By Serena Norr
Managing Editor of Relocation.com
When you finally unpack all of your belongings one of the best ways to feel settled in is to organize and properly place your items in your home. In the beginning, you start out with the best of intentions – to have a clean and organized place. However, over time old habits and the rigors of life have a way of making the best ideas go sour. To get you off on the right foot, we establishing a plan for your closet – a section of your home that can easily get neglected and become an instant dumping ground. The closet, if organized properly, can actually simplify your life - not to mention make it easier to get dressed in the morning.
1. Matching hangers. If you don’t already have them, make sure you purchase matching hangers. It will make it easier to find your items and make your closet look neater. With respect to hangers, we love wooden, huggable or metal hangers that have a way of contouring to the shape of clothes. Also, be sure not to use wire hangers. They can get caught up in your clothes – not to mention what Mommy Dearest said about them.
2. Organize by type. Finding your sweater or dress or dress pants would be so much easier if all of these items are placed next to each other. As you pack, sort out your items by type and place them on a hanger alongside one another. Some people may even go the extra mile and organize their items by type and color.
3. Set aside special occasion items. Some items, like a party dress or a three-piece suit, don’t fall into the category of every day wear and should be treated separately. Since these are special occasion items, place them in a clear garment bag and archive them in the back of your closet. Consider updating this section every month – especially as you notice that you aren’t wearing that many items in your closet.
4. Keep shoes together. Shoes that are displaced can really make your closet look messy – not to mention make it especially difficult to find matching pairs. Consider purchasing a shoe organizer or a shoe rack where your shoes can stay together and not crowd the closet.
Closet Organizers:
Of course every closet needs a little help and these handy organizers do just the trick.
Shoe Racks: Consider a heavy weight polyester organizer that attaches by Velcro around your closet. Some can fit up to 22 pairs or shoes, boots or sneakers as well as compartments to house accessories like belts, bags and scarves. We like the 22-Compartment Eco-Fabric Show Bag from the Container Store and the Over-the-Door Shoe Rack from Bed Bath and Beyond.
Shoe Organizers: Another option for shoes is to use a shoe organizer. Available at retailers like Bed Bath and Beyond and The Container Store, store organizers generally fit 12 pairs of shoes and requires some assembly.
Hangers: Hangers are not simply hangers anymore. You have to consider purchasing specialty hangers such as shirt hangers, suit hangers, trouser hangers to huggable and metal hangers that are customized to the shape of your clothes. We like the hanger selection from the Container Store and the hangers from Bed Bath and Beyond.
Closet Storage Boxes: No matter how you try to organize, you may find that you still have too much stuff. In that case consider storing your items in your closet by the season. Closet storage boxes are ideal because you can house your items under your bed or in your attic or basement until they need to be rotated back into your closet. We like the clear storage boxes from The Container Store.
Shelving: Some closest can also be organized by adding some shelving. Anything from three- to four-tiered cubes can separate some of the junk. We also like modular shelving units that can also service as a furniture unit for towels, books, extra clothes and shoes.