Welcome to day #11 of 15 ways to get organized for less than $15! Today I’m sharing a very simple solution to a very frustrating problem in most households… remote controls…
Are you constantly losing the remote controls? Can’t find them again?! Did you check the couch cushions? We used to have this problem all the time, until one day I decided it was ridiculous to waste so much time looking for remotes and I came up with a free solution that has worked wonderfully in our house.
So what’s my crazy, amazing solution to organize your remote controls? A basket. Yep, just a simple basket that was part of a gift that a friend gave me. I don’t even remember who gave it to me but I remember thinking, “this is a cute basket, I should put it in the living room somewhere”, and then a light bulb turned on and I decided it would be the perfect storage spot of our remotes.
At first I thought I’d keep the basket with the remotes in our TV console, so I didn’t have to always see it, and then I did a reality check and remembered that I live with a lazy teenager and a husband that’s always tired after a long days work, and I knew that if I put the remotes that far away from the couch, that they’d never be returned to the right place.
Instead I put the cute little basket on one of our living room side tables, placed the remotes in them, and now it’s within arms reach from the couch. Organized remotes + lazy TV watchers = everyone is happy. AND because the basket is so close to the couch, most of the time (I’m not going to lie and say that laziness doesn’t sometimes completely win out) the remotes get returned to the basket. I honestly don’t even remember the last time we lost a remote!
It’s little organizing tips like this that make me love organization. It doesn’t always have to be fancy, it doesn’t always have to be expensive, it doesn’t always have to be the most creative thing, it just has to be practical! 🙂
What’s the solution in your home for keeping your remote controls organized (and not lost)? If you didn’t have one before today, look around your house and find a cute basket to put near your couch. 🙂
Join me Friday and I’ll show you how I use silverware trays to organize. To start from the beginning and see all the posts in the series, click HERE.
Lauren @ Mom Home Guide says
January 21, 2015 at 8:26 amCute basket storage idea! I need to find a way to store our remote controls! Unfortunately, we have very little table space by the sofa, and it usually holds a beverage or too!
Christa says
January 21, 2015 at 9:29 amWe also use a basket to contain all our remotes. It looks much prettier than having them just sit out on the end table, or worse yet, on the couch, floor….. Now if only everyone would remember to put the remotes back into the basket, we wouldn’t have to go looking for them 🙂 Ah, well, at least I try to be organized. Thanks for sharing.
Melissa Jangula says
February 5, 2015 at 11:04 amOur remotes are tied together with about a yard of nylon string and hang from a hook on the wall. We haven’t lost them once since doing this about a year and a half ago!
Anna says
February 5, 2015 at 7:17 pmSmart!
Sue says
August 31, 2015 at 3:38 amLovely idea with the basket. My solution for remotes was to purchase an inexpensive decorative box that looks like a handsome coffee table book (JoAnn Fabrics). Works like a charm too!
Jen says
March 13, 2016 at 2:33 pmUnfortunately, none works if husbands won’t put the remote into the basket or trays. I’ve settled with at least having the remote be placed on the coffee table instead of the couch. Even that has been a struggle. The husband just always leaves the remote on the couch! If someone can help design a solution to get the husband to change habits, please let me know!
Thanks!
Anna says
March 13, 2016 at 3:25 pmHaha, same here! I’m always picking them up off the coffee table too. 🙂