7 Organizing gadgets I found on my travels
Reading time – 5 minutes
I love to travel. I enjoy exploring Canada, North America, South America, Europe, The United Kingdom, Asia and Australia. I will go almost anywhere. Whether you travel in-person or virtually it is a joy to see new places, people, cultures and ideas. One of the fun things I like doing on my travels is finding things relating to organization. Sometimes the items are good product solutions, show a novel way to use a product, encourage recycling, a fun invention or a thought provoking work of art.
A Good Product
I found these stacking laundry baskets in a store. I like them because they stack in a way that you can place items in either basket without unstacking them.
Novel Solutions
Once again I was shopping and noticed this shoe organizer that was being used in a novel way. It was holding maps that were for sale. It was easy to see the titles on the maps and quickly purchase the one you needed.
One of my hotel rooms had this garbage can. It is divided into 4 sections for recycling – plastic, paper, glass, cans and waste. I thought this was a fantastic way to get travellers to recycle. Everything was disposed of in one place.
Fun inventions
The first time I saw this I was a little confused. It is a tap and hand dryer all in one. No dripping across the floor to get a paper towel or use a hand dryer mounted on the wall. It also is a no-touch device that makes it easy to have clean hands when you’re done washing. How does it work? You wash your hands under the tap, the water is turned on by a sensor. Then you move your hands to the right and left ( I like to call them the airplane wings) and the air turns on to dry your hand.
I enjoy seeing furniture that has more than one purpose. These tables can be used as seating, they store nicely under each other and they are eye catching home decor.
Thought Provoking Artwork
Sometimes my organizational find is artwork. This piece is called Organization. It is oil on canvas, 1933-1936, painted by Armenia born, American artist Arshile Gorky. I wonder why he called it that. Any thoughts?
This metal sculpture is by Ruth Ewan, 2019. It is called the Silent Agitator. Ewan’s clock is based on an illustration by Ralph Chaplin. It is a nod to the Industrial Workers of the World labour party. (IWW). It is also a new timepiece adding to the historical collection of ones that helped sailors know what time it was.
Donation
I saw this very creative way to share donations. Items are bagged and tied onto a fence. Anyone can take an item they can use.
Competition
I have not traveled to Nepal, a friend has. She sent me this picture with the caption, competition? It was fun to see a very similar logo in another country.
Here a just a few fun organizing finds from some of my travels. Which one do you like best? Let me know in the comments.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, in person and virtually. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you to manage your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Click here to learn more about her online course Create an Organized Home.
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
What wonderful travel finds, Julie! I can see you were in New York. I recognize the “Time to Organize” clock that sits on the High Line (love it there!) This past weekend I went to the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. In the bathroom, they had faucets/dryers like the one in your photo. A very cleverly designed piece. I lets you do everything in one spot. The dryers being over the sink keep the water from splashing over everything.
And that “Donation” fence is amazing! What a wonderful idea. Happy Travels!
That Time to Organize clock is in more than one place. I saw it in Scotland. Thanks for letting me know it is also in New York City.
I am with you! It’s so much fun to find organizing related items when traveling. When I went to Italy and the UK, I geeked out about paper organizing products.
I love the items that you selected. The stackable laundry baskets are intriguing, and I’ve never met a double-duty shoe organizer that I haven’t liked! But that hybrid faucet and hand dryer? Brilliant!
It always amazes me how organizing items jump out and attract my attention. The people I am with usually don’t even notice it. It is so interesting to see how organizing is woven into our society through products, ads, art and inventions.
Love them all. The stacking laundry baskets reminded me of how I used the baby bath tub to pack things when we went camping when my son was a baby. Double use, storage and bathing baby.
I think my favourite was the faucet that you can dry your hands with.
Thank you for sharing.
Items that have more than one purpose always make for less clutter. The first time I saw the hand wash dryer all in one I was glad there were instructions on the wall. I am glad you enjoyed the post.
Stackable laundry baskets? Stunning! What a fun way to learn about some new organizing ideas.
I had fun writing this article. I really liked the stackable laundry baskets that you can put things in the bottom basket when they are stacked.
These are all really nifty, and I love the way you’ve presented them in this post. That divided garbage can is so practical – it would take up so much less space than separate containers, though you’d likely need to empty it more often.
That is the trade-off. Having a recycling system that doesn’t take up much space, is easy to use and needs to be emptied off or large cans that take up space and are only emptied once. It is about the person’s style which will work best. It can be a combination where in one room, guest room, the small can is great and in the kitchen larger containers are needed.
Some pretty fun finds, Julie! I too was puzzled at first by that faucet/hand dryer. But it works really well, and keeps all the drips in the sink, right?
Neat to see organizing in all its facets around the world. That clock in something, even if the meaning of the word is slightly different.
The funny thing I now realize is I notice anything about organizing right away. Everyone else misses it. It is part of what makes traveling fun for me, seeing different organizing techniques, supplies and artwork than I would see in my own area.