A small closet can be a real problem if you don’t have a good arrangement. Most closets sport one long hanging bar and one long top shelf. To make matters worse, this bar is often positioned in the exact center of the closet, wasting the space in front of and behind the bar. You can rearrange the closet configuration to make it meet your needs. Stop wasting closet space and get yours organized today.

Start by evaluating your priorities when it comes to storing things. Do you really need every single thing in your closet? Not only can you most likely get rid of a lot of things, but half of the things in there probably could be stored somewhere else. Make rules and boundaries for your precious closet space so that you can make it more efficient and effective for what you really need it for.

Blankets, suitcases, pillows and other items can come out of the closet and be stored underneath beds. You can put them into large plastic containers that will protect them from dust, pests, and pets. Categorize your storage items as much as possible so that when new things show up in the bedroom, you’ll know where you should put it. This will help you keep your closet organized once it gets that way.

Now that you’ve narrowed down what you want to keep in your closet, organize it outside of the closet. Use the bed or the floor to stack up the things that you want to keep in the closet. Play around with configurations to see what you like. Do you think you could make more space if you hung all of the items that are the same length together? Hanging all of your pants together, or smaller shirts together often makes room for a second bar, drawers, or laundry basket underneath. Doing this can actually double your space.

If you install a second bar, consider moving the top bar up a little. There is usually a lot of unused space by the ceiling, so you may be able to move that shelf up higher, too. If you have longer dresses that need a high bar, install a smaller one on one side or the other of the closet so that they can hang down. You may also decide to push the bars back so that you reveal space at the front of the closet.

If you do have some room at the front, you can install shelving. Corner shelves, cubby shelves, or just book style shelving can give you tons of extra storage in a small space. Utilize boxes, bins, baskets and buckets for these little hidden spaces.

When you are done, update your clothes hangers. There are many options here. You may love the look of luxurious wood hangers. You may decide to go with hangers that save space. There are also specialty hangers, like belt hangers and tie hangers that can help you keep the closet 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.

Do you dream of having an organized closet? Does yours look more like a nightmare than a dream? It’s time to get your closet in order! You may be thinking, easier said than done. Even if you can open your closet door and an avalanche of junk comes pouring out, there is hope. There are ways to make the most of the space that you have by minimizing, categorizing, and making things more accessible.

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.

Storage space can come at a premium in most homes. A lot of people complain about a lack of closet or storage space. This is especially true if you live in a small home or apartment. You may have to get creative to make living in a smaller space manageable. If you don’t have storage space, you may have to create it.

Sometimes you just need a little inspiration to get yourself going on the right track. Seeing things in a different light is helpful with almost anything. Adjusting 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 have a large amount of stuff to get in order, 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.

Try hooks and bars to start. They are inexpensive and can help you in more ways than one. 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.

Create extra 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.