Easy Closet Organization

Use these tips to help you get your closet functioning in an organized way. Once it's ready to go, you won't have to do much maintenance throughout the year.

1. Give as much away as possible.

Do a good deed while cleaning your closet. Donate clothes that don't fit right, have small stains or are simply not your favorites. Ask your friends and family if they would like to sift through before you give them away. Another idea is to have a yard sale and make money to invest in your new closet.

2. Divide your wardrobe into summer and winter sets.

Most people have way too much to fit into one closet. So, putting half of your wardrobe into storage can keep your closet looking nice and organized year round. If there isn't room in your closet or garage to store out of season clothing, consider shallow containers that slide underneath your bed.

3. Add shelving and hanging bars.

Look around the closet and see if there is room to expand. If your ceiling is high enough, you could add a second bar to the closet. You could put a shoe shelf on the bottom, the bar at about waist-high, and then build a system of shelves, drawers and cabinets above that for storage.

4. Choose storage bins that can be easily maneuvered.

Be wary of buying bins, baskets or crates that are very large. Clothing is heavy. You will want containers that are easily moved around to ensure ease of use. You may want a bin for work socks, one for work-out socks, one for pajamas and one for underwear. Many closets have room on the front walls for small shelves that can hold all of these bins.

5. Thin out your shoe supply.

If you can, get rid of some shoes. If you just can't, then consider keeping yard shoes in the garage, tennis shoes in the coat closet, and dress shoes in your bedroom closet. If you want, you can store them in clear boxes so that you can see which ones are inside. Store them with cedar closet accessories or a dryer sheet so that they do not start to smell.

6. Remove things that should not be kept in your closet.

Get rid of extra things that don't belong in your closet. If you can't figure out where to put them, then you may have to create a space. For example, sports equipment can go into an equipment organizer in the garage.

7. Hang your clothes on specialty hangers.

Now that you have room for your clothes, use specialty hangers to keep them from getting snagged, misshapen or crammed together. Use shirt hangers that are designed to curve towards the back and down on the shoulders. This will keep the shirt from getting wrinkled or squeezed between other articles of clothing. Use a skirt hanger for skirts or shorts. Make sure that the clips are smooth and do not have sharp edges that can tear your skirts. A pants hanger will keep your pants from creasing at the knee.

Getting your closet in order will help you stay organized year round. Enjoy your spacious new closet!