Getting Help with Housekeeping

When your home runs smoothly, you run smoothly. However, most people are not very good at keeping up with their housework. With today’s busy lifestyles and schedules, it can be almost impossible to keep up. Throw in a family that doesn’t help out, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for disaster! Keeping up with everything really should be a group effort, and you deserve a little help. If motivating your family to clean is like motivating an elephant to jump in the air and spin around, then you need help. Use these tricks on your family and see which ones work for you.

1) Lead by example. You may be thinking, “Yeah, right, like that’ll work” but just wait. Simply cleaning in front of everyone all day may not move them off the couch. However, if you go into your teenage daughter’s room and start going through things, you’d better bet she’ll be in there with a swiftness! Hand her something to put away and innocently ask, “Where do you want to put this?” By asking and putting it directly into her hands, you are passing on the power. Instead of being defensive, she should answer you and put it there herself. Immediately follow up with the next item and then make a statement like, “If we can finish this in time, we can go rent a movie tonight.” Just give her a little something to think about without ever saying “You are going to clean your room.”

2) Delegating is a parent’s best friend. If you have some less than helpful family members in the house, you will have to tell them specifically what to do to make anything happen. Let them know that if they complain, you will give them another thing to do. This usually gets them in the habit of complying the first time every time!

3) Point out how fun it is to have everything clean. Make suggestions like, “If you could help me do this one thing for five minutes each day, then we could have more time to go out and do something fun.” Don’t make generalized final statements, like “I do everything around here and you never do anything!” This will only start trouble and defensive action. Make your non-motivated family member feel appreciated for the little thing that they did do. “Oh, you just don’t know how much help that was when you took out the trash. I think I’ll make you your favorite dessert tonight.”

4) Planning ahead will save you the most time. Make a set schedule. Make a fifteen minute block for everyone to get something done. If you put the time limit there, it won’t seem so bad. Reward whoever gets the most done in their fifteen minutes! Have them run a load of laundry and hang clean clothes on clothes hangers. Provide an easy to handle wood hanger or coat hanger for larger items. Hanging things on hangers is a lot easier than folding, so you are more likely to get some help in that department.

Keep at it and eventually you’ll have a family that likes to help you out!

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.

Clutter Management

If you’re not careful, clutter can take over your life. Taking control of your clutter will give you a sense of pride, independence, and relief. It can seem like a daunting task. There are a few ways to make it easier while making it more of a lasting adjustment. Getting things all cleaned up will only last for so long if you don’t make it easy to manage in the future. Clutter control starts with a plan. You have to plan for the future so that your efforts are rewarded with constant organization afterward. You don’t want to get completely done cleaning fifteen things in your house only to find out that the first thing you cleaned is already disorganized and cluttered once again. Follow these steps to getting your home clutter free and keeping it that way.

Concentrate on being efficient. With every task, ask yourself, “What is the fastest way to get this done correctly?” For a bedroom, it could be that you should make the bed, pick up dirty laundry, put away clean clothes, remove trash, organize junk, and then vacuum and dust. If you start with organizing your bedside table, then the giant mess will be looming over you the whole time, draining your mental energy, and making it less likely that you will finish the job. Getting the big and easy things out of the way first will motivate you to keep going.

When everything is pretty straight, evaluate what you have. What are the key problems with the areas that get the messiest? Does the laundry go all over your room instead of in the hamper? What’s the easiest way to solve this one problem? Make your solutions as simple as possible so that you are more likely to follow through.

It may seem silly, but having a hamper with a lid will deter most people from putting their dirty laundry inside. If the hamper is in the closet, you’re more likely to leave the clothes in a pile outside of the closet, just to avoid opening the door every time. Replace the closed or hidden hamper with an open one or a laundry basket. Put it where you can easily throw clothes into it from where ever you normally get dressed. Make sure that you have another laundry basket to replace it when it’s being used to bring laundry to the washer and dryer, or to bring clean clothes back into the bedroom. You want a laundry basket or hamper there at all times.

Make sure that you have a place for all of your clothing, preferably in your closet. Try to make putting laundry away a “one stop shop”. Use the right hangers for the different types of clothes that you have and it’ll keep your closet and your clothes looking neat. Choose clothes hangers that serve the purpose that you need them for. For example, a coat hanger or wood hanger is best for heavy coats and suits. A cascading hanger can let you hang multiple pairs of pants on one hanger, saving you space in your closet.

Use these same techniques of concentrating on your habits and making the solutions more efficient throughout your home. Your clutter will shrink and your messes will be more easily managed. Remember that if it changes your routine too much, you are less likely to follow through. Having a place for everything and making that place easily accessible will help you control clutter in your 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.

