Use these tips to help you get your closet functioning in an organized way. Once it’s ready to go, you won’t have to do much maintenance throughout the year.

1. Give as much away as possible.

Do a good deed while cleaning your closet. Donate clothes that don’t fit right, have small stains or are simply not your favorites. Ask your friends and family if they would like to sift through before you give them away. Another idea is to have a yard sale and make money to invest in your new closet.

2. Divide your wardrobe into summer and winter sets.

Most people have way too much to fit into one closet. So, putting half of your wardrobe into storage can keep your closet looking nice and organized year round. If there isn’t room in your closet or garage to store out of season clothing, consider shallow containers that slide underneath your bed.

3. Add shelving and hanging bars.

Look around the closet and see if there is room to expand. If your ceiling is high enough, you could add a second bar to the closet. You could put a shoe shelf on the bottom, the bar at about waist-high, and then build a system of shelves, drawers and cabinets above that for storage.

4. Choose storage bins that can be easily maneuvered.

Be wary of buying bins, baskets or crates that are very large. Clothing is heavy. You will want containers that are easily moved around to ensure ease of use. You may want a bin for work socks, one for work-out socks, one for pajamas and one for underwear. Many closets have room on the front walls for small shelves that can hold all of these bins.

5. Thin out your shoe supply.

If you can, get rid of some shoes. If you just can’t, then consider keeping yard shoes in the garage, tennis shoes in the coat closet, and dress shoes in your bedroom closet. If you want, you can store them in clear boxes so that you can see which ones are inside. Store them with cedar closet accessories or a dryer sheet so that they do not start to smell.

6. Remove things that should not be kept in your closet.

Get rid of extra things that don’t belong in your closet. If you can’t figure out where to put them, then you may have to create a space. For example, sports equipment can go into an equipment organizer in the garage.

7. Hang your clothes on specialty hangers.

Now that you have room for your clothes, use specialty hangers to keep them from getting snagged, misshapen or crammed together. Use shirt hangers that are designed to curve towards the back and down on the shoulders. This will keep the shirt from getting wrinkled or squeezed between other articles of clothing. Use a skirt hanger for skirts or shorts. Make sure that the clips are smooth and do not have sharp edges that can tear your skirts. A pants hanger will keep your pants from creasing at the knee.

Getting your closet in order will help you stay organized year round. Enjoy your spacious new closet!

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

Your closet may be a source of stress for you, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are so many products on the market today to help you organize your space. Even the smallest and most mundane closet designs can be updated and creatively arranged to make the most of what you have and turn your unwieldy storage space into a luxurious closet that you’ll love.

Using space that is normally wasted is key. Using your creativity to make special storage for all of your belongings is also equally as important. Many people are professional organizers and use creative ideas to make the most of small spaces every day. You don’t have to be a professional to turn your closet into a place that is a pleasure to visit, but you can probably use some professional tips for making the job easier and ending up with the storage space that you dream of.

You may have a hanging bar just stuffed with clothing. Determine what really needs to be hung and get the rest out of there. If t-shirts, sweatshirts and other items can be stacked on shelves or in drawers, then you may be able to save yourself some space. Use specialty hangers, like skirt hangers, pants hangers, shirt hangers and coat hangers.

Keep like items together to create even more space. If you have pants next to dresses, next to skirts, next to shirts, then there probably isn’t much space beneath your hanging rod for much else. By arranging items by length, you can start to break up your closet into compartments. Your pants are going to all be about the same length. They should only hang down about 2 feet when hung on pants hangers. This can free up some space below for installing a shelving unit or some drawers.

You might even consider moving the bar up higher to make more space below. Sometimes you can even make room for a second bar below the top one, allowing you to space out and organize your clothing according to color, length, type, or use. This gives your closet a very spacious and organized feel without spending a lot of money on organization products.

If you need room for things other than clothes that can hang or stack on a shelf, then consider moving your hanging bar back towards the wall. Sometimes there is a good bit of wasted space behind your hanging clothes. Moving the bar back can make room for smaller shelves and hooks towards the front of the closet.

Using specialty hangers is a quick way to make a lot of space. Using shirt hangers, skirt hangers, pants hangers and dress hangers keep your garments protected from wear, stretching and wrinkling. Adding creative touches, such as hooks, shelves and drawers can make your closet the storage space that you’ve always dreamed of.

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