Closet organizing professionals have to work within a budget and it’s not always a lot. Good ones will come up with something amazing despite your budget, by giving you tips on how to get organized and stay that way without spending much money. If you do have a budget, you may be better off choosing one or two major things and getting creative with the rest, instead of investing in an entire closet system.

Investing in a pricey closet system doesn’t always solve a lot of problems. It usually gives you a few more shelves and makes everything look nice, but it doesn’t necessarily give you a lot more space. In fact, having a bunch of shelves can sometimes take away the space that you did have by forcing you to separate things into tiny amounts. This can backfire by making you spread things out instead of truly getting them arranged more effectively.

My favorite method is to figure out what kind of space you need for each thing that you want to keep in your closet. Measure how much space you’ll need for t-shirts. Do they take up more space folded than they do hung? How much space do you need for socks? Some people need one little neat drawer while others might need a bigger bin. Personalizing everything about your closet is the key to really getting it organized in a way that will work with you and your habits.

After you get rid of what you don’t need and banish certain things from the closet, you still might be tight on space. If this is the case, you can make a few adjustments. Shelves are inexpensive. You can install a few shelves and use them to get sweaters, jeans, shorts, and other bulky items off of the hanging bar. Do you have too many suits and heavy coats in there taking up too much space? Consider moving them to another room or using a rolling garment rack.

When you’re down to what you really need in your closet for daily use, think about investing a little into some higher quality hangers. Some hanger fit flat together, which saves you a lot more space than you might have imagined. Cascading clothes hangers, specialty hangers, and hangers that adjust to your needs can help you to arrange your clothing in a way that works best for you. It doesn’t take a lot of money, but it might take a little trial and error. When you notice something not working, make an adjustment. Over time, you’ll figure out the best way to organize your personal closet.

About the Author: Jo 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.

It’s time to say goodbye to clutter and give yourself some room to breathe. You don’t have to get rid of everything that you own to create space. Sometimes you just have to be clever about how you store it. First, you should try to get rid of what you don’t need by categorizing the things that tend to get messy.

For example, I have a craft room that I used to be excited about. As time went on, I accumulated more and more junk. I kept buying little plastic drawers and containers thinking that I was organizing. What I was actually doing, was compounding the problem. I would get a new container, say, for my sewing supplies, but it didn’t hold everything. I would end up just putting my favorite things inside of it. Then when I needed a certain color button, I couldn’t for the life of me remember what I did with it. I noticed that I was surrounded by a million little containers that I now had to sift through.

Don’t go for the quick fix. Gather everything that you have in one category and decide if it needs to be broken down further. When you’re done making piles, you can physically see how much space you will need for each thing. Instead of spending $10 or $15 here and there every couple of months, do a little research and find out what type of desk or dresser would work best for what you own. My mother keeps so much stuff beside her bed that she swapped out her bedside table for a media cabinet. Now all of her medicines, manicure supplies, books, lights, jewelry, and pens are hidden away in an attractive piece of furniture, but she can still reach them all from her bed.

When organizing your home, use the same rules that you would organizing your closet. The things that you use most should be front, center, and easy to access. Everything else should be out of sight or even out of reach. In your closet, you can use specialty clothes hangers, like cascading hangers and accessory hangers to get a lot of little things out of your dresser and hidden away in the closet. This opens up your dresser drawers to becoming storage for other things around the house.

See what works best for your home and keep experimenting until you discover what storage systems work best for you.

About the Author: Jo 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.

1) Laundry is something that most families need to do every day, or at least every other day. I like to make a quick job of it by throwing clothes in the washing machine as part of my morning routine. When I get home from work, I move the load to the dryer. After dinner, the family divides the chores. The smaller kids straighten the living room by putting toys away and making sure that the couches and chairs are neat and clear of clutter. Bigger kids can do dishes and clear countertops. I take the freshly dry laundry. I hang, fold and put away the load. Really, this whole process only takes between 10-15 minutes.

2) On days when we don’t have a full load of laundry to do or we find a few more minutes available, we tackle a clutter area. The kids like to do this as a group and compete. We tend to accumulate clutter on our kitchen counters. I will gather the kids around and put each one in charge of a certain category of items. One will get mail, another trash, another pens and pencils, and the last one will get toys. If everyone runs to put everything away, then I can usually get the rest of the clutter cleared before they get back. We enjoy a reward of dessert or a small amount of money for everyone that helped.

