Do You Really Need Another Basket? …Yes, Probably

Do you have a problem-spot in your house? Add a basket. Baskets are a magical, powerful, all-purpose tidying tool. They turn a mess into a decoration. And by using them in unconventional ways and spaces, you can actually solve some real problems. The key is in the system.

But first, let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room: I don’t want you to buy things you don’t need. Yes, that’s true, so check to see if you have any extra baskets or containers on hand first. Also, make sure that you are regularly decluttering so that you’re not just using the baskets to hide things you don’t need. But then? You might want to get some baskets…

Here are some examples of ways that baskets can turned into problem-solving systems:

• Toys: We don’t have a playroom, so we just have toys in our main living areas. Baskets allow for my kids to easily access they toys when they’re home, but baskets also completely hide the toys when the kids are away.
• Stuffed Animals: Our boys’ beds were becoming overrun with stuffed animals, so we added a basket next to each of their beds. Now the stuffed animals “live” in the basket, and the boys can just pick out their favorites to bring to bed. Yes, sometimes they are all favorites, and that’s fine! They can enjoy those stuffed animals as much as they want—that’s what they’re there for! But it’s nice for the animals to have a “home” outside of the bed for when it’s time to change the sheets, or when we just want to restore the room to a baseline level of tidiness.
• Blankets: Folding blankets at the end of the night, when I am at my most tired, is such a pain. But unfolded blankets can really kill the vibe of a tidy room. Well, a basket can solve that problem! Fold no more. Just toss the blankets in a basket.
• Laundry: But not where you’d expect… A laundry basket downstairs, in the entryway, in the family room, etc. Do you have random items of clothing that get dispersed around the house? Simplify your clean-up with a downstairs laundry basket.
• Stained Laundry: Again, for laundry, but with a twist: If you have stains that need to soak, instead of sprawling those soaking clothing items all over your laundry room, add a small basket for stained clothes in your laundry room. Or, designate it for stained items that need to be worked on, but you haven’t treated the stains yet. Then, when a stain disaster strikes, you have a home for the clothing item that won’t stress you out every time you walk by it. And you can treat the stained clothes in batches, which is more efficient anyways.
• Wear-Again Clothes: You know those clothes that are dirty enough that you don’t want to hang them back up with the clean clothes, but they’re not quite dirty enough to go in the laundry? That’s a valid category. I call it “wear-again.” And those clothes don’t need to go on the floor or on a chair. Get a basket with the sole purpose of housing your “wear-again” clothes, and your room will feel so much tidier!
• Outgoing Items: You could personalize this—for example, I made a basket for items that need to go to our kids’ daycare. You could also have a basket for items that need to be returned to other people, or returned to the store. Which items are cluttering up your mudroom or entryway? Think about their category and if a basket would help you develop a system.
• Incoming Items: A basket for items you brought in from the car but haven’t had a chance to put away yet. Or a basket that travels between the house and the car for carrying items to and from the car.
• Mail + Papers: I will always advocate for throwing away as much of your mail as you can before it even enters the house. But for those items that actually need to be sorted through and actioned, get a basket! A file folder or holder will also work, but baskets are pretty and hide the mess. Bottom line, though: the kitchen counter has enough work to do; it doesn’t need your mail and papers, too.
• House Purse: Read the post here. One of my most beloved systems!

What are some creative ways that you use a basket around your house?