Get your Closet Ready for Summer

Well, the weather has warmed up and the shorts are coming out! It’s time for some spring cleaning and your closet is a great place to start. You can make sure that your laundry rotation isn’t interrupted by summer and winter clothes getting mixed together. When that happens, it’s just so hard to find a place for everything. Make your closet a neat and clean area by organizing it at the same time that you switch out your winter for your summer wardrobes.

First, you need to take all of those winter clothes out of the closet. You can use a rolling garment rack with a cover for storing your winter coats and suits. Or, you can store them in another closet, like a spare bedroom closet. Keep them from becoming musty while in storage by using a cedar hanger or cedar closet accessories when you pack them away.

Make sure that you have durable containers for your clothes. If you are going to keep them in the garage or basement, make sure that they have a lid that seals well. You wouldn’t want moisture or pests to invade your investment! Cedar helps to absorb moisture from the air, deodorize, and repel insects. So, use cedar in your storage and you should be good to go next winter.

Now it’s time to clean the closet. While you have it completely empty, go ahead and vacuum, dust, paint, whatever you want. Now is a good time to add shelving, hooks, shoe racks, hat racks, extra hanging bars, or even line the walls with cedar planks. Right now, it’s probably fresh in your mind what didn’t work about your closet with your winter clothes, and you have your summer clothes ready to go in, so you can assess what extras you may need for your closet.

Categorize the summer clothes and take a look at what you have. If you have more shorts than you remembered, you may want to install a deep drawer or invest in some new clothes hangers, like pants and skirt hangers, that will allow you to keep your shorts organized. Tank tops and shirts with spaghetti straps can even hang on hangers that have notches or clips.

Make sure that everything has a special place to go. You can have a special drawer or bin for pajamas, special hangers or bins for organizing smaller items, like swimsuits, and maybe even a towel bar for drying beach towels. When your closet is ready for your summer clothes, you’ll be ready for summer!

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com.

How to Update Closet Style

Does your closet make you say, “Blech”? It’s time for a closet make-over. Organizing and making space for your stuff is one thing, but updating your closet to make it a place you’ll love is another. You can make your closet reflect your personal style, without sacrificing space, usability, or breaking the bank.

Start by surfing around and taking note of closet styles that you like. Pay particular attention to certain aspects of certain closets that interest you. Narrow your search by looking for closets that accommodate the types of items that you have. If you own a lot of purses or shoes, check out celebrity closet designs and see if you can incorporate their ideas into your own closet. You don’t have to spend 100K to create a shelf with dividers for storing purses, or a cubby system that goes up the wall to store your favorite shoes.

You can install shelving, drawers, cabinets and more in your closet. You will want to empty it out to decide how to most effectively use the space. Efficiency is key. You don’t want deep drawers to store loads of junk. Compartments make better use of small spaces and help you to keep organized.

Here are some ideas for making an inexpensive project look like a professional job. If all you can afford is wire shelving but you’re not crazy about the industrial look and feel, consider making it look more inviting by disguising the wire.

You can cover the wire shelves with interesting fabric to really make your closet your own. You can look into building a wooden casing for the shelves so that your closet has a wooden cabinetry look with the wire shelving inside. You can take attention away from the wire by using high-end accessories. There are now baskets and drawers that fit into the wire systems, giving them a warmer and more appealing look. A good wood hanger or coat hanger will draw attention away from the wire and toward the sleek organized look of your hanging clothes.

While we’re on the subject of clothes hangers, think about this. Using space saving hangers or high-end specialty hangers will give you more ways to organize than building a lot of shelves, cabinets and drawers. Tie hangers, scarf hangers, cascading hangers, suit hangers, and hangers with clips all give you options for hanging things that would normally need a special place to go. Hangers that allow you to cascade items or hang multiple garments on one hanger will free up even more space for you, opening up your options and budget for some of those high-end accessories that will make your closet special.

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com.

Custom Closet Organizers

The need for closet organization is high for most people. It can seem impossible to get things in order if your closet doesn’t work with you. Everyone has different needs and no organizer has a one-size-fits-all design. Utilizing custom closet organizers can give you the versatility that you need to truly make your closet your own.

There are a few ways to go about customizing your closet. First, you really need to take an objective look at what types of storage you need. Some people can get away with a hanging rod and a shoe rack, but most people have more specific things that they need to store and organize in their closets.

Narrow down what you want to keep by giving clothing and other household items to charity. You may want to have a yard sale to make money for investing back into your closet. Most of us have way too many clothes that we seldom or never wear. By narrowing the field, you can get a clearer view of what you actually need to do with the closet organizer.