3) Getting the family on board may be difficult at first, but if you do, it’ll pay off. Give lots of praise and rewards for those who don’t complain. If your kids respond to it, you can keep a chore chart or reward system for doing certain things. Scrubbing the toilet, sink and tub can be worth five stars while setting the table can be worth two stars. Set up prizes that can be earned by accumulating the most stars in a week.

4) Try to make things like bringing the dirty clothes to the laundry room part of your routine. Every morning after getting ready for work, I walk around and make sure that everyone’s clothes are in the laundry basket. I carry it downstairs with me, toss it in and continue getting ready for the day. It helps to time myself so that I realize how little time it actually takes. I can make my bed in 30 seconds. I can gather laundry and put it in to wash in under 2 minutes. I can fold pants and hang shirts on clothes hangers in under five minutes. Showing yourself how easy it really is will help you to get into a routine and have your house fairly clean all the time.

About the Author: Jo 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.

You can make cleaners for your entire house with just a few, cheap, effective and non-toxic ingredients. Distilled white vinegar is a must-have. Vinegar is slightly acidic, making it good at cutting through and dissolving dirt, grime and grease of all sorts. Vinegar is antibacterial and antifungal, so you can use it to disinfect just about anything. It’s gentle enough to get on your skin and even to drink. If you despise the scent of vinegar, as I do, don’t worry. As soon as vinegar is dry, the smell disappears. You can also add lemon juice to vinegar to make it more acidic, tougher on hard-to-clean surfaces, and nicer smelling.

Mix your vinegar with an equal amount of water in a spray bottle for everyday cleaning of countertops, tables, floors and other surfaces. For more heavy duty cleaning, like hard water stains and soap scum, use straight vinegar.

Baking soda is the next must-have for your homemade cleaner arsenal. Unlike acidic vinegar, baking soda has a neutral pH. It actually neutralizes odors by bringing everything back to a neutral state. It’s also wonderful for scrubbing. Mix it with a little water to form a paste and scrub away on your tile grout, cooked on food, and sinks.

Corn starch is another great product to use for cleaning glass. I personally switched to corn starch after the first time I saw it in action. It worked better than any glass cleaner I had ever used. I fill the sink about a quarter-way with warm or hot water. I add a quarter cup of cornstarch and stir. Then, dip in your washcloth and then wring it out. Wipe down glass and mirrors with the milky liquid. Next, before it’s completely dry, I rub with a dry cloth or paper towel. There are absolutely no streaks, not even a hint of a streak, and no spots.

About the Author: Jo 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.

1) Get rid of piles of clutter by creating areas specifically for certain things. When you bring the mail into the house, does it end up on your kitchen counter or table? Do your make-up, toothpaste, toothbrush and daily medication live on your bathroom counter? It’s time to make a specific place for these things to go. The trick is to make the space convenient and easy to access so that you and your family don’t revert back to throwing things on the counter again.

2) Take note of things that end up in the kitchen or bathroom because their normal storage area is too far away or too hard to access in a hurry. I noticed that I always paint my nails in the living room while watching TV and I leave the nail supplies on the end table. When I need to clear that area to make room for remotes, a snack or my drink, I would lazily move the nail supplies to the kitchen counter a foot away. Before I knew it, I had created a catch-all spot on my counter where everyone thought they could drop the stuff that they didn’t want to put away.

3) When you get the clutter cleared, take a look around at what you don’t use every day. Just because your parents might have kept their toaster, coffee pot and mixer out on the counter doesn’t mean that you need to. Try to make room for these items in a cabinet very near to where you would use them. This way, you’re more likely to actually put them where they belong when they’re not in use.

4) Try to disguise whatever you can’t find space for. Instead of leaving your hair dryer, brush and hairspray on the counter every day, consider putting a decorative basket on the counter and stashing these things inside of it. If your mixer is too big and heavy to store under the counter, consider using a cover to camouflage it. Making things look more uniform will automatically make a space look more organized.

About the Author: Jo 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.

1) When you pull everything out, you may want to wear gloves. Sometimes the sink, dishwasher, or garbage disposal may have leaked back there, causing mold, mildew and slime to form. Chemicals may have spilled and pest control products may have leaked. You don’t want to touch something that you normally wouldn’t.

2) If you do pull out something with chemicals or pesticides that has leaked or spilled, check the package to see the best way to clean it up. Cleaning chemicals can react to each other causing harmful fumes or gasses. Be careful what you mix and remember that safety comes first.

