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I Have the World’s Tiniest Bathroom

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:40:41 +0000

It’s true. My bathroom is seriously small. I’ve remodeled and I love it, but it is way too tiny to store anything at all. I have an open cabinet sink, so there is about a 2’x3’ space under there, but it’s barely enough for towels, washcloths, a make-up tray, and the toilet paper.

Now, I kind of pride myself on not owning very much “stuff”. I like to keep it minimalistic around the house and I’ve been known for throwing away or giving away a lot of stuff just to have the house feel emptier. There’s something nice about only having a few things in a room. In fact, besides the bed, I only have one tiny dresser and two bedside tables in my bedroom. I don’t like furniture and things taking up space. So, keeping that in mind, I must confess that I absolutely love beauty products! I’ve tried everything under the sun. I do facial masks, bleach my teeth, experiment with hair and make-up, just about daily. I can’t get enough. I don’t spoil myself much, except with these types of things. I’m a big couponer, mainly so I can get tons of free or obscenely cheap beauty products.

So, you can see where this is going, right? I have accumulated a TON of hair products, accessories and tools, make-up out the wazoo, facial masks, body lotions, the list goes on and on. Because of the awesome coupon deals I’ve gotten, I also have a healthy stash of body washes, shampoos, conditioners, razor blades, and deodorants.

I finally came up with the perfect solution. I really didn’t want to put a bunch of shelves in my already cramped bathroom. I’d have to install them in between the studs, recessed into the wall, covering the entire wall to put all of this stuff somewhere. Even then I’m ashamed to say, it probably wouldn’t be enough. So, anyway, I acquired this media cabinet. It was a nice, beveled, kind of wavy glass front cabinet, about five feet tall. The awesome thing about it was that it had a lot of glass shelves that were adjustable. Finally a way to organize all my bathroom stuff!

Now, this thing does not fit in my bathroom, but it does fit nicely right outside of the bathroom in my bedroom. It took me two hours to categorize and go through everything that I had and figure out how I wanted it stored, but I did it and it’s magnificent! I didn’t like that the inside had a lot of holes for cords to feed through. This was meant for electronics, initially. So, I hung my great grandmother’s tablecloth in the back. It turned out so cute and made the cabinet special. I used a pencil and pen carousel for my make-up brushes, tweezers, nail files, and more. For the sections that were too deep, I stuffed some tissue down in the bottom to adjust the depth so that everything stayed perfect. Really I could go on and on about it. Anyway, I just wanted to share how I found a new purpose for a piece of old furniture that keeps all of my stashes perfectly organized and ready to use without cluttering up my house at all! Let me know what you’ve done!

About the Author: Charlie Hafter is on the staff of Closet Hanger Factory, a leading online resource for clothes hangers. Get all of the closet and clothes hanger accessories you could need at http://www.closethangerfactory.com, which is recognized worldwide for their excellent quality hangers.

Organized Storage

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:36:00 +0000

Does your storage closet look like a bomb went off in there? Mine sure did! I had slowly added random things that didn’t have a place to go to this “out of sight, out of mind” little nook in my house. Then one day it hit me. I have a junk closet. I’ve had to repurchase things that I already own because I can’t find them, or I don’t have the time and the energy to dig through the giant boxes that I’ve shoved in there! Oh, how I thought those big deep shelves would be so convenient, not realizing that I was creating a place to bury everything that I own in a virtual storage mortuary.

When I tried to shove in my kids’ yearbooks and they wouldn’t fit, I realized that I had robbed myself of this precious storage space. It was so many layers deep that I had no idea what I had stored near the back almost 3 years ago. This was long overdue. I cleared the room and just started pulling everything out. Now, you might have done this too. The plan was to go through every box, bag and container, get rid of some stuff and simply, possibly magically, organize what was left.

There’s the magic word, now, right? Organize. It holds such promise for an easier, neater, future. However, as I went through, I started to realize that I’ve done this before. I wasn’t finding that much stuff that I was willing to part with. Sure, some things were important at one time and no longer were, but a lot of this was precious memories. Photos, a select few baby clothes, Christmas tree decorations, craft supplies, and more were all stuffed in. So that’s when I decided that I would try not putting anything back into that closet that didn’t have a specific, sturdy, long-term space to go.

I used the whole room spreading out my stuff. I made piles of knitting and crocheting materials. I had a bunch of falling-apart plastic drawers and dressers just full of photos. I had multiple torn and smashed cardboard boxes holding everything from office supplies to my kids’ first handprints. This was not acceptable anymore! I decided to make a chart.

