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.

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.

Hiring a professional organizer can help you to come up with some nifty ideas on how to get your closet organized and keep it that way. Some people find that the cost of hiring a professional is offset by the money that they save on the products that they order. If you’re planning on designing a closet that will serve you well for years to come, hiring a professional organizer may be the way to go.

If you don’t have the money to invest, then you may want to do the job yourself. Some professionals will do a free or low priced assessment for you and help you come up with ideas for what to do with your closets. If you don’t want to go the route of a professional, use these tips to get the job done right yourself.

First, go through all of your belongings and make sure that everything has a place. Categorize things into general categories so that you can see what you have. If one category is too large, let’s say, your t-shirts stack up to considerate proportions, then you should consider breaking it down a little further. You can arrange by length, color, or use to start. For example, you may have some t-shirts that are okay for yard work or painting, while others are casual, work casual, or nice enough to wear under a blazer or cardigan. Some may be just for working out. Consider moving some of them to your categories for “work clothes” or “active wear” to narrow down the stack.

When you are considering storage space in the closet, look for areas that normally go unused. Look up high and towards the front corners of the closets. You may find it beneficial to use storage outside the closet to make room for the items that you use most. Look under the bed, in a trunk, or on a rolling garment rack for spaces outside the closet for storage.

When you’re done choosing containers, closet systems, hanging rails, shelves and cabinets, make sure that you don’t underestimate the importance of a good hanger selection. Hangers can help you to save space and make your closet look uniform and nice. Wooden clothes hangers are a timeless choice that protect your clothes while ensuring that your closet will look great every time you open it.

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.

Start with the things that you use most. This could be your jeans and t-shirts, or your work clothes. These things that need to be accessed most often should be in the front and center of your closet. By putting the things that rotate in and out the most in an easy access area helps to ensure that they’ll go back where they belong when you’re putting them away. If you have to get a box from the top shelf every day to put away your t-shirts, you’ll end up avoiding it and just piling them on the nearest shelf.

As a general rule, put the things that you use least up high, out to the sides, in the back or on the floor. Things that you want to keep organized and that need to be accessed most often need to be in the most accessible place.

Next you should make sure that you have a container, drawer, or special clothes hangers for each type of thing that you keep in your closet. Shorts should go in a drawer, stack neatly on a shelf, be kept in a big basket, or be hung on a special hanger with clips. Socks, scarves, mittens, gloves, hats, shoes, tote bags, robes, ties, belts, purses and other little things should all have special bins, baskets or hooks. You may have to install some shelving to accommodate everything that you want to keep in your closet.

Minimizing what you own makes everything a lot easier. Most of us hold onto clothing for ten or more years. However, a lot of these clothes have been stained, lost their shape, are out of style, or we are just simply never in the mood to wear them. Use the old trick of turning all of your hangers around backwards on the bar. As you wash and wear clothes, hang them back up in the normal fashion, with the hook facing the back. At the end of a year, give away whatever is still facing backwards without thinking twice. This will help you to really get rid of what you don’t need and free up some closet space.

Use specialty clothes hangers to make more space. Coordinate outfits or use hangers instead of bins for little things like belts, scarves and ties. You’ll notice a huge difference in how easy it is to maintain an organized closet when everything has a place that is easy access and when you’ve minimized the amount of clothing that you have to organize.

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.

1) Determine what you use your closet for most. Some people use their closets mainly for storage while others use them in place of a dresser in their bedroom. Categorizing items in your closet will help you to start to develop ideas about how much space you will need for each type of item.

2) If you’re using your closet for storage, then you need to keep the things inside of it safe. Cedar closet liners, cedar wood hangers, and other cedar products are great for closets. Cedar absorbs moisture, neutralizes odors, and repels pests. Use sturdy wooden hangers for coats, suits and dresses. You may want to invest in some garment bags to protect things from dust. If you don’t want to spend much money, you can get some inexpensive plastic shoulder covers to keep off the majority of the dust that might settle on your expensive coats and suits.

3) If you use your closet mainly for your clothing, then you may want to take everything out and decide how much room you’ll need for each category. You may have twenty pairs of pants, fifteen skirts, eight tank tops, four cardigans, and forty shirts. Arrange things by length to free up some space below the shorter items. You may want to use some cascading clothes hangers to coordinate outfits. You can also use these hangers for hanging multiple pants, skirts, or tank tops on one hanger.

4) Saving space is a good idea because theoretically, you want to end up with about 20% of the closet empty. This leaves you room to maneuver and find what you need when you need it. It also makes space for collecting items that you decide to give to charity, or for new items coming in. Keeping a small stash of out of season clothing on hand will help you to avoid the dreaded mix up of summer and winter clothes.

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.