Getting Organized and Staying that Way

Everyone has to take the time to get organized once in a while. When your closets and living areas overflow with junk, it’s time to take control. Using these professional tips, you can get your most bothersome areas organized and keep them that way!

First you need to identify areas that are the most trouble. Most people have a “pile it on” spot, like the kitchen counter, an end table, or the bathroom counter. Sometimes we clean in a hurry, throwing everything into a laundry basket, bag or box, and then never get around to sorting it out. Places like these make our homes feel cluttered and disorganized. Tackle projects one at a time and come up with logical solutions to the problems.

A clean counter is very alluring to someone looking to set something down. Identify what type of items are constantly being put there so that you can provide a space for them. If it’s papers from work, try a wall file. If it’s keys, wallet and pocket knife, place a small basket there, or hang a shelf with hooks. It helps if you arrange your organizational products in the area where your family is used to putting things. We are, after all, creatures of habit. If you normally come home and drop everything in the kitchen, putting an organizational set of baskets, shelves and hooks in the living room will only work for so long.

Use this same principal for controlling other things, like laundry. If your child’s laundry basket is in their closet, but they always leave their clothes at the foot of the bed, then you need to move the basket to the foot of the bed. You can slowly move the basket closer to the wall, and even back into the closet after they get the hang of using it all the time. Getting them to have some successes in the beginning is the key to making it a habit for them.

When you get around to the biggest job, the closet, be ready to make a real plan. Don’t just go out and buy a bunch of baskets and bins without planning for the space that you have available. Sort out and separate everything that you have in your closet. Get rid of what you can, and then plan on which containers will work best for you.

Arrange things according to how often they are used. The things that you need the most often need to be easily accessible. If they’re not, you’ll end up keeping them in a more convenient spot, eventually. You want to make it easy to keep things where they go. Get some high quality clothes hangers, like a good wood hanger or coat hanger for your dress clothes. You may decide to go with some space saving hangers or specialty hangers to help improve the organization of the space. Home organization is an ongoing process, so don’t get discouraged if it takes a few tries to get it right.

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.

Lifestyle Changes for an Organized Home

Keeping your home organized can seem like an insurmountable task. Most people acquire junk piles all over the house, all while feeling like they didn’t do anything to make it happen. There are a few ways to get your home organized, but keeping it that way is the trick. Use these simple organization tips and hints on how to keep the home organized to get control of your life.

Create drawer organization systems that work for what you need. Do you have a junk drawer in your dresser or kitchen? Most people do. Quick clean-up jobs can quickly turn your pot holder and dish towel drawer into a place for anything and everything. Reclaim it by using small boxes or drawer organizer that only allows you to put what goes in the drawer in there. Try to get rid of the junk that ends up in the junk drawer. If you notice that some things really do need a place to go, then make sure that they have a place. Otherwise, they’ll constantly end up being raked into a drawer last minute.

Use wall space to organize your computer desk. Desks are notoriously messy, holding everything from your lunch dishes to your cough lozenges. Utilize the wall space around you and make a place for all of these little things. There’s more to working at a desk than pencils, books and paper. You will probably notice that certain things always end up on your desk. Make spaces for the things that you use while you’re working. You may need space for toothpicks, lip balm, your cell phone, or your fingernail file.

Getting the kids’ rooms organized is another big problem. You can spend hours in there rearranging and organizing toys, only to see it destroyed again an hour later. You may have to put this one in your children’s hands. It can be nearly impossible to keep things straight, so you need a plan. Offer rewards for cleaning. Add five minutes of picking things up and putting them away to your child’s bedtime routine. Tell them that five minutes can earn them fifteen minutes of video game time. If you notice that they did a really good job, give them a double reward, like thirty minutes of extra time. This can be extremely motivating, much more so than threatening to take away privileges if they don’t clean up.

Getting your laundry under control can save you from many days of battling the laundry mountain. Most families can make a load of laundry every day, even if it might be a small load. Make it part of your daily routine to spend a few minutes loading and unloading the wash. Getting your closets in order can help you to keep up with the laundry without wearing yourself out.

It may help to install a hanging bar near the washer and dryer. You can take clothes straight from the dryer and put them directly on hangers. You can use a wood hanger, like a coat hanger, for hanging heavier objects, or clothing that needs to be hang dried. Take the clothes hangers to the closets in one trip every day or two.

Getting your home in order and adjusting your lifestyle can help you stay organized forever!

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.

