Wet towels and swimsuits.

Anytime you’re headed for the beach or pool, make sure your car has a good supply of Ziploc® brand Big Bags (large size). They are perfect for transporting wet swimsuits and small towels home, and you can even use them for large towels. To cut down on fading, use cold water to rinse chlorine out of wet swimsuits immediately after removing them.

Sunscreen.

Sunscreen and self-tanner bottles can get sticky fast, especially when used near sand or dirt. They will stay cleaner longer if you slip them into plastic bags.

Bug repellent.

Don’t forget your insect repellent, like OFF!® FamilyCare Insect Repellent I (Smooth & Dry), to protect your family from mosquitoes, biting flies, ticks, gnats, no-see-ums (nearly invisible flies).

Sports Time

Equipment on the road.

Ziploc® brand Big Bags (large size) are perfect for transporting scuba gear, flippers and inflatable floats (deflated!) in your car. They are also big enough for other sports equipment like bats, balls and gloves. Just be careful when placing anything with sharp edges in the bags. It’s best to wrap sharp points or blades with newspaper or bubble wrap.

Equipment at home.

Use wall space in your garage or mud room to hang whatever you can. Specialty racks can hold bats, rackets and other sport sticks. To keep various sports balls from rolling around, hang a mesh bag from the ceiling and store the balls inside. Keep jump ropes coiled in old paint cans. Recycle an old golf bag or laundry hamper as a storage bin for baseball bats, fishing rods and even skis and ski poles.

Bicycles.

Keep all cycling equipment (including tire pump, patch kit and wrench) in one organized area of your garage. Bicycles can be hung from wall or ceiling racks. To remove dirt and grime, spray on all-purpose cleaner and then wipe off the bike with a dry paper towel or cloth. Always treat your bike to an annual tune-up at your local bike shop, even if you ride it only around the block. And teach your kids how to inspect and care for their bicycles too—including daily maintenance and cleaning.

Gardening

Rakes and shovels.

Save yourself a nasty fall by storing rakes and shovels properly. Recycled containers or a garbage can on wheels can provide storage. Or use large nails, hammered at a 45-degree angle into the wall studs, to hang rakes and shovels. Always wash rakes and shovels with a garden hose and dry them thoroughly before storing.

Garden gloves and tools.

Got an old mailbox or retired planter? Use it to hold gardening gloves, seed packets, small garden tools, etc. Use clean, dry trash cans with lids to store leftover bags of grass seed, potting soil and peat moss. However, if you have small children, opt for large paint buckets with sealable lids found at hardware stores.

Paintbrushes.

A roll of magnetic stripping is great for hanging paintbrushes. Or recycle an old paint can and use it to store brushes—bristles up.

Garden hoses.

Be creative! Nail the bottom of a large coffee can to a stud in the wall of your garage or tool shed and wrap the hose around it. The inside of the can is just right for storing small tools.