I keep mine in a Tupperware type container, in the linen closet.
Leslie

We have a drawer in the garage full of all of our light bulbs. They used to be in the utility room cabinet, but they started overflowing and trying to fall on your head when you opened the door of the cabinet. Not a good or safe place. The drawer is much safer and less of a hassle to look through when you need one. Also, I don't know if you have room for this little cabinet Flamey, but I bought one for my Christmas ornements. It has the square sectioned off card board piece that you can add to the bottom of each drawer and it would be ideal for light bulbs too. Unless they might be the large spots. The one I bought is about 4 drawers high, but the come larger or smaller.

The pantry is deep and dark? Maybe you could use one in there. Just kidding flamingo. I only have a few at any given time and they are in a kitchen cabinet. vique

Leslie, sounds similar to what I'm doing now. I wish I had a regular linen closet.

Oh, Summer, I like the idea of the little cabinet, is that a cardboard one like they sell at WalMart? I could squeeze one of those into Woody's closet! Hey, the cat's away, the mice shall play. And organize. lol

More ideas are more than welcome, too! I'll be stock-piling bulbs, too, Wildchild, I'm with ya there.

Vique, I found some lights at WalMart the other day that will work perfectly in my pantry, over in the thermometer/rain gauge dept, go figure. I'm getting a few of those for the black holes!

Hmmmm, that gave me an idea. I could get one of those Christmas ornament holders and keep it on top of my linen closet. The cabinet doesn't go all the way to the ceiling so it'd use some wasted space, and free up some in the cabinet.
Thanks Summer.
Leslie

I have one of those flat, rubber-maid type storage boxes for sweaters; the kind you typically slide under a bed. Except I keep mine on the top shelf of the coat closet. I store all my electrical stuff in there, bulbs and extension cords.

I keep mine in three soft sided baskets in my pantry. Each basket has a different type of bulb.

{{!gwi}}

Jodi-

I have two systems. For specialty bulbs, I store those in the room they will be used. Example, our downstairs bathroom uses small round opaque bulbs. I store extras under the sink. Same for the upstairs bathroom. We have two cup lights in our bedroom that use interior flood lights. Those are stored in the master bathroom. (All these bulbs are stored in the boxes they came in)

Regular light bulbs. Upstairs they are stored with our extra toiletries and toilet paper. Since we have two linen closets, one shelf is specifically for this purpose. Extra contact solution, toothpaste, deodorant, light bulbs, TP, etc.

Downstairs, I store them in their original boxes in the cabinet above the dryer.

When I first read this post, I was thinking "Geez, how many light bulbs is she storing?" But after writing all this out, I'm sure we have about 20 stashed around the house. I think I have a couple 60 watt, 100 watt, and 200 watt each. Those candle bulbs for overhead hallway lighting - probably 5, because they are always going out. And then 2 each of specialty bulbs in the bathrooms and our bedroom.

Oh, and extra fluorescent bulbs are kept in the garage.

We keep ours in large popcorn tins in the entryway cabinet. It'd work better if the tins were square instead of round though.

Indy, we probably have as many as Jodi does (NICE JOB, JODI, pretty wonderful!) But mine are spilling out and jumbled and drive me crazy. I simply must get them out of the pantry, I've decided. I have to stand on tippy-toe and stretch to get the ones that fell out and it bruises my arm unless I get the step stool. I yearn to be fully organized.

Tins work, Lydia! So do sweater boxes, Cindy, all great ways to keep them safe and stored.

We keep ours in the deep dark hall closet, but I have to say that under the bed in one of those rolling boxes sounds like a good idea.
Jodi, Why are your veggies in a cage? have they been bad ? ;-)

the few we have are in the linen closet in orig packaging above extra towels...(but then there are only 2 of us)

You people are organized!!!

Lightbulbs in my house are just stacked however I can stack them in a cabinet in my laundry room. And then I can only hope they (or anything else) doesn't fall out when I open the cabinet door! LOL

LOL Gardenspice. Reminds me of the cartoon entitled "When mayonnaise goes bad" and shows a picture of ajar of mayo holding a gun on a bottle of catsup. :-)

No, they are in a basket that hangs from the shelf above and can be rolled out to view the contents. Just easier on the old back these days.

Jodi-

I have one of those fake cabinets over my stove, you know the kind that hides the duct work for the fan? It's not very roomy but it's big enough for light bulb storage and room sprays.

Zipper who would like to organize but can't seem to get up the gumption ;0)

Mine are stored in a box on the floor of my pantry...The ones needed upstairs are stored in the laundry room cabinet...I keep saying I'm gonna start hoarding regular bulbs...I don't wanna use them curly q things...I have a few around and they just don't seem bright enough for me!

I keep them in a paper grocery bag in the garage.

OK, Flamey, you got me thinking.

In the Tulsa house were two large paper bags with "original Tulsa bulbs". In one of the linen closets were the energy efficient bulbs in a basket.

Here, nothing fits yet. I am still working on organizing and finding "perfect spots" for lots of things.

But, you made me think. I have several nice BIG (as in from Jerry, LOL) shoe boxes, you know, they stack nicely.

Cause of something my daughter told me, I have my sports bottles organized using wine boxes from the liquor store.

I could use some of those inserts, and put dividers in the shoe boxes, and put the bulbs in there...

Yup, I like that idea.

Need to put liquor store on my list of things to do. :)

Moni

Mine are in the kitchen cupboard above the stove along with the fan duct. Only have two or three varietes of regular bulbs: 60s, 100s. I have some flame-shaped ones in dining room chandelier, but don't stock replacements.

