Creating An Outdoor Closet

Monthly, I volunteer at a local homeless shelter (Samaritan House) in Charlotte which provides care for homeless guests who are recovering from a hospital stay.   As you know from previous posts on their dining room and basement, this program is located in an older home which causes lots of storage and organization issues. 

Recently, when I was working, the director, Miss Carrie, mentioned they were frustrated that they didn't have a place to store their outdoor equipment.   As she started, I was thinking they just need a simple storage shed.

She went out to describe what she wanted to store....outdoor tablecloths, outdoor decorations, cleaning supplies.  As she went on, I started thinking...wait, this needs to be really an "outdoor closet".   Luckily, Rubbermaid just came out with new Roughneck sheds.  The cool thing about these is that because they are double-walled (helps protect from the elements), they also have slots in the walls so that you can hang shelving or pegboard.  The benefit is that the shed doesn't become a disorganized dumping ground for stuff.  I thought this would be perfect for Miss Carrie's storage needs. 

I shipped a shed to them.  Luckily, when I called to see if it had made it, she said some high school kids who were volunteering put it together in less than a half hour!  Awesome...

When I got there though, they had just placed their stuff in it.  As you can see, this is not optimal for maximizing the organization potential. 

 

So, I installed a Homefree closet kit which I have a lot of experience with, and went on an organizing mission also using Roughneck totes to provide more storage for these items.  My part of the project took less than ten minutes.

Miss Carrie was so excited she had an organized home for her stuff, she gave me a hug.  In looking back, I realize I should have put labels on the totes for her.  I will be sure to tackle this next visit!

Organizing your stuff when there’s no where to go but out

By Allison Carter, CPO® - www.TheProfessionalOrganizer.com

Living in a small-ish house has some advantages and disadvantages.

On the plus side, the utility bills are low, there is less to clean, and it keeps me from acquiring more stuff than you need.

On the down side, there just isn’t much room for the stuff you DO need. And if you don't have a good attic, basement, or garage for storage, the only place to go is out.

That’s why I was so excited to get a new Rubbermaid Roughneck shed. We have an old wooden shed that came with the house.

But it is full of bugs, plant-life, and who knows what else. It’s a perfect spot for lawn and garden stuff, but not for those odds and ends that require a teensy weensy bit of care.Luckily, my husband didn’t want to put anything into the new shed so it is MINE, ALL MINE!!! Mwaaahaaaahaaaa.

But what to put in it??? And how?

I decided to use this shed to clear out some space in our overstuffed indoor storage room.

That room is full of files, tools, house-wares, hardware, house-painting stuff, gifts to give, sports equipment, beach and pool gear, folding card tables and chairs, and an extra fridge.

The thing that took up the most space: Many paint cans from full to half full and all of the house painting supplies.

Another collection of stuff I’m a little embarrassed to admit is an assortment of empty containers, bins, and Tupperware (NOTE from Jim @ Rubbermaid: Jim needs to send Allison some Easy Find Lids food storage containers) that I use from time to time and sometimes give to clients in need. There’s much more of it that I care to say. And the lids!! There must be two dozen lids to bins that are in use without their mate.

After putting the shed together (an event in itself – see the video. Notice the weather change from winter to spring; that was just one week here in Atlanta.)

I chose to get one of my favorite kinds of shelving – the sturdy plastic shelves that you bang together with a mallet. This shelving has done me right for years working with clients in basements and garages.

I put them together but left off the top shelf because of the height of the shed. Then I used the extra shelves to make another set of lower shelves.

I brought in the variety of house paints by color, paint supplies, rags and organized them on the left.

I brought in the assortment of empty containers and set them up on the right where they would be easy to get to when I need one.I have left open space in the back on the right so that I can bring my holiday decorations down from the attic, but since I’m an efficient organizer, I’m not going to get them out until I take them out again for the holidays. So I expect to really fill the place up after Christmas.

I’ll also put our pool and beach gear and camping stuff in the shed after summer (that’s why there is so much empty space on the back wall.)

