The Best Plastic Storage Containers for Every Room

For many people, their garage doubles as a catch-all storage room. You can keep items out of sight but within reach when storing them in the garage. But this can quickly become a safety hazard if you don’t have a good storage system in place. You’ll need to be careful not to trip over the clutter and that items don’t bang against your vehicles or roll underneath them. 

You can spend hundreds of dollars on steel garage cabinets and storage systems, or you can save money and buy freestanding plastic garage shelves and a few heavy-duty storage bins. Visual clutter can overwhelm a garage, so opt for storage bins with opaque sides. Make easy-to-read labels to help organize them.

If you live in an area with frequent rain or snow, choose water-resistant storage bins to ensure your goods are protected from the elements.

Consider yourself lucky if you’ve got a basement, as they are the ideal room for storing holiday decorations, off-season clothes, and anything else you don’t want in your bedroom closets.

Like the garage, you’ll want to go with water-resistant storage bins. Basements can get damp and can also flood due to storms or a water line bursting.

Make sure your basement storage bins are also stackable. Plastic lids can bend if too much weight is applied to them and they aren’t designed for stacking.

Like basements, attics are the ideal room for storing items you’ll only need once a year or less. Attics are even better for storing keepsakes and other sensitive items as they are usually dry, and you don’t have to worry about flooding.

The issue with attics is the access, so lifting heavy storage bins over your head or carrying them up rickety attic steps can be dangerous. Stick to small and medium-sized storage bins for your attic and make sure they are all well labeled as months or years might go by before you ever access them again.

Plastic storage containers can work wonders for organizing your kitchen. For example, you can place pasta, cereal, and dry goods into clear and sealable containers to prolong their shelf life. It also helps to prevent critters from accessing them. In addition, smaller storage bins can help sort popular seasonings, and larger containers are great for storing small appliances and accessories.

Make use of the hidden space under your bed and on the top shelf of your bedroom closet to store seasonal clothing, hats, shoes and linens. Small clear storage bins will work in any closet and under bed storage containers can serve as convenient drawers if you don’t have any. A storage trunk can double as decor and organization. Use it to store things like extra blankets and spare linens.

If you live in a small space, a bedroom closet might be your top storage option, so choose bins that are stackable and go as vertical as you can.

Keeping a kids' playroom organized is like digging in the sand. It can feel like an exercise in futility, but with the proper toy storage system you can stay a bit more organized.

Clear containers are the way to go when storing kids' toys. You can instantly see the contents of each bin and how full they are. Choose lids that are easy to open and close so your kids can help you, or better yet, clean up for themselves. Opt for storage drawers to keep toys like building blocks, cars and dinos seperated and organized.

Open plastic storage bins are also a great solution that your kids will love as they provide easy access to all their toys.

Laundry room storage can take many forms, but plastic storage bins are the most versatile. Larger bins can be used to store extra detergent, while smaller bins can help organize dryer sheets and whatever else you might find in your kids' pockets.

Decorative bins and baskets add a design element to your laundry room and soften a utilitarian space. They are available in a variety of sizes, materials, and colors to match your look.

Sheds are the best place to store tools, outdoor power equipment and camping gear. Tools are durable items but they are susceptible to rust and tents and sleeping bags can get moldy if not stored in a dry place.

Large water-resistant storage bins work great in sheds and rolling storage bins work even better to help move around heavy items.

If you don’t have the budget or room for a shed, an outdoor plastic storage container is a great option. These are available in the form of large freestanding closets or smaller deck boxes in all sizes.

These outdoor storage containers won’t rot from the sun or rain, and they can be disassembled and moved for use in various locations. Bikes, lawn mowers and lawn tools can fit into these durable structures. Some of them are also lockable if needed.