What to do with Closet Clutter

Take a look into your closet. Does the sight of all the clutter make you cringe? You may feel like throwing your hands in the air and giving up. Many people feel like there is simply not enough storage and that their closet will always be the dumping ground for all of their junk. A lack of storage space is a problem, but if you concentrate your efforts on making the space that you have more usable and efficient, you can conquer this mess that is your closet.

First you need to make space for the things that need to be stored in your closet. Of course, the first step would be to get rid of as much stuff as possible and give your closet a little breathing room. By pulling everything out, you will be able to see what you really own and what has been crammed in the back of the closet for who knows how long.

When you get everything out, you may be surprised at what you find. You may find clothes that you bought that you forgot you had. You may find that you have a box of junk that you used to quickly clean up when company was coming over. You will probably find a lot of old shoes and things that you no longer like or have a use for. Just by emptying the closet you will automatically free up some space.

Next, you need to be a little hard on yourself. Tell yourself that you are not allowed to own anything that you can't find a place for. If you can't part with something and you can't make space for it in the closet, then you must start thinking "outside the closet". An armoire, wardrobe, book case, or dresser may be the answer to storing things in your bedroom that need to get out of the closet.

Making room for what really needs to be in there will take a little bit of imagination, and maybe a little cash. Try having a garage sale or selling some items on an online auction site to get the money that you need to upgrade your closet storage. Shelving is not very expensive. You can go with wire shelving that you can customize to hold your belongings, or you can buy the wood for building a personal closet space that works for you.

When you get your closet all set up, make even more room by using the right clothes hangers. Hangers come in a lot of different sizes and types. You can make your closet more luxurious by using cedar hangers. You can save space by using strong metal hangers. You can double up the use of a hanger by getting ones that are designed to hold multiple items, like pants hangers or cascading hangers. Utilizing the right kind of hanger can help you to make the most of your hanging space, freeing up more areas for shelves, bins and cubbies.