Clutter can quickly become a problem. It tends to grow, even in areas where there wasn’t space for it to begin with. The worst place for clutter in general, is your closet. Most people end up using their closet as a “catch-all” for things that don’t have a place to go. It’s easy to do a quick clean of your home or apartment and stash things out of sight in the closet. Unfortunately, this is just a temporary fix.
We need our closets to keep our clothing free from damage. We need to stay at least a little organized, or we’ll never make it through our day. The closet is often the first thing that you deal with in the morning when you get up. You’re just trying to get to work on time and you need to be able to quickly and easily find what you need. If the closet is cramped and cluttered, it can put you in a bad mood for the entire day.
You may think that your closet is too small, but even in a small closet, improvements can be made. Most people don’t realize that it’s not the small closet that is the problem, but the lack of efficiency that is to blame. Use these tips to make sure you’re using the space that you have wisely.
Take everything out and start to inventory what you have. You may have a lot of things crammed in there that you don’t really need anymore. Maybe some things can be given away to charity. Get rid of shoes that don’t fit right, are damaged, or have gone out of style. If you haven’t worn something in a year, get it out of there. Thin out what you own and then you can start to thin out what you allow to go into your closet.
The first rule of organizing is to categorize. If something doesn’t have a category, then you need to find one for it. Don’t allow yourself to keep a “miscellaneous” pile, box, or drawer in your home. That is pretty much the definition of clutter. Try hard to categorize so that you can easily keep things where they go.
After getting everything separated, you can assess the space situation. There is often wasted space in the front corners of the closet and at the top of the closet. Don’t be afraid to store long-term things up near the ceiling. Is there room for shelves on either side of the closet? You can put more in there than you think. If a good organizer still doesn’t give you enough room, consider space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, to get the job done. These can cascade from each other and hold specialty clothing so that you can save up to three times the space in your closet.
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.