Gain Control with Home Organization

Keeping your home in order can be like a full-time job. However, you can get it done over time by spending only a few minutes each day organizing and cleaning. Set goals for yourself and schedule out times that you will spend tackling one project at a time. Following this strategy can help you to seamlessly transition from a cluttered messy house to an organized, manageable home.

Scheduling things helps you to gain control, mentally and physically, of the tasks that need completing. If you constantly feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of things that must be accomplished, then this system will help you. You should only have to worry about the very next thing on your list, not a house full of chores that you never seem to have time to tackle. The mental load is lifted and things seem much more manageable.

Start by figuring out what you really have to do daily. This is usually something like laundry and dishes. You have to eat, and you have to have clothes to wear. So, put these down as your first priority. You may also want to add in other things that need to be done around your home, like get the kids’ backpacks ready for school, fix lunches, or other things that occur daily. Set certain times to do these things each day.

Example: Fold clothes and put them away at 7:45AM. Move wet clothes to the dryer and start the next load washing. Leave for work, 8:00AM.

Scheduling in this way will help you realize how little time it actually takes to accomplish the task. Don’t worry about the laundry mountain that you haven’t conquered yet, do the one load that you have scheduled and move on. You can schedule another fifteen minutes before bed if you feel behind. Don’t try to do it all at once, or you’ll get exhausted and feel pressured to finish. If you’re really motivated, go ahead. But, it will eventually get caught up and your daily routine will get easier and easier to manage.

The next thing to put on your list is your long-term goals. Is there an area of your home that just constantly gets cluttered? You may want to put it as a top priority. People usually have a flat surface, like a table, desk or countertop that just constantly piles up. Papers, mail, magazines, school work, keys, cell phones, wallets, and more can be piled in one place daily by your family. Come up with an organization system for these things so that they have somewhere specific to go.

Further down your list will come monthly chores. Organizing your closet is a great thing to put here. The first time you do it, you will probably want to schedule a full hour. Then, schedule a quick five to ten minute straighten-up session once a month after that.

Start by getting some good clothes hangers, like a wood hanger or coat hanger that is sturdy enough to hold your heaviest clothes. Specialty hangers can help you save space and keep the closet more organized. Buckets and bins can be used for smaller items, and don’t forget to use the space on the back of the closet door. Making a place for everything will make your monthly organization task simple.

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 Organize in a Jiffy

Getting your home organized can be a quick and easy process if you follow these simple steps. Learn how to take care of problem areas, get an easy to follow system going, and keep your home organized. People that are notoriously organized usually do a little bit at a time on a regular basis.

1) Set an easy goal. Give yourself five or ten minutes to work on a problem area and see how much you can get done. Start with five minutes on the kitchen counter, then the entrance to your house, the bathroom counters, and your table tops. Next, move on to making the beds, doing one load of laundry, straightening your living room, and so on. You’ll be surprised how much you can get done in five minutes and what a difference it will make in your home and in your view of housekeeping.

2) As you go, plan on getting rid of excess junk. Carry a bag with you around the house and throw away whatever you can for ten minutes. If you do this once a week, your home will stay less cluttered and the things that you need to keep will be easier to keep up with.

3) Go to problem areas and organize them one at a time. One day you can tackle your computer desk. The next day, go for the entertainment center. Work your way around the house spending just a few minutes in each area. Designate a time or a spot each day that you will get organized. Go ahead and spend more time if you’re motivated. Otherwise, set a timer and only do the designated item for that set amount of time.

4) As you go, you’ll determine what areas are problems and ways to figure them out. You may decide to make a monthly or daily schedule for yourself so that you can keep up with the things that need to be done regularly without getting that overwhelming feeling that everything needs to be done.

5) Getting the daily tasks in order will help you stay on top of things. Laundry is a big one. If you can wash, dry, fold and put away one load of laundry each night as part of your bedtime routine, it will seem easy and like less of a hassle than normal. If you dread this job, time it and see how long it actually takes. Most people can fold a load of laundry in five to ten minutes. When you see how quickly it can be done, it seems like less of a chore.

6) Getting your closets organized will make the task of putting laundry away a lot easier. You can even use a hanging bar and hangers in the laundry area for drying and hanging clothes as they come out of the dryer. Use some sturdy clothes hangers, like a good wood hanger or coat hanger, for drying items that may be heavy as they come out. Getting your house in order will get easier and easier as you follow your schedule.

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 Organization Ideas

Many people realize that their closet isn’t working when it gets overcrowded and disorganized. Closets that make insufficient use of space can be frustrating and overwhelming. Use these ideas to get your closet under control and your home back in order.

