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.
