storage tote labeling

[mjchamp]

Quick question; what is everyone doing for labeling of their storage totes? I have about 14 totes in my shop and from time-to-time I forget what I have in all of them. Do any of you guy have a labeling system for your totes?

 

[Gixx]

I put a piece of clear packing tape on the side and write on the tape in 2" letters with a sharpie marker. When contents change, peal off the tape and start over. Not high tech, but I write big enough to see what's inside from 10ft away and its pretty darned cheap.

 

[Mustang1167]

I use white duct tape and a black sharpie.

 

[Justind97]

I use a label maker. Still doesn't help that I don't believe myself and have to look in the box anyways.

 

[RWorth]

I did the label maker also, does 3/4" letters, even I can see them

 

[gunguy]

I put a piece of clear packing tape on the side and write on the tape in 2" letters with a sharpie marker. When contents change, peal off the tape and start over. Not high tech, but I write big enough to see what's inside from 10ft away and its pretty darned cheap.

Same - Same

Jim

 

[Ryanbabz71]

I did the label maker also, does 3/4" letters, even I can see them

+1

They also have stickier industrial tape so it doesn’t fall off as easy as the normal tape


Ryan B.

 

[ilovevocs]

I label the shelf it sits on not the tote.

My no label maker tape would adhere well enough to the hdx totes to withstand the abuse of my shop.

When I sort totes I use post it notes temporarily during the organizational phase.

Seems to help me sort logically and efficiently with temporary labels allowing the name of the tote to evolve as items are used.

 

[BearsFan315]

I started off wit h masking Tape and Sharpie
then upgraded to the Label maker

for the bins we store on the club trailer, i plan on putting on sheet protectors double sided tape, then writing contents on a piece of paper and sliding it in the sleeve. this way if the content change, just change out the paper, flip it over, and write new contents on it. something comes out, mark it off, something goes in, add it on. hope this will be a simple solution since we have multiple people going in and out the of the trailer looking for things, putting things in. will only work IF they read the labels and update them when required.

 

[LeeG]

I put a number on the tote with a marker, then use my phone to snap a photo of the contents. Store those photos in a folder on your phone. Makes looking through your stuff pretty easy.

 

[7echo]

2" wide blue painters tape and black sharpie.

Makes it easy to change to 'more of the wifes stuff' as she accumulates more stuff...

 

[Adam R]

White shelf paper/drawer paper and a sharpie. Cut to desired size.

Sticks fairly well and does not leave a residue if you remove it.

 

[ilovevocs]

Makes it easy to change to 'more of the wifes stuff' as she accumulates more stuff...

Doesn’t she have a kitchen and a laundry room?

What’s she doing using the garage?

 

[PWC Repair]

Wait a minute.......you mean I can arrange my stuff into totes and label it instead of it just being randomly thrown everywhere???

 

[lakelandcat]

I just write on the tote with a sharpie, when or if I take it out I mark through it. when the side fills up I turn it around. When all sides are full its time for a new tote!

 

[James-W]

A buddy of mine has several totes and he puts a piece of really wide masking on each tote and then he writes a number on it, 1-2-3 etc. Then he uses his computer to make a list of what is in each tote and saves it as a Microsoft Word file. When he wants to find something he just opens the file and does a search to find out which tote it is in. He does this to stuff he rarely uses so it isn't like he is having to find stuff in this way every day. He probably has around 30 totes so without the list he has no real idea what is in each tote.

 

[bushmechanic]

I label with contents and a number. The number references a spreadsheet, just in case I need to know where something is among them all before I begin looking for something.

Spreadsheet shows where I put it, when, and what's inside. I wouldn't bother for home stuff, but for the business it helps. Wouldn't mind going bar code, but I'm getting out of this industry.

Still, if you're solid with spreadsheet programs, it might be helpful. Put something in a box, and years later you know precisely where it is.

As for the labels, I just use a Brother label maker.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

Masking tape and a Sharpie.
I'm not overwhelmed with totes so I keep it fairly general in description.

