Everyone’s closet becomes cluttered sooner or later. New things come in and we seldom take the time to get rid of our old belongings. Your closet can be one of your home’s greatest assets if you are able to manage the space well. Creating functional space isn’t really all that difficult, but it does take a certain amount of creativity and a determined mindset to make it happen. Use these tips to help you turn even the smallest of closets into one of your greatest and most useful areas.
1) Clear out as much of your old stuff as possible. If something doesn’t fit quite right, get rid of it. If you have shoes that hurt, are scuffed, or simply don’t match anything that you have, give them away. Making charitable donations is a great way to help your community and get some extra deductions on your taxes. If possible, have a yard sale or list your better items on an auction site. Use the extra money to upgrade your closet so that it can stay more organized in the future.
2) Come up with a wardrobe rotation system. If you have a closet that is on the smaller side, you may not be able to store your summer and winter clothing in there. Try to find space under the bed, in an armoire, or in the garage for clothing that you don’t use year-round. Be sure to use cedar accessories in your storage bins to avoid musty odors and to repel pests. If you prefer to keep your clothing hanging, invest a little in a rolling garment rack with a zip-up cover to keep your hanging clothes nice and neat while they’re in storage.
3) Space is at a premium, so use it wisely. If t-shirts take up more space hanging than they do stacked on a shelf, use the shelf. If pants stay better organized on pants hangers than stuffed in a drawer, designate one area just for pants. Designate areas, bins, containers, drawers or shelves for pajamas, socks, swimwear, and other small items that you may not want to hang. A simple cubby system down one side of your closet may be enough. Or, consider putting one on each side of the closet, leaving the hanging space in the center free for hanging clothes.
4) Find storage space wherever you can. Is the area on the back of the closet door being used? What about above the closet door? Near the ceiling? There is often space in the closet that we haven’t considered using before that is perfect for storing things that we don’t use every day. Consider placing some small shelves and racks around those spaces for things like hats and luggage that don’t get used very often.
5) Choosing the right clothes hangers can make a huge difference in the space that you use and how organized you are able to keep the closet. Space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, prevent clothes from slipping, puckering at the shoulders, or becoming tangled up on the bar. They are slim enough to fit closely together. You can also get cascading hangers that allow you to hang multiple pairs of pants on one hanger or coordinate outfits to save time and space.
About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.