Once you’ve determined what you will keep, imagine the ideal storage and location for each category of clothing. The things that you wear or use most might be best off in the center of the closet. Things that you don’t use often can go further back. Things that you are storing for an entire season can go up high on a shelf.

Next consider what type of container or apparatus would best house the items that you need to organize. Would you rather have your socks in a drawer or a basket? Do you want to hang your t-shirts or stack them on shelves? Do you have room for a tie rack or hat rack on the wall of the closet, or would you rather just use a specialty tie hanger or hat hanger for these items? Take a look at your shoes, too. Do you want all of your shoes front and center, or just the ones that you use the most?

Customizing the closet will help you to use it more efficiently and more consistently. Staying organized is sometimes the hardest part. With the closet set up to meet your specific needs, you are more likely to keep it up.

After you have your design, think about the other seasons of the year. Does your winter wardrobe work as well with the system as your summer wardrobe? Don’t forget that you might need to make more space or provide different storage once the seasons change. Invest a little in some high end clothes hangers that can be used for multiple types of items. Not only will nice hangers make your closet look great, but something like a wood hanger or coat hanger can keep your coats and suits from ending up on the floor.

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com.

Home Wardrobes and Other Closet Solutions

There are many closet designs for walk-in closets and reach-in closets. But sometimes it’s just not enough. A home wardrobe or “closet outside of the closet” can help you to create extra storage and give you the versatility that you need.

Keeping your closet organized becomes a lot easier if you don’t have to switch out summer and winter wardrobes. Using a stand-alone or built-in wardrobe closet can help you to do that. You can keep summer clothes in one and winter clothes in the other. Never having to move anything around eliminates your need to rearrange the closet every few months.

Changing out wardrobes for the season rarely goes as smoothly as it sounds. You will usually need to get out your winter clothes in the fall when you start needing jackets and long-sleeved shirts at night. Then you’re back to your summer clothes during the day. What this does, is it creates a need to have both wardrobes available for a few weeks. The closet gets crammed and disorganized pretty quickly.

More and more people are turning to exterior home wardrobes to take care of this problem. You can alternate between the wardrobe and your closet from season to season, like we mentioned above, or you can use the wardrobe to store your out of season clothing. By using a wardrobe instead of boxes, you keep the clothes neatly hung and folded. So, when those in-between seasons like spring and fall sneak up on you, you can simply go to the wardrobe and get what you need.

Not having boxes to deal with not only frees up storage space in your home, but also eliminates the need to wash, iron and hang everything that comes out of storage. Sometimes clothes in storage will get a musty smell. That is actually mold that you are smelling. Even if you can’t see it yet, it’s there. You can help to eliminate mold and mildew in stored clothing by using cedar sachets or other cedar products.

In a wardrobe, your clothes won’t get as musty and wrinkled. However, if the wardrobe will be closed for an entire season, you will want to use cedar products anyway, just to be safe. You can hang the clothes inside on cedar hangers to eliminate odors, protect the clothes from pests, and to eliminate moisture.

Your clothes hangers can help you to keep things from getting wrinkled and they can also help you to make the most of the space in the wardrobe or in your closet. A good wood hanger or coat hanger can help coats and suits keep their shape. Then, you can use slim hangers that are designed to save space for the rest of your clothing.

Selecting the right hangers and storage space for you is essential in keeping a closet organized. If it holds the things that you need it to hold, it can be one of your greatest assets.

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com.

How to Protect Clothes in the Closet

You may think that your clothes will stay clean and protected in the closet, but there are many things that can damage your clothing. Use these tips and preparations to make sure that your clothes don’t smell musty, sustain insect damage, get molded or mildewed, or get misshapen by below-par hangers. Don’t risk one of your biggest investments by leaving your wardrobe’s protection up to chance. Follow these steps to ensure their safe storage.

1) Most people will notice a musty smell on their clothes if they sit in storage for too long. This smell is actually mold growing on the clothes. Fabrics can absorb moisture from the air. When we seal them up, the moisture can grow into mold and mildew. To sidestep this problem, you should store your clothes with cedar hangers or cedar accessories. Cedar absorbs moisture and keeps clothes smelling fresh. You can use dryer sheets for freshness. Just make sure that they don’t actually touch your clothes because they can leave a waxy deposit.

2) Insect damage to clothing is more common than you might think. Most people associate moth damage with old closet full of wool clothing. However, there are many fabrics that moths can eat. It is actually your body oil that they are attracted to. If you wear a suit, sweater, dress or coat and then hang it back on the hanger, moths will be attracted to the smell. They will lay their eggs there and disappear. So, even though you may not see any moths, the larvae will be there, feeding on your clothes. Cedar helps repel moths. Having clothing cleaned before you put it back in the closet is a good idea too.

