How can a rainbow save your sanity? If your self-storage unit is cluttered with random boxes, bins, and bulky items that you can never find when you need them, take a look at everything you need to know about color-coding your rental.
Why Color Code Your Entire Storage Unit?
Even though you may not spend much time in the rental, the unit shouldn't look like a junk closet. A neat and well-organized unit makes it easy to find anything you need or add extra items without disrupting the organization.
Is Color-Coding the Only Way To Organize Your Rental?
Simply stated, no. There are countless ways to organize a storage unit. These include everything from an alphabetical approach to a season-by-season storage strategy. While you can choose any organization option, a color-coded strategy is easy to use, doesn't require you to move items just to read hard-to-see labels, and can even beautify your storage space.
How Can You Color Code the Entire Rental Unit?
Categorization is the first step of a color-coding strategy. You can categorize by rooms, types of items, or any other grouping that makes sense to you. Create a color schematic that includes each of these categories. Inventory everything and add the color code to your list or spreadsheet.
You can also divide major color categories into subcategories. Code each sub-category with a different shade of the main color. This might include red for all kitchen items, with maroon for dishware, pink for utensils, and ruby red for small appliances. Use this type of system for other categories or areas of the storage unit.
How Should You Pack Items in a Color-Coded Storage Unit?
The same packing tips that apply to a non-color-coded unit will also apply to your rental. However, you will need to make some changes. Instead of plain boxes, bins, and bags, you will only use the rainbow of colors you have already assigned to items in the unit. You will also need moving blankets or quilts and tarps that feature your chosen colors.
Pack smaller or breakable items into colorful cardboard boxes. If you can't find boxes in the right colors, cover the cardboard with wrapping or construction paper. Use sturdy plastic bins to store books, heavy dishware, and anything that could easily break through or damage the bottom of a cardboard box. Use soft colorful tote bags to store children's toys, linens, or clothing.
Unlike books, dishware, knick-knacks, and other smaller household items, you can't pack appliances or furniture into boxes, bins, or bags. Instead of trying to put these bulky, heavy, and oversized items into something else, put something else on them.
Wrap appliances and furniture in color-coded tarps, quilts, or blankets. These covers will do more than just help you to organize everything in your storage unit by color. A tarp, quilt, or blanket will protect the item underneath it, reducing the risks of damage or debris build-up.
How Should You Organize the Whole Storage Unit?
Now that you have chosen a color scheme, created matching categories or subcategories, and packed everything, it's time to organize the entire unit. Instead of a random or haphazard approach to storage unit placement, turn the interior space into a rainbow. The colors of the rainbow are (in order) red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Start at the left side of the unit with red and move towards the right, changing hues until you get to violet (or purple).
Before you can start color-coding, you need to choose a rental. Do you need to rent a self-storage unit? Contact Tysons Self Storage for more information on your rental options.