3) I like to pull everything out and give the cabinets a good conditioning treatment while the space is empty. Then, cover the bottom of the cabinet with shelf paper or some other waterproof liner. I love the new thick plastic liners on the market. They do not stick to the wood or cabinet finish, and they have grips that keep things from turning over so easily.

4) Separate your cleaners and supplies into categories that you can organize them by. I keep my dishwashing liquid and detergent on the right, near the dishwasher. I bought a pack of those wire baskets that are supposed to screw into the cabinet door, but I installed them inside the cabinet instead. I ended up installing 3 of them without drilling holes in my cabinet doors. The shallow one holds extra dish sponges and replacement bottles of hand soap for the kitchen sink. The medium depth one holds cleaners that I don’t use very often, such as cabinet polish, stainless steel cleaner, cook top cleaner, marble conditioner, garbage disposal cleaner, and grout cleaner. The third, deepest one is an easy place to cram dish rags without even folding them.

5) The last step is to use the space in the back and top of the cabinet, two spaces that are often misused. I used inexpensive, wire locker shelving to give this deep abyss of a space some more surface area. The shelf holds spray cleaners and other things that I need to grab quickly. Some people like to install a hanging bar at the top of the cabinet and hang their spray cleaners by the trigger. I feel like it obstructs my view of the back, so I skipped this step. In the very back, I store large things, like bleach and indoor/outdoor bug killer. In the front are only things that I use a lot, like trash bags, detergents and dish soap.

About the Author: Jo 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.

1) When you get your closet emptied out and gutted, you may want to paint it. Paints that are commonly used are filled with chemicals that can be damaging to our health. These chemicals are volatile and exist as a gas that is emitted from the walls. The chemicals that you want to avoid are referred to as volatile organic compounds, or “VOCs”. You should be able to find low VOC or VOC free paints at your local hardware store. Do your research before you go to determine which brands perform best. Some all natural paints still have high VOCs and some low VOC or VOC free paints can take a really long time to dry or they are not to be used in damp areas, like bathrooms and kitchens.

2) Consider taking up the flooring at this time. You will need to wear a good half-mask respirator to avoid risk of exposure to toxic chemical emissions and old dust. Then you can consider which type of flooring meets your needs and has the least impact on your air quality and the environment. Options include bamboo, natural fiber or recycled carpet, linoleum flooring (not vinyl), rubber flooring or cork flooring. All have their good points, it’s more about personal taste and how much you’ve budgeted for.

3) Now your focus is on green building materials. If possible, reuse products that are already built. Sometimes it can be cheaper and easier on the environment if you can install existing shelves and reuse dresser drawers to build your closet system. Salvaging fixtures, lumber, and hardware is cheaper and uses less energy than using recycled products. If you use new wood, look for the FSC stamp. This stamp is from the Forest Stewardship Council and certifies that the wood comes from well managed forests and if it is particle board, ensures that no formaldehyde binders were used in processing. Another option is to use sustainable resource materials, like bamboo. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on Earth and supports economies all over the world.

4) When you’re finished, outfit your closet with eco-friendly hangers, like bamboo hangers or clothes hangers made of recycled materials. With a tensile strength similar to steel, bamboo makes a nice and sturdy wood hanger that is strong enough to be used as a coat hanger, supporting tremendous weight, while adding style and functionality to your closet.

About the Author: Jo 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.

1) As you clean your home, keep track of problem areas and jot down ideas to review later. Let’s say that you find a mound of shoes by the front door, crammed in the coat closet where everyone has to dig for them every day. You may have ideas such as cubbies by the door, a shoe rack in the closet, locker-style areas designated for each person, along with other ideas. Writing them down gives you a chance to brainstorm about the cost, pros and cons of each idea before deciding which would work best for your home. Ask the opinions of your family members to gauge which one they are most likely to want to use. If they feel like they took a part in the decision, they are more likely to go along with the plan once it’s in place.

2) Rethink conventional means of storing things. You may keep your clothing in a dresser, but realize that the clothes do not stay folded in there, making it hard to find what you need. When you do find it, it’s likely to be wrinkled, musty or misshapen from being stuffed in the drawer for so long. Hanging your clothes instead is a great way to keep them in good shape while making them easy to find. You can use a rolling garment rack to store out of season clothes so that they are out of the way, leaving your closet free for your everyday clothing.