Start with the things that you use most. This could be your jeans and t-shirts, or your work clothes. These things that need to be accessed most often should be in the front and center of your closet. By putting the things that rotate in and out the most in an easy access area helps to ensure that they’ll go back where they belong when you’re putting them away. If you have to get a box from the top shelf every day to put away your t-shirts, you’ll end up avoiding it and just piling them on the nearest shelf.

As a general rule, put the things that you use least up high, out to the sides, in the back or on the floor. Things that you want to keep organized and that need to be accessed most often need to be in the most accessible place.

Next you should make sure that you have a container, drawer, or special clothes hangers for each type of thing that you keep in your closet. Shorts should go in a drawer, stack neatly on a shelf, be kept in a big basket, or be hung on a special hanger with clips. Socks, scarves, mittens, gloves, hats, shoes, tote bags, robes, ties, belts, purses and other little things should all have special bins, baskets or hooks. You may have to install some shelving to accommodate everything that you want to keep in your closet.

Minimizing what you own makes everything a lot easier. Most of us hold onto clothing for ten or more years. However, a lot of these clothes have been stained, lost their shape, are out of style, or we are just simply never in the mood to wear them. Use the old trick of turning all of your hangers around backwards on the bar. As you wash and wear clothes, hang them back up in the normal fashion, with the hook facing the back. At the end of a year, give away whatever is still facing backwards without thinking twice. This will help you to really get rid of what you don’t need and free up some closet space.

Use specialty clothes hangers to make more space. Coordinate outfits or use hangers instead of bins for little things like belts, scarves and ties. You’ll notice a huge difference in how easy it is to maintain an organized closet when everything has a place that is easy access and when you’ve minimized the amount of clothing that you have to organize.

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.

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.

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.

First, ponder the meaning of sophisticated. According to the Webster’s Dictionary, sophisticated means “devoid of grossness”, “highly complicated or developed”, and “intellectually appealing”. This can translate into clean, organized, and smart. The goal is to have a place for everything in an arrangement that works best for you. If you can get everything into a configuration that is easily accessible, it will be a lot easier to maintain.

When designating shelves, drawers, or bins for little things, don’t make it so rigid that the closet doesn’t work well long-term. For example, it’s okay to have a sock drawer, basket, or bin. However, if you use those diamond-shaped dividers that make your socks look perfectly in order, you’ll never be able to take away or add a pair of socks to that drawer without messing it up. Consider dividers that have larger sections or that form long columns so that you don’t have this problem. You can have a divider that keeps your socks separate from your ties, and another that keeps the ties separate from your cuff links, but avoid having an individual section for each tie or pair of socks.

Okay, now let’s keep thinking “clean, organized and smart”. Clean the closet of any clutter or storage that doesn’t necessarily have to be there. Thin the herd, so to speak. Come up with alternate storage for your out-of-season clothing, sports equipment, suitcases, or other bulky items that eat up space. You want to end up with a streamlined, organized look and feel.

Creating that “smart” look means that you want to have a couple of features that would make someone think, “Now that’s a great idea.” Popular closet accessories that can upgrade your closet and make it more user-friendly can help you out in this department. Valet rods are cheap, easy to install, and are very useful for hanging your dry cleaning, steaming your clothing, or laying out your clothes for the next day of work. Lighting that illuminates your closet and that automatically turns on and off when you open or close the door is very chic and saves energy, too. Pants rods, tie hangers, scarf hangers, and other organizational products that help you stay organized will help your closet to look better, too.

Use high quality products so that your sophisticated closet stays nice and usable for years to come. Use the clothes hangers that look best in your closet and that are made for the purpose that you have in mind. Coat hangers help coats to stay slightly separated on the bar. Wood hangers give your closet a sophisticated look and feel. Chrome metal hangers save space while giving your closet a contemporary look. Use your own personal taste along with these organizational closet tips and you’ll have the closet of your dreams in no time.

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.

First, determine the most prevalent use of your closet. Do you use it more for storage, to keep your suits, coats and dresses, or do you use it to keep all of your clothes? The types of things that you keep in the closet will help you to determine what types of spaces you will need. So, start with your most basic use of your closet.

If you only keep work clothes and dress clothes in your closet, then you should invest in some clothes hangers that will keep these clothes safe and wrinkle free. For suits, coats, and dresses, contoured hangers are often best. They help your clothes to keep the shape at the shoulder. There should be no taught edges and you shouldn’t have to stretch the necks to get these garments on the hangers. If your hangers seem too large, look for petite sized hangers. If they’re not big enough and your suits sag over the shoulders, look for extra large hangers, or plus sized hangers. Adjustable hangers are great for garments that don’t really fit well on any type of standard hanger.

