As a professional organizer I am often asked about my thoughts on vacuum-compressed storage bags. It seems like people have a love-hate relationship with them (you either love them, or hate them). In fact, I was most recently asked about them for a Tips for Storing Winter Clothing piece for About.com.
My thoughts on vacuum-compressed storage bags
"John (in About.com): If you don’t have room for large plastic bins, plastic vacuumed compressed storage bags are a great option because once they’re shrunk down, you can sneak them into just about anywhere like cabinet nooks and the tight space under your bed. Be aware that clothes may wrinkle inside the bags, the bags don’t sit square and they slide off each other if stacked on a shelf. They’re prone to “pop” open, too. In that case, use some heavy duty tape to seal the zippers so you won’t have the popping issue. Check the bags in the first few days of the summer for sweat or beads of water under the plastic surface."
The Space Bag "I Really Like Pillows" Commercial:
We've been seeing this Ziplock Space Bags-brand commercial the past few days. Space Bags are incredibly popular and this commercial is quite humorous. If you can't see the video below, click this link.
iSpot.tv says "this woman, likely being a hoarder, likes pillows so much she ended up piling them in her closet, the kitchen cupboards and all over the living room. But, with the convenient storage Ziploc Space Bags provide, she can put away most of the pillows in order to make room for the special ones like the "His" and "Hers" pillows... and also make room for her husband's sanity."
The commercial is really cute but I think they went overboard with the idea. I don't like that this gal:
- Didn't part with any pillows - donate or sell any;
- Put her need to collect over the value of her relationship;
- Did not examine her shopping addictions.
I know they're playing up the drama and at the end of the commercial, the couple are back on the couch existing as one happy couple-- all in 30 seconds!
Your Turn to Comment
What do you think of the new Space Bag commercial? Do you think they've gone way over the line and encouraged people to continue to hoard their pillows? Do you use vacuum-compressed bags? Do you like them? Let us know here in the comment section or you can tweet us @johntrosko on Twitter. You can also check me out on Instagram (@johntrosko).
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