"Low voltage"
"Electrical"
"Plumbing"
"HVAC"
"Moving blankets"
Yada, yada, yada

 

[lis2323]

I like label makers too. Get an “industrial” one like the electricians use.

 

[rlitman]

In my attic, I try to only use clear(ish) totes. When the contents aren't obvious from the outside, I'll slip in a sheet of paper with inch plus tall printed letters that could be read from space.

 

[isb cornbinder]

http://www.geologysuperstore.com/index.php/aluminium-write-on-sample-tags-77mm-x-23mm-set-of-50.html

I like and use these

 

[BigSteve63]

In my attic, I try to only use clear(ish) totes. When the contents aren't obvious from the outside, I'll slip in a sheet of paper with inch plus tall printed letters that could be read from space.

^^This is what we do in our neck of the woods^^

 

[scarrylarry]

Green 2'' inch wide painters tape marked with black Sharpie on Rubbermaid totes . One tag on an end one tag on the top and one tag on the side.
scarrylarry

 

[tarmy]

You mean like this...

 

[mjchamp]

these are all great ideas guy, thanks

 

[crf731]

I just use masking tape and a sharpie

 

[Bert_]

I use a paint pen, either white or black which ever is more visible. I only label tubs if the contents will stay the same.

 

[Dragfluid]

Good ideas. I really need to do something with all mine.

Right now they're all "labeled", but they all say "GM".

 

[gregpack]

I use blue painters tape and a black sharpie for hasty labeling. I'll occasionally fire up my inkjet printer and make multiple white adhesive labels. The 3-1/3" x 4" is a very good size for this.

 

[Ainsley]

Brady ID expert for me. $$ unit but lots of options for cartridges, especially wire tags

 

[unslow1]

I use blue painters tape and a black sharpie for hasty labeling. I'll occasionally fire up my inkjet printer and make multiple white adhesive labels. The 3-1/3" x 4" is a very good size for this.

I switched to the green tape to make it easier to read. I probably go through two rolls a week at work. I could cut way back on Sharpie usage if I could get people to put the caps on all the way.

 

[Getusum111]

All good ideas.

 

[Pluribus]

Not super high-tech, but count me in with the others who use blue painters tape and black sharpie. It's stuff I already have on hand.

 

[JimVonBaden]

I put a piece of clear packing tape on the side and write on the tape in 2" letters with a sharpie marker. When contents change, peal off the tape and start over. Not high tech, but I write big enough to see what's inside from 10ft away and its pretty darned cheap.

That is what I do.

 

[Jon_E]

My wife and I have dozens of totes in the house and garage - clothing, decorations, shop stuff, etc. I've tried various methods including label makers and Sharpies on white duct tape. The solution we came up with is a little more costly but it works well. I bought a 100-pack of self-adhesive 4" x 6" index card pockets. Get 'em at Staples or Amazon. They stick pretty tenaciously even through freeze-thaw cycles (like in my shed) and you can swap out labels easily if the contents of the bin change. I already had a package of Avery ink-jet index cards so I just print out contents and slide the card into the holder.

 

[Rickster]

My garage shelves are full of home depot moving boxes labeled "garage stuff", "workbench stuff" and "tools"....... I probably should've thought this move through a little better. I do like the blue tape and sharpie idea though.

 

[RGKSR]

I use 2x4 labels and a sharpie. I put them on both ends of the tubs so when I put them back backwards I can still see the labels.

I can also change them when I change the contents. I load shotgun shells for Trap and Sporting Clays, so I have multiple gauges and components.

 

[graffix000]

Duct tape and a sharpie. Works well and a new piece of tape if the contents change.

 

[metschers]

I use "price" labels that Lowes uses on their shelves. They come in various sizes. A sharpie works great. Their computer system is so antiquated,if one label is needed it wastes an entire sheet of labels. The remaining sheet of unused labels goes in the trash.
I go to the hardware desk where the "pricing printer" is located in all the stores in my local Lowes and they hook me up.

 

[Blue XJ]

2" wide blue painters tape and black sharpie.

Makes it easy to change to 'more of the wifes stuff' as she accumulates more stuff...

x2

But most of mine change to 'kids clothes'