Closets are notorious for being a storage place for knickknacks and little-used items. The problem, however, is that over time they tend to become more of a mess than an organized storage area. Over a weekend, get your closets in order so the next time you're looking for your old baseball glove or photo album from grade school, you can find it without dumping the entire contents of the closet onto the floor. Does this Spark an idea?
De-Clutter
Step one for a clean closet is to de-clutter. There are probably plenty of items that you have not used or even remembered you had sitting in your closets. Now is the time to rid your home of those. Donate any usable items to a Goodwill facility or local shelter and trash or recycle the rest. Only keep the special mementos or sports equipment that you know you will use--even if it is not on a regular basis. Once you have sorted through the pile, you are ready to start organizing.
Rack It
An organized closet starts with places to put things. Place multiple metal racks in varying heights in the closet to allow for plenty of shelving space. Be sure to place the first metal shelf high enough from to be able to place a large storage bin containing heavy items on the floor. Depending on the size of your closet, you may also want to think about creating built-in wall shelving. This allows for even more storage space without using any additional space.
Containers Are Your Friends
Items that go into closets are usually not related to each other and tend to be a culmination of random stuff. An efficient plan for your closet must include containers of varying sizes. They can be plastic with tops or decorative boxes from a craft store. However, use each one to combine like items. If you have lots of holiday wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, place them all into one container. Do the same for sports equipment, school supplies and other such items. Label each container and be sure to place the containers in such a way that you can see the labels the second you open the door. This way, you will be able to quickly find that once elusive protractor for your child's geometry class.
Tags: sports equipment, sure place, your closet, your closets
