Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011
Just like cleaning the bathroom – isn’t there always something else that’s more important to do rather than de-cluttering? As you squeeze another t-shirt into your already stuffed drawers, why not take the plunge and seriously deal with your personal storage?
Keep yourself entertained – Turn on your favourite tracks, switch on the radio and get busy with clearing up. Tackle the floor and surfaces first, then open up some cupboards and do a proper review. Starting with clothes in the bedroom should be easy… Just remember the six-month rule! You can keep special items with real, sentimental value in self storage units, see www.bigyellow.co.uk/personal.
Grab a regular cuppa – After the initial blitz, make yourself a cup of tea. Looking around with fresh eyes can often make all the difference. Personal storage at Big Yellow is ideal for all those things that you simply can’t bring yourself to throw away. Like your Mum’s old china? If you’re not using it for tea and cake, donate it to Charity or put it in storage for your own children.
Get your friends involved – to help and to donate to. Everyone knows that ‘Many hands make light work’. You’ll find that the things stored and cluttering up your rooms may be real treasures to someone else, and you can have a good catch up at the same time.
Change rooms regularly – by switching from room to room you can keep busy and cover the whole house. The home office can be the most difficult job. Visit www.bigyellow.co.uk as we can help with personal and business storage needs.
De-cluttering isn’t easy, but if you can keep your precious items safe in Big Yellow storage, there is real satisfaction and positivity created in having clean lines and empty surfaces in the home.
Image via shino 誌野 on Flickr
Tags: armadillo self storage, at home, big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, book storage, boxes, byss, clean, clutter, de-clutter, declutter, home, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, Self Storage UK, tips and tricks, UK storage
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Thursday, July 28th, 2011
The garage is the go-to place for clutter in the average modern household. So much so that many people can hardly squeeze out of their cars due to the mountains of unwanted garden furniture and outgrown toys rest in the garage safe from the cold.
The garage can be a great place to store items but it has become a regular dumping ground to the average household and it is essential that space is made to enable vehicles to be stored in their rightful spaces instead.
With the help of Big Yellow Self Storage, you can sort through items in your garage and keep those that may not be needed at present, but will be used at some point, away from a space you are likely to access on a daily basis. Once you have cleared your garage of those items that are no longer needed, you can begin to arrange and organise the space so that you and your motor can fit in as well!
Use plastic crates and bins for large items which should be grouped according to type. This kind of storage is ideal for sports equipment as it provides protection as well as giving you easy access to what is inside.
If you don’t already have some, install shelving units in your garage. Either purpose build or DIY shelving works if you consider the following things: the size and the weight of what it is you’re storing. Remember smaller items can be placed within baskets and then onto shelves to reduce the space they take up. Also consider the amount of floor space you will need to access the car once it is in place.
Install cabinets and peg boards to house dangerous objects securely or use ceiling storage (pre-made or large S hooks) to keep heavy items out of the way. Again, carefully consider the weight of what you’re storing to ensure that it is safe, secure and unlikely to fall onto the vehicle you’re planning to protect in your garage.
Please keep checking this blog for more facts, tips and tricks on storage, and the website at http://www.bigyellow.co.uk/personal to get a free, personalised quote.
Tags: at home, big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, clean, clutter, declutter, garage, garage space, garage storage, home, self storage, self storage blog, tips and tricks
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Monday, July 25th, 2011
Every parent has the same problem with young children getting sick of their toys, or simply growing out of them. The problem is that the house ends covered in toys rendered useless, and simply gathering dust. If this sounds familiar, and you cannot bear to just throw these expensive toys away then Big Yellow Self Storage are here to help.
We offer units in a range of sizes, starting from just ten square foot, so if you plan to have more children you can store these toys for them, instead of shelling out more money in the future. As well as saving you money, this can also help to reduce dust which clutter, such as toys, tends to gather.
Cleaning your home can become quite a chore when you have to do it on your own. Working with other people to clean and organise your home makes the bain of your life suddenly become a more manageable task, and with a few minutes of planning also a great family activity.
While children are on holiday for the summer, getting them to help with fun cleaning games, such as using sock puppets to make dusting fun. You could also incorporate cleaning into play by allocating time to create the sock puppets before the cleaning begins.
Racing is another engaging way to get family members on board. For this you will need to plan and prepare- set a task, establish your expectations and introduce any rewards and forfeits before the game begins so that everyone involved knows the rules and plays by them. A great example of this is to set the task of collecting 5 items from one room each and racing to be the first to put them back in their rightful place. Within 10 minutes the whole room will be clean. You could also incorporate relay style races and team races to vary the games week by week.
Musical cleaning is an excellent way to make chores entertaining and enjoyable. Create a circuit or running order of chores and establish individual starting points for each participant. Begin the music and explain that when the track changes you move on to the next chore.