1) Lots of people are turning away from bulky, expensive furniture for clothes storage and vamping up their closets instead. Storing everything in drawers can cause them to become wrinkled. You have to cram things in once the drawer is full. Then, you have to rummage through, unfolding and wrinkling items in order to find what you’re looking for. Having everything out in front of you in a closet is a great way to make managing your wardrobe more efficient and effective.

2) Take a look at how you do things. Do you fold your t-shirts? Hang only button-down shirts and sweaters? Do you keep your socks in your closet? Your personal needs should be considered before you design a closet system. Using shelves is one way to make room for winter and summer clothes, so that you don’t have to switch out wardrobes when the seasons change. This can significantly cut down on the labor and storage space that it takes to swap out clothing every few months.

3) Here’s an example of a closet that holds winter and summer clothes. Start with two hanging bars on one side. This will be where all of your pants, long sleeved shirts, dresses, suits, and coats will go. On the other side of the closet, you can install all shelves. Fold and stack all of your t-shirts on one shelf. If you share a closet with someone, divide the shelf so that it can keep your shirts separate. Now, use the next shelf for shorts and sportswear. Use baskets and bins for socks, underwear, swimwear, gloves, hats, or whatever else you have that needs to be separated.

4) Continue organizing by making space for all of the little things that you keep in your closet. Use hooks for things like robes, baseball caps, and purses. Use specialty hangers for scarves, belts, ties, and skirts. Your clothes hangers can make a big difference in how much you are able to keep in your closet. A sturdy wood hanger or coat hanger should be used for heavier coats and suits. However, you can use hangers that save more space, like cascading hangers or slim hangers. With the right arrangement and the right closet accessories, you can have the organized space that you dream of!

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.

Instant Closet Storage

Creating closet storage is a great way to get your home organized and even add selling value to your home. Most people have things stored that they haven’t used or even looked at in years. Decluttering is the first step to organizing your closet and creating extra space for the things that you actually need to store.

Take an objective look at your closet contents and start to analyze what you actually need. Empty the closet and categorize each group of items. You can use your bed or floor to make space for the organization project. Make one group of things items that you know you need and use. You may have a lot of stuff that you know you want to keep but you realize that it is taking up too much room. Separate these things into another pile and set it aside for later.

When you’re going through your clothes and shoes, get rid of ones that you haven’t worn in a year. Shoes may be hard to get rid of, but go ahead and ditch them if they are scuffed, too tight, are out of style, or you just never seem to wear them. Clothing can go out of style so quickly that you may have lots of usable clothes that you are never in the mood to wear.

Do a little research and find a consignment shop or resale shop in your area that may want to buy these usable items from you. You may be able to sell large lots of clothes or name brand items online. Anything that doesn’t sell can be given away or donated to a charity. You may even decide to have a garage sale and use the money to update your closet storage.

You can now take a look at the pile of things that you have been storing that may not belong in the closet. Old paperwork, statements, photo albums, and sports equipment can be kept elsewhere. Go through those old boxes and be selective about what you keep. You may want to invest in a bookshelf for books, files, and photos. Other things can be kept in the attic, garage, or basement, freeing up lots of storage space in your closet.

The next step is to develop a closet system that accommodates what you have left. Consider little space saving options that will actually give you more room than you need. For example, if you move your hanging bar up, you may have room for a double shoe rack underneath, instead of a single one, doubling your shoe storage. You can install wire shelving that allows you to hang clothing from anywhere. You can double up your hanging space and shelf space by using a simple closet system that utilizes vertical space and the depth of your closet.

Update the closet with hooks for robes, purses, and tote bags. Install a hat rack, use scarf, belt, and tie hangers. Make a place for everything. You can even use clothes hangers that save space by allowing you to hang multiple items on each hanger. Use a nice wood hanger or coat hanger for nicer clothes that need to keep their shape at the shoulders. When your closet is organized and has more usable storage space, you can store your out of season clothing with ease, making it easier to stay organized once you get that way.

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 Make Room for Christmas

It’s that time of year again. We love giving gifts to all of our family and friends. But, it’s also fun to receive! We, as Americans, receive a lot more gifts at Christmas than most people do year round. But, there’s one problem. Clutter! Most of the time, we bring in a lot of new clothes, toys, purses, electronics, etc. and don’t have anywhere to put the new stuff. Follow this guide to help you find places for all of your new belongings without cluttering up your house!

1) Prepare for the season by cleaning out your closets. Check to see what you haven’t worn since last Christmas. Some things you may like and hang on to, even though you don’t ever wear them. This is a great time of year to show some Christmas spirit and give clothing to those in need. Take the opportunity to teach your children about charity and encourage them to get rid of some clothes and shoes, too.