3) Your closet shelf may be the best place you can think of to store books, luggage, and other items, but have you ever thought about how much storage space that actually wastes? Moving these items under the bed can free up a lot of free square footage in your closet. Moving that shelf up higher frees up space below for shoes, laundry baskets, or even another hanging bar. Thinking outside the box will help you to make space where you didn’t realize you had it before.

4) Use your clothing hangers to keep things nice and neat while they’re hanging. Coat hangers are curved and sturdy enough to hold heavy items without letting them droop. Skirt hangers can be used for shorts and other items so that you can keep everything in your closet. Cascading hangers help you to keep like items together in a very small amount of space. Use your clothes hangers wisely and you could eliminate many of the problems that you associate with storing your wardrobe in no time.

About the Author: Jo 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.

1) First you are going to want to clear out the clutter and get the space clean. Work on a day where the weather is nice so that you’re not rushed to throw everything back inside. Pull everything out of the garage and place things into categorized areas. Bikes, tools, sports equipment, lawn care, clothes storage, and more can be easily separated when you pull them out into the driveway or yard. Enlist help from family or friends so that the job isn’t too exhausting to finish in one day. Now clean the garage so that you don’t encourage pests to invade the space.

2) When everything is out and clean, you’re ready to plan. Flat items, such as boards and flattened cardboard boxes, can be stored on a ceiling rack. These racks bolt into studs and hang down, usually about a foot or two from the ceiling. They are inexpensive, easy to install with a little help, and give you somewhere to put those big, flat items. They help you to take advantage of space that you may not have used before. They also give you something to possibly hang bikes or yard equipment from. You can even store canoes and kayaks on the ceiling.

3) Next you’ll want to figure out a plan for other bulky items. A sports equipment rack is inexpensive and very handy. Balls and pads go into the bottom while bats, hockey sticks, and other oddly shaped items hang where kids can quickly find them. You may want to invest in a cabinet for storing bulky tools that don’t go into your tool box. This will help to keep dust out and make your garage look more organized and streamlined.

4) If you want to store clothing in your garage, a cardboard box may not be the best thing. You will need to really seal out moisture to fight off mold and mildew. Plus, you’ll want to repel pests and keep the clothing nice. Try hanging the clothes from hangers on a rolling garment rack that you can move around if you need to. Use heavy garment bags to protect clothes from outside forces. Hang them on cedar clothes hangers if possible to repel pests, help the clothes keep their shape, and absorb any moisture that they might come in contact with. Keep your clothes protected and they can be stored in the garage right alongside everything else.

About the Author: Jo 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.

Make a list of what you need to do in your home, room by room.

Kitchen: In the kitchen, there are obvious things that need to be done daily, dishes being one of them. Besides that, you can add other things that are specific to you. Check the fridge for things that are expired or too old to keep. Get fruit cut up and bagged for kids’ lunches the next day. Wipe down the microwave, stovetop and countertops. Sweep the floor and mop. Make sure that things left on the kitchen table are put away. Then you can have your “once a month” cleaning list that takes care of the other things that will eventually need to be cleaned. Windows, light fixtures, polishing cabinets, and cleaning under the refrigerator can be on this list.

Bathroom: Bathrooms are not hard to keep clean at all if you quickly go through every day and do a couple of things. Take dirty laundry to the laundry room, wipe down countertops and the toilet, wipe the mirror, empty the trash and put things back where they go. You can also keep your bathtub and shower curtains clean by spraying a daily shower spray on them. Or, you can mix bleach with water and just give the shower curtain and bathtub a quick spritz. This will keep mold, mildew, and viruses at bay.

Bedroom: In the bedrooms, you will need to put toys and other items away, gather laundry, empty trash, and make the beds. You can add wiping down dresser tops and cleaning mirrors if necessary. Vacuum if you need to and change out sheets at least once a week. Keeping dust and other allergens down to a minimum in sleeping areas really helps to control allergies.

Laundry: Laundry is best done every day. Doing multiple small loads a week is a lot less work than doing all of the laundry on the weekend. I like to put in a load to wash every morning before work and then toss it in the dryer as soon as I get home. That night, I gather the clothes, hang them on their proper clothes hangers or fold them, and put them away immediately before bed. This way, I never spend more than five minutes on laundry.

Add other items to your list that you want to do weekly or monthly. Clean ceiling fans, change out the air conditioner filter, and polish floors.

About the Author: Jo 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.