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.

Hangers for Suits and Coats: Coats and suits need to hang right to keep their shape. The shoulders of these types of garments are often made with unique materials that can bend and lose shape over time. The wider shoulders and curved design of suit and coat hangers give these garments the support that they need to stay in shape. Many wooden hangers are made this way, as well as cedar hangers and specialty suit hangers. Even if you’re looking to save room in your closet, you should at least hang coats and suits on these larger hangers. It’s better to use a little more space for them and then use space saving hangers for your shirts and pants that can be kept in a more compact space.

Non-Slip Hangers for Shirts and Pants: Nothing is worse than finding your clothes crumpled up on the floor when you need them. Hangers with non-slip grips or clips that don’t crease clothing are great to have. Additionally, your closet can look sloppy if everything is not staying in place.

Hangers for Delicates: Some fabrics can be easily stretched out at the neck or snagged by hangers with protrusions. Z-Hangers are perfect for delicates because they allow you to slide the shoulders of shirts around the neck, avoiding stretching and pulling. Satin hangers are also great for hanging delicate fabrics and look nice in your closet.

Hangers for Accessories and Storage: Specialty hangers are great for organizing belts, scarves, and ties in your closet. You can also get ones that are made to hold sheets, table cloths, quilts and comforters, making organization easy for you.

Hangers for Saving Closet Space: Space saving clothes hangers have a flat design so that you can hang your garments close together. Sometimes they also have clips and hooks that you can add on. Clips are great for pairing shirts and pants together on one hanger. Hooks go over the neck of the hanger and allow you to drape other hangers from the first one. Using these space saving marvels can double or triple the space available in your closet.

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.

Cedar, specifically Red Cedar (Juniperus Virginiana), is a species of juniper native to North America. The fragrant part of the wood is the pinkish brown heartwood, which we use for cedar hangers, liners, and shelving in our closets. The wood doesn’t just emit a fresh scent that we all enjoy, but it actually deodorizes the air. This makes it perfect for storing shoes, coats, and other items that are rarely laundered in our closets.

Another big benefit of cedar is its absorbent properties. Cedar absorbs moisture from the air. This is important when hanging coats and storing boots that are wet with snow. It’s also popular in humid climates because the humidity alone can make your clothes smell musty. The odor that you smell when something has been in storage, is actually mold and mildew. Cedar controls the growth of mold and mildew by keeping the closet at a low moisture level.

Cedar is a fine, densely grained wood that does not require stains or varnishes. This makes it possible for us to enjoy the beauty of its natural color while reaping the benefits of using cedar in our closets. Cedar is rot resistant and repels many insects, including moths, silverfish, and cockroaches. If you have a cedar closet in your home, then I’m sure you love it!

When a cedar closet gets to be a few years old, it may start to dry out and lose its fragrance. You may notice a waxy build-up or that your cedar has lost its shine. Caring for your cedar will enable it to last for many years. It should not be exposed to rapid temperature or moisture changes, so don’t store cedar items in a basement or garage. Rapid changes can cause cracking. If you get a crack, you can place fresh orange peels, white side down, tightly against the wood for several days. The oils in the orange peels will pull the crack shut again.

Antique cedar products should be treated by a professional to avoid damage. Newer cedar products may get a waxy coating on them. Clean the wax away with oil soap cleaner. Regular dusting with a vacuum attachment is generally sufficient, but you can wax cedar to restore shine. You have to use a specific kind of wax called carnauba wax to fill in cracks, restore shine, and protect the surface of your cedar closet.

Restoring that wonderful fragrance that you love is as easy as gently hand sanding the surface of your cedar shelves and cedar coat hangers with a fine-grit sandpaper. Cedar clothes hangers are not only beautiful, but protect your coats and suits from damage. Cedar hangers are the most popular wood hangers on the market. Taking care of your closet cedar will ensure years of pleasurable use for you and your family.