My chart listed each thing that I needed space for and I managed to get everything into just a few categories. Sewing and yarn, photos, kids’ school and artwork, craft and office supplies, mementos, computer supplies, Christmas stuff, exercise equipment, sports equipment, and my wedding china. I invested just a little into photo boxes, two sturdy containers with lids for the kids’ work, an extra shelf to add to the deep shelf for organizing sewing crafts, a few reusable grocery bags for holding smaller exercise equipment, and so forth. Everything had to go into a category and fit into its designated area or it had to go.

Limiting the space that I was “allowed” to use for each category helped me to make it happen. I couldn’t believe the space that I had left over once everything was put away in proper containers. I even had room to install a new hanging rod, stocked with coat hangers, for the bulky coats and suits that were causing space issues in my bedroom closet. It was definitely worth the time to do it right. No more falling-apart-containers and boxes holding my precious memories and no more searching for what I need when I need it.

Deep Cleaning and Organization

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:56:54 +0000

Why wait until spring to do your spring cleaning? Right now, you’re probably trapped in the house just waiting for spring to get here, so why not use this time to get your whole house in order? You don’t have to set aside a whole weekend to do it. Just a little bit each day can have your whole home in order by the time spring comes around. Then you’ll be ready to go enjoy the great outdoors while everyone else is stuck inside trying to do all of their spring cleaning at once.

1) The first step is to evaluate your home and prioritize problem areas. There may be a “junk room” that you use for storage that really needs to be cleaned out, but is it the area that gives you the most trouble? A giant laundry mountain that never seems to be conquered may be your best place to start. Or, the kids’ paperwork from school is so piled up, that you don’t remember what is what and which things were important. Pick out the worst area and start there.

2) If you work full-time, then you may not have the time in your schedule to really dedicate yourself to cleaning. Some people have health problems that prevent them from doing it all. Or, your family may keep you so occupied that you just can’t find the time to do it. Try to do a little bit each day. As the end of the project approaches, you’ll find yourself getting more and more motivated to get it done.

3) As you clean, keep getting rid of things that you may not need to keep. The more you can get rid of, the less you’ll have to clean the next time. Have you caught yourself cleaning the same thing over and over, even though it was barely, if ever, used? Get rid of it! If you’re keeping things just because you “like” them, ask yourself what you like more, the item, or the clean space? You would be amazed how much cleaning you could avoid if you simply got rid of the things that you don’t use every day.

4) Getting your storage space in order can really help you to get things done faster. Organize your closet and make a space for everything. Then, while you’re cleaning, you’ll have a place to put everything. A little extra space in the closet can go a long way. Use hangers to hang everything from hats, flip-flops, coats, scarves, ties and purses. This can help you make room in your dressers and on your shelves for other things that need to be organized. Some clothes hangers can even help you to hang multiple items in one spot to make more room in the closet for more things to be hung.

Year-End Closet DIY

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:33:38 +0000

Organizing a closet can be quite the task. Knowing where to start, what techniques work, and what to do to make your organization last is important. Knowing what to do can save you time, space, and even money in the long-run. Using tips from professional closet organizers is a great way to make sure that you’re getting the job done right. They have certain things that they fall back on again and again. You can use the same techniques that they do to get your closet organized like a professional. We’ve compiled some of the basics that we feel are the most helpful at correcting problems that most people face when it comes to getting and keeping their closets organized. Use these tips and you’ll be organizing like a pro in no time.

1) Professional closet organizers always push people to get rid of as much stuff as possible. Most adults keep clothes an average of ten years after they are done wearing them! Just imagine how cluttered your closet can be if you’re keeping things for decades after you no longer use them. People have a hard time getting rid of clothing that has sentimental value. They also have a hard time giving up things that they paid a lot for, items that are good “wardrobe staples”, and items that are simply still usable. Get rid of what you can and turn the hangers around backwards on the bar for what’s left. As you wear things throughout the year, hang them back up correctly. At the end of the year, if something is still hanging backwards, get rid of it without a second thought.

2) Pros also like to divide clothing so that it’s easy to see what goes where. Casual clothes should be separate from work clothes, dress clothes, and workout clothes. Sectioning off your closet by dividing it with shelves or extra hanging bars is a great way to keep things visually separate. After that, you will need to hang shirts together, skirts, pants, suits, coats, etc. until everything has its own place in the closet. You can make room below your hanging clothes by lining things up by length. You may be surprised how much space you can make below your shorter shirts if you hang them together on the bar.

