I don't have a laundry room nor a linen closet nor a pantry

amother

Fern ↓

Sun, Dec 08 2024, 12:16 am

amother Peru wrote:

I hear you I had this too and it was hard! Can I say what I did when I had this situation?

Ignore this if you don’t want advice.
I got white cabinets with doors and put them wherever they could fit, so one was a pantry, one was a coat closet, one was a linen closet etc..

OP - sorry! I know that's annoying, creativity is your friend (also at some point we had to acknowledge that even though buying in bulk was cheaper, we just didn't have the space). Did I mention that at one point some things got literally stored in the car trunk? Think sports things that would have to be brought to the park anyway, same with drinks that would be taken to work - nice and cold in winter, as long as they didn't freeze Wink

Metal shelves have been our biggest helper - placed in odd places, but they work for us as a pantry, linen closet, etc. They don't look pretty or fancy lol, but they get the job done. Things like this, which come in multiple sizes, number of shelves, etc =

https://www.target.com/p/5-tie.....metab

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Dec 08 2024, 12:28 am

amother Linen wrote:

I thought you where me but we are 10 bh.

Op when you want to appreciate your home and all that it has come for coffee and I'll give you a grand tour.
You'll go home singing and dancing.

Let's keep this going for another two pages and then I'll be ready to embrace the positivity.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Dec 08 2024, 12:29 am

amother Nemesia wrote:

Please vent!! I had the same in my old apartment. We couldn't even keep dishes in the sink and I had only a set for 4 people!! We kept it in the sole hall closet. That also kept towels, linens, laundry detergent...

In my new place we do have a hall closet which stores everything pretty much.
I have sinks with cabinets underneath. That helps.
Stuff under beds.
I also got an over the door shoe organizer thing that helps with things like spray bottles (409, windex, shout, air freshener) as well as my spare sponges and small random stuff like bug spray and sunblock. I would put them over every door but it makes a banging sound when you put heavy stuff that would wake my kids so I don't.
I have short dressers in closets so hanging shirtd can go above and I store towels, linens etc there.

It is so hard! I am not on top of things and have piles but I also work about 40 hours a week out of the home, have kids with special needs, and not enough cleaning help... Crying

Yeah, those over the door organizers bang when you open and close the door. I have one of those for small games and toys.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Dec 08 2024, 12:33 am

dankbar wrote:

Over the toilet you can do fancy shelves to keep folded bath towels. Under sink if it doesn't go to floor but has legs or shelf, or change you're current one you can keep rolled towels in wicker bins or just plain on shelf.

Get everyone a bathrobe on hook of door so no need for towels, or every one has one towel, color coded that they reuse.

I can do an over the toilet shelf thingy but that'll take away from the shower curtain rod space which is used to hang wet laundry which can't go into the dryer. Shabbos dresses, uniform skirts, etc.
Under the sink we keep all the cleaning detergents and supplies (gloves, rags) and laundry detergents and more. No space for towels there.

amother

Obsidian ↓

Sun, Dec 08 2024, 12:35 am

OP, I lived like you with a family of 8 for several years.
People asked me how I "manage to stay sane" (I said Klonopin, lol) and being a minimalist!
We bh went through several big ticket challenges, and I say that living in a tiny apartment is one of the most challenging. (it also means being strapped financially, not being able to afford more)...
It's a true challenge, I wanted to open a support group for woman going through this challenge of living in a smaller then small apartment.

If you're interested in advice-
Only keep what you use often and brings you joy. Let everything else go.

(Anything extra, place in a neighbors basement)

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Dec 08 2024, 12:35 am

dankbar wrote:

I put my mop, on holders hanging inside closet where washer is.

My broom, shovel, step chair, side space of freezer in kitchen.

Ironing board behind desk/hutch in bedroom.