A combined effort not only allows cleaning to be completed more quickly but it also means that you have combined two of what should be daily tasks into one. Keep checking back to our Big Yellow Blog for more tips and tricks on cleaning and de cluttering during the summer months. For self storage solutions that match all your needs, check out http://www.bigyellow.co.uk/personal.
Sock puppet via Pinprick on flickr
Tags: big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, boxes, byss, childhood memories, clean, clutter, de-clutter, declutter, family clutter, home, kids, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, Self Storage UK, storage, storage solution, tips and tricks, UK storage
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Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
We are already half way through summer, and the party season is in full swing, with garden furniture coming out at every opportunity. However, what with the disappointing weather it’s nearly that time again for the age old question of where to store the garden furniture.
The problem with the traditional methods of storage such as the garden shed, or just left covered in the corner of the garden is that when you come back to it next summer, it is likely that you will find it covered in rust or mould, and that it has to be thrown out.
Big Yellow Self Storage could prove to be an economical way to store your garden furniture, rather than replacing it each year. Our Self Storage units will guarantee prevention of rust or mould developing as each room is dry, clean and safe from undesirable weather conditions.
If you are worried about the costs of the length of storage for a year, just check our website for the latest deals as you can get discounts for renting the unit in certain blocks of time, and there is no maximum time limit either.
If it is just your garden furniture you want to store we can accommodate for this as our rooms come in a range of sizes starting from 10 sq foot going all the way up to 500 sq foot. You also have the option to increase the unit space if you find you have more items to add in the future.
Please visit www.bigyellow.co.uk/quote-and-reserve/ to get a free and quick online quote, and let us help you save your garden furniture, and some pennies!
Tags: at home, big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, clean, clutter, de-clutter, declutter, Did you know?, garden furniture, mould, rust, Self Storage UK, Self Stroage
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Wednesday, July 13th, 2011
Spring cleaning can be a bit of a chore especially when after spending thirty minutes of your time moving furniture, you then have to clean it. Staying motivated is a task in itself; here are just some tips to keep you cleaning.
Before you even begin to pick up a mop and duster do two things. Plan what you’re going to clean and dedicate your time appropriately to different tasks, and then wash your face. It may sound silly but washing your face before you start cleaning will wake you up and ensure that you will maintain the motivation to finish the task you have set yourself.
Other tips include promising yourself a reward for when you finish, whether this is a bar of chocolate, a decent meal or a relaxing bath knowing that you have something to look forward to at the end of your day cleaning will encourage you to get to the end.
Music is another great way to stay on task when cleaning. A number of genres suit the task depending on whether you want ambience to instill a sense of calm or rock to keep you upbeat. Here are just a few suggestions of some good songs to clean to:
1) Dude Looks Like a Lady-Aerosmith
2) Blue Monday- New Order
3) Start Me Up- The Rolling Stones
4) Pump It- The Black Eyed Peas
5) I Feel Good- James Brown
If you’re looking to spring clean sometime soon and for more information about how self storage can help visit www.bigyellow.co.uk
Tags: big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, clean, clutter, declutter, motivation, spring clean, tips and tricks
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Thursday, July 7th, 2011
One in four people are affected by allergies at some point in their life, and dust mites cause the most common allergy. Keeping your home clutter free with good personal storage is essential to improving your living environment and reducing allergies.
Choose wooden floors and boxes – Children with eczema are particularly vulnerable to dust mites. 80% of asthma sufferers react to them too. Try keeping bedrooms tidy, just putting things away is a start. Toys should be stored away to stop them getting dusty. Storage in good quality, sturdy boxes that are made from recycled material will help keep toys in good condition. Replacing carpets with hard wood flooring can make rooms easier to keep clean and also reduce allergies.
Keep toys away from the mattress -Your bed is the main dust mite zone. The average mattress contains over100,000 dust mites. The warm, moist environment is haven for the mites who can lay up to 50 eggs every three weeks. Wash bed linen at 60 degrees and tumble dry soft toys before putting them in storage away from the bed.
Embrace a minimalist house – By keeping furnishings to a minimum, you reduce the number of surfaces dust mites can land on. Visit bigyellow.co.uk/personal for help in storing old furniture or items you just can’t throw away. Avoid stacks of newspapers or books in open cupboards as these attract the dust. Using a static duster can also help by picking up dust while you clean.
Store old clothes away – Excess clothing in the bedroom can be a real dust trap. Only keep the clothes that you wear regularly and store the rest in zip locked bags. In this way, you can refresh your wardrobe seasonally, reduce clutter in your home, and help control the prevalence of dust mites. Personal self storage at Big Yellow can help for short and long term storage to suit your individual needs.
You can buy good quality storage boxes for all your needs online from the Big Yellow Box Shop at https://www.bigyellow.co.uk/boxshop/ 
Tags: allergies, allergy, big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, clean, clothes, clutter, declutter, storage solution, tips and tricks, toys, UK storage
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Monday, June 13th, 2011
De-cluttering your home should not just be a one off occurance. Being able to welcome visitors into a tidy home fulfills a home-owners sense of pride and allows visitors, both planned and spontaneous to enter into a calm and social sanctuary.
