Closets Design Online

People who live in older homes can often become frustrated with their closet spaces since previous generations simply didn't use closets the way we do nowadays. For one thing the closets in older houses tend to lack depth and be quite small. Also there is usually only one pole for hangers and maybe a few hooks. Trying to fit all of your belongings, shoes, coats, hats, and clothes into the tiny space, let alone organizing it usually is a disastrous experience. Custom closets are extremely popular because they offer a solution to the frustration of crammed, messy closet spaces. With just a bit of planning and small cash investment you can easily and very quickly de-clutter your closets and create organized, easily accessible closet spaces.

Custom organizing closets didn't become popular until the early 1980's. They actually owe their popularity to a few companies who created their businesses around the idea that using a different method for how people stored the items in their closets could make their closets much more efficient and easy to use. Based on the success of these companies many other business ventures, both large and small have hopped on board to offer homeowners a ton of closet service choices to choose from. In addition, a number of other companies have opted to focus on the do-it-yourself type homeowners with a wide array of ideas, tools and accessories to revitalize their cluttered closet to a model of organized storage use.

Companies that specialize in organizing closet spaces generally provide closet system design. Using their services is easy. You just schedule an appointment for a free in home consult. When the consultant arrives at your home they will measure your closet spaces, inventory the items you wish to store there and discuss any other needs you may have regarding your closet. After reviewing this data they will then recommend a system they think will give you the best closet for your needs.

Before you call for your custom closets free in home consultation, you need to take a few actions to prep for the meeting. If you're like most people, there are many things in your closet that you no longer need. There's simply no reason to pay money just to store items you're never going to use. If you remove all the unnecessary stuff that has piled up in your closet it will save you time and money on your new closet system. Remove anything you don't absolutely love or haven't used in a year or more. You will probably have a few things that have sentimental value that you'll want to keep - like your wedding dress. No matter how old it is, it is okay to keep it. Just think about whether it really needs to be in the closet. Perhaps it can be boxed and stored in a different location. Now when the consultant arrives they will only be taking an inventory of what you really need to store and have easy access to. Custom closet organizers provide a really good service; but there are also a number of companies have developed products that let you do the job yourself. If you have a really small closet or limited storage needs, it could be smarter to consider completing the project yourself. If you're fairly handy you could easily complete a closet rehab project with very little expense.

With a bigger closet, it will probably be best to have a pro do the installation for you so know it is done right the first time. A professional installer will give you a complete closet transformation. You will get the closets of your dreams with no real effort required from you. A pro can overhaul your entire system from the bifold closet doors to the very tiniest detail. Commonly added organizational items include things like shoe racks, pull out drawers for sweaters and socks, shelving units, and tiered clothing hangers.

The cost for custom closets vary widely. Pricing can range from several hundred dollars to several thousand depending on the size of your closet and the features you choose to have installed. Before signing any type of agreement for the sale, make sure you ask these critical questions:

• Is there a warranty provided with your service?

• Will you be using plastic or metal hardware?

• What is the depth of the shelves?

• Will the price of installation include getting rid of the old closet?

• Is paint touch ups and dry wall if needed included in the job?

Once you have selected the right plan and features it is time to get started. If this is going to be a do-it yourself job, you will need to set aside a weekend for properly completing the installation. If you're having your new closet professionally installed, you simply need to schedule the install date. It's best to schedule the project for a day when you can be home to answer questions if needed.

After the project is completed, it is time to take a step back and soak in the beauty of your new closet. Now everything in there has a place, and even better, everything is in its place.

Tag : closets,custom closets,organize,clutter

The thought of closet organizing makes most people groan. But it doesn't need to be this way! Starting with a messy closets, you can get that closet organized and keep it organized in just 5 minutes a day.

Set a timer and let's get started!

-- Day 1.

Your first 5 minutes will be devoted to staring at the contents of your closet. With pen and paper in hand, jot down what items you haven't used in years (be honest). You will be throwing or giving these items away. If you can't bear to toss an item, give some thought as to where the item could go for a new home and a new life.

When your timer goes off, stop. Put the pen and paper on the closet floor and close the door. You'll be back tomorrow.

-- Tomorrow is here!

Continue your closet organizing adventure. Go to your closet and pick up your pen and paper. Keep on creating your list of what in your closet you can get rid of and what items need to find a new home. Use as many 5 minute sessions as necessary on this step. Feel like you're not getting anywhere? Nonsense! This step makes all the difference down the road when you are maintaining your organized closet.

Simply stated, it will be A LOT easier to keep your closet organized when it only contains what you truly use and is not being used as your personal archive. (In fact, it will probably help you if you can designate one closet or space in your home as a storage container for all those items you need seasonally or for keepsakes. Things you only access occasionally.)

In addition, doing this one step over several days will give you a chance to really think about those items you have collected over the years. You'll find you're ready to give or throw away things on Day 5 that you couldn't bear to part with on Day 1.

-- The next step to your closet organizing.

Once you have completed the list of unnecessary items in your closet, grab a couple of boxes and your timer. Set your 5 minutes and, using your list, toss the trash in the trash box and the give-away items in the give-away box. If this takes you more than 5 minutes, stop and continue tomorrow. This step will go fairly quickly, however, if you've done a thorough job with your list from Day 1.