3) Many people use those old wire hangers because it’s what they got at the cleaners, or they’re trying to save space and money. However, those old hangers have edges and points that snag and tear clothes. They get all crossed up on the bar and even bend to let your heavier items end up on the floor. They also cause the shoulders of your coats and suits to lose their shape and look shabby. Investing in some nicer clothes hangers will save you money in the long run. A nice wood hanger or coat hanger will help your clothes to keep their shape. They will also help your clothes to stay slightly separated on the bar so that they don’t get wrinkled or crossed up. Sturdy clothes hangers also make your closet look spectacular. You can save space by using suit hangers or other specialty clothes hangers that allow you to hang more than one item on each hanger.

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com.

Home Organization Closets

Anytime you’re looking to organize your home, the closet is a great place to start. There are a lot of options when it comes to closet organization. Depending on the space that you have and your budget, you could make great use of hooks, shelves, drawers, additional hanging bars, and cabinets. Additionally, you can create extra space or spruce up the look of your closet by investing a little in high quality hangers.

You may be surprised about what all you can do with your space, even if it is small. Closets can get crammed full and make you feel like the space is inadequate. However, if you take a few steps towards getting the junk cleared and installing some helpful additions, your closet could become a space that you are thankful to have.

Closet organization specialists strive to make the most of the available space. Vertical space is often ignored or wasted in traditional closets. You will need to empty your closet to assess the area and decide which closet arrangement will work best for you.

First you need to remove clutter and go through storage boxes. We usually need our closets to store our out of season clothing, but end up using them to store everything from tax paperwork to extra light bulbs. By clearing everything out, you’ll be able to determine just what you want to keep in the closet and what you can afford to get rid of. Finding new spaces for these extra items can be challenging, but don’t worry.

You can store out of season clothing elsewhere if you really don’t have anywhere else to keep your extra household supplies. Most people utilize the space underneath the bed to store their extra clothes. You can buy shallow, yet large, containers that fit this space perfectly. You can use bed risers to make even more hidden space in your bedroom. Other options include rolling garment racks or armoires to store extra clothing.

To utilize wasted space, consider adding another shelf up high in the closet for rarely used items. If you move your shelves upward, you might make room for an extra hanging bar. Extra bars or shelves can be installed on either side of the closet as well. Moving the bars back closer to the back wall can reveal hidden space at the front of the closet.

When you get the arrangement that you want, be selective about what you put back in. Give as much as possible to charity. If you still need to save space, invest in hangers that help you to do so. Slim or flat hangers work great. Other specialty hangers will give you special places to keep ties, belts, skirts, and lingerie. Your clothes hangers may be your greatest closet investment. A nice wood hanger makes your closet look sophisticated while adding style and longevity to your investment. Remember to use a coat hanger for your coats and suits so that they don’t get misshapen at the shoulders.

When your closet is updated to accommodate the things that you use most, you’ll be on your way to a more organized and efficient home.

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com.

Home Improvement Closet Tips

If you are thinking of remodeling a closet, building a closet, or simply making better use of your space, then you will probably run into some questions. The most common question that we get is, “How do I make the most of this small space?”

This is a big one! Everyone wants to know how to use their space efficiently without having to start from scratch. There are a lot of things you can do. One is to design a closet system that accommodates the types of items that you want to keep in your closet. This can be a very personalized design. For example, if you are a crafter, then you may need bins and shallow drawers that other people wouldn’t have a use for. If you have a lot of sports equipment, you may need a specialized rack to hold hockey sticks, bats, or helmets.

You can go with an easy to install wire shelving system or build a system yourself. Figure out a budget and go from there. You may want to sell a lot of the items that you have stored to make money for a better closet system. You can hire a professional or use these tips to do it yourself.

Make use of vertical space. Remember that most people waste yards of square footage simply because they don’t think to consider vertical space. People also don’t use the full depth of their closets. That top shelf could be moved up, and it could also extend on the sides out to the front of the closet. Shelves can be built down both sides, creating loads of storage without spending much money at all.

Another thing that people don’t think about when proclaiming that their closet is too small is how they use their hangers. Hangers are often overlooked and can present a huge closet problem. Your clothes hangers can make or break your storage space. Hangers can cross up on the bar, make your clothes end up on the floor, take up too much valuable space, or actually damage your clothing.