2) Clear out old toys. This is a great time to clean up the kids’ rooms too. Children need to learn that it is as good to give as it is to receive. Have them select toys that they have outgrown to donate to charity. Teachers love getting little toys, like cars, kid’s meal toys, and other little things that they can give to the kids as rewards for good behavior. Divide up toys that have parts into different sections of the room. As you go through all of the toy boxes, make sure that you have enough of each thing to keep it. If something is broken or missing too many pieces to be fun anymore, get rid of it.

3) Get a storage system in place that is functional for you and your family. If you still have some summer clothes in your closets and dressers, box them up and put them into storage. You can invest in some containers that seal or some bags that you can vacuum down to a small size for storage if you like. There is usually space underneath the beds for storing out of season clothing. If not, consider a rolling garment rack for storing your clothes. Zip up the cover and you’re done. The clothes won’t get wrinkled or musty if you use cedar hangers.

4) Go through the house and get rid of those little heaps of junk that don’t have a place to go. If you consolidate, you can usually make a space in a bucket, bin, or file for all of that little junk. If things that you use everyday are robbing you of counter or desk space, then invest a little in an organization system that works. Use a charging station by the front door or on the kitchen counter so that keys, wallets, phones, cameras, battery chargers, and spare change have a good place to go.

5) Coats and winter wear can quickly create problem areas in your home if you’re not ready. Fix up your coat closet so that everything has a place to go. Your hangers are important here. Regular clothes hangers are great for light jackets, but a coat hanger or wood hanger is necessary for heavier items.

When your home is in order, you’ll be ready for Christmas!

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.

Cleaning Tips for the Master Bedroom

When it comes to home improvement or housework, organizing is the biggest challenge for most people. The master bedroom is a good place to start if you are considering getting your home in order. This is because it often becomes a catch-all for things that don’t have anywhere to go. Out of season clothes get stored here, books that don’t have shelves, even electronics, mail, and magazines seem to find a cozy home in the master bedroom at times.

The bedroom becomes a problem if we don’t make a point of keeping it in order. Most people only go into the master bedroom to sleep or put away laundry. We don’t spend the waking hours in there that we do in the living room, office or kitchen, so the master bedroom often gets neglected because we don’t have to look at it.

A good place to start is storage. You need to find room for all of those out of season clothes, magazines, mementos, books, and craft supplies. It is perfectly fine to keep all of these things in the bedroom, but you need to acknowledge that you are going to keep them here, and make a space for them.

You will need shelves for books. Get shelves deep enough that you can also use them for storing random small items. Bins and baskets can be put on the shelves and hold all of those little extras, like mementos, batteries, your video camera, and other little things that keep ending up in your bedroom.

A desk is great to have in the master bedroom. You can keep mail and other important papers private by keeping them in the bedroom instead of out in an office area that is more public. Your desk can also be used for craft supplies, a sewing machine, or an extra computer. If you have a lot of stuff to store, consider adding some cabinets around the desk area. Many people are able to utilize a corner unit and store a lot of stuff in a small, usable area.

The last thing to organize in your bedroom is the closet. Clothes hangers should match so that they hang straight. This will keep your clothes from becoming wrinkled and save you from having to re-iron them later. Hangers should be made to fit the clothes that you’re hanging on them. For example, a coat hanger is curved to help wool coats and suits hold their shape. A wood hanger is not only beautiful, but sturdy and smooth enough to use on a lot of different types of clothes.

Add shelving and a space for a laundry basket to the closet by getting shoes onto a shoe rack, luggage stored up high, and blankets stored in vacuum sealed bags. With just a few touches, you can have your closet and your entire master bedroom organized and easy to keep that way.

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 for the Holidays

Getting your home ready for the holidays can help you to relax and enjoy the season. Many people have unfinished projects, areas of the house that have become unruly, and simple repairs that just have been put off. Set aside some time to get things in order and you’ll enjoy having company over without worrying about explaining the mess or being pressed for time.

The first thing to do is to make a list. What things in your house are getting on your nerves? Is it the big coat pile that keeps accumulating on your living room chair? The half painted bathroom? The pile of mail and junk that seems to take over your end table? Identifying areas of concern will help you to prioritize the things that need to be finished or organized.

When you have your list, get a shopping list together. What has been holding you back from painting? You may need a new paintbrush, a drop cloth, or a paint tray liner to finish the job. Whatever it is, put it on your list and get the things that you need to finish. Put them out in the room that needs to be worked on and schedule a time to complete the task.