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) You’ve got everything set up how you want it, now it’s time to focus on some smaller details. One way that highly efficient people stay on top of things is to think about everything in order of importance. You can apply this concept to your closet organization routine. Prioritize things according to how often they are used, moved, or replaced. For instance, you probably create laundry, use shoes, underwear and socks nearly every day. These items should be your top priority. Every time you use your closet, make sure that the laundry is in the basket or hamper where it goes, the shoes are on the rack, and the socks and underwear are stocked well enough for the next day. This quick check will help you to avoid that slow creeping mound of disorganized stuff that is so easy to go unnoticed until it becomes a big job.

2) Your second priority is to make sure that things kept in the closet are actually put inside. Keeping a basket or dryer of clean laundry around for a while can cause you to end up with wrinkled clothes. It’s difficult to find what you need, and your clean clothes are likely to get mixed up with your dirty clothes. Create a system to make sure that things go into the closet instead of being set aside. You can use a rolling garment rack to quickly hang clothes as they come out of the dryer. Set a timer when you fold a load and see how long it actually takes. Sometimes you’ll spend hours or days dreading a job that actually only takes you about five minutes. Make sure that your closet is arranged in a way that makes it simple to put things in when you’re in a hurry.

3) Another time and space saving technique is to use cascading hangers. If you hang outfits together in one space, it is super easy to get ready in the morning. If you’re not pulling out things and trying them on, then you won’t mess up the things that you already had organized. Using clothes hangers that are made for the clothes you are hanging helps you to maintain their shape and come straight out of the closet, wrinkle-free. Use sturdy coat hangers or wood hangers for heavy items so that they don’t end up on the floor. The less work that you make for yourself, the more likely you are to stay organized.

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) Have you ever heard the saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? Well, when it comes to your closet, you really need to take it to heart. You may even want to make yourself a little sign that you see every time you open the closet. Visual aids will help you to remember not to throw things like your shoes into a pile instead of putting them back on the rack. It is important to stay focused on maintaining the organization level of your closet every time you use it. If you really stick to your guns, it will become a habit to immediately hang things that need to be hung. Habitual organizing will help you to transfer that mentality into other areas of your life. Make sure that your closet is perfectly organized every time you close that door and you will save yourself from having to constantly manage the mess.

2) It’s one thing to make sure that everything is in the closet where it goes, but it’s another to make sure that everything in the closet is arranged in the most efficient way. The arrangement that works best for you may be different from the way that your friend organizes, so take your habits and your needs into consideration as you arrange your clothing.

For example, you may want to line up your clothing by length. Hanging all of your short items together will make room beneath for taller things, like boots, a laundry basket, or a set of drawers. Hanging things by color makes it easy to find what you’re looking for and also is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, keeping you focused on maintaining that neatness whenever you see it. Arranging things according to use will help you to not only find what you need in a jiffy, but will also make putting laundry away a snap. If the things that you use most often are all on the right, then when you put things away, it is likely that almost everything will go on the right.

3) Use containers and closet accessories that help you make a specific place for everything. Don’t just pile all socks, hose, underwear, swimwear, and pajamas into one bin. You’re bound to have to dig and mess everything up. Even worse, you will constantly be buying new items that you think you need because you can’t find what you already own. Use smaller bins to separate and organize so that when you put things away, you know exactly where they go. As for your hanging clothes, you should always use the clothes hangers that protect your clothes, make them easy to access, and save you as much space as possible. You should always use wood hangers or coat hangers for heavy items, but you can save space with cascading hangers or coordinate hangers.

Read Part 2 of this article to learn more rules of staying organized.

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) Before you pull your winter clothes out of storage, get your closet ready for the change over. Take out a few summer clothes that you might still need on unseasonable days. You may need just a few t-shirts and shorts set aside. Try not to keep out too much, because winter clothes are larger, bulkier, and will use more space than your summer wardrobe.

2) Time to store the rest of the summer clothes. Use the space underneath your bed, couch, in the garage, or a spare bedroom closet so that you have plenty of room in your closet that you use everyday. You can even use a garment rack if you have a lot of clothing that needs to be hung. These racks can be covered and zipped to keep the clothes fresh and free of dust until the spring. Use air-tight containers whenever possible to keep your clothes free of moisture. Cedar or cedar hangers can also be used to absorb moisture and help you to avoid pest, mold, or mildew problems. Once your summer wardrobe is stored away, you can start pulling out the winter clothes.

