Why We Love Clear Storage Bins

via The Container Store

There are a lot of reasons you may want to purchase and use storage bins around the house. Whether it’s for food, clothing, tools or arts and crafts supplies, they can help keep things off the floor and organized. Despite there being a lot of options to choose from, when narrowing it down between clear and opaque, we think it’s clear storage bins that prove to be the true winner. Here’s why:

Benefits of Clear Storage Bins

1. They let you see exactly what’s inside.

While some people like using color-coded storage bins to differentiate what’s inside (like seasonal items or clothing vs. books), we prefer clear because then you can see exactly what’s inside without having to open the bin and dig around.

2. They keep things more organized.

Since you can see exactly what’s inside, you don’t need to take out and rummage through all of the blue winter clothing bins to find you’re favorite scarf.

Check out these 11 clothes storage ideas.

3. They make things look more uniform.

A great benefit of choosing all clear bins is that they make your storage less distracting and more streamlined. After a while, you may get tired of those orange and purple plastic tubs.

Here are 14 free storage container options for you to consider.

4. For food storage, you can see if something is contaminated.

You might be tempted to color-code dry foods in storage bins within your pantry, but the benefit of choosing clear storage bins means you can see if there are any critters that have made their way into your cereal or flour. For food in the fridge, you can see if perishable items have gone bad without having to get a nasty surprise when you remove the lid.

5. You can easily add more, if needed.

If you want to purchase storage bins without spending time trying to find more blue, red or orange plastic bins, your best bet is to always choose clear storage bins. Clear bins never go out of style!

Some of these storage ideas were submitted by Family Handyman readers, others were dreamed up by the editors, but all will help you get organized ASAP.