-- Moving right along.

Now that all the excess stuff is gone from your closet, you can get down to organizing what is left. Use your 5 minutes to genuinely study what's remaining in your closet.

* Which items do you use everyday?

* Which items can be stored together?

* Which items can be stored on shelves?

* Which items can be stored in drawers?

* Which items should be put in bins?

* Which items simply don't belong in this closet?

Take notes during this step and use as many 5 minutes as you need. Again, doing this over several days gives you time to consider how you use each item in your closet each day and what type of organizational system will make the most sense for you. You're aiming for usability here and it may take a bit of trial and error. That's fine because the end result will be a closet you can easily keep organized without even thinking about it.

-- Time to organize your closet.

Using your notes from the previous step, get the supplies you need to organize your closet. Again, take your time with this step, noting what is working and what is not along the way. Tweak as necessary.

* Need more hangars, bins, baskets? Put them on your shopping list for next time you go to the discount store.

* For starters, use whatever organizing supplies you already have including old boxes. It can help to live with your ideas for a week or two to enable you to understand exactly the type of organizing supplies that will serve you the best, so feel free to use temporary containers while you're at this stage of your closet organizing project.

* OR...if you're unsure about sizes and shapes of organizing products, buy just a few samples, leave the tags on and try them out. Then return what you don't need and purchase what you do.

This step can either be completed as part of your normal shopping (requiring no extra trip to the store and keeping within the 5 minute concept) or simply dive in and do one big shopping trip. Your choice.

-- Live with it.

There's no substitute for living with your organizing to see what you've accomplished and what you need to change. Use your 5-minutes-a-day to ask yourself what you like and don't like about your newly organized closet. Take notes and make changes.

-- Last step.

This is the maintenance step and it's easier than you think. For your closet organizing enterprise to give you the results you want, you'll need to take 5 minutes each day and put things away in your closet where they belong.

But beware. Skip this step for just 7 days and you'll need to put in 35 minutes to get back on track. Maybe you don't have 35 minutes to organize your closet, so you don't do it. It won't be long before your closet will be in chaos again and you're using EXTRA time every day just to locate items that should be at your fingertips.

That's right, you're going to use the time anyway. Being disorganized is a huge time waster. So stick to your 5 minutes a day, no matter what. It won't be long until your new habit becomes second nature and you can't imagine NOT doing a quick tidy-up each day.

All it takes is 5 minutes.

Tag : closets,closet organizing,organizing

Is your closet in shambles? Are your clothes taking over your closet? Are you at a loss about what to do to tidy things up and get things back on track? If so, then I've got some tips that I think will solve the problem. So sit back, relax and go through these steps with me to find the solution to your small closet trials and tribulations...

Step 1: Clean up and Clear out

If your closet is in shambles, the first thing you need to do is a major clean-up. Closets don't clean themselves, they need to be cleaned every once and awhile. So, a good place to start is to simply take everything out of the closet.

Once you've done that, sort through your items items and get rid of things that you may no longer need and donate them to charity. Once you've initially cleaned up and cleared everything out, to keep things under control it is recommended that you do an inventory check and occasional clean-up every 3 to 6 months.

Or if that doesn't work for you, consider using the "Replacement Strategy" instead.

It's a simple method of keeping your closet up to par every time you go shopping. This will help you keep a steady flow going rather than having to wonder if you're once again cramming too much in your small space as time progresses.

This is also very helpful if you shop a lot. It will keep quantity-in and quantity-out consistent. To make this strategy work, let's use an example of how it's done...

Let's say one day you're ready to go shopping. Before you go shopping, it's vital to go through your closet and find a certain number of clothing that you're no longer happy with. Once you've gone through your closet, let's say found 2 pair of pants and 3 shirts that you're ready to get rid of. The next step is to then go shopping for the equal amount of clothing that you plan to toss out or donate. In this case, it's 2 pair of pants and 3 shirts.

During your time out shopping, your job is simple. All you have to do is find 2 new pair of pants and 3 shirts that you'd like to REPLACE your old clothing with. And that's it. Simple, huh? But let's not forget. You have one last thing to do once you're done shopping...

And that's to simply drop off the old clothing at the thrift store and then you're finished for the day.

So if it's not clear by now, you're basically replacing the old with the new. This is a simple method that will help you keep things tidy as well as help you maintain a certain shopping budget whenever you're ready to add something new to your wardrobe.

Step 2: Create Your Own Closet System

If you have a small closet that is just overflowing with clothes, even after you've done a major clean-up, you might want to consider several options on doubling your space. You can get a complete closet system, but often this requires that you remove your current closet system and put a new one in. And if you're renting a place, you know this is definitely off-limits.

So what do you do when you need a closet system but can't put one in?

Well, you turn to closet organizers to get the job done.

They can be just as effective as a complete closet system and all you have to do is hang them up on the closet rod that's already in your closet. All it takes is a few moments and voila... you have your own makeshift closet system.

To do this, you will simply need...

• Closet doublers
• Hanging shelves and drawers
• Hanging shoe organizers

StacksandStacks.com is a great place to find the organizers that you'll need to achieve this look.

