Closets come in all shapes and sizes and are one of the first things that prospective homeowners look for when searching for a new home.  Walk-in closets are what’s expected today, but are not always available, especially if the home buyer is looking for an older, more classic home.

Custom closet installation is not in everyone’s budget, so it’s always good to know what organization products are available to help homeowners to maximize the space that they currently have.  Worrying about the lack of closet space, without the means to make structural changes isn’t going to make the problem go away. As a professional organizer, when working with a client, I recommend that we start by going through all of their existing clothing first to determine what they are actually wearing now.

At the end of the day, you want to be able to access the clothing that you’re wearing and eliminate the rest.  This task alone can relieve some of the problems of not having enough closet space and the frustration of not being able to find the clothes you need. 

If you are currently living in a home with a small reach-in closet, you can still have an organized closet, without the expense of a remodel.  By educating yourself with what’s available in the marketplace or getting the help of a professional organizer, you will discover a myriad of inexpensive closet organizers that will maximize the space in your closet, without spending a lot of money.  Here are a few to consider:

Swivel Tie Hanger

Handbag organizer

Shoe and Sweater Organizer

Revolving Shoe Stand

Shelf organizer bin

Scarf Hanger Organizer

 

Are you sometimes frustrated with always having to pick up your clothing  accessories off the floor due to not having a proper accessory organizer to house them? Getting dressed in the mornings can become quite stressful if you can’t find the right shoes, tie, belt or scarf due to a lack of organization.  When your accessories are hung on random hangers or folded on a shelf, you may find yourself constantly tripping over them when they fall on the floor, leaving your closet in a big mess.

With new organizational products appearing on the marketplace, it’s easier than ever to find suitable organizers made specifically to organize your clothing accessories.  Belt hangers, swivel tie racks and scarf hangers come in a variety of styles, sizes and price points. 

As for your shoes, depending on the amount of space you have, you can purchase a shoe stand, over-the-door shoe organizer or hanging shoe pockets that hang on the same clothing rod as the rest of your clothes.  Get those accessories off the floor and on organizers today!

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), NAPO-Baltimore Chapter, and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she shows homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers organizing and time management workshops.  Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com and register for an organizing workshop.

Homeowners who are blessed with large closets often have the same problems as homeowners with only a few square feet of closet space! This reminds us that having more space isn’t always the answer to being more organized. However, for those of us with small closets, we would love the opportunity to remodel ours to the closet of our dreams!  What we can all do, whether we have a small space or large walk-in, is improve it with the many closet organizing solutions available, without breaking the bank.  Simply updating your garment hangers can make all the difference in how your closet appears. 

If you’re ready to make a change, with a small investment, start with updating your clothes hangers.  Get rid of the dry cleaning hangers that sag your clothes and replace them with wood, cedar, vinyl, metal or friction non slip clothes hangers.  Your clothes will thank you by keeping their shape and lasting much longer.

Then, move on to better storage solutions for your folded sweaters and tops that may currently be falling all over the place on the shelf above the hanging rod!  You can pick up canvas, cedar and natural woven baskets, boxes, bins and containers.  If you have room for a small chest of drawers, you can add a 3-5 drawer chest that would sit below your short hanging clothes, providing a more “custom closet” feel. 

So whether you have a large walk-in or a small reach-in, you can still have an organized closet by selecting the right hangers, purging occasionally and storing your sweaters and tops neatly in containers or drawers that won’t create a big mess!

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), NAPO-Baltimore Chapter, and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she shows homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers organizing and time management workshops.  Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com and register for an organizing workshop.

Closets come in all sizes and can create frustration or delight.  It’s all in how you manage and organize your clothes!  If closet space is minimal, you can store your off-season or rarely worn items in another area of the home.  However, it’s important that you store them correctly, ideally in a dry and cool spot.  I keep my holiday party and dressier items in a zippered garment bag in a cool and dark area of my home and I’ve included small cedar hanging blocks. Since I only need these items once or twice a year, it’s out of the way, but still easy to access.  More importantly, I can find them when I need them!

Garment storage bags are ideal to store clothing that you only need access a couple of times a year, or to store during the off-season.  They are also fine for permanent storage if you have no closets at all – just be sure to select a breathable fabric. Some garment storage bags even include cedar inserts!

Garment storage bags, also known as closet organizers, come in a variety of styles, fabrics and price points and can be used to store all types of clothing. 

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), NAPO-Baltimore Chapter, and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she shows homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers organizing and time management workshops.  Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com and register for an organizing workshop.

Are your drawers a victim of your clutter?  If your drawers are crammed full, difficult to open, or you simply have no idea what’s stored inside, then it’s time to clean them out! Organizing a drawer is a relatively simple process and doesn’t take that much time. 

For drawers that have a specific purpose, e.g. socks, shirts, etc. the process of re-organizing is much simpler, since you need only remove the items that do not belong in the drawer, purge the items that are torn, stained or you are no longer wearing, and then return them to the drawer using an appropriate drawer organizer.  

For a typical junk drawer, purchase a junk drawer organizer and then begin the following process:   

1. Empty the drawer entirely.

2. Sort the items into categories, e.g. pens, paper, rubber bands, paper clips etc.

3. Discard items that are broken or dirty.

4. Donate or recycle items that you have an excessive amount of. You may find yourself with 47 pens. Even if you place a few pens in each room, you’ll still have too many!

5. Clean out the drawer, and if desired, insert a drawer liner.

6. Insert the drawer organizer into the drawer and begin organizing your items. If the organizer is packed full, then you need to purge some more.

Using drawer organizers might possibly convince you that you can be organized, and if you are good about putting the items back in their right compartment, the drawer will stay organized!

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), NAPO-Baltimore Chapter, and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she shows homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers organizing and time management workshops.  Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com and register for one of her current organizing workshops.