If you were to pick one area of your home that you know is completely disorganized, and that you have put off tackling, chances are it would be the dreaded hall closet. This small, cramped, and often over-used space is filled with any number of things – from bulky winter coats and boots to sporting equipment, a stroller, toys, to that quality wool coat that you got from your mother. The running joke in your house is that if that door is opened, an avalanche will occur. In public you laugh at the joke. In private you cringe at its truthfulness.
It’s time to take control of that hall closet. Here are some simple, easy and straight forward steps that you can do to get the job done.
Step # 1: Clear it out and Assess What You Have
Yes, the one thing you dread most of all is the first step to taking control. Open the door, step aside and let the avalanche commence. Once the bombardment is done, remove the rest of the stuff you stored there and take a look at what you have. How much of the material do you need? How many items can be stored somewhere else?
Now that you’ve determined what you want to go into the hall closet, take a look at the closet itself. Do you have the right amount of space? Take your tape measure and get the actual dimensions of your closet. In most cases you’ll be surprised at how much room you actually have. Remember that you can use the door, the floor, and the walls of your closet as storage space as well. Maximize every square inch as best you can.
Step #2: Assess What Your Need
If you hall closet is to be used primarily for outerwear and shoes, make sure you place the hanging rod in a position that will keep the coats off the floor. In some cases, use double-hanging rods on one side of the closet, shelves in the center, and another rod on the other side for longer coats. Shoes can be easily organized using shoe racks, or even a few dish drying racks with a rubber mat underneath. That way, if they come in wet and dirty, you’ll be able to allow them to drain and dry without damaging the floor. If your family insist on using the hall closet for their personal storage, simply hang a few baskets on the inside door, one per person. If you decide that you need additional shelving, remember to utilize the space above the hanging coats with one or two shelves. The choice is really yours.
Step # 3: Let Everyone Know About the New Hall Closet
Once everything is set up, it is important to let everyone know about the new closet and how it is used. This might seem like an unnecessary step, but believe me, taking a few minutes to explain things to your family can save a lot of headaches in the long run. Make sure they know what is to be kept in the closet, where the shelves are, what the bins are for if they have one and the reasoning behind everything. No more “I’ll just put it here for now!”