The great thing about closet doublers is that they do exactly what they say. They double your space by utilizing the unused space blow your clothes, so you essentially have two hanging spots instead of one.

Hanging shelves and drawers offer you a big advantage because they allow you to eliminate your need for a dresser or chest of drawers. And this can be extremely helpful if you have a small bedroom but can't afford the room for a dresser.

With the hanging shelves and drawers, you can store all of your undergarments in them, such as socks, underwear, bras and so forth. And if they're big enough, you can even store your purses in them too. If not, they make organizers that you can hang up for those as well.

Hanging shoe organizers are also self-explanatory. If you don't want your shoes lying around all over the place, get a hanging shoe organizer that will get the job done.

Once you have all of these organizers, consider placing the hanging shelf and shoe organizer in the center of your closet and a closet doubler on each end. However, before you jump the gun, be certain your closet can accommodate a hanging shelf, shoe organizer and 2 doublers. If not, you might need to eliminate one of the doublers or organizers.

Step 3: Don't Just Guess... Label It!

Once you've gotten rid of everything you don't want in your closet and you've gotten your organizers in place, you might want to consider one last (optional) step to take care of business...

And that's closet dividers.

TheContainerStore.com has great blank closet dividers that you can use to achieve this great look and feel.

You can use them to label your clothes...

• By season
• By type
• Or simply by style

...and they'll help you know exactly where each section begins and ends.

For instance, if you organize all of your long-sleeve shirts together, you could put a label up that says "Long-sleeve Shirts." Or if you prefer, you could place all of your formal clothing together and create a label that says "Formal Clothing."

But what if you enjoy organizing your clothing by season? Well, obviously you could do that too. Simply create four labels in accordance with the four seasons of the year: spring, summer, winter and fall.

This will eliminate guesswork and each day you'll be able to quickly go to what you need section by section.

Once you've done all 3 of those steps, you'll have a small organized closet you can take pride in. And from then on out keeping it tidy will be a breeze. Simply tidy up every 3 to 6 months or use the "Replacement Strategy" to keep quantity-in and quantity-out flow on par.

Tag : closets,small closets,closet organizing,organizing

How to organize a walk in closet is not the easiest thing in the world to learn. First thing you have to do is acknowledge that you did it. You achieved the American dream of owning a large enough home that your closets can be big enough to house all of your clothing, shoes, hats, purses, sweaters, jackets and more. This is a major accomplishment in itself and should be celebrated.

Ok, now that we have that out of the way, let's realize that there is much work ahead of us because obviously, this walk in closet doesn't have enough room for you to operate or else you wouldn't be here reading this article, would you? No, you would not, you would be sitting on that big deck in the back enjoying a mojito and the sun set if it was enough space. But since, we are here, let's make sure that we learn a thing or two in the process.

How Does Walk In Closets Get Full

The problem you and many others in this world are having with their walk-in closets is that they are filling up with clothing. This can be a baffling situation as the thought is that this closet is much bigger than the regular closets that we are use to, so this closet should not ever get to the point that it is full and we cannot find the clothing that we are looking for. When the truth of the matter is much different from our thinking.

First of all, there is a great phenomenon at work here than we are giving credit to. We think that just because the closets are larger, then there should be more space, but let's analyze the situation a little further to see if we can discover more.

People with larger closets, especially larger walk in closets, tend to make more money than those that don't have walk in closets, right? Obviously, walk in closets are associated with larger homes, and larger homes are associate with larger incomes. This is all very logical. But what we are leaving out of the equation is the tiny economic principal that I learned back in collect that says, "Peoples expenditures will rise to meet or exceed their income."

Think about this for a moment, if you are making $50,000 a year, then most people tend to spend at least $50,000 a year. And if this person were to receive a raise of say $25,000 a year and they are now making $75,000, then you would think that they would have an extra $25,000 to save from year to year.

But the research that has been found is something totally different. In fact, it is mind blowing. This research shows that the axiom I discovered in economics is true, people's expenditures will rise to meet their income level. So this person that was making $50,000 that is now making $75,000, will find a way to spend the extra $25,000 to allow their expenditures to meet their income level.

This is very easy to imagine as their friends, family, and ego step in to show them things that at the previous level they paid no attention to, but now that they have to means, they are spending like crazy to take up that extra money. This is a phenomenon that I think we all have fallen victim to and I swear this is the last time for me as I plan on getting it right.

How does this economic axiom apply to Walk in Closets?

It is actually very simple. As you make more and more money, you tend to buy more and more and more things. You buy a bigger home, bigger furniture, bigger cars, and more clothing to go with all the other trappings. Therefore, before you had the extra money, you were find with packing out a small regular bedroom or hall closet. But now that you have more money, your expenditures go up and this applies to your clothing, jackets, shorts, shirts, sweaters, shoes, purses, hats, and much, much more. Before long, you look up and that overgrown, massive walk in closet has been reduced down to not having enough space that you need to house all of your belongings. So, what can we do?

How to Organize a Walk in Closet.

