This week, we share stories of clients rediscovering forgotten treasures, and how those experiences can be both sweet and a little sad, especially if the items weren't stored properly. We offer her tips for making sure precious items are safe and sound for years to come. We talked about practical solutions like using the right kind of storage boxes, how to create the ideal storage environment, and even easy ways to keep things clean. We hope this episode gives listeners some ideas for keeping their special items in great shape so they can be passed down to future generations.
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In this episode we talk about:
- Protecting items from damage and deterioration
- Inexpensive and practical materials to use for protection
- Examples of items that need protection and what to use to protect them
Mentioned in this Episode:
Episode 48: Best Organizing Products of 2023: Our Top Pics
https://theorganizedflamingo.com/48-best-organizing-products-of-2023-our-tops-pics
Episode 24: Step 5: Contain – What Types of Containers Should You Get
https://theorganizedflamingo.com/24-step-5-contain-what-types-of-containers-should-you-get
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The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger! For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!
Review full show notes and resources at https://theorganizedflamingo.com/podcast
Review the Transcript:
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:00:00]:
1 of the hardest things to witness as a pro organizer is when we are working together with a client, with 1 of you, and we're in your garage or your storage or your attic area, and a box is discovered containing items from a loved 1 that you all either received in some way, shape, or form, whether it was passed down or maybe it was dropped off at your house on their way to them downsizing and moving. However, the way that you acquired it, you now have it, and it's been collect collecting dust somewhere in the corner of this storage area in your space. Right? And then you all tell me, you know what? There are some nutcrackers in there. I forgot about that. My sister had them, and she collected them for years years. She collected them from all over the The, and they're beautiful. And she gave them to me, and I just haven't, you know, looked into it. But that's what that's what's inside.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:00:57]:
And then you just follow it up with, she said they were worth a lot, or they're not sure what what they're worth, but there's a whole lot of The, and we like to see how much they're worth. Or if we wanna pass it down to our the next generation or to a neighbor or a loved 1. Wonderful. And then we open it, and we Organized that part of it or most of it is now damaged. It just hurts my heart so much because I know what it took, not only to acquire those things and to love them and to have a sentimental attachment to The. That in itself is hard. Right? But then you pass them down, whoever the person was, and then with good intention, They wanted it to go to a good home. And then the process of acquiring it, now you have them in your possession, and they are of some value to you.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:01:52]:
Well, seeing your face when you realize that they're damaged, it really does break my heart. And just like this example I gave you, which is a very real example, I just left out the person and the more specifics of the personal person. I have and of examples like this where people have the best intentions of keeping the items whether to sell or pass down, but now those options are limited because of the damage. So in this episode, I'm going to outline 9 type of products I would recommend to keep your items as safe as possible. I am not sponsored by any of these products, and I'm also not really talking about the brand or a very specific type of product. I will have some of these linked on my Amazon storefront or some other link so you have examples. And for those of you who just like to quickly just, you know, look at it and see if it's worth it and then just buy it, I get it. You're more you know, you're you're you like that efficiency, so I get it.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:02:52]:
So I do have those. But just a heads up, none of these companies are sponsoring me. These are products and type of products that I have seen work really well. I use myself with clients and with my own stuff, so, you know, that's that's how much I trust these things. And so we're gonna go through categories. There's about 9 of them. They're I'm gonna go through a fairly, you know, quickly, so this is and overview. But if you have a more specific question about your stuff, give me a call, set up a a call with us, or send me a message, and then I can address it in the newsletter and answer your questions because that is where I answer, all of your messages that you sent me and you want me to give you some advice.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:03:32]:
So that's a really good way for, for me to give you some feedback as well. So, alright, let's get to our episode. Welcome to the Organized and Productive podcast with the Organized Flamingo. I am your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert. Ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you? Yeah? Well, then let's go. For the first product, it's the category of storage bins. And storage bins can be a very broad section here. It can be plastic storage bins.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:04:09]:
