How I used QR codes and Google Sheets to organize my home

Everyone dreams of having a perfectly organized home with a place for everything and everything in its place. Achieving that dream is more difficult than one might think, but I found a technological solution that is extremely economical and easy to set up.

An Idea Takes Shape

Like many homeowners, my house is filled with too many storage containers of various shapes and sizes. Social media algorithms probably noticed this because last year, my wife and I started seeing ads for organization kits based on app QR codes. We were immediately interested.

The concept is rather simple. There are several different versions of the same idea, but they are essentially a package of QR stickers associated with an application. Put a sticker on a box, scan it, and put all items in the box. Every time you scan the QR code, you are taken to an app with a list of what is inside. I was impressed by the idea, but I have some concerns.

Primarily, I don't want my home organization system to rely on any random app that may not last six months. Not to mention the many cases where a subscription is required and if you need more QR stickers, you have to buy them from them. Someone can create a QR code for free online, so I knew there was a better and more economical option.

The Simple Solution

As mentioned, it's a rather simple concept. All you need is a QR code that points to somewhere where you can modify a list of things. Which app is the most accessible that allows me to modify, share, and collaborate with others? Google Sheets.

Of course, there are many ways to do this, but here's how I did it. First, I created a new Google sheet with multiple tabs. Each tab is a spreadsheet with two columns: "Object Name" and "Description". Since the URL is specific to each tab, I can simply copy the URL and use it to create a QR code that will open Google Sheets directly to that tab. Each tab of the sheet is also assigned a number that is printed along with the QR code.

The Master Key card serves as an overview of the entire system. It lists every generated QR code, the room where it's used, its location within the room, and a general idea of what's inside the box. So, I can use the Master Key to see which box contains the object I'm looking for, go directly to its place in the house, and since each box is also labeled with a number, I know exactly which box to open when I arrive.

Areas for Improvement

I've been pleasantly satisfied with this system so far, but there are some things that could be improved. Most of the time, I simply want to open the document and search for a specific item, like 'mouth', and see which box it contains. On the desktop, I can go to Edit > Find and Replace to search the entire sheet, but this doesn't work in the mobile app (which are usually in use). The Master Key helps with this, but a better search functionality would be greatly appreciated.

In my opinion, it would be nice if there was a clean way to include photos for each tab on the sheet. This feature is present on almost all products I've found on Amazon. Of course, you can upload photos to a Google Sheet, but doing so within a spreadsheet is inconvenient.

Often, the simplest things make the biggest difference in our lives. My QR code/Google Sheets system may not be as fluid as intentionally designed products for this type of thing. However, it was economical and I almost completely controlled the entire operation. Now, where did those Christmas napkins go?