Yes. I know, we took the long way to get to this point of how to organize a closet, but it is was important to get you to see that just because you have more room than you are use to having in the past, that your actions and your economic behavior has a strong tendency to take up much of that extra space and room as well. As your income rises, your expenditures rise and this brings more and more clothing and materials into your home to fill up that space.

But know that we are aware of this phenomenon, what do we do to make sure that we don't have this problem in our walk in closets and there is more than enough space to fit and easily find what we need to fin in it?

1) Donation

You obviously have more than you know what to do with or need. Therefore, you should take some of that wealth that you have accumulated in material things and give it to someone that is much more needy than you are. This is a great double win for you as you gain more space in that already overcrowded walk in closet and the people that you make the donations to have something else to wear.

The general rule of thumb is that if you have not worn it in the previous 365 days, then you are not going to wear it. And you should donate it immediately or give it to friends that are less fortunate than you.

2) Organize

Obviously you came here for organization, but this should be done by seasons. If you live in a place where you get to enjoy multiple seasons, they you can group your clothing accordingly. This is great because clothes in the off season can go into storage or the attic. And closets that are in season will instantly have more space and room to fill out your closets. This will make everything much more easy to access in the future.

3) Boxes and Hooks

Make sure you are using dead space in your walk in closet by ensuring that you have boxes and hooks on the wall that certain items can be hung from. This will do wonders for you as you try to find enough space for everything that you have left.

The combination of understanding how you accumulate all of these clothing items over time due to your rising income level, donation, organization, boxes, and hooks should serve you well when you take on the task of organizing your walk in closets.

Tag : closets,walk-in closets,closet organizers,closet doors,closet system

Solutions for All Size Closets

You don't have to have a walk-in closet to take advantage of today's closet storage system solutions. There are options available for everything from small, narrow closets to vast, roomy walk-ins. Either extreme can benefit enormously from topnotch organization. Well-placed closet shelves can work wonders for a seemingly cramped space; complex closet systems can give large walk-ins multiple purposes. From floor to ceiling, the right closet organization system can pull double-, triple- or even quadruple-duty, allowing you to keep your living spaces as clean and clutter-free as possible. Whatever size your closet may be, there's sure to be a solution out there for you.

Eye-Catching Finishes and Materials

Most of us are well aware of the many possibilities that wire closet organizers bring to the table. However, they are generally lacking in the style department. Wire closet organization systems are useful, but they're hardly pleasing to the eye. Luckily, there are plenty of attractive alternatives. Woods in finishes ranging from deep mahoganies to bright almonds are available; melamine, in a colorful palette of colors, is also an excellent possibility to consider. Thanks to these diverse options, creating closet storage systems that complement the rest of your interior design scheme is a snap.

Custom Designs and DIY Options

Depending on your budget - and on your ambition - you can opt for custom-designed closet solutions or go with DIY options. With custom designs, you provide the dimensions of your closet; after outlining what you'd like your closet to incorporate, a designer can create a custom solution. In terms of DIY options, there are plenty of closet systems that allow for easy mix-and-match solutions. Whether you let the professionals take the reins, or if you decide to manage it all yourself, arriving at the right closet organization solution is more than doable.

Complete Storage Systems

One convenient option that more and more people are turning to is the complete closet storage system. These systems are usually height- and width-adjustable, making it easy to fit them in just about anywhere. A combination of shelves, bins, clothing racks, hangers, drawers, cubbies - and much more - can be interchanged within such systems. If shoe organization is your chief concern, you can gear your system towards it; if you're awash in ties, belts and other accessories, you can mix and match your system to accommodate them. Such systems can even be switched around according to season - the choice is entirely up to you!

Mix and Match

Several different components can go into today's closet organization systems. A brief rundown of some of the most popular examples is provided below.

Closet Shelves - Shelves are incredibly versatile, especially when they can be adjusted according to height and width. Everything from folded-up sweatshirts to baseball caps can be kept on the shelves in a closet.

Cubbies - Everyone has little odds-and-ends that just don't seem to fit in anywhere. Cubby holes can be included in a closet organization system, providing a suitable place for anything that you'd like to keep close at hand.

Drawers - Delicates and other types of clothes that you'd like to keep as clean and dust-free as possible can be folded and tucked away into drawers.

Clothing Racks - Double- or even triple-hang clothing racks can be incorporated into virtually any closet system, allowing you to keep shirts, dresses and other items of clothing neatly organized.

Shoe Storage - From off-the-floor shoe racks to slanted shoe shelves, there are plenty of convenient ways to keep your shoes from getting out of control.

Jewelry Drawers - Accessorize your ensemble with ease by keeping your jewelry close at hand in jewelry drawers.

Tilt-Out Hampers - It's important to have a place to keep dirty clothes; built-in, tilt-out hampers do the job nicely.

Pant Racks - Keep ironing to a minimum by hanging your freshly pressed pants on pant racks.

Belt Racks - Find the belt that you need in seconds by organizing them on belt racks.

Ironing Board - Many closet storage system include fold-out ironing boards, making it easy to remove wrinkles - without having to pull out a large, burdensome ironing board.

At the end of the day, the right closet organization system can make a world of difference for anyone who'd like to keep their bedroom - and home - as neat as possible. Sit down and write down your most pressing organizational needs. Decide whether you'd like to splurge on a custom closet, or if a DIY system is right for you. In no time flat, you'll have the closet storage system that's right for you.

