How to Organize a Closet

Have you ever spent time searching for that favorite sweater or pair of shoes only to find them a week after you needed to use them?  With these few rules, you can have your private space organized and avoid wasting valuable time finding items you need.

After you have your closet organized all it takes is a few steps to keeping it organized year round. Start first by measuring  your clothes on their hangers before installing your closet rods.  For a tidy looking closet, make sure you have uniform hangers. Never use wire hangers. Wire will eventully rust on clothes if exposed to moisture. Plastic can break.  Wood is my personal favoite, and it  wont break when heavier clothes are hung.

Hang skirts together, pants together, dresses together and so on. Organize your hung clothes by color. To keep fine sweaters in shape, do not hang them; it's better to fold sweaters. Fold and stack sweaters by color.

Do not pile things on your cloest floor. A clear floor in a small space will be more tidy and spacious.  Arrange shoes on shelves all in one direction. The best way to arrange a shoe where it looks neat is heel out. and colors together. Browns with browns, blacks with black and so on.

Display frequently used items that have decorative appeal.  Storing loose items in baskets or boxes makes shelves look neater.  Hat boxes, and baskets provide elegant and colorful storage. Display your hand bags, ties, and belts where they can be seen. You will use them more if you can see them. Add hooks for hanging storage to side walls and a hanging shoe rack to the back of the door if there is no additional room for shoe shelves.

Make sure you have good lighting in your closet. If you have enough space, installing a mirror on the inside of the door will be a great tool when trying on and matching clothes.

Cedar closets are wonderful but can lose their aromatic power over time. An easy solution is to sand the cedar lightly to restore the fragrance or rub a coat of cedar oil on the wood where clothing does not come into contact with it.

Go through your closet twice a year. If you haven't used an item in the last year, chances are it will be out of style the next year and you will never wear it.  Spring and Fall are good times to review your clothes. Things that you did not use that season need to be donated to Goodwill.  Don't forget that items taken to a thrift shop are considered a charitable donations for tax purposes. Be sure to get a receipt. 

Careful attention to your closet space allows the rest of you home to function better as a whole. Keeping a properly set up closet can be maintained very easily and save you hours of searching.