Have you ever looked through your freezer and wondered what the heck that bag of something was? Or found a cord in your junk drawer and had no clue what it belonged to? LABELING is the answer.
But I’m sure you’re thinking that labeling sounds like a lot of work for your already overloaded schedule. So how do you make it happen? You make it EASY. If you have to dig for supplies or use a complicated labeling system, you probably won’t do it.
Here are a couple of ideas:
Freezer & Refrigerator Labeling: I have a sharpie and masking tape in my baggie drawer right by the refrigerator. There’s no excuse not to label items that go in the refrigerator and freezer because the supplies are right there! It only takes a minute and it saves a lot of trouble later.
Labeling items in the refrigerator is mainly helpful for knowing how long they’ve been there and whether they’re still good. Labeling items in the freezer is much more important because once they’re frozen, they’re hard to identify. A label will tell you exactly what it is – no guessing games and no surprises!
Cords: As far as cords, you have several options. You can place the cords in a zip lock bag and label the bag. Or you could use tape or a file folder label and put the label directly on the cord. Either way, it’s probably best to have a designated spot for cords and have your labeling supplies in that drawer.
Outdated Small Electronics: You can dispose of these or hang on to them for a while. I have a couple of old cell phones I’m hanging on to in case something happens to my current phone. I have the phone and accessories in a zip lock bag stored in my junk drawer. Obviously I don’t need to label the phone since it’s obvious what it is. But if you do hang on to something that isn’t quite so obvious, it probably needs a label. And remember, even if you will know exactly what the item is, other members of your family may not.
Extra parts: Sometimes you get extra parts with items you purchase. Those pieces are really hard to identify once they get separated from the item they go with. Save yourself some heartache by putting the pieces in a zip lock and labeling the bag. Then put them in your junk drawer with all the other cords and extra parts.
Keys: I found a bunch of keys in my desk drawer. I had no idea what any of them were so I did a little research and was able to identify many of them. I labeled them so I wouldn’t have to do that again!
So there you have it – a simple system for labeling odds and ends so you don’t have ”mystery” items floating around your house. Then when you really need something, you’ll have a better chance of actually finding it and knowing it’s what you’re looking for!
My grandma used empty paper towel rolls to get her kitchen cords under control. She would slip the cords into the towel rolls, label them with a sharpie and put them in a designated drawer. That drawer was always neat and organized, and we all knew we could find a cord there to any kitchen appliance!
Great idea. I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks for sharing.
By the way, thanks for posting your blog. I read every one of them. They are quite helpful. A lot of the things I already do but once in a while, I read something new. I don’t always comment so just wanted to let you know your blog is appreciated!
Thank you so much for your kind words. And for reading the posts.