3) Determine what will take up the most space by spreading out what you have. Categorize your wardrobe into multiple sections so that you can see how much space you’ll need for each thing. Bulky coats, ski gear, and other big winter accessories will usually take up the most space. If they’re taking up too much space, consider using a coat closet, armoire, wardrobe, cedar chest, or garment rack for these items. Saving space for your everyday winter wardrobe will make staying organized a much easier task.

4) Smaller items, such as socks, pajamas, thermal underwear, hats, gloves and scarves need to be stored where they can be easily accessed without getting mixed up. Small bins, buckets and baskets are great for storing these things where you can get to them. If you don’t have the shelf space in your closet, consider installing some small shelves in the front corners of your closet. You don’t need a lot of space to organize these small things.

5) You can also use specialty hangers to hang and organize scarves, gloves, belts, and hats. A scarf hanger has a series of holes where scarves can loosely hang and dry when necessary. Some hangers simply have a series of clips that can hold things like hats and gloves when they’re not in use. Single and double clip hangers can even allow you to hang boots to dry when they’re wet with winter snow. Get creative with keeping the little things organized and you’ll be better off all winter long.

6) Hang the rest of your winter clothes on the clothes hangers that are designed specifically for them. Some are made for delicate fabrics, sweaters, or heavy coats. Choosing the right hanger, like a coat hanger or wood hanger for coats and suits and a hanger designed not to stretch out the necks or shoulders of your clothes, can help you to stay organized and protect your clothes from damage.

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) Use a garment rack where closet space is lacking. You can place one in the corner of the room to give yourself some extra hanging space. Some have two bars, baskets on the sides, bars that extend, and shelves for more storage. These types of “portable closets” can save you a lot of space, allowing you to use your regular closet for your everyday wardrobe.

2) Use your garment rack to create storage. You can hang clothing, box up shoes, stow scarves and hats, whatever you need on your rolling rack. If you want to store some clothing long-term, use a dust cover. These covers usually come with the rack or are sold as an accessory. They zip up and seal off your clothing and belonging from moisture, humidity and insects. Protecting your stored items has never been easier.

3) You can use clothing racks as portable storage. Many people with back problems or ones that are simply incapable of moving heavy boxes full of clothes from storage to the closet love using garment racks instead. They are usually set atop of heavy casters so you can roll them from the garage to the bedroom.

4) Being portable also makes these racks useful while doing laundry. Hang your air-dry clothes on quality clothes hangers that can handle the weight of heavy clothes. Coat hangers or wood hangers are good choices. You can hang the clothes while they’re still in the laundry room, keeping them out of sight and contained until the clothes in the dryer are done. You can fold, hang and organize all of your laundry, and then simply roll it around the house to the rooms where the clothing goes.

5) If you’re hanging wet clothes, make sure that you use hangers that are either designed for drying wet clothes, or ones that you at least know won’t deposit stain or rust onto your clothing. Flimsy hangers can bend or break. Hangers that are designed to hold heavy items are generally curved at the shoulder, which helps you to avoid puckering. They should also have a wider body to hold the front and back of your garment apart for better circulation.

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.

The first thing to work on is finding a space for everything. If you’re like most people, you may feel like you’re short on space. This is why you need to open your mind up to seeing things a bit differently. You don’t necessarily need to invest in an expensive closet system, more furniture, or a truckload of plastic containers. You do, however, need to learn how to find storage where you didn’t know you had it before.

For example, you may feel like your kitchen cabinets are packed to the hilt and there’s no way you can get anything else in there. Making a few adjustments over time can help you to free up the space that you need. You may have a lot of mixing bowls, plastic storage containers, and casserole dishes in your cabinets. Slowly replacing these with ones that nest can greatly improve your cabinet space.

In the living room a simple entryway organizer can help to eliminate piles of clutter around the house. A table with a charging station for phones and other electronic devices, along with files or drawers for mail and other important papers coming in can help you to keep down a lot of the clutter.

