The Return Station

Home Systems: How to Create a Return Station

Also pictured is the Donation Station. Read about it here!
Problem #1: Transient items can overrun the house. Items like rental movies, library books, items to return or exchange at stores, and things borrowed from people, are scattered. They end up everywhere – in bags, on the floor, lost in kids’ rooms, car trunks, garage, and on the couch.
Problem #2: You can’t give these items permanent homes in your house if they are not meant to stay in your house! How do you keep transitional items from getting lost and making junky clutter all over the place before you return them?

Solution: Every home needs a place to corral these temporary items before they are returned. The return station is born:
Step 1: Find something to hold your returns.
I found an old clutter catcher (the wire stacking baskets) in my entry way filled with (you guessed it) clutter! You can use anything available to you – even a small bookcase or a couple of shelves will work.
Step 2: Determine the most popular categories of transitional items in your house. Mine were these 4:
1- Things borrowed from people
2- Rented movies
3- Things to be returned/exchanged at stores
4- Books and media from the library
Step 3: Make labels for the shelves/baskets. Hand write or print them, it doesn’t matter – just make sure the labels are there. If you don’t know what goes in the return station, you won’t put it there. And trust me, if you don’t use your own system, neither will your family!
Step 4: Keep the supplies handy and label all return items. Put the important supplies where they are easily accessible. In the photo you can see a blue envelope hanging on the wall. Inside is scrap paper cut into squares, a pen to write the label, and a stapler to staple the label to the bag. Label every item every time or no one will know to whom the items go!
Step 5: Make the rules and share with your family. Each family’s rules will vary based on their needs. My rules are:
1- Everything goes in a bag first
2- Every bag gets labeled with who/where it needs to go
3 – Always check the Return Station before you leave the house
The Return Station gives a place to transient items, which is important since they don’t need a permanent home in your home.