Man, pool toys were driving me nuts this summer! After each swim day, noodles, floats and dive sticks would end up scattered across my patio like a colorful plastic explosion. Took me two spilled drinks tripping over stray toys before I finally snapped and tackled this mess head-on.
The Disaster Zone First
Started by rounding up every single pool toy scattered around the yard. Made a huge pile near the shed and just stared at it like “holy moly”. Felt overwhelmed seeing inflatable dragons tangled with soaking kickboards, tiny water guns buried under beach balls. Realized half the problem was us just dumping stuff wherever after swimming.
Sorting Like a Madman
Dove into sorting everything into categories – took me a whole Saturday afternoon! Made separate piles for:
- The floaties
All pool floats, unicorn rings, giant pizza slices – anything inflatable
- The noodle squad
All those bendy foam noodles in weird colors
- Small fry stuff
Dive toys, water squirters, volleyball sets and nets
Testing Storage Ideas That Actually Work
Tried several ideas that totally bombed at first. Used mesh laundry bags for small toys but they molded after one rainstorm. Stuffed floats into deck boxes and they became crumpled, wrinkled messes. Big lesson learned: dry completely before storing anything!
What finally worked:
- For floats
Rolled them tight like sleeping bags after drying, stacked vertically in tall plastic bins with lids cracked for airflow
- Noodle solution
Drilled holes through empty plastic coffee cans, threaded noodles through like giant spaghetti. Hung them on shed wall hooks!
- Tiny toy fix
Used old milk crates with rope handles – easy to carry to poolside and water drains right out
The Aftermath
Took about three weekends of trial and error, but man what a difference! Now when friends come over, they actually compliment the setup. Best part? Takes under 5 minutes after swimming to chuck toys into their specific spots. My patio stays clear and toys last way longer without getting sun-bleached or mildewed. Still tweaking things but so worth the effort!