It can be wicker. It could be cloth. It can be anything that is storing your items. And we we 1 of our 7 steps of organizing almost anything is called containment, which is the container, which is the storage, which is, like, where will you be putting the stuff in its boundaries? So it's that important. And I am bringing this category over to the products that I would recommend as 1 of my top products and making a careful selection over what type of container or storage box that you will be using for yourself because every box and material ends up absorbing the the elements around you, right, and or protecting it. And so you just wanna be careful that what you're letting in into inside the box is what you want. Sometimes it's airflow. Sometimes you want to actually get everything to be, you know, completely sealed because you don't want any of that in your box or in your stuff or in the items because it'll get damaged.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:05:10]:
So this is its own, not only step within our own framework, but it's also a product that I would want you to pay attention to. Okay. And there is another episode too where I talk about some of my favorite products, some of my favorite containers. You can listen to that. I'll put it in the show notes. But this is just more about things I want you to consider when you're storing things of importance, inherited items, antiques, vintage, any of those categories that you want to make sure are well taken care of. So you've got the clear stackable and, you know, those are just the plastic type. Those tend to have less airflow.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:05:47]:
If you will be getting a, a plastic 1 and you need the airflow, there are some of them that have ventilation windows so you can do that especially if you need them to stack easily because some of the cloth ones and some of the other type of bins don't really stack very well or you can't put a lot of weight on top of it of each other. I wouldn't recommend that anyway. But if you if that is your goal because of limited space or that's just the way you want to organize it, then just make sure you get and. Just look into the ventilation of the of the box. Okay. So these types of boxes were are going to be able to protect and from the dust and the moisture that allow in all the other elements like I mentioned without opening them. If you're not going to get The clear ones, the clear 1 of the pros of the clear is that you can see inside them and you can quickly look at them and and some of the stuff that you're trying to to preserve, like paper, there's other categories. But some of these, the more you open and close, open and close in this change of climate, then there there is a probability it will get damaged in that way.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:06:57]:
Like, it won't break, but the elements and being exposed to it all the time might, damage it. So the clear ones are really nice so The you see through them. But, again, you have to look at if it's something that can be in direct sunlight, a clear 1 may defeat its purpose. So as far as storage bins go, these are great for seasonal decorations. Items that are are in their original box, like cardboard box. You all know at this point, if you are part of our community and you've been listening to this for a while, you know that I don't love cardboard boxes for long term protection or long term storage for many reasons. So I would stay away from, like, paper type of storage solutions, but if the item is in its original cardboard box or paper box, then you can put that box within a inside a, like, a, you know, plastic 1 that's well protected. And then you can just if you have a clear 1, you can see through it.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:08:00]:
And if you don't, just make sure you label it really well on the outside so you know what's inside. Because when you start nesting boxes after boxes within boxes like like those dolls, like the Russian dolls, like nesting dolls, we start to get into trouble because we then will forget what's inside the box of the box of the box unless you have a really good inventory or labeling system, which then helps you remember what's inside all of these nesting containers and boxes. So that is the conversation and things that I want you to consider within when you pick a storage container type of bin for your items. Okay. Before we do move on, this is like a a bonus, like a subdivision of of containers and boxes, bubble wrap, and or any type of protective type of wrapping and, and and anything that that will protect this the items inside. And it's not its own category because this usually, you will need you will need the box. So it's and like a subcategory. Okay? So the bubble wrap or newspaper or protectant or whatever it may be, here's The tip.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:09:06]:
So remember, if you if you shake the box and it rattles, it is likely to break. We don't want rattling. So if you shake it and it rattles, add more bubbles. That's our saying here. So shake it a little gently, and if it rattles, you hear any of the tick, tick, tock or movement, like, just that rattly, it means it's hitting something within its itself, like, it looks you know, especially when it comes to small trinkets, it might be it might be clinking against something else in it, or or whatever else you have it stored next to or whatever that may be. So if that's the case, then add more Productive, more bubbles, bubble wrap, newspaper, padding, any of The, so it doesn't. So just shake it, that's the trick, and if it rattles, add more padding, add more bubbles. Next up, we've got vacuum sealed bags.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:09:59]:
These are perfect for textiles like clothing items, linens type of items, these are great. Now there is not 1 that I absolutely love, to be quite honest, but I do wanna mention it because you can't always go get it professionally wrapped, and may not be in the budget and or your time. So that's why vacuum sealed bags that you can buy yourself with the big brands like Ziploc, 3 m. They all make their own, so you can try 1 of those. You just have to be very careful that it doesn't get any holes. The can be a little bit of a nuance if they do have any openings, and then you just can't seem to get all of the air out. So, you know, this product is 1 of those products where I just want you to tread carefully, make The you get a good quality 1, and that it doesn't become damaged and that you do store it in a place that does not get any holes or anything like The. Because if it does, then obviously it will deflate or it it will let all the air in, I should say.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:10:56]:
But I have seen them work really well for big those, like, really big type of quilts or large puffy blankets, and they take up a lot of space. So if you have a few of those items that were given to you by a loved 1 passed down, they're beautiful, they're they're worth something to you. Vintage vintage clothing is a great example, blankets, quilts, like I mentioned all The. Those are all they can get damaged with the elements like light and whatnot or if you're hanging them in your closet on a hanger, they may get stretched out. So if you're not going to be wearing them for a long time, spent like there's also, communion dresses or wedding dresses or, you know, any of those like cultural type and religious type of wardrobe that you really only wear when you're doing something, you know, like a like a big momentous occasion. Those don't get opened very often. So those are the types of things that I would, suggest you get vacuum sealed backs for, and then then those will then you can then put them, in a in a container, like a plastic container. And because here's the thing, if you don't seal it, with, like, air tight seal it, if you put those items in a plastic bin, let's just say like a regular tote, right, you put it in The, it will start absorbing the plastic and because there's no airflow, which some textiles need, then it will start to get damaged in that way.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:12:30]:
And so when you air tighten it, when you vacuum seal it, then it eliminates that part. So then you can then put this vacuum sealed bag of the items in a plastic bin, and it will start to reduce that. Depending on what the what the type of textile it is, like, then you III would I would suggest to look it into it a little bit more like, silk and wool. They all have their own properties of what will make them, not get the odors from The the bags. So look into that. Some of them, are great, you know, to have some of like The big sacks, like, moisture absorbent type of sacks that will eliminate the The, but, anyway, look more into that. That goes beyond the organizing element here, so I don't wanna get dive into that piece, but in order for this to be, you know, nice and as tidy as possible The I would suggest this product for those items. The next 1 is the acid free storage boxes.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:13:28]:
The, if you've never heard of acid free boxes, these are great for photographs, letters, documents to prevent the yellowing and deterioration of paper. They're perfect for that. It all it's like tissue paper for old photographs and all scrapbooks, so those are gonna be great for that. So, yeah, so at look up acid free storage boxes or acid free paper. It's almost like tissue paper, And you wrap it in, and again, The you can then store it in whatever tote or, you know, box that you want to store it, you know, with after that. These are just a great way to at least start protecting, the paper from deteriorating. And then the next product is silica gel packs. I'm sure you've seen them.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:14:14]:
They're little gel packs that come in your shoes or your clothes when you buy something or your Productive you get shipped do you get shipped in and then these little packets are inside. Right? And they can be actually, you know, quite hazardous for kids and pets, so make sure you you watch out for those things and for for them not to be within reach. But they're great to absorb moisture and that's really their purpose and to prevent mold and mildew. Items stored in bins or boxes that are sensitive to moisture, like jewelry, coins, cameras, these gel packs are great and you can get them in, like a 50, like a like a 50 pack type of, Productive, and then you can just put those little baggies all over the different boxes that you may have. So get some of those if you have, if you need to take care of if you especially if you you're in a place where there's quite a bit of moisture. But even if you you live in the most deserted place, you know, sometimes water gets in there, there's damage, whatever it may be, so it's, it's not it's a good idea. It's such an easy just kinda throw in there type of item that I would recommend this for to take care of your stuff. Okay.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:15:22]:
The next 1 we've got labels. Now, you might think like, well, duh, you're an organizer and you love labeling. It's just that this product is such an easy thing to do that gets you so organized so quick that you, you know, we put it off and and you think like, oh my gosh, labeling is such a nuisance, because I have to actually think about what's in The in there and then type it up in the label machine and then print it and then I get it. There's and extra steps, but it's so nice to be able to know what's in a box. And it gets you it it just allows you to quickly reference when you're moving stuff around. I mentioned the example at the very beginning about The with this 1 particular client and, I mean, it was in their in their garage and their garage. Things get moved all the time, like, they've they've they've moved The box about a 1000000 times. But nobody knew what was in it.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:16:15]:
So nobody really like, they were careful, but they weren't thinking it was breakable because there was no label outside it. So label it with as detailed as you want to be that would tell the person handling that box to what's inside and either to be careful, not to put weight in it. So put those types of markers outside. Label each box or container just as clearly with its contents to make it easy to find them as well. But like I said, also to give others directions over what's inside them if especially if you're storing it in a place that is being used by other people. You can then also put in, like, the if you want it to be different colors, great, but it could just be as easy as you, you know, put it in a sticky note and then then put, tape over it, like, clear tape over it. Don't overcomplicate it either. You know, that The if you want it to be everything to be, you know, beautiful and and aesthetically pleasing, that's The next another a different level of organizing.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:17:19]:
It is 1 of our steps in our framework, but it's not the step and that does not mean you're not organized if you don't have it all be perfect with the label maker. So, again, just use whatever is most efficient, but the most important part here is that you take care of the stuff that's in there. So labeling will help you with that. This next product is more of a it's a it is a product because you'll you'll see what I'm talking about in just a second. But what I want you to think about, as I talk about this is that just be mindful that you may already have this, but to add an extra layer of protection to this Productive, and that product is shelving units. Some people don't think of that of shelving units as a product, as a is something to think about when you're storing your prized possessions, but it is very important for so many reasons aside 1 of them, the most obvious is making sure that the shelving unit can withhold that weight. Some of you just and of pile stuff on the shelf and you, you know, it starts to bow and break and that's just no The. It defeats the purpose eventually because either things will break, you'll get frustrated, etcetera.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:18:25]:
So that's the most obvious, But what people don't think about is that 1 of the reasons we also have shelving is to keep things off the floor, like, the bottom of the floor, especially if you're, in in, like, garages and attics and other places that are not as well insulated or or you there is more probability of there being some kind of water damage, critters can get in there. So we wanted to stay off of the floor enough so that if there is some kind of damage, water damage or any of those, it it at least gives you some time to save the stuff. So the shelving units, if you can, you know, start from a couple inches from the bottom of the floor. 1 of those pro tips, like in warehouses and, restaurants and whatnot, yeah, at least here in the US, 1 of the codes is that you do have to have your stuff stored, a couple inches away from the floor for the reasons I just mentioned. And so you can also see at the bottom, if there's anything nesting down there, you can remove it, less likely for little critters or anything like that to be on in the stuff if they have some room at the bottom, right, to to move around. But, again, also the elements of, like, water damage or any type of damage, oils, and things that might spill that may end up on the floor. You just wanna, like, keep your items away from that area as much as possible. So, yes, put it, you know, as as high as possible from the floor, but also make sure that the shelving unit can withstand that weight.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:20:00]:
So that's what I mean about your shelving unit. There's different shelving units you can get, of course, out there in the world. If you already have 1, awesome, wonderful. If you can, you can always just add that extra layer at the bottom or just add some risers, like, at the bottom. Some of the shelving units, you can just rise them up a little bit. If you already have a built in that is kind of permanent ish, you know, fairly permanent, you can always get like a like a riser or something that just will elevate it a little bit more. So, especially if it's smaller things like memorabilia type of boxes, like The not as heavy big bins, you can just, you know, get a, like, a little riser so that it just steps or is just above slightly from the floor if it doesn't already come with that, in your shopping unit. Okay.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:20:49]:
The last 2 examples here or of products that I have for you are are just The products, but they're also things I want you to think about in your process or your routine. The first 1 is regular cleaning. So, you know, again, this is a very broad topic. But what I want you to think about is just dust and clean those items regularly to prevent the build up of dirt and grime, which then can cause damage over time. So this is more of get like get a dust cloth, something that is specific for those items and or bins, especially if you have them out. So even if you have in a protective box, like and acrylic type of, box, you still wanna clean it, at least make sure that it's, you know, it doesn't stick to the shelving, over time. The oils and the paint, of the actual shelving unit or or any of those elements will start to melt a little bit, stick to the, to the shelf. So I just want you to and of move it around once in a while, quickly dust it.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:21:48]:
It doesn't have to be overly complicated because if The that is part of keeping something well and, maintaining its integrity over it because eventually, all those that dust, those little mites, those things that are around in the air will slowly start to damage it and, of course, we don't want that. So that's just and of how about how about a checklist? Maybe, you know, a reminder on your phone. Hey. Every 6 months, just do a check-in on those items that you have in the corner of your garage, and just kinda do it like a little shake, like shake it, shake it, shake it, Quickly do a little vacuum situation, dust situation, gentle cleaner for whatever it may be. Just and of go over it, so that nothing starts to accumulate that you don't want it to. The next 1 is a climate control. This is a very broad, subject because some of your homes might already have climate control in the air, like in the in the system, like in your The system. But for those of you who don't, like, I I don't.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:22:52]:
So every so if I want an area, like, we have, a couple of vintage clothing items that I really do want to keep The were handed down to me, then those are going to be The climate controlled area and which means it's part of our basement that is insulated and does not get direct sunlight, but it gets just enough so that it's not completely dark and cold, but it's not direct and, airflow does come into that space. So that would be considered climate control. Climate control really just means that you're controlling the climate of The ideal client for the I for the thing. You know, you've heard maybe you've heard of this with wines or food or whatever that may be. So, really, it's just what is the optimized or what is the best temperature for that item for it to be, kept long term. So, you know, if possible, just store the valuable items in in those types of climate controlled areas to avoid the extreme temperatures and humidity, which can then cause damage. Wood is a big example. Like, if you have furniture pieces you are trying to save and keep long term, those might need to have more climate control than other things because they absorb the moisture even if it's sealed and protected.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:24:07]:
You those items might need to have more care in those types of climate control areas. Same thing with, certain types of other materials, some jewelry, sometimes, it's, you know, the list can go on, especially food, like I and, wine. If though if if you've been passed down wine and and all those types of, like food and beverages and those definitely need to be in some kind of climate controlled, space, so look into that. Musical instruments is another example that need climate control. Wooden furniture, delicate fabrics, those types of things. With musical instruments, you know, there's different layers to The, so ask your favorite music store to help you with it. Not all instruments will be the same, so you just kinda want want to ask those questions, but make sure that you keep this in mind. If you don't have and, an area like this, like I mentioned, I do and I don't.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:25:02]:
I don't have a, like, my whole area and, like, whole home is not climate controlled, but there is a place where it's as close to climate control as possible. What I would like to add in my own example is a dehumidifier and they make them where they could be portable and, you know, just kinda have to it's like in a room and then it either, absorbs the humidity or, you know, whatever it may sometimes it's just like a it just controls the the elements in the room or the, climate in the room. So you can certainly get 1 that is portable in that way and that can that might be able to help instead of having it be stored, or having to pay the storage fee somewhere else or, having to risk that it could get damaged. So look into 1 of these. Alright. So that's our list for today. Let me know if you have any questions. If you'd like me to address your specific example, let's say, you have a lot of these types of items and you like to keep them organized and tidy and make sure that they last a long time, what recommendations would I have on that? Let me know and I will, answer it here on the podcast or over on the e newsletter.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:26:13]:
And as we start to get ready for a new free workshop, make sure you sign up for our free newsletter. It is in the show notes because we have another 1 coming up. We have them every couple of weeks and or months. The next 1 is in August 2024. If you're listening to this past August, don't you worry. We will have another 1 because we have them often. And all of these subject matters are centered around the topic of you've inherited stuff, the sandwich generation, the the generation that has stuff and they don't know what to do about it. But what they certainly don't want is they don't want to have it be a burden to others or either themselves, and they'd like to create a plan of some sort.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:26:57]:
So we're having these conversations about let's be mindful, let's be kind to each other with this process, but also make some plan of action that will get you the most value out of your your stuff, whether it's financial value, maybe it's value in other ways or emotional value. So come join us for a free workshop. Get on the wait list and or the in the the newsletter so you can get alerted about all of these awesome free workshops where I talk about how to get Organized, not to get overwhelmed if you're in this sandwich generation and if this applies to you. Until next week, happy Organized, everybody. Thank you for listening to the Organized and productive podcast with The Organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you'd leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here. For full show notes and resources, head on over to the Organized flamingo.com/podcast.
Stephanie Y. Deininger [00:27:54]:
Happy organizing.
