Alright, everyone is finally ready to go and all you need to do is grab a jacket.  You go to the hall coat closet and start rummaging through all the stuff.  As a tennis ball lands on your head, you find two umbrellas, a bike helmet, half a dozen sweatshirts and even a couple of loose socks but there’s no jacket.  In fact, you can’t find any other jackets, either.  Actually, the coat closet is now housing anything and absolutely everything that is not outerwear.

If this chaos sounds like your hall closet, linen closet or other storage area in your house, you may not even have paid attention to the clutter until you started reading this.  After all, you may have long ago given up on the battle against accumulated stuff.  Although a closet filled with junk can seem overwhelming to deal with, it is not as hard as you may think to really organize closets to make the most of the storage space there is.  The available tools are affordable, simple to install and flexible so they can work for your 4 bedroom space saving colonial house plan or any other size and style of home whether building new or simply rearranging the closet space you already have.

The first step you need to take to get organized is to decide the purpose of each closet.  You don’t have to have any rules when it comes to which closet is a proper place.  Maybe the closet in between your room and the guest room is called the linen closet but you really like to keep your towels in the bathroom cupboard.  What you really want to put in this closet are the board games and card games you play when guests come to stay and this is an ideal option.  The most important thing to remember when you organize your closets is that the system has to work for you.

Check out what you have in your closets now and start sorting.  There are only three decisions to make – dispose, donate or disperse.  Disposable stuff is worn out or broken and past functionality.  When you hold on to unusable clutter it wastes necessary and usable space.  Donating unused items that take up valuable space gets rid of clutter to ease your mind and can be totally useful for someone else.  Dispersal is trickier when you clean out because you have to make sure the items you keep go to their rightful places.  When you clean up your closet, you are not supposed to mess up the rest of your house in the process.

Now you know which things belong in what closet.  However, you still don’t get to shove all your stuff back into a designated yet messy area.  When you have dispersed all things, you need to get the right materials to give you easy access to everything you want to store.  If you cannot see something or it is not easily accessible and creates an avalanche, there is no use having it around.  To avoid getting hit on the head or losing stuff in the rubble, invest in organizational aids.  There are companies that sell customized closet organizers for your uses, budget and décor.  Customized closet organization systems range from professionally installed dream closets to do-it-yourself quick installations.  You may even want to pick pieces that go with your current closet shelves to make the most of the space and save money.  Whichever way you choose, visualize what you want your closet to look like and how it should work.  When you discuss this idea with a professional, they can point you to the accessories you need for an efficient closet.

A few closet fixtures make everyone’s life easier and their closets more tidy.  They can be part of a professional system or purchased individually so you can give your closet a makeover yourself.

Change Your Hangers

Those wire hangers from the dry cleaner are free for a reason.  They can damage your clothing by tearing, snagging and misshaping certain pieces.  Investing in quality hangers revitalizes your closets and is a good way to properly maintain your clothing.  Padded or wood hangers treat clothing respectfully by holding its shape and minimizing snags.  The silkiest camisole or most fashionable suit will be properly taken care of on these hangers and they will minimize fallen, messy pieces when looking through your options.  For a slightly more economical approach, sturdy plastic hangers are acceptable.  Color coding hangers by family member makes laundry simpler and reminds the lazy people to hang up their clothes.

Hooks and Double-rods

For all the things that never seem to have a place to rest, hooks are a simple option for storing accessories.  Put a designated hook in the ideal access area for items such as jewelry, belts, pajamas, bathrobes and towels that clutter shelves and lay on the floor.  Cup hooks and removable adhesive options are easy to put up anywhere you have space to hang the items.

There are a number of functions for double-rods, depending on how you use the closet.  In children’s closets, there are usually two or three rods for clothes so parents can hang off-season or holiday outfits in an out of reach place.  The lower rods are perfect for children to reach their own clothing with minimal assistance.  In other closets, the second rod is an efficient way to use storage space.  An extra shelf can be put above the lower rod moving storage area for shoes or boxes to get them off the floor.  After all, the more things that appear in your line of sight, the more likely you are to use them.

Hanging Organizers

Hanging organizers have so many functions and are often considered useful for sweaters.  These nylon or canvas hanging organizers are a super way to add functional, removable and durable space to your closet.  Hanging organizers usually hang from the closet rod to make the most of vertical space.  The folding clothes can be put in cubbies by type.  Laundry is easier to put away and all your clothing options are in sight.  A family member who has few clothes to hang or who is learning to color coordinate and fold will benefit from hanging organizers.  They come in all kinds of shapes and sizes so you can store your favorite shoes, hats and anything else you think of that needs a shelf.

Freestanding Shelves

While not quite as flexible as hanging organizers, freestanding shelves can be moved or adjusted.  They are ideal in linen closets or larger areas that need labeling and separating to give easy access.  Freestanding shelves offer cubbyhole separations for linens to get organized by room or large, open shelves to accommodate labeled boxes.  No matter which system you prefer, freestanding shelves are durable and functional so you can use the immediate space without creating clutter.

Clear Containers

If you have odds and ends wandering around the house, there are clear containers in all kinds of shapes, styles and sizes such as photo boxes, shoe boxes and hat boxes.  You can see exactly what you are storing and where it is without pulling it down, opening it or reading labels.  Clear food storage containers are great because you see what is running out in the pantry and get rid of disorderly boxes at the same time.  If you use a container that is not clear, take a photo of the stored items and label the container so you know what is inside without a hassle.

Small step shelves and dividers keep containers and miscellaneous items orderly without stacking on top of each other, whether it is your designer handbags in the bedroom or canned goods in the pantry.  Pull out drawers and shelves eliminate endless fumbling and help store items you want to keep out of sight.

No matter how you combat closet chaos, find the system that works for your home design and lifestyle.
Carefully choosing organizing systems will ensure simplicity and less work.  Soon you will be able to locate your jacket in the right spot on your way out the door.

For more information on the products featured,
please visit ClosetMaid.com and Schultestorage.com