There are many different kinds of closet organizing systems. The challenge is finding or making one that fits your budget, needs, and personal style. Here are some suggested steps to help make the process easier.

Step One in Closet Organization: Budget

Decide on a budget. This is included as the first step because what your budget is will affect all other areas of your decision making process. You need to know how much you can or are willing to spend on organizing your closet before you go looking at closet organizing systems. It can be very tempting to justify the cost to yourself of buying a top of the line closet organizing system and then have buyer's remorse after you look at your credit card statement and realize that you really couldn't afford it. Decide on a budget and stick to it.

Step Two in Closet Organization: Make or Buy

Decide if you will be making it yourself, buying a pre-made closet organizing system and installing it yourself, or buying a professionally installed system. If you're not sure which way you want to go, start shopping around. The easiest way to find a closet organizing system company to professionally install your system is to go to dexonline.com and do a search in your area for closet organization. If you're going to be buying a pre-made system that you install yourself, shop around at local stores (The Container Store, Target, Home Depot) and/or online. If you want to make it yourself, check out the pros and the pre-made closet organizing systems in order to get some ideas about how you want to make your system.

Step Three in Closet Organization: Features

Figure out which components you want in your closet organizing system. You're going to want to sit down and really think about how you use your closet. How can you organize your closet so that it makes the most sense with your lifestyle? How can you organize your closet in order to make your life easier? Which features do you really want? Where will those features go in your closet?

Step Four in Closet Organization: Measurements

Take measurements. So why didn't I tell you to measure before you started shopping around? To help prevent impulse buying. Shopping around is just to give you an idea of what is available to you and to help you decide which direction you want to go with your closet organizing system. Now that you know what is available, take measurements of your closet. Buying a closet organizing system that is either too big or too small for your space will leave you frustrated and probably angry with the company that sold it to you. Get measurements of everything that you want to come with your new closet organizing system and make sure to measure where each piece will go.

Step Five in Closet Organization: Visual Aids

Get a visual aid. If possible, you'll want to get a virtual "tour" of what your closet will look like with the closet organizing system that you want to buy. A virtual "tour" of your new closet organizing system can go a long way in helping you really visualize how the system will look in your space. Draw out your space and what your new closet organizing system will look like in that space. Empty out the closet and use things around your home to help you get a clear visual. For example, if your ironing board is about as big as a cabinet piece that you want, put your ironing board in your closet where you want the cabinet to go. If you have a shelving unit that you want to install in a specific area, put masking tape on the wall to represent where you want your shelving system to go. Masking tape can take paint with it so be sure not to press the tape on the wall too hard or leave it on for very long.

Step Six in Closet Organization: Time to Buy or Make It

Buying or making your closet organizing system. You should now be ready to buy or make your closet organizing system. If you are buying a system, make sure that you know what the warranty is on the system and the return policy. If you are having a closet organizing system professionally installed, make sure you know the length of the warranty on the labor.

After you get your new closet organizing system installed, make sure that you go through everything before you put it back into your new closet. You don't want to be filling up your new closet with clutter so make sure that everything you are putting back are things you actually use on a regular basis. A good rule of thumb to follow is that if you haven't used it within the past year, you're probably not going to use it again so toss it or give it away.

A walk in closet can be a fantastic inclusion in any home. Unfortunately, many people allow them to turn into nightmares they are afraid to open and use. There are ways to get the most out of these storage spaces and keep them clean and useful, too.

Closet organizing systems can be very useful, but it is also possible to craft a storage system at home. The key to using this space to its best advantage is to size it up, consider what really needs to go in it and then make sure things fit as they should where they should. When a walk in closet is maximized in its storage capacity, these mini-rooms can handle a whole lot of stuff in a fairly neat manner.

To whip a walk in closet into shape, it's a good idea to follow a few basic steps. These include:

* Emptying them.
This is the step no one wants to take, but it is the most important for organizing a walk in closet. Take everything out and go through it. Create three piles: one to keep, one to throw away and one that includes items that really belong elsewhere in a home.

* Sizing up the space.
The next step is to take stock in how the closet is configured and what would be the best use of it. Also, take a look at the "go back in" pile and see what's in it. Perhaps, a few hanging brackets could be removed for a floor to ceiling shelving system? Maybe there are enough shoes to constitute a special storage shelf under one of the hanging units? Brainstorm the best way to put a walk in closet back together in order.

* Find the right organizing materials.
Small shelving units, hanging shoe shelves and other similar devices can help when a full walk in closet organizing system is too expensive to buy. Get creative here and really consider the size, shape and amount of items that need to go back in.

* Put everything back in.
Use the new materials to store what is supposed to go on or in them. Try to make sure everything in the walk in closet is easy to find.

A closet can either be a great tool for storing items or it can be a disaster that won't hold another item. When a walk in closet needs serious attention, the process can take some time, but the end results will be worth the effort.

Tag : closet,closet organizers,walk in closet,closet design

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Neil_Day

So summer is just around the corner, and for most people this means it is time to pull out the shorts, tank tops, and of course their favorite flip-flops.

