Would you permit a stranger to open the closets in your home? If not, then the odds are good that instead of well thought out and organized storage areas of the home they have become dumping grounds for a plethora of items, some of which you probably have forgotten you own! Even though you might have started out with a well organized closet, over time you may have begun using it as a quick de-cluttering device when company was coming, a temporary hold for items you didn’t want your toddler to get her hands on, and maybe even a way of dealing with gifts and items you just didn’t know where else to put! Yet over time, this approach has proven disastrous in that many storage closets are now filled with items and provide no easy access to anything that is held within.
Using organizers to make your storage spaces useable is of course the easiest and most promising approach to the clutter buildup but even this requires a bit of planning. Many a household organizer adds to the cluttered mess because in some cases it is not the right organizer for the job! Here are some useful tips for making mincemeat of clutter, one closet at a time!
- Do not tackle each and every closet in your home. Pick one and only when you are completely satisfied with the result you move on to the next one.
- Do not visit your local big box home improvement store in search for cheap closet organizers and storage closet organizers or Rubbermaid storage devices. Instead, begin your task by emptying out the entire closet. Yes, it is messy, but it is a vital step.
- Look at each and every item in your closet and toss what you do not use, save in a bag that which is in good shape and may be given to charity, and only keep those things in your room that you want to keep, and that you want to store in the closet you are working on. If any items are to go to a different closet, take them there, adding temporarily to that closet’s clutter.
- Take note of the items left that will go into the closet and then assess your storage needs. Could you use a wire closet organizer or maybe a closet show organizer? Might a canvas kids’ closet organizer do the trick and could a garment storage bag or two help to bring order into that closet? Will deep compartment storage organizers with their adjustable shelves allow for some flexibility or does the closet you are currently working on cry out for some custom installed organizers – maybe wood closet organizers? By taking stock of your needs prior to going shopping you will resist the temptation of falling for sales gimmicks and ending up with a storage system that adds to the clutter but is not functional in eliminating it.
- Remember that different closets require different organizers and where a Rubbermaid system works in one room, a stainless steel garage storage system is required in another. Do not force uniformity for the sake of looks but instead prize functionality!
