Skip to content
DrawerPilot
Create your account

Storage bin inventory

Record what is in each storage bin and where it is.

Give each tote a name, a spot, and a list of what is inside. Photograph an open bin and DrawerPilot proposes the contents; a closed bin gets your own notes. Later, search for the item and the answer names the box and the shelf.

Create your accountSee an example

Free to start. Record one useful bin.

Alder Street · Find

What are you looking for?

Search for the item. The result names the bin and the shelf.

pumpkins
Fabric pumpkins
G6Garage · Middle left shelf · HAL-01

Example

Three bins on one shelf.

HAL-01, PARTY-01 and XMAS-01 share the garage shelf. Two of them are closed, so their contents were typed in.

1The shelf

Garage shelves with two bays: a file box of manuals, striped beach towels, an open orange tote with a fabric pumpkin and bunting, a closed gray bin, a closed green tote, and a beige box.
The garage shelf. HAL-01 is open; PARTY-01 and XMAS-01 are closed.

2Three bins, reviewed

Alder StreetAJ

Garage

Three spots. Seen items are proposed; closed bins get your note.

HAL-01 · Middle left shelf G6
Fabric pumpkins, 3One seen in the open tote. You set the count.
seen
Porch buntingRolled up beside the pumpkins.
seen
PARTY-01 · Middle right shelf G7
Reusable party suppliesClosed bin. Typed in by you.
typed
XMAS-01 · Lower left shelf G8
Labeled light reels, 3Closed tote. Typed in by you.
typed
Write the spot code on each lid so the box and the record agree.

3Find the box

Alder StreetAJ

Find

Search the item. The result names the bin and the shelf.

pumpkins
Fabric pumpkins
G6Garage · Middle left shelf · HAL-01
light reels
Labeled light reels
G8Garage · Lower left shelf · XMAS-01
If the bin moves, move the items to the new spot.

Example with fictional data. Nothing is added to a household until someone approves it.

How it works

Three steps, start to finish.

  1. Photograph the open bin, or type the contentsAn open tote in the photo gets its visible items proposed. For a closed bin, add the items yourself. Either way you review the list before it is saved.
  2. Name the bin and save its spotUse the label on the box as the spot name, such as HAL-01, and write the spot code on the lid. The spot keeps its place on the shelf: Garage · Middle left shelf.
  3. Search for the item, then find the boxSearch for pumpkins and the result shows the item, the bin, and the shelf. Smart Search, which understands a plain question, is part of Pro.

One limit. DrawerPilot cannot see through a closed lid. What it records for an opaque bin is what you typed, so update the list when the contents change.

What it does.

  • The spot name matches the bin label. The spot name matches what is written on the tote, so the record and the box agree.
  • Photograph open bins, type the closed ones. Visible contents are proposed for review. Hidden contents are yours to add.
  • Find the item, then the box. The result names the bin and the shelf. No QR codes or label printer needed.

FAQ

Common questions.

Do I need to empty every box?

No. Start with the bin you hunt for most. Photograph it open if you can, or type the contents from memory and fix the list the next time you open it.

Can it see inside closed bins?

No. A closed bin gets the contents you enter. The example on this page marks which items were seen and which were typed.

Can I use my existing labels?

Yes. Use the label as the spot name, and write the short spot code on the box next to it. DrawerPilot does not print labels or scan QR codes.

What happens when a bin moves?

Move the items to the new spot so the search stays right. Nothing tracks the box on its own; the record is what you update.

Related pages

Home inventoryThe searchable record of everything you have photographed.Halloween decoration storageOne tote, out in October, back in November.Holiday decoration storage guideA worksheet for packing sets away.
Create your account

Free to start. Record one useful bin.