For most people this also means rummaging through their closet, to sort out the right clothes they will wear this time of year. This is when disaster begins! Many people discover that their closets have turned into a storage area resembling an old library: except that instead of books, it contains clothes dating back to the time when their mothers picked out their clothes for them!

So what do you do with this giant mess? There are ways to make closet cleanup easier, and here are some steps that will help:

1. First of all you have to clean your closet! Remove all of the contents from the closet and lay them on your bed so you can sort through them later.

Once all the clothes have been taken out of the closet, clean the inside of your closet before putting any clothes back inside – remembering that it probably has been ages since this was done. Make sure that to do a good job and clean your closet thoroughly.

2. Now comes the hardest part; sorting the clothes. This is when a person has to decide which clothes to keep, and which ones to get rid of. Clothes should be separated into piles and then sorted according to the amount of use.

One of the best things that results from cleaning out the closet is that often it becomes an opportunity to make some money. Clothes that individuals would never wear again can be sold at a garage sale or auctioned on EBay!

Those who are thinking of putting their old clothes on EBay for sale should take a detailed photograph of the items they wish to sell, so it can be displayed along with the description of the item.

People will be amazed at how even old clothes that might not be in top condition will still find buyers on EBay. So when you write a brief description of these items, be honest about their condition. Include the size, brand, condition of the garment, color, and other information that will be useful to the buyer.

Individuals should not expect to get a high price for these used clothes; so list a practical starting price for these items to make them more appealing to a prospective buyer.

3. If you are in a charitable mood forget EBay; donate your used clothes to a charity. This way, the clothes you no longer want or need, can be given to those who really need them!

4. Another great idea is to swap clothes with your friends! Not only will this help clean out the closet; in return you will also items that are new to you and put them in your closet!

5. Once you have disposed of all of your unnecessary (or unused) garments the items that you have saved can now be put back in the closet. Arrange the placement of the clothes you are returning to the closet according to their function and usability.

Sweaters and coats may be tucked away in the corner of the closet; as well as other garments that will not be used in the near future. You may even discover clothes that you have forgotten you own! Clothes that will most frequently be used should be readily accessible. Your closet will now be organized!

When organizing the closet take an inventory and determine what garments are lacking in your wardrobe

One other thing, soiled and dirty clothes should be laundered before they are put back in the closet - even old clothes in your closet will then be clean.

Closet cleanups are a must! It may not be fun, but it is a chore that must be done even if it might to be painful to dispose of some items. Just think of how much time you will save in the morning when you do not have to rummage through your closet looking through your closet looking for your favorite sweater – it will be right there in front of you, newly laundered, and neatly folded!

Imagine, you open your closets doors and all of your items are displayed neatly on shelves and hangers. You can see everything and simply select the items you want. This article contains three easy steps to help you get the closets of your dreams!

Step 1: Purge. Pull out everything you don't love or find useful. In your wardrobe closet, if you are having a hard time figuring out what you love, flip your hangers around so that they are hanging on the rod backwards. As you wear each piece of clothing put it back with the hanger hanging correctly on the rod. At the end of a year you will know exactly what you have not worn because the hangers of those items will still be backwards. If you have not worn it in a year, you don't love it or find it useful.

What to do with the clothes and items you have purged:

Have a Clothing Swap -- Invite your friends to clean out their closets. You could forward them this article to help them get started. Set a date and time for every one to bring over their unwanted clothing and accessories and a dish to pass and/or beverage. You could also expand this swap party to include home furnishings, candles, beauty products or kitchen gadgets. Create the feeling of a "store" in your living room featuring everyone's items. Mingle, eat and shop - for FREE! You will get some new fun pieces to add to your wardrobe, get rid of all of your unwanted items that are cluttering up your closest and have a fun free party with your friends. Donate all of the left over items to charity.

Consign - How about making some extra money? Some consignment stores will accept all seasons of clothing all year around which makes it easy to consign. A select few consignment stores pay upfront for clothing, although, those types of consignment stores are generally hard to find. One nation wide store that pays up front is Plato Closets. However, they only accept casual trendy clothing. I recommend that you first take your items to a consignment store. Any items the store does not take use for your Clothing Swap Party.

Consignment stores typically sell clothing on the same season schedule as regular retail stores. At the end of each retail season they will donate the items that did not sell for you and pay you a commission on your items that did sell. But you are usually in charge of knowing when a retail season ends and collecting your payment. Most stores do not automatically mail you a check. To make it easy, just put a note in your calendar on each of your deadline dates to call them so that you can pick up your check.

Step 2: Install a Closet System - Most closets need more than a basic rod and pole. Installing a built in closet system of adjustable rods, shelves, drawers, hooks and accessories will usually double or even triples the amount of use-able space in your closet. Plus it makes it much easier to see and find your items. There are many great options available from inexpensive do-it-yourself systems to having a Professional Organizer / Closet Designer out to your home to design a system for you and have it built and installed for you. Closet systems range in price dramatically but many basic but effective systems are surprisingly inexpensive. A new well-designed closet system will make a big impact on your life.