Another thing that may be on your list is your closet. Many people find it hard to make it places on time because they’re closets are so junked up. It’s nearly impossible to find what you want to wear unless the closet is neat and orderly. You can quickly update your closets and the laundry situation that you may be experiencing will be so much easier to handle.

Get some nice clothes hangers. Your hangers could be to blame for everything hanging unevenly, clothes ending up on the floor, or garments coming out all wrinkled and unwearable. Choose some space saving hangers that keep your clothes from getting wrinkled while optimizing your space. Cascading or tiered hangers are great for hanging like things together, or preassembling outfits to speed up the time it takes you to get ready.

A nice wood hanger or coat hanger is great for your coat closets. Guests and family can hang their coats when they come in, eliminating the coat pile that most homes end up getting. Hanging a bar right by the front door makes a usable space that is separate from the coat closet. This makes more room for the coats that you simply need to store. Using a wood hanger or coat hanger on the bar by the door will keep your entryway looking nice and organized.

Tackle little piles of junk by identifying what keeps ending up in them. You need a special, easy-access place where mail goes when it comes in. Mail, magazines, newspapers, the kids’ art, phones, keys, wallets and change are the most common things that need a place to go. When everything has a place to go, it will make cleaning and organizing a snap this holiday season.

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.

Organized Utility Room

Having a utility room is a great thing, but it can easily get too cluttered to find what you need when you need it. Getting this core space of your home organized will help you stay on top of other tasks around the house. If things have a place to go when you’re cleaning, then it is a lot easier to keep everything in order. A utility room, big or small, is a great place to create storage for multiple types of items.

You can begin by organizing the space that you use most in your utility room. This is usually the laundry area. You need to create a system that works for you. A small counter space can be a big help. You can use it for folding clothes or as a shelf for your laundry basket. Having a space for temporarily storing things can help you keep the clutter down. Just make a point of clearing it when you’re done.

Laundry baskets are cheap and can help you get your family to keep things moving in the right direction. Buy two of each color, using a different color for each family member. They can put their dirty clothes in one that is kept in their own room. Then when they bring the dirty clothes into the laundry area, they can pick up their basket of clean clothes. When they put them away, they’ll have the empty basket for dirty clothes and you will have another empty basket for when the next load comes out.

Utilize as much vertical wall space as possible in your utility room. If everything is on the floor then you will quickly run out of room. Invest a little in wall organizers for things like sports equipment and cleaning tools. Install some deep shelves for storing out of season clothing in large plastic containers. Label what is in each container by writing what is inside on a piece of paper and placing it inside the container. Make sure that the sign is visible from the outside. This way, people won’t pull down a lot of containers digging for something inside, and then leave the container out in the floor.

Another good idea for a utility room is to create a second coat closet. Find space for a hanging rod and stock it with clothes hangers. Hang your winter coats and suits that you don’t wear very often. This will keep space clear in your regular closets. The hangers that you choose matter, too. A good coat hanger is a wood hanger. Choose one strong enough to hold heavy coats. This will help them keep their shape and keep them from ending up on the floor. Cedar hangers are a good idea for absorbing moisture that gets into the air while you are drying clothes.

Once your utility room is in order you will find it easier to keep the rest of the house clutter free.

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.

My Life Organized

Keeping organized can be very difficult if you lead a busy life. It requires that you have a little self-discipline. Keeping your life in order may not be as hard as it sounds if you follow a few basic tips.

You may find it helpful to create a homepage on your computer that displays your e-mail, your calendar, your deadlines, and your to do list. If you work at the computer, it is easy to add things to the list, delete as you go, and be reminded of what you have left to do every day as you work. You may also find it useful to have internet access from your phone. If you keep track of what needs to be done online, then you can access it from just about anywhere. No more losing little reminder notes!

Paying bills online can help you to keep your finances in order. Choose a bank that has online bill pay for free. Enter all of your debtors, utilities and payments. The bank’s system will show you the amount that you paid and on what date. If there is ever a question about whether or not you have paid something yet, you can just log in and see. You will never have checks out that might bounce, and you will never accidentally pay more than you have in the bank, because you won’t be able to.

It helps even more if you only pay your bills on certain dates. Ideally, you should set up the payment dates for all of your bills near the end of the month. Some companies will let you choose or change your due date if you ask. Pay all of your bills on the first of the month if possible. If you ever get behind on money, you’ll have time to make up the difference before any payments are actually late.

Once you have your schedule and your finances in order, you can work on your home environment. Clutter in the home can make organization impossible. Come up with a system that works for you. You don’t have to do it all at once. But, pay attention to what is piling up.

