Mostly every home I visit has a bag dilemma of sorts.  People just obtain too many unnecessary needless bags.  They end up being stored in your limited storage spaces until you move, have a flood or till I pay you a visit and veto the bag collection and rezone the space for something practical and functional.  We collect them in every shape, size and colour and name them approximately as lunch bag, paper bags, plastic bags, gift bags, travel bags, Ziploc’s baggies and shopping bags etc.

Last week I received an email or cry for help from what seemed to be an extremely detailed lady.  She has about a zillion bags give or take in a variety of sizes. Sarah reads my column regularly and writes in part:

“My question is:  I have a very tiny space and I like to separate:  (1) grocery bags; (2) clear fruit bags;  (3) plain (white/gray) bags–both small and large;  (4) extra large plastic bags; and one for (5) miscellaneous.  I’ve tried small cardboard (Liquor Box-10×8) with compartments in a section of a bottom cupboard — takes up too much room.  Considered 5 separate Potato Chip containers — too difficult to access. Can you help?”

Sarah thanks for your question.
Part A: Storing so many bags in a small space is definitely not practical.  Although I am not a fan of the plastic world, there is always the Bag Saver available at most Wal-Mart’s and Canadian Tires.  This is a plastic unit the size of a forearm with Tooney sized holes throughout.  The unit can attach to the back of a door, wall, underneath a cabinet or wherever you to access it from.  That should handle most of your day-to-day supply.  One side can store clear bags and the other side can store “grocery bags”. Extra large bags can be laid flat in a drawer or at the bottom of a cabinet.

Part B: Think outside the plastic bags. Another absolute resolution is to substitute an environmentally friendly solution to the bag dilemma.  Such as storing food in glass containers, shopping with reusable canvas bags.  Always recycle your plastic and paper in the proper bins for waste.

Until next time, happy organizing and keep your questions coming.

Brenda Borenstein is your Professional Organizing Guru.  Read her column every second Thursday in the Metro.   For more tips and ideas please visit her Website www.organizedzone.com.  Contact her @416-665-2165 or metro@organizedzone.com This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

She has organized over a thousand homes, and says,  “There is nothing I haven’t seen and nothing that can’t be overcome.”