Installing a Closet System is easy and will:

• Make your life easier by saving you time and money
• Double or even triple your closet space
• Make your home tidier because it's easier to put things away
• Add value to your home

Step 3: This is the most fun step! Purchase matching hangers for your wardrobe and coat closets. They will give your closet a clean uniform look and will save space.

The best hangers to get are the sleek thin velvety soft hangers, usually known as Huggables. They come in a variety of colors. Your clothing "sticks" to the velvet so even tank tops and silky shirts won't fall off the hanger. They have a thin space saving design and the best part is they prevent "shoulder bumps". You can even hang sweaters and lightweight knit shirts on them.

In your non-wardrobe closets clear shoebox bins work well. Sort all of your miscellaneous items into categories (when there are more than one of the same type of item), such as, shoe shine supplies, first aid supplies, nail polishes, travel sized products and so on. Separate items into individual bins and label the fronts of the bins. This makes it easy to find what you need and put things away. You can label your bins by just using blank white labels from any office supply store and a permanent marker or with a label maker. Label makers make great household tools.

You could start by organizing one closet in your home every week or even every month. Before long, all of your closets will be perfectly organized!

Tag : closets,closets organized,closets door,closets design

Closets are miracles of sorts. They keep everything we don't want others to see hidden out of sight. Although the times that you just throw items into it without thinking can make it a bit unorganized and you need to correct this. Take a moment to look at your closet. Is there a shelf in it with items threatening to fall off? Are your clothes constantly falling on the floor when you go to get them out of the closet?

This over flow is an indication that you are holding onto too much. The first thing that has to be done in order to organize your closet is to get rid of things. You don't need clothes and shoes from the seventies and eighties. That pair of bell-bottom hip huggers in paisley print is not coming back in your lifetime. Get rid of it! Take them and all of those clothes that are not within two sizes of what you can actually wear and get rid of them.

Shelves in the top of the closet leave a world of options open for its organization. Clear storage bags preferably those that vacuum seal to take up less room can be utilized to store out of season clothes. Alternatively, they can be hung in sealed compressed bags off into a corner of the closet.

Shoes take up a great deal of space. These are at sky rocketing numbers in most women's closets. Shoe racks are an option that gives a couple of choices. They can either hang on conventional opening doors or sit along the floor of the closet in a row; there is even the option of shoe shelves if the closet is spacious enough.

The top of the closet can be utilized for hat storage if you still wear them. Hats or hatboxes can be lined up neatly across one side and the other side can contain small storage containers of items that you wish to save.

Hanging our clothing individually takes up an extreme amount of space. If you work in an office and wear suits, you can save a lot of space. Hang jackets and pants together. Ties can be hung with the shirts they are commonly worn with. There are also special racks available for hanging belts that allow you to have them all in one place thus taking up less room. Belts that are often worn with a particular suit can be hung over the top of the hanger to hang in front of the suit making them easier to find in the mornings.

Putting these closet organizing tips to work for you will give you more room in the closet as well as peace of mind knowing that one area of your home is in order.

Wire closet organizers are a very inexpensive and functional way to make the most of the space in a bathroom closet. This particular type of closet organizer is constructed of some of the finest and strongest materials in the industry of wire closet organizers. It is a great to be installed in the kitchen or pantry, especially the wire baskets and pullout shelves. For the bedroom - not really a great option.

Rubbermaid closet organizer kits sell like nothing else. With efficient solutions for closet bard ventilated shelves and shoeboxes theres nothing you cant do with Rubbermaid organizers. It is one such company that has custom closet organizers for any storage need or preference. Choose from rods, racks, shelves, baskets, and much more.

Create valuable space in your closets by storing your sweaters and clothing accessories in a Tweed Hanging Closet Organizer . This hanging sweater bag is a great storage solution for any cluttered closet. Creative Storage features a whole line of closet organizers that make your closet work more efficiently. Optimize your storage space with valet pins, pant racks, pull-down valet rods, pull-out mirrors, wire baskets, wicker baskets, pull-out shelves, pull-down shoe racks, belt racks.

Hanging shelves are a big bonus as part of a bedroom closet organizer and if there is enough room under a shelf, a small drawer can be installed to hold small items. Complete systems for transforming a nightmare closet into a well-organized storage are with a ready-made bedroom closet organizer. Hanging closet rods take the squeeze out of crammed closets and give your garments more breathing room to keep apparel wrinkle-free. This clothes rod is easy to use - no installation, it simply hangs up and works with any existing closet rod.

Kitchens have always been the focus of any home, and that trend is only increasing. In older homes kitchens are often the largest room in the house. Kitchen closets are often the most neglected closet areas in the home. There are many different things that are placed in a kitchen closet.

Designed with tweed fabric and faux leather accents, the clothes organizer will look great in any closet. Designed with a reinforced hanging system, it can hold a number of sweaters, jeans and other garments. Each shelf of the hanging sweater organizer is reinforced with a wire frame to provide stability when the unit is full. Design one to include all of the closet drawers you'll need and easily include space for computers, desk chairs, even additional lighting underneath closet cabinets or shelving. It's the fast way to organizing your home office and giving it a stylish facelift at the same time.

Shelves in there can be broken to get dividers, which will be known as sections. From here on, your mind comes to help you on the process of sorting the closet. Shelves save space, come in various adjustable sizes and give a tidy look to your closet. You can also introduce bins as a part of your closet for storing certain essential things.

