Avoiding Closet Clutter

Does it take you more than ten minutes each morning to rummage through your closet for a particular shirt? If you've going out for the evening do you have to dig into a mountain of shoes to find the pair to match your dress? If your answer is yes, then you are a victim of closet clutter. Here are some self help hints for beating the battle against disorder.

Keep The Floor Clear

Shoe racks or shoe bags are convenient accessories that will keep your closet floor clear and prevent you from having to search under a mountain of shoes to find that matching pair.

Hang When You Can

Double the hanging space of your closet by adding a second rod at 40" from the ground and adjusting the upper rod to 80". Use your closet doors to create more space by adding over-the-door racks. This space can be used for cap racks, shoe storage, valets, towel racks or general purpose hooks. Use specific hangers in your closet to gain space and store items, like multiple skirt hangers, multiple trouser hangers, belt, scarf, and tie hangers.

Closet Shelving

Shelving is a must for every closet. If you don't already have shelving in your closet and you are not a real DIY person, consider buying metal shelving racks, they come in all sizes and designs to fit any closet. If this doesn't suit you, you can always try hanging shelves; these are great for small spaces. If you have a lot of smaller items on your closet shelves, such as underwear, tank tops or hosiery, consider buying some mesh baskets. These will help you keep smaller items organised affectively and will prevent clothes from wrinkling.

Storing Seasonal Clothes

Storing seasonal clothes in under the bed drawers or storage containers can free up a lot of room in your closet year round. Here are some tips for storing out of season clothes safely.

• Evict moths from many of their warm, dark homes before they find your clothes. Schedule regular cleaning sessions under furniture, along baseboards, inside closets and around heating vents.
• Set out pheromone traps to lure clothes moths to an early death. These traps will let you know moths are on the premises and will prevent trapped moths from breeding.
• Clean clothing carefully before storing it. Although the bugs are most attracted to natural fibres such as wool, down, cashmere, mohair and silk, hungry insects will eat synthetics if they're seasoned with food spills, bloodstains or perspiration. Dry cleaning or washing in hot water will kill pests in all stages.

Closet Upkeep

Once you have your closet organised, keep it tidy. Put things away neatly when you've washed them. Hang items that you wear together, like matching skirts and blouses, on the same hanger so you will find them easily. Next time you're putting away laundry or dry cleaning, grab an armful of clothes that you haven't worn since you can't remember when and try them on in front of a full-length mirror. This will help you to decide which clothes are the keepers and which you need to do away with.