1. Consider moving your closet out of the closet. Get an inexpensive wardrobe. IKEA has the best looking inexpensive wardrobes, such as this Aneboda Wardrobe shown below (a steal at under $100).

2. A dresser works well too, but not quite as well, because it won’t allow you to hang stuff.

3. Use an over the door shoe holder vs. keeping your shoes in your closet. I don’t love the look of having shoes hanging out, but if your closet is stuffed to the max, this may be your only option.

4. Move heavy outerwear to a hall closet. Most hall closets are underused, and usually have hanging space to spare.

5. Your closet may not actually be as bad as you think. You might just have the wrong system. Make sure your items are easy to find; hang like colors together, or like styles, depending on what’s easier for you. Sometimes, you may have organized your closet, but you just need to tweak it in a way that allows you to find your clothes faster.

For icky smells:

• Hang a dryer sheet.
• Hang a cedar block.
• Hang a lavender sachet.
• Drop a few drops of essential oil onto a washcloth (an old one) and hang that in your closet.

Are you organizing your closets for the new year? How’s that going for you?

Post from: Blisstree

Extra solutions for problem closets

If you’ve got lots o’ cash to spare…Think tax refund soon!

Reach in closet solution complete with baskets, shelves, hutch drawers, and more from Closets to Go. Custom options available as well.

If you’ve got some cash…

Right now, the best online deals for major closet systems are at The Container Store – they’re having some amazing sales on elfa closet systems (I’m talking half off). Like the Birch & White elfa décor Reach-In Closet or the Platinum elfa Reach-In both shown above.

Real wood reach in closet organizers, some under $500 – awesome deal from Real Wood Closets; various options available.

Standard Closet System from Closet Organizer Source.

ClosetMaid 2897 ShelfTrack 5-to-8 Foot Closet Organizer with SuperSlide Shelving, White from Amazon.

If you’ve got a very small budget…

Space Savers makes it easy, with nice inexpensive categories:

• Closet Items Under $10
• Closet Items Under $25
• Closet Items Under $50

The Container Store, as mentioned above, is having some killer closet system sales, but if you can’t afford an entire system, browse their closet space saving smaller solutions.

Post from: Blisstree

Clutter-free closet organizers: bling worthy to inexpensive options

Closets are easier than other home areas to organize and declutter, mainly because they tend to be small, and because there are plenty of inexpensive organizational products available that can help you.

Closet tips:

Plan a day. Because closets are small, it’s unnecessary to drag this out. Choose a free day, and plan to declutter and organize your closet from start to finish.

Most closets only need a good purging. Overstuffed is the big issue here.

To purge your closet…

Find another place for off season clothing.

Be realistic. If that size six pair of jeans didn’t fit you two years ago, and they don’t fit you now, quit messing around. Put them in a box, put the box elsewhere. Consider your diet and exercise options. If they still don’t fit in another six months, give them away.

Related to the above rule, purge stuff you simply hate or don’t wear. If you need help making a decision about whether to keep that red sparkling dress, try the timer method. Shoes too. If you’re REALLY having issue getting rid of a piece of clothing, use the backward hanger rule.

• Hang all your clothing backwards.
• If you wear an item, wash it, and rehang it facing forward.
• At the end of six months, take a look at all those clothes still hanging backwards. Rethink if you need to keep the items.

Use your space wisely…

Closets are for clothes and shoes only – repeat – closets are for clothes and shoes ONLY. Make this a rule, and your closets will automatically stay 80% more organized with less effort.

Use all your space. Use the back of the door and place baskets or boxes on the floor.

Make more space. Hang one closet rack (or pole) higher, and one lower. This can earn you lots of extra space.

Add hanging storage, shelving, or a whole dang closet system. Seriously, there are products on the market that anyone can afford. From fancy to basic, there is an organization system with your name on it.

More closet tips:

• Six Bedroom Closet Storage Do’s & Don’ts
• Actually see what’s in that closet
• Organize Double Time in Your Child’s Closet
• The Right Hanger Does Make a Difference
• The Closet Monkey – Organizing a Baby’s Closet

In the next post, I’ll bring in some options and maybe we’ll see some nice visual closet bling to inspire us.

Post from: Blisstree

Tackle closets for an organized & clutter-free home

Before we get going, I wanted to post some basics tips. These posts linked below are some of the basics we’ve seen here at Declutter It, and they should get you thinking about how you’re going to go about organizing and decluttering your whole house.

• What exactly is clutter?
• One of the first things you should do before organizing your house
• Getting Rid of Dead Space
• You won’t go to Hades for tossing that (fill in the blank) out
• Visualize A Clutter Free Space
• Organize the worst first – yes or no?

Coming up this week, we’ll be looking at the basics of creating a clutter-free and organized kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, dining room, kids space, and more.

Which room are you most interested in getting organized this year?

Post from: Blisstree

Get An Organized & Clutter-Free Home for the New Year

Magazines – read it, love it, cut out keeper articles and pics, then recycle that sucker. Magazines are not meant to be kept forever.

Calendars – I don’t care how pretty it is; do you honestly browse calendars you had nine years back? Recycle them when the year is over. The same goes for appointment book refills – no good after the year is over. Better yet, declutter even more (and save money) with a cool perpetual calendar.

Old cosmetics and medicine – this stuff not only has a solid time limit, but keeping cosmetics and medications after that expiration date could be dangerous. Toss stuff when it expires.

Expired or WAY old food items.

Old health or informative texts. When I was in college for nursing, the texts changed every single year – that’s how fast medical info changes. You don’t need books like “Cancer curing foods” or “How to care for your child” from 1975, unless of course you want a good laugh. I have this old pregnancy and child care text, and it’s all “babies should sleep on their stomach, with a blanket” and “give your kid syrup of ipecac” (Um YIKES!) – both are things we now know not to be safe.

Tax returns or rental agreements from 1983 (good lord).

What other items can you think of that should be let go on a specific time line? 

Post from: Blisstree

Minimize Junk by Tracking Item Time Limits