3) Finally, professionals always use matching clothes hangers. Coats should always go on coat hangers or sturdy wood hangers. Skirts and pants can be cascaded on specialty hangers and outfits can be coordinated on cascading or coordinate hangers. Using the right clothes hangers can not only save you space, but can help your clothing to stay organized, wrinkle free, and ready for use.

Taking Winter Clothing Out of Storage

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:31:41 +0000

The winter season is now in full swing and we’re starting to use all of those heavy winter coats and suits. Did your coats come out of storage smelling like a musty old closet? You’re not alone. Many people complain about the odor that seems to cling to things that have been stored for any length of time. This smell is actually mold and mildew growing in your clothing, so you have a right to be disgusted by the smell. It not only smells bad, but can cause allergic reactions in many people. Properly caring for and storing your coats and suits year round can help you to prolong the life of your expensive wardrobe and protect yourself from allergies and annoying musty odors.

1) When using your coats this winter, let them dry completely before putting them back into the closet. You don’t want to introduce moisture into the coat closet or your bedroom closet. If your coat or suit jacket is damp from rain, snow, or even mist, hang it outside of the closet in a dry environment for twenty four hours before placing it back into the closet with the other clothes. You can buy an inexpensive hanging rack for coats, shoes, hats, gloves, mittens and more. These hanging rods are like the ones that you might see in an office or doctor’s office. Give yourself a place to easily hang your wet items so that you aren’t tempted to hang them back in the closet or toss them over a chair.

2) Stock your hanging area with the things that you’ll need to dry out your winter wear. A shoe rack can help to hold shoes open so that air can circulate inside. Hangers with clips are great for clipping up gloves, hats and mittens. Scarf hangers are useful for keeping your scarves organized and letting them air out after use. Coat hangers that are curved will keep air between the front and the back of your coats and suits. You don’t want hangers with a flat design because they don’t let enough air into the garment to let it completely dry. Place your hanging area near a heater vent if possible so that the heat and moving air can help things dry before they have a chance to mold or mildew.

3) When you store coats and suits back in the closet, make sure that you are using the right clothes hangers. Hangers, like wood hangers or specially designed coat hangers, will be curved across the top and also across the body. The curvature should support the shoulders without puckering out the arms or letting the collar and lapels drop. The body curve should slightly round out the back of the coat or suit so that it doesn’t cause the coat to lose its shape. The clothes hanger that you choose could be a very important factor in extending the life of your wardrobe. Choosing cedar hangers will help you to avoid moisture, odors and pests in your closet. Keep your clothing fresh and in shape by following these rules this winter.

Keep Clothing in Good Form

admin — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 08:29:15 +0000

You’ve invested a lot in your wardrobe and it pays to protect it. Your clothes can lose their shape over time if you are not storing them properly. Give your clothing the care that it needs to extend the life of the garments that you’ve spent your hard earned money on. Using these tips, you can make your clothes last until they are out of style. Then, if you want to sell them, they’ll be in great shape and bring you top dollar that you can reinvest in your new clothes.

1) Sweaters almost always are the first to go. Hanging them on regular hangers can cause them to stretch under their own weight. Shoulders can get puckered and stitching can start to deform. It can be tough to get your sweater back into shape after it has been disfigured. If you have a sweater with puckered shoulders or exposed stitching, you may be able to get it back into shape by using steam. Check tags for how you should care for each garment. Then, store your sweaters folded flat on a shelf. You can also use an inexpensive hanging organizer. These usually come in canvas and Velcro to the hanging bar. Your sweaters will stack neatly inside and take up less room than if you hung them individually.

2) Pants can also get damaged by hanging them on conventional hangers. Use specialty pants hangers that are designed not to crease pants. Some clips can rust, snag, or crimp your pants and leave permanent damage. Look for hangers with a locking or padded pants bar, or clips that have pads in them to protect your slacks and pants from damage.

3) Conventional wire hangers can bend under the weight of your clothing and that metal twist can snag the fabric. Using higher quality clothes hangers can solve a lot of problems. Not only do they keep their shape, protecting your clothes from slipping off or sagging at the shoulders, but they should also be smooth and conform to the shape of your garments. Look for coat hangers that match the size and shape of your coats. Wood hangers are generally designed to fit coats and suits, supporting molded shoulders and the heavy weight that they present. Your clothes hangers have a heavy bearing on how long your clothes will last. Choose the right ones, and your wardrobe will be protected from now on.

