A Guide to Closet Organizers

Along with losing weight and quitting smoking, getting organized is a top New Year’s resolution. In fact, a Franklin Covey Co. survey shows that 83% of people would like to be more organized. A great first step towards organization in the home is organizing the closets. Though this task may at first seem daunting, it is manageable if you break it into smaller jobs. With some careful planning and a well-designed closet organizer, a neat closet is an attainable goal.

First of all, weed out items that are no longer needed. Dresses that went out of style years ago, orphaned shoes, pants that will fit again if you can just lose twenty pounds—do you really need to keep those? Chances are you will be able to dispose of many items in your closet. Make separate stacks—donate, sell, throw away.

Now that you have cleared out the clutter, sort the remaining items. Put shoes together, belts together, and so on.

Now that items have been sorted, you will want a home for everything. Some things will need to be hung in the closet; leave those aside for now. Others will need to be placed in boxes or baskets. Some will need to be filed in a cabinet. Make a note of that.

Make an inventory of the items to be stored in your closet. Determine the best way to accommodate your possessions. Really look at your closet and think about your needs. Do you need shelves? More space for shoes? More space for hanging garments? Tie or belt racks?

With the right closet organizer, it is actually possible to double your storage capacity. Luckily, there is a wide variety of closet organizers on the market today. They are available in virtually every style, material, and price range. Closet organizers are available in metal, wood, laminate, melamine, and wire, among other things. No matter your personal style, there is probably a closet organizer to match.

Two main types of closet organizers are available: closet organizer systems and closet organizer kits. Closet organizer systems consist of fully assembled pieces—you simply have to measure your closet and purchase the correct size. You can either buy a pre-designed system or you can mix and match among components. Various configurations are available depending on the size of the closet and your individual needs. Shoe racks, shelves, racks, drawers, and more are available. Closet organizer systems can be purchased at local home improvement stores or at specialty stores. Prices begin in the low $100’s and can go up into the $1000’s.

Designed for the do-it-yourself group, closet organizer kits are less expensive and are readily available from local home improvement stores, as well as department stores. Starting at approximately $40, kits generally include all shelving, components, and hardware needed. Assembly is required, but detailed instructions are provided. Drilling is sometimes needed, but cutting usually is not.

While we have focused on bedroom closet organizers in this article, closet organizers are available for every room of the home or office.