Bin liners, especially the gusseted kinds, are often written off as an industrial accessory and therefore not usually considered to be a helpful tool for around the house. However, perhaps unbeknownst to us, bin liners are a daily feature in our lives, and not just when we are at work. Garbage bags are the most common form of bin liners. We can all raise our hands to using these!
The really fabulous thing about bin liners is that you can buy them in massive sizes, and with gusseted sides as well to allow for them to open up and appropriately line the inside of whatever you are using as a bin. It occurred to me one day that gusseted bin liners would be really helpful when it came to attic storage.
We primarily kept all of our boxes in the tool room in the basement because the attic gets incredibly humid, and the winters are always wet too. Anything cloth I would want to store up there would surely become covered in mold. It was good enough for Christmas decorations, which don’t pack tightly and are completely nonabsorbent, but seasonal clothes and extra linens I wouldn’t take a chance with. So I ordered some gusseted bin liners off the internet and used them inside some plastic totes.
Plastic totes are great at keeping critters out and are nice for stacking and remaining sturdy, but they still don’t offer much protection against humidity. They might be water tight but they aren’t air-tight. Lining them with bin liners solves that problem, and also the storage problem. I can now store old baby items, or clothes the kids have yet to grow into, in the attic. My husband is eternally grateful for this since it opens his tool room back up for tools and not for stuff. Not only are bin liners good for lining bins, but I can also store big, bulky items with more peace of mind. There isn’t much else to do with a carseat than put it in a giant plastic bag.
As you can see, bin liners can be a useful addition around the house, especially when it comes to storage. If you don’t have an attic, you can use them to store stuff in the garage, or in a shed out back. Take some time to come up with your own ways that they might be helpful to you.
Christine James Blog 