Some things are difficult to store properly. Some things are difficult to store attractively. And some things are simply difficult to store.

Yes, table leaves, travel gear and 40-pound bags of dog food, we are talking about you.

But first things first. Before you figure out how best to store certain items, first figure out how much space you are willing to give those items, says local professional organizer Jamie Shaner.

Whether it's Tupperware or tablecloths, "that is our answer to everything," says Shaner, who, along with business partner Lynn Clark, runs Home Solutions of WNY (homesolutionswny.com).

At her house, for example, Shaner limits her tablecloths to the number she can fold and store in the drawers of her china cabinet.

No stashing additional ones upstairs or in the basement. What fits in those drawers in the dining room is all she allows herself to own.

Which leads to another tip: Store items you use often in the rooms where you use them -- or at least on the same floor. Less frequently used items -- large roasters, for example -- can go in extra storage space in the basement or other area.

"We really try to convince people to not take up valuable real estate in the kitchen for the things they use three or four times a year," Shaner says.

Brace yourselves. Here come some other ideas.

Out-of-season bedding: Two words here -- Space Bag, suggests Diana Augspurger, owner of Creative Storage, 634 Linden Ave. (creativestoragebuffalo.com).

The vacuum-seal bags are designed to protect and store comforters and other compressible items while making them smaller so they take up less space. The vacuum-seal is achieved by using your vacuum-cleaner with a hose (see spacebag.com).

Local professional organizer Linda A. Birkinbine is a fan of Ziploc Brand Flexible Totes. Each soft-sided modular tote features a zipper, two handles and a strip of mesh for ventilation, says Birkinbine, of Keep It Organized! (keepitorganized.com).

The totes are flexible and stackable and come in XL (16 inches long, 13 inches deep and almost 11 inches high) or XXL (26 inches long, 16 inches deep, 12 inches high). Amazon.com sells a set of three XL totes for $19.47, to give you an idea of price. See ziploc.com for more information.

Table leaves: Technically they should be stored flat, so they don't warp in heat or humidity, Augspurger says.

You can store them under an upstairs bed, but hauling them up and down the stairs seems like a lot of work, she says.

If possible, she would prefer them under a sofa.

Either way, they should be covered, she says. A felted table leaf bag is one option. Her online store, morestorage.com, sells one for $12.99.

Buy-in-bulk items: Huge bags of dog food. Jumbo packs of paper towel. You know the stuff.

People living in smaller spaces or with limited storage should consider the consequences of buying in bulk, Shaner says.

"Maybe you can't buy the 40-pack of tissues if you can't store it. We always tell people, 'Why not let the store store it for you. It will always be there,'" she says.

While you may save money, "sometimes the bulk shopping creates more of a problem than not," Shaner says.

Also: Take not only your amount of storage space into consideration but also your family's eating habits.

"I'm not going to buy a four-pack of peanut butter when one jar lasts us a good long time," Shaner says.

For those with lots of storage space, a second pantry area or auxiliary storage in a dry basement is a good option, especially for nonperishable items.

Sports water bottles: Gather them together in a bin and store on a higher shelf, Shaner suggests. Since these are lighter-weight items, you don't have to worry so much about them crashing down on you when you reach for the bin.

This also works for Tupperware and other plastic containers.

Kids' clothes: While waiting for one child to grow into the clothes another has outgrown, don't just stuff them in big green trash bags. Place them in bins in a dry basement or attic, assorted and labeled by size and season -- spring/summer and fall/winter, Shaner suggests.

Luggage: Nest the smaller ones inside the larger ones, but Birkinbine suggests first placing the smaller pieces in clean garbage bags since they may have landed in some dirty places. She doesn't tie up the garbage bags tightly. She also leaves zippers open a smidgen for air and tosses in a dryer sheet to keep things fresh.

Or, as she has done in her own home, consider editing your collection -- especially the largest pieces to avoid having to pay baggage fees.

People are packing less, lightening their loads, she says.

A larger piece on wheels may be worth holding onto, she added.

Greeting cards: Even with today's e-cards and websites such as SendOutCards.com, which prints and mails your personalized greeting cards, some people keep a stash of cards around -- sometimes not in orderly fashion.

Birkinbine devised a system for organizing her own: She uses two covered decorative wicker baskets -- each 12 by 12 by 7 inches high. One is for holiday cards; the other for occasions.

She used the backs of file folders -- the side with the tab on it -- cut them to fit the baskets and labeled them by category. "Anniversary Cards," "Baby Cards," "Birthday Money Holders," etc.

Filing cabinets: "Even though we live in a wireless environment, we still have a need for paper storage," Augspurger says.

But for homes without home offices, finding a place for filing cabinets can be a big problem.

Augspurger suggests a closet, perhaps with the two-drawer cabinet best located under a rod designated for hanging shorter items.

"The key is to build it into the space -- and arrange the hanging around it -- so it becomes more integrated into the space and less of an obstacle," she says.

It's better than a basement for two reasons. In the basement, you have to take air quality into account.

"Paper will wick moisture faster than anything; it becomes curled and wrinkled," she says.

In addition, the filing cabinet and its contents may never again see the light of day.

"You want it more accessible or else you start accumulating more papers that need to be filed but you never go down there to do it. The papers pile up on the kitchen table or in the dining room," she says.

Tablecloths: While some people fold them, Augspurger prefers to hang them.

"Hanging tablecloths is better for a number of reasons. To fit them in a drawer you have to fold them so many times and you get the wrinkles and creases," she says.

"They don't take up lots of space in a hall or bedroom closet, where they can hang about 60 inches long," she says.

The hangers with the sturdy round cardboard tubes dry cleaners use for draperies work well, she adds.

One warning: If you want to cover the cloths to protect them, use a sheet. Plastic bags can discolor cloths, especially light-colored cloths, says Birkinbine.

Not something you want to discover the night before a dinner party.

smartin@buffnews.com null