.