Choose clothes hangers based on the types of clothes that you have and the space that you have to put them in. A wood hanger is a great option for clothes that need to keep their shape and stay wrinkle free. Make sure that the wood hanger you choose is curved to match the shape of your coats and suits. Notches, pants bars, and non-staining hooks are things to look for when shopping for a coat hanger that will not disappoint.

For your regular, everyday clothes, you may not need a wood hanger if you need to save on space. Velvet hangers that are flat can save space. Metal hangers, not wire hangers, are sturdy, flat, and have a sophisticated look that matches a contemporary décor. Your clothes hangers can be purchased with specific garments in mind to cascade and pair up items that would normally take up a lot of room. Get your closet in order with these simple tips and you could avoid a major closet overhaul.

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com.

DIY Closet Tips

Do you approach your walk-in closet knowing that it will be impossible to walk in? Is everything so crammed in that you genuinely worry for your own safety as you open the door? You can make space in your closet without spending a lot of money or time. Use these quick tips to save time, money and create space where you didn’t have it before.

1) First, decide what you no longer want to store in your closet and make a space for it elsewhere. Sports equipment can go in a garage or spare room. Sporting equipment storage bins are helpful for organizing a lot of equipment. Large duffel bags work well for keeping pads, shoes and gear for each family member separate. Projects like scrapbooking, knitting, paints and photo equipment can be placed in bins to keep them separate from your clothing and shoes.

2) Now you are ready to dig in. Set up boxes or make space for organization piles. Separate trash, things that can go into storage elsewhere, things that can go to family, friends or charity, and things that will remain in the closet. Simply pull everything out and throw it into a pile or box.

3) Clean the shelves and floor of your closet. It may not be completely empty again for a long time! Throw away all of the trash and store things that won’t go back into your closet. Assess the storage situation by separating everything that will stay in the closet into piles. If you have a lot of shoes, you may consider a shoe rack, whichever kind fits best in your closet. Ties can go on a specialty tie hanger. Hats and purses can be stored on shelves or hooks. An over the door shoe rack with shoe inserts as hangers makes a great place for storing baseball caps where you can see them.

4) When you are ready to hang your clothes, consider each piece of clothing. Do you really need to keep it? Does it still fit? Have you worn it in the last year or two? Is it out of date? Most people can get rid of almost half of their clothes, create a lot of space and never miss a thing. If you have a lot or share a closet with someone, then you may need to create storage for out of season clothing. If you still don’t have a lot of space, you may want to use specialty hangers that allow you to cascade outfits, skirts, shorts and shirts, hanging up to five items on each hanger.

5) Arrange your clothing from short to long or separate work clothes from casual clothes. Hang your coats on wooden coat hangers so that they keep their shape and don’t fall to the floor. You can make more space using specialty hangers than you ever imagined!

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com .

Coat Closet Tips

Coat closets usually hold a lot of storage items alongside items that you use every day. The unusual array of stuff can lead to disorganization and clutter. Many people do not know where to start when organizing a coat closet. It may seem like an insurmountable task when everything is packed in so tight that you cannot imagine making space in there.

First you should make a list of things that you do not like about the closet. For example, there may be a mountain of boots and shoes. It can be nearly impossible to find two of a kind without digging through and pulling everything out. Do you use your coat closet for wet snow boots? That can lead to mildew and a smell that is hard to get out of your coats. Maybe you have some plastic drawers that make it hard to tell what is stored in there and why it needs to be in the coat closet at all.

Many people have lots of coats that take up a lot of space. If you have nine foot ceilings, you have plenty of space for two levels of coats. You may want to invest a little in a hanger retriever, which helps you retrieve hangers from the top bar. They are very inexpensive and easy to use. This one trick can help you double your closet space.

If you have a lot of shorter coats or blazers, or a lot of children’s coats, you can get away with putting two bars in a closet with an eight foot ceiling. If you do not have a lot of coats and could use more storage for shoes, purses, scarves and blankets, you may be able to put a bar on each side of the closet. Then you will have lots of free space for installing shelves, drawers and cubbies on the back wall. Hooks are useful for tote bags and other items that you don’t want to pile up on the floor.

If you feel like you need to use drawers, try clear acrylic drawers so that you can easily see what is inside. Bins and baskets can help keep things organized with like items. If you need to store large bulky items, such as quilts or blankets, consider vacuum storage bags. Sucking the air out of these bags makes a big blanket take up a tiny space. Plus, you can still see what is inside.

To keep odors, moisture and mildew at bay, use cedar coat hangers in your coat closet. Getting organized will make your day and life run much smoother.

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com .