Simple Closet Organizing

admin — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:25:36 +0000

A well arranged closet is so much easier to use and maintain. Here we will provide some tips for organizing a closet that will work with you and your habits. There are a few ways, including using a concentric design, to make your closet more usable. There is no need to spend a lot of money on an organization system that will not solve your specific closet problems. With a little forethought, you can have a closet that is a relief for you to use.

You may be dedicating too much space to hanging room in your closet. If you wear a lot of dresses and suits, then you may need a lot of hanging space. However, you may be able to make better use of the space by installing some shelving. You can work around the existing bar, or take it down and get a new, adjustable bar. If you hang a lot of shirts and pants, you can double up the bar, using one for pants and one for shirts. You can keep a high bar on one side of the closet or the other for your longer items, like dresses. You may find that you still have the same number of feet of space for hanging that you did before, but now you have half of the closet that can be used for shelves, cabinets, and drawers.

If you’ve read anything at all about closet organization or design, you’ve probably seen the term “vertical space” a lot. Making use of the space that is normally wasted in the closet is a great way to get more things organized in a smaller space. You can look around the closet and see where space is wasted. Usually, it’s above the top shelf, on the floor, or on the front corners of the closet. Check to see if you can move your top shelf up and extend it out to the front wall of the closet. You may be able to push your hanging rods back a few inches, creating more space in the front of the closet.

After you’ve made room, think about how you use your closet. Things that you use most often should be front and center in the closet. Arrange shelves and rods based on how often you use your hanging or folded clothes. Looking at your current closet, you can identify problems that need solutions. Do your dirty clothes pile up in the floor? Is your closet full of clothes that you no longer wear? Do your shoes end up crushed in a mountain on the closet floor? You may need a space for a laundry basket, a bin for clothes that need to go to charity, or cubby-style shelves that run up the front corners of your closet for shoes.

Things, like formal wear and other dress clothes, are not used very often. These items should be the furthest back in your closet. Use sturdy clothes hangers, like wooden hangers, to hang heavier suits and coats. You can also store your out of season clothing up really high because you won’t need to access them very often. Using plastic containers with lids is a great way to store clothes for many reasons. If you pack your clothing items in separate containers, then you can use the containers for storage and display. For example, you can have your summer socks and winter socks in separate containers. Take down the one for winter, take off the lid, place it on the summer sock container, and simply switch them out. Making switching from one season to the other an easy process will help you to keep your closet organized year round.

Bathroom Organization Made Easy

admin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:37:41 +0000

The bathroom is a small space that needs to hold many types of items. This is a recipe for disaster if you are unable to keep it in a constant state of organization. Bathroom storage is often a struggle for many people. To get it organized and make the most of the small space that you have, you definitely need a plan. Use these tips to help you come up with a personalized storage system that will work in your bathroom.

1) Take an inventory count of what you need to keep in the bathroom. This is a great time to wipe out cabinets, clean out drawers, and wipe down all of the bathroom surfaces. Make yourself a list of what you want to keep together and categorize as much as you can. Avoid the dreaded “miscellaneous” pile that ultimately leads to an accumulation of clutter.

2) Make-up is a big problem in most people’s bathroom. It is pretty rare that you will actually use something completely up before purchasing another. Let’s say you bought a new eye shadow. The old one isn’t empty, but you really want to use the new one. Now, you may go back and forth, but inevitably, you’ll need a new color, and then the pile-up begins. Have you organized and stored your make-up before, but it still tends to be all over the place? This is generally because we use it so much. If there isn’t a very convenient place to store it, it ends up on the counter. Use a large make-up organizer for things that are not in your current rotation. Use a countertop organizer for things that you use every day. It’s important for the top to be open so that you’re not tempted to drop it on the counter instead.

3) Make sure that you have somewhere, like a hamper, for your dirty clothes to go. Laundry can be a problem in the bathroom. Not only are we changing for bed, getting ready for work, and taking showers in there, but we are also using towels and washcloths. Sometimes you may need to hang your towels to dry so that you don’t have wet clothes molding or growing mildew in the hamper. Make sure that you have an easy place to hang towels and an easy to access hamper for your dirty laundry.

