Closets are one of those areas that quickly accumulate clutter, and when they get messy it becomes very hard to find things! Having a well organized closet means less stress when you are running late and trying to find your favorite shirt.
It also means that, since there is a place for that shirt, it is more likely to be in wearable condition rather than in a wrinkled heap on the floor.
Many companies sell special furniture or systems that are designed to fit in your closet.
These are great inventions but they can be very costly.
The good news is that it is relatively easy to create a system to organize your closet space at a minimal cost.
Here are some ideas to help you get started.
1.
Eliminate unnecessary items.
The first step to re-organizing your storage space is to get rid of all the things that you do not need.
Go through your clothes, and if there is anything that you have not worn in a year, or do not like, consider donating it to a clothing bank.
Next, put seasonal items from the wrong season in storage, if possible.
Winter coats don't need to be filling up your closet in the summer.
2.
Take stock of what you are going to put in your closet.
This will help you decide how to organize it.
Are there long coats or dresses, or only short ones? Do you have a lot of shoes? Belts? Ties? Once you know what you will be putting in your closet, it is much easier to think of workable solutions, which are detailed below.
3.
Make use of shoe racks.
Shoe racks on the floor make it easier to store many pairs of shoes in a smaller space.
Fancy shoe racks are expensive, but plastic ones are often less than ten dollars each, and are usually stackable.
You can also put shoe racks on the shelf above the coat rack, to create additional 'shelves'.
You can use these to store more shoes, or other items.
4.
Organize small items into clear plastic bins.
Bins are great for keeping everybody's hats, gloves and scarves from becoming a big jumble on the floor or shelf of the closet.
Buy one for every person in the household and label it with his or her name.
5.
Hang a second clothing rod halfway down the wall.
Most people do not have many floor length items, and putting in a second rod doubles the amount of clothing that can be stored in a closet.
You can install one with no drilling or nailing at all.
The easiest way to do it is to simply use wire to hang the low rod from the high one.
If you do it this way, you don't even have to make the low rod the entire length of your closet, which will save some space for those few full-length items.
6.
Hang a few hooks on the side or back walls, or on the back of the door.
These are handy for hanging purses, umbrellas or belts where you will be able to find them easily.
7.
Replace your wire hangers with wooden ones.
They may seem fancy, but wooden hangers are actually very inexpensive.
They help your clothes keep their shape better, and are more durable than wire hangers.
Plus, wire hangers tend to get tangled up in each other whereas wood ones don't.
Wondering what to do with all your excess wire hangers? Drop them off at the nearest dry cleaner - they will be very much appreciated.