Oh, yes - and I got some small and medium sized CFLs a while ago (and I agree that when they say to multiply by four to get the proper rating of incandescents ... they live on different planet from me) ... that are in a plastic grocery bag ... somewhere ...

... in the living room (I think).

Do you live in a house or apt? Do you have a garage? Basement? Crawl space under part of the house (which is accessible by a trap-door, etc.)? If in a location where it gets dirty, you may want to store in a plastic tub. Unfinished space under the roof (and available step-stool or ladder)? It gets really hot up there in summer ... but light bulbs won't complain: they're used to that ... and won't split if it freezes.

How about getting a cardboard box from the grocery, either fairly deep, or larger and thinner, depending on how you want to organize and where to store.

Have you thought of under the chesterfield/sofa/settee/love seat/davenport (or other upholstered chair) in the L.R. (which will only work if you have a ruffle around them going to near the floor)? Actually, if you could find a long, narrow cardboard box from the grocery that would slide away back toward the back of a regular sofa (no drop-front ruffles), that might work, depending on sight lines. Or you could get the kids to draw patterns/a mural on the front of the box - tasteful, of course.

How about one of those heavy cardboard trays from the grocery that produce comes in? Slide it under the bed ... covered with part of an old sheet to reduce dust collection, or a piece of either light plastic (as one gets from the dry cleaners) or heavy plastic (which I prefer, as I tuck it in at the back and one just needs to lift it to gain access, but it doesn't droop as much).

I keep old files in cardboard boxes, also, and some aren't deep enugh to fold in the top flaps without crushing the file folders, so I cover them with heavy plastic sheets, tucked in at the back (that I obtained some time ago, for free). Sometimes I use a piece of an old sheet or flimsy plastic, e.g. dry cleaner stuff - but I prefer the heavy plastic.

Good wishes for success with this first(?) life-easing project of the new season.

ole joyful

I keep mine on shelves in a closet built into the garage.

I've recently bought a supply of different sizes at Walmart 4 for 74¢ they are in blue packaging if anyone looks for them I won't buy the new style until I absolutely have to.

Years ago my DH made cubbies in our linen closet for those kinds of things.One cubbie holds the wash cloths after they have been folded into 4ths,and they don't fall over.That is what started it.because b4 he did that the stacks of washcloths were always falling over and i was always getting pi**ed off.

So as i said one holds WC's,one holds lightbulbs,one holds toothpaste and brushes and one shampoos and conditioners.Works very well.
Kathi

This topic threw me for a loop!

I have a pack of those yellow buglight bulbs which I never got around to putting in the porch light, and 1 60 watt bulb which is for a lamp I rarely ever use. They are on a shelf with other stuff, in the garage.

I have lived here for 5 years now and the only bulbs that have burned out are a couple of the 4 of the 40 watts over the BR sink.

I never buy any until one burns out. Can't imagine having to have special storage compartments for light bulbs.

Those new-fangled bulbs would not fit in any of my ceiling fixtures.

On a cabinet beside my kitchen sink I have a "closet" light that is battery operated. Just tap on it and the light comes on, or off. Great for my midnight excursions to get ice cream! Would also be handy for those dark holes some of you mentioned.

Sue

Speaking of lightbulbs, my Dad taught me to grease threads of outdoor bulbs with a bit of Vaseline to halt risk of breakage when changing one. I also use it on ALL bulbs, inside or out and threads of washing machine AND outside hose nozzles, connections, screws, nuts; andthing that may ever be exposed to moisture. It has saved me soooo much trouble!

Sorry Flamingo- didn't mean to hi-jack your post.

Suzi

Great tip Suzi...thanks!

Jodi-

Suzi, that IS a great tip, thanks for posting it! I think smart tips like that are what make homekeeping easier.

I've struggled with a few rusted/corroded threads before on bulbs, so your tip will really come in handy. I think I'll get a jar of vaseline and keep it with the lightbulbs. That'll make it even easier and more convenient.

wow i came here to find out how to store lightbulbs but as soon as a got here a storage solution popped in my head...store them in the christmas ornament boxes and keep it under the bed or any closet where you have space. this way they won't roll around next to each other and burst. answered my own question.

Wrap the extra strings of lights around 2' pieces of PVC pipe, about 2' long. The plug goes in one end, wrap the lights around the pipe, stick the other end of the lights in the other end of the pipe, and store up on a shelf - no more tangled masses of lights! Home Depot or Lowes will cut the pipe into sections for you, at no cost.

I keep mine in a plastic container in my hall closet

It's an old thread if anyone cares? But if I had a closet and I needed the bulbs to be up front, I'd hang wire shelves that hang on the cabinet shelf.

I have a shoe rack hanging on the back of one of the spare bedroom's door.

It's soft with pockets. I keep spices, small jars of capers, etc on the pouches. Lightbulbs that aren't in the box go in the pouch too.

Get an ornamental screw-hook, screw it into the pantry ceiling, hang a bag on it that holds the light bulbs. Or a couple of bags, with different kinds sorted in each bag

That's IF the ceiling is high enough that you won't bang the bags with your head while travelling below. In which case ... the screw goes into a window frame?

ole joyful

You should have kept the packaging they originally came in. It annoys me to no end when certain family members rummage through the house cleaning and throw out the packaging I've been saving.

Hi Parker,

Don't tell me that your spouse ...

... nudifies unused light bulbs? Risky, ain't that?

ole joyful

With the bulbs still in the cardboard packages, I stack them in the pantry and hope they don't fall all over the place.

Hi there kitchy girl ... or is that someone with a water-loo?

So ... your bulbs are well stacked?

Mine aren't well stacked ... but they make no claim to being female, either.

o j