In the bathroom, using separate containers for different categories of items can allow you to stack and use more space under the sink. Installing an extra shelf or riser in the cabinets can double the space that you thought you had.

Bedrooms can especially get out of control. You may have a computer, medications, arts and crafts, TV remotes, make-up, clothing, linens, camera or computer equipment, and more in there. Keeping the bedroom clutter-free means that you will have to figure out how to make more room in your closet. Small shelves, hooks, over-the-door organizers, and extra hanging bars can give you the room that you need to get some stuff out of the bedroom and into the closet. Don’t neglect the space around the ceiling as this is a valuable storage area. Use specialty hangers, like tie hangers, belt hangers, scarf hangers, and skirt hangers to get multiple items stored in a small amount of space. Clothes hangers that cascade from each other will help you to make even more room in your closet.

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.

Many times, we replace items that we use every day before they run out. Shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and make-up are often purchased before they run out or in bulk, meaning that you will need somewhere to store the new items. Another problem is that sometimes we are excited about trying a new product or, in the case of make-up, we don’t want to throw out the old stuff that is still good. So, you end up collecting double or triple what you need.

A small shelving system outside of the bathroom or a corner of the closet can be very helpful in managing these items. When you buy something new, make a deal with yourself that you will either throw out the old items, or keep the new items in storage until you actually need them. Doing this will allow you to save money by buying in bulk, but will also train you not to bring unnecessary items into the bathroom.

Go through everything in your bathroom and get rid of expired make-up and medications. Throw out that almost empty bottle of shampoo or body wash that you abandoned for the new one that you purchased months ago. Clean out drawers and wipe down shelves as you go so that you are inclined to go through everything in the bathroom. Use a box or other container to take the items that you are going to keep out of the bathroom and start getting them organized.

You can use containers or simply make piles of what you have in the floor, on a counter, on the bed or where ever you have space to work. Categorize things so that you can start to see how much actual space you need for each set of items. Physically divide these categories on shelves or in containers in the bathroom.

When you have all of your “products” organized, start thinking about what else clutters up the bathroom. Laundry can get out of control in there, so you need to make sure you have somewhere for dirty laundry to go. Linen closets can be organized using specialty hangers designed for hanging sheets, blankets and curtains. Use clothes hangers for smaller items and robes. When you get these things off of your shelves, you will have room to keep your towels and washcloths organized.

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) First, you should clear out the coat closet of everything. Get it nice and clean since you probably don’t get in there to vacuum and dust very often. This is the best time to do it while it’s completely empty.

2) Now decide what you can do without. Donating coats to charity is a great way to help out those in need. You can also get a pretty good tax deduction, since coats are generally worth more than regular clothes. Get rid of beat up shoes, ones that don’t fit right, or ones that you simply never wear. If you don’t think you’ll make it to the thrift store with all that you want to give, call around. Most charities will come and pick up the items that you want to donate. All you have to do is put them on the front porch.

3) Another option is to have a garage sale or sell your items on auction sites. Nice coats and boots will generally sell once they’re in season. You can use the money to turn your coat closet into the organization center that you’re dreaming of.

4) Most people’s coat closets are near the entryway of their homes. Are you tired of everyone coming in and shedding all of their belongings right inside the front door? Well, the coat closet is a great place to get these things organized. Hooks, shelves, baskets, bins, calendars, shoe cubbies, and more can all be added into a small space like a coat closet so that things don’t get thrown around the house.

5) If your coat closet is too small to hold coats and all of the items that you would like to store there, consider storing most of your coats in another place. The back of your closet, in a spare bedroom, or on a rolling garment rack with a dust cover can all be great places to store coats that you don’t use very often. Making room for keeping shoes, backpacks and other everyday items may be more important to you than having every coat hanging in the coat closet.

6) If you do keep coats in the coat closet, you should update the clothes hangers. A nice clothes hanger makes the closet look great. Coat hangers, like wood hangers, should be used for heavy items. You may want to choose higher end hangers for your coat closet because it’s nice for guests and better quality ones ensure that your coats don’t end up on the floor.

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.