Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ZiplocSavesSpace #CollectiveBias
Recently, I was at my parent's house when I noticed a sneaky pile of cushions and blankets in the corner of the living room. Being a neat freak, I immediately noticed it, even though my mom had scooted a bookshelf over to try and hide it. :) You have to understand that I am such an organization aficionado, that as a kid I would organize the kitchen, garage, closets, and every other room in the house for fun. Basically, she's used to me poking around in her closets!
So when I asked my mom about what was going on, she told me that the storage closet was already full! When the holidays come around, my family loooves hanging out here because there are three couches, plus lots of comfy pillows and blankets. That means she has a stash of guest blankets that only need to come out for the big holiday parties. Also, this summer she bought new cushions for her patio chairs. Now that winter is rolling around, she decided to store them inside to avoid weathering
Well that explains it!
I suggested that we maximize the space in her closet by using Ziploc® Space Bags®, which create three times the storage space. Get this... my mom has never used them before! Immediately, I decided that I needed to share a few useful tips on how to use Ziploc® Space Bags® with both her and all of you. After I show you how well they worked for my mom, then I'll share those helpful hints. First stop, Lowe's! You can find the Ziploc® Space Bags® in the Home Organization section, in the Storage aisle. Easy peasy!
So here are the items that I started off with in the Ziploc® Space Bags®. I stuffed them in there a bit, so I thought they were already compressed.
Nuh uh! I always feel like it's magic when I see HOW MUCH space is saved! I mean, on the box it says it compresses up to 3 times the space compared to uncompressed storage volume. I believe it!!!
Now, are you ready for the tips? Let's get started!
Tip #1: Utilize Your Sizes
I used all three sizes above because I wanted to make sure that everything fits just right. If you're not sure, get the variety pack to test out what's best for you!
Tip #2: Pack smart!
By this, I mean a couple of things. First of all, the best items to use in Ziploc® Space Bags® are going to be things that have the ability to significantly compress. Cushions, blankets, pillows, and clothing are perfect! However, do not use them to store food, leather, fur, or holiday decorations. Another smart tip is to make sure that if there are any sharp areas, pointy buttons, or metal pieces, make sure they're not in contact with the Ziploc® Space Bag®. Even though the bags are durable, I made sure to take the metal straps of the seat cushions above, and flip them inside the cushion for extra protection.
Tip #3: Know Your High Priority Items
Just like your clothes closet, you don't want to put your favorite, most used items in the very back. For storage purposes, pack those items by themselves! This blanket gets used a lot, so if my mom needs it, she just has to pull out the single Ziploc® Space Bag® and decompress only one item. The Ziploc® Space Bags® are reusable, so she can recompress and decompress whenever she needs to!
Tip #4: Follow the Directions!
Your teacher was right! It pays to follow the directions. Luckily, they are printed right on the bag: Open, Fill, Seal, and Vacuum. That's it! Probably the most important thing to pay attention to is the "Fill Line." Don't fill past it! Simple as that. :)
Tip #5: Label It!
In my example above, it's not too necessary to label the cushions because I can see them! However, if you are storing off-season clothing and other different items, you'll want to know which bag that Ugly Christmas Sweater is in before decompressing every one of your Ziploc® Space Bags®. Get as fancy as you want, or just scribble it down before vacuuming!
So here's the end of the story. With these tips, my mom and I spent an hour running around the house, finding more things to put into the Ziploc® Space Bags®... and they all fit into the storage closet with room to spare! The messy corner is no longer and she even found a spot to stash her growing holiday present pile. Yay!
What will you store in your Ziploc® Space Bags®?
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