If you are slowly but surely accumulating a stack of mail, school work, magazines and newspapers on your kitchen table or counter, then you need to make a place for these things. A simple magazine rack, some baskets, or bins by the front door can save you lots of time and headache.

Another problem with home organization is keeping things that you use everyday where they belong. Make sure that your entryway is equipped for backpacks, shoes, coats, umbrellas, wallets, keys and cell phones. Whatever you and your family are coming in and shedding should have a specific place. Stock your coat closet with clothes hangers and use them! Don’t allow coats to gather up around the door or on a chair in the living room. A good coat hanger will generally be a wood hanger. Quality hangers are important because they keep coats from losing their shape or ending up on the floor.

Getting your schedule, finances and the entrance to your house organized should not take very long and should actually free up more time in your schedule.

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.

Be an Organized Mom

Working Moms have really tough schedules. Between working, shuttling kids around, keeping up with homework and a multitude of other tasks, there is little to no time for organization and cleaning. If you can’t stick to a good schedule, things can quickly get out of control.

Use these tips for keeping your home in running order, despite your schedule.

Pay your bills online. Most banks offer bill pay online. Call each of your debtors and service providers and ask about making your due dates late in the month. If they can do this, then you can pay all of your bills around the first of each month. Paying them all at once will free up the rest of the month not to worry about it. By paying them way before they’re due, you never have to worry about due dates. If you’re running low on money, you can always pay some bills later in the month, still without being late.

Prepare meals in advance. You can make a menu board that has entrees and sides that your family enjoys. Let a different family member select the meal that will be had each night of the week. Kids love feeling like they get to choose, but you are actually in control of what they can choose. Use the chart to do your grocery shopping and prepare as much in advance as possible before your work week starts. When you make too much of something, freeze the remainder and label it clearly with the date so that you can quickly prepare it the next time.

Make certain chores part of your nightly routine. Helping kids with homework, reading with them, getting them all bathed and in bed can take up a lot of your after-dinner time. Once you get this routine down, it is easy to add in just a couple of extra steps to keep things like cleaning and laundry from turning into huge jobs. Have kids wipe the counter top with an antibacterial wipe after they brush their teeth.

After the bath, gather up all of the towels and clothing from the day and wash them immediately. Once the kids are in the bed, you can relax, read or watch television. During this time, you can also fold the load of laundry from the day before. Toss the clean clothes in the dryer before you go to bed and they’ll be ready to fold the next day. You may think that doing a load every day is wasteful, but you can use a small load setting and save water, soap and power. Small loads help the job seem so simple that you won’t mind doing it.

The last thing you need to do to become a super organized Mom is to hang clothes by outfit. When all the clothes are clean, have your family choose which shirts they want to wear with which pants. Buy hangers that will allow you to hang shirts and pants together. When your family gets up in the morning, there will be no whining and searching, because what they want to wear will already be together and hung up. You can get nice wood hangers with clips for pants to avoid your clothes getting wrinkled.

When all of your clothes, bills, meals and laundry routines are in place, your home will seem like less of a job to tackle.

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: DIY Home Organization

Organizing a coat closet can be a real challenge. After all, there is a lot more to that closet than coats. Coat closets are usually near the front door, which means that they can quickly become a catch-all for everything from backpacks to sports equipment, keys and wallets to craft supplies. We often need more storage than our home has, so the coat closet becomes a convenient place to keep things that we want to keep close at hand. Use these tips to create spaces for everything that you want to keep in your coat closet.

The first rule for organizing any closet is to get rid of the junk. Throw out whatever you can. Make a stack of trash, important paperwork or artwork, things to give away and things to keep. With a coat closet that’s cluttered with everything, you may also want to pile up everything that needs to get out of the coat closet and be put away in other rooms.

Enlist help from the family. Kids and idle couch lurkers can be put to good use. Ask them to put away five things from the pile, take out the trash, file the paperwork or bag up things to give to charity. Before you know it, the piles will be disappearing from behind you.

Clean the closet well while it is empty. Use cedar coat hangers or cedar closet accessories to absorb moisture and odors. This is especially important in coat closets because wet boots, jackets, backpacks and umbrellas are often stored here. Moisture can lead to mold and mildew as well as foul odors if you don’t use cedar.

Now is the time to make some plans. Try to find room where you didn’t know you had it. When you hang a coat, how many inches from the back wall is it? Four inches? Eight inches? This is valuable storage space that can go unnoticed. Carefully remove the screws from the hanging bar and move it back. Coat hangers should almost touch the wall. Now you have a few extra inches in the front corners of the closet.

