Colder temperatures means more time indoors and increasing confrontations with that overburdened dumping ground, formerly known as the bedroom closet. So why wait for spring, when an afternoon now of sifting and reorganizing can reclaim the space?
Maximizing closet space is an increasingly overwhelming task for many in the nation, judging from statistics. Closets Magazine said closet organization systems have become a $3 billion-a-year business over the past decade.
That spending may not be surprising when viewed in relation to the presence of 660 million closets in the United States, according to the Rubbermaid company of North Carolina.
Regardless of whether a closet organization system is planned or just basic reorganization is needed, said Cindy Bernstein, owner of Aim 4 Order in Baltimore, the starting point is always the same.
“The first thing is to empty the closet and identify what’s in there,” Bernstein said. “It’s likely that items way in the back or far on top are totally forgotten.”
Here are some online resources that can help in reclaiming a cluttered bedroom closet:
» www.hgtv.com has tips for organizing a closet, including how to install basic organization systems
» www.tlc.discovery.com has tips for organizing various rooms in your house
» www.napo.net has suggestions on how to get started with any home organizing effort and specific ideas on how to handle cluttered closets
On average, clothes not worn in a year have only a 1 percent chance of being worn again. Donate unused clothes to charity and make more room by moving off-season clothing and footwear to the basement, where they can be protected with vacuum seal bags. In closets used for linen storage, Bernstein suggests conducting an inventory that limits a household to two sets of sheets for each bed.
“When in doubt, throw it out,” she said.
Closet organization systems start at less than $100 for basic coated wire products, which are easy to maintain and allow good visibility. More expensive options also include custom-built wood systems, which are elegant but usually require professional installation.
For closet reorganizing on a budget, Bernstein suggests using open-top plastic storage bins on the floor and shelves that allow easy access to their contents. Door-mounted storage pockets designed for shoes can hold other items in closets not filled with footwear.
An affordable option for hanging clothes are rods that hang a couple feet below an existing closet rod, which allows separating pants and shirts. The second level of hanging space is available for less than $20 from online retailers.
Stackable open-front containers available from online stores allow filling the shelf of a closet with shoe-to-hat-size boxes all the way to the ceiling, which may be a necessity in the smaller closets of older homes.