The closet with the washer has no extra space, not on the wall, not above the washer/dryer and not over the door.
My broom and mop are on the side space of the fridge/freezer in kitchen. No space for a stepstool or shovel.

up high

Sun, Dec 08 2024, 12:37 am

I'm a home organizer. You're welcome to send me photos of your rooms, so I can give you ideas of if and how to make it work better. Sometimes another set of eyes (from an outsider) can see from a different angle.
rscoachingny@gmail.com

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Dec 08 2024, 12:39 am

amother Obsidian wrote:

I appreciate the sympathy.

The ironic part is that we have plenty of storage space for stuff not used often, but since it's a huge hassle to get there or not weather-proofed (like the outdoor shed) it's unpractical to put things that get used more than three times a year. I'm grateful to have those spaces for Pesach storage and summer storage and bulky baby gear.

Still doesn't help me with the daily stuff. I'm not going to the shed or the attic each time I need the iron or a bath towel or a vacuum cleaner or a tissue box.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Dec 08 2024, 12:40 am

up high wrote:

You are too nice!

amother

↑ Obsidian

Sun, Dec 08 2024, 12:42 am

amother OP wrote:

Correct, that's why I said "think minimalist". We must become a minimalist when we live in tiny spaces.

amother

↑ Linen ↓

Sun, Dec 08 2024, 12:45 am

amother Obsidian wrote:

Op doesn't live In a tiny apartment she lives In A house with a shed.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Dec 08 2024, 1:00 am

amother Ivory wrote:

All I can say is I feel bad you have to live like this. I would get rid of everything. Including the husband and kids. Then the beds can go. The broom can go. The iron too… Very Happy

This made me laugh out loud!!!

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Dec 08 2024, 1:08 am

dankbar wrote:

So put other things you don't use so often into the shed and attic so you have more room for the dailies

So should I put the kids into storage? The CDs they like to listen to? The diapers? The pots? Or maybe the challah boards? Or the beans? Probably the dirty laundry and may as well put the clean laundry that's on the dining room table waiting to be folded? Or maybe my sons' hats that are also on the dining room table? No, I know, I'll put this laptop I'm typing on (in my bed which gets stored under my bed because where else?) and then I won't have to read everyone's helpful responses when all I want is to just sulk. I don't want to reorganize and declutter every six weeks. I don't want to be busy packing everything away every day because there is maybe one inch of my house that's not visible to anyone standing at the front door. I don't want my bras hanging on the drying rack in the dining room. I don't want to be super on top of hanging the uniforms back into the closet or risk the kids pulling down the whole shower curtain rod when they get their uniform on their own in the morning. I don't want my household routines to be limited by who's sleeping then in whichever room holds the tools needed to get the job done.

amother

Wisteria ↓

Sun, Dec 08 2024, 1:10 am

amother OP wrote:

There's a folding stepstool you can get that takes up very little space.
I use all my vertical space to the max. I stuff everything in the tops of closets all the way to the ceiling. Same with the top of the fridge. Even the tops of seforim shranks; you can put pretty artwork in front to hide the mess.
Under every bed and crib are storage boxes.
You can fit freestanding closets in places you might not believe possible, like hallways or at the foot of the bed in the master bedroom. Bonus is that it breaks up the room.
There are decorative rounded corner shelving units that you can actually fit into corners and actually pile things like towels up on.
Forgive me if you went though these options already.

amother

↑ Wisteria ↓

Sun, Dec 08 2024, 1:12 am

amother OP wrote:

I totally hear you about the bras drying in the dining room 🙈 ah, the joys of small apartment dwelling!
Do you not have bunk beds? By us, uniform skirts get hung to dry on the bunk bed of the kid the belong to.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Dec 08 2024, 1:14 am

amother Wisteria wrote:

Pray tell what do you keep on top of your closets and on top of your fridge and on top of your seforim shanks? Wondering if my vacuum cleaner fits there.

A freestanding closet at the foot of the bed in the master bedroom - how do you get out of bed? I mean, you realize my baby's crib is at the side of my bed.
Rounded corner shelving units for towels need actual physical corners. One corner holds the vanity, the other two corners the bathtub and the fourth corner meets the hinge of the bathroom door.