4) Storing linens in the bathroom is much easier if you have the appropriate dividers and hangers. Cedar clothes hangers are a great thing to use in a bathroom linen closet. They absorb moisture, protecting your sheets and blankets from that mildew smell. Cedar wood hangers also deodorize to keep the closet fresh. You can use ordinary coat hangers to hang sheets, but there are also open ended comforter and blanket hangers you can use to keep air circulating around your linens.

Quick and Easy Closet Tips

admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:49:50 +0000

Does getting ready for work seem like it takes longer and longer each day? Do you have trouble finding the shoes, shirt, or jacket that you need? People lose a lot of time every day when their closet isn’t properly organized and taken care of. It can be extremely frustrating when you find your work clothes crumpled on the floor, creased from the hanger, or damaged from being hung improperly. There are a lot of frustrating things that can happen to your wardrobe. Protect your investment and save yourself the hassle and time getting ready in the mornings by following these tips for keeping clothing safe and ready to wear in the closet.

1) Using cedar products, like cedar hangers, in your closet can save your clothes from musty odors, mildew, and damage from pests. This highly beneficial wood deodorizes the air around it. It doesn’t just cover up odors like potpourri and sprays. Cedar absorbs moisture from the air, which helps to prevent mold and mildew forming on your clothes. This is so useful, especially in the winter months, when wet boots and damp coats may go back into the closet. Cedar also repels moths, silverfish, cockroaches, and more insects that can get into your closet, lay eggs, and damage clothing.

2) Avoid metals that can stain or damage clothing. The typical wire hangers, like the ones you get at the cleaners, have sharp points that can snag and tear clothing. They can also rust if they’re around humidity and leave stains on your clothes. They are not the strongest of hangers and can bend under the weight of coats and suits, causing them to slip off and end up crumpled in the floor. Watch out for hangers that come with cheap metal parts. Look for polished chrome or brass that is free of snag points. Any clips should be padded and have rounded edges to protect your clothes.

3) Choose clothes hangers that are the right size for your clothes. There are tiny infant hangers, petite hangers, children’s hangers, and even extra large hangers that are each the right size for certain items of clothing. Using ones that are too big can stretch necks and pucker shoulders, ruining the clothes that you’ve invested in. For coats and suits, you should use curved, heavy duty coat hangers or wood hangers that are designed to help them keep their shape. This type of clothes hanger is made to support heavy weights and keep suits wrinkle free.

Custom Closet Ideas and Tips

admin — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:02:30 +0000

Everyone has a unique array of belongings that they need to keep in their closets. There is no one-size-fits-all design that suits everyone’s tastes and needs. Some people only use their closets for clothes and their shoes. Others may use it only for storage. You could keep important items put away or out of a child’s reach. No matter what you use your closet for, you should find a way to keep it organized so that you can find what you need when you need it.

Shelves, drawers, bins and other containers can help you get your closet organized. Small shelving can usually be added on one or both sides of the closet. These are great for small storage items like jewelry ties, socks, underwear, and shoes. They are also good for keeping miscellaneous items that would otherwise cause clutter. Some people keep photo albums, cameras, sports equipment, duffel bags and craft supplies stored in their closets. Making a place for everything will help you keep the closet neat and organized.

Using shelves can help you to quickly and easily create versatile storage areas. You may find that you need less hanging space if you have more shelves. Try some different designs on paper before you decide what you need. A pants hanging bar or pants tree can be installed at the side of the closet, eliminating the need for a long hanging bar. Shelves can be mixed in with shorter hanging bars, making it easy to keep things separated and utilizing wasted space.

You can also eliminate the need for a lot of hanging space by using specialty clothes hangers. Suit hangers allow you to hang pants, shirts, and jackets together in one spot. Other cascading hangers allow you to hang multiple skirts or pants on one hanger. Coordinate hangers allow you to match up tops and bottoms so that you double the space in your closet. Hang your coats and suits on coat hangers or wood hangers that are designed to hold them properly. Other items can be hung on hangers that save space.

Use baskets, bins, buckets, whatever you need to get the shelves organized. When everything has a place, it is easy to keep things straight. You can even have a special bin for things that you decide to give away or sell in a garage sale. This will help you to be selective about what you keep. If you try something on and there’s something that you just don’t like about a garment, get rid of it. If you get organized and realize that you have multiple white shirts, get rid of your least favorites. Keeping things coming out of the closet will help you to avoid clutter and make getting ready a simple task.