Five Closet Organization Challenges and How to Solve Them
Dealing with a Lack of Space
Many people who struggle with keeping their closets organized complain about not having enough space. If you have a reach-in closet instead of a walk-in closet in your master bedroom, for example, you might struggle with storing all of your clothing and accessories.
Installing the right closet organization components can help a lot with this. You might not be able to expand your closet, but you can greatly increase the amount of storage space that you have in a small area. For example, having a second hanging rod installed in your closet can provide you with twice as much space for hanging up clothing. Installing shelving units can help you take advantage of your vertical wall space.
Additionally, you may find that you can make use of storage space in other areas of your home if your closets are too small. Keeping linens or out-of-season clothing in storage boxes that will slide under your bed is one example.
Holding on to Too Many Items
Another common organization woe that many people deal with is simply having too much stuff. If you have not gone through the items in your closets lately, you might be hanging on to things that you aren’t going to use anytime soon -- or ever.
Now is a great time to set aside a weekend to go through all of the closets in your home. If you have clothing items that you haven’t worn in a while, that don’t fit properly or that you just plain don’t like, consider donating them to charity, selling them or giving them away to family or friends. If you have items that aren’t in good shape, it’s time to toss them out. Once you do this in all of your closets and get rid of the items that you don’t need and aren’t going to be using, you can instantly reclaim a ton of storage space.
Sharing Your Storage Space With Others
If you have to share your storage space with others, such needing to share the closet in your master bedroom with your spouse, then you might find that your storage is limited. Plus, your spouse might not mind having a messy and disorganized closet, while this might be something that drives you crazy.
There are actions you can take that can make sharing a closet a whole lot easier, though. For example, making sure that you each have a dedicated “side” or “space” in the closet is a start. Coming up with organizational techniques that are very easy to stick to -- which is easy with the help of shelves, drawers, hooks and hanging rods -- will help you avoid arguments about a messy closet.
Remember that if you are sharing the space, letting the other person have some input on what the space will look like might boost the chances that they will want to keep it neat and tidy. For example, when choosing finishes for your shelves, drawers and other components, consider choosing finishes that you will both like. To get your spouse on board, spend a little bit of time talking to a professional closet organizer together. Then, you can pick out the organizational components and finishes together. You’ll even be able to see what the closet will look like in a 3D image before anything is installed.
Not Having Your Closet Properly Organized
Even if you have a very large walk-in closet with people of storage space, you are probably going to have trouble keeping everything neat and organized if you don’t have the right set-up. Working with a professional to have custom closet components installed can make a big difference.
Installing extra storage rods in your closet is a great way to start. You can double your hanging space by doing so, and you can make organization much easier. With more rods, you can easily organize and separate clothing based on color, type or season. You can even use a separate valet rod for hanging up outfits that you’re going to wear for the week.
Putting in drawers and shelves can also help a lot, too. Deep drawers are great for storing sweaters, sweatshirts, linens for your bed and more. Standard drawers can be put to use for storing undergarments, T-shirts and other essentials. Shelves are perfect for displaying purses, hats and other essentials.
Plus, there are lots of closet accessories that you can put to use for better closet organization. Shoe racks can help you keep your shoes organized and clean. Jewelry drawers make it easy to store everything from fine jewelry to costume pieces. If you have a lot of ties and belts, special racks can be installed to make displaying and storing them a breeze.