Declutter Storage Containers & Storage Boxes {Mission}

Today's mission is to declutter storage containers and storage boxes.


It makes sense to put this mission on the Declutter 365 calendar now, after three weeks of decluttering the main storage spaces and areas in our home.

These include decluttering your:

• basement


• garage


• attic


• crawl space


• other storage rooms or closets; and


• off-site storage unit or locker

After doing these missions if you still have storage boxes and other containers that you need to sort and go through, go ahead and do this as part of today's mission. Empty them by working through one box at a time, 15 minutes at a time.

Decide What To Do With Excess Empty Storage Containers

However, the main point of this mission is really to deal with all of the now empty storage bins, tubs, boxes and containers you've got now that you've decluttered a lot of the junk inside of them.

Obviously I think you should save as many of these empty containers as you think is reasonable for use later, because you don't want to have to go out and buy new ones if you decide to store something in the future.

On the other hand, lots of people have found after working through the Declutter 365 program that they actually don't need as many bins and boxes as they've currently purchased for themselves, and all of the excess containers themselves become clutter.

Keeping one or two (or whatever number you find reasonable) for later use is perfectly legitimate. Planning to re-accumulate as much clutter as you used to have, and therefore assuming you'll refill all those storage containers completely up again is not something we should aspire to!

So today assess, for yourself, what you think is a reasonable number of these containers to keep and then decide how you'll get rid of the rest of them.

Remember, if you use nesting containers, that stack easily, one inside the other, they don't take up as much room, but don't use that as an excuse to save too many.

I would love to hear from you, in the comments, telling me what you think is a reasonable number of empty containers for you to keep for later use. I'd also love to hear your ideas for what to do with the empty bins you decide to get rid of.

Possible ideas for these containers include selling them, such as in a garage or yard sale, or through Craigslist or something similar, or donating them to a charity or similar organization that could use them.

Below I've gathered quite a few pictures sent in by readers who've been very proud (and rightly so!) to show off all their empty storage bins and boxes they've now been able to get rid of when the clutter left their home by working through the Declutter 365 daily missions.

I hope these photos will inspire you, and also show you that small daily actions can yield dramatic results over time!

And special thanks to a reader, Amber, who sent in several photos of all the empty containers she got rid of over the course of several months, several of which you'll see below, but also that you see above in the mission photos.

More Of Amber's Empty Storage Containers & What She Did With Them

As I mentioned above, Amber sent in quite a few photos of her empty storage bins and boxes, to show how much stuff she decluttered from her home. Above is a collage of more of those photos.

This is what she said about the photos, which were sent in one at a time over the course of a several month period.

First, she said, "We just moved and these all got sold today. The contents mostly are going to garage sale and donate. :) woohoo."

Next, she said, "Sold another set of bins. Everything in them dealt with, donated, trashed, recycled or reused thank all goodness. I will probably only be purging one more set of bins."

Finally, she said about the empty storage drawers, "Selling these bin drawers. Great for storage (a.k.a for us that means hoarding). I thought about using them in my sewing room, but just couldn't do it. They are not something I want permanently, and are too flimsy (they all stack and come apart) to be accessing much in the top ones. Will I regret it? Maybe short term, but I am loving having to purge everything that doesn't fit in what we have (that isn't bins). As you can see from all the bins I've already sold, we had a bin problem! I told myself if we ever move again, I want it to be less than we came with :) We are loving just having all of our favourite things around."

Getting Rid Of Excess Storage Bins & Containers Shows Your Progress

Think of those empty containers and boxes as badges of honor, or a last symbol of all the hard work you put in to get your storage spaces cleared out of excess junk and clutter.

Be proud of those empty bins, and then get rid of them! :)

Here's just a few more photos from readers who did just that, so we can cheer them on. The photo above is from a reader, Ammi. She said, "These empties show my progress so far! Most were filled with my mom's things. Many will be filled with my adult kids things and either given to them or stored here but ready to go go go! So much has been done here! Thanks for the motivation."



Similarly, Linda sent in the photo above of her empty containers, stating, "My stack of empty boxes. Already used some of the cardboard boxes to take stuff to flea market and Goodwill. I will keep the empties until the rehab is done, then decide on their fate."

Want To Do More Decluttering Missions? Get Started With Declutter 365 Today!

Once you declutter one type of item in your home I bet you'll want to declutter some more. After all, decluttering gives you a great reward for even a small investment of time and energy.

The Declutter 365 system is designed to help you declutter, over the course of a year, your entire house, with just 15 minutes of decluttering each day!

Hundreds of thousands of people use this proven system to get rid of their clutter, and bring peace and calm back to their homes.

Declutter 365 works to guide you to clear the clutter without overwhelm, focusing on just one small area at a time, and without making a huge mess in the process, so you see consistent forward progress without all that "messy middle" that makes it even harder to function in your home than before you started.

In addition to building a daily decluttering habit, the Declutter 365 program, along with the accompanying 52 Week Organized Home Challenge, teaches you the skills, habits, routines, and mindsets necessary to maintain the clutter free and organized state of your home from now on, so it'll never be as messy and cluttered as it is right now, ever again.

If you haven't already, make sure to get your copy of this year's Declutter 365 annual calendar here (it's FREE!), find today's date, and do 15 minutes of decluttering on the day's mission. Then, repeat again tomorrow, and again and again. Over the course of the next year, if you do this 15 minutes per day, you'll declutter your whole house!

Get This Storage Areas Decluttering Checklist + 32 Other Decluttering Checklists For Your Home

Right now you're decluttering storage areas within your home, and there's a lot of stuff to declutter in these spaces.

Get your 2 page storage areas decluttering checklist, plus 32 other decluttering checklists, to help you declutter your entire home here.

I've done the hard work of breaking down these tasks into smaller more manageable steps for you, so you don't get overwhelmed or worry you're forgetting a task, and you can go at the pace you want, whether that's fast or slow.

In addition, you can tackle these decluttering tasks in whatever order you want when you use these checklists!

You might also be interested in this article, which explains a simple clutter solution to keep your online purchases, and the shipping boxes they come in, from overfilling your home.

Related Pages You May Enjoy

Getting Clutter Free 15 Minutes At A Time Hall Of Fame

Getting Rid Of Garage & Storage Spaces Clutter Hall Of Fame

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