The keys to organizing storage space is

1. Grouping like things with like so you can scan in only one zone when looking for things.
2. Maximizing the space by getting your things off of the floor. Without proper shelves this place would look like a crazy mess.
3. Label the areas if will help you find things again or help other people using the shed to find things when you're not around.

Shedding a/k/a - Organizing the Shed - Part 1

So...we've had this ongoing project of rebuilding our shed and then organizing it for the past few years.  Well, I am excited to say that this is the YEAR!!  We're about to put the finishing touches on the outside and will then be ready to start organizing what's already in the shed and what needs to go from the house into the shed..alas "SHEDDING".

As you can see from the pictures below, we have a lot of stuff to organize.  To make the purging easier, we're going to create piles of keep, give away, and thrash.

So to all of you organized bloggers out there..I'm looking for some new and creative ideas!! Any suggestions you can give to help me organize the stuff in my shed with room for the stuff in the house, would be greatly appreciated!   

 

 

Everyone has a Water Jug but my son

As some of you may know my son Shannon plays soccer. While I was hanging out at soccer practice the other night I was struck by an interesting realization. Nearly everyone on the soccer team had a Rubbermaid Water Jug except Shannon (although I'm positive none of the other team members have as many Blue Ice blocks as we do). I thought this was rather funny. Anyway, here are some pictures.

The owner of this water cooler must get really thirst.

One of our 1/2 gallon victory jugs in our new blue color.

 

Another 1/2 gallon Victory water jug in our older blue color.

Attack of the Animals - Why do they chew on plastic?

It seems that no matter the time of year, Rubbermaid Consumer Services receives a number of phone calls regarding animals chewing our refuse containers, sheds, or other outdoor storage items.  While this is not a manufacturing issue, it is an irritating one to those who fight the battle.

 

Animals are not attracted to the plastic; they are attracted to the odors emitted from items stored inside.  Here are some suggestions on how to deter animal chewing (and to overpower the odors that attract animals):

1.  Using a sock or cheesecloth, place mothballs inside and tape to the underside of the refuse container lid.  Caution: mothballs are toxic when ingested and may kill birds.

2.  Rub Capsaicin (an arthritis cream) on the outside of the container.

3.  Make your own repellent

    - 1 small bottle of hot pepper sauce

    - 1 gallon of water

    - 1 tsp. of mild liquid detergent such as dishwashing detergent.

    - Combine all ingredients and spray on containers or shed.

4.  Place rags soaked with ammonia inside the item.

5.  Rub cayenne pepper onto the unit.

 

There are many companies that offer deer and squirrel repellent sprays that can be found in home improvement and gardening stores.  Follow manufacturer's instructions when using.

 

In the instance that a piece of your shed is damaged or the lid to your refuse container needs to be replaced, please call Rubbermaid Consumer Services for pricing and availability.  We can be reached by calling 1-888-895-2110 Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm ET.

 

Note: The Animal Stopper Refuse Container does offer a defense mechanism for keeping animals out by locking the lid in place.  While it does keep animals from removing the lid, it does not prevent animal chewing.

Hope that helps answer some of the common questions about why animals chew on plastic.

Deck Box Assembly Insights

With working in Consumer Services for a few years, summertime is peak season for technical questions with our outdoor product line.  There is one scenario that plays over and over throughout the department on the average work day:  "My deck box falls apart every time I open it".  From a consumer perspective, it can be very aggravating that such a simple assembly can result in such a frustrating situation.  The answer to the problem, in most cases, is that the floor is upside down. 

I understand that this does not seem possible as the deck box looks exactly like the photo on the carton.  No worries, let me explain.

To verify correct assembly, you will need to open the deck box and look down at the floor.  If you can see a part number molded into the plastic or there are deep dents and "valleys" visible, your floor is upside down.  Disassemble the unit and flip the floor over so that the "smooth" side is facing up and the sloped lip of the floor is in the front; reassemble.

The deck box should now function as intended and open without falling apart. Mission accomplished!

If you need further assistance, our Consumer Service Department can be reached by calling 1-888-895-2110 Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm ET.