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Don’t Get Hung Up On Closet Clutter!
Most closets contain a variety of very important items. Despite this, these spaces often get overlooked when it comes to organization. This can lead to serious frustrations when trying to find specific items in cluttered closets. By following a few simple steps you can quickly turn a disorganized closet into space where items can be easily found when needed.
Downsize
Most people have a number of items in their closet that have not been worn for a long time. For the most part, these items are just taking up valuable space. Anything that no longer fits should be placed on consignment or donated to charity. Additionally, any items that have not been worn for a year or longer should simply be given away.
Clean
Now that all unnecessary items have been removed it is usually a good idea to clean the inside of the closet, as this is a task that often gets neglected. Vacuum or sweep the floor, wipe the walls and sweep away any cobwebs. This will help ensure that your clean clothes do not become dirty or dusty while they are being stored.
Layout
Once your closet has been cleaned properly it may be a good idea to assess and possibly re-plan the layout of your closet. Measure the space to help you decide which items should go where. It is often a good idea to keep similar items close together. For example, casual shoes may go on one side of the closet, while formal shoes get placed on the other side.
Space Savers
By using space savers like boxes, hooks, racks and shelves it will help you to utilize every square inch of your closet space. Make sure that you have your closet measurements in hand when you go shopping for space saving items. This will help to ensure that everything you buy fits properly.
Hangers
Using hangers is a great way to organize your clothes because you can hang almost anything. Try to avoid the use of wire hangers though, as these were not designed for long-term use and can be hard on your clothing.
Eye Level
Try to keep your most important items at eye level, as things that are put on tall shelves tend to get forgotten. It is best to save the high shelves for storing out of season clothing or other items that rarely get used.
Seasonal Change
Some people may find that they still lack sufficient closet space even after they have gone through the downsizing and organizing steps. If this happens to be the case it may be a good idea to rotate your items depending on the season. Items that are in season can be kept in the closet, with the out of season wardrobe being stored elsewhere.
Don’t let your garage be your secret place to hoard clutter. Let it be your organizing oasis instead!
Garage organization presents a number of very unique challenges. This is because these spaces often become the designated dumping grounds for a variety of miscellaneous items. However, it is possible to turn a garage that resembles a disaster zone into a clean multifunctional space that even has room for the primary item that it was designed to store. The car.
Get Rid of the Junk
Because garages tend to be the places where unused items get placed, these spaces are particularly prone to clutter. Therefore, removing this clutter can be a huge undertaking in itself. If you have a number of unused items that are still of value it may be useful to have a garage sale. However, if there are few unused items of value a visit to the Salvation Army may be more appropriate.
Categorization before Organization
Once you have removed all of the clutter from the garage, it is a good idea to categorize all of your remaining items. Some examples of categories that these items may be separated into could include automotive, tools, sports equipment and cleaning supplies. By storing similar items together it makes it much easier to locate them when they are needed later on.
Easy to See Items are Easy to Find
When developing organizational systems for a garage, keeping the most important items out in the open makes them easy to find. In addition to this, it is also easier to put these items away in the correct spot when finished with them. By using hanging hooks for tools, shelves for larger items and see through containers for screws and nails you will be able to locate items much easier when they are needed.
Keep the Floor Clear
Elevating everything makes cleaning the garage floor much easier. This also helps to reduce hiding spots where small items can become lost or insects can hide and build nests. Even large tool chests can be placed on wheeled carts. This allows them to be cleaned underneath and moved around easily when needed.
Maintain Organization
Organizing a messy garage can be an intimidating task, which often gets put off for long periods of time. However, maintaining organization is much more manageable and takes almost no time at all. Once you have finished using an item in your garage, make sure that it gets returned to its rightful spot. Those who make a habit of putting things back where they belong tend to spend much less time looking for these same items later on.