If you keep all of your clothes in your closet, then separation is your goal. You will need shelves, bins, and probably multiple levels of hanging space. You will need one long hanging space for longer things, like dresses. For everything else, you should be able to hang them in about three feet of vertical space. A small hanging bar is often sufficient for hanging dress shirts and pants. Shelves are useful for folded t-shirts, pajamas, and bins designated for socks, tights, underwear, swimwear, etc.

If you need storage in your closet, check out the ceiling. Vertical space is too often ignored and it goes wasted. Think about moving your shelves and hanging bars up closer to the ceiling. This can free up space near the bottom of the closet or create more usable space in the center.

Determine which closet accessories will help you most. Specialty hangers are great for getting ties, belts, and scarves out of the way. Wood hangers are often best for hanging heavy coats and suits. Choose clothes hangers that are meant for what you are using them for. Pants hangers with non-slip bars, skirt hangers with non-staining clips, and cascading hangers that save space can all be very useful in a closet. Getting your closet organized is not as hard as you may have imagined!

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.

1) Out with the old, in with the new. We tend to keep things way too long. We hold onto items that are bulky, out of style, scuffed up, doesn’t fit right, or just things that we don’t necessarily need. Sometimes we figure out while organizing that we don’t like hardly anything in our closets. Imagine if you got rid of everything that wasn’t your very favorite how much space you’d have! Start being picky and get rid of all the excess baggage in your closet.

2) When the closet is cleared out, this is the perfect time to get it really clean. We tend to neglect cleaning the closet floor, baseboards and shelves for long periods of time. This can increase the risk of pests, molds and mildews in our closets. Get in there and clean the floor really well. Wipe down the shelves, hanging bar, and other hardware. You may even decide to give the closet a fresh coat of paint while it’s empty.

3) Now, take inventory of what you have. If you have a lot of t-shirts, you may consider designating a shelf specifically for t-shirts in your closet. If you have a lot of shoes, you may want to invest in some cubby-style shelving to accommodate all of your shoes. If you would like to keep things like socks, underwear, pajamas, and swimwear in your closet, you may want to plan for room on a shelf for baskets, buckets, or bins. The key here is to make sure that you plan the space and have it accommodate your personal belongings. Cookie-cutter organization systems often leave people needing more space in one area and less in others.

4) After you have your personal shelving and hanging bar configuration installed, it is time to get serious about making some storage space. Use vacuum bags designed for storing blankets and out of season clothing. Hang your clothes on hangers that work for your closet. Wooden hangers give the closet a luxurious look and feel. Wood hangers also are functional in helping you solve some of your closet problems. Most wooden clothes hangers are curved to fit suits and coats, helping them to keep their shape. You can invest in cedar clothes hangers to keep your closet smelling fresh. When your closet is designed to meet your needs, you will enjoy having it and keeping it organized.

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

1) Any closet organization professional will urge you to get rid of as much junk as possible. People store all kinds of things in their closets that don’t actually belong there. This doesn’t mean that you can’t hide gifts or store luggage there, it just means that you need to pay attention to what goes in. Plan a space for all of those things that are going to need to stay in the closet.

2) Clothes are the easiest thing to get rid of. If you haven’t worn it in a year, get it out of there. Narrow your wardrobe down to what you really need, want, and like to wear. Get rid of clothes that don’t fit just right, are out of style, or that you just never are in the mood to wear. Get rid of old stiff and scuffed up shoes. No matter how much you may like your shoes, or how much money you spent on them, if they hurt your feet or don’t match anything, they have got to go. Offer things to friends or try to sell more valuable items if you can’t bear to give them to charity. Use the money that you make to fix up your closet or to buy clothes and shoes that fit right.

3) Shelves are really necessary in a closet. If you only have the one big top shelf, then you will probably need to add some to the sides of your closet, the bottom of your closet, or simply start from scratch. There are quite a few inexpensive organizational systems that are very accommodating to sweaters, hang-up clothes, linens, belts, shoes and more. If you want to build your own, use these systems as inspiration.

4) Making your closet functional is up to you. Most people agree that the things you use most should be front and center, no higher than your head. Keeping this strategy in mind while you decide what shelves to put in can be very helpful. For example, keep your work clothes front and center on the bar. On a shelf to the side of the bar, keep your socks in a bin and store your work shoes in cubbies just below. Store linens, formal clothes, heavy coats, and luggage around this area.

5) Once you get your closet organized, think about making it look great. Wooden hangers make a closet look high-end, even if you didn’t spend a dime on it. Wood hangers are useful for keeping clothes perfectly spaced on the bar, giving your closet that organized look and feel. Shirt hangers, skirt hangers, pants hangers, and dress hangers will keep all of your clothes wrinkle free, easy to find, and looking great in the closet.

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