Tag : closets,walk-in closets,closets design,closets organizer

Most people find that after getting rid of clutter, keeping closets organized is an ongoing challenge. Your goal is to be able to see items and be able to reach the things you use on a daily or weekly basis. Make that a reality by implementing the following home organizing tips.

Entryway Closets

Narrow Shelving - This type of shelving is great for hats, gloves and scarves on doors or walls for easy access.

Plastic Drawers and Containers - These are perfect for storing each family member's assortment of gloves, mittens, and hats. Larger containers work well on higher shelves for storing supplies of any kind.

Hallway cabinet - This may be a solution to a crowded hall closet and can be used to store temporarily those items that are going out the door, such as, clothing to be altered or to the cleaners, items going to the repair shop, or packages and letters to be mailed.

Clothes Closets

Wire Shoe Racks - One of the best ways to keep your shoes neat and orderly is to purchase wire shoe racks. They attach to the wall and have a brace to keep them at a slant. If you don't have wall space to spare, shoe bags that hang on the back of the door or a shoe rack that sits on the floor or a closet shelf also work well. Seasonal or very dressy shoes that you seldom wear can be stored in their original boxes in the back of the closet or in a store room.

Shelf Dividers - These are excellent for keeping stacks of sweaters or purses in place. One available source is the Lillian Vernon catalog and website.

Add A Shelf - Do you need another shelf in a small walk-in closet? A home organizing tip to use today is to put a shelf inside the closet above the door for items that you seldom use.

Linen Closets

Plastic bins - These are always ideal for items, such as, sewing supplies, medications, bath products and hair accessories. Choose bins with drawers or a lid depending on your needs.

Add A Shelf - Purchase several wire shelves to use in your closets. They work especially well in the linen closet to provide more space for storing towels, washcloths and hand towels.

Battery-operated light - One of the greatest objects to simply attach to the wall in any closet in your home is a battery-operated light! Buy one for each of your unlit closets!

Now that you have de-cluttered your closets, it is time to decide how to keep those closets organized. There are very useful containers and gadgets on the market to help you with this task. Let's look at several of these products that will help make your closets stay more organized.

Entryway Closets

Stacking plastic drawers - These are ideal for storing family member's hats, gloves and mittens.

Clear plastic containers - They work well for storing supplies on higher shelves.

Checklist - As a last minute reminder for family members, a checklist of what they need to take with them works wonders! You might want to laminate it and attach it to the inside of the hall closet door.

Clothes Closets

Wire shoe rack shelves - One of my favorite closet accessories is wire shoe rack shelves. Check with organizing stores, home décor stores or online stores for these.

Hat boxes - Even if you don't wear hats, hat boxes work well for accessories and bathing suits as well as other small articles of clothing. Plus, they are decorative!

Movable plastic dressers - These are ideal to put in the space under short-hanging clothing. They provide more drawer space and are quite roomy.

Shelf dividers - You can stack clothes higher and still keep them separate. What a great organizing tip for optimizing space in your closet! (You will find them in the Lillian Vernon Catalog and on their website.)

Utility and Linen Closets

Shelf dividers - They are very useful in linen closets to keep stacks of towels and other linens in place.

Wire shelves - These shelves sit on a regular wood closet shelf and double your storage space for linens and toiletries.

Wrapping paper bins - This is a good way to keep your rolls of gift wrap and gift wrapping supplies in one neat and orderly place that will be free from damage. Now is the time to go buy one!

Battery-operated light - One of the greatest objects to simply attach to the wall in any closet in your home is a battery-operated light!

Nobody ever complains about too much closet space. Not only are closets helpful in organizing our possessions, they can help a room, and a home look better because so much stuff can be put away instead of left out to give a look of clutter. Closets can come in different shapes and many sizes, such as walk in closets. If you really want to get the most use out of your closets, you should consider closet organizers.

Most closets have doors. Doors are important in closets, so most people prefer to have them. They keep everything out of sight, and can even be considered a part of the decoration of the room, such as when they are covered with a mirror,or have an interesting pattern such as raised panels. When the closet door is closed, all of the potential mess is out of sight of your guests.

In areas where you do not have a lot of room for traditional doors that swing open, the best solution is folding doors. These are very handy since they give you all of the advantages of swinging doors, but take up half of the room when they are opened. The rails that come with folding closet doors should be of good quality so that the door can open and close easily and smoothly. If you install a light inside the closet, you can hook it up so that the light goes on automatically when you open the folding doors. This is a very handy feature when you need to find something in hate back of a closet.

Sliding doors also work well to allow you extra space in the room. If the walls allow for it, it is really good to have sliding doors that can slide into the adjoining wall. These types of doors are called "pocket" doors, since they slide into a pocket in the wall. For additional ease of use, you may even consider install a motor that could open and close the sliding doors automatically.

If your room is small, a great idea that many decorators recommend is to cover your closet door with a mirror. This serves a dual purpose, since you will have a mirror when you are getting dressed, and the mirror will make the room appear larger. A mirror such as this can be installed on just about any closet door, and can either be half or full.