Coat Closet Organization

If your coat closet is disorganized, you're not alone. We generally stash things in the coat closet that probably shouldn't be there. It becomes a "catch-all" for things that people bring into the house every day. You could have just about anything in there, from arts and crafts, to the folder that contains your taxes from last year, to sports equipment, to old newspapers. Then, everyone comes in and kicks off their shoes, throws down their backpacks, and drops their gloves and hat, basically whatever they didn't feel like immediately putting away. You can clean out the closet, but it may not be long before everyone is using it for their dumping ground, once again.

Well, you have to start by pulling everything out. Clean the closet, vacuum, and check for mold or mildew. If you notice a musty odor, that is mildew growing. Go ahead and order yourself some cedar coat hangers. They help coats to hold their shape, they're strong, absorb moisture, and deodorize the area. Once it's clean, you can move on to the next step.

One of the biggest complaints about coat closets is the shoes. There's generally not much room in there. It definitely wasn't designed to hold an entire family's worth of shoes. Plus, we mostly use the coat closet during the winter months, so the shoes that are going in there are bulky boots. Solve this issue by placing a bench or chest outside of the coat closet or in the entryway of your home. Make this an inviting area that invites people to sit and take their boots off.

Use hooks, cubbies, shelves, cabinets, whatever it takes to get everyone on board. Label the spaces with each family member's name. We like the idea of using a dry erase board on the inside of each person's cabinet door so that they can quickly check their schedules on their way out in the morning. Place a basket or trash receptacle near the bench for wet socks, hats, gloves, and scarves. This will help to keep them from ending up in the floor or molding in the pocket of a coat.

Now hang your coats on some high quality clothes hangers. The most recommended hangers for coat closets are cedar hangers. Not only will your closet smell great and look beautiful, but your coats will be safer in the closet than they've ever been before.