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.

Enjoy this article from essortment about choosing shoe storage containers.

Shoes taking over your life? Read these quick tips on how to choose the best shoe organizer for your closet and your life.

You may not be Carrie Bradshaw, but suddenly, your shoe collection has hit critical mass and has spread out of your closet and all over your bedroom. Getting all of your shoes organized will not only make you room look neater, it will make your shoes last longer because they will be properly stored. And coordinating the perfect outfit will be a snap, because all of your shoe choices will be readily accessible.
There are tons of ready made shoe organizers on the market, all you need to do is decide what type will work best for your particular closet. The easiest way to narrow down your choices is to first decide where you want to put your organizer – on the floor, on a shelf, or on the back of the closet or bedroom door. Each style has its pros and cons, so let’s look at them one at a time.

The most common shoe organizers sit on the floor. They come in a variety of sizes, you don’t have to worry about rogue shoes landing on your head if they fall off the rack, and your shoes will be easy to reach. The drawbacks to floor style racks, are that the floor of you closet may not be the most well-lit area in the world, so you may not easily be able to tell which pair is the cream pair and which is the pale green. You also have to consider the cleaning factor – dust may gather under an open style rack, so you should think about whether you will have to move the whole rack out of the closet occasionally to mop underneath it.

Shelf racks offer another option. On the plus side, they are usually eye level or a little higher, so you have a great view of what you have and where you have it. On the other hand, many of us have very limited shelf space in the bedroom closet, and may need to allocate that space to sweaters, handbags, or other bulky items. If you have a linen closet in your hallway that is under-utilized, consider moving some of the shoes you don’t wear every day to a shelf rack in there.

Last, we have shoe organizers that attach to the back of a door. Most of these are made of canvas or plastic, and have rows of pouches that can hold one or two shoes depending on their size. When you are considering one of these types of organizers, first check out how they need to be attached. While most have hooks that slip over the door, making set up a 60 second affair, some require hardware or hooks to be screwed into the door. If drilling holes in your door is going to make you crazy (or you live in a rental and ever want to see your security deposit again), look for the over the door hooks. If seeing the front of the hooks from the outside every time you close the bedroom or closet door is going to disturb you asthetically, consider drilling the holes.

The more hooks across the top, the more stable the organizer is likely to be – a piece with four hooks is going to swing around less when the door is opened than one with two hooks. Many door organizers now come with straps or hooks near the bottom of them that also attach to the door – these are great to prevent the organizer swinging about when it is full whenever you open and close the door. The key to successfully balancing the weight on a door organizer so it doesn’t want to swing too much or fall down, is to place the heaviest shoes on the bottom row, and to try and balance the weight it is bearing evenly from side to side.

Now that you know where you want to put your organizer, decide whether you want an open style rack, or a closed one. The closed racks look like little cubbyholes or divided bookshelves, the open ones are generally rows of pipe or wooden dowels. The closed racks are better at dust prevention, you wind up dusting the top of the rack rather than having to dust under it (and the shoes that are in it), but the open rack styles tend to be more flexible as to the number and size of shoes it can hold. If you are pressed for space and have a lot of shoes, try the open style; if are more pressed for cleaning time, or have things other than shoes to put in there (handbags, belts and other accessories), the closed racks will probably be a better choice.

Now that you have decided exactly what type of shoe organizer you need, the only thing left to do is to choose one that most closely matches your room décor and your budget. Organizing your shoes does not have to be an awful chore, and who knows – once you get all the shoes you already have in a space of their own, you may find you have the room for even more.

Is your closet disorganized? Do things end up lost or crumpled on the floor? When you get all of your laundry clean, does it end up living in the basket because you simply have nowhere to put anything else? Well it may be time to organize your closet. Using containers, dividers, shelves, and specialty hangers can help you to get organized fast. Having a place for everything with room to spare makes your closet an inviting place to visit. Putting things away is a snap. Finding what you need is so easy. Your clothes come out clean and wrinkle free. Use these tips to choose the best containers and closet accessories for you.

When choosing containers, bear in mind that you may not want to have to do this again anytime soon. Choosing flimsy containers that can crack, warp, damage your shelves or snag your clothing is not an option. Think about the long-run. Choose something that will be of a high enough quality to last you for several years. You also want your closet to be attractive when you are done so that you’re motivated to keep it organized.

When you find the style of container that you like, think about how easy they will be to use. Are you going to have to open a lid every time you want to reach into it? Is it dark? This could make it hard to find what you want unless you install extra closet lighting. Does it have splinters or other hazards for you or your clothes? Will it easily slide in and out of its place, allowing you to repeatedly access it with ease?

Another thing to consider is what type of hanger you will use. There are literally thousands of different types of hangers. Your clothes hangers should keep your clothing from slipping or wrinkling. The edges and seams should be smooth so that they don’t damage clothing. Wooden hangers should be thick enough that they don’t break under the weight of coats and suits.

Choosing cedar is great because it deodorizes your closet and keeps pests from wanting to enter. They are beautiful and go with any décor. Bamboo clothes hangers are earth-friendly and very strong. Thin hangers that fit closely together are great for saving space. Pants hangers that allow you to hang several pants, skirts or shorts from one hanger are wonderful for organizing and saving space at the same 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.