Yesterday we learned How to Declutter It! and today we are going to talk about closets! I love organizing a closet. It’s probably my favorite "room" in the house. Why? Because closets always seem to be forgotten. Closets are the space where everything gets shoved in every available nook and cranny. Closets are the space in the house that we don’t really think about. Creating an organized closet can free up that much needed storage space.

Here are the basic steps on how to create the closet of your dreams (or as close as possible anyway!):

• Decide the closet’s purpose - This may seem obvious but think about some of the closets in your home. Are they a catch-all? For example: Let’s say you are clearing out the hall closet. List what you would like it to hold. Maybe games, crafts, extra pantry items. Decide what the best possible purpose for it is before you do the next step.
• Clear out the closet completely - That’s right. Take everything out of the closet and as you do this, sort it into the separate boxes like we talked about yesterday. If it does not fall under the closet’s purpose, it doesn’t belong in there. When the closet is all cleared out, you should have a pile of "to keep" items to put back into the closet.
• Decide what your closet needs - Does it need more shelving, a shoe rack, hangers that match and are better for your clothes, a rod, etc. If your closet doesn’t need anything, that’s great. If it does, make sure you measure for what you need, take the measurments and the list with you to the store.
• Put everything back in -  Now for the fun part. Give everything a home. Make sure you store the most used items where you can get to them easier. Use the shelving near the ceiling for those items you use every once and awhile. As you start putting things away, you may realize another storage item you need. Just measure for it and jot it down on your list. When you first start organizing your closets, it may take you a couple of tries before you have everything you need.
• Keeping it organized - To keep your closet organized, follow the same rules that your kids learned in kindergarten: Put everything back when you are finished using it and put it back where it belongs. Those 2 simple rules can help keep your entire house organized.

If you are in the middle or even at the very beginning of organizing your closet and you feel overwhelmed, you can hire a professional or head down to your local home improvement store and ask them tons of questions. They can both help you get that closet organized!

Tomorrow the topic is Clutter-free Kitchen Counters. Remember, for more organizing tips and advice,please visit Declutter It!.

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