It’s about that time of year again. It is time to put away the summer gear and take out those winter clothes. You may need to set aside a block of time so that you can avoid the disarray that occurs when your closet is not ready for the extra bulk. Use these pro tips and ideas to make sure your closet doesn’t turn into a nightmare when you make the switch. It pays to spend a little extra time organizing and storing your clothes properly.

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.

Garment racks were originally only used in retail settings. However, they have become so useful and popular that they are available in just about every home department store. They have many home uses that can help you to get organized, create storage, and have some flexibility while doing your housework. Learn how a garment rack in your home can help you to make things easier on yourself.

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.

Everyone gets short on storage space at some point. If you’re looking for some creative storage ideas, you’re in the right place. It’s beneficial to expand your mind and see things in a different light. Adapting the space that you need to store things in to fit the amount of things that you have to store can help you to find space that you didn’t know you had. It doesn’t necessarily take a lot of skill to reorganize in a way that helps you to keep clutter under control, but it does take a little bit of brain power and ingenuity.

If you’ve got a lot to organize, it’s best to first focus on clearing out the floor. Getting the floor space free will make your home seem bigger and cleaner, right off the bat. Go around the house looking for problem areas. There are probably some piles of shoes, clothes, bags, and toys that pretty much live on the floor full time. Make spaces for these things first and you’ll be on your way to controlling clutter in your home.

Hooks and hanging bars are inexpensive and can help you to get the process started. Make a space for all of those little things that just get thrown around. For kids, and some adults for that matter, it is best to make the storage area very easy to access and use. Reminders, in the form of decorations or distractions, can be helpful, too. Place a bin, storage bench, or chest in the area where you want your family to hide away bulky items, like boots or backpacks. If you hang hooks, help people avoid using the floor instead by placing a wastebasket, small table with a flower arrangement, or other distraction directly underneath. If they start to put their things there, they can easily reach for the hook instead.

Make the most of the space that you have designated for long-term storage. Combine items as much as you can, or use stackable containers that you can label. This will help you to use some of that wasted space by the ceiling in your closets. Shelves and cubbies squeezed in above and around the door inside the closet will give you plenty of places to hide away things like camera equipment, sports equipment, photo albums, and important memorabilia.

Create even more space in the closet by using specialty clothes hangers. Hangers designed to make space are perfect for opening up a new area. Hang suits on coat hangers that also have a hanging bar for pants, instead of hanging them on separate hangers. Wood hangers are sturdy enough to hold your heaviest items without breaking. A good space saving clothes hanger is one that can hold more than one item. Other specialty hangers can help to easily organize ties, belts and scarves in a very small space.

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.