Most people can create enough space in the front to install 12” cubby hole shelving in the front two corners. These are very useful in a coat closet because you can put baskets, bins and containers in each cubby. Label the baskets so that everyone can quickly find what they need. Each family member can have a bin for their own gloves and scarves, wallet and keys, etc. You can build the cubby system as high as you would like. Hooks can be installed down the back side for purses, umbrellas, tote bags loaded with grab and go supplies, and hats.

Use sturdy coat hangers to finish it off. Your closet will have a place for everything and help you keep the rest of the house clutter free.

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 .

Getting Your Closet Organized Fast

Organizing your closet can be fun and fulfilling. Do it yourself instead of hiring a professional. You will get your closet just how you want it without spending much money or relying on someone else's judgment.

Make a plan for yourself and follow these rules:

1) Get rid of everything you possibly can.

2) Give clothing, shoes, purses, belts, ties and coats to a charity that accepts clothing donations. These items are often tax deductible.

3) Items that are in good enough condition can be sold to consignment shops or put out in a garage sale. If you have trouble selling or giving away clothes that mean something to you, go shopping for new items. Set a goal for how much money you need to make to replace the old items with new ones.

4) Commemorate heirlooms. Take photographs of important articles so that you can enjoy them after they are gone. If they are very important to you, then you should have them sealed in an acid free box so that they will last for generations to come. Otherwise, keep a scrap of fabric or just the photo.

5) Get rid of shoes, belts and purses. Many people keep shoes, belts and handbags for many, many years. These items may still be good, but they gave you a blister, or they don't match anything. Maybe they are just out of date. Give those items to a charity, or have a swap party. Friends can get together and bring all of their gently used purses, belts, hats and shoes. Use dice to determine who goes first and take turns swapping items. When everyone has what they want, you can donate the rest to charity.

6) Sometimes we just want to keep those cute clothes that no longer fit. If it is possible for you to get back into them, keep them. Just store them outside of your every day closet. Large containers can be labeled with signs that dictate the size or weight you need to be to get into them. You do not have to get rid of them if you get them out of the way for a while. Then it will be so exciting when you are able to take down that box and swap out the wardrobes.

Update your closet with some high quality wood hangers to complete the task of organizing your closet. It will give you great joy to see your closet spacious, neat and uncluttered. Getting organized does not take long and it is well worth the effort.

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.

Closet Storage Solutions

Organizing everything in your closet can seem like an insurmountable task. With a few closet ideas and closet accessories, you can have a nice neat closet. When everything has a place, it is more likely to stay in that place.

First, categorize all of the different things that your closet needs to hold. Separate everything like shoes, belts, ties, socks, underwear, dress clothes, shorts, cuff links, t-shirts, pajamas, sweaters, coats and jewelry. If you do not have enough shelving in your closet, add it. There is often a space between the front of your hangers and the front wall. This is a great spot to add some cubby-hole shelving to hold all of those little things. See if your hanging bar or bars can be moved back any to create even more space.

Cubby-hole shelving toward the front of your closet can give you a lot of space. Baskets can be used to hold things that need to be stored like cameras, chargers and other electronics that have no place to go. Jewelry boxes can be kept out of sight to store cuff links and jewelry. Lock boxes can be stored up high to house things like guns, cash or collectibles that you want hidden and out of reach. Lattice accessory storage racks create a diamond pattern in a small cubby where ties or belts can be rolled and stored. Baskets or bins can hold socks, underwear or lingerie keeping it out of sight and eliminating the need for a lot of drawers.

Organize your hanging clothes by either length or use. You may want to keep work clothes separate from your casual clothes so that you can quickly choose what you want to wear. Wire hangers or mix-matched hangers often overlap, get bent or even damage clothing. Plastic ones can have sharp edges that snag and stretch clothing. Use wood hangers for best separation. Slim-line hangers are also great for keeping clothes slightly separated without overlapping.

Get bulky items like large winter coats out of your everyday closet and into a coat closet if possible. Extra bedrooms usually have a closet that can be used for storage if your home does not have a coat closet. Coats alone can take up more than half of the available space in your bedroom closet, so getting them out can create usable space. Dress coats can also be kept in better condition by getting them into a closet where they are not crammed together with other items.

Choose a good coat hanger for your heavy coats. Wood hangers are definitely preferable here. They are durable, do not snag and they help the shoulders of your coats keep their shape. Once all of the little things in your closet have a place to go, organization becomes easy. Enjoy your neatly organized closet without spending a bundle!

About the Author: Ron Maier is the Manager 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 .