Regularly completing simple tasks such as sorting through mail, wiping services and making your bed as well as hoovering and dusting on a weekly basis enables you to keep on top of the clutter eliminating the need for a one day a year hardcore clear out.
The most important area to tackle when preparing your home for spontaneous visitors is the bathroom. The next is the lounge, vacuuming will make a dramatic improvement on the appearance of your home.
Wipe your kitchen surfaces, discarding any crumbs you may have picked up into the sink and rinse. Don’t spoil your hard work by wiping them onto the floor. Finally, pile up any papers or magazines in one pile. Although they may not be in their rightful home, piling them up will make it look as though they’ve been there for years.
These simple ideas can be completed within half an hour’s notice but making time to do these few things before you leave the house in the morning will allow you to return home to a stress-free environment with whatever company you may chose.
Tags: at home, big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, business storage, byss, clean, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, Self Storage UK, tips and tricks
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Thursday, April 14th, 2011
It’s great to overhaul and organise your wardrobe during this time of year as part of your Spring cleaning and by getting your wardrobe ready for the summer you can ensure that winter items aren’t taking up valuable storage space. Here are some top tips to spring clean your wardrobe.
First of all, clear out any winter jumpers and jackets to make space for summer clothing as you won’t need these again until Autumn. If you have space underneath your bed you can place them in airtight plastic boxes or in vacuum space bags to make sure that they stay in good condition. Alternatively if you’re short on space you could place them in one of our self storage rooms.
If you’re finding clothes that you haven’t worn in a while, be ruthless especially if you have a small wardrobe and donate to charity or give to someone else who you think might be interested.
Once you have sorted what stays and what should be stored, you can keep your wardrobe free from clutter by organising your clothes by category. Keeping shirts, dresses and jackets together will make it easier for you to find what you want later.
If you’re in need of storage items including vacuum space bags or want to find out how you can benefit from self storage visit www.bigyellow.co.uk to get started.
Tags: armadillo self storage, big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, byss, clean, de-clutter, declutter, personal storage, self storage, self storage blog, Self Storage UK, Self Stroage, spring, spring clean, storage, storage solution, tips and tricks, UK storage
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Friday, March 4th, 2011
At this time of year the majority of people are happy that the cold and dark nights of Winter have passed and are looking forward to a long Summer. Not only is it a great time to feel refreshed but it’s also a time of year when you can refresh your house. The hardest part is finding the motivation to actually make it happen.
Spring cleaning can seem a major task, but it needs to be done. Starting with a fresh, clean and organised home will make everyone at home feel much better and ensures a healthy environment.
Before you make a start, choose one small area or room that you that you want to accomplish first. Choosing a high traffic area in your home to begin with will increase your motivation because you will be able to notice the result immediately.
As you make your way through areas of your home you can decide what belongings you want to keep, throw away, donate or place in storage. Make sure you only keep what you use and only store what you really want to keep.
At the end of the day you can sort these items by putting them in the correct place, throwing them away or by getting them ready for storage. You can then start fresh with the next area of the home.
By repeating this process in all the rooms in your house you will be to declutter one step at a time and really see the results as you go along. To find out how you can benefit from self storage to help you get organised around the home after the spring clean, visit our Quote and Reserve Online page to get started.
Tags: armadillo self storage, big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, byss, clean, clutter, de-clutter, declutter, home, self storage, self storage blog, Self Storage UK, spring, spring clean, UK storage
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Wednesday, January 5th, 2011
The start of a New Year is the perfect time to make a resolution that will benefit you and your living space. Only 40% of resolutions made at the start of the year make it past January. Therefore the solution to maintaining them is to make small and manageable promises that you can keep all year round. Here’s our selection of simple New Year’s Resolutions that you can keep longer than one month:
If you think your wardrobe is due for an overhaul then this is the opportunity to free up valuable space. You can do this regularly at different times throughout the year as your winter clothing may need a refresh or there’s a jacket that you think you’ll never wear again. There’s no need to hoard it but rather than throwing them away, you can give them to friends, place them in storage or donate them to a local charity shop.
The New Year is an opportunity for you to go green in your home. You can help by recycling all of your paper products whether it’s old wrapping paper, magazines or shredded documents. Designate a specific part of your house where you can keep things that need to be recycled in a box. This will only keep the clutter away if it’s removed regularly.
Put all the chores that need doing around the home in a calendar well in advance of when they actually need to be done. This will allow you to set aside time for what you need to do and you then can tick the chore as completed on your calendar. This will give you the feeling of control and a big sense of accomplishment when the clutter is cleared.
To find out how you can benefit from self storage this year visit visit our Quote and Reserve page to get started.
Tags: big yellow, Big Yellow Self Storage, byss, clean, clutter, de-clutter, declutter, New Year, personal storage, Rew Year's Resolution, self storage, self storage blog, storage, storage solution, UK storage
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