Organize Your Closet, Organize Your Life

There are various ways to organize your space. You may have a professional consultant come to your home to suggest ways to create more space in your area, or you can provide your own measurements and other information to help the designers create a plan for you. Some companies only do the whole project to control quality and honor their guarantees; others will allow you to choose between professional installation or installing their products yourself.

Techniques for Organizing Your Closet

The best way to organize a closet is to stop, think, and create a system. Simply folding your clothes and finding some place for them may “de-clutter” your closet, but it’s not going to organize it. Consider these common techniques for using your closet storage space. Using a combination of well-coordinated techniques will amount to a closet organization system that can save you unseen, unimagined space.

Long and Short Hanging: Closet hanging usually means clothing and clothing accessories, if you decide to hang your scarves, ties, belts, etc. Long and short hanging refers to the length of your clothes and how much space they need to hang. If you’re like most people, you probably have a combination of each. Take the time to assess how much of each kind of clothing you have. Then, look at your closet space and figure out where the best place is to hang your clothes.

Closet Shelving: You may have several personal and clothing items that work best on shelving. An important part of closet organization is sustainability. You may tell yourself that you’ll hang your T-shirts on a rod with the rest of your clothes, only to find later that it’s an unnecessary hassle. Shelving will allow for easier access, both in an out of your closet. Hanging all your clothes may seem like a positive lifestyle change, but chances are you’re going to fall back on your tendencies for convenience. Closet shelving is a respectable way to store many items, including clothes. The point is to save space and prevent any future clutter.

Baskets and Drawers

Often the untapped resource in closet organization is baskets and drawers. You may tell yourself that if you’re going to have drawers you should just have a dresser in your bedroom. Closet organization can be just as much about saving floor space in your bedroom as it is about saving closet space. Plus, many people have enough personal items for a small dresser and closer drawers. Clear baskets and drawers are especially nice for shoe storage. If you have a ton of shoes—and many of us do—these drawers can be a way to make your shoes accessible, without leaving them on the floor, and will help you keep your pairs together.

General Closet Organization Systems

Closet organization systems can range from inexpensive coated wire products to custom-built wood systems, though most systems combine several different products (usually coated wire and melamine because of the ease of maintenance). Coated wire products are economical, easy to work with and allow visibility and air to circulate. Some companies offer several kinds of products in a variety of colors, woods and veneers.

Cedar wood organization systems are a good choice to use in your closet area. The strong scent discourages adult moths from entering the area. However, the wood is not strong enough to support much and cedar loses its strong scent if not sanded regularly. It is most effective to apply cedar on the walls and possibly the floor of a closet before installing the storage systems. For best results, replace cedar accessories within the closet seasonally and store cashmere and other fine woolens in sealed bags with fresh cedar products whenever they are not worn.

Closet Organization Tips

• Group clothes using a system that works for you: by color, office or weekend wear, or tops and bottoms.
• Don’t store clothing in dry-cleaning bags. It’s best to remove these bags before you enter the house to air the dry-cleaning chemicals.
• To preserve heavy coats or tall boots out of season, stuff them with acid-free tissue.

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