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Household Organization Tips: Closet Organizing

One of the keys to living a relaxed, productive life is organizing your closet space. When your belongings are not where you need them to be (and where you know you can find them) it creates stress, frustration, and can make you run late. If you are looking all over your apartment for an umbrella when you walk out the door on a rainy day, you’ve misplaced your keys, or you can’t remember where you put the scissors when you get a package in the mail, it creates inefficiency and lost time. The secret to keeping track of things lies in the way you organize these things for daily life. You will feel more organized once you master the correct use of closet space, whether it’s an armoire in a small apartment or a large walk-in closet in a sprawling home in the suburbs.

Getting your closets organized is also a great way to eliminate stress, find items to donate to charity, and assess your storage needs. Once your closets are organized, you’ll find that your mornings run more smoothly and you can enjoy your possessions without fretting over where things are.

These are the key elements of closet organization, culled from dozens of household organizing experts.

Where to Begin the Closet Organization Process

Take One Closet At A Time
Within a few weeks you will have a much more organized house and a less stressful daily routine. Do not try to organize several areas at once. Focus on one at a time whether it is one per month one per week or one per day if you have just moved into a home.

Determine The Proper Use Of Closet Space
If it is a hall closet designed for coats and boots, do not to store things you don’t actually need on the way out the door. You will have to just push past art supplies or folding chairs to get to the things you really need each day.

Utilize All Closets
Make optimal use of prime closet space. Prime closet space would include your bedroom closet, a coat closet, or a hall closet intended for linens. These closet spaces are intended for daily use and the storage of items you need to access regularly. If you store seldom-used items in prime closet space, you are cluttering up these areas and making it harder to find an access the belongings you need to have available. If you have additional closets in your home (in spare rooms, seldom used hallways, etc.), then use these closets to store out of season items or memorabilia.

Weed Out Your Belongings
You can toss out items you don’t need, donate them to charity, or pass them along to a friend who could use them. Having extra items in your closet means you’re wasting time every time you sift through things to find what you need. The fewer the belongings in your closet, the easier it will be to find everything you need.

Here is the best strategy for sorting through your belongings in a closet. Get four laundry baskets or large boxes. Label one “Keep/Storage,” one “Put Away in Closet,” one “Throw Away,” and one “Donate to Charity.” Sort out everything in your closet. Put stored items in another area of the house or in a climate-controlled storage unit. When you’re done, you’ll have a much cleaner and more spacious closet, and a more uncluttered mind.

Putting Your Closet Back Together

A Place for Everything
Having a place for everything allows you to keep your closets organized once the organization process is complete. Once you have identified the things you need to have within reach- and in which closets- having a handy space to store each individual item will help you notice sooner when something is out of place- and prompt you to keep things in their place. Here are some items to add to your closets for easy organization:

• Clear storage bins allow for easy viewing of contents and save time rifling through boxes.
• Over-the-door pocket shoe organizers are great for a variety of items, not just shoes!
• Plastic or wire storage shelves and racks are an easy way to add more shelving to closets.
• Tension shower rods that are sturdy can be a great way to add more “hanging” space.
• Hanging drawer organizers can keep small things collected and easy to find.

Make Use of All the Space in the Closet
Most closets have a hanging rack that only utilizes about a third of the available space, unless you are hanging full-length dresses or coats. Use Storage cubes for shoes stacked on the floor, install a shelf if it would be helpful, and add a second hanging rack if needed because that will double your hanging space.

Use the Back of the Closet Door
Use the space on the back of the closet door. An over-the-door hanging hook can be a perfect spot for hanging jackets, belts, scarves, purses, hats, bathrobes, or other items. Also consider using a hanging shoe rack organizer on the back of your closet door to make floor space in your closet for other necessary items.

Store Rarely Used Items Elsewhere
Store items that you don’t need to access on a daily basis elsewhere. Holiday ornaments, out of season sports equipment, and many other items often stored in closets could be easily stored in a basement, attic, or in climate controlled storage unit. This would give you more space for everyday living and quicker access to the things you need on a daily basis.

Consider All Storage Options
Get creative with your storage options. Think beyond closet space to find storage space elsewhere. Few people have more closet space than they need. Most people need to get creative or live with clutter and disorder. Other home storage options include utilizing attic space, building a storage shed, or renting a storage unit. Remember that if you store your items in an attic or shed, these environments are not climate controlled and they could damage your belongings in the long term.

How Value Store It Can Help

Many people find that climate-controlled self-storage is a good solution to small or cramped close space. If spending a few extra dollars a month would give you 200 extra square feet of living space that is currently being used to store your storage, it’s usually worth it. Contact Value Store It to reserve your new storage spot and find the extra closet space you’ve been looking for. We have several self storage locations throughout Florida and Massachusetts, for your convenience.